The Contrary Mate

I could listen to my mate talk about herself all day, even if we had to keep the conversation human friendly. "So, what about your family?" she asked me.

"Well, both my parents live and work in my...hometown. They were there at the party, but I asked them to stay away along with everyone else. I didn't want my mother to overwhelm you."

She smiled. "Was she that enthusiastic?"

"Oh, yeah, she's been dying for me to...show a strong interest in someone for a long time. Should have seen what she did to Vander when he and Darlene found each other."

"What did she do?"

"She practically suffocated him. My sister barely got near him in the first week," I said. The memories of my sister were bittersweet, pain mixed with the affection of my memory. I half-smiled. "So I knew what to expect, so I forced them to promise to stay away from my guest once you showed up. Of course my parents suspect who you are to me. Everyone is always speculating."

She smiled back at me. It wasn't a happy smile, but rather a smile of what seemed to be understanding.

It hit me suddenly how much I wanted to have her with me through everything in my life, not just the good, but also the bad. And it was not just my wolf. It was too soon to think that I might love her, but I was probably already tilting in that direction.

"I'm sure I'll love your parents when I meet them."

When, not if. Did I dare hope?

Our conversation was interrupted when our food was set before us. I barely paid it any mind. Once the waitress left again, Aura continued, "Mine might be the bigger problem. Well, not my dad, but my mom. She's not going to like the backlash, I don't think. And she won't even be the worst. Some of the others..." She trailed off, but I could hear the worry in her tone. I wanted to soothe it, but how could I, if the problem was who I was and what I had already done? "But that's something we should talk about later." She smiled at me, meeting my eyes, and my hope grew. Was she willing to fight for us? I wanted to fight for her, with her.

I found myself nervous for after we were finished. I had considered asking if she was interested in seeing a movie or something, but I just wanted to get her somewhere private and away from human ears. "Do you want to go somewhere after we're done eating? I had a few ideas, but what would you want?"

She considered. "Sure."

"Anywhere in particular?"

"Somewhere we can be alone."

"So the city's out. Want to just head back to my place?" The idea of being alone with her was far more appealing than any attraction of the city. Why had I brought her out to a restaurant anyway when I could have simply had something set up at home? That would be our next date, somewhere we didn't have to watch our mouths.

"Sure." She smiled and took a bite of her salad. Compared to my appetite, she ate like a bird, and it made my wolf worry. I pushed aside the overprotective instinct. I had no idea what a battle it would be with my wolf when it came to my mate. He had a whole set of intentions when it came to her instead of his usual disinterest with most things in my life beyond basic survival, which made the situation even more difficult to manage.

"And what do you like to do?" I asked her, both because I was searching for human-friendly topics of conversation and because I wanted to know everything about her.

"Mostly tending my plants, brewing...and some things I probably shouldn't mention here."

Even though I knew she was probably talking about things related to the fae, my imagination spun to other things that we also wouldn't do or speak of with an audience of mundane humans nearby. She looked beautiful tonight—although she would surely look beautiful at any time, so it wasn't surprising. I had no way to tell how much my view of her was the influence of the mate bond and I just didn't care. Her slight form was all female. My female. I hoped.

When we were done, I paid and we left the restaurant. I was eager to get her alone. When we pulled into the driveway, I mind linked Fred, "I need a table and chairs, something to drink, and maybe candles set up in the garden. As fast as possible." Would she find candles romantic? She'd said her cousin had an inclination towards fire, so the fae must not be entirely opposed to flame, and it wouldn't hurt to set the mood in my favour, would it?

"Of course."

I parked the car in front of the main doors. One of the staff would put it away for me and so my attention went back to her like a homing beacon. I rounded the car and I offered her my arm. To my pleasure she placed her delicate hand there with a small smile. Through my shirt sleeve, the pressure and the soft heat of her hand simultaneously soothed and excited me. The slight contact made me want more. Always more.

I watched her from the corner of my eye as we walked together through the hall and out the doors to the gardens. Her lips curled as if relieved that we had arrived there. She truly did seem to thrive when surrounded by greenery.

If she would have me, I would turn my home into a botanical garden for her comfort if she wanted to stay here.

I followed her lead as she walked around the large green space. Like the last time, she kicked off her shoes and trailed her hands over the plants as she walked by them, almost affectionately.

"You like it out here," I commented the obvious.

"I do," she agreed. "It's my favourite part of your home."

I had to bite my tongue from offering her it all. She wasn't a wolf, and like humans, the fae probably moved slower in these things.

Eventually, she made her way to the table that I'd had set up for us. She looked at me with raised eyebrows. "I thought we could sit. While we talk."

She sighed. "I suppose we should." Her reluctant tone did not comfort me. I helped her into her seat before taking the one opposite.

She met my eyes steadily. "I really am sorry that I left you waiting."

It had felt like an eternity to my wolf, but I wasn't going to tell her that. "You don't have to keep apologizing, Aura."

She shook her head. "I just don't know what to do about us, Jack." She swallowed. "That night I came here, I was planning to tell you that we couldn't possibly work and nip this thing in the bud."

Her words were like a punch to my gut. I gripped the table while my wolf panicked in my head.

"Nothing about us seems a good match. It's not even the werewolf fae thing, as if anyone had ever heard of that sort of pairing before. If I am your mate, nothing's going to stay the same. I'm happy with my life the way I am now, but I'll be more of a pariah if I'm with you. They already look at my family as a bit off. My father is viewed oddly and with Lark's father taking off for the human world, my family and I've had to work really hard to fit in. It helps that my magic with plants is so strong, and that my brother works with a senate branch, but if anyone finds out I'm in a relationship with you..."

"I understand." The truth was horrible.

"No, you don't. If I were making smart choices I wouldn't even be here right now. I would have come that first night, explained this, and then left and never saw you again. Like I planned."

"Then why didn't you?" My wolf wanted hope, and if we weren't going to have any, I needed a clean break.

"I just couldn't." She shrugged. "Every time I'm near you I just want to get closer to you."

I tried to pretend her words didn't make me barely able to contain myself. "It affects the human mate, so likely, it also would affect a fae... Although I couldn't find out anything for sure."

Her brow furrowed and she looked troubled as she met my eyes. "You make me want to not care about all the reasons we shouldn't be when I'm near you."

Hope and fear clashed. "I don't care about those reasons. Except I don't want you to suffer. I want to protect you."

"I'm not just worried about me. I'm worried about my family."

"I'll protect them, too."

"How? How will you protect them from our own people looking down on us for who you are? From your position in the human world?"

"Aura, I'd give it all up for you. If that's what it takes."

Her lovely eyes widened at my declaration of what I was willing to sacrifice if necessary, and hopefully it would be enough.