Warrior (Relentless #4)(23)
I turned from the window to face him. “Because she’s my mate.”
“What?” Chris stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “Mate?”
“Yes.”
His mouth opened and closed a few times, and I realized it was the first time I’d ever seen him speechless.
He shook his head. “You were distracted at the club. I suspected you were taken with the girl…but bonded? Why didn’t you tell me?”
I frowned at him. “It’s not an easy topic to bring up, and I wanted to be sure of the bond before I said anything.”
Understanding dawned on his face. “That’s why you went to see her instead of calling Paulette.”
“Yes.”
“Damn.” He released a loud breath. “I don’t even know what to say.”
His face told me what he couldn’t put into words. I had never spent longer than a week in a relationship, although enough women had tried to entice me to stay. The harder they tried, the more determined I was to remain single. Chris thought it was hilarious, and he’d always said someday I would meet the one, and he hoped he had a front row seat for the show. I don’t think either of us expected me to actually find my bond mate. He was almost as stunned as I had been.
“There’s not much to say. Sara is my mate.”
Mine, my Mori insisted.
Yes. The moment I admitted the truth to myself, the knot in my stomach eased, and my chest felt oddly light. She was mine. She might despise me and everything I stood for, but I’d do whatever it took to protect her.
Chris cleared his throat. “Does Sara know about the bond?”
“She feels something, but she doesn’t know what it is.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “She’s been through too much; she’s not ready to hear about this.”
“I agree. She was raised as a human, and she needs time to adjust to our way of life before she learns she is bonded to someone. That is, unless you decide to break it before it grows.”
I looked out the window. I could end this now and Sara would be none the wiser. I’d be free to go back to my life, and she could go on with hers. But when I thought about doing that, my Mori growled and an unpleasant sinking feeling settled in my gut.
“I don’t think I can.”
“Wow.” He let out a puff of air. “Well, I can see why you didn’t want to tell Tristan.”
I shot him a questioning look.
He laughed. “He just found out he has a granddaughter. I’m surprised he didn’t insist on coming here. If he knew you and she were bonded, he’d be on his way to the airport right now.”
I scowled as I went back to sit on the couch. “I’m not sure whether or not to be insulted by that statement.”
Chris grinned. “Well, you haven’t exactly hidden the fact that you don’t want a mate. The only woman I’ve ever seen you show any affection for, besides your mother, is Vivian, and she is as bad as you when it comes to commitment. I think if Vivian had shown any real interest in settling down, you would have run far and fast.”
“This is not the same,” I practically growled at him.
His expression grew thoughtful. “Are you sure you’re ready for this, Nikolas?”
“Is anyone ever ready?”
“You know it’s not going to be easy for you to stay away from her once the bond grows. You’ll need to be near her, and it’ll become increasingly difficult to see her around other males.”
“I know.” I groaned inwardly. Mohiri males always felt the bond more intensely than their mates, and they tended to become possessive of their female until the bond was complete. I’d seen it enough times, but I’d never expected or wanted to experience it myself. I’d only known the girl for four days, and already she occupied my thoughts more than any woman had.
Chris kicked his feet up on the coffee table. “We’ve both seen bonded couples and how stormy their courtships were in the beginning. If my new cousin is half as stubborn as you, I expect fireworks – and not the good kind.”
I glowered at him. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
His eyes flashed with amusement. “More than you could possibly imagine. So when are you going to tell your mother you’ve met your mate? She’ll be overjoyed.”
I rubbed my face. “Khristu, don’t even mention my mother. I have enough to deal with.”
Laughter filled the room. “I’m just going to buy some popcorn and sit back to enjoy the show.”
“Remind me again why we’re friends,” I said, earning another laugh from him.
“Because no one else can put up with you. And because I like to piss off the Council almost as much as you do.”
The front door opened, and Erik’s team filed in carrying duffle bags and weapons cases. Erik dropped his bags in the hallway and joined us in the living room. At five-eleven, he was tall for a Korean, but shorter than most Mohiri males, a fact that left him in a perpetual state of annoyance.
He scowled as he sank into a chair. “We’re cleared out of Boston. I think Raoul’s team is moving in there tomorrow. My guys are going to stow their gear, and then we’re going to start checking out the spots in Portland where those suckers could be holed up.”
“Sounds good.” Erik was meticulous when it came to doing a grid search, which was one of the reasons I was glad to have him here. If Eli was still in Portland, Erik would flush him out. This was one time when I couldn’t afford to leave a single stone unturned. Sara’s life could depend on it.