Warrior (Relentless #4)(86)

I thought about the best way to answer. “Tristan didn’t ask me to be on the task force because he knew I couldn’t be away from Westhorne for that long.”

She let out a laugh. “What do you mean? You leave for months on end. You’re away from Westhorne now.”

“Only for a month. I’ll be going back in a few weeks.”

Her eyebrow arched. “Does this have anything to do with the bad mood you’ve been in?”

“Yes.” I laid my chopsticks on my plate and met her inquisitive gaze.

“I found my mate.”

Vivian choked on her sake.

I probably should have waited until after she’d drunk to spring the news on her.

“Good one,” she wheezed, her eyes watering.

I waited for her to catch her breath. “I’m not joking. I bonded with someone.”

“You…” She stared at me. “You’re serious.”

I nodded.

“But when? Who? It’s only been two months since I last saw you, and you’ve been in Maine that whole time with…” Her eyes widened. “Oh my God. Tristan’s granddaughter?”

“Yes.”

She put a hand over her mouth. A second later, she dissolved into laughter. My scowl only made her laugh harder until tears streamed down her face. It was a full five minutes before she could look at me without losing it again.

“And you wonder why I’m in a mood,” I muttered, reaching for the sake bottle.

“Oh, Nikolas, forgive me.” She dabbed at her eyes with her napkin. “But you would laugh too if you were in my shoes.”

“Probably,” I admitted grudgingly.

The two of us had always joked about which of us would “fall” first. I don’t think either of us expected it to be me. I thought about Sara curled up beside me on the plane, and a smile came unbidden to my lips. Suddenly, I couldn’t remember why I’d resisted the idea of a mate for so long.

“Wow.”

“What?”

“If you’d ever smiled like that for me, I’d have fallen head over heels for you.” She stared at me in wonder. “You love her.”

“Yes.”

Her eyes glistened with fresh tears. “Look what you’ve done to me. I’m crying like a school girl.”

I picked up my phone. “I should take a picture or no one will ever believe me.”

“Don’t you dare!” She rolled up her napkin and threw it at me.

Chuckling, I caught it and tossed it back to her.

She grew serious. “Tell me you’re happy. I’ve known people who bonded and weren’t happy so they broke the bond. I don’t want that for you.”

I refilled our cups as I thought about how to answer.

“It’s complicated, but yes, I’m happy.” Or I would be when I could finally tell Sara the truth.

“Do your parents know?”

“God, no. You know what my mother is like.”

Vivian laughed again. “She’s going to be ecstatic. And she’s going to make my life impossible after this.”

I gave her a questioning look.

“When she tells my mother you’ve settled down, I’ll never hear the end of it.” She sipped her wine. “What’s your mate like? I want to hear everything about her and your time in Maine.”

I leaned back in my chair and smiled at her. “How long do you have?”

“As long as it takes.”

We continued our meal, and over the next two hours, I described seeing Sara for the first time and the moment I knew she was my mate. I told Viv about Eli, his obsession with Sara, and my frustration at not being able to find him. Vivian made comments every now and then, but for the most part, she listened. Her eyes filled with disbelief and awe as I related the events of the last month, and I could imagine how it must sound to someone who hadn’t been there and was hearing it all at once.

My voice grew gruff when I spoke about the day Eli finally found Sara and how she’d disappeared. Vivian reached across the table and laid her hand on mine as I talked about the search for Sara and the agonizing three weeks that followed.

I told her about Sara’s sudden return and her story about where she’d been all that time. Being on the task force, Vivian already knew about Sara’s Fae heritage, and it felt good not to have to keep that from her.

“Sara must be very special to win your heart. And she doesn’t know how you feel?”

“I think she knows I care for her, but not how much. She knows nothing of the bond.”

Understanding dawned in her eyes. “Being away from her must be hell for you. Why aren’t you with her now, making her fall madly in love with you?”

“She’s been through so much, and leaving home was hard on her. I’m giving her time to adjust to her new life before I tell her the truth.”

Vivian leaned forward. “Your expression tells me leaving was not your idea.”

“It wasn’t.”

I told her about my reaction to Callum and about Tristan asking me to leave for a month.

“As much as I hate to see you hurting, I have to agree with Tristan. You’re intimidating enough without adding the emotions of a bonded male. No one would dare to approach Sara with you glowering over her shoulder.”