Page 176 of A Broody Mate for the Human

“I’ll prepare breakfast,” Dave says. “Eggs or pancakes?”

“Eggs,” I blurt out. I can eat eggs every day, in all forms.

When I come to the kitchen twenty minutes later, freshened up and dressed in elegant clothes, as the alpha demanded, Dave is already putting perfectly poached eggs on toast and salmon on a plate.

My eyes widen. “Did I say I love you?”

“More than once.” He giggles. “But you may repeat it.”

Again, my heart and chest swell with love for him. This feeling further pushes me towards something I have wanted to discuss with him for a while already… ever since I knew we are mates, but even more so now that I feel the mate bond with full force. “Dave,” I start.

Dave seems to instantly recognize the seriousness in my tone. “Is something wrong?” he asks in worry.

“No, nothing, just… sit with me for a moment, please.”

Dave nods, taking his cup with coffee and plate with French toast drowning in cinnamon and maple syrup, and sits down. “So?” he looks at me, still on guard.

“There is…” I pause. “I have been planning to…” Fuck, it’s hard to get rid of my habit of stumbling over what I want to say when I get nervous.

“Just say it,” Dave urges me softly. “Whatever comes to your mind, say it. You can always explain it to me if I don’t understand.”

“I want to tie our fates together,” I blurt out.

Dave looks at me confused. “Okay, you certainly have to explain this to me now. Aren’t we mates already? You marked me. Is there something else we need to do?”

I take a few bites of my toast and eggs, trying to search for the right words while Dave tentatively chews on his French toast. “We’re mates,” I finally begin to explain. “And our souls are tied together since I marked you. We didn’t do anything wrong or miss anything.”

Dave’s confusion seems to grow. “So, what do you mean by tying our fates together?”

“I…” I take a deep breath. “I want to tie my life to yours,” I finally explain. “A powerful witch could do that.”

“What for?” Dave asks.

“My life span is longer,” I admit. “I want it to be tied to yours. Once your life span ends, mine will too.”

Dave stares at me for a long while, processing what I just said. “So, what you’re saying is… as a werewolf you live longer than a human, naturally so?”

I nod.

“And because I’m a human, I will die long before you, and you want to die when I die?”

Again, I nod.

“No,” Dave says firmly. “I don’t want you to give up your life and be responsible for your death.”

I’m surprised he is so vehemently against it. “But Dave, there is no life for me without you!”

“Listen, Raphael,” he says earnestly. “I love you, you’re my mate, and even I, as a human, can feel the bond to you. But I could never live with my conscience, knowing you will follow me into death once my days run out.”

“Dave, mates are for life,” I tell him. “Sure, there are some wolves who receive second chances, like Beta Dante, but losing a mate breaks them.” I pause. “It’s soul-crushing. It destroys us.”

“Dante received a second chance, just like you said,” Dave says quietly. “And even though you now say that you will never be happy with anyone but me… look at Dante now. He is happy with his second chance mate, with Ella.” He pauses. “Is this something werewolves normally do? Tying their fates further to each other?”

“No, it’s very uncommon,” I answer honestly. “But a human-werewolf pair is rare, and it’s not unheard of that these couples face more troubles than others.”

“If you tie your fate to mine, and I… let’s say something happens, and I die the next day, would it mean your death too?”

I nod carefully, seeing the shock in his eyes. “My wolf was broken already,” I explain to him. “While Dante was healthy and stable through and through when his first mate passed away. Nero will never be at his full strength again. Losing you will end him too or toss him fully into desperation.”