Page 16 of Aching for His Mate (The Wolves of Luven #5)

Domitia barely had a moment to sit down. Between running to the markets before Iota got home, to cooking up a storm, cleaning up after herself, and looking after Iota, her hours were crammed full. The first night after he’d returned, they ate dinner together for only the second time.

She loved it. It was like finally having a purpose after years of doing nothing. It made her feel alive.

Domitia wanted to ease Iota into her cooking and made fried trout with a peppercorn crust, rather than diving in with some spicier options. She served it with crispy potatoes, but she had also found a solitary bag of rice at the market, which she had plans for. She didn’t want to shock Iota too much—he was still healing after all.

“This is good,” he said slowly as he tried the fish. She couldn’t tell if he hated it or was simply surprised by the taste, but he wasn’t spitting it out or pretending to eat it. Domitia would call that as a win.

“I grew up on the coast,” she offered. “Until Balaur, my diet was mostly fish. And a lot of fruits and vegetables I didn’t see at the markets.”

Iota perked up a bit. “Did you fish yourself or trade?”

“A bit of both. I,” she hesitated. She hadn’t shared much about herself, not for any reason, but telling Iota about her life seemed like a big step. “I worked on boats mostly. Not deep-sea voyages. Coastal traders mostly. Lots of days that included fishing.”

Iota raised an eyebrow. “What is life like on a boat?”

“Different,” she laughed. “It’s a transition. You live on land for a long time, then a boat feels like the world is trying to knock you over. But then, you live on a boat a long time, dry land tends to have the same effect.” Domitia set her plate on the dresser and put her hands out to her side and bent her knees. “I usually spent the first day back on land walking like a toddler. Trying to get my bearings again.”

Iota half-grinned and paused his eating. “I’ve never been on a boat. There are some really big lakes close by, but they’re in human and dragon territory. I’ve heard stories that traders work those waters as well.”

“The Great Lakes.” Domitia nodded. “Vallie, Verona, and Tella are from Maidenhead. It’s on the coast of one of them.”

“Did they work on boats too?”

“Nah. Maidenhead isn’t like the south. As far as they’ve told me, it’s a real shitty place to live as a human. The south…we have our problems, but the dragons only come by once in a while. We didn’t have to actively hide from them. Also, it’s warm down there. If I didn’t have shelter for the night, I was usually fine. Slept many nights on the beach.”

Iota furrowed his brow. “What’s the beach?”

Domitia couldn’t help but laugh. This man was so serious. “It’s the piece of land beside the coast. Do you have sand lakes here?”

“We do.”

“So, it’s the long strip of sand between the sea and proper land. Not a terrible place to spend the night so long as it’s clear.”

“Do you…” Iota took a breath. “Do you have family in the south? Anyone waiting for you to come back?”

She hesitated. Domitia wasn’t stupid. She knew telling him would change something about their dynamic. But lying to her mate? That was a betrayal she couldn’t stomach.

“My mother. I didn’t live with her, but I visited occasionally. She’s probably worried. But not terribly. Three years is a long time for me to go without a visit, but if the weather had been bad, if I couldn’t get a job…she would keep her worry in check.”

“Oh.” He busied himself with his plate, forking a potato so hard the dish clinked.

“If you are worried I’ll disappear in the middle of the night to traverse the length of wolf territory to land back in the south, don’t. You might not kill me for such an offense, but Vallie most certainly would.” She grabbed her plate and settled back in her seat. The trout was good. Not as delicious as fried flounder, but she’d take it. Better than venison at any rate. Domitia didn’t hate the meat, and after Balaur was happy to eat anything set in front of her, but after a lifetime of fish, red meat was beginning to feel like a holiday meal every day.

“How’s your stomach?” Domitia asked.

“My stomach? The food is fine.”

“No, Dr. Tau said that you might have some nausea from all the medication you are taking.”

Iota sighed. “I’m fine.” He took a few more bites of food, then set his plate on his bedside table.

“You don’t like it?” she asked. “I can make you something else. Do you want soup? Something lighter?”

“It’s not that. The food was good.” Iota grumbled and pushed his blankets down his body. A thin strip of skin showed between the hem of his shirt and the waistband of his shorts. His skin was as tanned as the rest of him, giving Domitia visions of him running shirtless through the woods.

She blinked and refocused on Iota. “What is it?”

“I should be cooking for you. That’s part of it, part of your first days with me. I am supposed to be taking care of you, cooking for you, putting you to bed and then guarding the threshold so you can sleep. I’m doing none of those things.”

“Well,” Domitia set her plate down and moved to sit at the foot of the bed. “You were injured guarding the threshold of Luven. That’s more important than my door. And don’t feel guilty you aren’t sleeping on the front steps. You saw how I was our first day. There’d be no reason for you to sleep outside.” She paused and took notice of a sudden relaxation in his shoulders. “I love to cook. I regret to inform you, you are not the family cook. I am. I will be making the majority of the meals we eat because it brings me joy. And I have a bunch of dishes I want you to try. I might have to start a little garden out back so I can grow my favorite herbs.” Now, he graced her with a small smile. “And as for me taking care of you over you taking care of me, I don’t need care right now. You do. I’m not stupid, I know what it means to be your mate. Just because I am not feeling the intenseness of this relationship yet, doesn’t mean I don’t trust that it will come. We’re going to be lifelong partners, and right now you need me to help you. That doesn’t mean I won’t need you to help me sometimes, too. Hell, who knows what the years will bring? But right now, I am happy to have the privilege to be your partner.”

Iota nodded. “All right. I’ll try not to complain so much.”

“Thank you,” Domitia said with a grin.

“I have a request, though,” he added.

“You want something else for dinner. I knew it. Do wolves not eat fish?”

He shook his head. “That’s not it, I promise. I want you to sleep in here tonight. Not on the couch downstairs.”

Domitia was taken aback. She’d had a conversation with Dr. Tau about Iota, what he could handle. The two of them decided that she should sleep separately to remove any temptation he might feel before healing properly.

“Dr. Tau said—”

“She doesn’t want us starting the mating frenzy until I am fully healed. I understand. I’m not going to jump on you tonight. But I cannot have my mate sleeping on the couch. Especially when our bed is right here. It’s bad enough I am in the bed. You can’t sleep outside of it.”

Domitia raised an eyebrow. It must be killing this wolf that he wasn’t able to take part in any of his traditions.

She hadn’t been relishing the idea of another night on the couch. When Iota was in the hospital, she’d spent every night there on the chair, but often came home and grabbed a quick nap in their bed before showering and heading back.

The bed was really fucking comfortable.

It was like her own little nest. The quilt was cozy and not too hot, the pillows were softer than anything she’d ever laid upon. Plus, when she woke from sleeping there, she didn’t have to roll her neck for a solid ten minutes before it felt normal again.

“Okay. I will sleep in the bed tonight. But you have to be good. No touching.”

“I promise I will not touch you unless you ask,” Iota answered quickly.

“That is not what I said,” she scolded him with a twinge of humor. “No touching period.”

“Domitia, if my mate asks me to touch her, I’m going to touch her.”

“Iota! I am not going to ask you to touch me,” she insisted.

“Then, it shouldn’t be a problem. But if you ask—”

“Iota!” She laughed hard now. “I am not going to ask you to touch me tonight! Stop it!” She shook her head. “Finish your food and give me your plate. I need to clean up before we go to sleep, and I’m ready for bed.”

“It’s still dusk,” Iota mentioned, pointing at the window.

“I don’t care. I’m exhausted, you’re supposed to rest, we’re going to bed. Give me some time to wash up, then I’ll walk you to the bathroom. Are you going to want a shower tonight?”

“Will you be getting in with me?”

“No.”

“Then, I’ll pass,” he grumbled. Domitia rolled her eyes and collected the plates. Iota definitely felt better than he had if he could make these jokes at her. And she knew that going through multiple surgeries and the injuries and pain he’d been enduring would have been terrible on a normal week. Adding that she knew he was basically hard for her all day every day had to make it even worse.

“Be right back,” she said then headed downstairs to tidy up.

They were small steps, but Domitia was pretty sure they were making them together.