Page 17

CHAPTER 16

MAHK

I breathed in the fresh air of my realm, a weight I hadn’t realized I was holding falling off my shoulders. I’d meant it when I’d said I would wait for Tanner as long as necessary, but I’d missed having access to my home. Missed it more than I had been allowing myself to admit. Being here now, well, to put it literally, felt like coming home. I’d been happy in the human world and would gladly live there full-time, but being cut off from my home and family had been hard. Tears sprang in the corner of my eyes as relief filled me.

Still, I quickly turned around, beyond pleased to see the opening was still there. I knew it would be, but somewhere in the back of my brain, there was a little worry that I would not be able to freely travel the realms. It was a false fear. I would be able to return to my Tanner once I saw my brother and completed my errand. We’d done it. I’d claimed my mate and made it back.

I wasn’t naive enough to believe everything would be smooth sailing. Staying permanently in the human world would come with its own challenges. I still had a lot to learn. Not to mention, I would need to find my own house soon. I could not stay at the Cunninghams’ bungalow forever, and Tanner’s was not large enough for me to move in. We would have no privacy. But we would figure it out. I had no doubt. Together, Tanner and I were stronger than apart, and we’d face everything side by side.

Feeling confident and at peace, I walked away from the cave with one more glance back. I swore I saw Tanner peeking out, but if I went back, I’d probably never leave him. The farther away I got, the more my chest ached with the desire to be close, but I pushed through. It wouldn’t be long until one of Nash’s men found me; they always kept an eye on this barrier.

Soon enough, I heard voices coming up ahead. One I recognized as my brother, Nash.

When I was finally able to see them, Nash was walking next to a tall human with a collar around his neck. Kai.

“Brother!” I called out. When Nash saw me, both relief and happiness flashed across his features.

“Mahk! I was wondering if you’d ever grace us with your presence again.”

I laughed as I greeted him. “Yes, well, I was busy cleaning up your messes for you.” Or, you know, meeting my mate, falling in love, and convincing him to give us a chance, but I did not want to miss the opportunity to tease my brother.

Nash’s purple eyes, one of the few features we both had, lit up with mischief, like he was ready to retaliate, but his mate spoke, eyes wide, before he could.

“No, that’s not what happened at all. I totally got thrown off a cliff, and I wouldn’t let him go without me, and I . . . sometimes have a bad habit of getting lost, so obviously he didn’t want me to go, and . . .”

Kai trailed off, his eyes bouncing from Nash to me and then back again. I was very proud of myself for keeping a straight face so Nash’s poor human mate didn’t think I was making fun of him.

“You’re joking, aren’t you?” He sounded embarrassed, which I felt bad about, but Nash brought him close and whispered something in his ear that had him smiling and blushing at the same time.

“I apologize,” I told Kai. “I did not mean to upset you.”

But he waved it away. “It’s fine. Just ignore me.”

Before I could ask him what he meant, Nash brought the conversation back to me. “So, I take it Koth will no longer be a problem?”

I grinned. “He’s at the bottom of a sink pit. You will have no more trouble from him.”

Both Kai and Nash looked relieved. “Thank you,” Nash said sincerely. “Were there difficulties? You were gone longer than expected.”

I almost laughed. It was hard to believe so much had happened in such a short time, and I was bubbling with anticipation to tell Nash all about my perfect, beautiful mate. “Let’s head out. I have much to tell you . . .”

A few hours later, I was on my way back to the cave. It was only a little over a month since I had done exactly this, yet absolutely nothing was the same. Then I was only focused on helping my brother. And now . . . Destiny was also my home. Or I hoped it would be soon. Tanner and I hadn’t discussed details about what would happen next, but I wanted to stay in Destiny. Or anywhere Tanner ended up. Tanner was my true home; everything else was just places. Still, I wanted to feel settled and comfortable there.

Taking one last breath, I crossed the barrier back to the human realm. I stepped into the cave and . . . nearly cried when I saw it was still open. A small shiver ran through me, and I took a moment to get my bearings. Once I felt more grounded, I activated the bracelet so I would look human.

I glanced around even though I knew Tanner was not here. I had been gone for over half the day, spending more time than I’d anticipated so I could catch up with Nash and Kai. It had been amazing, but I was more than ready to be with my own mate again. He was probably panicking, and I couldn’t wait to soothe him and myself. By the end of my visit, I knew I was being short with Nash and his men, but I had just mated! I needed Tanner.

I could feel the distance between us and I was done with it. I was about to hurry out of the cave when I noticed the backpack still leaning against the wall, and attached to it was a note.

Little stalker,

I packed you some snacks for your trip back to my house. I hope your family was well and you enjoyed your visit, but I can’t wait till you're home. I’ll be waiting for you.

Love,

Lulekai (I really hoped I spelled that right.)

My stomach swooped happily as I carefully folded up the note and put it in the front pocket of the backpack before opening it. It seemed that Tanner had taken the blanket—and the lube—with him. Instead, there were two bags of Cheetos and a little pouch that was still cold. Inside was a bottle of Yoo-hoo, the best drink ever, and one of those mozzarella cheese sticks. Tanner’s sister Mia had introduced me to those last week, and I could not stop eating them. Tanner had warned me that human food tasted so good because it was packed with sugar and preservatives, but it was hard to care when it was that delicious.

Smiling at the thoughtful gesture, I picked up the backpack and threw it over my shoulder along with the other satchel of supplies I had taken from home. Then I made a hasty retreat, ready to get back to my mate.

I had barely made it out of the forest when my eyes locked on lights up ahead. They were on vehicles so humans could see easier at night. Walking toward them, I was able to see that they were on a truck. My heart raced with anticipation. Trucks were very common around here, but somehow I just knew . . .

The door opened and Tanner stepped out.

My breath stuttered as a huge smile lit up his face. Not caring who was around, I sped up and threw myself at my mate.

“Oof,” Tanner breathed out a laugh and staggered back a few steps as I tried to climb up his body. But his hands cupped my ass and he held me tight when I wrapped my legs around his middle. “Fuck, sweetheart. I missed you too.” He buried his face in my neck.

Maybe we should feel silly because it hadn’t even been a whole day, but I could not bring myself to care. I’d missed Tanner like I would miss a limb.

He carried me back to his truck and somehow managed to open the passenger door and place me on the seat. I didn’t let him go though.

He nipped at my nose. “Did you have a good trip?”

“Yes, I saw Nash and his mate, Kai. It was lovely.” My lips quivered with a smile. “I brought back pleasure oil. A lot of it.”

Tanner’s eyes sparkled. “Jake is spending the night at a friend’s house, so we have the room to ourselves.”

“I like the sound of that. I need you. We separated too soon after mating.”

Tanner nodded seriously. “I know. I ached for you all day, even though I was thrilled you could finally get home.”

I kissed him gently. “I am home. Right here with you.”