Page 48 of Crossed Fates

Of course she would be, but the way she said it with certainty had me wondering what the hell I would do when she left. Unless she wasn’t my true fated mate. Maybe the jumping between realms had somehow crossed our fates?

“He was—well, very pleased,” she continued. “And I realize now that he wasn’t asking about us as a couple so much as asking aboutyou.”

“Because he wants to be alpha.”

“Yeah.”

I shut the fridge, having let half the cold air out already without really paying attention to the contents.

“There’s a casserole in there,” Makayla said, gesturing to the closed door. “If you’re looking for something easy, I mean. Someone dropped it off earlier with instructions on how to heat it.” Her lips pinched. “Savannah, I think?”

“Tyler’s girlfriend.” Or I assumed that was what he’d called her. They weren’t mates, just…close. “My mom probably made it for Savannah, but she would want me to have it to make sure I ate something.” I shook my head, my smile sad. “She’s always looking out for everyone except for herself.” I made a mental note to visit her tomorrow. She was probably one of the few packmates I still somewhat knew because of her ties to my brother.

“She was his girlfriend, not his mate?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Neither of them had been duped by fate yet.” I winked at her to soften the insult. “They chose each other.”

“What would have happened if fatedupedthem later?” A familiar twinge of humor danced in her eyes as she repeated my playful word.

“They would have broken up.” Which I expected would have sucked for them. Thankfully, I didn’t have that problem now since I’d opted not to date exclusively with anyone. My job hadn’t really allowed for intense relationships.

“Just like that?” Makayla asked as she pushed off the stool to join me in the kitchen.

I watched as she opened the fridge to pull out the casserole, apparently deciding that she needed to take charge. I didn’t argue, especially when she bent to place it in the oven. The woman was fine even in a pair of sweats and a T-shirt.

“For a Bitten wolf, a man can’tperformfor anyone other than his mate,” I said, addressing her question regarding Tyler and Savannah and what would have happened if one of them had found their destined mate. “So, they wouldn’t have had a choice.”

Makayla stilled with her ass in the air, making me want to tap her with my palm.

I knew it was my reveal that gave her pause—the fact that I’d just admitted she’d be the only one capable of satisfying me ever again—but I enjoyed her reaction too much to really think through what it all meant.

Locking her up in a cage was becoming more and more appealing.

She gathered her thoughts after another handful of seconds, then straightened to fuss with the oven. She had a little instruction card clenched in her fist when she finally turned to face me. “So you’ll never be able to…?”

“Fuck another woman?” I finished for her. “Nope.” It came out a lot calmer than I felt. Maybe because I was too exhausted and hungry to focus on it right now.

Or maybe because it was just life.

“What about a man?”

I blinked at her. “What?”

“You said you can’t fuck another woman, so what about a man?”

I chuckled. “I can’t perform sexually with anyone except you, Makayla,” I rephrased. “Assuming you’re my true fated mate.” I considered her for a moment. “You’re not from my world. Maybe there’s another version of you running around this realm.” I arched a brow and smirked. “A more docile, subservient you.”

She snorted. “Not fucking likely.”

I waggled my brows. “That could be fun. Two of you in my bed.”

“You couldn’t handle even one of me in your bed, let alone two,” she shot back.

“Oh?” I cornered her in the kitchen, pressing her up against the counter by the oven. “You sure about that,mate?”

Her humor disappeared behind a wave of heat, her pupils dilating with interest. I brushed my lips against hers, tasting and teasing, and testing her resolve.

She responded with a light brush of her own.