Page 5 of Devon (Krsnik Clan #5)

RYAN HADN’T BEEN PLANNING on keeping what was happening between him and Devon a secret, but considering how complicated the situation was, he’d kept to himself that he and Devon were talking.

Kendrick seemed to be okay with Devon being Ryan’s mate, but Jonas wasn’t.

Ryan didn’t blame him.

He wouldn’t take it nicely, either, if someone tried to get with his mate even after they found out he’d had one.

He’d force himself to accept it if it was what Devon wanted, but it hadn’t been what Kendrick wanted.

Kendrick and Jonas were together, and Devon had tried to change that.

He’d tried to get between them, which was a big no-no in the shifter community.

Of course, Devon wasn’t a shifter.

That didn’t mean he hadn’t known he wasn’t supposed to do it.

He admitted as much to Ryan.

He wanted to be loved, and he thought that Kendrick would do that.

He’d been wrong.

Kendrick was in love with Jonas, and there would never be anyone else for him.

Devon hadn’t stood a chance.

Hell, he hadn’t stood a chance even before Kendrick met Jonas.

Kendrick had told Ryan that he’d always seen Devon like a younger brother and that he’d reminded him of Ryan.

Ryan believed that to be true.

So he hadn’t been planning on talking to Kendrick and Jonas about Devon until he had something more concrete to say, but he should’ve known that his brother would notice something was up.

Maybe it was because he felt he was smiling a lot more these days, or maybe Kendrick was guessing.

Either way, he’d walked in on Ryan whistling in the kitchen while he was making coffee, had sat on one of the chairs at the table, and had watched him until Ryan turned to him.

He clearly wanted to talk, but Ryan hadn’t expected him to mention Devon.

“How are things going with Devon?”

Kendrick asked as he accepted the coffee Ryan had poured for him.

“Why are you asking about him?”

“Shouldn’t I? He’s your mate.”

“Yeah, but Jonas is home.”

“He’s in bed.”

It wasn’t a surprise since it was late morning, but it was a good thing.

Ryan wasn’t sure how Jonas would react to what he was about to say.

Maybe it would be good to ask Kendrick to talk to his mate first.

Ryan didn’t want to create trouble, but he couldn’t exactly offer to leave the house and find a place on his own.

He still didn’t have a job.

Ryan would eventually have to talk to Jonas about Devon, but today, he was glad Jonas wasn’t here.

He liked the guy, and it was clear that Jonas loved Kendrick, but it was nice to have some time alone with his brother.

It was especially nice not to have to watch what he was saying about Devon.

Even though Kendrick had been at the center of this mess, he didn’t hold it against Devon the way Jonas did.

“So? What’s going on with Devon?”

Kendrick pushed gently.

“Is he the reason you’ve been smiling so much?”

“Yeah, he is,”

Ryan admitted as he sat down.

He had his own cup of coffee, and he took a sip before focusing on his brother.

“We’ve been talking.”

Kendrick seemed pleased.

“That’s great.”

“It is.

He told me what happened with you. I guess he wanted me to know before things got too serious. He was apologetic and said that he latched onto you because you were one of the people who saved him and his family.”

Kendrick nodded.

“That’s what I thought had happened.

I don’t know why he focused on me instead of one of the other hunters, but I don’t think it matters or that Devon himself knows.”

Ryan shrugged.

“I don’t think it matters, either, but maybe it’s because you’re my brother.”

Devon was human, but maybe Ryan being Kendrick’s brother had made a difference.

Maybe that was how things were always meant to happen because if they hadn’t, Ryan and Devon wouldn’t have met.

Devon was skeptical, but Ryan wasn’t so sure.

Fate guided mates to each other. This had been an odd way to do that, but it had gotten them both where they needed to be.

“Devon and I are human, Ryan.

I really don’t think Devon could feel the pull to you through me,”

Kendrick said.

“Maybe not the pull, but we had to get together in some way.”

“Well, whatever happened, it doesn’t matter because you and Devon found each other.”

It hadn’t been easy, and Ryan didn’t think it would become easy anytime soon.

Devon was skittish, both because of his past and what had happened with Kendrick. The only thing Ryan could do was reassure him and show him that he didn’t blame him or hold anything against him.

“So you and Devon talk?”

Kendrick asked.

He looked a bit worried now.

Ryan sighed.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to know where Kendrick’s mind was going, but it would be best to get it out of the way.

“We’ve been talking,”

he confirmed.

“About your future?”

That made sense, even though it made Kendrick sound like Ryan’s father.

Kendrick wanted to know what Ryan was planning. Ryan was a guest in his home, and even though Kendrick and Jonas had welcomed him, he was sure they’d like to have the house back to themselves sooner rather than later.

“Not quite,”

Ryan said.

“We did talk about what we expect from our relationship, and neither of us is ready to bond.”

Kendrick looked relieved, which wasn’t what Ryan had expected.

His brother was human, though. He’d understand better than shifters that it was okay not to rush into things, especially at Ryan’s age.

“Well, you’re only eighteen,”

Kendrick said.

“I’m not saying it means you shouldn’t be together, but you still need to start your life.

It wouldn’t be good for either of you to be so focused on each other that you ignore everything else.”

Ryan was already shaking his head.

“We're not ignoring anything.

Is this you asking me when I’m going to get a job?”

Kendrick spluttered.

“I would never do that.”

“Why not? I want to know when I’ll get a job.”

“I don’t want to push you the way our father did.

Yes, you’ll have to find a job eventually, but there’s no rush. I’m not going to kick you out just because you don’t have one.”

“And knowing that makes me feel a lot better, but yeah.

I’m going to have to start looking. I’ve been thinking about what I want to do, but I still don’t know, and I can’t just stare at the same four walls every day. I want to contribute to this household and to the clan.”

“I don’t want you to do something that you’ll regret in a few years.”

“What could I regret? Working at the local grocery store?”

“Have you thought about college?”

Ryan had.

He’d been thinking nonstop about what his future could be like. He still wasn’t quite sure, but he was coming up with a plan.

“I think that eventually, I’d like to open a store in the village.

The people who live here don’t really need it yet because there aren’t that many of us, but I know that more people are moving in every so often. Eventually, there will be enough of us that having local businesses will make sense, and I think I’d like to help with that.”

“You’re young to open a store,”

Kendrick pointed out.

“Which is why I’m planning to find a job in a nearby town first.

I already have experience working in grocery stores, but I want to get more, and I was thinking that maybe I could do some kind of business course online or in a nearby college.”

For a moment, Kendrick just watched Ryan.

Ryan had thought this through. He knew that with him being so young, he might change his mind sometime in the future, but he had a place to start, and he liked that.

“Sounds like a plan,”

Kendrick eventually said.

“What about Devon? What does he think of that? What are your plans for the future?”

“We haven’t really talked about that beyond agreeing that we’re not ready to bond.

We have time to get to know each other.”

“Good.

I don’t want you to rush into something you might regret.”

“I don’t think I could ever regret being with my mate, but I get where you’re coming from.

I don’t think there’s a reason for you to worry. We’re just getting to know each other right now.”

“You are, but you’re mates.

I never thought I would rush into a relationship the way I did with Jonas, but the bond between us changed that.”

Ryan grinned.

“And the fact that Jonas had to defend your ass from a Kudlak and almost bled out.”

“That didn’t help, but we’d already talked about our future together.

I’m not saying you would regret being with Devon or change your mind about him, but you’re so young. I don’t want you to make mistakes.”

“I will make mistakes.

I’m only eighteen. I have my entire life to make mistakes.”

Something told Ryan that he’d make them with Devon, and he was fine with that.

They could make mistakes together and try to fix them together, too. That was what being mates meant.

DEVON COULDN’T STOP smiling.

He’d tried, if anything so that people wouldn’t think he was an idiot, but even when he purposefully relaxed his lips, he only had to think of Ryan, and he was smiling again.

That was a problem, and it wasn’t helped by the fact that he and Ryan had been talking and texting.

They’d also seen each other a few times since they’d played hide and seek with Haley.

Ryan was giving Devon space, as he’d promised, and it helped Devon relax when he was with him.

It didn’t help Devon’s plans, though.

How was he supposed to leave town and Ryan when they were getting along so great? How was he supposed to abandon his mate?

He might not be a shifter, but the more time he spent with Ryan, the more he felt drawn to him.

The bond between them was very real, and Devon wasn’t sure how to deal with it.

Part of him was telling him that he needed to run now.

Getting more attached to Ryan would make things more complicated.

Devon was already having a hard time focusing on his job.

He was lucky that Alex didn’t really seem to care.

He wanted the job done, but he didn’t hover around Devon and Nic to check what they were doing.

Maybe Devon’s problem was that he’d never really wanted to leave.

He’d thought he had to because of Kendrick and Jonas, and they were still standing in the way of him being able to relax and decide he wasn’t going anywhere, but he had one more reason to stay.

“You’ve been smiling a lot lately,”

Nic said as he bumped their shoulders together.

The coffee shop was quiet.

A few people were sipping on their drinks at the tables, but there was no one at the counter, so Devon and Nic were cleaning.

Devon had been supposed to be cleaning, anyway.

He’d stopped wiping the counter because he was thinking about Ryan.

He quickly went back to work, but Nic wanted an answer.

He was as nosy as they came.

He always had questions about Devon and his family and where he lived.

“Come on,”

Nic said.

“You know you can talk to me.”

“I’ve just been talking to someone.”

It took Nic a moment to answer.

“Talking as in, you have a boyfriend?”

There was something in Nic’s voice that made Devon turn toward him.

Nic was smiling like always, though, and there was nothing strange about him.

“He’s not my boyfriend,”

Devon said.

“What is he, then?”

“For now, just someone I’m getting to know.”

Ryan was much more than that, but Devon wasn’t about to spill that secret.

He liked Nic, and they were friends, but there wasn’t anything to say.

Yes, Ryan was Devon’s mate, but right now, they’d kissed once, had seen each other a few times for coffee, and had been talking on the phone.

That was all there was to their relationship.

It was nothing to write home about or tell a friend.

“And he’s local?”

“Yeah, we live in the same village.”

“That’s nice.”

Nic didn’t sound convinced, but a group of three customers walked in, so he and Devon got distracted.

Devon continued thinking as he worked.

Could he see himself working here for the rest of his life? Maybe, maybe not.

Alex paid well, and since Devon was a clan member, he would never have to worry about not earning enough to have a roof over his head and food in his stomach.

If he wanted to, he could do this until retirement.

But he wouldn’t retire anytime soon, would he? It wasn’t only because he was eighteen but also because, eventually, he and Ryan would bond.

It would extend Devon’s life.

He had a hard time imagining what he would do in twenty years, let alone in seventy.

It was kind of terrifying to think about living that long, but it also meant that he would have many more opportunities than most people. If he wanted to work for Alex for the next twenty years, he could, and he’d still have plenty of time to pivot onto something else if he wanted a change. If he decided to open his own coffee shop, then close it and move on, he could do that, too.

Maybe he didn’t have to decide what he wanted to do with the rest of his life right away.

Maybe he could focus on next week and next month first.

Knowing that helped.

He had a job, and he would continue working for Alex, but he didn’t have to make any other decision right now.

He could take his time.

He was really thinking about staying, wasn’t he?

He could feel Nic watching him as they worked, and he tried to imagine both of them still working here in a few years.

They would grow closer because of the time they spent together, and Devon couldn’t say he was sorry about that.

He’d never really wanted to leave.

He’d thought it would be for the best, but would it be? Haley and Melissa wouldn’t want Devon to leave. Jonas would probably throw a party if Devon announced that he was, but not Kendrick.

Kendrick was a sweetheart, which was probably one of the reasons Devon had latched onto him.

He’d known that Kendrick was safe and that he wouldn’t hurt him.

Someone else might have taken advantage of Devon and the feelings he’d convinced himself he had, but not Kendrick.

Jonas, on the other hand, still saw Devon as a danger to the bond he shared with his mate. Devon didn’t blame him. He and Ryan weren’t even bonded yet, and he already knew that he’d get pissed if someone tried to get between them. He could only imagine how it felt for Jonas.

So Devon wasn’t going anywhere.

That meant he would have to talk to Jonas.

It wasn’t only that they were a part of the same clan and lived in the same village.

They were mates to two brothers, which made them family, and wasn’t that awkward?

Jonas would probably hate Devon for a bit, but what was Devon supposed to do? If he didn’t leave, he and Jonas would have to learn to live together.

Devon didn’t want Kendrick and Ryan to start avoiding each other or putting distance between the two of them just because of him.

If he was staying, he’d have to work on that.

Devon was still thinking about it by the time he and Nic were done with work.

For the first time, Devon was looking forward to going home.

He and Ryan had plans, and while Devon didn’t know what they would do, he didn’t care.

He just wanted to spend time with his mate, something he would never have thought would happen a few weeks ago.

“So you’re seeing a guy,”

Nic said as they walked to the parking lot.

“Yeah, I am.”

“I thought you said you were leaving town as soon as you could.”

Devon had admitted it to Nic in a moment of weakness.

He’d be looking for someone to try to change his mind, but Nic hadn’t. In fact, he’d pushed Devon to do just that and explore the world. Devon had wondered why Nic wasn’t doing so himself, but he hadn’t asked. Nic had been supportive, and Devon had needed that.

“I changed my mind,”

Devon confessed.

He stopped next to his car and turned to Nic.

“It doesn’t only have to do with Ryan.

I never really wanted to leave my family, but I thought I had to. I realized that I didn’t, even if things will be awkward initially.”

This time, Devon was sure something was going on.

Nic was staring at him with wide eyes, and he looked slightly panicked. It didn’t make sense.

“You were supposed to see the world,” Nic said.

“I’m sure I can travel eventually, but for now, I’m sticking around.”

Devon took a step back when Nic’s hand shot forward to grab his shoulder.

He wasn’t fast enough, and Nic caught him.

He pulled Devon forward.

Devon had no idea what was going on, and while his first instinct was to push away from Nic, he found out that he wasn’t strong enough.

Nic crushed Devon against his chest and pressed their lips together.

Devon was still trying to get away, but his arms were trapped between their bodies, and Nic’s hold was stronger than Devon had expected.

He squeezed his lips together, briefly wondering if this was how Kendrick had felt when Devon had been so pushy with him.

Devon didn’t want to overreact.

Nic had been flirting with him from day one, but Devon hadn’t expected his friend to kiss him.

“Nic, please,”

he murmured as he tried pushing Nic away again.

Nic stumbled back, and Devon leaned against his car.

For a moment, they stared at each other. Devon wanted to say something, but what?

“I’m sorry,”

Nic said.

“But you have to go.

You can’t stay in the village.”

Devon frowned.

What the hell was Nic talking about? “Why?”

Nic shook his head and turned.

Before Devon could demand a better explanation, Nic rushed toward the forest. The only thing Devon could do was watch him disappear between the trees. He wasn’t about to run after Nic.

What the fuck had just happened?

RYAN WAS ALWAYS EXCITED to see Devon.

He liked to think that he was getting to know his mate and that he was getting better at reading Devon’s expressions.

Devon was closed off as a person, which wasn’t a surprise considering what had happened to him, but Ryan was convinced that in time, he would open up to him.

But Ryan didn’t even need to know Devon to clock the fact that something was wrong as soon as he saw Devon.

They’d agreed not to meet at Ryan’s house, and since Melissa and Haley were home, Devon hadn’t wanted to meet there, either.

There was nowhere for them to go in the village, so they decided to go for a walk.

Ryan had been thinking about shifting and showing Devon his tiger, but he suspected that would have to wait until next time.

Devon got out of his car, already frowning.

He seemed lost in thought, and he started moving toward the house before he even realized that Ryan was sitting on the porch steps waiting for him.

When he did see Ryan, he blinked as if coming out of his thoughts, but the frown didn’t vanish.

“We were going for a walk, remember?”

Ryan said as he got to his feet.

He brushed off the dirt from his jeans.

He hadn’t wanted to look like he was trying too hard, but he’d put some thought into the clothes he was wearing.

This might not be an official date, but he and Devon were still spending time alone together.

“I haven’t forgotten,”

Devon quickly reassured Ryan.

“I was just lost in my thoughts.”

“We can do this another time if you want.”

Had something happened at work? It was where Devon had been this morning.

Ryan couldn’t think of anything that would happen in a coffee shop that would cause Devon to look so worried, but he could be wrong.

Maybe something had happened with a customer or one of the people Devon worked with.

Ryan had heard all about Nic and Alex, and they seemed like good people.

He hoped they were okay.

Devon smiled.

It looked a bit forced, but Ryan could see he was really trying.

“No, I don’t want to do this another time.

I want to spend time with you.”

“Whatever you need.”

Ryan wasn’t kidding.

He’d give his mate whatever he needed. Devon just had to ask.

Devon plucked at his t-shirt.

“I need to shower and change clothes.

I smell like coffee.”

It was a pleasant smell, but it covered Devon’s scent, so Ryan found both him and his tiger agreeing.

They wanted Devon to smell like himself.

Devon hesitated.

“You can come in if you want.

Melissa and Haley are probably sleeping, but you can wait in the living room.”

“I’ll wait here, don’t worry.

Go do what you have to do. I’m not going anywhere.”

Devon hesitated, then quickly vanished into the house.

Ryan sat back down, still wondering.

As much as he wanted to give Devon space, he always felt off-balance with him.

He couldn’t tell what Devon was thinking, but the situation was complicated, and he wished there was more he could do for his mate.

Devon didn’t trust him yet, and Ryan wouldn’t push, but he wished Devon would open up to him.

It didn’t take Devon long to shower.

They were both silent when Devon came out again, and Ryan decided to give him the time he needed.

If Devon wanted to talk to him, he would.

In the meantime, silence would be fine, or maybe Ryan could talk about his plans.

He never wanted to push Devon and make him uncomfortable.

He especially didn’t want to push him and make him run.

Devon was still skittish, and something told Ryan he would be for a while longer.

That was why he was surprised when Devon opened his mouth to speak almost as soon as they stepped into the forest that surrounded the village.

There were paths everywhere.

Ryan had followed several of them after he’d moved to the village, and he’d found a nice clearing where it would be fun to shift and play around.

He’d been planning on taking Devon there today.

“Nic kissed me.”

Ryan stumbled on a root and almost fell on his face.

He caught himself on a tree trunk and quickly straightened.

He glanced at his mate, but he wasn’t sure what to say.

Did Devon want Nic instead of Ryan? The two of them were friends and had known each other for longer.

There also weren’t any expectations when it came to Nic, unlike Ryan.

Devon shook his head before Ryan could ask any of these questions.

“I didn’t want him to kiss me.

He’s a friend, and I like him. That’s all there is to it. I’m just confused.”

“What happened? If you want to talk about it, of course.”

“I told him that I changed my mind about leaving the village.

I thought he’d be happy for me, but he wasn’t. I could tell there was something weird about his behavior, but he didn’t do anything until we left the coffee shop. He kissed me in the parking lot, told me that I had to leave, and ran.”

Ryan wasn’t sure what to focus on first.

Devon hadn’t wanted Nic to kiss him, and Ryan wasn’t jealous. He didn’t care about the kiss. It hadn’t been Devon’s fault, and it sounded like he saw Nic only as a friend. No, that wasn’t what worried Ryan.

“You were planning on leaving the village?” he asked.

Devon’s cheeks flushed.

“Right.

I never told you about that.”

“You can tell me about it now if you want.”

“Not really, but I guess you should know.”

“Only if you feel comfortable telling me.”

“It’s just that after what happened with Kendrick, I felt I shouldn’t stick around.

I didn’t want to leave Haley and Melissa or the village, but I thought it would be too awkward and not fair to Kendrick and Jonas if I stayed.”

“They don’t want you to leave your family.”

Not even Jonas wanted that, and he wasn’t Devon’s greatest fan.

“I’m pretty sure Jonas does, but that’s not the point.

I decided that it would be better for everyone if I left, which is why I found a job at the coffee shop. I needed money.”

“But you changed your mind.”

“I don’t think I ever really wanted to leave.

Do you know how long it’s been since I had a home? Besides, I never wanted to leave Haley. I convinced myself that it would be better, but it wouldn’t have been. Then I met you, and I tried to stay away because I knew I’d change my mind if I didn’t.”

“And you did.”

“Yeah, I did.

I still don’t know if this is the right thing to do, but I have too much to lose if I leave. I guess I’ll have to learn to live with Jonas staring daggers at me at every family dinner.”

“He’ll get used to having you around eventually.

He knows you’re my mate and that you’ll never do anything to come between him and Kendrick again.”

“I feel that he’ll want me to grovel, and I’m ready to do that.”

Devon stepped closer to Ryan.

“I’m not going anywhere.

I don’t know what I’m ready for in our relationship, but I want to try. I won’t give up my future just because I did something stupid.”

“I think that both of us will do more stupid things.

We’re eighteen.”

Devon laughed.

He was so close that Ryan could kiss him, and Ryan decided to do it. If Devon didn’t want it, he’d push Ryan away.

Ryan hooked an arm around Devon’s waist.

Like he’d hoped, Devon came easily. He was still smiling when Ryan kissed him, and he continued to do so. Ryan could feel it against his lips.

“I’m glad you’re not going anywhere,”

he murmured when they separated.

“I’m glad that I’m not going anywhere, too,”

Devon murmured back.

“I think I would’ve been miserable.”

He also would have been alone, but now, he never would be, and not only because of Ryan.

Ryan barely knew Devon, but he could tell how much it would’ve hurt him to leave his family behind. No matter how many times Devon pointed out that he, Haley, and Melissa weren’t related, they were family in all the ways that mattered, and Devon knew that.

DEVON HAD BEEN HESITANT to tell Ryan about the kiss.

He’d thought Ryan wouldn’t take it well.

Nic had kissed Devon, but Devon hadn’t expected or wanted it.

Devon understood the position he’d put Kendrick in when he’d been so insistent better, and he felt ashamed and like maybe leaving wasn’t such a bad idea, after all. He wouldn’t, but every time he thought about Kendrick, he was tempted to.

That just meant he’d have to think about Ryan more.

Ryan had told him that he didn’t care about what had happened with Kendrick. He’d told Devon that the kiss Nic had forced on him wasn’t important.

Devon liked Nic as a friend, but that was all there was to it.

It would be that way even if Devon didn’t have Ryan. He’d never felt anything but friendship when it came to Nic, and there was something weird about what had happened. Devon wanted to find out what was going on, but he wouldn’t do so without talking to Ryan first. Ryan might be able to accept that Nic had kissed Devon, but could he accept that Devon wanted to reach out to Nic?

“You’re still worried,”

Ryan said before kissing Devon’s forehead.

The physical closeness was new.

Devon wanted more of it, but they were standing in the middle of the forest. Besides, they agreed to take things slowly. Pushing Ryan against a tree to make out with him wasn’t what Devon would call slow, no matter how tempting it was.

“I’m still thinking about Nic,”

Devon admitted.

“I’m worried about him.”

Thankfully, Ryan didn’t look angry.

He stepped away and offered Devon his hand. Devon took it and allowed Ryan to pull him down the path.

“Why are you worried about him?”

Ryan asked.

He sounded genuinely curious rather than angry, so Devon took a chance.

“It’s the way he said that I needed to leave the village.

He sounded almost panicked at the thought that I wouldn’t. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Well, you told me that he knew that you were planning on leaving for a while.

Maybe he thinks that you were pushed into changing your mind.”

“Maybe.”

But if that was the case, Nic would’ve just come out and said it.

He wasn’t the kind of person who kept what was on his mind to himself.

He was open and talkative.

When Devon had told him that he was planning on leaving, Nic had looked happy about it.

He’d told Devon that he should travel and see the world and that he shouldn’t limit himself to the village.

Devon hadn’t had it in himself to tell Nic that wasn’t why he wanted to leave and that he’d seen enough of the world to last him a lifetime.

He wanted to put down roots.

He’d wanted to stay in the village, even before meeting Ryan.

But Devon hadn’t told Nic that.

To be fair, he hadn’t told him much of anything, just that he wanted to leave.

Why was it so important to Nic? Was Ryan right? Did Nic think that Devon had been convinced not to leave?

That didn’t explain the kiss.

Why had Nic kissed Devon? Devon didn’t think he’d know for sure until he talked to Nic, but when he’d tried calling him, Nic hadn’t answered.

Devon had come home because he hadn’t wanted to be late and make Ryan wait, but maybe he should’ve stayed in town.

It looked like Ryan would have understood if Devon had called him to explain what had happened and that he was worried about Nic.

Devon had no idea where they were going, but he trusted Ryan, and he had no problems following him through the forest.

He could still see the village every so often between the trees, and the forest was quiet and welcoming, so he wasn’t worried.

It was strange how quickly he’d come to trust Ryan, although he supposed that by shifter standards, it wasn’t.

He was supposed to trust Ryan, and he was glad to see that Ryan trusted him, even after everything.

They eventually stepped into a small clearing.

The sun streamed through the trees, playing between the leaves and on the grass.

The day was warm, maybe slightly too warm, and Devon wanted to stretch out on the ground and enjoy himself.

He wasn’t sure he’d be able to.

He wasn’t sure he could stop thinking about Nic.

But he had to try.

He was here with Ryan, and Ryan had already been gracious enough.

Devon didn’t want to ruin their date—because that was what this was, even though they hadn’t talked about it.

“It’s pretty,”

he said, looking at the wildflowers.

“I thought I could show you my tiger.”

Devon’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Really,”

Ryan confirmed.

“Unless you don’t want to? You can tell me if you’re afraid of it.”

“I’m not afraid of your tiger.

He’s you.”

Ryan seemed pleased with that answer.

“He is.

You have nothing to be worried about.”

Devon had plenty to be worried about, but most of it didn’t have to do with Ryan, so he nodded.

Ryan took a step back and reached for his t-shirt.

Devon was aware that shifters stripped to shift, and he’d seen Melissa and Haley do it more times than he could count, but for some reason, he hadn’t thought about Ryan needing to strip to shift.

When Ryan pulled off his shirt, Devon quickly looked away.

He didn’t think Ryan would be uncomfortable even if he stared, but he would be.

Devon swallowed.

He’d never been with anyone.

He’d barely even kissed anyone before Ryan.

He wanted more, but at the same time, he was terrified to get it.

He wouldn’t know what to do with a naked Ryan, so it was better if he just didn’t look at him.

Besides, it wasn’t like Ryan was getting naked because they were going to do anything.

He was just shifting and didn’t want to ruin his clothes.

Devon listened to the rustling of clothes and the grass.

He wasn’t sure when Ryan shifted, but when he felt something big hit his knee, he couldn’t avoid looking down.

He found himself staring into the eyes of a tiger.

His mouth went dry, and his instinct screamed at him to run, but he forced himself to stay where he was.

He watched Ryan for a moment, and Ryan watched him back.

He could see Ryan in the tiger’s eyes.

The tiger was intimidating, but inside, he was the person that Devon wanted to be with.

Devon had gone through this with Melissa, too.

He’d never been afraid of Haley because she was so small and adorable when she shifted, but it had taken him a few weeks to get used to Melissa shifting so she could hunt food for them.

Eventually, his instinct would stop screaming at him, and he would barely react when Ryan shifted.

In the meantime, he didn’t want Ryan to think that he was afraid of him, so he reached out.

Ryan closed his eyes when Devon rubbed the top of his head.

He leaned closer, and he was so heavy that he almost caused Devon to fall.

Devon scrambled to stay on his feet, laughing as he did so.

“I’m not sure you know your strength when you’re in your tiger form,” he said.

Ryan grinned up at him.

It exposed his fangs, and Devon told himself that he had nothing to be afraid of.

This was Ryan.

It was the Ryan who’d kissed Devon so sweetly, who’d believed him when he’d said that Nic had initiated the kiss and that Devon hadn’t wanted it, and who’d forgiven Devon for going after his brother.

He would never hurt Devon.

If anything, it was the other way around.

Devon was terrified of hurting Ryan.

He dropped to the ground.

The grass was cool against his heated skin, and he stretched out, smiling.

His smile widened when Ryan flopped down next to him.

He was a massive bundle of fur, which meant he’d keep Devon too warm, but Devon didn’t care.

It was the first time they did this, so it took them a moment to find a position that was comfortable for both of them.

Eventually, they ended up with Ryan’s big head on Devon’s stomach.

Devon continued petting him, and even though he was still worried for Nic, he pushed his friend to the back of his mind.

This was a moment for him and Ryan.

It felt like the beginning of their relationship, and Devon wanted to enjoy it.

He would have time to think about Nic and worry about him later.

Right now, there was nothing more important to Devon than Ryan and the afternoon they were spending together.

He hadn’t thought he would ever have this, even after he’d found out that he was Ryan’s mate.

He’d believed that he was doomed and that he’d have to leave everyone he loved behind because of a stupid mistake.

He was still tempted to run every so often, but he knew that he’d just have to think about his afternoon with Ryan to remember why he shouldn’t.

Ryan wanted Devon to stay.

That was good enough for Devon.