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Steph stiffened slightly next to me. I wondered how he felt about Striker claiming his mate before he’d claimed me. Would this finally make him go through with it even though it was risky?

“What’s going on?” Dylan scampered down the stairs, dressed in his running shorts and a T-shirt. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Boring adult stuff,” I said quickly. I definitely wasn’t ready to have the fated-mates conversation with my son. He needed to be a little older for that.

“Ready to go, Dylan?” Mia asked. “We need to get moving or else we’ll be late.”

Dylan frowned at me. I hadn’t exactly been lying—fated mates were definitely adult stuff, but his dragon could probably tell I wasn’t fully being truthful, either. I’d have to get used to that. I tugged him to my side and kissed the top of his head. “Go have fun with your new friends, Dyl.”

“I will,” Dylan said as he followed Mia out of the house. She winked at us as she closed the door.

“And we need to go to the clubhouse,” Steph said.

“Right.” Striker’s eyes widened slightly. Clearly he’d forgotten about whatever had been planned. “Right, we do.” He didn’t let go of Cassidy.

Cassidy pouted. “Already?”

“Yes, now,” Steph said.

I chuckled and rolled my eyes. “You can stand to be apart for a few hours.”

“What if I can’t?” Cassidy whined. She snuggled closer to Striker’s side. “We only just got mated!”

“I promise I won’t be gone long,” Striker said in a low voice. He touched Cassidy’s cheek, turning her face toward his, and then caught her lips in a deep kiss. A really deep kiss. The kind of kiss that should be confined to private bedrooms. Jeez.

Steph snorted. He turned and caught my lips in a kiss. It wasn’t as horny as Cassidy and Striker’s, but it still felt wonderful, and I melted against him. When we broke apart, Cassidy and Striker were still tangled up.

“Okay, lovebirds.” Steph chuckled. He grabbed Striker by the shoulder and pulled him away from Cassidy. “Time to get back to work.”

Striker looked a lot like Dylan when I told him to shut off his video games and go to bed.

“All right, all right, I’m going.” Steph kept his hand on Striker’s shoulder and walked him to the door, like he was afraid Striker might bolt back to Cassidy.

Honestly, from the way they were looking at each other, I was sure he would.

The door clattered closed, leaving me and Cassidy alone in the house. There were enforcers around the perimeter, but for once, there were no dragons in the house.

I picked up my mug and took a long sip.

Cassidy crossed her arms over her chest. She frowned as she met my gaze, then threw her arms up over her head. “It’s not that crazy!”

“It’s pretty crazy,” I said.

“It’s not like we were having sex all night,” Cassidy said. “We were talking.”

“Sure you were,” I teased. “That’s how you got that claiming bite, right? Talking?”

She had the decency to blush. “Seriously, we talked a lot . And it just felt… easy.”

I took another sip of my coffee. I could relate to that ease. It was like that with Steph. I could talk to him about anything.

“It’s so weird,” Cassidy continued. “It was like I was talking to you, but in guy form. That’s how natural it felt. It’s like I’ve known him forever. We just clicked.” She sighed, a fond expression blooming on her face. “I’ve never felt that kind of connection with a man. Ever.”

“So you decided to become his mate? His forever mate?”

She smiled. “Yeah.”

I’d never heard her sound so sure about a relationship. So calm .

“I trust him,” she continued. “When he tells me he wants to be with me forever, I believe it. He’s not feeding me a line like all those other assholes I’ve dated. It’s different with him. Is it because he’s a shifter?”

I huffed a laugh. “Yeah. They’re a little different than regular guys.”

“If it were an Atlanta guy saying this stuff to me, I’d tell him to fuck off and stop love-bombing me,” Cassidy said. “But with Striker, it feels like the truth.”

“He told you what it means, though, right? The bite?”

She nodded. “Yeah. It did scare me a little when he first explained it. It’s intense, you know? It’s a lot. But it also seems beautiful. That kind of soul connection is beautiful. And I feel it too.” She rubbed her hand over her heart. “You know how I was so hesitant about committing?”

“Yeah, that’s why this is so crazy. You’re not exactly the type to jump into something serious.”

“But I can be a little impulsive,” she said with a half-smile.

“That’s what this was? Impulse?”

“No!” She laughed. “Well, yes. A little. It just felt really right, and I decided not to talk myself out of it. I trusted my gut.”

“And you’re happy?” I asked. I wanted her to say it, even if I could see it on her face.

“Really happy.” There was that fond expression again. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy, Harley. I’m so glad I chased you up here.”

I laughed, then hugged her. “I am, too, but you realize you’re going to have to move here, now?”

She snorted. “Think the clan will tap into their funds to help me break my lease?”

“Striker will probably rent a whole fleet of trucks for you. He’s probably already designing an extension to his house now.”

“Not without my input,” Cassidy said, laughing.

A thoughtful look settled on her face, and her gaze flickered down to my neck.

I knew she wanted to ask why Steph and I weren’t mated yet.

It seemed like it was so easy for everyone else.

Mia had been mated to Hawk forever, and now Cassidy was mated to Striker without any worry at all.

And even though I’d known Steph and I were fated mates since we were teenagers, even though we had a beautiful son together, we still weren’t fully mated.

And that was partially my fault. I had delayed it due to my own fears, and my own insecurities, and now there was too much risk. He wouldn’t claim me until he knew it was safe.

That didn’t stop me from being jealous, though. What did it feel like when the bond was completed? Could Cassidy sense Striker, now? Did they feel the bond come to life every time they touched?

Would I ever get to feel that with Steph? Or would something always be keeping us apart?

“Harley…”

I smiled. “I’m really happy for you, Cassidy.” It was true. I was. Yes, I was jealous, but she didn’t need to know that. I wouldn’t ruin this day for her. “Let’s make some cookies or something to celebrate!”

Cassidy pressed her lips together for a moment, then nodded. She knew I was deflecting, but she let me do it. And for that, I was grateful.

The rest of the day was uneventful, full of baking, chatting, and cleaning up the house.

Dylan called in the afternoon to tell me all about his successful soccer practice, and all the cool friends he had made, and asked if he could spend the night with Hawk and Mia.

Striker came back after dinner, and he and Cassidy disappeared into her room.

Steph wasn’t back yet, though. My heart sank as the house fell quiet.

I cleaned the kitchen, took a long shower, changed into a Cole’s garage T-shirt, then tried to read my book.

It was no use. I simply couldn’t focus on the words.

I curled up in Steph’s bed and scrolled mindlessly through various social media feeds.

As much as I wanted to relax, I couldn’t.

My heart ached. I wanted Steph in bed with me, the way Striker was with Cassidy.

It was so unfair. I was happy for Cassidy and Striker—I really was—but I wanted that same connection. That same bond.

I wanted all of this shit with Sean to be over so I could be with my mate.

Finally, when the moon was high in the sky and I had nearly rotted my brain scrolling my phone, I heard the front door open. I heard the familiar thump-thump of Steph toeing off his boots, and then he climbed the stairs. He pushed the door to the bedroom open slowly and peeked inside.

“You’re still awake,” he said with a small furrow in his brow.

“It’s not that late. I was waiting for you.” I propped myself up on my elbow and gestured for him to come closer.

Like a moth to a flame, he drew nearer until he was standing over me. I ran my hand up his arm, over the dark ink of his tattoos, then cupped the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

He sighed into it as I deepened the kiss and tugged a little more insistently at him. I wanted him in bed with me.

“I need to shower,” he murmured against my lips. “It’s been a long day.”

Only then did I notice the tension in his shoulders and the dark circles of exhaustion under his eyes. I sat up a little more, then swung my feet off the bed.

“No, you should sleep?—”

“Nope,” I said with a smile. “I’ve been relaxing all day. Now it’s your turn.”

Steph didn’t argue when I took his hand and led him into the en suite bathroom, which only confirmed how exhausted he was.

I turned on the water and let it run until it was steaming hot, then let the big tub fill up.

I turned to Steph and slowly stripped him out of his clothes, then undressed myself.

He wound his arms around me and pulled me flush against him before he kissed me slowly.

Even though we were both naked, there was no intense desire there like there often was.

It was just comfort. Softness. The safety of being close.

I raked my hands through his hair, letting my nails drag across his scalp, and he nearly purred with pleasure.

I loved seeing him like this. Relaxed and vulnerable. I loved being the one he could relax with. With the rest of the clan, he had to be the strong, unflappable alpha. He had to be Ace. With me, he could just be Steph. My mate.

When the tub was nearly full, I added a hefty amount of sweet-smelling bubbles, then let the tap bring them up to a froth. I guided Steph to step in. He sank into the bath with a sigh of pleasure. I climbed in and settled with my back against his chest.