Chapter 4 : Getting Comfortable

Kit's POV

When I was a boy, my older brother would push me into the mud. Tell me I was worthless. That I'd never find a mate. He told me I was cursed, malformed, the reason our mother died during my birth.

It only got worse into my teen years, and eventually when he took up the mantle of Shifter King and banished me off the Blood Moon packlands. I don't know what I did to him to garner his animosity.

But now I knew everything Will said was a lie.

I wasn't cursed.

Or worthless.

Destined to never find my mate.

Because how could it be true, when my mate was standing right in front of me? My wolf moved around restlessly, more excited than he's been in years. Her scent was altered, but I could still feel the tether.

Warm and glowing white inside of me. It tightened in my chest, flooding my entire body with heat. My hand was still tingling where she shook it. I knew she was mine the moment I laid eyes on her.

Even in a hoodie sweatshirt a few sizes too large, blonde hair tousled into a messy bun, with a little toddler laying down nursing on her lap. I was starstruck. Shocked to the core by how beautiful she was.

Sera looked down at the small child with adoring love and it only made her more breathtaking. Rosie had given me a little bit of a briefer on Sera. Just that she was a single mom who got out of a really shitty situation. That Sera might be standoffish or skittish around me but not to take it personally.

Occasionally, I saw it. The nervousness. I heard the flutter of her heart or how she stuttered the beginnings of her sentences. But once I started talking to her, it seemed to melt away.

She seemed comfortable enough to nurse her child in the living room so I'd consider that a win. When she released her daughter, the tiny thing toddled around the living room, leaving a wake of chaos.

Knocked over toys. Books clattered to the ground. The girl was a whirlwind. But Sera only watched her, sapphire blue eyes glowing with ardor. Her hair was such a pale gold that all the flyaways looked like cornsilk.

She glanced up at me and my heart skipped a beat. "Fix the light?"

"That I did," I replied. "Anything else need fixing while I'm here?"

She straightened up, the oversized clothes clinging to her curves as she stood. "Rosie mentioned you had another appointment after this."

I rolled my shoulders. "It's a wobbly step at Reiner Ranch. He won't mind if I'm late."

She tucked a few rogue strands behind her ears. "I don't want to get you in trouble."

"I'm always in trouble, Sera," I retorted, flashing her a smile. Always getting into trouble or stirring it up. Trouble kept the Outskirts interesting.

The corner of her lip twitched like she was fighting a smile that I desperately wanted a glimpse of. "I'm getting that," she teased. "Well, if you're insisting, the faucet is leaky in the guest bathroom."

I gave her a mock bow, dipping at the waist. "Well, that sounds like an emergency."

"Oh yes, whatever will I do if I can't turn it off all the way?" she replied with equal amounts of exaggerated sarcasm. Then her eyes widened and she outstretched her hand. "Careful, my daughter is right behind you!"

I nearly jumped, looking down at the tiny toddler standing right next to me. I would've run her right over. "Oh, hello. You snuck up on me."

Then the toddler grinned as wide as she could, revealing two singular buck teeth. Mouth smeared with yogurt. I couldn't help but smile back.

I crouched down to get closer to the little girl's height. "You are so adorable. What's your name?"

The girl started babbling loudly. Random consonants and vowels strung together into indiscernible noise. I repeated the noise back to her and she giggled loudly. Eager to tell me more.

"Her name is Annie," Sera answered, a smile in her voice. "Not talking yet. Not for lack of trying." She scooped the little girl up, light brown hair sticking up on all sides of her head. Blue eyes as bright as her mom's.

"She's really cute," I said, noticing how the little girl reached out to me. "Oh no, trust me, Annie, you don't want the gross attic guy to hold you."

Sera's lips finally curved into a smile when she laughed under her breath. Just as sweet as I thought it would be. Music to my ears. She looked me up and down at the dirt and insulation clinging to my jeans.

"You are pretty dusty," Sera teased.

"Hazard of the job." I gave her a playful wink.

Sera's cheeks lit up with a rosy flush as she tucked more of her hair behind her ears.

There were silver seams streaked down her earlobes. I noticed that she didn't wear earrings, but it looked like she used to. The scars were reminiscent of someone who got their jewelry torn out.

The creature inside me stirred. My hands aching to touch her, demanding to know who hurt her. Caress the jagged scars with my thumbs. I'd only known Sera a few hours and that would be stepping over a line.

I shook it off. I knew what it was like to have a darkness you'd rather leave behind you. "Well, I'm off." I took my toolbox up the stairs and started the second of many little afternoon projects.

When I finished one, I encouraged Sera to give me another.

Finding excuse after excuse to spend the afternoon there. Eventually, I tightened a pipe, sanded down the uneven chunk of hardwood floor that kept giving Annie splinters and changed a few lightbulbs. All the while little Annie ran energetic circles around me on unsteady legs.

I couldn't care less about the wobbly step at Reiner Ranch.

Sera met every tease with sarcasm of her own. Bantering back and forth. It felt so natural, and every time I made her smile, warmth flooded my chest. Smile lines creased the sides of her cheeks.

When five o'clock rolled around, I noticed Rosie pull into the gravel driveway. I could hear the sound of her tires. The scent of old oil.

I needed to remind her to change the oil before the engine overheated in her piece of shit car. Sera was cooking an early dinner in the kitchen and it smelled absolutely delicious. A thick stew of potatoes and beef. Carrots and celery. Onions and garlic.

Hearty and rich.

Amazing.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Sera asked with Annie bouncing in her highchair, watching her momma cook dinner and give her little chunks of cooked potato. "At least let me feed you after all the work you did today."

"I'd love to," I replied. "But, I should get to my next job." I'd put off that appointment all day, but I needed to finally go take care of it.

Pinkness flooded her cheeks again. "Right. Forgot about that."

The door unlocked and Rosie walked in. I heard her kick the mud off her boots in the entryway before taking them off. "Hey! Smells amazing, Sera! Is Kit still here?"

I leaned out of the kitchen to give her a wave. "Hey, Rosie."

She shrugged her jacket off, pinning me with an incredulous look. One that Abe frequently gave me when I misbehaved. "What're you still doing here?"

"Just…you know…hanging out," I replied with a sheepish grin.

Rosie's two red eyebrows came together and she pursed her lips. "Okay, then. Did your other appointment cancel or something?"

"Or something. I should probably go though," I said, gathering my tools off the kitchen table. "Fixed that squeaky floorboard for you, Ro-Ro. Know how much you complain about it."

Rosie narrowed her eyes. She knew perfectly well I was acting weird. "Thanks. I'll call you later."

I nodded, glancing over my shoulder to Sera. "It was nice meeting you!"

"Nice to meet you too! Wait a sec." She was gathering a tupperware full of stew for me to take home. She tucked it into an insulated carrier and brought it over to the table. "You don't strike me as someone who knows how to cook."

Rosie snorted before slapping her hand over her mouth.

I feigned offense. "That's rude…but you're absolutely right. Thank you."

Sera gave me a smile, urging the side of my mouth to curl up on its own. I stared down at her, falling deep into her crystal blue eyes. It felt like the waves of the South Sea dragging me into the deep end.

My wolf wanted to succumb to the ocean, and let the waves devour it. Never meant to swim. Lost in the seafoam.

She pulled her petal pink lower lip between her teeth and my eyes couldn't help but follow the motion. Her tongue curled on the inside of her cheek. That mouth of hers hypnotized me.

Rosie cleared her throat, snapping me out of the spell.

Oh, right. I was in the middle of a kitchen. Filled with the scent of a hearty stew. The sound of Annie babbling and smushing cooked potatoes and soft pieces of beef into her highchair tray. Rosie staring at me.

"Get out of my house, Kit. You've got clients," Rosie reminded me. "Shoo."

I grabbed my stuff and left before I could get wrapped up in Sera again. Her gaze. How my hands ached to slide down her sides to feel how every part of her body could fit perfectly into my hands.

The moment the door closed behind me the warmth in my chest dissipated, leaving me feeling cold like I stepped out in winter without a jacket. My wolf howled inside of me, hating the distance.

"Calm down. We'll see her again," I muttered under my breath, rubbing at my chest.

***

As I predicted, the appointment at Reiner Ranch took all of five minutes. Then I went to my apartment in town. It wasn't a large town, but we had everything you'd ever want. A bank. A movie theatre. Restaurants and cafes. My go-to take-out place.

But I didn't need that today.

I heated up the stew in my microwave, sitting on my couch to enjoy dinner with some mindless television.

And holy shit, it was good.

I knew it would taste good because it smelled amazing, but it was even better than I thought it would be. Earthy and hearty on my tongue. A pleasant chew of the steak cubes. If I knew how to cook this well, I wouldn't be getting take-out every other day.

My cell phone started to buzz in my pocket. I set my dinner down and answered.

"Hey, Ro-Ro," I greeted, putting her on speakerphone so I could continue eating. "How's it going?"

"Dude, what the hell was that earlier?" Rosie asked. "You were acting weird. Listen, Sera's been through a lot, she doesn't need your weird ass making her uncomfortable."

"Was I making her uncomfortable?" I asked, a thickness forming in my throat.

I heard Rosie sigh. "No. In fact, she seemed to be in a pretty good mood when you left, but that is beside the point. I've never seen you look at someone like that."

I took another bite, chewing on a piece of steak. "Yeah. About that." A smile pulled at the corner of my mouth. "She's my mate, Rosie."

Rosie gasped on the other end of the line. "She is not!"

"She is," I confirmed.

"How do you know for sure? I altered her smell."

I scoffed. "I have eyes. Knew it the second I saw her."

"That just made this ten times more complicated," Rosie uttered under her breath.

"What do you mean?"

She released a sigh. "Let's get one thing right. I am happy for you. Especially after everything that happened. But you need to pump your brakes. Sera is in a really vulnerable position right now."

"Yeah," I said. "I noticed." Hard not to with how she shrunk away from me the moment she saw me. I could see the internal battle in her eyes as she straightened up, fighting her initial instinct to hide.

"She's under my care right now, Kit. And you're my best friend. You're going to be spending a lot of time together, but I need you to give her space. Let things unravel naturally," Rosie urged. "Let her come to you. And don't do anything stupid."

"Stupid?"

"Kit…you're the epitome of stupid."

"Rude. But that's a fair point. You're right. The last thing she needs is me breathing down her neck," I replied.

"Okay, good. I'll talk to you later."

"Later."

With a click of a button, I hung up and got back to my dinner. But every bite sent thoughts of Sera whirling in my head.