Chapter Seventeen - The mate

*‘Are you ever gonna tell her?!’* Damir nagged in in his head. Adam had left Talia alone, leaving her to get dressed and finish her dinner. He had wanted to, had been so close. But he couldn’t. She had just recently gotten half of her life back, gotten back the part of her that was stolen by a mad wolf.

Good and bad, all the memories returned to her. And she didn’t hate him, didn’t blame him for not telling her the truth sooner. For keeping her away from her friends and family. She understood – or tried to at least. *‘One day’ *Adam responded back. They had agreed to tell her the truth earlier – but he had chickened out. It physically hurt to be away from her, but he did it for her. Because she was special, and he knew one day she would be reunited with her family, finding herself a fae to settle down with.

*‘Speaking off – you should talk to Xavier again. Talia needs him’* Damir reminded him. Adam had spoken to the male fae the day before, but they had agreed to leave Talia be for a little while. The few words she had spoken about him had not been of the kind sort. She was thankful, thankful that he saved her life. But also mad that he took her memory away and didn’t allow anyone to help her find them. Adam knew he had his reason, like Xavier did with everything. Yet, half of the time it made no sense to him at all.*‘I will’* Adam responded back. He didn’t want to, yet he found himself wandering off to his office, the one place he could be left alone to deal with any and all business an Alpha had to deal with. Or so he thought.

Not long after he had gotten settled and found Xavier’s contact information there was a knock on his door. He could already sense who it was. “Come in” He said and smiled once Talia’s familiar head pocked through the door. “I’m sorry – can I bother you some more?” Talia asked, now dressed in a nightgown, her hair braided for the night. “Always” Adam put his phone down, promising himself to make the call later.

“I just can’t stop thinking about the whole mate thing. I know every wolf has a faithed mate, decided by the Goddess herself. But are mates always wolves, can they be something else?” Talia got seated in one of the chairs by the fire, looking at Adam to take the other. “Well yes, it has happened quite a few times. You remember Doctor Jansen? Her mother is human, her father wolf. They were faithed mates” Adam explained, remembering what Lilith had told him the other day.

“The most common is human and wolf. But I don’t see why other unions couldn’t happen. The Goddess works in mysterious ways, but she always has some thought behind her decisions. Or so we like to think” Adam continued as he sat down in the chair next to Talia, wondering why she was suddenly so preoccupied with the mate thing. She hadn’t expressed any interest in any of the lore before.

“Why do you ask?” Adam continued. “I just – I find myself curious. And at a loss. I remember all these feelings and desires. The first kiss, first time having sex. I remember being so madly and deeply in love with someone I thought I was gonna burst at the seams” Talia played with her fingers, something she always did when she was nervous. The confident and self-assured Talia happened to be nervous at times, making her more human, and a tad more likeable according to a certain wolf.

“Those are all great feelings” Adam agreed. “Yes – but it feels like something is off. Because I remember it felt good – but those memories fade in comparison to…” Talia paused, biting down on her lip. “In comparison to the feeling of feeling safe and at home in the presence of someone else. To look at someone and instantly feel the love and care they hold for you” Adam finished, earning himself a puzzled look from Talia, but she still nodded. “Is that how the mate bond feels?” She wondered.

“In a way, yes” Adam answered, rising from the chair. His body felt restless, and Damir kept nagging at him. It didn’t help the situation feel any better. “How do one wolf know they have found their mate?” Talia continued to ask questions.

“The scent for one. It’s hard to explain, but there is something about their scent that’s intoxication and loving, making your wolf go crazy in your mind. Whenever you touch your mate there is a special spark, you can feel it linger just under the surface of your skin. And…” Adam paused, trying to find the right words that wouldn’t make him blush. *‘And you want to do the other person all the time’* Damir suggested, earning himself a scowl and a trip to the darkest corner of Adam’s mind.

“Let’s just say that mates have a very healthy appetite for making the other experience pleasure” Adam tried, it sounded ridiculous. But it made Talia laugh, the most heartwarming and joyous sound. “You can say they like to do it each other all the time” Talia laughed. “It’s more like a need. A deep desire to please the other”

They both fell into silence, Talia sat in the chair with her eyes focused on the fire, while Adam was leaning against his desk, his eyes focused on Talia. He wanted to close the distance between them, to wrap his arms around her, to experience the feeling of peace he got whenever she wrapped her arms around him.

“Talia” He said after a long minuet, making her turn to look at him. He couldn’t avoid noticing the tears welling in her eyes. “Why are you sad?” He crossed the floor, kneeling down beside her and taking his hand in his, feeling the all too familiar spark he had set his mind on ignoring. “You’ve found your mate. You’ve found that feeling – and – and I’m jealous” Talia tried to take her hand from his grip, to hide her face, but he didn’t let her. “Why?” Adam’s brows furrowed in confusion. “I don’t know – I just… I don’t know!” Talia shouted.

“Can you at least tell me about her? So I can be happy that you found your soulmate?” Red spread from her neck and up to her cheek, making her look like a hot tomato.

“What would you like to know?” Adam got more comfortably seated on the floor, his hand still holding on to hers. “How does she look? What is she like? Why haven’t anyone told me about her before? Is she even around?” Talia started, but quickly covered her mouth. “I know you said it's a sensitive topic. I just want to make sure she’s worthy of your love and affection” Talia blushed into an even deeper shade of red, Adam found it to be both adorable and humorous.

“She’s a special kind of woman – not afraid to speak her mind, and quite the curious cat if I can say so myself. She’s one of the most remarkable people I know, so loving and caring for those around her. But if you talk down someone she cares for you should watch your back for the rest of your life” Adam started, and Talia chuckled. She sounded like the kind of woman she could respect.

“She isn’t around much – but when she first is my entire day light up. And all I want to is make her feel safe and at home. Make her feel like she’s loved and cherished so whenever she leaves again, she knows that she has someone here who loves her and is excited to have her back” Talia couldn’t help but smile, it sounded like the Adam she knew and cared for. The one who would bend over backwards to ensure everyone was safe, comfortable, and cared for.

“Why doesn’t she stay her?” Talia wondered. “Because she has her own life to live, and I respect her too much to ask her to stay just for me. Though she is my faithed mate I want her to feel like she is free like a bird, able to chase all her dreams and desires” Adam smiled, his look somewhat dreamy.

“You’re a good man Adam, I hope she reminds you of that” Talia said, trying to mask the envy in her voice. “She does, every chance she gets” He assured her, making her feel a little better.

“Will I ever get to meet her?” A part of her didn’t want to, but another part of her wanted to. This was all the younger wolves talked about, finding their mate when they were 18. From how everyone spoke about it she wished that kind of love and adoration upon everyone. But she was still jealous because whoever got to be Adam’s mate was lucky.

“How about right now?” Adam asked suddenly. Damir had been chasting him for long enough and had long ago accepted that he wouldn’t have a wolf for mate. They had both accepted it, sometimes Selene chose another species for a reason. She always had a reason, or so his mother had believed. And Adam tried to have the same kind of faith. Sometimes he did, others it failed him. But right now, he managed to believe and have faith in Selene’s reasons. And when Talia was this preoccupied with the whole deal about mates, it didn’t feel right to not tell her the truth.

“She’s here?” Talia asked surprised. “Who? When? What? Adam!” He took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom adjourned to his bedroom, placing her in front of the mirror. “Talia – I’d like to introduce you to my mate”