Their Mate Between

CHAPTER 6.

“Is it done?”

Two days after their last conversation, halfway through tying his shoelace, Rion asked. He was getting ready for a night shift at work when all of a sudden, he sprung up the conversation.

He didn’t know it, but she was waiting for him to leave so she could sneak out and join Sebastian for a candlelit picnic she’d suggested. It was going to be at the south side of town, far away from where Rion worked. In a quiet, dark scenery.

She’d planned everything so well, nothing was expected to go wrong.

But now, her carefully curated scheme was about to be derailed by the one thing she hadn’t anticipated—her brother being dead set on his decision.

“Is it done?” he asked again, sharper this time.

Ravyn froze, fingers clenched around the hem of her oversized hoodie. She knew what he was referring to. She had hoped he’d forget about it, or at least give her more time, but clearly, Rion wasn’t one to leave any tables unturned.

“Rion, can this wait?” she muttered, turning away to fuss with a glass on the counter.

“No, it can’t.” His voice was tight, almost frustrated. “Two mates, Ravyn. Two. It’s extremely dangerous… and reckless. It could already be too late. Need I remind you what’s at stake?”

Her chest tightened. If only he knew. If only he understood that she didn’t know how to go about it. Her wolf wouldn’t let her, and frankly, she didn’t want to. She wanted to get to know them, find out what they’re like. Why the moon goddess would set her up with not one, but two able bodied men.

Am I really that much that one male shifter cannot contain me?

She wondered if it had to do with her gift. If she was somehow a freak because of it. It was moments like these that made her miss her mother all the more. She would have known what to do. She would have helped her.

“Rion, you don’t… I can’t—”

He slammed his hand against the table, the sudden sound making her flinch. But when he spoke, his tone was soft and calm. “Sorry. I just… I don’t want you hurt. The longer you wait, the more dangerous this gets. For you, for them, and for us.”

Heat rose in her chest. It was becoming clear that her brother would never let it go unless she told him what he wanted to hear. But could she really do that?

“I know all you’ve ever done is to protect me,” she whispered, enough for him to hear. “I wish I wasn’t such a burden. You’ve sacrificed so much to keep me safe. You’ve given up your own life for me. I would never want to let you down.”

Rion sighed, walking up to her. “Ravyn, you’re not a burden. I love you, I will always be here for you. It’s my choice.”

“But you could walk away at anytime,” she said. “You know that, right? I’m the one Alpha Dorian will come for. You can leave and have a normal life.”

“You’re wrong. He’ll come for us both. You know how he is about loyalty.”

She swallowed hard, feeling a huge lump in her throat. “It’s done,” she said flatly. “I rejected them. Both.”

Rion stared at her for a while, his eyes turning sad. His shoulders slumped, the fire that had clouded his expression only moments ago dimming into something more pained.

“I know it must have been hard. I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he whispered, running a hand over his face. He stepped even closer, resting his head on hers. “I’m sorry for pushing. I just… I need you safe, Ravyn. That’s all.”

Her throat tightened. “I know.”

“You’re all I have.”

“We’re all each other has.”

A smile appeared on his lips, small and weary. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Be safe, okay? I’ll be back in the morning.”

Rion left for work, shutting the door behind him, leaving Ravyn standing in the middle of the quiet room, guilt clawing its way up her ribs. She hated lying to him. Hated even more how easy it had been.

But she needed to put him at ease, and to buy time for herself.

Maybe if she found out the kind of people Sebastian and Kade were, it would be easier to convince her brother to accept them.

Her phone buzzed. A message from Sebastian coming through. ‘Can’t stop thinking about tonight. Don’t make me wait too long’.

A laugh slipped out before she could stop it, her guilt momentarily drowned by a rush of warmth. She dashed upstairs, heart racing, already pulling off her hoodie as she hurried to change.

***

Sebastian paced across the blanket for what felt like the hundredth time, the grass crunching faintly under his sneakers. He tugged at the collar of his white button-up, then immediately regretted wearing it at all. He looked like he was about to sit down with her father for dinner instead of… whatever this was supposed to be. A date. Their first date.

“Okay, think,” he muttered, raking both hands through his hair and leaving it messier than before. “She shows up, I say… Hey, Ravyn, you look… No. Too cheesy. She’ll think I’m one of those guys who uses lines.”

He spun in a circle, gesturing at the basket of food and the soft glow of candles around the blanket. “And this—God, she’s going to think I’m trying too hard. Or maybe not hard enough? What if she hates wine? What if she hates grapes? What if she doesn’t have a good time?”

He groaned and dropped to the blanket, burying his face in his hands. He was Sebastian Vale—team captain, undefeated record, the guy who usually had girls fawning over him after games. But none of that mattered right now. Because for the first time ever, he was nervous. Not the good kind of nervous before a match. The soul shaking, stomach tightening kind of nervous.

“Okay,” he whispered, forcing himself to breathe. “She walks in, you smile, you keep it cool. Cool, not desperate. Not needy. Just… casual.” He took a deep breath, then tried again. “Hey, glad you came.”

He winced.

“Nope, that sounds like I begged. Uh… Took you long enough. No, too cocky. I was about to leave. Stupid. You’re late, woman.” He paused, then snorted at himself. “Now I sound insane.”

“Insane is right. Do you always talk to yourself this much, or just when you’re waiting for a girl?”

His head snapped up.

There she was—Ravyn—leaning at the edge of the candlelit space, her arms crossed, an amused smile tugging at her lips.

Sebastian froze, every half-baked line collapsing in his throat. His pulse roared like he’d just sprinted a field.

“I, uh—” He coughed into his fist, scrambling for words. “Only when the girl’s worth the nerves.”

Her smirk widened, the kind that knocked him right off balance. “Smooth,” she teased, stepping closer.

He got to his feet quickly, brushing off invisible dust. “I was just… making sure I didn’t sound like an i***t when you got here.”

“Too late,” she quipped, settling onto the blanket.

He laughed, the tension in his chest easing a little. He joined her, handing over a glass of wine, secretly proud when she accepted it without hesitation.

For a while, they kept the conversation light and safe. He teased her about how she squinted at the label before drinking, she teased him about the way he fussed over the food presentation.

“You seriously folded the napkins?” she asked, holding one up like it was some foreign object.

“I wanted to make it look nice,” he defended, though he was smiling. “Besides, this is a date, right?”

Her cheeks flushed at the word, though she masked it with an eyeroll. “Depends on how the night goes.”

That earned him a laugh—her laugh—and he decided then and there it was his new favorite sound.

Eventually, though, he couldn’t help himself. He leaned back, studying her in the candlelight. “I would’ve picked you up, you know. Saved you the walk.”

She almost choked on a blueberry, following it up by clearing her throat and downing a bottle of water.

“Kinda weird you didn’t want me to,” he added carefully.

Her chin lifted, her mouth stuck open before the words scrambled out. “You said you’d figure out where I lived yourself. Remember?”

He had said that the first day they officially met in the woods, trying to sound charming. He didn’t think she’d take it so serious though.

He stifled back a grin. “Right. Guess I’ll just have to keep my promise.”

She smirked faintly, but her gaze darted away.

The subject shifted. They ate, dived into more conversations, and laughed even louder. He learned she hated olives but loved strawberries. That she once tried painting and quit after three days because she got frustrated. That she secretly liked horror movies but only when someone else was around.

Then he asked how long she’d been in Whisperden and that was when the conversation started to go south.

“Two months,” she revealed.

“Really?” he tilted his head. “How am I only just meeting you?”

She blinked, taking a grape. Sebastian watched as it got caught between her teeth, the way she licked her fingers slowly. His body ached, and his senses heightened.

“The only person I know here is Calvin,” she continued, chewing gracefully. “He’s the one who dragged me to that club the night I met that jerk, Kade.”

Finally, his attention was broken. He focused on her entire face. He was suddenly more interested in what she had to say, than watching her luscious lips in action.

“Calvin?”

“Yes, Calvin,” she said. “He’s my friend.”

His jaw clenched, every muscle in his body going taut. “A friend,” he echoed, trying to keep his tone even.

She tilted her head at him, a smirk tugging at her lips. “What? Don’t tell me you’re bothered by this.”

He scoffed, but it came out too sharp. “I just don’t like the idea of you depending on some guy. Especially one who thinks dragging you to a club is a good time.”

She arched a brow. “He meant well. Besides, I found out about this little town from him.”

“I see.”

He didn’t know what else to say, how to sound less agitated. Her only friend in town is a guy. He wondered if it was the same guy she’d been in the car with the night he’d sensed her. Wondered if there was something more going on.

He’d slept with women he referred to as friends in the past. The thought of her in someone else’s arms ticked him off in more ways than one.

“Tell me about your game,” she said, shifting gears.

And just like that, he softened, yapping away about lacrosse and what his teammates were like. But his curiosity soon returned. He wanted to know everything about her.

“So where were you before Whisperden?” he asked quietly. “What was it like growing up there? Do you miss it?” He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “What about your parents? Any siblings?”

She stilled, her smile fading. He waited for a response, but it never came. Instead, she shook her head, rising to her feet.

“I can’t,” she whispered. “I-I can’t do this.”

He shot up, confused. “Ravyn—what? Did I—did I say something wrong?”

But she was already backing away, her face pale, her voice frayed. “I’m sorry. I just… I have to go.”

“Wait—” He reached for her hand, but she pulled away, her eyes glistening, refusing to meet his.

“I’m sorry,” she said again, then turned and ran into the darkness.

Sebastian stood frozen, the candles flickering weakly around him, the rest of the food untouched. His chest ached with a hollow, unfamiliar feeling. For once in his life, he had no game plan, no words, no clue what to do.

And he hated it.

He hated not knowing what he’d done wrong even more. Was it something I said?