After dinner was over, Wayne took Olive to the balcony and had them sit and watch the moon that was almost full. It reminded both of them that they would be fully mated and recognized by the moon as one, as soon as it became full.
“I’m scared,” Olive spoke up as she was leaning against Wayne’s chest. He was sitting on a resting chair and she sat in between his legs.
“About what?” he asked and smoothed her hair.
“The future. What it holds for us after now,” she answered.
“Do you mean after we’re mated successfully? Life after that?” Wayne inquired.
“Yes. That’s what I mean,” Olive answered. Wayne chuckled deeply and placed a small kiss on the back of her neck.
“You don’t have to worry about that. Everything is going to be all right, okay?”
Olive exhaled and didn’t reply. But after about a minute, she decided to ask a pressing question.
“What are your plans for us?”
Wayne furrowed his brows and strained his neck to look at her face.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, what would be the outcome of the union between you and I? Do you want us to settle down and you know have-”
“Children?” Wayne cut in. She gulped and nodded. He relaxed back on the chair and smiled.
“I don’t know. I honestly don’t know about that. What are your plans?”
“I also don’t know about that. I was thinking that I would follow whatever it is you want. I even doubted if you would actually… want pups,” she muttered the last part. Wayne began to smoothen her hair again.
“I want pups… with you. But then, I don’t think we should be thinking about them anytime soon.”
Olive shifted uncomfortably and turned to look at him.
“Why?” she asked, worry and fear evident in her voice.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to think about that issue. I’m just saying it shouldn’t be part of the things we plan to do immediately after our union yet. Babe, we’ve got a new life ahead for both of us and we don’t even know what it would bring. With you getting these attacks. And me getting these weird new powers. The enemies and this prophecy. Don’t you think it would be a very unsafe world for our children right now?”
Olive nodded as she understood well what Wayne was driving at.
“I understand you,” she said and he brought his hand to her face then smoothened her cheek.
“I don’t want you to feel like I don’t want us to settle down as a family. I’m just… we’re just not ready for that yet,” he stated and she smiled.
“I understand, Wayne. I totally get your point and I agree with you. It’s best to not bring them into a world of chaos unless we have everything taken care of.”
Wayne nodded and pushed her to lean back on him.
“Another question, Wayne,” she said after a short while of silence.
“What is it? Come on, ask,” he replied her.
“I… I’ve noticed that you don’t… well you just don’t want to…” she trailed off and took in very deep breaths. She had turned crimson under the moonlight and was glad that Wayne could not see her face colour.
“What is it?” he repeated.
“I’ve noticed you don’t particularly want to… sleep with me,” she finally said and kept quiet.
There was utmost silence in between them, but Olive didn’t know her mate was grinning sheepishly behind her.
The moon was having an effect on her brain. Her wolf was feeling agitated and wanted to just merge with her mate. But she kept telling herself that she couldn’t just throw herself on Wayne when he didn’t even appear to be bothered by it. She knew he was attracted to her. He loved her. But what was it that he had against her body?
“Not yet,” she finally heard him say.
“But… but why?” she asked and looked at him again.
“Because… you’re different. You’re not some random girl, Olive. You’re my mate. So let me make it special by getting the rightful thing done after I am fully tied to you alone for life,” he explained and she stared at his face unbelievably. She didn’t even think of this as the reason.
“You want to… make it special?” she stammered and he nodded and took her hand in his.
“You don’t want that? You want me to get you laid like I did with random girls out there?” he asked with a tinge of humor that Olive laughed.
“No. Of course not. I’m… I’m okay with you making it special. I… I also want to make it special with you. Because you’re also different,” she cooed and he smiled for the umpteenth time that night.
“Thank you,” he said and they kissed.
“There’s another reason. The very important one,” Wayne expelled. Olive stayed quiet to hear him.
“If we want to unlock our fullest potential, we need to be starved so much we literally blow up with energy when we finally mate. If we mate on a night without the full moon, surely powers will be exuded but it’ll be like fetching water from a half filled water jar.”
“But if we’re so starved, and we mate for the first time accompanied with the energy of the full moon-it’ll be an outpour. Overflowing the water jar,” Olive added with a smile.
Wayne smiled.
“That’s my girl. You’re get it.”
“Is that why you’re deliberately driving me to the edge and leaving me crazy with need?”
Olive punched him on the arm. Wayne laughed.
“I need you as starved as ever. I want you to desire me so much you cave in with an uproar when I finally give you what you deserve, accompanied with the moon’s blessings.”
“Something tells me Shem and Jericho were right. We’re so going to blow off the castle.”
The two mates laughed hard at that.
“It definitely is not going to happen at the castle. I’ll get a place ready.”
He kissed Olive behind her neck again. She smiled and relaxed into his arms.
“So what are we going to be doing here until the ritual?”
“Anything but worry about anything,” he answered and she chuckled.
“Can I suggest something for us to do tonight?” she asked.
He nodded and she got on her feet then walked few steps away from him.
“Let us race,” she said and instantly shifted into her beautiful gray wolf. Wayne raised a brow at her majestic creature and smirked.
“Who do you want to race with you?” he asked.
She didn’t answer because she couldn’t communicate in her wolf form. But Wayne seemed to read her inner mind and he transformed into a mighty, beautiful and elegant wolf.
It was gray in color, almost identical to hers. And it had sparkling blue eyes like bioluminescent water on a dark night. She stood in awe as the mighty wolf flung its tail in the air and shook its head. It was very furry and cozy that she instantly wanted to just hide inside his curled form and sleep for days.
She stood still and he jumped, launching himself over the railing of the balcony and landing on the ground from the duplex building. Olive marved at his flexibility. She too jumped down and raced after him into the woods surrounding the house.