Chapter Four
H olding the door open, Apollo let Jost walk inside, noticing the way he stiffened and glanced over his shoulder at him. Someone had hurt his mate in the past. Someone had created those shadows under Jost’s eyes, the scared look in them. It made Apollo grit his teeth and made him pause. He’d always assumed when he met his mate that their mating would be a done deal, but what Jost had suffered had Apollo rethinking those ideas. His mate needed time and care and, more importantly, he needed to know he could trust Apollo not to hurt him.
Jost found an empty table and sat facing the door as Apollo asked, “What would you like to drink?”
Jost nibbled his bottom lip before answering. “Coffee, please.”
Nodding, Apollo placed their order, then sat opposite. Now he had his mate where he wanted, Apollo found he was lost for words. Looking at Jost had his dick hard, and he tried to curb his arousal. He didn’t want Jost to scent it. Especially as Jost’s scent showed he was afraid right then. Jost needed to know he could trust Apollo, so he breathed deeply until he had it under control. “You said you look after your young?”
Jost nodded and tucked a lock of curly blond hair behind his ear. “The cubs, before they go to school.”
“We’re only small and don’t have many young right now. I’m hoping in time that will change.”
“I remember you came and spoke to our alpha when we moved here.”
“I had quite a few conversations with him before you moved here. He’s a good, decent shifter who cares for his pride.”
“He is.” Jost gave a shaky smile when the waitress brought their coffees over and Apollo waited for her to leave, then watched Jost as he sipped his coffee.
“Do you like Evergreen?” Evergreen was the town they called home. A place to laze in the sun.
“It has many open places to run and hunt.” As he said hunt, his eyes flashed to Apollo’s, then away.
“And graze. In time, though, I wouldn’t mind being hunted by you.” He caught Jost’s gasp and smiled. “We are mates, after all. I might even let you catch me.”
Jost’s eyes grew wide, and Apollo caught the flicker of his lion in them before Jost closed them and it was gone. “It’s too soon.”
“It is. One day, though. Hopefully. When we know each other better.” Apollo looked outside, seeing pretty much nothing. It was dark outside and the light from inside kept him from seeing too much. Checking the time, he saw it was barely eleven. The night was still young. He had time to spend getting to know his shy, timid, but beautiful mate. Just looking at him made him want to do more. His slim body, hidden by baggy clothes, his light green eyes that had those shadows, his pale skin with its startling freckles and his blond curls that Apollo wanted to grab in his fist as they got to know each other on a whole other level.
Time. He had to give Jost time.
“I’m thirty-two. You appear younger than I am.”
Jost coughed. “Twenty-two.”
“Who was he or she?” Jost was omega. A female alpha could have hurt him, but Apollo knew it would be a male and more than likely a shifter, too.
“He. Alpha. I was young and stupid and paid the price for it.” The words were low but wrapped in bitterness. “I’m not him anymore.”
“You trusted the wrong person. It sadly happens more than we would like. I dated someone who saw me as a bank account. We lived together, but it wasn’t enough. I didn’t say the right words, buy the right expensive gifts.” Apollo shrugged. More to take the sting out of his own words. It hurt that he hadn’t been good enough, or his bank account hadn’t.
“Some people need more than what others can give.”
“Yeah.” Apollo snorted. He’d given Joelle everything, and she’d still left him, but now he knew if she hadn’t, he may never have met his mate. Sometimes fate worked in mysterious, if occasionally painful, ways. Apollo had learned a lesson with Joelle but now he sat opposite the most beautiful man he’d ever laid eyes on, and he wanted to—no, needed to protect him. The instinct roared inside him; pun intended. “I’m the leader of my dazzle. Some think I’m too young.”
“I don’t think so. Years are not the only way we should age someone. You seem mature.” Jost shrugged and sipped his drink, his eyes in constant motion but rarely on him.
“Are you an only child, er, cub?”
“No. I have a younger brother and a sister. I live with them and my parents. They’ve been great.”
“Did they help you?”
Jost swallowed, blinked, then nodded. “Dad saved me.” Jost reached up and touched his face, then let his hand fall. The movement confirmed what Apollo already knew. His ex-partner had hurt him physically. It would never happen again. Apollo would rather cut his own hand off, than raise it in anger at Jost.
“I’m sorry you went through that,” Apollo whispered the words softly. “You should be able to trust the person you’re involved with.”
Shrugging, Jost sipped his drink, then pulled his phone out of his pocket. He quickly typed something, then put it on the table. “Tam.”
Apollo nodded, but had no idea who or what Tam was. “Do you need to go?”
“Not right now. I can stay, if you want.”
“It’s up to you. Do you want to stay? I could order you a taxi home if you’d prefer.”
“Will you always be this nice to me or will you change too?” Jost didn’t look up when he asked the question, and it hurt something deep inside of Apollo. This beautiful shifter had been so hurt he was scared to trust.
“I’m certain we will argue, maybe say things we don’t mean in the heat of the moment, but I will never raise my hand to you.” Apollo paused when the waitress asked if they needed a refill. Once she’d left, he added, “I hope in time you’ll come to see that.”
“Really? How can I believe you?”
Apollo slowly slid his hand across the table and pushed it under Jost’s. He felt Jost jerk as he turned his hand over and laced their fingers together. He waited to see what Jost would do, but when he remained still, he spoke. “All I ask for is time. We can date and get to know one another. Meals out or the movies. Things in public until you’re comfortable around me. We go at your pace. Do what you’re comfortable with. What you’re happy to do.”
Jost’s lip wobbled, and he sucked it in. His fingers trembled in Apollo’s hand, so Apollo slowly withdrew his hand and leaned back in his seat. “I’d like to go home now.”
“Of course. Do you want me to order you a cab or can I drive you? Whatever you want.”
“A cab,” Jost blurted out, then winced.
“A cab it is.” It didn’t take long for the cab to arrive and as Jost was leaving, Apollo said, “here’s my number. Can you message me when you get home?”
Jost noted the number but said nothing. Apollo stood and watched his mate leave and had no idea what he was going to do. It was apparent how hurt his mate was, how scared and afraid to trust. All emotions Apollo understood, but the need to comfort him was strong, and he knew he’d have to push it back and go at Jost’s pace. Whatever he wanted, Apollo would give him.
Hs phone rang, and he saw DAD on the screen. “Dad. Everything okay?”
Arvo grunted. “Only two voted against you. We know who they were.”
“Dad.” Apollo paused, licked his lips, and sighed.
“What is it?”
“I met my mate,” he murmured. “Dad, he’s…” A lion, and who hated lions in his dazzle? Shit.
“You can tell me, son. It can’t be good if you’re stalling.”
“He’s omega.”
“And what species, or do I already know?”
“Guess.”
“Shit, Apollo.” Apollo heard Arvo mutter something. “This is bad timing, but I’m happy for you. I mean it. You’ve found your mate at last. We all want our mates. I was lucky to find mine when I was young, but now you have yours. When do we get to meet him?”
“Not for a long time. He’s been hurt, Dad. Some ex did a real number on him, and he’s scared and doesn’t trust me at all. I lifted my hand to help him, and he protected himself. Covered his face.”
“Someone put their hands on an omega? Where is this person? I’ll teach them a lesson or two. You don’t put your hands on anyone. Man, women, human or shifter.”
“He said his father helped him. Dad.” Apollo paused, trying to find the words to explain how he felt. “I don’t know what to do,” he admitted quietly. “I found him, and he’s scared of me. I said we could date in public so he wouldn’t be alone with me. Fuck, it hurt saying that, but what else do I do?”
“First, I’m going to ignore you swearing, second you did right by making sure he knew all your dates would be in public. He needs to learn to trust you. More importantly, he needs to learn to trust you mean what you say. Do you know much about his previous relationship?”
“No, but his reactions to me tell me he was abused. Physically, emotionally. He was terrified. He had a panic attack in the club. Dad… I just—Dad.”
“Come here. Spend the night in your old room and we’ll talk in the morning. Get our heads together and come up with some amazing dates your mate will enjoy.”
“He looks after the cubs before they go to school.”
“So, he’s kind and caring, like the vast majority of omegas. That’s a good place to start, isn’t it? Go somewhere he can look at items for the cubs he looks after. Toys, books. Things like that. Apollo, come home. I’ll wait up for you. We can talk more then.”
“I’ll come, but you don’t need to stay up, Dad. I’ll make sure to lock up and we’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Okay, son. Be safe, and congratulations. You found your mate. This is a celebration, even if the situation needs to be handled carefully. He’ll be worth it.”
Saying goodbye, Apollo hung up and shoved his phone in his pocket, then jogged over to his car. Getting in, he sat and contemplated his next steps, then stopped and thought about Jost. His gorgeous mate. Those wide green eyes of his that had pierced Apollo’s soul. The way his lips had trembled when Apollo had held his hand. The scared scent that filled the air and had Apollo wanting to find the shifter who had hurt his precious mate.
Laughing filled the air outside the car and Apollo watched a human couple walk past. The woman’s arm looped through the man’s, with her face turned up to his. Both of them laughing and smiling. He wanted that as well. Wanted to have those moments together, both of them happy with each other. One day have a family of their own, friends to have nights out with. Would they be able to have a family together and if they did, would they have cubs or foals? He didn’t know any matings that had been between different shifters. He’d have to research when he got home and see what he could find.
Starting his car, he drove to his parents’ house and parked outside, seeing the light on for him. Smiling, he got out and made sure his car was locked, then went inside and found a beer waiting for him on the table along with a note that read ‘Congratulations!’ Chuckling, he sat and had the beer, then messed with the note on the table, spinning it around as he sighed heavily. Apollo had found his mate. Now he had to prove he was worthy to be Jost’s mate.