Page 41 of A Mate for Haax

I toss the rest of the items haphazardly into the bag and turn to help Esme put on her clothes. Once done, I pick up the bag and throw it over my shoulder. “Let’s get home.” I walk over and dip down, putting one arm under her legs and one at her lower back, lifting her until she cradles into my chest.

Her breath is warm against my skin.

Halfway back to the house, her breathing steadies, and little snores erupt from her lips. They are cute. I’ve always read articles about some humans who snore like dogs trying to chase off unwelcome intruders.

Esme doesn’t rouse when we get home. I walk her up to our bedroom and lay her down in the sheets. She rolls to the inside and curls herself into the blanket. I push a few pieces of hair away from her face and whisper to her, even though I know she probably can’t hear me. “Rest for now, mate. We have all the time in the world.”

Her reply is a soft snore, and I smile. The goddess has blessed me with the perfect mate.

My comm goes off on my arm, and I startle, then immediately look to Esme, hoping it didn’t rouse her from sleep. What I find is that she is still peacefully ignorant to the world.

Closing the door behind me as I leave, I finally answer my comm.

“Commander Haax speaking.”

“Yeah, your brother here. I’ve got a horse with your mates name on it. Want me to bring him over?”

“Sure, I would offer to come to you, but Esme is sleeping. I’ve worn her out.” A smile shines through my comment, and my brother scoffs.

“I am truly happy for you, brother, but I do not wish to hear about your mating escapades. My eyes and ears do not need that much scarring.”

“One day, you will find your mate, Daax. You will find her, and she will make the whole world shine in a way that you didn’t know was possible. You will revolve around her like the sun and moon.”

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. But there’s more…”

His words sound ominous. “What do you mean by more?”

I can imagine him biting his lip in uncertainty. He always had a weird tick about him when he was nervous or unsure. “See, the problem is I’ve just met my mate. I’ve found her, and she absolutely hates me.”

“Well, shit.”

“Exactly.”