Page 12 of Miles's Pact
Four
Miles
"You know Ollie and my situation was different," Devon said, and I nodded. I hadn't been here when Ollie and Devon met, but I'd heard their story told many times by various clan members. "But the best piece of advice I can give you is to listen. Listen to your mate. Don't pressure him about shifting. Let him get there at his own pace, and in the meantime, figure out ways to spend time with him and get to know him that don't require him to shift."
"Mateo took him to meet Uncle Raph today, so he could make sure Duckie is healthy. Then they're visiting Cam."
Devon's lips quirked up, and he nodded in approval. "That was a good idea. If anyone can make your mate feel at ease, it's Raph and Cam."
He was right about that. Uncle Raphael had an aura that made everyone feel comfortable and relaxed, and Cam could befriend anyone he wanted to. Papa was like that too, but since vampires unnerved some shifters—it was an instincts thing—I'd figured we could wait a bit before introducing those two, though I didn't think Papa would hold back for long. Judging by the way my phone had been buzzing since I'd gotten here, he already knew, and he wasn't happy he'd heard from someone else.
"It'll be okay, Miles," Ollie chimed in, and I met his soft hazel eyes. "Give him time. I have to imagine it would feel strange for him to shift if he hasn't done it in a long time, and it might be adding to his unwillingness. Be there for him, and show him that he doesn't need to shift, not unless he wants to. Once you grow closer, he might put pressure on himself to shift because he'll want to make you happy. You'll have to assure him that you're okay going at his pace."
I nodded, taking it all in. I remembered when our dads had first adopted Mateo and me. We'd been traumatized by everything that had happened, and we'd refused to talk. Neither of our dads or Micah, our older brother, had ever pressured us. They'd just been there, taking care of us, loving us, doing everything they could to make us feel safe.
"Thanks, guys. You've been a big help," I said, standing up, and Ollie jumped to his feet, pulling me into a quick hug.
"It was our pleasure. Don't worry, okay? Everything will work out."
"What he said," Devon agreed as he stood up as well, and Ollie grinned, then smacked a kiss on Devon's cheek.
Smiling, I took my leave, making my way back through the packland and to my car. Once I was seated behind the wheel, I took a deep breath and pulled my phone out of my pocket.
More than twenty texts filled the clan chat, though I'd been expecting more. There were a few messages in the family chat between our dads, Micah, and us, and also a few from Jai.
Curious, I opened Jai's texts first.
Jai: Yo, it's Mateo. Raph says Duckie is okay physically, but a little under-nourished, so we have to feed him better. He's upstairs with Alex now, and they seem to be getting along. We're going to see Cam at the HH next, so find us there once you finish up with Devon and Ollie!
It would be pointless to reply since they'd be gone by now, so I switched to the family chat, where Papa was, as expected, disappointed we hadn't told them first, while Dad had asked us to call him at some point today. They'd show up at our door if we didn't call in time; I knew it.
The clan chat was abuzz with news about Duckie, as expected. Uncle Raph had been the one to announce it, of course, and people were still chiming in with "Congratulations!" and "When can we meet him?"
Shaking my head, I backed out of the chat without replying, then placed my phone in the cup holder before starting the car.
While Mateo preferred flying over driving, I didn't have a preference. They both had their benefits, but I wasn't a big fan of showing up naked, so I preferred driving unless we were going somewhere I knew I had spare clothes. Plus, I liked keeping my phone with me, and I couldn't do that when I shifted.
The haunted house—name still undecided—was near the town center, and Cam, his mates—mostly Kai, but Micah and Ember chipped in sometimes as well—and Mateo had been working on it for months now. They were determined to make it a terrifying experience, and I wanted nothing to do with it.
While Mateo loved all things horror, I'd had enough of it in the first ten years of my life. I had no interest in being terrified for the sake of it, and because he knew it, Mateo had never insisted Ijoin him. I preferred working on Neel and Pax's B&B. The calm, cozy atmosphere they were trying to create was much more my speed.
Mateo and I had both studied interior architecture, and yet our projects were sun and moon. I supposed that was what being twins meant, wasn't it? We were the same, but different. We were the same person, and yet two unique individuals. We could guess what the other was thinking without communication or telepathy, and yet we could never think like the other.
We might look the same, but no one in our clan ever had trouble telling who was Mateo and who was Miles because everything from our behavior to our speech was unique to us.
I imagined it would be the same for our bond with Duckie. Mateo had asked me this morning if I'd prefer to take Duckie to Uncle Raph's, and something had told me he should be the one to do it.
Duckie didn't need a boyfriend right now. He needed a friend. While I wanted to be his friend as well, I knew Mateo was better suited for the role, at least for the moment. I didn't want Duckie to feel pressured or to think I was waiting for him to shift. I wanted him to feel comfortable with us.
Duckie
The inside of the house was a mess, which was to be expected since it was still under construction. I pattered behind Mateo, avoiding the random pieces of wood and nails scattered about. It looked like a tornado had blown through the short hallway.
I perked up when I caught voices from the room at the end of the hallway, and focused on the cheerful voice. "When we get home, I want you to—"
"We have company." A softer voice cut him off, and they were quiet as Mateo stepped through the doorway.
"Hey, X, Cam," he greeted, and I could hear the grin in his voice, telling me he'd heard them too. I peeked around his legs, spotting the two men standing near a large table. One of them had messy black hair and green eyes, and was dressed in a button-down and jeans, while the other person had wavy black hair, warm brown eyes, and was dressed in a top that ended above their belly button—and showed off a piercing—and a black skirt that ended above their knees.
