Page 6 of Miles's Pact
Two
Miles
I smiled when I saw the three place settings at the dining table, not at all surprised by it. Mateo could be brash, chaotic, and disorganized, but he was also the kindest, sweetest man I knew. I was lucky to have him as my brother, and I knew without a doubt that I wouldn't have survived our childhood if he hadn't been with me every step of the way.
"Here you go," Mateo said out loud as he pulled back one of the chairs, and Duckie glanced between him and the chair before hopping on.
Are you sure? I can eat on the floor,he said, and Mateo rolled his eyes.
"Dude, even in duck form, you're still a person. We're not going to ask you to eat on the floor."
"Mat's right. You belong at the table with us," I agreed, and Duckie dipped his head in a nod.
Mateo brought over the bowl of mac and cheese, and I rushed to serve it into three bowls, placing forks in two of them while sliding the third in front of Duckie.
Duckie stared at the bowl for one breathtaking moment before lowering his head and taking a bite. I wasn't sure how well he could taste human food in this form, but judging by the waves of delight spilling into the bond, he liked it very much.
Mateo grinned, satisfaction oozing from his pores as he stuffed his face, and I rolled my eyes.
We ate in relative silence for a while, and I couldn't help sneaking glances at Duckie. I'd known your life could change in seconds when you met your mate. It wasn't like we had a scarcity of fated mates in Mistvale. Fate was benevolent toward the residents of this town, and our clan. After Cam and Micah, and then Finn found their mates, I'd figured it would either be one of ours or Neel or Pax's turn next, since Dean and Penny weren't in town, and Amelia was often traveling.
Yet, now that I was sitting beside my mate, I had no idea what to do. Was there anything I could do to make him feel more comfortable? Maybe comfortable enough to shift?
I had no idea if I should even mention it again. I didn't want to seem pushy, or to make him want to leave.
Maybe I could talk to Devon. While his and Ollie's situation hadn't been exactly the same, he still might have some helpful advice for us.
After dinner, Mateo and I cleaned up while Duckie explored our home. It was a cozy two-story, two-bedroom home with the combined living room and kitchen on the first floor and bedrooms on the second. I'd decorated the rooms in soft, warm colors, brown and beige with splashes of sunset orange.
I wondered what Duckie thought of our place. Did he like it? Could he see himself living here with us?
"Today was crazy, huh?" Mateo asked, jolting me from my thoughts. My lips curved into a wry smile.
"That's one way to describe it."
He snorted, then shook his head. "Yeah. When I walked into THP, I never in a million years imagined I'd be walking out with our mate. Or that someone would beourmate."
I hummed in agreement, somewhat glad he was the one who'd done that. I'd have panicked or messed it all up somehow.
"I was thinking of visiting Devon and Ollie tomorrow."
"That's a good idea. If anyone has experience with something like this, it's those two. How about you do that while I take Duckie to see the town a bit? Meet a few people?"
I supposed it would be pointless for both of us to visit the cat shifters, and I liked the idea of introducing Duckie to some of the people in our family.
"Maybe you could go see Uncle Raph?" Raphael Presley—or Uncle Raph as he'd always insisted we call him—was a healing mage, and one of the kindest people I knew. "Duckie and Alex might hit it off too."
Jai and Raphael had adopted another child a couple of months ago, a nonbinary incubus named Alex. We'd met them a couple of times, but they still preferred to keep to themselves. Maybe Alex and Duckie could get each other to open up? It was worth a try.
"That's a good idea. And then afterward, I'll show him the haunted house," Mateo decided, and I pursed my lips. I wasn't sure how Duckie would takethat, but the place wasn't functioning yet, so it wasn't quite the 'haunted' house yet. For now, only the workers went in and out, while Cam and Mateo threw out crazier and crazier ideas that Kai—one of Cam's threemates—shot down one by one. Maybe watching the two act like kidswouldbe comforting for Duckie.
Once we'd finished cleaning up, Mateo pulled out a few of the blankets we'd bought from Noel—they were colorful, soft, warm, and made with love and a dash of elf magic—and completed a makeshift nest for Duckie to sleep in on the couch. We'd debated over giving him one of our beds, but since he didn't want to shift back, he would be just as comfortable on the couch.
Judging by the way Duckie snuggled right in, he liked it.
Thank you, he said through the bond, the first words he'd said since dinner.
"You're welcome, Duckie. We'll be upstairs, but don't hesitate to give us a mental shout if you need anything. There's some water for you on the kitchen counter, and I left the bathroom door open in case you need it," Mateo said, and a flutter of pride filled my belly. He'd been so good with Duckie all day, and I could see why Fate had decided to pair those two up.
