Page 63 of Destined Paranormals: Volume One

I shrugged. “I was sold by my parents and older brother to a sex trafficking ring. If you consider that ominous, then I guess it is. I found it to be a living nightmare, so yeah, I guess it is.”

I wasn’t sure what I expected from Monroe, but a look of understanding wasn’t it. He gave me a smile and took my hands. “Let’s go talk. You’re right when you said we had a lot to discuss.”

I nodded and let Monroe lead me into the house. It was already furnished, and I had to wonder just what all we would find if we went exploring. Time would tell.

Chapter 3

Monroe

My mate was adorable. I could tell from the very beginning that he was both overwhelmed and hesitant. His life, much like mine, hadn’t been an easy one. I was curious to get to know all about him and wondered what it would take to get him to trust me. Our situations weren’t ideal. Most couples didn’t meet their fated mates with children already in the picture. Would he be accepting of Mason and Mae? Would he want children with me? I wouldn’t mind having one or two, but I didn’t want a lot of kids. But I wasn’t an omega. I wouldn’t be the one carrying them; Oscar would. That was something we were going to have to discuss, very soon.

But first, the basics. The house was more than I’d ever seen. Even the most prominent families in our village didn’t have a house the size of the one we were currently in.

“Do we even know this is our house? Or I guess yours since you’re the one that is taking the position at the council store. I’m not sure what work I’ll be able to find up here. I do know I can continue working in Timber Valley though. There are others that come and go from the mountain every day.”

I held up a hand for Oscar to wait, and then I went to the front door and stepped outside. The ground was covered in snow—it was the end of December, after all—and from just a few steps away from the front door, I could see the council building. It was impossible to miss it. I hurried back inside and closed the door behind me. Inside was much warmer, and I shivered at the sudden temperature change again.

“I would say definitely ours. Not mine, ours. Unless you have decided you don’t wish to mate with me?” I really didn’t want that. I wasn’t going to say anything to Oscar about how my body would react if he decided that he wasn’t interested. I wouldn’t force him though. It had to be his choice.

Oscar sighed, then plopped down on the couch. I went back to where he was and sat at the other end, waiting. “It’s not that I don’t want to. But…I’ve been through a lot, Monroe. I was forced to do things that nobody should ever have to do.”

I nodded. “I understand that. I’ll be patient. We can get to know each other. Take our time.” It would become painful, that much I knew. But perhaps the fates could help with that in some way?

Oscar sighed again. “No. That’s not what I want either. We’re mates, and I really don’t see a reason to wait unless you don’t want to claim each other right away. But my life is pure chaos. I work two jobs, I have a teenage sister that’s a bitch all of the time anymore, and I honestly wouldn’t want her around your two siblings with the way she’s been acting. She didn’t use to be like this. She was so sweet. But when we came here after she was rescued, she found some not-so-great friends.”

“I believe that Alpha Forest is going to work on that. At least, it sounded as if he was.”

“I really hope so. I get it; I’m not her parent. I’m all she has now though, and she just treats me like she’d rather I hadn’t made it out of that basement.”

That was wrong, and I hurt for my mate. “I’ll help in any way I can. I’m not sure if I’ll be seen as any type of authority figure, but I can try.” I had plenty of experience with teenagers. “I’ve dealt with teenagers before. I’m one of fifteen.”

“Fifteen?” Oscar asked, his eyes wide.

I wanted to groan. “Yeah, my parents were big on kids. Having them, that is. They did as little as possible to raise us, or really anything other than spend time locked in their bedroom.”

Oscar seemed to want to say something but held his tongue.

“You can ask anything. I have no secrets, really. I used to be a bit of an entitled ass because I desperately wanted out and away from my family. I worked on fixing myself, and now I’m raising my two youngest after our mom died in childbirth with Mae. Our dad only lived a week after that.”

“I’m so sorry,” Oscar said. He reached out for me, and when I held my hand out, we were just able to reach each other.

“Thank you, but it might make me sound like an ass, but I don’t really miss them. They weren’t parents. Not really.”

“I don’t know which is worse. My parents and my older brother sold me and later my brother and sister. They were both rescued before anything happened to them, but I wasn’t so lucky.”

“Do you need anything regarding that? Should I know anything?” I honestly knew next to nothing about sex. Of course, I knew how it actually worked, but I’d never had it. It was just something that fae didn’t do until we met our mate.

“I’m good. I had therapy for a while. I did a lot of self-reflection, and I decided I wasn’t going to let them win. I shouldn’t freak out or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

I nodded but glanced down at my lap. This was probably the most unromantic mating to ever happen. I was certainly attracted to my mate. But it was apparent that we both had a whole lot going on, and we would need to make sure we focused on us and prioritized our bond so we wouldn’t have issues.

“I feel that we need to make a date or something,” I said.

Oscar chuckled. “A date? Why?”

I shrugged. “Maybe because you’re my mate and I want to treat you right? Don’t you want to be taken out on dates?”

Oscar looked thoughtful for a moment before he shrugged. “I’ve never thought about it, really. I don’t think I’ve ever been on one. I haven’t really dated anyone before. It wasn’t that I wasn’t overly interested; I just was busy. First college, then work.”