Page 15 of Destined Bear

“This is nice,” Patrick said. “If they had left it up to me, I would have told them this wasn’t necessary. But I’m glad we’re doing this.”

“Me too,” I said. “I’m happy to be here with you.”

We ate our food, and then came my favorite part of all den festivities… the den run. I’d run with them before, but this time was different. I wasn’t a guest, I was den, and there was not much better than that.

Chapter 10

Patrick

It was hard to believe that such a short time ago, Finn had been coming to the diner every day in the hopes of me recognizing him as my mate. And now, here we were both going to the diner to work in the same space as each other as mates. What a difference such a short period of time could make.

Finn and I’d been back at work for a week. We’d settled into a nice routine. I got up for work, kissed my mate goodbye, and then a few hours later, he joined me at the diner. I still had mymorning alone time. Some things would never change. I was a creature of habit like that.

Finn worked from the same booth he always had, only now I brought his food out to him. I also took many more breaks throughout the day to visit him. It had gotten to the point of me being ridiculous, and we decided maybe it was best if he worked from work a couple days a week for the projects that needed the most concentration. That thought made me a little sad, even though I knew it was for the best. It wasn’t like I couldn’t still visit him on my larger break, and besides, I got out of work earlier than he did.

When Saturday rolled around, though, I knew my mate didn’t have to work, so I stayed in bed much longer than I normally would. I loved cuddling with him, hearing his soft breaths, feeling his warmth.

Finn nudged me. “Patrick, shouldn’t you be getting up to go to the diner?”

“Not today,” I said, wrapping my arm around his middle and tugging him closer, inhaling his scent. “Don’t wanna. Wanna stay here with you.”

“No, really.” He kissed my shoulder. “If you don’t get up, you’re going to be late. Did you shut off your alarm?”

“I’m taking the day off, mate.” I tried to remember a time pre-Finn when I’d done that and couldn’t think of a single one.

“Really?” he said. “You never take a day off.”

“That’s not true. I took several days off just a week ago.” When we mated.

He laughed. “Oh, is this going to be like that?”

“Maybe,” I said. Since my mate was insistent on being awake and having a conversation, I pushed myself up on my elbow and looked down at him. He was just as gorgeous in the morning as he was any other time—maybe even more so.

“I’d like to take you to lunch,” I said.

He grinned. “That sounds great. Who’ll be cooking? I don’t like anyone’s meals as much as yours.”

I leaned down and kissed his nose. “Actually, I want to take you somewhere. It’s a place that’s very special to me.” I’d been thinking about it for a few days, and today felt like the day.

His eyes lit up. “Really?”

“There’s a diner about an hour from here. It’s where I first learned how to cook, the place that made me want to do this for a living.” In so many ways, it made me the man that I was, not just careerwise.

Finn smiled slowly, his eyes warm. “I love that. I can’t wait to see it.”

There weren’t many positive things about my upbringing or my life before joining this den, but this was something good I could share with him—show him a part of me.

“Good. Now go back to sleep.” I kissed his shoulder. “We don’t have to leave for several hours.”

“Or we could... not sleep,” he said, his voice low and husky.

That had me waking up. “That’s an idea I can get behind.”

I leaned over and kissed him, loving the taste of his lips. It didn’t take long before one kiss became two became more. The kisses deepened quickly, our bodies responding the way they always did when we were together.

His hand wandered down my side and settled on my hip, where he pulled me toward him, our bodies now flush together, our hardness trapped between us. I let out a groan. He felt so good pressed against me like this, his mouth owning mine, his movements and sounds making no secret of what he wanted.

It was hot as fuck. And then, when I thought it couldn’t get any hotter, he pushed me onto my back and straddled me. “I need you to be inside me.” He ran his finger over our mating mark.