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Colt sighed. “I’m explaining this wrong. I should have never brought up the soulmate thing. I thought making the comparison would help you understand this better, but it’s only confusing you. Now I’m a little confused.”
Milo touched Colt’s arm. “Let’s start over and forget the soulmate thing.”
“But you got the handpicked thing, right?”
“Yes,” Milo replied. “Your kind has a specific person meant to be theirs because fate handpicked them.” He understood that part perfectly, even if he was having a hard time believing it.
“Right.” Colt nodded as his gaze fell on Milo’s bruises. “We know when we find our mate. It’s something called the pull. It’s a connection so powerful that we’re drawn toward each other.”
“Like I feel whenever I’m near you.” Milo put the pieces together. “I can’t stop myself from touching you, like the night we met and I played with your beard.”
That explained a lot, if Milo bought the whole fate thing. He was starting to, wanting to. Nothing else made sense.
Colt smiled. “I wasn’t happy when Dan caused a scene. I was thoroughly enjoying what you were doing to me.”
He didn’t want to think about Dan. That only made him think about Eric, which Milo was trying hard to forget. “So, you’re saying you’ve found your mate and it’s me?”
“Let’s be honest, Milo.” Colt sat back a little. “If you didn’t feel the pull, you wouldn’t be sitting here right now. After Dan had a fit and you chewed me out, and then I snapped at you, that would have been the end of your interest in me. But even if it wasn’t, seeing my wolf last night would have made you run as far away from me as you could.”
“I kept wondering why, even knowing how much trouble I was getting into with Dan, I couldn’t resist you.” Milo touched Colt’s fingers that were in the water. “After I chewed you out, I told myself to leave you alone. But when you approached me, apologizing and asking if we could have coffee, I was reeled back in.”
Colt winked. “I’m going to let my charm take credit for that.”
“You wish you were that charming.” Milo smirked. “So am I your mate?”
“I thought everything I just told you would indicate a clear yes.” Colt splashed a little water on Milo’s arm. “As a backup, in case my kind are still uncertain, mates have a unique scent that only their other half can smell. For me, the strong smell of peaches hit me that night.”
Milo frowned. “That confused me because we weren’t serving any. I thought maybe you had too much wine.”
“We can’t get drunk off of human alcohol. Not even a little buzzed. It burns through our system too fast.”
“That has to suck.” Milo was trying hard to process everything, but his mind was struggling to believe any of it. The only thing he could cling to was the fact that Colt was a wolf. If that was real, then why couldn’t the mate thing be real, too?
“We have our own kind of alcohol that knocks us on our asses.” Colt lifted his hand, letting the water drip from his fingers. “I’m not sure how you’re going to feel about the next thing I want to tell you.” He rested his hand back in the water. “We’re possessive and protective of our mates.”
“Possessive, as in overly jealous?” Milo didn’t like the idea of Colt being overbearing or trying to control who he could talk to. He’d seen men and women who tried to control every aspect of their partner’s life, and it had never been pretty.
“Mates are precious. We only get one, and the connection after we seal our bond becomes a hell of a lot deeper.” Colt glanced at him. “That doesn’t mean I’d be an asshole if someone batted their eyes at you, but my wolf would turn lethal if someone made a move on you.”
Milo liked the idea of being precious to Colt and their connection deepening. As long as Colt never disrespected him, Milo could deal with the guy making it clear that his mate was hands-off. “I still don’t understand what any of this has to do with your bedroom.”
Colt glanced away. “When you ghosted me, I thought you were rejecting me. It’s the worst thing a mate can do. It’s a pain you never want to experience, Milo.”
“But I didn’t—” It must have seemed that way. If roles were reversed and Colt had stopped texting him, then stood him up for their lunch date, Milo would have thought the same thing.
“I know that now,” Colt said.
Milo was relieved that the destruction was due to Colt thinking he’d been rejected instead of violence being his default setting. If Colt had had an easy trigger when it came to his temper, that would have been a deal-breaker. No matter how much it would have hurt to walk away, Milo would have.
“I’d really like to finish this conversation later.” Milo closed his eyes, a dull throb at his temples. For the past three years he’d been at Eric’s mercy because Milo couldn’t afford to live on his own. How many times had he wished he could get out of the situation he was in?
Now he had his very own wolf and someone who could not only protect him but wanted to bond their souls, and Milo was so damn confused about what to do.
“I’m going to take care of something, so just let the heat of the water relax you,” Colt said, though Milo hadn’t opened his eyes. “I won’t be gone long.”
As he listened to Colt leave the bathroom, Milo wondered if he was hesitant because this seemed too good to be true. Colt was offering him everything he’d dreamed of, but what did Milo have to offer in return?
Chapter Seven
