Page 61 of Shifter Omegaverse AU

Even as he typed, his finger kept tapping his scuffed black phone case, the same way it had through countless lectures from their parents, their school principals, and even Riley on occasion. Every time Ruben got caught causing trouble or failed to deliver on a promise, he’d sit there just like this, cool as a cucumber except for his tapping finger. It was somehow comforting that, despite all the earth-shattering revelations of the day, at least one thing remained the same. Ruben would be able to walk away from this experience, just like he’d walked away from countless others…but would Rowan?

Ruben cleared his throat, still staring down at his phone. “Milo seems different from all your past partners.”

“They are,” Rowan said, without hesitation.

“I know you probably won’t believe me, and that’s fine, but I swear, Ray is different, too.” Ruben clicked something on his phone screen before setting it face down on his thigh.

A hundred questions, some closer to pleas, crossed Rowan’s mind, but he found himself asking the most obvious one. “I thought you never wanted to settle down?”

“No, that’s not true,” Ruben said, stretching his arms out across the back of the sofa the way his hawk often spread his wings, claiming whatever perch or branch he landed on as his own.

He’d always been a solo actor, a lone hawk, determined to set his own path and do whatever he wanted, regardless of what others thought. The unreachable, unknowable older brother.

“Isn’t it, though?” Rowan asked, desperation turning his voice high and reedy.

Ruben’s gaze was steady, even as Rowan fought not to look away. “I’ve just never met someone worth settling down for.”

Rowan found himself taking up a similar position as Milo had, shoving his hands underneath his thighs. “And in one night, you can tell that Ray is?”

“One night and a fated mate bond, yeah,” Ruben said easily.

“You know, fate isn’t a sure thing.”

“Of course not. Nothing’s a sure thing. But I’m telling you, when we touched on the dance floor, it was like everything made sense.” Ruben tipped forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You were the reason I came back, but I think Ray is the reason I stayed here so long. You’re clearly doing okay now, and don’t need me anymore, but something kept me here, and I think it was Ray.”

Wait, what? Ruben had come back…for him?

“I know you said the two of you still need to talk about it, but in your ideal world, when would you mate?” Ruben asked, oblivious to Rowan’s confusion.

“I…don’t…”

“So, not two weeks?” Ruben asked, with that all too familiar half-smirk on his face.

“No,” Rowan said because that was absolutely out of the question. “Or on date three, like Raina.”

The other side of Ruben’s lip slowly curved up, like shades being pulled back on a window. He let out a belly-shaking laugh, collapsing back against the couch. “Oh my gods, I forgot about that. As always, it seems like you’re the most mature of the bunch. Or, at least, more than Raina and me.”

Rowan snorted, his shoulders relaxing ever so slightly. “I’m not sure there’s another person on the planet as mature as Riley.”

“Gods, she’s going to have a whole-ass cow when she hears the news.”

She really would, as would both their moms. Somehow, the two Rangecroft bachelors had managed to find their fated mates on the same night. He was, without a shadow of a doubt, waiting to tell the family until everyone was back in town. There was no way this was the type of news for one of them, let alone both of them to drop in the group chat.

Besides, the more Rowan thought about it, the more he wanted to tell them in person. He wanted to get one of his mom’s sunny smiles and ma’s approving nods. He wanted to hear Raina’s squeal of excitement and have the chance to debrief with Riley on what this meant for him and his future. It had been almost two months since they’d all been together, and the distance was wearing on him, as it always did.

Of course, now Ruben would be there, too, with his own good news, but that was okay. For once, maybe they could share the spotlight. There would probably be a few hard questions and maybe even a little doubt, but they could field that together.

Rowan tipped his head back to stare up at the ceiling, which somehow had scuff marks on it. “It’s probably best if we both tell them in person.”

When his words were met with silence, Rowan lowered his chin and found Ruben staring at him, eyes wide.

“Which means we should wait a little while, since everyone’s out of town?” Rowan added, in case that was the part confusing him.

“Oh, I forgot they were all out…” Ruben said, his eyes rounding and bottom lip jutting out.

Rowan knew this look.

He hated this look.