Page 22 of Delivered to My Mate’s Best Friend

“It’s fine. I need a moment anyway.”

He kissed her cheek, but she moved to kiss his lips instead. Her eyes met mine, and I felt not one bit of jealousy. Not that I had any reason to. She wasn’t mine. Yet.

Mine. Ours. Mate. Ours.

Ours? She could be ours.

I winked at her and her scent floated toward me. Approval. Oh, she liked that. The winking turned her on.

Noted.

“Go on, then.” She stood and put her hands on her hips. I wished they were my hands instead. “Let me see the big bad wolves.”

Cypress moved away from her into the grass and shifted first. His wolf was as it always had been, except bigger. Almost identical to mine, even though we came from different fathers and mothers. Fate had made his wolf my brother. His fur was all shades of brown, like mine, with a white neck and black paws.

People called us fated twins.

They weren’t wrong.

“Oh my Goddess. You are the same. That’s crazy.” Zephyr moved closer and ran her fingers through our fur. Sensations ran through my wolf’s body. Our mate was touching us.

Feeling our fur. Approved of us.

I walked around her, sniffing, taking in her scent. She was everything good and pleasing about autumn. Cinnamon, pumpkins, apples, nutmeg, and the warmth only a hearth could bring.

My wolf longed for her. Cypress nipped at my heels.

We raced off. Together. It was as fundamental as walking to me. I’d run with Cypress so many times, my wolf knew his by heart.

Can we still do this? My paws faltered, and I fell ass and tail over head, tumbling a few times until I caught myself and stood up.

You’re kidding. We can still…I thought this was only for mates.

He chuckled through the bond between us. A bond so thick that it superseded blood. I couldn’t even talk to my biological brothers and sisters like this.

Only him. He was my brother. All of this, tonight, it all clicked into place. We were meant to be a pack. My best friend and me.

Taking care of our mate.

Our best friend bond is strong. Still is. After all these years.

Can we talk about things? Just you and me. So much for me wanting time to think. This is better anyway.

She wants you. And as far as I’m concerned, the pact stands. But the decision belongs to Zephyr. Whatever she wants is what will be. She is my mate. I’ll do whatever she wants. It’s her word over anything I might want.

I agreed, of course.

The question is, Birch. Do you want her? Tell the truth. We are only going to get through this if there is transparency. You won’t make me upset or hurt my feelings.

I stopped to look at him. Wolf to wolf. Man to man. Friend to friend. Brother to brother.

She’s my mate, too. My wolf knows. I knew the first time I saw her. But you two are already mated and married and marked. It’s all in your hands.

He whined. No. It’s in hers. But I think Zephyr has already decided her fate and ours.

I barked once. Will she choose me? Us?

Let’s go find out.