[Austin]The door opened behind me and her scent entered the room. Eucalyptus and pine. It was a sweet, but almost soapy scent. It smelled clean and pure. Her arms snaked around my waist and I felt her lay her head on my shoulder blade. I touched her hands, feeling the spark of our connection. My body thrummed in response to the sparks. “You’re not getting away from me that easily, mate…. I finally found you and I’m never letting you go,” she whispered. “You’re really not disappointed in me, Gemma?” I asked. She kicked Timothy’s ass. She was searching for her mate and if I had been allowed to go to the national conference, she would have found me on the first night. I knew about her before I knew she was meant to be mine.“I could never be disappointed in you, Austin. Never in my entire life. I’m so happy my best friend found you and saved you for me. Let’s go have dinner we can talk more during and after the meal. If you want… I can even stay the night,” Gemma purred. I blushed at her tone. I’d never been with a woman. My mate was a gorgeous woman who had definitely had offers, at the very least. “It’s okay. We can just sleep next to each other. It will help with your healing if I’m around. I don’t have to be back to the pack lands until Monday. We can have the whole weekend together. What do you think? One weekend, that’s all I ask.” One weekend, then what? She lived in the pack lands and I wasn’t established here enough for her to make a case for staying with me. I didn’t know if I was ready to be in a pack again. “Okay, one weekend. I’m not going to the pack lands with you, though. I’m not ready.” She rubbed her face in my back and squeezed me tight. I loved the feeling of her arms around me. She touched me in a way that didn’t make me feel like a weak omega. Gemma made me feel strong, like a man, like her man. “You don’t have to be ready. Carmen told me what you went through. My pack isn’t like yours, but I won’t push you to be ready before you’re healed,” she promised. I let go of her hands and turned around. Gemma was only a few inches shorter than me. She looked into my eyes and smiled. “You’re so handsome, Austin. I can’t wait to get to know you better.” Gemma caressed my face and pressed herself against me. I groaned as the warmth of her body started stirring things in me that had never been stirred before. She giggled and laid a gentle kiss on my lips. I was too surprised to return the kiss, but I knew I would have another chance. My mate didn’t seem like the type to give up after one failed kiss. She backed away and took my hand, leading me back into the dining room. Mike and Beth looked up at us, then down to our hands. I tried to pull away, but Gemma held me tight. She wasn’t going to let me go. “Austin is my mate,” Gemma announced to the room. Carmen grinned and clapped her hands. Everyone congratulated us as we took our seats. I hadn’t expected that, especially from Mike and Beth. But, if Carmen and Gemma were right, there would be no reason for them to dislike the idea. Even Carmen’s mother smiled. I was introduced to everyone at the table and the food was passed around. Just like every meal I’d had in the past few weeks, all of Rock’s meat was cooked perfectly. And there was a ton of food. The trolls didn’t really eat the sides, focusing mainly on the meat. The rolls Carmen made were light and fluffy with a buttery finish that didn’t really need additional butter. My plates were filled to the brim before I ever started eating. Wine, juice, and beer was served to everyone and the meal was lively. Carmen and Rock’s moms told stories about them that made Carmen laugh and blush, though not always at the same time. It seemed like the women were trying to one up each other with either embarrassing or adorable stories about their children. Carmen was talking with Beth about the babies some more.It seemed to be the hot topic, because even the trolls from the other side of the table got in on the conversation. I guess trolls never really had multiples, but it was a lot more common for werewolves. From what I learned in the rogue classes, it was even more common for them. I looked over at Gemma. She was talking to the troll next to her about something. I listened in. “…. You really should. It’s completely different,” Gemma told her. “I never really thought of trying something like that. I’ll take it under advisement and see if I can win tonight.” “Trust me it’s worth the extra effort.”“What is?” I asked. A blush spread across Gemma’s cheeks and she looked over at me. She was beautiful. I couldn’t believe the goddess had given me a mate this gorgeous. She looked like she belonged beside an Alpha or Beta, not an omega. “We were talking about ѕex,” the troll, Sphene, answered nonchalantly. “Oh…” I replied and focused on my food. “Trolls are fairly uninhibited when talking about things… and doing things…” Carmen told me. “I don’t want to hear this,” Mike groaned. “Man up, Beta,” Haldor chuckled. “It’s just ѕex.” “I don’t like thinking about my little sister doing that.”“My mate had me against every wall in our home. He was strong and overpowered me quite easily. Rock’s father was strong for a human. He was a wrestler called ‘The Gargoyle’. Though he tried his hardest, he was no match for me. He was an amazing lover,” Rock’s mom, Eru, said wistfully. “My mate was always a gentle and caring lover,” Carmen’s mom replied with a blush. “Goddess, Mom,” Mike groaned again. Carmen laughed. “I do this thing where I sit in Rock’s lap and suck on his ears. He loves it and can’t resist me after that. When I had my last active heat, I would wake him up with that if he didn’t manage to get out of bed before I woke up.” Mike covered his ears and shook his head. Beth laughed, and the female trolls nodded and told her what a good idea that was. Rock covered Carmen’s hand with his own massive one and held it. “What about you, Austin? You seem pretty ugly, so I’m guessing you’re a good-looking guy to other werewolves and humans. What have some of your conquests enjoyed?” Haldor asked me. I froze. Damn it. I didn’t want to announce in front of all these people that I didn’t have any stоries. Gemma’s hand slipped around mine and she gave it a squeeze. I looked over at her and she smiled softly. I glanced around the table. Almost all of the trolls were looking at me expectantly. “Let him alone, Haldor,” Rock said. “Austin’s still healing and the place he came from wasn’t as free as the fae lands or even our local pack lands.”“New topic!” Beth announced. “This meal is amazing! Who cooked what? I recognized Carmen’s butter rolls as soon as I smelled them.” The topic turned to the food and preparations. I was relieved and quietly thanked Rock. He nodded to me and ate while chatting about whatever we had moved on to after the food discussion. There was no way Gemma didn’t realize what was actually going on, but she pretended as if she didn’t. Instead, she added more food to my plate as I ate and occasionally took my hand or touched my arm. At first, I would jump when she touched me, but, by the end of the meal, I was used to it. We sat and ate until there was no more food. I helped Rock clear the table and bring out the pies. All of the trolls tried a little, but I could see that they didn’t like it. It didn’t really matter much, because the wolves, and Rock, took care of the rest. When everyone was done, I worked on clearing the table while Rock and Carmen said their goodbyes to their families. Gemma helped me, since she had announced that she was spending the weekend here. She stood next to me and helped with the dishes. Gemma didn’t try to push anything. All she did was touch me as much as she could. I’d seen some mates when they found each other. The way they touched and kissed always interested me. I hadn’t realized until now how good the touching felt, emotionally and physically. “This is the best we’re going to get right now. I’ll clean the rest in the morning. I’ve got it all soaking now,” I told her now. “I’ll help. I can be useful around the house when I need to be, Austin.” “I wasn’t trying to imply that you weren’t. I was only....” “Shh. I’m not upset, Austin. I was joking around. Come on, let’s go talk to Rock and Carmen. I did kind of spring my stay on them.” She giggled. “O… okay.” Gemma pulled me out of the kitchen and out to the living room. Rock had picked up Carmen and was cradling her in his arms while she massaged one ear and murmured something into his other ear. “Hello, lovers,” Gemma laughed. Carmen looked over at her and tapped Rock’s shoulder. He put her on the ground and she walked to us. Carmen hugged Gemma, then me. “I’m so happy for you two. Rock and I expected that you would be staying for as long as you could. We have a spare room if you needed it.” “No, I’ll be sleeping with Austin. You told me he has nightmares. I can help,” Gemma replied. “Come with me. We can find you something to sleep in.” Carmen took her hand and Gemma kissed my cheek before she went with her friend to find some nightclothes. I hadn’t even thought of that. Was she planning to sleep in her underclothes or something? Knut liked that idea, but I didn’t know if I was ready for it. Sure, most werewolves ran off to get as close to their mate as possible, but we were in a precarious place. I was a rogue and she was in a pack. I didn’t even know if I wanted to be in a pack. “Come to the kitchen, Austin,” Rock told me. He led the way through the rooms. I didn’t know what he was planning to talk to me about, but I was a little nervous. Was he going to tell me this wasn’t a good match? Was he going to tell me to join the pack?When we reached the kitchen, he looked over my work. There was a stepstool he’d made for me so I could do dishes and cook for myself. I’d passed dishes to Gemma and she loaded the dishwasher. Rock nodded. “Don’t worry about the larger pots and pans, or the roaster. I’ll take care of those in the morning. I need to know if you’re comfortable with Gemma’s decree. I couldn’t ask in front of everyone else. Carmen didn’t want me embarrassing you or her friend. If you need me to be an asshole, I will be,” Rock said. I shook my head. “No. It’s fine. I don’t think I need to be saved from my mate. I appreciate the offer, though.” “Gemma’s a good woman. If you let her in, she’ll start fixing you in every way she can think of. The goddess gives us the mate that matches us perfectly. They make up for our weaknesses and support our strengths and dreams. I know you are a little skeptical of the goddess’ plan, but give this a chance. You’ll regret letting Gemma go.” “She seems very commanding. I can imagine all sorts of men she would be a better fit for. An omega doesn’t need someone like that.” He sighed. “Yes, you do. You need someone to speak out on your behalf and keep you from cowing yourself. Let her make you stronger. Lean on her for her strength. She has a lot more than it may seem on first meeting.”“Right. I’ll do that. If she doesn’t want me, though, I won’t force the issue. I want her to want me, but I could never do that to someone if they truly didn’t want me.” “I understand. Do you need any bedroom tips? I’m guessing you aren’t very experienced, since you were so awkward when dinner turned to ѕex talk,” Rock said. “I don’t even know what to ask. I don’t think we’ll have ѕex tonight, but I should be ready for it, right? What do I even do? How do I make sure I don’t disappoint her?” He nodded. “You have to hold out as long as you can, no matter how much you want to сum. They feel good inside. Soft and warm. Explore her body. Learn what makes her react. Not all women are the same, so what you might have heard works on some women won’t work on others.” That was useful and not useful all at the same time. Talking to a troll might not be the best option, but he was all I had. He was trying to be sensitive to my lack of experience. “Remember, foreplay is important because they need to be wet for it to feel good for them. And it will feel good for you if she’s wet, too. Don’t try to ram it in as hard as you can. Go slow at first and you can be pounding the sсreams out of her in no time,” Rock finished. Yeah, that was more of what I thought he would be like. It made me feel better to hear a more straightforward account. I understood the mechanics of it, but I’d never had a girlfriend or a partner to do it with. “That helps. Are we heading to bed?” “My mate is horny. You can go to sleep if you want, but I’m going to get some tonight. I’m not your master or your father, but you need some rest. You’re still healing.” He patted my shoulder, then left the kitchen. I turned off the lights and headed into the dining room, where I did the same. They had lights on for all the people who needed them. I locked the front door and turned off the living room lights. When I got into my room, I saw Gemma sitting on my bed. She was wearing a little tank top and a tiny pair of silky shorts. I could see so much more of her body now. Her tanned skin glowed in the soft lamplight. I closed the door behind me. I took my pajama pants to the bathroom with me and got ready for bed. Leaning against the counter, I looked at myself in the mirror. It was time. The first time I’d be alone with my mate since we first met. Back in the bedroom, I saw Gemma covered with the blankets. Her eyes trailed down my body slowly. She licked her lips and bit her bottom lip. I got into bed with her and turned off the lamp. Gemma moved my arm and laid her head on my shoulder, wrapping my arm around her while her arm slid across my abs. I felt a shiver run through my body as Gemma traced her fingers along my skin. I knew that I shouldn’t give in to my desires, but I couldn’t resist her touch. I turned toward her, our faces inches apart. We stared at each other for a moment, our breaths coming out in short, ragged gasps.Without a word, we leaned in and kissed. It was soft at first but quickly became more passionate. My hands roamed over her body, tracing the curves of her hips and the lines of her thighs. Gemma moaned softly against my lips, her hands tangling in my hair.Her hand slipped down and she grasped my cоck. I groaned. No one had ever touched me like this. She rubbed me through my pajama pants. It felt so good. But as much as I wanted to continue, I pulled away and told her I wasn’t ready. Gemma was surprised at first, but then she settled back onto my shoulder with a sigh.“It’s okay,” she said softly. “We can take it slow.”I kissed her and held her close for a moment before we both drifted off to sleep. That night, I didn’t have nightmares. All of my dreams were about Gemma, her touch, her kisses, and the things my body wanted to do with her.