The guests left a while ago, yet Mindy and Gideon stood in front of their cottage, embracing each other in silence, each lost in their thoughts and the comfort of just being together.
A long time ago, Gideon closed off his heart that was reserved for his mate. He was not inexperienced in pleasures of the flesh, but every woman who passed through his hands left him empty. He thought that the Moon Goddess denied him fated mate, for reasons unknown, and he gave up on finding his other half, yet with Mindy's appearance all the walls he built over decades collapsed, and here she was… bright and welcoming, and for the first time in his life Gideon felt like he can breathe with full lungs, each breath filling him with the addictive scent of pumpkin. His pumpkin. Mindy.
Mindy enjoyed Gideon's warmth and his solid embrace that came with the irresistible scent of lavender, but her thoughts were focused on the things that are coming.
She lifted her head to look at him. "Do I need to prepare an outfit?"
He didn't get it. What outfit? "For?"
"For the ceremony before the pack run." Mindy smiled proudly. "As Shaman's mate, I will be by your side, right? I attended ceremonies in the Blue River pack ever since I was a little girl. Shaman's mate would pass him things, so I have a general idea what I should do, but every pack has a different outfit, so…" Her voice trailed and she looked at him expectantly.
Gideon's eyebrow twitched. "I didn't agree to perform the ceremony."
Mindy couldn't believe this. "You are kidding, right? The pack run will happen with or without the ceremony. I can see the friction between you and Alpha Damon, and I won't tell you to pretend that things are fine. However, you are a Shaman. The pack needs you. If the ceremony doesn't happen, people will believe that you abandoned them."
Gideon was speechless. He knew Mindy was right, but she was still talking, and for some reason, she was also stroking his chest with the tips of her fingers in ways that muddled with his reasoning.
"I want us to participate in the pack run. It will be my first one since finding my mate and…"
"I will prepare clothes for you.", Gideon grumbled.
"Our wolves didn't greet each other.", Mindy said. "Do you think we can save that for the pack run? It's only a few days away and it will make it more special."
Gideon swallowed hard. The idea of his wolf chasing Mindy's until he catches her and they mate, was leaving him breathless. Werewolves are promiscuous, but mating in wolf form is reserved for mates because their wolves won't touch another.
Gideon saw wolves mating many times, but… he never... until now.
"Alright.", he rasped.
Mindy beamed. She was really looking forward to this. After all, Mindy has Alpha blood in her veins, and being Shaman's mate was not putting her at the top of the hierarchy, but she was not low either. Actually, it was perfect to give her some authority without putting her into the spotlight that came with duties.
Gideon was now thinking about going into town with Mindy to visit the tailor. She will need a traditional leather outfit, and they should probably hurry because the last pack run was a decade ago, and once the news spread, youngsters who came of age in the last ten years will hurry to get their clothes ready. For the ceremony, it was not important, but for the ones participating in the pack run, the leather outfit that is not constricting and can easily be removed was a must-have. And with Mindy standing by his side, as his mate, a lot of eyes will be on her. He wanted to get her the best outfit so she can shine.
Ah, but the town was far away and if they go now, it will cut into their alone time as a newly-mated couple.
While thinking about the distance to the town, Gideon asked, "Do you want us to move to the town? Or somewhere else? There are single-family homes available for mated couples."
"What about your garden?", Mindy asked.
Gideon shrugged. "I can always plant a new one."
Mindy was genuinely moved. She was sure that Gideon spent years arranging this place to fit his needs, yet he was willing to leave it all and start anew with her.
Well, she was leaving her life behind also, but it was common for werewolves that female makes adjustments for her mate.
Mindy wrapped her arms around Gideon's neck. "Hold onto the thought about planting a new garden for later. Right now, this place is fine. If we find that it's not working, we can discuss a move. It's not something we should rush into."
"It seems you have things figured out."
"Mhm…", Mindy hummed in confirmation. "Both of us will come up with a list of things we expect from our new place and find one that's perfect. If that kind of a place doesn't exist, I will take care of that." She winked playfully. "I am close to the Luna and can pull some strings. We will get our dream home in a perfect location, and neither of us will have regrets."
Gideon chuckled and tightened his hold on her. Mindy's cheerfulness and easygoing way of talking were refreshing. But the best part was that he could feel her emotions and he knew that she really felt that way. She wanted them to be happy… both of them. And he wanted that as well.
Mindy took a deep lavender-infused breath while imagining their future house.
A big house won't do because she didn't like to clean, and she didn't want to get Omegas to serve them either. Privacy was the top priority, and they can't have that with others snooping around.
Two bedrooms, one for them and one that can be used when they have guests. A library for his books, a spacious backyard that can accommodate all his herbs, and a shed that would serve as his workshop for drying herbs and whatever else Shamans do. A small patio where two of them could sit and have a snack with his aromatic teas while enjoying the view of the garden.
As for the location… Closer to the town than this, but not too close to the noise and crowd.
Just the two of them would be perfect. The two of them, and… kids… maybe? The thought of the baby-making process made her heart race.
Gideon's nostrils flared when he picked up the scent of her arousal.
"What are you thinking about, princess?", he asked huskily.
She looked at him and waggled her eyebrows playfully. "I'm thinking about us continuing to get to know each other. On a deeper level."
A hearty chuckle escaped Gideon's chest and he scooped Mindy in his arms and carried her into the cabin.
He closed the door with his leg and continued walking upstairs, loving the way her soft body clung to him.
His adorable mate wanted them to get intimate, and he had no intention of denying her that.
