Destined Bear (Windridge Den #3)

10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Patrick

It was hard to believe that such a short time ago, Finn had been coming to the diner every day in the hopes of me recognizing him as my mate. And now, here we were both going to the diner to work in the same space as each other as mates. What a difference such a short period of time could make.

Finn and I’d been back at work for a week. We’d settled into a nice routine. I got up for work, kissed my mate goodbye, and then a few hours later, he joined me at the diner. I still had my morning alone time. Some things would never change. I was a creature of habit like that.

Finn worked from the same booth he always had, only now I brought his food out to him. I also took many more breaks throughout the day to visit him. It had gotten to the point of me being ridiculous, and we decided maybe it was best if he worked from work a couple days a week for the projects that needed the most concentration. That thought made me a little sad, even though I knew it was for the best. It wasn’t like I couldn’t still visit him on my larger break, and besides, I got out of work earlier than he did.

When Saturday rolled around, though, I knew my mate didn’t have to work, so I stayed in bed much longer than I normally would. I loved cuddling with him, hearing his soft breaths, feeling his warmth.

Finn nudged me. “Patrick, shouldn’t you be getting up to go to the diner?”

“Not today,” I said, wrapping my arm around his middle and tugging him closer, inhaling his scent. “Don’t wanna. Wanna stay here with you.”

“No, really.” He kissed my shoulder. “If you don’t get up, you’re going to be late. Did you shut off your alarm?”

“I’m taking the day off, mate.” I tried to remember a time pre-Finn when I’d done that and couldn’t think of a single one.

“Really?” he said. “You never take a day off.”

“That’s not true. I took several days off just a week ago.” When we mated.

He laughed. “Oh, is this going to be like that?”

“Maybe,” I said. Since my mate was insistent on being awake and having a conversation, I pushed myself up on my elbow and looked down at him. He was just as gorgeous in the morning as he was any other time—maybe even more so.

“I’d like to take you to lunch,” I said.

He grinned. “That sounds great. Who’ll be cooking? I don’t like anyone’s meals as much as yours.”

I leaned down and kissed his nose. “Actually, I want to take you somewhere. It’s a place that’s very special to me.” I’d been thinking about it for a few days, and today felt like the day.

His eyes lit up. “Really?”

“There’s a diner about an hour from here. It’s where I first learned how to cook, the place that made me want to do this for a living.” In so many ways, it made me the man that I was, not just careerwise.

Finn smiled slowly, his eyes warm. “I love that. I can’t wait to see it.”

There weren’t many positive things about my upbringing or my life before joining this den, but this was something good I could share with him—show him a part of me.

“Good. Now go back to sleep.” I kissed his shoulder. “We don’t have to leave for several hours.”

“Or we could... not sleep,” he said, his voice low and husky.

That had me waking up. “That’s an idea I can get behind.”

I leaned over and kissed him, loving the taste of his lips. It didn’t take long before one kiss became two became more. The kisses deepened quickly, our bodies responding the way they always did when we were together.

His hand wandered down my side and settled on my hip, where he pulled me toward him, our bodies now flush together, our hardness trapped between us. I let out a groan. He felt so good pressed against me like this, his mouth owning mine, his movements and sounds making no secret of what he wanted.

It was hot as fuck. And then, when I thought it couldn’t get any hotter, he pushed me onto my back and straddled me. “I need you to be inside me.” He ran his finger over our mating mark.

“You want to ride me, omega mine?”

“More than my next breath.” He pushed himself up and lined my cock up with his very slick entrance. “Tell me you want this, alpha.”

“Gods, yes.”

And before I finished my words, he was sitting on my cock, taking me into his body and throwing his head back in ecstasy. Finn ran his finger down my chest, a very proud smile on his face.

“Ride me, omega.”

And he did. Slowly at first, he slid up and down my cock, moaning with pleasure at each trip. I held his hips, not guiding him as much as needing to feel his body.

He picked up speed, his cock bouncing up and down and he bounced on my cock. In this position, it didn’t take either of us very long before we were trying to hold back our orgasms. It felt too good.

Finn came first, his cum shooting out across my chest, with a ribbon of it reaching my chin. My bear roared as I followed behind him, my knot filling our omega so completely. He collapsed on my chest, breathless.

“I love you, Patrick.”

“Love you too, mate. Love you too.”

Hours later, we were on the road. I held his hand while he flipped through music on his phone, searching for the perfect playlist. I discovered that my mate was the type who would scroll through fifty songs before picking one, whereas I could care less about what was on the radio. I was one to have it settle in the background, getting pretty much ignored, whereas he took in every note. There were a lot of little things I discovered about him since we’d gotten together, and I was excited to discover a bazillion more.

When we pulled into the tiny town of Sherman, he turned down the music. “Is this where you grew up?”

“Not quite,” I said. “I grew up a few states over. I left my home den pretty early and kind of landed here. I worked at this diner because they were shifter-friendly, and that made things easier. But I didn’t live with their group.”

We hadn’t spoken a ton about my childhood. He already knew it wasn’t ideal, and he felt very strongly that my father was a piece of shit—which he was. But that was about as in depth as we’d gotten. This trip was a way of me opening up to him.

“Where did you live?”

“On my own until I met Aydan.” On my own was in the woods in my bear form for a while, then in a car when I could finally afford one. Then eventually, I rented a spare room. It wasn’t a great time for me as far as financial stability went, but it was still a step up from where I’d come from.

“I’m sorry,” Finn said softly. I hadn’t said most of that out loud, but it was as if my mate could sense it. I hadn’t heard of other mated couples having such a strong connection when it came to things like this, but then again, I hadn’t really talked to others about what it was like being mated when I assumed it wasn’t ever going to happen for me.

Eventually, I’d be able to tell him about my past. It made me who I was. Today wouldn’t be that day, but it was a start. Baby steps.

“Don’t worry about that. Come on. I’m sure some of the original crew is still here, and the food is just as good as it’s ever been.” I pulled my mate close as we stepped inside.

We waited by the “Please Wait to Be Seated” sign, and then the woman who was as close to a mother as I’d ever known came out to greet us.

“Dolly.” I met her halfway, and she pulled me into a hug.

“It’s so good to see ya, darlin’.” She pulled back from our embrace. “This hottie yours?”

“Yeah, this is my partner, Finn.” Dolly was human, and while she knew I wasn’t like everyone else, she didn’t know about the turning-into-a-bear thing.

Finn had a weird look crossing his eyes and then must’ve scented her and seemed to piece it together. “It’s nice to meet you, Dolly.”

He was pulled into an even stronger embrace than I was.

“Now let’s get you two some lunch. The new guy is… not you. I suggest getting the crispy chicken sandwich and fries.” Which was code for they can’t cook but it’s hard to mess up frying things.

Dolly and her late husband opened this diner before I was born, and over the years, it had sort of become a collection of strays. They didn’t ask a lot of questions, the kind that would keep people away. I wasn’t the first, nor would I be the last person who came here because they needed somewhere, anywhere, to start a new chapter of their life. And as bad as my old life had been, I didn’t have the worst of it by far.

“I’ve been craving chicken.” Finn slid into the booth, and I slid in beside him.

As we waited for our food, the people that had once been as close as I had to family came one at a time to say hello, the diner too busy for them to stay long. I loved that Finn was able to see this side of my life, it was one that I’d been proud of. Had it not been for Aydan, I’d still be here. He offered what this place couldn’t, a den.

“You need to try my new pie.” Dolly set two pieces in front of us. “I want to know for real what you think of it. I found the recipe in an old book that had been my mom’s and her mom before her.”

I looked down at it, unable to determine what kind of pie it was. Dolly was a great person, but not all of her baking experiments worked.

“Tastes great.” Finn took a huge bite, his face indecipherable. “It’s like apple, but not.”

I gave it a taste. He was right, it was good, but also, I wasn’t sure what it was I was eating exactly.

“It’s faux apple pie made with crackers and no apples. If you come out back, I’ll teach you two how to make it.”

I wasn’t sure this was what the pack needed or wanted, but Finn and I had fun, and it was like the old days, but better because I had Finn by my side.