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Chapter Text

"In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine."
-- Maya Angelou

Calle picks up his phone and checks the time for what feels like the thousandth time. Scowling, he sets it down and finishes his beer in one swig. He should have known Juuse would be late. The bastard was probably too busy fucking that vampire mate of his and lost track of time.

‘Jealous much?'

Calle's hand tightens around the empty beer bottle. Where did that come from? He was thrilled with the freedom of not being tied down to anyone. Wasn't he? Being an unmated Alpha allowed him to go out and take home any man or woman who caught his eye. Lately, though, he's begun to lose interest in meaningless hookups and wanting someone to spend the rest of his life with.

His eyes are drawn to a small crescent moon shaped tattoo on his left wrist. When he had first presented as an Alpha, the mark had appeared on his wrist. His parents had taken him to several different doctors but none of them could explain what it was or why it just suddenly appeared. As the years went by, he came to realize that no other wolves or shifters had a mark like he did and began to resent it.

Sighing, he waves the waitress over and asks for another beer. When she walks away, Calle sighs and scrubs his face. He was way too sober for thoughts like these.

"Hey there, gorgeous. What are you doing sitting there all alone?"

Calle lowers his hands and looks up to see a man standing next to his table. Looking the man up and down, he takes in the skintight ripped jeans and an equally snug sweater that clings to his body in all the right places. Normally, Calle would turn on the charm and sweet talk the man into coming home with him but he couldn't find it in himself to bother.

The man smiles and motions at one of the chairs at the table. "Mind if I join you?"

Calle picks up his phone and pretends to text someone. "That seat's taken," he replies in a bored tone. "Now kindly fuck off."

The man frowns. "Come on. Don't be like that." He sits down across from Calle and reaches out to place his hand on top of Calle's. "Let me buy you a drink and let's see if I can turn that frown upside down."

Calle's head snaps up and he gives the annoying man a furious glare. Going by the way the man's face pales, Calle knows his eyes have turned from their normal shade of hazel to a bright yellow, the irises glowing in the dim lighting of the bar. Before he can blink, Calle grabs the man by the wrist and squeezes hard enough that he can hear the joint cracking.

"I said I'm not interested," Calle growls. The man whimpers in pain, nodding frantically. Calle gives the man a withering look before releasing him. As soon as he's free, the man leaps up from the table and stumbles away, clutching his injured wrist to his chest.

"That was a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

Calle smirks at the familiar voice and turns around. Juuse is standing behind him wearing a matching look of amusement. Shrugging nonchalantly, Calle replies, "He wouldn't take no for an answer."

"And you wonder why you don't have many friends," Juuse jokes as he takes the seat the man had just vacated.

"Why would I need more friends when I have you?" Calle grins. Juuse chuckles and flags a waitress down. "Where's your big bad vampire bodyguard?"

"He had to run a few errands. He'll be here later on."

Calle shakes his head in disbelief. "I still can't believe you mated with a vampire of all people." He studies Juuse closely, letting his eyes roam over his friend before asking in a low voice, "Is he being good to you?"

Juuse rolls his eyes. "Of course he is. What kind of stupid question is that?"

Sitting back with a shrug, Calle says, "Just looking out for my oldest friend." They stare at one another for a few seconds before they both start laughing.

A pretty waitress comes up to their table and after giving Calle another bottle of beer she turns and gives Juuse a shy smile. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'll have what my friend here is having," he tells her, grinning up at her in the way that Calle knows is his charming smile. She giggles and walks away. Once she's out of earshot, Calle smirks.

"You're worse than I am."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Juuse replies airily. "I was just being nice." Calle is about to open his mouth when he feels a breeze rush past him. He jumps in surprise when he sees Pekka standing behind Juuse.

"God, that's fucking weird," he grumbles. Pekka glances over at Calle with a serene smile.

"What is?"

Calle waves a hand at the vampire and says, "You, appearing out of nowhere like that."

Chuckling, Pekka sits down beside Juuse, resting an arm on the back of his mate's chair. "I'll try to work on that."

The waitress comes back with Juuse's beer and has just set it down on the table when her eyes land on Pekka.

"O-oh! Hi! I'm Brittany." she blushes and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. "Can I have you? Oh God! I mean, c-can I get you anything?"

Calle snickers but quickly masks it as a cough when Juuse kicks him beneath the table. He shoots a glare at Juuse as he rubs his sore shin.

"I'm fine, thank you," Pekka replies, giving the waitress a polite smile. The waitress nods and quickly runs off.

"Better watch out, Juice, your mate is quite the ladies man."

"Calle, shut up."

"Not a chance."

The three of them sit and talk for a while. Calle regales them with tales of his antics while Juuse talks about what they should do during the next full moon. Ever since Calle had joined their small pack a few years back, Juuse's made it his duty to try and keep them entertained while in their wolf forms. Calle thinks it's hilarious and knows the other guys go along with it just to make Juuse happy. His ideas aren't all bad. One month, he came up with the idea of competition as to who could bring back the biggest kill. Funnily enough, Viktor, the smallest wolf in their pack, brought back a buck that was larger than he was. This led to several weeks of Viktor bragging about it which drove him and Joey insane while Juuse and the two other Finns in the pack, Eeli and Miikka, showered Viktor in praise which he happily basked in.

While Pekka and Juuse argue over who pays their tab, Calle is in the process of pulling his coat on when he catches a whiff of something that makes his inner wolf howl. Sniffing the air, he can feel his body start to react to the enticing scent: his mouth waters and his cock gives an interested twitch. Spinning around, Calle looks around the bar, trying to locate the source of the scent. His eyes land on a man who had just walked into the bar and one thought echoes in his mind.

Mate

As if sensing Calle's stare, the man pauses and meets his gaze from across the crowded bar. Calle pushes his way past a crowd of people until he skids to a stop in front of the man who jerks back in surprise. Calle is about to apologize for startling him but the man cuts him off, "Do I..do I know you? I feel like I know you from somewhere."

Calle shakes his head and gives the man a shy smile. "I don't think so. My name is Calle."

"Filip," the man replies as he holds his hand out for Calle to shake. As soon as their hands touch, Filip lets out a low moan and doubles over in pain. Instinct takes over and Calle quickly wraps his arm around Filip's waist, keeping him from falling to the floor.

"You're okay. I've got you," he murmurs. When Filip looks up, Calle bites back a curse when he sees that Filip's eyes have turned black. "Y-you're shifting," he says, his brows drawn together in confusion. "It's only a new moon right now so how are you shifting?"

"Wha-?"

Footsteps sound behind Calle. Tightening his grip around Filip, a low growl building in this throat as he slowly turns. Juuse holds up his hands placatingly, glancing between Calle and the man with a curious expression. "It's okay, Cal. It's just me."

Once he registers that Juuse isn't a threat, Calle relaxes and nods. Juuse lowers his hands and nods at the man in Calle's arms. "What is going on? Do you know him?" he asks.

Filip lets out another groan of pain and grips the front of Calle's shirt. The sound of fabric ripping draws both Calle and Juuse's eyes down where they see that Filip's nails have now become sharp claws. Cursing under his breath, Calle says in a low voice, "I...I think he's my mate who has no idea he's a werewolf and is about to shift in front of everyone in this damn bar."

Juuse's eyes widen in surprise. "We need to get him out of here," he murmurs as he surreptitiously glances around the bar at the rapidly growing crowd of curious patrons. "I don't know if we can make it to the woods in time before he finishes shifting."

From behind them, Pekka chimes in. "I live just a block away. Why don't you bring him over and deal with him there?"

Scoffing, Calle shoots a glare at Pekka from over his shoulder. "No offense, but I don't think you want a new werewolf shifting in your nice apartment," he sneers. "Wouldn't want us Weres ruining your nice furniture."

Pekka rolls his eyes and gives Calle an exasperated look. "I had a secret room built under it when I bought the place. It's where I sometimes sleep during the day or recover from injuries without being disturbed," he explains with a hint of exasperation.

Calle barks out a laugh. "If we had more time, I would give you so much shit for having a secret sex dungeon so I'll just tuck that information for later when I don't have a mate to take care of."

"Looking forward to that," Pekka replies dryly as he ushers them out of the bar, glaring at anyone who gets in their way. Once they're outside, Pekka points down the road. "It's just down the road. Can you carry him that far or do you want me to do it?"

"Don't touch him! He's mine," Calle snarls. He carefully picks Filip up, holding him as a groom holds his bride, and holds him close. Filip tucks his face into the crook of Calle's neck and moans softly.

"You smell so good," he mumbles as he continues to run his nose along Calle's neck, breathing in deeply. Calle shudders as a wave of Filip's scent hits him. He stumbles and would have fallen if Juuse hadn't reached out and firmly grasped his arm.

"You alright, Cal?" Juuse asks as he gently tugs Calle forward. Calle nods and holds Filip closer, allowing Juuse to pull him down the sidewalk.

Filip whimpers as another wave of pain rolls over him. When Calle presses a kiss onto Filip's temple, Filip tightens his grip on Calle's shirt.

"It hurts. I...Make it stop. Please."

"I know, sweetheart. Here." Keeping a hold on Filip, Calle reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out his scarf, gently placing it in Filip's hand. "Stay with me, okay?" Filip nods as he brings the fabric up to his nose and breathes in deeply. He murmurs one word before he passes out,

"Mine."

Chapter Text

Filip opens his eyes. He's laying in a huge bed, a blood-red sheet is draped over his naked body. The silk is cool and causes goosebumps to erupt over his arms and legs.

Glancing to his left, he sees a gorgeous man lying beside him. The man smiles as he reaches out and gently traces Filip's cheekbone with the tips of his fingers.

"I've been waiting for you."

Filip blinks several times, trying to get his bearings. Then the missing pieces snap into place: The man at the bar...Calle. Just the thought of his name causes warmth to pool in his gut.

"Who-?" Calle cuts him off by pressing their lips together, kissing him deeply. Sparks shoot up Filip's spine and sets his blood aflame. Moaning softly, he rolls onto his back, pulling Calle down on top of him.

Hands and lips and tongues explore one another's bodies. It's not long before Filip can feel his climax approaching at breakneck speed.

"Please," he pants, hands scrabbling up and gripping Calle's shoulders. Tears of frustration prick the backs of his eyelids when Calle's body stills above his, keeping Filip balanced on a knife's edge

Calle nuzzles Filip's neck. "My love," he murmurs as he kisses the spot where Filip's pulse is fluttering. "My mate."

Before Filip can move, Calle bites Filip's neck. Something inside Filip awakens and he feels like his soul has entwined with Calle's and nothing will ever break that bond. He cries out, vision going white as he comes harder than he's ever had in his life.

As he's coming down from his high, everything around him starts to blur. His eyes soon grow heavy as the dream starts slipping from his fingers. Filip feels lips on his forehead and warm breath skating over his sweat-damp forehead before Calle whispers, "I love you."

Filip's eyes fly open and he sits up with a loud gasp. Breathing heavily, he looks around blinking until his eyes adjust to the dark and wracks his brain trying to recall what happened before he passed out.

"Damn it." Grimacing, he tries to stand but is brought up short when he notices the cuffs around his wrists and ankles, both attached to chains fastened to the wall behind him. Fear makes his blood run cold.

"Help!" He shouts, his voice shaking as he tries to slip free of the cuffs. "Please! Let me out!"

Footsteps make their way toward him. Tensing, Filip scrambles backward only making it a couple of inches before his back hits a wall. That small movement causes a wave of pain to crash over him. He cries out and wraps his arms around his middle.

A figure kneels in front of him and places a warm hand on Filip's shoulder. "It's okay," the stranger says, his voice soft and kind. "You're safe, I promise."

"Who are you?" Filip asks through clenched teeth. He aches all over and the pain only grows worse with each passing second. "What's wrong with me?"

"My name is Juuse," the man replies. "I'm a really good friend of Calle's."

Hearing Calle's name brings Filip up short, forgetting all about the restraints keeping him on the floor. "Calle? Where is Calle? I need him."

‘Wait. Why would I say that?' The logical part of his brain asks. Another voice purrs, ‘He's the one you've been waiting for your entire life.'

He shakes his head as if to dislodge the thoughts racing through his head and looks at Juuse again and whispers, "Where is Calle? Can I talk to him?"

Juuse glances over his shoulder and whistles. Following the direction of Juuse's eyes, Filip sees a giant wolf padding towards them. He swallows a scream and scoots closer to the wall. Whipping his head in Juuse's direction he whimpers. "What is this? Why are you doing this to me?" He whimpers.

The creature sits down in front of Filip, his tongue lolling out and tail wagging. Fear and confusion war within him as he stares at the wolf. When he looks into the wolf's hazel eyes, realization hits.

"Calle?" Filip's gaze darts back at Juuse in confusion who nods once. He looks at the wolf once more and asks in a soft voice, "You're Calle?" The wolf barks happily, his tail wagging even faster.

"Yeah. It's him."

Swallowing hard, Filip reaches out and runs his fingers over the wolf's, no, Calle's deep brown fur. As he pets him, Calle moves closer and gently nuzzles Filip's cheek. Filip closes his eyes and breathes in deeply,

His joy is short-lived however because the pain comes back with a vengeance. He screams and curls into a ball. His bones feel as though they're being broken and put back together over and over.

Juuse's breath hitches. "Cal. It's happening."

In the blink of an eye, the wolf disappears, shifting into a human and very naked Calle.

"Filip? I need you to calm down and listen to me," Calle says, his hands cupping Filip's face.

"What is happening to me?" Filip pants through clenched teeth.

"You're shifting," Calle replies, his eyes full of worry. "You're a Were and are shifting into your wolf form."

Filip shakes his head vehemently. "What? No! I'm human!"

Calle's eyes soften as he shakes his head sadly. "I'm sorry, Min kärlek." He reaches out and brushes the hair back from Filip's forehead. "But this is happening. You're a Were and you're shifting for the first time."

"I...I can't-." Filip wants to argue further but stops short when he senses someone lurking in the shadows behind Calle. A low growl builds in his throat.

"Get away from him!" he snarls, tugging hard at the chains. "He's mine!"

"Shh. It's okay, Min kärlek," Calle leans in and nuzzles Filip's cheek. "He won't hurt me."

"Pekka, you might as well come on out," Juuse sighs. Filip remains tensed, ignoring the pain radiating throughout his whole body as one thought runs through his head: Protect my mate.

A tall man steps out of the shadows and wraps an arm around Juuse's waist. His eyes appear to glow in the low light as he stares at Filip. "Is he Calle's guard dog?"

Filip bares his teeth at Pekka and snarls, "I'll kill you if you touch him."

Pekka smiles revealing long fangs. "I'd like to see you try, puppy."

"Pekka, knock it off!" Juuse snaps. "You're not helping!"

Calle moves in front of Filip effectively blocking his view of Pekka. Cupping Filip's face in his hands, he asks softly, "Do you trust me?"

Filip knew he shouldn't. He was chained in some dark room, in the worst pain he had ever experienced, and being told he was a fucking werewolf. Anyone in their right mind wouldn't trust him. But...something inside him knew Calle would never hurt him. Knew that he was safe with Calle near.

He licks his chapped lips and nods. The smile Calle gives him in return is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen in his life. Calle leans in and presses a kiss onto Filip's forehead.

"Okay. Juuse is going to take these cuffs off of you." Behind Calle, Juuse scoffs,

"Are you insane?"

"Juuse is going to take the cuffs off," Calle repeats, ignoring the protests coming from behind him and focusing only on Filip. "Then you and I are going to shift. Together."

When Filip nods, Calle turns his head and smiles sweetly at Juuse. "Let him go."

Juuse folds his arms across his chest. "No. We can't run the risk of him getting out and hurting someone."

They glare at one another for what feels like an eternity. Their staredown is cut short when Pekka walks over and unlocks the cuffs on Filip’s wrists. When Juuse starts to protest, Pekka says,

"If he wants to get out, he'll have to go through me first. I've dealt with Weres before so I'm more than capable of dealing with them." He looks down at Filip and adds in a saccharine sweet voice, "So, be a good puppy and behave and I won't have to put you down."

Calle growls and snatches the keys from Pekka's hand. "Fuck off," he snaps before grumbling under his breath, "Where's Buffy Summers when you need her?"

"I heard that."

"Good," Calle responds as he unlocks the shackles around Filip's ankles. He gently massages Filip's wrists and asks in a low voice, "Are you alright? Still with me?"

Filip nods, unable to take his eyes off of Calle's hands on him. Calle smiles.

"Okay, first things first. You're going to need to get undressed?"

"Uh, what?" Filip squeaks. "Why would I do that?"

"When you shift, it's better to do it naked. If you leave your clothes on and shift, your clothes will be ripped to shreds and that makes for a very awkward walk home."

Filip's cheeks flare with heat. He casts a wary glance at Juuse and Pekka who are on the other side of the room talking quietly to one another. With a soft sigh, he turns around and starts to undress. When he gets to his jeans and boxers, his face reddens even further when he remembers they're still damp from when he came right before he woke up. He quickly pulls the rest of his clothes off and kicks them away from him.

Warm hands rest on his hips and he's pulled flush against a solid body. "Relax, love," Calle whispers.

Suddenly, a blinding pain in his head makes Filip cry out. Calle wraps an arm around Filip's waist while his other hand gently pets his hair.

"You're okay, Fil. I've got you," he murmurs. "The transformation is happening so I need you to try and stay calm. Can you do that for me?"

Filip whimpers. He turns so he's looking up at Calle. "Promise you'll stay?"

"I'm not going anywhere, I swear it."

"O-okay." Filip takes several deep breaths, letting them out slowly. Once he's calm enough and able to ignore the pain, Calle starts to explain,

"What I did my first time was to imagine something that made me happy." As he talks, he continues to run his fingers through Filip's hair. "Focus on something other than the pain."

Filip closes his eyes and tries to think of something, anything, that made him happy. All he can see though is the dream he had before he woke up in this unfamiliar room.

Calle gently pins Filip down on the bed, holding himself up above him. "You are so beautiful," Calle murmurs, his eyes filled with an emotion that Filip had never seen directed at him.

Calle releases one of Filip's wrists and brings a hand up to caress his cheek. Out of the corner of his eye, Filip sees a familiar mark on the inside of Calle's wrist: a crescent moon the same color as the sky at dusk. He opens his mouth to ask when a voice from far away calls his name.

Filip opens his eyes and sees Calle in wolf form once more. Glancing down at himself, he finds jet black fur instead of his body, four paws instead of hands and feet.

"Huh. I've never come across a Werepanther before."

Filip's head jerks in Juuse's direction and sees Juuse staring at him in surprise. Beside him, Pekka huffs a laugh.

“You don’t get out much, do you?”

Juuse rolls his eyes. “Shut up, Pekka.”

"Filip? Can you hear me?"

Filip blinks in surprise. He heard Calle speaking but the wolf's mouth was closed.

"How is this possible? Are you in my head?"

"This is how Weres communicate when we're in our animal forms. Neat, huh?"

"Take it easy, Cal. You don't want to bombard him with too much too soon."

Filip jerks in surprise when Juuse's voice joins Calle's. He looks over and sees a small black wolf sitting on the ground with Pekka kneeling beside him.

"You're a wolf too?" Filip glances from Calle to Juuse to Pekka. "What about him? Is he one too?"

"No, Pekka is a vampire," Calle replies, amusement clear in his voice. "He only wishes he could be as awesome as us Weres."

"Shut up, Calle," Juuse says as he gets to his feet and walks over to them. "How do you feel?"

"I feel… Filip pauses, contemplating how he wants to answer. After a few beats, he reluctantly admits, "Right."

"I'm glad to hear that." Juuse glances briefly at Calle before continuing. "As Weres, we typically only shift during the full moon. Since you're shifting outside of a full moon, we can only assume that you have never done this before or that you even knew you were a Were."

When Filip nods, Calle chimes in, "Over time, shifting will get easier. It will be less painful too."

"Thank God." The relief clear in Filip's voice. Calle leans over and licks Filip's face. This small action brings his dream from before to the forefront of his mind once more.

Calle growls softly, the sound causing waves of arousal to roll over Filip in response.

"That's quite the dream you had, Min kärlek," Calle says in a silky voice. "I look forward to making it a reality."

"You...you could see that?" Filip yelps. He tries to take a step back but Calle darts forward and bites his neck. The tension leaves his body quickly replaced with a feeling of submission. His mind is filled with images of the two of them making love and giving him a sense of belonging. Deep down, a small part of him recognizes that Calle is very important to him and that he would be devastated if he ever lost him.

"You are my mate," Calle purrs, his voice like a soft caress in Filip's head. He releases his hold on Filip's neck and licks the spot he bit. Filip shivers as his arousal grows. "I feel what you feel. See what you see. I am yours and you are mine."

"Are you ready to shift back?" Juuse asks, interrupting their moment. "The sun will be up soon and Pekka is going to need his room back."

Calle shoots a glare in Juuse's direction. "Tell your boyfriend that he can have his sex dungeon back when I'm damn good and ready to leave."

"Sex dungeon?" Filip wrinkles his nose in disgust. "Why did you bring me to a sex dungeon?"

Juuse huffs. "This is not a sex dungeon. This is where Pekka sleeps while it's daytime." He glances over at Calle with a dirty look. "Calle is just being an asshole."

"Guilty as charged," Calle says in a mocking tone. He brings his attention back to Filip and instructs, "All you need to do to shift back is imagining yourself doing so. The same goes for shifting into your Were form. Like Juuse said before, it will get easier with each shift."

Filip takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, picturing his human body. The pain as he shifts back is a bit more bearable than it was when he first shifted but not by much. When he opens his eyes, Calle and Juuse are also in human form.

"Thank you for your help," he says, running a hand through his hair and shifting from foot to foot. He turns to look for his clothes and says over his shoulder. "I should probably get going though."

Ignoring his soiled boxers, Filip is reaching for his jeans when he hears Juuse say, "Um, actually, you're going to need to stay here. At least for tonight."

Filip whirls around and gapes at Juuse. "What? Why?"

"Since this was your first time shifting, you're not going to be able to control it."

"And what...what does that mean?" Filip whispers. Calle comes to stand beside him, slipping a hand into Filip's.

"It means you'll shift at random." He gently squeezes Filip's hand. Filip finds himself leaning into Calle, tucking his face into his mate's neck.

‘My mate.' Just thinking this is enough to chase away his fears. Calle's arms wrap around him and Filip melts further into Calle's embrace.

He breathes in deeply and hums contentedly as the now familiar scent on Calle's skin calms him. Reluctantly, he disentangles himself and looks at Calle shyly.

"Will you stay?"

Calle smiles as he lifts a hand and gently brushes a lock of hair from Filip's forehead. "Of course I will."

A feeling of relief spreads through him. He opens his mouth to reply when he's hit with another wave of pain. It only lasts a few seconds before he's once again in his panther form.

Calle, who had shifted back as well, moves to sit beside Filip.

"Are you going to be alright?"

Filip shakes his head. "Honestly? I have no fucking idea. I woke up this morning thinking I was human only to find out I'm a Werepanther."

"I'm sure there's a reason for all of this and I swear we'll figure it out. Together."

Filip lays down on the cold cement floor and closes his eyes. Calle lays beside him and licks Filip's face.

"Together," Filip whispers, letting the world around him fade away until it feels like it's just him and Calle.

The next morning, Filip wakes up with a start and looks around the unfamiliar room. His entire body feels as if it's been through a meat grinder and protests every movement he makes. He pushes the heels of his hands against his eyes and tries to remember what happened the night before but comes up blank.

"Good morning."

Filip whirls around and grimaces when his body protests the movement. When he sees the owner of the voice and catches a familiar scent in the air, memories come flooding back: werewolves, vampires, pain. But one thing stands out: Calle. His mate.

"Hey yourself," he says quietly. "You stayed."

"I promised I would." He comes and sits down beside Filip and holds out a bottle of water and a couple of pills. When Filip shoots him a curious look, Calle adds, "It's Tylenol. Shifting for the first time tends to leave you sore for a couple of days."

Filip gratefully accepts the pills and takes them. "Thank you," he says. Calle takes one of Filip's hands in his own and kisses the knuckles.

"I'll do anything for you, Min kärlek."

Filip smiles and is about to lean in when Juuse's voice comes from another room. "Filip? You up for some breakfast?"

Filip glances at the wall on the clock and curses when he sees the time. "Shit! I have to go." He leaps off the couch and freezes when he realizes that he's still naked.

"Your clothes are on that chair," Calle says, motioning at the furniture in question. He gives Filip a small smile and adds, "I went ahead and washed them for you."

Avoiding Calle's eyes, Filip mumbles his thanks and quickly yanks his clothes on. Looking at the clock again, he decides he has enough time to run home to shower and change clothes.

He sits down on the couch to put his shoes back on when Calle asks, "Would you like to grab a drink with me later?"

Filip hesitates. His mind screams at him to accept Calle's offer, to make his mate happy but he can't seem to find it in him to say yes. Not yet anyway.

"Um, I don't think that's a good idea," he says with a shake of his head. He laughs humorlessly. "I just... I need some time to process all of this."

When he looks up and meets Calle's eyes, his heart aches. While his expression is kind, Filip can feel Calle's disappointment through the bond they now share. He backtracks and quickly adds, "But maybe some other night?"

A look of relief comes across Calle's face. "I'd like that."

Filip turns to face Calle and kisses him. It starts sweet and gentle but it quickly heats up. He pulls away panting slightly and presses his forehead against Calle's. "As crazy as last night was, I'm...I'm really glad I met you."

"And I you," Calle murmurs as he brings his hand up to cup Filip's cheek. He gently pulls Filip forward and kisses his forehead. When he moves back, he nods at the coffee table. "I hope it's okay but I went ahead and added my number into your contacts."

"It's like you read my mind," Filip teases. He kisses Calle once more before standing. He grabs his phone and has just put his hand on the doorknob when he pauses. Looking over his shoulder, he sends Calle one last smile before stepping outside, shutting the door behind him.

The entire walk home, Filip couldn't get rid of the image he saw on dream Calle's wrist. What puzzled him, however, was that he had the same mark on the back of his neck, hidden by his hair. Something else was going on and he made a vow to figure out what it was.