"What is your favorite food?"

Hearing Chris, Dimitri looked up from the plate of cheese pasta and replied in a duh voice – "Blood of idiot werewolves."

Chris stopped mid-process of eating, the spoon filled with soup hanging in the air. He glanced at his mate, emptied the soup inside the bowl and pointed the spoon at Dima. "You have a soft side underneath all that...bitchy attitude, I would say that but I won't. Why? Because I believe you are yokelish for real. Another point...fact is – blood is a drink."

"Chris, can we please focus on more important matters rather than discussing my food preferences?"

"What do you want me to do, Dima?"

"Maybe call someone who might have an idea about why you didn't know I was your mate before or can just tell us that this is just a misapprehension."

"You used that and didn't put a question mark at the end,” Chris made an observation. He sounded upset and disappointed.

"What?"

"Or can tell us that it is just a misapprehension. You used that and not whether. Also, you said it like a statement and not a question. You don't like it."

"Do not start now."

"No, tell me! What is your problem, Dima? Why do you hate werewolves so much? I didn't ask for you to be my mate, but you don't see me complaining because I do not find this – us – bad."

"You...you wanted to fuck me and then discard me. I was just a plaything for you before all this ruckus," Dima's voice became small and his heart sank while uttering those words.

Chris turned silent. And when he spoke, his tone was dead serious. "Oh, so that's where the problem lies. You are upset because I..." Dima can see how the words lodged themselves inside Chris' throat and refused to come out. "You could have said something."

"I am not upset."

"You clearly are upset, if not about this then about something else."

"You are right. I can't be upset because of this because I wouldn't have given in. All the things I did were fucking drama so you'd leave me alone. And tell me would you have cared if I wasn't your mate? No. I would have been added to your list of conquests, you would have moved on and wouldn't have looked at me twice."

Chris was stunned to silence and suddenly he was having his own outburst. "Just tell me what the fuck are you so upset for then?"

"Anybody would be upset that you are their mate." Dima wasn't thinking at the time was an understatement. He didn't know what regret was because he had always been a 'think before speak' kind of person or let's say – he was. At that moment, he wasn't feeling any regret. Later might be a different story.

Without making eye contact, Chris whispered, "I am going to call our elder and summon them here. He might have a slight idea." The whisper was one of dying hope and Chris was a hopeless man.

Chris made the phone call.

Neither of them spoke till the elder Chris called arrived. He introduced the elder to his mate as Elder Christopher. The man insisted that they call him Christopher.

"We are facing a dilemma, Christopher."

"Elaborate, Alpha."

"We are mates." Christopher swept his eyes over both of them and signaled Chris to continue. "The problem is I felt all the telltale signs today even when we have been around each other for some time now."

"I see. First of all, know that it is all Moon Goddess' plan. If she took away a few days from you with your mate, there must be a reason for it. Although I haven't heard of anything such as before, I have two theories. My first theory is your wolf suppressing your instincts subconsciously because he was focused on some other emotion too much to notice the bond. This doesn't sound plausible but it is. Another theory is that your wolf was dormant and he needed some trigger to come forth and identify his mate. Speaking of triggers, I heard about the fiasco with rogues and your serious injuries. Are you good now, Alpha?"

"I am fine Christopher, thank you. About your theories, I don't think they fit me. The first one can rarely be applied to alphas because they are very well attuned to their emotions. About your second theory, my wolf is not dormant."

"Yes, your wolf is not dormant but...," Christopher stopped before speaking further. Did Chris think that Dima didn't see him shake his head towards Christopher? Dima realized that the Alpha was hiding something about his wolf. He fumed; If Chris didn't want him to know, he can have it that way. "I will look into our ancient books and epics and inform you if I find anything remotely relatable. In a few days, I will come back and you will tell me all about the day you got injured. I need to know everything to tell you at least something. Till then, you rest."

Christopher seemed like an important person to Chris, so Dimitri offered to see him off. "I will show you to the door". Turning to Chris, he declared - "I am going home as well. See you later."

Chris nodded while Christopher said a firm 'No.'

"He is gonna need you. You brought him back to life. Having you near healed him. Stay," Christopher ordered Dimtri. "Rest," he then ordered Chris and left.

Two days went by without a peep from Christopher.

Two painstaking days went by without a single word from Chris.

The third day he only said, "I am fine, you may leave."

And Dimitri left.

He left but not without looking back. His nerves singing in glee when he saw Chris looking at him from one of the windows on the first floor.

It was a relief for Dimitri that his mate was finally looking at him.

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