A/N: I didn't ask you last time what do think of the new cover?

If you want to see the new covers to We are the Answer (Rhys' story) and Sentiments & Reason (Keri's story), click on the two links in the comments. The link to Keri's story contains a sneak peek as well ;)

PS: YATA hit 100K reads! Thank you so much for that! I'll find a way to reward you ;)

*****

Sometimes you need time, sometimes you just know.

I hoped Winnie was right about that; I hoped my intuition was right and that I was not going to regret my decision.

I startled as another thunder roared, this time closer. I hadn't planned to stay the night, but if the storm continued, I would have to. With the heavy rain, it would be difficult to get even to Rhys' parents' house.

We were currently in Rhys' still mostly unfurnished future home. He'd brought me here to share his plans for the place. He was excited about the project, speaking quickly and going from one room to the other and back again; the only time he paused was to ask what I thought of his ideas and whether I had any suggestions.

This was far from what I'd expected when I'd called him over to my apartment today.

My shift couldn't end soon enough.

After the talk I'd had with Winnie the previous day, I dreaded meeting up with Rhys as I was sure I'd disappoint him.

Of course you won't disappoint him; it was Rhys who had insisted for you to sleep on it and not rush into things, I tried to reassure myself, but to no avail.

I'd messed up big time.

First, I'd told him I was sure I wanted to go through the mating ceremony with him and now I was going to ask him to postpone it.

It wasn't that I didn't want to ever go through with it; it was just too soon to do it yet.

I needed more time to get used to the pack and the notion of supernatural creatures and I wanted answers about what my life would be like after the ceremony. I still feared that I'd have to leave my human friends behind. Would I be able to live like that?

After all Winnie and Tim had done for me?

After how they'd accepted me with open arms, how they protected me from the narrow-minded clients?

And Mr. Philips: I wouldn't call him a friend, but he was an amicable man and helped me out big time by offering me his job.

The Bullets were understanding, but my friends were outsiders to them; would they see them as a threat?

"Oh, just go home already!" A small cotton towel - a clean one I hoped - flicked me over the elbow.

"You know that we are just employees and that we can't come and go whenever we please, right, Winnie?" I went back to drying up a mug with a piece of cloth similar to the one she'd slapped me with.

"There are fifteen minutes left in your shift and only two tables to wait on." We both glanced at the only occupied spaces; there were three clients in total.

"I think I'll manage until your replacement comes," she added, turning back to me. "Now go and prepare yourself for your date with Rhys and remember: I have lots of comfort food and a couch if things go temporarily wrong between you two."

"Temporarily?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

"I don't think Rhys will be able to stay mad at you for long." She leaned over the counter and patted my shoulder. "But in case you need a shoulder to cry on or complain on, you are welcome to stay the night. We'll watch a bunch of romantic dramas and laugh at how ridiculous the characters are while stuffing ourselves silly with junk food. Besides, the couch is comfortable; I'll send Tim to sleep there and you and I can have a pillow fight before we go to bed."

"You are taking the gay best friend thing a little bit too... gay," I noted, but couldn't help a chuckle.

"Do you like junk food?"

"Yep."

"Do you like making fun of ridiculous romantic dramas?"

"Aha."

"Do you like pillow fights?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Then what are you complainin' about?" She raised her hands. "Besides, this time I might let you win."

***

I hurried home not because of the storm the weather forecast warned about - which was the probable cause for our lack of clients today - but because I wanted to prepare myself for my time with Rhys.

Not that I knew how to prepare myself.

Was there any special clothing for hope-you-don't-take-this-the-wrong-way-but-I-changed-my-mind situations?

I doubted it.

I settled for a white long-sleeved shirt and a pair of pale blue jeans. Seconds seemed to tick away even more slowly than while I was at work. I kept glancing at the time on my phone; the digits barely changed.

When at last I got the text that he was in front of the building, I ran to buzz him in. My hand darted to my hair and I smoothed it and pulled my shirt down, getting rid of most of the wrinkles before I opened the door.

"You've changed your mind," he uttered as soon as he saw me and I looked down.

"It's okay."

He didn't sound like he was okay. I dared to gaze up - his lips were pulled back into his mouth, between his teeth - and I took a deep breath.

"I didn't exactly change my mind." Hope shone in his eyes and his face lit up just a tad, but enough to give me an incentive to go on:

"Come in and I'll tell you," I urged and closed the door behind him. We walked into the kitchen area and set on the two chairs next to my tiny table. I took his hands in mine. There was no point in beating around the bush - it would just increase the tension - so I got straight to the point.

"I want to get mated to you, Rhys, I just don't want to do it right away."

A large gush of air escaped through his mouth. I hoped the sigh was in relief.

"There are so many things I need to get used to. You and your pack, you and I as a stable couple, me in a serious relationship... You and your pack."

"I understand." He nodded and lightly squeezed my hands. Unlike with his 'it's okay', Rhys meant what he'd said this time.

"I also want to know what is expected of me after the ceremony. I mean, we should talk about our future together," I went on and received another nod; I took that as a good sign.

"Well, obviously we are going to move in together."

"In your house? The one that is yours, not your parents'?"

"I was hoping..." Rhys cleared his throat; did his cheeks get redder?

"I was hoping you'll start calling it 'our home', Riley."

"So we will live amongst the Bullets?"

He moved back in his seat, startled.

"I thought you were okay with that." His eyebrows furrowed.

"I am!" I hurried to assure him, sliding forward in my chair. "I am, I just don't know if the Bullets will be okay with that."

"Of course they will; you are my mate." He laughed briefly, probably out of nerves. "It will be odd for their Beta to live away from the community, even if I am in the same town."

"So they will accept me because I am your mate?"

Rhys leaned forward, letting go of me to place his palms on the sides of my face.

"At first, yes. But once they get to know you, they'll want you around for who you are, Riley. It already happened with my family and Keri, and Anthony..."

"Anthony? Really?" I was sure my eyes had doubled their size in surprise. "He's never hinted at it. He doesn't even smile politely when he greats me."

"He's just tense around humans." Rhys waved with one hand and his arms fell into his lap. "Most humans," he quickly added. "And many humans. He's just afraid that if we were to get discovered in public, he'd get hurt so human crowds make him edgy."

"Does that mean I can't have human friends over?"

Or have human friends at all?

"You can have Winnie and Tim over as long as they give us a heads up before they come. And they stay in the house and not in the yard. And they don't come too often." Rhys appeared to shrink as he enlisted those. "It won't be fair to the pack if they constantly have to look over their shoulder each time they want to shift."

"Seems fair." I sighed. I understood living at the end of town and away from humans gave the Silver Bullets certain freedoms and comforts and I agreed it wouldn't be right to deprived over a hundred shifters from that for my sake alone, but I'd hoped that Rhys' 'not too often' wouldn't turn into 'almost never'.

"You'll still see them at work and the four of us can hang out together, go to a bar or the movies." My boyfriend suggested in an attempt to brighten my mood. "You can see them every day if you want, just not often in our home."

"Our home," I repeated.

I liked the sound of that!

"I have so many plans for the place." He smiled for the first time today. "Now that we are together," his hand covered mine over my knee, "we can make them our plans. I'll make the necessary changes for you to feel comfortable, we can pick the colors of the rooms together, go shopping for furniture... We should check with mom and dad first though."

I raised an eyebrow in question. Wasn't he a little too old to ask mommy and daddy how he should decorate his own home?

It turned out Rhys had something other than their approval in mind.

"When Everett and Lisa moved in together, mom and dad bought them this huge, carved wardrobe; I'm sure they'll want to get us something as well. They've probably already ordered it. The wardrobe was handmade by a couple of members of our pack; it took them weeks to finish it and knowing how mom likes to plan ahead, she's probably asked them to create something the moment I told her we started dating. You know, so that it would be ready when we move in."

"Wow," was all I was able to mutter. Jackie has been making preparations even before Rhys and I did?

"I'm thinking about a second fireplace." My boyfriend mused aloud, his eyes unfocused. "In the master bedroom - our bedroom. There's room for a small one right at... You know what?" His gaze fell on me. "Why don't we go there now and I'll show you?"

I couldn't say no; Rhys was glowing. If he was in his wolf form now, his tail would be wagging like crazy.

"Fixed it."

Rhys' words brought me back to the present.

"Did you change your shirt?" I asked. I could've sworn it had been another shade of green when we'd arrived.

"Yeah, some of the water got on me while I was taking care of the leak. Good thing the bathroom is tiled so it was easy to dry the floor."

"You know," the double bed screeched as I got off it to approach my boyfriend, "I've always had a fantasy about me and a handy man."

My arms wrapped around his neck and I stood on my toes so that our lips would be closer.

"Really?" He murmured and I grinned.

"Nah, but I do now."

Rhys' hands covered my hips as he leaned down and kissed me. I tried to slide my tongue into his mouth, but he kept teasing, denying me access. I groaned in frustration and pulled him closer. He chuckled and moved back.

"Not so hasty, Riley; we've got a whole night ahead of us."

"Does that mean...?" I didn't finish, but he knew what I was asking about.

"Not yet." He bumped his finger against my nose. "But we can do other things."

"Like?"

Oh, please God, don't tell me I'm just imagining those lustful flames in his eyes!

Was it sacrilege to pray for such things?

When Rhys' hand slowly slid up my inner thigh, I realized I didn't care. How could I think about religion when he was so close to my zipper?

Too soon, his hand moved away. His arms encircled my waist and he lifted me, carrying me towards the bed. He put me down gently - the darn thing screeched nevertheless; way to add to the mood! - and he climbed in, his legs at either side of me.

I struggled not to writhe beneath him as he unbuttoned my shirt and his lips began to cares my chest, slowly making their way to my abs.

I bit my lip and moaned.

I would not last a whole night if the prelude alone was getting me this excited. I needed to unzip my jeans and fast; they were getting tighter by the second.

"Rhys," I breathed and received a groan in reply. "I hope kissing my torso isn't all you plan for tonight."

He lifted his gaze towards me, his mouth close to the edge of my jeans, his breath tickling my exposed skin. His eyes seemed to shine as he gave me a one-sided smirk that made me shiver and twitch.

"Oh, kissing is exactly what I plan, Riley," he purred, his hand moving towards my zipper. "I just intend to aim a little lower."

*****

A/N: Do you agree with Winnie that Rhys will never manage to stay angry at Riley for long? Is there anything Riley could do that Rhys won't forgive?

Do you think it is fair for Winnie and Tim to visit rarely or should Riley have the right to invite them as often as he wishes?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE ENDING OF THE CHAPTER?

Please support this chapter with a VOTE if you enjoyed it and thank you again for the 100K reads!