“Why?” Poppy asked.
“His mate doesn’t want him, clearly.”
“Oh, you think that could be why?”
Klaus stared at Poppy.
“What other reason could there be?” Greg asked.
“What if this … friend, doesn’t want her?” Poppy asked.
“He does want her, very much,” Klaus said.
“He’s bullied her, and there has to be a reason for it. What if he truly doesn’t want to be mated with her? What if he hates her?”
“No, he doesn’t hate her. He … loves her,” Klaus said. “He can’t imagine living his life without her, and when he found out that she was his mate, it was the best fucking news he’d had in a long time.”
He stared at Poppy, hoping she’d get the hint, the message.
She nibbled on her bottom lip. “Do you really think so? Or is he just hoping to make the mating easier?”
“No, he will do anything for her. Even jump through all of her hoops to make sure she is ready for when the time comes,” Klaus said. “He wants to be with her always. He thinks about her all the time. She dominates all of his waking moments. Even when he’s busy, he’s thinking about her.”
He was aware Greg was still listening to them, but he didn’t give a fuck. “And he is more than happy to be patient until she’s ready. He isn’t going to rush her into anything she doesn’t want.”
“And what about the bullying? Is she supposed to forget all about that? Pretend like it didn’t happen?” she asked.
“No. He hopes in time, she can forgive him. See that he was just being a dick and he didn’t mean anything … by it. He was just a dick. A big fucking dick. He didn’t mean anything he said. None of it.”
“She’s supposed to believe that?”
“No, she doesn’t have to believe anything. He only hopes that one day she will see that all people make mistakes. Some learn from them and never fuck up again, while others continue to fuck up and constantly pay the price. He’s willing to do everything to win her. He knows how precious she is.”
“Do you two know these people?” Greg asked.
Klaus had no choice but to look toward Greg. He was always interrupting their moments, and it was starting to piss him off, in a big way.
“What?” Klaus asked.
“I know you know the guy. Do you know the girl?” Greg asked.
“No, I … my friend was a little secretive.”
“Why does it matter?” Poppy asked.
“Well, to help settle this disagreement, you could always take this problem to the alpha. He would be able to enforce or come to some arrangement to help the young couple. If they are close to their transition, that is a very … emotionally and physically demanding time for the couple,” Greg said.
“What do you mean?” Poppy asked.
“Simple. The wolves are close. You’re becoming used to them, and they have a great deal of emotions. They want to be in charge. Dealing with them as well as a mate, it can make controlling themselves even more difficult. Denying their mating instinct can also come at a cost.”
“How?” Klaus asked.
“Well, for one, it can make them violent, and two, it can mean if they put it off for too long, it can result in a rather violent mating. Obviously, both parties are consenting, but still, a mating is supposed to be precious. Denying yourself for any length of time can have consequences.”
Their food arrived, and Klaus didn’t like Greg. He had only gotten the warning this morning from his father about the same problem. He had no choice but to play along there.
Poppy didn’t need to worry.