Ocean's Breath Plateau i just need to speak and bespoke

Diaval jolted sharply away from the voice, his feet taking him a few clumsy steps back as he swung his head to see who had spoken. He stared blankly at the stranger for several seconds, owlish and dull, before his soul seemed to re-enter his body and several blinks brought him back to the present. Oh - someone! And they were talking to him! A sour-sweet mixture of anxiety and pleasure rolled in his gut and opened his mouth to speak.

Then, he realized what the other wolf had said and all that came from his lips was a flat "...what?"

Mate? Like, mates? He wasn't this guy's mate. He wasn't anyone's mate. Was he even old enough to have a mate? Maybe. He wasn't really a kid anymore...not really. He could have a mate, he supposed. Another male for a mate, though? Was that even allowed? Was that a thing? It didn't seem that bad, just kinda weird. No babies that way, he supposed. Was that a good thing? He was just standing there, wasn't he? His face heated underneath his fur as a fluttering, high-speed confusion and contemplation raced through him. 

Finally, still lost in his own thoughts, he muttered - "M-mate? That's...weird..."