Shadow Mate - Jen L. Grey Page 0,55

excited to see Nate again tonight.

"Next time, then." He grinned.

"Dad, are you okay?" Kai's forehead wrinkled as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He took a step away from us. "I'll go get us a table at the restaurant. Take your time, I'll get us some lunch ordered."

I’d never understood the analogy of Jekyll and Hyde until this very moment. If I hadn't seen his complete personality change right before my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed someone was capable of doing it.

"Okay, thanks." Kai huffed and shook his head as he stared at the ground.

"It was nice to meet you, Mia." Mr. Thorn bowed his head ever so slightly. "I hope I get to see you again soon." He turned and walked away.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what the hell just happened." Kai rubbed a hand down his face and took my hand once more in his. "Look, if I messed up that night…"

"No, you didn't." There was so much to say.

"So what did you want to tell me?" Kai took a step closer to me, his sweet cinnamon scent hitting me.

"Your dad is waiting on you." Maybe I could delay this conversation a little longer.

"Apparently, he's fine waiting on me." He chuckled. "He's acting bizarre."

I had to rip this off like a bandage. "The problem is Liam and I had sex after you left."

Kai's eyes widened, and he dropped my hand as he took a step back. "What?"

Maybe that was too blunt. However, I couldn't take it back now. I glanced around, making sure no one was near. "I have a problem."

"I don't know what to say here." Kai's eyes were full of hurt. "I thought we were connecting."

"We are..." I stopped myself. That assumed he still wanted to be around me. "I mean, we were."

"Then why him?" Kai's forehead lined, and he stared at the ground. "Is it because you like being treated like shit? If that's the case, I'm not the right guy for you."

He didn't even realize how hard he’d pegged it. "He's my mate." The words were barely a whisper, but he had a right to know.

"Liam is your..." His eyes found mine, and something flashed through them.

Something I didn't understand.

"That's why he's acting like more of an ass than normal." Kai laughed, but a smile didn't fill his face. "And why you'd be willing to let him hurt you more than he already had." He kicked at the ground. "I knew better than to leave that night."

"I know, but it’s like I can’t fight it. He used the alpha will on you." In his defense, he had tried to fight it. "I'm sorry."

"But if you're mates, then why isn't he here?" He glanced around like he almost expected Liam to jump out from somewhere.

"Because … he's rejecting me." My voice cracked even though I tried so damn hard not to let it happen.

"Fuck." Kai took in a deep breath and stared off into the woods.

I wasn't sure whether I should stay or go, but he had a right to say whatever the hell he wanted right now.

"Look, I get it if you don't want to be friends..."

"Friends?" His eyes flashed when they met mine again. "I want to be so much more than friends."

"And I messed that up." Why couldn't this be easy? If a human could select a partner, why couldn't we? "I get that you're disappointed."

"I'm not disappointed. I'm livid." He reached out and took my hand again. "That jackass gets everything handed to him. He even has fate choosing you as his mate, and he walks away. He's so damn lucky." He pulled me into his arms and kissed my cheek. "I'm pissed because he's hurting you, and I don't know what to do."

The fact that I was in his arms meant the world to me. Despite sleeping with another man, he still cared for me. I felt safe in his arms in a way that I never had with my own fated.

"This doesn't change anything." He pulled away from me ever so slightly. Enough to look into my eyes. "I'm drawn to you, and I want to be with you. So many wolves choose their mate, so there's no reason you can't. Let's take our time and work through this … together."

"But I slept with--"

He placed his hand against my lips. "Don't say it again, please. Let's take our time and see if we can grow something between us. You're worth fighting for."

This was the