Chapter 6: Chapter 6

KYA

I wake up refreshed and take the time to actually get myself ready for school. I straighten my hair and apply some light makeup—eyeliner and mascara. I put on a light pink baseball shirt and skinny jeans.

Putting on a pair of cowboy boots and a trucker hat, I’m ready to go. I grab a sweatshirt and throw it on just as Owen pulls in. I zip it up and grab my backpack. Spencer whistles from the front seat. “Looking good today, Kya.”

I roll my eyes. Ian opens my door for me. I kiss his head. “Thanks, kiddo.” I slip in and buckle up.

The school day goes by quickly. We meet up at the diner for studying, then I go out with Owen to cover the rest of the territory. We listen to country music on the way there. Owen stops me before I can open the door.

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

I shrug my shoulder. “I guess so. I might not answer though.”

He lets out a breath. “I know you just went through rejecting your mate, but would you consider having a boyfriend?”

I scrunch my brows. “I haven’t thought about it.” Owen takes my hand. “Would you consider me?”

I bite my lip. “I’m not making any plans, Owen. We can just see what plays out.”

He gives me a soft smirk. “Okay.”

We spend about twenty minutes sparring. There, Dec, I did as I was ordered. Owen, of course, is better than me, but he’s not nearly as strong as Dec, nor Chase, even. I wonder if the training here isn’t as aggressive.

Owen has me pinned to the ground. He’s smiling as he’s looking down at me. “You’re really good, Kya. Who knew a beautiful little woman like you could fight so well.”

I squirm under him. He stands up and helps me to my feet. “I’m not that great. But healers don’t tend to fight much. We are usually behind the scenes.”

He nods with a smile. “That makes sense.”

We cover the final portion of the territory, then Owen holds my hand as we walk back to the SUV. “Why did you reject him?”

The images of that night enter my mind, followed by Dec's words. I let go of Owen’s hand and cross my arms over my chest, holding in the pain. Damn it. I was doing fine for once. Why did he have to bring it up?

I crouch down, grunting. I’m holding it in as much as possible, but it’s a losing battle and I throw up. “Do me a favor. Stop talking about him.” I gargle some water and spit it out.

“I’m sorry. I was just curious. He must have done something really bad. You’re such an amazing person. There’s clearly something wrong with him.”

What am I supposed to say to that? “There’s nothing wrong with him. I already told you he’s a good guy. He just didn’t respect me. Owen, it hurts to talk about him.”

Owen crouches down next to me. “I’m sorry, Kya. I never meant to hurt you. I want you to know I’m here for you.”

I shake my head. “I already know. I appreciate all you’re doing for me.”

He rubs my back until I’m ready to stand back up. Talk about a roller coaster of emotions. This day started out good. What the hell happened?

He pulls me into his chest as he continues to soothe me. “Are you good?” I nod. “Good. Because I don’t want you puking in my car.”

I look up at him to see if he’s serious. He’s smirking and I can feel him chuckling. I laugh and shake my head.

DEC

I rinse my mouth and spit the mouthwash into the sink. I don’t know what happened. I was just fine and then I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The same thing happened yesterday.

Kya has been on my mind. Fuck, she’s always on my mind. I pull her bracelet from my pocket and rub my thumb over the little wolf. I want to give it to her the first chance I get.

I put it back into the pocket of my jeans. I’m tempted to call her, but I don’t want to push her away. I’ll wait until she calls me.

My phone rings and my heart speeds up, but I know it’s too early to be Kya. I check the caller ID and end the call immediately. Sarah has been calling me more often.

I never answer her calls. I don’t even listen to her voicemails; I just delete them. Can’t she take the hint? She even tried to contact me through the mind-link. I had to give her an alpha command to keep the mind-link to pack business only.

A knock sounds at my door and I grunt. I’m just hoping she doesn’t start showing up at my home. I sniff the air and relax. I open the door to Chase and Alana.

“Hey brother. I thought you could use a beer.” Alana holds up a six pack with a sweet smile. I tilt my head, allowing them in.

Alana opens a bottle and hands it to me. “How are you holding up?”

I take a drink, grateful it’s cold. “I was good for the most part. Out of nowhere I just get sick. I just finished rinsing my mouth out before you two showed up.”

Chase has a contemplative look on his face. Alana gives him a beer and he pulls her into his lap. These two make a good couple. She really balances him out. Kya balances me out and we’re not even together.

Ugh. My stomach rolls and I swallow it back. “Alana, do me a favor. Tell your sister to stop calling me. I have a mate and I don’t need her getting in between us.”

Alana gives me a look of sympathy. “I’ve told her, but she doesn’t listen to me. Ky had a good day at school today. I wonder what was different.”

My lips twitch up on their own. “I’m glad. It kills me that she’s suffering. I sent her flowers yesterday. She called me last night and the night before. She didn’t really talk to me, though.”

Chase cocks a brow. “Why does she have to be the one to call you?”

I give him my ~duh~ look. “I don’t want to bother her. I want her to come to me when she’s ready. I don’t want her to feel like I’m pushing her.”

Alana smiles. “That’s smart. I think she’ll come around. Just be patient with her.

Chase shakes his head. “I don’t get it. If it were me, I’d be dragging her back.”

Alana smacks the back of Chase’s head just as he takes a sip of his drink. Beer goes up his nose and down his shirt. I can’t help the chuckle that escapes me.

Alana growls at him. “You wouldn’t dare do that to me. You wouldn’t make me do anything against my will.”

Chase gives her a look of innocence as he wipes his nose. “Absolutely, honey. I just meant that I would do everything in my power to get you back.”

She rolls her eyes. “That’s what he’s doing. He’s giving her the space that she needs. It’s Kya. You know she’ll be back.” My clock chimes the hour. Alana grunts. “Damn, already? You two have fun.”

We all drop our beers on the coffee table and head out the door. Chase and I are checking in on some of the younger guards tonight. A surprise inspection.

Chase hands over his keys and kisses her before stripping out of his shirt. She drives off and we shift.

We take off to the western border—that’s where the rogues have been coming from. We meet up with the first two pairs and are satisfied. We’re on our way to the third pair when we hear growls and howling.

“~Alpha, we have trouble on the western border. It's rogues.~”

I pick up my speed, Chase right next to me. “~Doc, get ready,~” I send a mind-link.

My guards are taking on five rogues as we burst through the tree line. I lock my jaws on one to make a killing blow. The wolf squeals then falls dead at my feet. Chase takes on a wolf from my guard, Leon.

Pauly is on the ground, not moving. Shit. “~Doc, I need you at the western border now.~”

I swipe the two wolves away from Pauly. They’re not very big, but he had three on him.

“~Hang on Pauly, the doc is coming.~” I can still feel his wolf, so I know he’s alive.

I bite a wolf by the leg and pull him off my back. He’s the smaller of the two. The other wolf goes for my front leg. I side-step him and catch him instead.

The smaller wolf rebounds onto my back. I’m forced to let go of the bigger one and buck off the smaller one. I take a swipe to my rib cage from the big one.

Son of a bitch that stings. The mother fucker! I pin down the smaller one, but the bigger one catches my shoulder. Fuck! I let up the little one and spin on the big guy. I catch him off guard and get a grip on his front leg.

I bite down, feeling the bones crunch in my jaws. He whimpers and winces back, trying to get out of my grip. I bite down harder and he falls to the ground. The little one goes for my back again.

But the weight of the wolf leaves my back. I release the grip on the big guy and clamp down on his head. I turn around just as the little one goes for the doctor. I claw the smaller one’s abdomen as I bite down on his neck.

I look around me. My guards have their opponents subdued or dead. We gather around Pauly as Dr. Mason shifts and begins healing him. It’s such a cool sight to see.

The white light fades and Chase catches his father before he almost collapses. I pick up Pauly and carry him to Dr. Mason’s truck.

Chase drives while Pauly, the doctor, and I ride in the back. Dr. Mason tosses a few gauze pads my way.

“Take care of those. You’re still bleeding.” I rip the packages open as he tends to Pauly.

I send Finn to take over for Pauly just as we reach the hospital. He’s rushed inside the operating room while the rest of us are forced to wait outside. I hold the gauze pad to my ribs. I’m not bothered about it, it’ll be healed by Sunday tops.

Chase and I throw our clothes on and sit in the waiting room. I have four missed calls. Shit.

KYA

Owen walks me to the door and gives me a kiss on my forehead. “Goodnight, Kya. I’ll be here in the morning.”

I smile. “Goodnight, Owen. Thank you.” I walk through the door and close it behind me.

Kendra is folding a basket of laundry. I wash my hands then help her with the clothes. “You’ve been out a lot.”

I grab a towel to fold. “I’m sorry. We finished the territory today. I’ll be around more.”

Kendra giggles. “You misunderstand me. I’m saying it’s good that you’re getting out there and making friends. Although Gretchen misses you. I’m glad you’re not moping around here.” We finish the basket and put the clothes away.

I take a shower, then grab my phone and take it out on the porch. I dial Dec’s number. After four rings I hang up. That’s weird. He told me to call any time.

I roll my eyes at myself. He is an alpha. I can’t expect him to wait around all night for me to call him.

Sorrow grips my chest. Goddess, I’m so pathetic. I pull out my book and try to find out anything I can. I skip to the chapter about broken bonds.

“~The mate bond cannot be repaired once it is broken. Rejected mates may happen upon a second-chance mate with a wolf that also has a broken bond,~” I read aloud.

I guess there is hope in the future. I just have to look for a second-chance mate. So why does hearing Dec's voice make me feel better? Why didn’t he answer? I put the book away, no longer able to focus, and lie back in bed.

I wake up in the middle of the night. I throw up stomach acid then brush my teeth. Throwing up sucks, but the heartache is worse. I wonder how bad it is for Dec. He said he’s sick too.

Out of habit, I grab my phone and listen to a voicemail I received while I was asleep.

“Kya, I’m sorry I couldn’t answer when you called. I, uh, I was fighting off some rogues. They’ve been more active lately. I just want you to know that I like it when you call, so don’t stop just because I missed one. Okay…um, I’m hanging up now. Call me back when you wake up in the middle of the night. I know you do. Okay. Call me.”

I wrap a throw around my shoulders and sit in the rocking chair on the porch to call Dec. “Kya. Hey. I’m sorry I didn’t answer before. I meant it when I said to call me any time.”

I let out a breath and relax. “Um, so were you able to get some training in?” I roll my eyes and answer with a generic “mm-hmm.”

“That’s good. Thank you... Kya. I don’t know what you want me to say... Um. I’m expanding the territory. I’m buying the land to the west of us. Remember the river, the one with the rope swing and the rock slide that we made. I want everyone to be able to enjoy it without having to go off territory.”

I smile. “I remember. That’s great news.”

He exhales hard. “Kya, I love hearing your voice.” I tighten my lips, afraid to say anything more. “Kya, please talk to me. Even if you want to yell at me and call me names, that’s fine. I just, I just need to hear you.” My heart softens.

“Please, Kya.”

I close my eyes and give in. “You have rogues?”

He exhales. “Yeah. They see me as weak now and they’ve been trying to mess with our pack. But it’s okay. Our guards are good at what they do.”

I worry about him getting hurt. Or Chase. I wonder if he’ll be forthcoming with me or try to sugarcoat things. “Why did you need to fight them tonight?”

He answers right away. “The guard was young and new. He was screwing around, not paying attention. He got hurt pretty bad. Luckily Chase and I were in the area and got there in time.

“Your dad had to come heal him before going to the hospital. It’s my fault. I need to make sure my guards are better prepared. I’m going to be implementing more strict training.”

I bite my lip while I think over the information. “You’ll be busy.” I swipe a stray hair out of my face.

“Not too busy for you.” My heart beats in excitement. “Kya, it’s late. I don’t want to stop talking to you, but I know you have school.”

And there goes the excitement. I hang up the phone. I wonder if he’s meeting up with some random girl at two in the morning. I’m so frustrated that I pace the lawn for fifteen minutes before sitting back in the rocking chair.

I look at my phone again. I just know it’s going to drive me mad, so I call him back. He answers on the first ring. “Kya, is something wrong? Are you all right?”

I timidly whisper. “Are you alone?”

He softly chuckles. “Yes. I promised I would do everything I can to get you back. I meant it.”

Relief floods over me. “Goodnight, Dec.”

I hear the smile in his voice. “Goodnight, Ky.”

***

Thursday goes by in a blink. School, homework, then back home to play with Gretchen. We have a tea party before bed. I tuck her in then head out to the rocking chair to make the call. Dec answers right away.

“Hey, Kya.” He sounds exhausted so I don’t want to keep him on the phone.

“Dec, I just wanted to say goodnight. I’m going to bed.”

He yawns. “That’s good. Get your beauty rest, not that you need it. You’ve always been beautiful.”

I smile at his compliment, then hang up the phone. I call Chase. After the third ring, he answers. “Hey, Ky. What’s up?” He yawns.

“Why do you sound so tired?”

He lets out a breath. “Dec started a new training plan today. An idiot guard got hurt last night, now we all have to suffer.”

I smile. He told me the truth. “Is he the same?”

Chase snorts. “Fuck no. I would whoop his ass. He’s moody and stricter now, too—the cranky bastard. He’s sick a lot and takes it out on me. But I just give it right back to him.”

“Anyway. You have school in the morning and I’m fucking beat. Goodnight, love ya.”

He hangs up before I can say goodnight.

***

Friday at lunch and Spencer is talking about the concert. Owen holds my hand under the table while Alana and Melissa have girl talk, comparing mates. I lean my head on Owen’s shoulder as I nibble a sandwich. He kisses the top of my head.

“You good?” he whispers to me. I nod and continue munching my lunch. He wraps his arm around me, pulling me closer. It’s nice and comforting, but an uneasy feeling creeps into my heart.

He holds my hand as he walks me to my next class. “Are you coming to the diner today?”

I nod. “Yeah. That sounds fun.”

He gives me a sincere smile. “I’m glad. I missed you yesterday. You seem to be doing better.”

He lets go of my hand as I walk into the classroom. “I am,” I reply. I wave goodbye and take my seat.

Talking with Dec makes a huge difference on my days. Just hearing his voice calms my nerves and helps me relax. I really want to hear his voice right now.

I bite my lip and check the clock. There’s still two minutes before class starts. I replay his voicemail and smile.

After school, everyone meets up at the diner. We get our homework done, then make plans for Saturday. Spencer and I will be riding with Owen while everyone else rides together.

After grabbing a bite and just hanging out, I start to feel tired. I grab my bag and wave goodbye. Owen holds my hand as he walks me to my door. He hugs me then kisses my forehead.

“I’m really glad you came here. To my pack I mean. I like having you around.” He brushes a stray hair from my face.

I smile up at him. “Me too. It’s been really nice here.” His hand caresses my cheek. He tilts my head up as he leans in closer.

I pull away. “Owen please. I can’t.”

He steps back. “Too soon, I get it. It’s fine. Goodnight, Kya.” I wave to him as he walks back to his SUV. I don’t even bother going in the house. I sit in the rocker as he drives away.

Oh my Goddess. Owen tried to kiss me. I didn’t think I was giving off that vibe, but I guess he sees otherwise.

Crap. Did I really show him interest? I mean, yeah, I noticed him, but who wouldn’t after being alone together as much as we were. He has been more touchy-feely, but didn’t I already turn him down?

Seriously, I just rejected my mate. I could barely stand for the past week, let alone the weeks before, when I couldn’t get out of bed.

He tried to kiss me. Dec should have been my first kiss, but that didn’t happen. Goddess, I’m a mess.

I rejected Dec, but I still can’t stop thinking about him, worrying if he’s with someone else. It should be none of my business.

Owen is a great guy, but he still has a mate out there somewhere, and it’s not me. I can’t get serious with him, knowing he’ll leave me as soon as he finds her.

I feel like I’m leading both of them on now. The bond between me and Dec is no longer there, yet I ache for him and need to hear his voice.

Owen will eventually find his mate; I can’t let him think I’m interested. Sure, he’s handsome and good, but I know it will never go anywhere. It feels nice being treated so well. I need to back off with him. It’s not fair pretending we could be anything more.

After tormenting myself with all of my doubts and worries, I give in and call Dec. I just need to hear his voice. “Hey Kya.”

I stop him before he can continue speaking. “Am I using you?”

He pauses for a quick second. “How so?”

I blurt everything out before I have a chance to back out. “I rejected you, but I keep calling you just to hear your voice so I can sleep through the night.”

He softly chuckles. “No. You’re not using me. I look forward to our nightly calls. I need to hear your voice to get through the night too. Otherwise, Chase bitches and moans that I’m being a big meanie.”

I laugh. “I think cranky bastard is the term he used.”

He playfully growls. “The little bitch boy is going to get it tomorrow.”

I laugh again. He sobers up. “So…you asked about me?”

Busted. “Only last night. You were exhausted and I didn’t know what to think,” I say.

He grunts. “Hmph, you don’t trust me. That’s my fault. I should have waited for you.”

His words pierce my heart and I hang up before bad thoughts can enter my head. Instead, I focus on the fact that he needs to hear my voice too. I shake my head and kick off my flip flops. I curl my feet under me to keep them warm.

What am I doing? He’s going to get mad that I keep hanging up on him. I rock in the chair for a while and breathe in the night air. I call Dec again. He laughs as he picks up the phone. “Kya. I wasn’t expecting a second call.”

I swallow before apologizing. “I’m sorry for hanging up on you. I just don’t…” I exhale, not knowing how to finish my sentence.

“It’s fine, Ky. You hang up all you need to; just keep calling, though. I need these calls just as much as you.”

I let out a breath of relief. “Goodnight, Dec.”

He softens his voice. “Sweet dreams, Kya.”

I kiss Gretchen and lie down in my bed.

Dec is really being patient with me. I don’t understand it. I thought he would have moved on the first chance that he got. We’re not mates anymore, so why does he still want me? He could be just trying to play me.

I shake away that thought; he’s not like that. At least, he didn’t used to be. He’s a good guy. I know he is. He’s fun and caring. He’s loyal...except to his mate...me.

I bite my lip and toss in the bed. After adjusting my pillows for like the fourth time, I replay his voicemail. His voice calms my troubled mind and finally I’m able to relax.