Chapter 8: Chapter 8

KYA

Chase thought it would be best for me to ride home with Damon and Bianca.

Owen was pissed, but after a long stare down, Damon and Cameron got him into his SUV.

I sit in the back seat of Damon’s jeep and stare out the window on the drive home.

“That was pretty intense. I thought Alpha Redd was going to rip Owen’s head off,” Bianca says, turning in her seat to look back at me.

“I told him not to cause any trouble.”

Damon and Bianca give each other a quick look. “And he listened to you, just like that?” Damon looks in the rearview mirror as he speaks.

“Why wouldn’t he? Dec is a really great guy. But if you cross him or the pack, that’s when you better watch out.”

Bianca smiles and doesn’t hold back. “If he’s so great, why did you reject him? Why does Owen think he has a chance with you?”

Ouch. Damon looks at me in the mirror awaiting an answer.

“I have my reasons for rejecting him. He understands. I don’t know what Owen is thinking. I just thought he was being nice to me. I just rejected my mate, how could I even consider Owen?”

Damon smiles at Bianca. “Told ya. There’s no way she’d go for Owen.”

Bianca wiggles her brows. “Well, who would? Alpha Redd is hot and powerful. Owen can’t even compare.”

Bianca and I laugh while Damon rolls his eyes. Dec and I are still mates. How did I not figure that out?

“Damon.” He looks to me in the mirror waiting for me to speak. “Did you know that a rejection has to happen on both sides for a bond to break?”

He slightly nods. “Mm-hmm. I don’t think Owen did though. I study and do research while Owen has everything handed to him. If Alpha Redd hasn’t said anything, he wouldn’t know. He doesn’t listen to me about anything.” I scrunch my brows. That’s odd for an alpha not to listen to his beta.

I wave goodnight to the siblings then walk inside the house.

“How was the concert?” Kendra asks as she pats Aiden’s back. I sit next to her and lay my head on her free shoulder.

“Complicated. Dec was there. I don’t know what to do. He said that since he hasn’t rejected me, we’re still mates. I’m still connected to him, and I do long for him, but I still don’t trust him.”

Kendra pats my cheek. “You’re a smart girl with a good heart. You’ll figure it out. He needs to earn your trust. Let him, if he's willing to. Having your mate is the best thing in the world.”

I nod. “He said he’ll do whatever it takes to get me back.” I sit back up. I give the pup and Kendra a kiss. “I’m going to get a bite before bed. Love you.”

I find some leftovers and warm them up in the microwave. Kendra says goodnight and carries Aiden into her bedroom. I take my food and my phone to the porch and sit in the rocking chair. I eat as I habitually dial Dec.

“Kya. I’m surprised you called. I didn’t think you would. Miss me already?”

I smile and roll my eyes. “No, I just made a habit out of calling you.”

He growls playfully. “Are you still wearing that sexy outfit?”

I almost spit out my food. Ugh, the jerk! “I’m not doing this, Dec.” I pick up the phone with my hand.

“Wait. Don’t hang up. I’m sorry, I’ll behave. You just looked really hot.”

I begrudgingly set the phone back down. “Declan.” I touch one foot to the ground and begin rocking.

“Yes, Kya?”

I tap my fingers on the chair. “Thank you for leaving. I don’t know if I could’ve handled seeing you.”

He lets out a soft breath. “You’re welcome, but it won’t happen again.”

I nod, knowing he’s telling the truth. “Why is it so easy to talk to you on the phone?”

He takes a moment to contemplate the answer. “I think it’s because we both need it. When I saw you today, all I wanted to do was keep you in my arms and never let you go. Our bond is weaker than it should be, but it’s still there.

“We’re an alpha pair so the bond was already stronger to begin with. Not to mention it was a full moon when your beautiful green eyes locked onto mine. Shit, even with half a bond, I think it’s stronger compared to most.”

I remember that night, his silver eyes, and the look of surprise they held. I swallow hard. I have to know why he did it, but I’m really scared to ask. I let out a deep breath then buck up the courage. “Dec…that night…why did you do it? Why did you say what you did?”

He lets out a painful breath. “It all happened so fast, Ky. I was so surprised to find out you’re my mate, I didn’t want you to leave. But I couldn’t tell you to ‘hang on, I’m busy.’ I said the first thing that popped in my head. I was so stupid.

“After you slapped some sense into me, I dropped her and came after you. I wanted to apologize immediately. You slapped me…again, in front of everyone. You made me look weak and my wolf came out. I can’t tell you enough how sorry I am.”

I nod and wipe my eyes. He has already told me he was never going to release me from our bond. At some point, I’ll have to get over this.

“Okay. I’m going to try to move past the absolute worst day of my life. Goodnight, Dec.”

He stops me before I can hang up. “Kya. I know that those few minutes were awful, but finding out you’re my mate was the best thing that ever happened to me. You looked so beautiful and that dress was stunning.”

I smile, just a little.

“Sweet dreams, Kya.”

I hang up the phone, then finish my bowl of food and wash up. I shower and lie down with the vest I wore. It smells like Dec and helps me fall asleep.

***

Owen calls me first thing in the morning. “We’re going to go swimming at the lake, you want to come?”

I rub the sleep out of my eyes. “I think I’m going to stay here and help Aunt Kendra. I promised Gretchen we would play dress up.”

Owen takes a long minute before he speaks again. “Oh, okay. Maybe you can meet us later at Lou’s.”

I yawn. “Yeah, maybe. Bye, Owen.”

He sighs. “Bye, Kya.”

I lie back on my bed and Dec’s scent hits my nose. I smile and take a big whiff of my vest. His forest scent invigorates me. I check the time. 6:00 a.m. What the hell?

It’s Sunday. I hear stirring in the living room. I get up to see who is up this early. I look around, but no one is there. What is going on? Something doesn’t feel right. I give Dec a call. It takes two rings before he sleepily answers. “Kya. Is everything okay?”

I sit on the recliner and tuck my legs under me.

“No. Owen called me this morning. He asked if I wanted to go swimming. I told him I’m staying in today. Then I heard noises in the living room, but no one is in here. Everyone is still asleep. I know it’s a little thing, but it weirded me out.”

Dec is more alert when he answers. “Do you smell anything?”

I sniff, moving myself closer to the door, but there’s nothing different. “No. Nothing. I’m sorry for waking you up so early. You must think I’m crazy.”

I sit back in the recliner. “I told you that you can call me whenever. I would never think you’re crazy. Trust your gut. Mine is telling me that kid wants you. Be careful of him.”

I bite my lip. “I can’t avoid him. He’s the next alpha of this pack and he takes me to school. And don’t say to come home. I told Aunt Kendra I would help her. Aiden is only two months old. She hardly gets any sleep.”

Dec is quick to answer. “Try not to be alone with him as much as possible. I’m going to check into him. I’ll take care of the other problem.” I take a deep breath, comforted by his wisdom.

Dec doesn’t let me hang up. He asks. “Did you sleep well?”

I smile because I know he’s the reason I slept through the night. “I did. How about you?”

He hums. “I dreamed of you.”

I bite my lip. “Was it a good dream?”

He chuckles. “Very. But I’m not going to go into detail. I don’t want you to hang up on me again. Are you going to be at your aunt’s all day?”

I think for a minute. “I think so. I’m playing dress-up with my five-year-old cousin, Gretchen. She’s so adorable. And my cousin, Ian, is nine but he kicks my butt at video games.”

Dec laughs. “That’s not hard. You suck at video games.”

“Hey. I whooped your ass at Tetris.”

He laughs again. “Okay. The one game you’re good at.” Dec takes a deep breath. “I miss you, Ky. And not just because we’re mates.

“I miss kicking your butt at games even when I wasn’t trying. I miss seeing your smile whenever I hung out with Chase. I miss your cookies and how we would burn our hands because we stole them as soon as you took them out of the oven.

“I miss how you softly snore when you fall asleep on the couch, but still say you don’t snore.” Just for the record, I don’t snore.

He continues. “I miss how you would get annoyed every time we closed your schoolbook when you were doing homework. I miss how you would try to wrestle us, but you ended up getting tickled instead.

“I miss how you always had an extra towel for me when we went swimming. I miss how your eyes light up whenever you see a fluffy animal, especially otters when they hold hands. I miss how you sing country songs in the shower.

“I miss the way your hair turns red in the sunshine, just like your wolf’s. I miss how your feet are always cold, so you tuck them under you when you sit. I miss you.”

My whole heart has turned to goo. I am a puddle of tears as I remember all those happy times. I never knew he paid so much attention to me. I whisper, “I miss you too, Dec.” I sniffle nonstop and wipe my face.

“Are those happy tears?”

I nod even though he can’t see me. “Yes.”

He lets out a sigh of relief. I hear him swallow. “Will you do me a favor?”

I sniff so I can speak. “What is it?” “Will you remember that we had good times together? And that I wasn’t always a jerk?”

I grin. That’s an easy thing to do. “I will. Thank you, Dec. I need to get going. I’ll call you tonight.”

He happily replies. “I look forward to it.”

I start making breakfast for everyone while I sip some coffee. Pretty soon, my family begins to trickle into the kitchen. Gretchen is the first to arrive. “Ky, I want to help.”

I set her up on the counter. “Okay, sweetie. Here. You stir while I crack the eggs.” Gretchen and I finish making breakfast just as everyone sits at the table.

After finishing breakfast, Mark and Kendra take the opportunity to go grocery shopping and just spend some time together. The pups and I enjoy a lazy morning of video games. Of course, Ian kicks my butt.

Gretchen pulls me into our room to play dress-up. I let her play with my makeup and apply them on my face. She uses the brightest and most sparkly colors, so I look like a clown by the time she’s finished. I braid her hair, then she takes a nap.

I clean up my face, then Ian and I watch a movie, completing it with a popcorn fight. After cleaning up the mess, I feed and change Aiden, then lay him down in his crib.

I lie down on the bed next to a sleeping Gretchen. I’m so content, but I feel like a part of me is missing. I miss my parents and Chase. I miss Dec. I smell my vest and his scent comforts the ache I feel in my heart.

Gretchen wakes from her nap. She crawls into my bed. “Kya?” She snuggles into me.

“Yes, princess?” I swipe her wispy hairs out of her face.

“You don’t sleep a lot anymore. Does that mean you’re leaving?”

I kiss her forehead. “No, sweet girl. I plan on staying until school ends. But I promise to visit you as much as possible.”

She touches my bracelet. “I like your bracelet, it’s pretty.”

I rub my thumb over the little wolf. “Thank you. It was a birthday gift from my mate.”

She gets a thoughtful look on her angelic little face. “He made you sad. Chocolate is yummy. It makes everyone happy. Can you make brownies so you can be happy?”

I tickle her belly, making her giggle. “Only if you help me.”

We get up and head to the kitchen. I make sandwiches for everyone. I get all the ingredients for the brownies ready while they eat. Ian stands up to help as we all begin mixing.

Kendra and Mark walk through the door just as we pull the brownies out of the oven. “Hey, Kya. Look what we found.”

I look up to see my parents, followed by Chase and Alana. My eyes go big and I run up to hug everyone. “What are you all doing here?”

Gretchen giggles as Chase lifts her high in the air. My dad gives me a key. “Hi, Cricket. Alpha Redd said you require a vehicle, so we brought it to you.”

I take the key and I already know it belongs to Dec’s truck. He loves that thing. We’ve gone off-roading in it on more than a few occasions.

Chase introduces Alana to everyone, while mom snuggles Aiden. I sit back and text Dec.

Kya

Why do I have the key to your truck?

Dad and Mark start getting things out to grill, while Ian and Chase begin playing some shooter game. Dec replies almost immediately.

Dec

So you don’t need to ride with that wannabe Alpha anymore. I asked around about him. He’s known to be spoiled and doesn’t like it when he doesn’t get his way. His father is a pushover and lets him get away with anything. Be careful around him, the both of them. I take in all of his info.

Kya

Thank you, Dec. And thank you for sending my family. I really missed them.

I go to walk into the kitchen to help out when my phone chimes again.

Dec

You’re welcome, Ky.

“Those pups are so cute,” Alana tells me as we work on throwing a salad together.

I smile. “Yeah, they’re really sweet. How is mated life?”

She blushes. “It’s really nice. I decided not to go to med school. I’m going to get a nursing degree. That way, I won’t be away from Chase as much and can still work with you in the pack hospital. Also, we plan on having pups right away and med school would just be too much.”

I’m not surprised. Alana has always loved pups. “I think it’s a good idea. It suits you. Just make sure I’m there when the pups are born.”

She nods. “Of course.”

We eat in the backyard. It’s a small grassy area that leads straight to the woods. The right side of the yard holds a fire pit. We all sit around the fire and chat.

I remember the last time I was at a fire pit was just before Dec became the alpha. Chase and Dec, and some other friends, invited me and Alana.

Dec had his marshmallows too close to the fire. I told him he was doing it wrong and that they were going to burn. He told me he liked them that way, right before they melted off the stick. I laughed at him.

He threw a marshmallow at me, and it broke out into a marshmallow fight. Dec has always been a part of my life, until he became alpha.

My family has a two-hour drive ahead of them. We all hug each other goodbye before they have to leave.

“Kya, why don’t you go out for a little while? You’ve been stuck here all day,” Uncle Mark tells me.

I can meet up with the group. They are still my friends… Owen is my friend; he just wants to be more. I shouldn’t hold that against him.

“All right. I won’t be out late. Love you guys.”

I give Mark and Kendra a kiss, then jump into Dec’s Ford Raptor. This thing is a beast to drive on the road, but on dirt roads, it’s awesome. It powers right over hills and dips, which is why Dec loves it so much.

Owen said earlier they would all be meeting at Lou’s; I hope they’re there now and not still at the lake. I don’t want to have to try to find a location I’ve only been to once.

I’m in luck. Damon’s Jeep and Owen’s Land Rover are both parked in front of the diner. Bianca’s face lights up when she sees me.

“Kya! Hey.” She rushes up to give me a hug. She pulls me to sit beside her so I’m facing Owen. Melissa and Cameron are sitting next to him, while Spencer is in a chair at the end of the table.

“How was swimming?”

Bianca has a confused look on her face. “We didn’t go swimming. We only got here about twenty minutes ago.” I knit my brows at Owen. He shrugs his shoulder.

“My family came to visit me. They just left,” I tell everyone as Damon waves the waitress over.

“That’s so nice of them to drive all the way here,” Bianca says.

I smile. “Yeah. It was good to see them. I don’t know how I’m going to get through being away from them when I go to Duke.” The waitress comes over and takes my order. I already ate, so I just ask for a milkshake.

“You got into Duke? That’s awesome. It’s close to your pack. Are you going to live off campus?” Damon asks me.

I never thought about that. It would be nice to be home, but living in a dorm would be easier. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“Did your little boyfriend come too?” Owen asks, jealousy dripping from his words.

“You mean my giant alpha ~mate~? He’s not stupid enough to walk into another territory uninvited. He won’t be coming here.” I stress the word ~mate~ just so Owen gets the hint. He rolls his eyes and shoves a bite of his burger in his mouth.

Spencer dips his fries into his shake. “That concert was awesome. We should see who’s playing next.”

I agree. It was a lot of fun. “The drummer is in my pack. His name is Finn. Do they do different genres at that club?”

Spencer gets animated as he talks about the different bands he’s seen. I feel Owen staring at me. I turn to look at him. His face is emotionless. I give him a smile. His eyes soften and he gives a half-smile in response.

It’s starting to get late, so I get up to leave. Owen follows behind me until we get out of the diner. “I’m glad you could make it out,” he says as he catches up to walk beside me.

I stop to talk with him. “You didn’t seem too happy to see me.”

He wrinkles his nose. “I don’t like being lied to. I can smell your boyfriend. I know he was here.”

I shake my head. “Don’t assume. I told you he wouldn’t come here. I drove his truck. My brother brought it for me to use so I can drive back home next weekend.” Okay, so I made up that last part, but he doesn’t need to know any different.

His shoulders slightly relax. “I thought you were lying to me. I’m sorry for being uptight earlier.”

I nod, accepting his apology. “I know a lot happened last night and a lot has changed, but I still like you and I want to be your friend. Okay? Friend.”

He shrugs. “We can just see where things go.” We both end up smiling at his choice of words.

“I’m going to go. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” I wave goodbye as I walk toward Dec’s truck.

He nods. “I guess you won’t need a ride anymore. I’ll see you tomorrow.”