7

NYLA

I couldn’t look Kade in the eye before. When he asked the question, at that point, I just wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out.

Which from the way he was crouched before me, looking at me like my answer was all he needed for the world to be better again, that would be impossible.

My fingers twisted nervously in my laps, my nails digging into my palm as though the pain from it could somehow make me any less conscious of his hand that was still touching my cheek.

He had just asked if I was going to reject him.

Yet, his posture never faltered. Although there was a tinge of pain in his expression, over all, he was unnervingly calm. His jaw straight, and face carved into perfection. How could he be this composed? Whilst I desperately wanted to bolt and never look back, it made no sense that he could appear to be unaffected by the tension between us.

Or maybe he was and he just wasn’t a coward. Unlike me.

My heart stopped racing. Silence had stretched between us for more than five minutes now. Deciding I couldn’t let it prolong any longer, my shoulders loosened up as I broke the silence.

“Do we have to do anything about it for now?” I asked him, and I was surprised when my voice didn’t fidget.

Xander and I are still mates. Until he rejects me or I do. Like I wasn’t having enough dealing with how akward things had turned between us since I’d been out of prison, now I had to deal with another circumstance— my mate’s twin being my second fated mate.

What was the moon goddess thinking? How could she decide to pair me with Kade when I was still very much tangled up with his brother?

“We don’t?” Kade leaned back slightly, his hand dropping from my cheek in startled surprise. “I thought you’d want to reject me as soon as possible.” He added, his eyes darting around my face in disbelief.

I swallowed. He wasn’t wrong.

Kade was someone who’d always made my skin crawl. For an unknown reason, he repulsed me, until I couldn’t care any longer if he was my mate’s brother and grew a similar hatred toward him.

But the same him had come to take me out of prison. As far as I knew, I was thrown in there without any agreed time as to when I would be released. They probably meant for me to rot in there. I didn’t know what bargain Kade had made to convince them or if he simply acted on his own, something I wouldn’t put past him, but I’ve since then let go of most of my grudge against him.

Even now, I found myself not wanting to make a rash decision simply because of the past.

“I haven’t had the time to think about it. I’ll come to a decision soon and let you know. That is if you don’t mind waiting for a bit.” My throat felt dry as I told him.

With him, I couldn’t know what to expect.

I was surprised when his eyes suddenly brightened up like he’d just heard good news. “Of course not. Take your time.” His hand inched up to touch my cheek for a fleeting moment before he straightened up back on his feet.

I startled, my whole body jerking as I blinked up at him. But he’d already turned away. He walked to the chair he’d sat earlier and began to unbotton his jacket.

My eyes widened a small fraction before I flinched up, standing. I’d take that as my cue to leave.

I had been in a hurry earlier. I couldn’t believe I got carried away.

His jacket had now come off. As he draped it on the back of the chair, I scurried to the door quickly. However, I was delusional to think I had suddenly become invisible.

Kade cleared his throat from behind, the sound dragging my attention back to him. “I’ve kept you here for half a day now. Could I at least make you something to put in your stomach before you leave?”

I turned and shook my head quickly. Too fast. “I’m not trying to reject the offer but wouldn’t that be stressful? Buying from outside could save both time and money,” I said, and seeing his face creased up, my voice stumbled out. “Just so you know, no, this isn’t me trying to run.”

“I know, Nyla. If you wanted to, you would have,” He said, flashing me a smirk and relief collided into me at once. One that was short lived as he added, “But I insist. You can sit over there, and I’ll work a meal out in a few hours.”

I looked at the couch he gestured to and nodded stiffly.

As I walked toward it, Kade swiftly moved past, crossing into the other room that probably was the kitchen with his hands in his pocket. Something, heck, everything about him seemed so different compared to back then. Then he’d been the handsome, tough, and overbearing bully.

Now, although he still kept the tough facade, he was gentle, more controlled and calculating. I’d have said the only thing that hadn’t change was his face, but Kade had become even more strikingly handsome. Still, I could be wrong. It could all be in my head, and I might be seeing him in a new perspective because he was now my mate.

I let out a strangled sound as I collapsed in the chair, my face buried in my hands.

After eating, I knew I had to leave immediately. Maybe if I didn’t see him for a while, I would be able to clear this storm of confusion in my mind.

Time went by aggressively slow. Before I knew it, I was up on my feet and pacing to and fro.

I took in the size of the room better this time. The dark curtains, couches, titled flooring, the soft king sized bed, the bedside lamp and even the door I had been halfway to bringing down was a stark difference from the hideout Kade had taken me on the night he brought me out of the prison.

Could this be his place, or was it possible it was another hideout?

Hideout or not, and wherever this place was, it was either far away from the packhouse or somewhere he knew his brother wouldn’t be able to track like the last time for him to have brought me here.

Speaking of his brother, I wondered if Xander had sent out a search party to look for me. If he’d even be bothered by my disappearance. If he was going to forget me once again.

And if he was the slightest bit remorseful about how he’d abandoned both me and our pup. My heart ached, leaning to know the answers, when the door creaked open.

My train of thought cut short as Kade stepped out, balancing a tray in his hand. His movements was careful and steady as he stopped before me.

He set the tray on the small table in my front, and the aroma of hot lasagna drifted through the air. Beside it was a cup of coffee.

My heart swelled in gratitude as my gaze raised to look at him. “Thank you so much. I can’t believe you went through the trouble.”

He chuckled lightly. “It’s nothing. Enjoy the meal.” He said simply. As he turned around, a suffocating curiosity sparked in me, filled with the weight of what I’d learnt from him.

I didn’t know when I grabbed his hand. “Wait, Kade!”

He halted, stiffening in shock at the contact. His eyes dropped lower to my hand that was holding his, somewhat in dismay because he knew it was unlike me, but I didn’t let go.

“About the bet you said Xander placed on me. Is it… true?”