CHAPTER 4

KAEDEN

I hate that I immediately notice how soft her skin is, how good it feels against mine. Especially as she is still lying, eyes dazed, breathing heavily, my hands placed gently on the back of her head and on her waist. I had just managed to catch her before her head hit the ground.

I’m not sure exactly why I was following her, watching her, noticing things about her that I should not be noticing. This afternoon, I swore to ensure that all contact with her would be minimal, until I could force my wolf to change its mind and find a more, less abominable mate… even though I was fully aware that it was virtually impossible for a wolf to do so. But the look that she gave me, the way I felt when our hands met, it drove me restless and unstable. Without realizing it enough to get a hold on myself, I found myself hunting for her, and have been essentially stalking her for the past hour. Like an idiot.

Damn. I know I already have a hard nut to crack convincing the pack that my decision to leave for 15 years was out of loyalty to them and for their best interests, not because I am a selfish, prodigal son, as I have heard through inside sources that my father has painted me to be. What on earth could I use to possibly justify bonding with my own sister, regardless that she is adopted?

Speaking of which… what happened to her? She was fine, basically stomped the way to her room, before jumping to her bed. Then she was up, headed to her cabinet and next thing I knew, I was flying towards her body as it crumpled to the ground. Did she touch something? Eat something?

I look around for a clue but all I can see is a little silver necklace beside her. Could that be? No. What could a little necklace do?

She had glanced up at me for a fraction of a second before her eyes closed but I can see that her eyes are beginning to flutter open again.

“Avara.”

She immediately disengages from my body once she opens her eyes and clutches her head.

“Are you alright?”

She gives me a look and rolls her eyes.

I chuckle. “Yes, that was a stupidly obvious question. What happened to you?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. What were you doing in my room?”

And she is a bit brazen. I don’t know why a smile is hinting at the corners of my lips at the thought of that.

“I wasn’t inside your room. I was just around.” I look her straight in the eyes, hoping that my attempt to establish dominance will prevent any further questions.

It doesn’t.

“These are my quarters.”

“And I have the right to go wherever the fuck I want to go.”

A hard and last hit tactic. I know that will not rub in well on her. But I am stalking you because you are my mate and I cannot seem to keep away from you would have rubbed worse on her.

She stands. “Of course. The only the almighty Alpha-heir has the audacity to disappear from home for 15 years to return at just the right time to lay claim to the throne and immediately start acting like he owns the place and the right to invade in everyone’s privacy. Well, brother, I don’t give a shit who you are. I don’t ever want to see you in my quarters again.”

She hates me. Now that look makes sense. It was a look of pure resentment. And for what exactly? She barely even knows me.

Silas.

Of course he poisoned her mind against me. Of course.

“Listen, I do not know what my father has told you about me.”

“He didn’t need to tell me anything.”

“Well then, I find it insulting that you have gone ahead to make assumptions about someone who you don’t even know.”

“Assumptions?” She hisses. “Is the fact that you ran away from home for 15 years an assumption?”

“No, what the assumption is, is whatever you have painted in your mind as the reason for my departure.”

“There’s no possible justifiable reason for disappearing for 15 years only to arrive just when you are at the right age to take the throne.”

I find my irritation building. “Then you have a small mind. And I am not going to give my little ignorant sister the honour of explaining myself.”

She glares at me for a second, and then opens a cabinet and takes out a bottle. Once she opens it, a smell that immediately ticks me off fills the room.

“What is that?”

I see her shoulders tighten. But just as I am certain she has chosen to ignore me, she speaks up.

“My medication. It’s comprised of several vitamins. They keep me stable.”

Those don’t smell like vitamins.

“Who gave you the medication?”

“What are you still doing here, Kaeden? Thank you for breaking my fall, but please leave me alone.”

“I’m just concerned for you.”

She laughs as she fills the cap of the bottle and takes a swig. “No, you fucking aren’t. Don’t even try to convince me again that you are. I’m not the naïve little girl I used to be.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Good night, Kaeden. Shut the door behind you.”