8. Lucas
8
Lucas
The door to my office slams open and Simon storms in, plunking himself into the chair in front of my desk and pulling me away from my thoughts of Kaylee and that night a week ago, when I claimed her body for the first time.
“I thought we weren’t on speaking terms?” I ask as I watch my friend run a hand through his hair. I can feel the anger and hurt radiating off of him, and I have a feeling what might have happened to make him choose to come to my office.
“We aren’t. But this is the only place my parents won’t bother me,” he answers back, pulling out his phone. I say nothing, knowing the situation Simon is in with his parents, and how they are trying to force him into claiming some random she-wolf as a mate instead of allowing him to search for her himself. It’s an argument that I have witnessed myself many times since he turned eighteen. At one point, Simon had confided in me that he hoped Kaylee would be his mate to shut his parents up, but the goddess seems to have wanted to play a cruel joke on the three of us.
Part of me wishes she had ended up as Simon’s mate. That this whole situation with the two of us never happened. Part of me is also pissed that Simon decided to use my office as his hideaway and interrupt me as I was just about ready to jerk off to the memory of taking my mate’s virginity. The only reason I haven’t throttled him for disrupting me during work hours is because he is Kaylee’s sworn brother. If I have any chance of finding my mate to see if she is safe and sound, then it is through him.
Turning back to the computer screen, I continue to read the report to calm my body and let out a groan. I spent over five thousand dollars just to get these results. My blood begins to hum as the pain of the broken mate bond sparks, and I wince. I know I shouldn’t be thinking of her, because thinking about Kaylee leads to pain from the bond I broke. But I need to know if she is safe.
“What are you working on?” Simon asks, making me debate over whether or not I should tell him.
“Finding Kaylee,” I finally answer, after thinking things over. Telling him that I want to find Kaylee won’t hurt. Maybe, just maybe, he might help me. Looking up from the screen to see Simon staring at me with an incredulous look on his face, I can tell he wants to scream at me. But with me being his future alpha, he holds himself back.
“Good luck. Her number doesn’t work anymore,” he states instead with a shrug, turning to look back at his phone. I sigh, returning to focus on the report. The private investigator found nothing. Her bank account was emptied out two days after she was banished, and the lawyer that her parents hired for Kaylee to claim her inheritance if they died before she turned eighteen refused to answer any questions I had about her.
I know deep down that Kaylee does not want to be found by anyone, but I have to try. I regret what happened last week, and need to make it up to Kaylee in some way. Even if it is by sending her an apology letter to explain why I did what I did. She would understand that I am protecting Oak Fur. She would be angry that I never told her the truth about why Marilyn came to Oak Fur. Mad that I kept the engagement hidden for so long, but she would then get over it. She would take time for herself, move on, and find happiness with someone else.
The broken bond shocks me with pain at the thought of Kaylee being with another, but it needs to happen. I will be mated to Marilyn soon and the bond will be gone for good. I just hope that when I leave my mark on Marilyn, Kaylee does not feel the pain too hard.
“Your wounds haven’t healed yet?” Simon asks, pulling me from my thoughts. I sigh and close the report, as nothing in there will give me any clue as to where Kaylee might have gone. Subconsciously, I lightly touch the four claw marks that scar my face. A physical reminder of the pain I caused Kaylee.
“No. I don’t think they will go away either,” I admit, giving Simon a sad smile.
“Good. If Kaylee has to bear the same mark of a betrayal, then I am glad she left a—”
“She won’t bear the mark,” I cut Simon off, glaring at him. How dare he state Kaylee would bear the mark I bore for hurting her.
“What?” He sits up as he stares at me in shock, his phone now in his lap as I capture his full attention. I guess he didn’t know this information either. Maybe we need to spread it to wolves our age in the pack.
“Before my aunt left, I asked her why Kaylee never got the betrayal mark,” I begin, running my hands through my hair.
“It’s because she attacked me after I rejected her and the mate bond was broken. I gained mine by committing the ultimate betrayal, rejecting her,” I continue, watching Simon open and close his mouth in confusion.
“So, Kaylee won’t have the mark, but you do?” he asks, trying to wrap his mind around this new information.
“Yes. I think the scars she left me are the goddess’ way of punishing me.” I end the conversation after this, telling Simon I have work to do. He says nothing, and the room returns to an awkward silence, only the tapping of my keyboard being heard.
I can’t tell anyone this, but I am glad Kaylee won’t bear the betrayal mark. She doesn’t deserve that mark like I do. I betrayed her in order to marry a woman who holds the life of Oak Fur in her hands.