Protecting Kai (True Mates #3)

Chapter 10

10

Kai

K ai blinked awake, smelling eggs, bacon, and coffee. He’d fallen asleep somewhere around two in the morning after listening to Cole through the walls, breaking what sounded like furniture. At first, he’d been terrified, but he knew in his heart of hearts Cole would never hurt him. Something had set Cole off. When he’d seen Cole sitting at his desk last night with his head in his hands, he’d been unable to resist going in to check on him. In the short time he’d known Cole, he’d always thought the man stronger than anyone he’d ever met, but the set of Cole’s shoulders convinced Kai something weighed heavily on Cole. He’d been drawn in to try to help him, but when Cole had thrown him out of his room last night, Kai hadn’t expected to feel as though someone had punched him in the stomach. His uncle had done it often enough that he knew the sensation.

The soft murmur of voices in the living room caused Kai to tense, and he knew Nick had arrived to babysit him. Kai scowled and sat up. He tugged on the pair of jeans he’d discarded the night before and stomped out to the living room only to stop in surprise. He didn’t see Cole anywhere. Nick stood at the stove, and the table only had two sets of dishes on it. “Where’s Cole?” Kai demanded.

Nick swung around and gave Kai a raised eyebrow. “And good morning to you too.”

Kai didn’t care how it had sounded. He couldn’t believe Cole had left without a word. “He just left?”

“He needed to go take care of some things.”

“He couldn’t even be bothered to say goodbye?”

Nick gave him a hard look, impatience in the set of his mouth. “I’m surprised you even care.”

Kai stared at Nick, shocked. “What?”

“Cole is the kindest person I’ve ever met in my life, and he’s done nothing except try to help you. Do you have any idea what you’re doing to him? No, of course you don’t, because you can’t see past the end of your snout. Yeah, you’ve had a shit lot handed to you in life, kid, but it doesn’t give you the right to be so fucking selfish.”

Kai gaped at Nick. The man had seemed nothing except easygoing in the interactions he’d had with him, but this side of Nick shocked Kai, and he couldn’t do anything except stare at the other shifter. A plate slamming down on the counter sounded loud as Nick growled.

“I promised myself I’d stay out of it, because Cole can handle himself, but coming out here practically accusing him of abandoning you when all you’ve done is use him and treat him as if he’s only here as a means to an end instead of giving him a real chance pisses me off, kid. He’s my best friend, and I refuse to sit by while you treat him like fuck all. Now, sit down, eat, and think really hard about what you say next. Got it?”

The first instinct Kai had was to run. Nick hadn’t raised his voice, though. He’d been angry at Kai, but hadn’t yelled nor had he raised his hands to hit Kai. Hesitating, Kai debated on what to do next, eyeing the table and the door.

Nick sighed. “Sit. If you don’t eat, Cole will have my hide as a wolfskin rug for next winter.”

Kai didn’t understand why the idea of Cole still wanting to take care of him despite being angry with him made him want to smile. He edged toward the table and gingerly took the seat he’d begun to think of as his. “Is Cole coming back?”

“Of course. It’s his house.”

Oh. Of course. Kai snorted to himself. Why wouldn’t Cole return?

Nick sat down across from him, sipping at his coffee, but didn’t eat, instead watching as Kai picked at his food. “Has Cole tried to tell you about what we are?”

Kai nodded.

“Then you know what mates are?”

“Yes.”

“Did he tell you what happens when one rejects the other?”

Kai tensed, waiting for the expected guilt trip. “No.”

“A year ago, I found my mate, Thayne—you met him the other day. I knew before I even saw him we were mates.”

“How?” Kai interrupted.

“It’s a scent thing. Wolves can smell it the moment they meet their true mate. I don’t know if it’s the same way for your kind. Of course until you, we had no idea there were potentially other shifters out there. Anyway, I’d wanted a mate since I can remember. We all grow up believing, hoping, we’ll find them one day. We never know whether they will be male or female, but usually the ancestors of our people, or fate, whichever you choose to believe in, pair us with the other half of our soul with our intended proclivity. While it may sound romantic as a fairy tale, believe me, it isn’t. You don’t fall in love with your mate at first sight. You feel the pull, the instant lust and desire to be with them, to have them sexually, but emotionally, you could end up hating each other.” Nick paused, and his lips twisted into a bittersweet smile.

“Thayne… he had witnessed something rather difficult to bear as a child, and it left him detesting the idea of having a true mate. He rejected me the moment he found out we were mates. It wasn’t an easy pill to swallow. In fact, it was one of the most painful fucking experiences of my life.” Nick gave a sour laugh, eyes shadowed with something Kai couldn’t identify.

“But you’re mated now,” Kai pointed out.

“Not without a long road to get here. Thayne—” Nick’s voice caught in his throat. “—Thayne made a mistake, something only I could help him break. It forced him to accept my claim, accept the mating bond, but not me. For six months, I worked myself into the ground, rarely sleeping or eating, and for a shifter, that’s a scary thing. We need both and a lot of it. I ended up in the hospital with massive weight loss, malnourishment, and dehydration. You yourself know what both of those can lead to. We rarely need human medicine to survive, and most of the time it never works.”

Kai shivered. “I-I remember.”

“It took a lot for me to not go full wolf and disappear into the forest to die when he rejected me, Kai. If I hadn’t had Cole, Ryan, my business partner, and Seth, my best friend, I would have. I’ve witnessed many of our pack waste away to nothing when they’ve lost their true mates.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Kai whispered, appetite fled, not even half the breakfast gone, fork on the table beside the plate, forgotten.

“Because you need to understand what being a true mate means and because I’m a selfish prick who can’t stand seeing Cole the way I did this morning. He is my friend and the soon-to-be Alpha of my pack. Right now, though… he’s just my friend, and I know what he’s going through. You’ve given him a time limit, and all he can hear is the clock ticking the more time goes by.”

Kai tried to picture Cole, such a large, vibrant man, shrunken in on himself, and his heart pitched. His hands shook as he lowered them to his thighs, and his fox made a pitiful chirp inside him. Kai couldn’t imagine Cole being anything less than the strong, beautiful wolf he’d met, the one taking care of Kai as though he meant the world to him. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Stop pushing him away. If I know Cole, he isn’t asking for anything from you except to be by you, with you. He would never ask for more than you are ready to give.”

Kai bit his lip. He knew Nick was right. Cole had never asked him for anything really. Nothing except to be with him, spend time with him, and get to know him. He hadn’t even touched Kai without asking for permission first. Kai closed his eyes as he realized how often he’d rejected Cole over the last several days. Cole had never once gotten angry at him for it, never tried to push him or threaten him to accept Cole. He’d only gotten angry around Kai once, when Kai had been upset about Nick babysitting him. “When is Cole coming home?”

“He said he had more than his meeting to take care of and figured around one. Until then, you’re stuck with me. I hoped we could spend the time together talking and maybe even watch a movie or perhaps play a video game on the PS4 he has. Unless you have something else in mind for how you want to spend the morning?”

The need to see Cole rode Kai hard, but he knew he had to wait. Cole would return, and Kai could apologize. He needed to tell Cole… what? He didn’t even know what he’d say. He’d been a selfish jerk. Kai thought over every single day since he’d first laid eyes on Cole in the alley in Phoenix. Cole had saved his life, protected him, taken care of him, wanted nothing more than to help him, given him everything he could, and Kai had never once thanked him or given him a chance. He’d given Cole nothing in return. Cole hadn’t expected anything from him except for Kai to get to know him.

“Let me get breakfast cleaned up and then we can decide what to do, okay? Don’t let Cole know how little you ate, huh? He’ll kick my ass for sure.” Nick grimaced and stood. He picked up his plate and Kai’s.

Kai took a deep breath and got up as well, reaching for the silverware and glasses. “Can I help?”

Nick gave him a surprised glance, one that made Kai twitch in embarrassment. Had he even forgone such a small thing as helping to clean up after himself? “Sure. How are your ribs doing?”

“They feel better,” Kai said as he carried the glasses to the sink.

“Let’s make sure we don’t do anything too taxing. Cole showed you his greenhouses yet?”

“Yeah. Yesterday. They’re beautiful.”

“It’s been his passion for years. I can still remember him talking about his plans to build them when he started up the business.” Nick chuckled, green eyes twinkling. “The day they started construction on them was probably a step below the day he found you.”

Jealousy zinged through Kai, surprising him. “You’ve known each other for a long time?”

“All our lives actually. Born and raised together. Oh, the things I could tell you.”

“Like what?” Kai asked curiously, leaning against the counter as Nick started washing the plates.

“Oh no, I don’t think I should. Cole would kill me.”

“Come on, I can keep a secret. I won’t tell him. I want to know more about him. Please?”

Nick eyed him for a moment and then said, “All right, but if you tell him I told you….”

“I won’t! I promise!”

Laughing, Nick replied, “Let’s get these dishes done first, and while we play a video game, I’ll tell you some of the stories, okay?”

Kai nodded eagerly and helped dry off the dishes as Nick washed, putting away the ones he knew where they went, asking about the others when he didn’t. For the first time since Kai had been at Cole’s home, Kai forgot about everything else: his past, his uncle, and the pressure of being Cole’s mate. After they finished, Nick set another pot of coffee to brew and beckoned Kai to follow him. “What game do you want to play?”

Shrugging, Kai perched on the edge of the couch and watched as Nick turned on the television on the wall. He knew what video games were, but he hadn’t played one since before his parents’ death. He’d even stolen a few video game systems for his uncle over the years, so he wasn’t entirely ignorant of how they worked.

Nick poked through a shelf of neatly organized slim plastic cases. “Hmm. Let’s see. What about Call of Duty ?”

“What is it?” Kai asked.

Nick turned his head to look at Kai, an eyebrow raised, but didn’t comment on his lack of knowledge. “A first-person shooting game. You’re a soldier. We can either go online as a team or go against each other offline.”

Kai shook his head, wrinkling his nose.

“Okay, I guess you don’t like war games. What else? Hmm.” Nick continued to browse through the selection while Kai settled farther onto the sofa and drew one knee up to his chest, wrapping his arms around it while watching in fascination. “What about Need for Speed ?”

“What’s that?”

“Car racing? You design your own race car and race other drivers?”

“Okay, sure. I’ll probably be terrible at it, though.”

“Nah, I’ll teach you.”

Kai watched Nick pull out a hidden drawer built into the top of the cabinet next to the fireplace, where an electronic machine was hidden, and smiled, shaking his head. Somehow it didn’t surprise him Cole would find a way to make his space neat and compact. In the short amount of time he’d known Cole, the man seemed compulsive about things being in place and put together. Nick placed the disc in the machine, hit the button, and grabbed up a flat controller to turn on the television before picking up the game controllers. He handed one to Kai and sat down next to him. “We’ll work on your car first and get you familiar with the game before we get into playing against each other, okay?”

“Okay.”

Setting up Kai’s car took longer than Kai would have thought. A lot of the color designs didn’t appeal to him. They were still on Kai understanding how to drive without running into things, what buttons to press to make the car move, and how to take the curves properly when Cole opened the front door. It surprised Kai how quickly the time had passed, but it wasn’t the surprise of Cole’s appearance that caused him to drop the remote into his lap or the zing of happiness at seeing Cole walk through the door that made him feel guilty. It was the dark circles under Cole’s eyes, the way Cole hesitated in the doorway at the sight of them sitting on the couch together, and the pain in the dark green eyes that made Kai’s breath catch in his throat. “Cole.”

Nick stood. “Hey, Cole.”

Cole turned on his heel and slammed the door behind him, the sound as loud as a gunshot over the noise of the music from the video game. Kai flinched, and Nick swore, then sighed. “Give me a minute, buddy. I need to talk to him.”

Kai nodded and swallowed as Nick hurried outside after Cole. He didn’t know how to turn off the video game, and the music started to grate on his nerves. He got up and located the remote, turned the volume down on the television instead, and moved to look out the window, wanting, needing, to see Cole. The two of them were standing near Cole’s truck with Cole’s back to the house, but Kai could see the angry set of Cole’s shoulders and the way Cole had his hands fisted at his sides. Would Cole hit Nick? Nick didn’t seem afraid of Cole, though. Cole’s shoulders suddenly slumped, and he brought his hands up to cover his face, a move that brought a sound forth from Kai, a desperate and wounded one that shocked him. Kai slapped a hand over his mouth, stifling it. Cole’s defeated air made Kai’s heart ache in a way he didn’t understand. Nick laid a hand on Cole’s bicep, and a fierce high-pitched growl rattled in Kai’s throat, startling Kai even further. What the hell was wrong with him?

He watched as Cole lowered his hands at something Nick said, and he ducked behind the wall when he saw Cole start to turn toward the house. Kai’s foot slipped on something, and he looked down to spot a manila folder on the floor. Frowning, he bent and picked it up, noticing the name of a company etched into the area where the label usually went, a law firm of some kind. He set it on the coffee table, though he couldn’t help his curiosity, wondering why Cole had been to see a lawyer. Was this where Cole had gone for his meeting? He recalled the conversation Cole had with his mother about the meeting and knew it wasn’t about a lawyer. It had been something to do with a market, a Ryson or Bryan or something. Kai frowned.

The sound of the front door opening caused Kai to jump, and he turned to find Nick standing there, but no Cole. “Where’s Cole?” Kai asked.

“He needed to go for a run. Said to have some lunch, and he’ll join us a little later.” Nick headed toward the kitchen.

Kai scowled, not really understanding everything. He didn’t follow Nick. Instead he rushed down the hallway to the back door in time to see Cole disappear in human form into the trees. Without giving it another thought, he thrust open the door and ran after Cole. He heard Nick call his name, but he ignored it. His fox urged him faster, pushing him to catch Cole before Cole could leave him behind. The moment Kai entered the tree line, he shifted, his animal half picking up Cole’s scent right away. Giving a small yip, he barreled through the lower brush, tracking Cole until he reached a ravine where Cole did an abrupt turn and followed its jagged line through the forest. Kai threw his snout in the air, let out an eerie howl, and waited, hoping Cole would answer.

The returning howl came, several miles to the north of him, and Kai gave an answering happy cry, racing fleet-footed toward it, his tiny black paws eating up the ground at a fast clip. Leaves flew up in the air as he came to a shuddering halt when Cole appeared before him a few yards away, still in his powerful wolf form. Kai trembled, uncertain as to why he’d sought out the other shifter but knowing he needed to be with him, to comfort him. He cautiously approached Cole, sniffing at the air only to whimper when he caught the scent of hesitation and pain. He’d done that. The realization slammed into Kai as surely as his uncle’s fist during one of the many beatings he’d suffered. He’d been completely blind.

Cole lowered himself to the ground, laying his large head on his paws, eyes dull but watchful. Kai gave a low trill in his throat, a lulling call of apology meant to soothe and calm. Cole didn’t move. Kai stepped closer, until he stood mere inches from Cole, and pressed his nose to Cole’s muzzle, nuzzling gently. Cole whined and closed his eyes, leaning into Kai. The scent of pain grew deeper, and Kai would have gasped if he’d been in human form. Despite what Nick had tried to explain to him before about mates and their connection, how it hurt when one rejected the other, Kai hadn’t truly understood until then. It terrified him to know how much another person needed him. Him… a damaged soul who didn’t have enough left to offer to another person. Yet Kai knew after everything he’d witnessed these last few days that Cole didn’t care about any of it. Cole hadn’t asked for anything. He just wanted… Kai. All of him, parts of him, anything he could get. Cole wanted whatever Kai would give him. It horrified Kai as it reminded him of a starving dog waiting for table scraps, and he’d never thought he’d be capable of treating anyone the same way he’d been treated almost his entire life.

Kai shifted. “Cole….” His voice wavered, and he choked, stroking the fur along Cole’s back with trembling fingers. “I’m sorry.”

Another whine left Cole’s throat, and Cole shoved closer, laying his head in Kai’s lap and closing his eyes. Kai leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Cole’s ears. “I’m so, so sorry,” he wept. “I didn’t understand.”

Tears dampened Cole’s fur as Kai cried, for the pain he’d endured for many years and for the pain he’d inflicted since being relieved of his own. Cole only chose to shift when those tears finally became dry tracks on Kai’s cheeks. He wrapped Kai in a tight embrace, holding him close to the warm muscles of his chest and stroking one large hand down the ridges of his spine. “It’s all right, Kai.”

Kai gripped Cole’s shirt, fingers digging in and holding on tight. “I di-didn’t know,” he hiccupped. “I n-never wo-would have—”

Cole covered his lips with two fingers, shaking his head. “It’s all right.”

Burying his face in the crook of Cole’s neck, Kai sighed, still upset. Once he could manage to talk normally, he asked, “How are you able to be nice after I’ve been nothing but cruel since we met?”

Cole’s chest rose and fell on a breath. “Because no matter how much you hurt me, Kai, you are still my mate, and because you weren’t raised in the way of shifters. You couldn’t possibly understand the bond of true mates. Not yet.”

“I… I’m still not sure I’m ready to be mates,” Kai began. Cole stiffened, and his broad shoulders drooped. Guilt bit deep into Kai once more. “But I won’t leave,” he rushed on to say. “I won’t leave after the month is over.”

The tension left Cole. “Thank you,” Cole murmured, pressing a kiss to Kai’s temple.

The sheer relief in Cole’s voice caused even more guilt to crash down on Kai. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

“Don’t be. I’m sorry I’m an impatient ass, kit.”

Kai glared at Cole. “You aren’t.”

Cole raised one auburn brow. “I think there are few who wouldn’t agree with me.”

“Well, I don’t think you are, and that’s all that matters,” Kai replied haughtily.

Cole chuckled. “Very true, mate, so very true.”

Kai stilled, uncertain how he felt about Cole using the term as an endearment but decided to let it go. He smiled at hearing Cole laugh for the first time since they’d argued the day before. He became aware of their position then as well. He was straddling Cole’s lap! A flush worked its way over Kai’s cheeks, darkening them to a rosy color. Cole frowned. “Are you all right?”

“I… ah….” Kai licked his lips. “We should go. I kind of left without telling Nick.”

Cole grunted. “He’s supposed to be watching over you. Great bodyguard he is.”

“Hey, I didn’t exactly give him a choice. I kind of just ran out.” Kai dropped his gaze to the base of Cole’s throat in embarrassment. He saw several fascinating strands of dark auburn hair peeking through the top of Cole’s T-shirt and wondered if he was hairy all over, and if it was all the same color. Eyes widening and breath catching, Kai bit his lip at his wayward thoughts. He started in surprise when Cole slid two fingers beneath his chin and tipped his head upward a bit. He hadn’t even been aware Cole had moved. Dark green eyes caught his gaze, and Kai watched as they got closer, giving him more than enough time to move away. But all Kai could do was part his lips, waiting for the kiss Cole obviously intended to take. A sigh slipped free the moment Cole’s mouth settled over his.

Cole broke away, much to Kai’s disgruntlement, but only angled his head to deepen the kiss. One of Cole’s strong arms slid around Kai’s waist to support him while the other came up to allow Cole to cup the back of Kai’s head. Kai tentatively rested both of his hands on Cole’s chest and gave an unsure swipe of his tongue along Cole’s bottom lip. Cole’s answering groan vibrated beneath Kai’s palms, and he flexed his fingers as he repeated the movement, slick and wet against the smoothness of Cole’s mouth. Kai made a small noise in his throat at just how good it felt. This time Cole wrenched his mouth away and dropped his forehead to Kai’s shoulder, shuddering. “Gods,” Cole gasped. “We should go.”

Kai shifted a bit in Cole’s lap, knowing he needed something, needed release, but Cole grabbed his hips, stopping him. He became aware of the hard bulge beneath his bottom and the muscles quivering beneath his hands. Cole wanted him. Kai rolled his body slightly and felt Cole’s fingers dig into him. “Kai, don’t.”

He knew he wasn’t being fair, knew he should listen to Cole, but his fox wanted the other shifter more than anything he’d ever wanted in his life. “Why?” Kai whispered, nuzzling at Cole’s throat.

“Because I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from claiming you,” Cole rasped.

Kai still didn’t understand how claiming another worked. He nipped at the skin on Cole’s neck. “It takes more than sex to claim me?”

Cole growled, hands tightening on Kai almost painfully. “Yes. I would have to bite you as I come inside you. Fuck! Kai, stop!” Cole snarled as Kai laved at the spot he’d bitten.

Something about the way he had such power over Cole’s reactions made Kai feel heady, in charge, and he didn’t want to stop. He bit down again, harder but not enough to break the flesh. Before he could comprehend the movement, Kai found himself pinned beneath Cole, a very angry, very turned-on werewolf panting in his face. Hard green eyes glittered down at him as Cole held his hands over his head. “Enough!” Cole demanded. “Before you find my cock buried so deep inside your ass you won’t know where you end and I begin, kit.”

Kai’s breath caught, but to his astonishment, not from fear. Pure lust slammed into his belly. He licked his lips. “I….”

Cole must have mistaken his reaction for disgust because Cole’s weight was suddenly gone, and Kai lay there, breathing heavily and hot with desire. His fox cried out, begging for his mate to take him. Kai didn’t understand the rapid change in his body or why he didn’t want to head for the hills as he would have in the past. Had what Nick explained about mates changed everything? Did he want Cole to claim him? He was no longer afraid of Cole. He trusted Cole. The realization rushed through Kai, almost slapping him in the face as he saw Cole standing several feet away, facing away from him.

He managed to stand and approach Cole, setting one hand on Cole’s broad back. “I’m sorry,” Kai murmured.

Muscles quivered beneath his fingers. Cole spun around and crushed Kai to him. “Never believe I could hurt you, kit. Ever.”

“I know,” Kai whispered. “I know you’d never hurt me, Cole. I trust you.”

A tremble wound its way through Cole’s body, and Kai closed his eyes, unable to comprehend having such an effect on a man—wolf—as powerful as Cole. He burrowed closer to Cole and hung on tight, his fox almost purring within him. The world dropped away, becoming nothing except the two of them. Kai couldn’t ever remember a time when he’d felt as safe and warm as he did right then. Maybe not even when his parents were alive. Wind rustled the trees overhead, sending several leaves to the forest floor around them. Cole’s lips whispered over Kai’s temple once more before Cole released him. “Let’s go home,” Cole murmured.

Kai nodded and reluctantly let go. He waited until Cole had shifted to allow his own change to take place, his fox accepting control again eagerly. Cole brushed against him, stroking his throat over the top of Kai’s head with a guttural growl. Kai chirped and licked at Cole’s muzzle, panting with happiness. With a gentle nip at Kai, Cole darted into the trees toward home, and Kai gave chase.

When they reached the house, Nick was pacing near the door, a scowl on his face. Relief immediately flooded his tense features, and his shoulders slumped when he spotted the two of them trotting from between the trees. “Dammit, Kai! What the hell?” he shouted when he spotted Kai.

Kai shifted and had the grace to look sheepish. “I’m sorry, Nick.”

Cole snorted and rolled his eyes, shifting in a flash of light. “Great looking out, Nick,” he drawled.

“I’m sorry, Cole! I—” Nick cut himself off, his eyes darting between the two of them. “Did you two…?” His voice trailed away as he scented the air.

Kai wrinkled his brow, tilting his head as he tried to understand what Nick asked.

“No!” Cole exclaimed, shaking his head. “No, we didn’t. Let’s go inside. I have something I need to talk to you about, Nick, and Kai needs to eat.”

“I’m fine,” Kai protested, frowning.

“You need to eat,” Cole insisted, tone stern. “You’re still as skinny as a reed. Until I can’t see your ribs anymore, you’ll eat every chance I can stuff food down you.”

Kai flushed. “I’m not hungry.”

Cole grunted and placed a hand on Kai’s lower back, guiding him into the house. Kai could feel the heat of Cole’s touch almost burning him through his thin T-shirt and bit the inside of his lower lip. He didn’t understand what Nick had asked, but he had a feeling it had something to do with him. The three of them headed to the kitchen, Cole never once removing his hand, using it to direct him into the chair that had somehow become his. “Don’t move,” Cole directed.

Kai glared at him, but he didn’t put any heat behind it, knowing Cole only wanted to take care of him. He watched as Cole handed the folder from the lawyer’s office to Nick. “This isn’t up for discussion,” Cole instructed Nick before relinquishing it.

Nick nodded once while Kai gazed on curiously. He saw Nick’s eyes flash over the contents of the folder and widen in shock, flicking up to Cole several times before returning to the document. A noise rattled in Nick’s throat. “Cole,” Nick choked, “no.”

Kai frowned. “What?”

Cole shook his head. “Just sign it, Nick.”

“I can’t. You know I can’t.”

Cole gave Nick a sad smile. “You’re the only one who can.”

Kai didn’t know what the two of them were discussing, but whatever the paper said upset Nick a lot. He started to stand, but Cole held him in place with a hard stare. Kai held his breath as Nick took the pen Cole offered, his long, slender fingers tightening on it until Kai felt certain it would snap. “You’re asking too much, Cole,” Nick rasped.

“Am I?” Cole murmured. “You’re my best friend, Nick. If not you, then who? You’re the only one I trust with this, Nick.”

“But why?”

“You’ve been there, Nick. You know why.”

“But you’re an Alpha, for fuck’s sake!”

Cole flinched, but didn’t waver. “You think I’m not aware of what I am, Nick? You think it didn’t cross my fucking mind? You think I don’t know this makes me weaker than my own fucking Beta? Shit, Nick, I know it better than you ever could. I’ve done nothing except think of every single thing running through your mind, but I feel it here.” Cole touched his chest, “I won’t be able to handle it the way you did.”

It hit Kai then that Cole and Nick were talking about him. His breath caught in his throat. Something in the document pertained to him.

“Don’t ask me to do this, Cole.”

“I’m already asking you, Nick. Please, for me.”

“But… I thought things had changed.”

Cole laughed, but it held no humor or happiness. Kai had known more than his fair share of bitterness, so he recognized it coming from Cole. He winced, knowing he’d affected Cole’s life negatively.

“Nothing has changed, Nick. Nothing has changed at all. Just sign the damn paper, Nick.”

Nick set the folder on the island counter, placed the tip of the pen over the paper, hesitated, but signed. He closed the folder and set the pen on top afterward. “I’ve known you my whole life, Cole, and this… this is a mistake.”

Nervousness set in, and Kai couldn’t take it anymore. “What’s going on?” he demanded, standing.

The two of them looked at him in surprise, almost as if they had forgotten he was there. “Nothing,” Cole said. “What do you want to eat for lunch?”

“Tell him, Cole,” Nick growled.

“Tell me what?”

“Nick!” Cole snarled.

“He has a right to know,” Nick snapped.

“Know what?” Kai persisted.

“It’s nothing.”

“Goddammit, Cole! You don’t have the right to make such an important decision without telling him.”

“I have every fucking right. It’s my business, my life. Either shut up or get out!” Cole shouted.

Nick jerked as if struck. Kai stared at Cole, mouth hanging open, never having seen him in a rage, not even when he’d insisted Nick come stay with Kai today. Silence enveloped the house for several breaths, and then Nick stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

“Fuck!” Cole swore, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers. “Stay here,” he grunted and tore after Nick.

Kai closed his mouth and listened to the sound of Nick’s car starting, but no sound of tires crunching on the gravel followed the growl of the engine, and eventually the rumble cut off. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing Cole had felt awful immediately after speaking to Nick in anger. Turning his gaze to the folder, Kai wondered what had set Nick off. He frowned and edged closer, ignoring the warning bells at the back of his mind against prying. He opened the folder and peered at the paper. Most of the language didn’t make sense to him, but he did recognize his name being printed as Kai Ferris, which gave him a jolt, as well as him being named Cole’s beneficiary. Kai’s lips parted on a sharp intake of breath. He didn’t understand what a trust was or how it all came together, though. Nick had seemed agitated by the entire document.

The front door opening brought his head up, and Cole entered the house. Cole stopped short when he saw Kai looking at the papers. Kai scrambled away until he hit the stove.

“You weren’t meant to see that,” Cole said as he came forward and closed the folder.

“What does it mean?” Kai asked.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter,” Kai insisted. “Why did it upset Nick? I know it’s about me. He said I have the right to know!”

Cole sighed and rubbed at the top of his head, mussing up his hair. “Come sit down. Please.” The please had been added as an afterthought, as if he’d realized how demanding he’d sounded.

Kai went around to Cole’s side of the counter and perched on the edge of the couch cushion, waiting for Cole to explain. He watched as Cole started pacing between the fireplace and the windows. Cole seemed hesitant to begin talking. “Cole?”

Cole stopped at one of the wide windows and stared out of it. “The papers are a trust, a fund, naming you as beneficiary and Nick as the trustee, the one who controls the assets and helps with the business side of things. If something happens to me, Ferris Organics, the greenhouses, my home, and all of my assets become yours.”

Flabbergasted, Kai stared at Cole’s broad back, his eyes wide and his hands trembling. “But… why? What do you mean if something happens to you?”

Kai could see Cole’s mouth twist in his reflection in the window. “I know you’ve agreed to stay here, to no longer leave after the month is over, and I couldn’t be more grateful. My wolf couldn’t be happier either, but I am not na?ve enough to believe you will ever accept being my mate. Over the course of my life, I’ve always known what was expected of me, thought I knew how my life would go, but I never….” He trailed off, his hands tightening into fists at his side.

Heart pounding and sweat beading on his upper lip, Kai tried to understand Cole. He wanted to tell Cole he could accept Cole eventually, but fear curled in his belly at the idea. He didn’t want to be in a position to be controlled by anyone ever again, and somehow, it felt as if being mated would give Cole power over him. Yet Kai also sensed his desire to remain free hurt Cole a lot.

“The trust ensures no matter what you will always be taken care of. You are my mate, kit. My everything. I need you to understand how important it is to me you know that.”

“I do,” Kai whispered.

Cole glanced over his shoulder at Kai, a pained smile on his lips. “I’m sorry for yelling earlier, for scaring you.”

Kai shook his head. “You didn’t scare me.”

Turning, Cole gave him a skeptical look.

“You didn’t,” Kai insisted, standing and walking over to Cole’s side, gazing the few inches up into Cole’s eyes. “It surprised me, but it didn’t scare me. I’ve never heard you really yell before.” Kai laid his hand on Cole’s bicep. “Is everything with Nick all right?”

Cole covered Kai’s hand with his own, bringing Kai’s to his lips and pressing a kiss to the back of Kai’s fingers. “Everything is fine. I apologized for being an ass. He wasn’t wrong, but at the same time, he knew he’d overstepped his boundaries.”

Kai shivered at the heat on his fingers. “You’re his best friend. He cares about you.”

“We’ve known each other a long time,” Cole replied, pulling Kai closer and wrapping his arms around him. “Before Nick’s parents were killed, his father was one of my father’s Betas. I think I will be very lucky if Thayne doesn’t come over here and try to kick my ass later, if he’s not already on his way here.”

Kai frowned and looked at Cole. “Why would he want to hurt you?”

Cole chuckled. “When mates bond, they develop a telepathic link, kit. They can feel what the other feels, talk to each other without words. I have no doubt Thayne could sense Nick’s emotions earlier.”

Kai wrinkled his nose. “Really? Seems a little invasive.”

“Not really. It can bring you closer together actually,” Cole said, longing buried in his tone.

The sound hit Kai hard. He knew Cole wanted them to have the same type of connection. Kai leaned his forehead against Cole’s shoulder and frowned.

“Let’s get something to eat, okay?” Cole said, chest rumbling beneath Kai’s forehead.

“’Kay.”

Kai eased away from Cole, ignoring the way his fox chirped at him to not let go. “Can I make it for you this time?” he asked.

Surprise flashed across Cole’s face. “You don’t have to.”

“I know. I want to.”

“If you’re sure,” Cole said.

“I am,” Kai said, smiling.

Cole reached out and brushed the backs of his fingers over Kai’s cheek, returning the smile. “Any idea what you want to make?”

“What do you want to eat?”

“Anything is fine,” Cole husked, voice raspy and thick.

Kai tilted his head in confusion. Why had Cole’s voice changed? But he didn’t ask. Instead, he chose to turn toward the kitchen and head into the pantry to see what he could make. They’d had pasta a few days before, and he didn’t want to resort to sandwiches again. He spotted a box of instant biscuit mix and wondered if Cole had chicken in the house. A poor man’s version of potpie sounded good. “Cole?” he called.

Cole appeared in the doorway suddenly. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing,” Kai replied. “I wanted to ask if there was any chicken by chance.”

The tension in Cole’s shoulders eased. “I can check. I don’t know if Nick took anything out earlier.”

Kai caught a whiff of cinnamon and sandalwood as Cole turned and frowned. He breathed in deep, filling his lungs with the scent, and his knees weakened. He didn’t understand why he’d never associated the smells with Cole before, but his fox let out a yip inside him, almost wagging its tail in eagerness, urging him to follow Cole. Kai shivered and tried to regain control of his limbs, picking up the box of biscuit mix and leaving the pantry.

Cole stood at the fridge, door open, and Kai saw him reach inside for something. When he pulled his hand out of the fridge, he held a package of chicken. “I guess he did,” Cole said with a small smile, showing it to Kai.

“I can make what my mom used to call poor man’s chicken potpie,” Kai said, showing him the mix.

“Sounds good. Do you need my help with anything?” Cole asked, setting the chicken on the counter near the sink and leaning against it.

Kai shook his head. “I want to do this for you. You’ve done a lot for me already.”

Cole gave him a look. “I wanted to.”

“Please?” Kai said.

Cole studied Kai for several minutes and then smiled. “All right. I need to check on some things in the greenhouses anyway. I’ll only be a half hour, okay, kit?”

“Sure,” Kai said.

Pushing away from the counter, Cole brushed past Kai, squeezing his shoulder on the way. Kai stopped him with a touch of his hand on his forearm. Cole gave him a questioning look. Before Kai could have second thoughts, he leaned up and pressed a light kiss to Cole’s cheek. Cole made a startled noise, a small sound of air escaping his lips. “Thank you, Cole,” Kai murmured before turning away to start making them a late lunch.

There were no other sounds except those of Cole’s footsteps as he left the kitchen. Kai smiled and began humming as he busied himself at the stove, cutting up the chicken and seeking out the carrots and peas he needed. His heart beat fast against his ribs, but he ignored it, deciding to take it one day at a time.