Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
P eyton walked down the hall to Jason’s office. He was sure Jason would have more work for him, anything to stop thinking about a mate who didn’t want him. He wasn’t sure what was going on with Cade, but he looked so sad and despondent. Peyton couldn’t help but wonder if Cade thought he was disappointing as a mate. Heaving a sigh, he knocked on Jason’s office door.
“Come in,” a voice called out.
Peyton opened the door and walked in, putting a fake smile on his face. He saw Ares and Jason sitting at their desks working. “Hey,” he greeted.
“Please tell me you’ve come to help me with my work,” Jason asked, looking at him.
Peyton nodded. “I have indeed. What do you need me to do?”
Before he could answer, Ares glanced at him. “You seem upset, Peyton, can we help?”
Peyton’s shoulders slumped. “Thanks, but there is nothing anyone can do.”
Ares snorted. “I’m a god, Peyton, pretty sure I can help.”
Peyton shook his head. “What about the whole non-interference thing?”
“I’m sure I can help you without using any magic,” Ares assured him.
“Have a seat, Peyton, and talk to us,” Jason suggested gently.
Peyton shook his head. “I can’t yet, maybe soon, but I can’t yet.”
Jason nodded in understanding. “Okay, let me pile work on you instead.”
Peyton sighed in relief. “Thanks.”
Tudor and Cade found Alex watching those that were training.
“Alex, are you busy we need your help?” Tudor asked.
Alex glanced from Tudor to Cade. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” he asked in concern, touching Tudor’s shoulder.
“Can we go somewhere and talk Cade needs our help but for the moment we don’t want anyone else to know.”
Alex looked at Cade and nodded. “Sure we can. Let’s go to the lower garden, no one’s there.”
The three of them reached the lower garden and Alex put an anti-listening bubble around them.
“Now, Cade, what can I help you with?”
Tudor turned to Cade and touched his arm. “Do you want me to tell Alex?”
Cade shook his head. “No, but thank you for the offer.” He looked back at Alex. “So, I found my mate, but I can’t claim him.”
“Why not?” Alex asked gently.
Cade explained the problem. “And I asked Tudor if I could go back to the gargoyle palace so that I can get away from my mate, but he thought that with all the powers in this pack, someone might be able to help me.”
“I’m sure we can find a way to help you. But what of your mate? He must know you’re fated mates,” Alex wondered.
Cade shook his head. “No, I can mask my mating scent, so he doesn’t know.”
“Unless your mate is a god or a dragon, then they would know,” Alex pointed out.
The colour drained from Cade’s face. “You think Peyton knows we’re mates?”
“I think he does. That could be why there’s sadness in his eyes,” Alex said softly.
Cade ran his hands through his hair. “What do I do?”
“Talk to him, tell him what’s going on, and then we can grab those pack mates that might be able to help you and see what we can do,” Alex suggested.
Cade blew out a breath.
“We have so many different paranormals here dragons gods djinns a demon an angel plus black unicorns pooling all our resources we will be able to help you, Sir Knight.”
Cade gently touched his arm, smiling at Tudor. “Thank you, sire, Consort Alex. I don’t want to get my hopes up, but if anyone here can help, that would be amazing.”
“I’ll send a text to those we need and arrange a time for a meeting keep an eye on your phone but before that go and find Peyton and talk to him.”
Alex touched Tudor’s arm and he stopped talking.
“I will do, thanks.”
Alex clicked his fingers and the bubble vanished.
“Go see Peyton,” Alex said. “The Fates smiled on you with Peyton.”
Cade nodded. “They really did. He is literally my perfect man, and to know we might be able to be together without dying – just, thank you, both of you.”
Peyton was sat in the library, that for once was empty, his laptop on the desk in front of him, a notepad and pen next to it, along with a list of things to do. He was just about to start working when the door opened and Puff and Paris walked in.
“Okay, brother mine. What’s wrong?” Puff practically demanded, in his croaky voice, sitting down on a chair in front of the desk Peyton was using.
Peyton sighed, his shoulders slumping, and crossed his arms on his desk.
“If you want me to leave so you and Puff can talk alone, I’ll go,” Paris offered.
Peyton shook his head. “You can stay.” he leant forward a little. “I found my mate.”
“You did?” Puff exclaimed happily, but brokenly.
“Considering you’ve found your mate, you don’t seem very happy about it. Is whoever it is not to your liking?” Paris asked, sitting down next to Puff.
Peyton gave a humourless laugh. “He is everything I wanted in a mate, but he doesn’t want me. He sees me and walks off in the other direction.”
Puff gasped in outrage. “Tell me who it is and I’ll set them on fire for you,” Puff demanded.
“As will I,” Paris growled out angrily.
Peyton shook his head. “Please don’t. Also, he gives off no mating scent. I only know he’s my mate because Wolf told me.”
“Are you sure Wolf was right?” Paris asked.
“He was,” a voice said from the doorway.
They all turned and saw Cade standing there.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Puff demanded, standing up. Trying to talk angrily when you didn’t have much of a voice was hard.
Calm yourself, Puff. Cade is here to explain things to Peyton. We’ll find out later but know Cade has his reasons .
“I came to explain everything to Peyton,” Cade told them.
“Then we will leave you to it,” Puff said, listening to Bob. “Come, Uncle Paris.” And with that, he grabbed a startled Paris’s arm and pulled him out of the library, closing the door behind them.
“What just happened?” Peyton asked, confusion wrinkling his brow.
Cade walked further into the room, coming to stand by Peyton’s desk. “I think maybe Bob told Puff what I wanted to tell you. Will you let me tell you everything?”
Peyton rubbed his forehead before nodding and standing up. “Let’s sit over by the fireplace.”
Peyton led the way in a dazed manner. The more he listened the more his heart broke for his mate.
“So, Tudor is going to send a message out asking those he thinks can help to a meeting later. I would like it if you were there as well,” Cade concluded.
“Of course, I’ll be there.” Like he would let his mate deal with this alone.
Cade sat forward, his arms resting on his knees. “I’m sorry, Peyton, for everything I put you through. It was only when Alex told me that you would know I was your mate, I realised what I had done to you. Can you forgive me?”
“Can I ask a question first?”
Cade nodded.
“Do you want me as your mate?”
Cade got up and dropped to his knees in front of Peyton, gently taking his hands. “You are literally my dream come to life. Yes, I want you as my mate, but not if it means your death.”
Peyton gave him a teary smile. “Then let’s go to the meeting and see which of our amazing packmates can help us.”