Chapter 32
T here was a line for the counter once we got inside. The twins went to grab a table, dragging Curi with them on the pretext of needing muscle to beat back any table competition.
Thank the gods for their foresight. Curi might be clueless to my connection to Serath, but he’d spent enough time with me to know my scent, and if it spiked around Serath and Curi picked up on it, then…
Yeah.
I needed to be careful.
What I needed to do was go with the twins.
Why wasn’t I going with them? Oh yeah, because Serath was here. A mere goyle ahead of me. I could smell him. See him. Stupidly ache for him to look at me and smile that beautiful smile that lit up his brutally handsome face.
He’s fucking someone else, Cam. Snap out of it.
But the primal part of me, the part of me created to bond with his didn’t care about that. As far as my beast was concerned, Serath belonged to us.
Touron leaned in and whispered, “Um, Cam, you’re breathing a little heavily.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. Go sit down and send Curi to help with the drinks.”
The line moved forward, and Levi walked past, carrying a takeout cup. His step faltered adjacent to Serath.
“Serath Halle?” He stopped to address the elite.
“Yes?” The deep timbre of Serath’s voice did crazy things to the pulse at my groin.
“I was hoping to discuss something with you,” Levi said.
The line moved again.
“And you are?” Serath asked.
Like hell he didn’t know who Levi was, but he was putting on a good show of being oblivious.
“Levi Halle.” The slight hint of amusement in Levi’s tone told me he was aware of the pretense but was willing to play along. “I’d like to speak about Miss Basque.”
What was he doing?
“What about her?” Serath’s tone was lower now, holding a warning I wasn’t sure Levi was picking up on.
“If we could speak outside?”
Serath stepped out of the line, drink forgotten. I caught his profile, the tension in his jaw as he strode out of the building without giving me a second glance.
I broke away from Touron. “I’ll be right back.”
“Cam, don’t,” Touron said.
“I have to.”
I pushed open the door to the sound of Serath’s voice. The two males stood on the grass verge, several yards away from the building.
“Miss Basque’s training is my responsibility,” Serath said.
“Really? You’ve been away for two weeks. I can’t see how you’ve upheld that responsibility.”
Serath’s jaw ticked. “The workings of the elite team are none of your concern.”
“Maybe not, but Cameron is. She may be just another cadet to you, a stand-in for your lost elite, but she’s more than that to me.”
“Yes, I’m aware of your relationship with Miss Basque. I’m also aware that it’s over.”
Oh shit. I needed to get over there.
Levi exhaled in frustration. “That doesn’t change the fact that I care about her and want to help her succeed.
I can do that if you let me. Her life may only mean the difference between a strong elite unit and a compromised one to you, but it means the world to me.
” He looked right at me then, pinning me to the spot with his beautiful sea-green eyes, now stormy and dark with emotion. “I love her.”
His words were like slugs to the heart.
Serath’s scent spiked, bitter and laced with destruction.
Fuck. I rushed over and placed myself between them, my back to Serath’s chest. “We talked about this, Levi. I told you I didn’t need your help.”
“No, you said you’d ask the elites.” Levi looked over my head at Serath. “I don’t see the problem. I can help because I know what the elite trial entails.”
Serath moved forward, the heat of his body kissing mine, forcing me to bite back a sigh of pleasure. “How can you know?” he asked Levi.
Levi’s nostrils flared. “Because they were created by my druid clan.”
It took everything I had not to lean back against Serath. “But he can’t tell us what the trials involve.”
“I’ll think about it,” Serath said. “Are we done here?”
“Dammit, Serath, what is there to think about?” Levi demanded. “Is this about my father? Your uncle?”
“I have no uncle.” Serath’s tone was gravel and pain.
Levi’s lip curled. “Of course you don’t.
You made that clear when you ran from him as a youngling and refused to let him take you in and give you a home.
Your anger at the loss of your parents destroyed that relationship.
I can’t believe you blamed him for your father’s death even after all the evidence proved otherwise. ”
Serath’s chest vibrated, the beast within riled and ready to rumble.
“Don’t.” I pushed my body against his but addressed Levi. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, Levi, so just drop it.”
Levi’s nostrils flared again, and his gaze flicked from me to Serath and back again.
Shit. Could he smell us? Smell our connection somehow? If he figured out that we were mates, Serath would be taken. Executed. Panic rose inside me like a tide because a threat to Serath was a threat to me.
The air in front of me burst into darkness that expanded and became the large shadowy figure of Derek.
“Get away,” Derek boomed at Levi.
Levi backed up, his brow furrowed in confusion. “Cameron…I would never…never hurt you. You know that, right?”
But the appearance of Derek screamed otherwise, and the wounded expression on Levi’s face was almost enough to make me cave and jump to placate him—to tell him that of course I wasn’t afraid of him. But that was a bad idea.
This was for the best.
It would put the kind of distance between us that would keep Serath safe.
Levi took a breath and nodded. “I’ll leave you be. If you change your mind about the training…” He turned on his heel and walked away.
I sagged against Serath.
His hands closed over my hips, fingers warm brands, hugging me to him.
“Are you all right?” Derek asked.
“I am. Thank you.”
Derek fixed his diamond eyes on Serath. “And you? Are you all right?”
Serath’s grip on me flexed. “Why does that matter?”
Derek slow-blinked. “Because it matters to my Cameron.”
“Derek, let’s go inside.” Shar beckoned him from the doors to Stone Comfort. How much had she seen and heard?
I was sure we’d discuss it later.
Derek retreated with Shar, leaving me alone with Serath, who quickly let go of me, putting an appropriate amount of space between us.
“How has training been?” he asked gruffly.
“Good. It’s been good. And you? How was Outpost Ten?” How was your time with your lover?
“Good.” He fixed his gaze on a point over my head. “I think this situation will help us both.”
“What? You being with someone else?”
“That’s correct. It’s for the best.”
“You honestly think it changes anything?” I dropped my voice. “We’re fated mates. Our beasts don’t seem to care about who else we might be fucking.”
He looked at me, his gaze cold and biting. “You’re fucking the Mason boy now?”
I was tempted to say yes, to cause him the same pain I felt. But petty wasn’t a good look on me. “No. I’m not. I’m not a sellout like you. I don’t take the easy path.”
His scent spiked, reeking of frustration and anger. He wrestled it under control quickly. “You should go join your friends. I’ll speak to the elite about Levi and his offer to train you for the elite exams.”
“Are you insane? You saw what just happened. He could smell our…pheromones.” I shuddered.
“It won’t be an issue if I’m not present.”
The pit in my belly got wider. “You’re…you’re leaving again?” Why did I have to sound so lost and forlorn?
Don’t cry. Don’t you dare fucking cry.
Serath’s gaze dipped to meet mine and softened, his mouth parting on a sigh. “Cameron…” His hand drifted up, as if he wanted to touch me, but he curled his fingers against his palm and slowly lowered it.
I blinked back tears. “Serath…please…”
His throat bobbed. “Don’t make this any harder, Cameron. Please.”
And then it hit me, the truth of this whole fucked-up situation.
He wasn’t fucking this other woman because he needed release.
He was trying to make me hate him, to build resentment and dislike to protect me and build a distance between us because look at me, leaning in toward him, body all soft and pliant, eager for his touch.
I was a moth to his flame. But if I could stop. Control it… “You don’t have to do this, Serath. I understand, and I’ll do my part and stay away.”
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, all softness was gone. “This isn’t just about you or the mate bond. Jana and I have history. Feelings. Long before you came. I can have a future with her.”
He might as well have gut punched me. “Oh.”
Oh? Oh? Was that it? Come on, Cam, think of something cutting and snarky to say. But my mind was blank, too focused on rapidly healing my wounded heart.
“Good luck with the training exercise tomorrow, Cameron. I’ll see you at supper.”
I didn’t try to stop him from walking away.
I was done being that woman.
It was time to move on and find my future.