35. Chapter 35
35
T he next day, Kelly did her absolute best to shove aside all of her doubts. She promised herself she would strengthen her relationships with the people who mattered most, and she would start to make a difference in the Arcane world.
Kade still seemed upset. He hadn’t come to bed all night, so she did her best to give him space and stay out of his mind.
She called Dom that afternoon to thank him, even though she was two weeks late.
“Hey, Kelly, I was starting to worry about you. Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m good, just really busy with this new job. I wanted to thank you for your help that night. The distraction worked, and I was able to pull some things off.”
“No sweat. I’m always happy to help.” There was a pause as he thought of what to say. “What do you say about that beer? I’ve only asked about three times. You’re going to have to say yes eventually.”
She’d known he would ask, but it still made her feel guilty.
“Uhh, about that. I’m, um, sort of dating someone. Maybe we could all go out for a beer? I don’t think it’d be a good idea if just you and I went. You know?”
“What, does he not trust you?”
Men and their egos.
“No, Dom, it’s not that. I respect him, and I know you’re asking me out for a beer as more than just friends. I’m not going to be that girl that makes him jealous by going out with another guy, no matter my own intentions.”
Dom sighed. “I can respect that. You’re a good person, Kelly.”
“Thanks, Dom. Can I come by the gym when I’m back in town?”
“Always.”
She smiled. Dom was always the good guy in the end. “I’ll catch you later.”
One phone call down, one to go. She hated phone calls.
She selected her dad’s contact and dialed his number on the phone.
“Hey Kiddo, are you all right? We haven’t really talked since Christmas.”
“Yeah, I’m good, just been busy.” Fighting zombies and all.
“Say, did you know the Robinsons were Arcane? I always thought there was something odd about them.”
The Robinsons had been their neighbors when she was in high school. He had a point, they’d been weird, but after seeing other Arcane, she wasn’t convinced that “weird” was the deciding factor.
“Dad, you can’t go around talking about this. The Council will find out, and it won’t go well. I can tell you from experience.”
He read her tone and like any good father, he pressed her until she let it all out.
She told him everything. From Ginna’s faked kidnapping, to her stopping time, to the fight with the dead. Then she told him about the Council and how badly she’d fucked everything up. When she was done, tears streamed down her face, and her sobs made it impossible to talk.
“Jesus, Kiddo. Why didn’t you call me sooner? You know I’m here to listen.”
She collected herself so she could try to talk. “I know you are, Dad. It’s just that this is all so new, I don’t even know what the fuck I’m doing.”
His chuckles rumbled through the phone line. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re doing either, but I can at least listen and tell you you’re doing it well.”
“I don’t know, Dad.”
“Kelly, knock that shit off. You’ve never put yourself first. You’re always thinking of others and making sure everyone else is happy before you’re taken care of. I knew damn well you were living out of your car for months, and I knew why. I may be old, but I’m not naive. You’ve always put the mission and the people involved ahead of your own needs, and you haven’t apologized yet. Don’t you dare think of apologizing now.”
She contemplated what he’d said. She’d been so careful not to clue him in to the fact that she’d been living out of her car. And how did he know she was putting others first now? She hadn’t told him how she felt about the Council.
“You’re wondering how I figured all this shit out, right?”
Twenty-six years and her dad could still surprise her. “Yep.”
“Let’s just say it’s obvious when someone is living out of their car and leave it at that. As for you putting others first, I just know you. You never go into anything accepting things the way they are. You always look at the situation and see all of the improvements that can be made in the interests of the people. There’s no reason this new world would be any different.”
He was right, she hadn’t given him nearly the fatherly credit he deserved.
“What should I do, Dad?”
“Just be you, Kiddo. Everything else will follow.”
Wishing she could hug him in that moment, she managed a simple, “Thanks, Dad.”
They said their goodbyes, and she promised to come see him when they were back in town. Now that the Grand Master had given her protection, visits with friends and family would be much easier to achieve.
With the phone calls out of the way, she reached out to Kade, feeling where he was in the house.
He sat hard at work in the office, which was nothing new.
Kelly went up to the middle floor, walking slowly to his office. He would feel her coming closer, and she wanted to give him time to wrap up his work before she barged in.
She didn’t knock on the door—there was no point. Instead, she gently turned the knob and let herself in, closing the door behind her out of habit rather than for privacy.
Kade didn’t welcome her, which showed just how angry he was. She’d felt his anger at her through their link, but she’d expected him to at least be willing to talk.
She sat in one of the chairs facing his desk, and he pretended to read something important.
“Mind shutting your computer for a few?”
“Aye, I do.”
“Well then, you can sit there and pretend to read an email while I speak.”
He glanced at her for just a split second, his eyes beginning to turn amber, then he looked back at the screen.
Shame threatened her, but she pushed it back and replaced it with frustration. “You know what, no, you can’t sit there and pretend to work. You can shut that damn computer and talk to me! Why the fuck are you so angry?”
He slammed the laptop shut, then, and she heard something crack. “Ye just dinnae get it, do ye? The entire group has worked so hard to protect ye, day in and day out. We’ve sacrificed to make sure ye survive and have yer chance at bonding. Then ye go in front of the Council and throw us all to the wolves because ye cannae stand for someone else to be in control.”
What the hell was he talking about? “I didn’t throw you to the wolves, I told them what happened. Okay, I was a smart-ass, but I didn’t speak for the rest of you.”
“BUT YE DID!” he yelled, slamming his fist down. “By speaking yer mind and disrespecting the Council, ye spoke for the people who fight by yer side.”
“I won’t apologize for who I am, Kade, and I won’t stand for what the Council represents. I’m going to become a mage, and when I do, I’m going to make it my purpose to replace them with a more balanced system that considers the common Arcane. If you don’t want to stand with me, then you’re free to separate ties now. I’ll find my own way, and Fabian can help me get where I need to go. You don’t owe me anything, and I’m thankful for what you’ve done so far.”
“Ye dinnae understand.”
She fought the urge to slam the desk just like he had. “What don’t I understand, Kade? Please tell me.”
“We’re mates, lass.”
Oh, she’d forgotten about that.
“What does that mean though, Kade.”
“It means that yer mine. Yer the one I’m meant to spend eternity with.”
He sure knew how to lay it on thick.
“Who decides that, though? Kade, I care about you. Hell, I may even love you, but too much has changed in my life over the past two months. How am I supposed to know this is a big deal?”
“Mates are for life, Kelly.” He hardly ever used her name, and it gave her pause. “Ye dinnae have to ken it right now, but I do.”
She still wasn’t sure. “But what does that mean? Is it like getting married?”
He smiled as he leaned back in his chair. His gorgeous pecs and biceps flexed as he laced his fingers behind his head. She wanted to forgo the conversation and straddle him right there, but she resisted her body’s desires.
“It’s so much more than that. Marriage is an agreement, but mates have an eternal bond. It is a rare gift for a vampire to find his mate, and it is considered foolish to ignore the blessing of the gods. They dinnae give this gift to many.”
“You’re still not telling me what it means.”
Kade’s hand ran through his hair, yet again. “It means, in human terms, that I love ye. Something inside of me has decided ye are the only one for me. When ye add the bond we share, ye realize how desperate the universe seems to be to join us together.”
She put her head in her hands. “I don’t like to conform to the wishes of others.”
“Aye, but the universe, the gods, are not others.”
A long silence followed as both of them mulled over their thoughts. Her heart tugged at her, telling her she really did love Kade, but her mind said to take things slow and steady. She’d never loved a man before, and she was afraid to hand over her heart.
“I still don’t like to let others choose my path, even the gods. I do care for you, Kade. I’m happy with you, but I will not sacrifice who I am just because the Council has a few laws in place that I should follow. This is 2021, not 1000 B.C.”
“The Council’s orders and the status of our relationship are not one and the same. I promise to stand by yer side, no matter how crazy yer ideas are. I’ll support ye in yer fight against the Council, if that is what ye choose. I just ask that ye take it easy until ye are bonded.’
“I can try.”
He nodded. “As for our status, we are mates in my mind. Ye are the one I’m meant to be with, but we have time to explore what that means. Are we done fighting now?”
She nodded and walked around his desk, sitting in his lap to kiss him deeply.
“Thank you for believing in me.”
“I’ve always believed in ye, lass.”
Fabian knocked at the door then.
“Come in.” Kade welcomed him.
Fabian turned the handle and stepped in, just clearing the threshold.
“The Council has announced our Liaison.”
“Who is it?” Kade asked.
“Percival Hemingway.”
Kelly felt annoyance through their link.
“Well, lass,” Kade looked at her, his amber eyes alight, “it’s going to be an interesting year.”
The End