by Sage S Wolf
I pulled into a spot in front of the diner.
“You two sit tight while I go in and order the food,” Leandra said, opening her door. “Anything either of you wants in particular?”
Kailani twisted in her seat to look at her aunt. “Can I get a strawberry shake please?”
“You sure can. Anything else? Blake?”
“I’m good with whatever you get as long as the meal is at least fifty percent meat.”
Leandra laughed. “Such a lion. Burgers and fries it is. I’ll be right back.” Then she shut the door and headed inside.
Once her aunt disappeared inside, Kailani looked at me. “Thank you for all of this, Blake.”
I turned as much as I could toward her in my seat. I wanted her to see that I meant what I was about to say. “You don’t ever have to thank me, Kailani. Ever."
“But I should. I know we’ve butted heads a few times today and I haven’t been that nice to you even though all you’ve done since we met, is help me.”
“Kailan-”
“Kai. You can call me Kai.” She said quietly, looking down like she wasn’t sure about her offer.
“Mate, look at me,” I ordered as gently as possible. She didn’t answer. “Kailani.” I reached over and tipped her chin up so I could see her eyes. Just as I suspected, they were rimmed with moisture. “Don’t ever think you have to allow anyone to hurt you. Not even me. You’re allowed to have time to trust again. You are allowed to admit that you’re not ready to be called that name. Your pain and trauma are valid, Kailani.” I paused and wiped her tears as they started to fall. “It kills me to see you hurting. I would be honored to be allowed to love you through this pain, but only when you’re ready to accept that love. Heal at your own pace. I’m not going anywhere. Okay?”
Kailani choked on a sob as she nodded. I wanted badly to pull her over the console and hold her, but she wasn’t ready.
~14~
Kailani
Blake’s words had broken something open inside of me and I was struggling to keep myself from yanking my ring off and throwing it in the nearest trash can.
We sat and talked about stupid things like our favorite colors and what type of toothpaste we used. I knew it was Blake’s way of trying to distract me from my fears. He was a good man.
By the time my aunt came out with our food, I had collected myself enough that I hoped she didn’t notice I’d been crying.
She got in and shut her door, setting the food down beside her on the seat. “Alright, Cubs, let’s get home and eat before diving into making our house livable again.”
“Is it bad that I miss my lumpy bed?” I asked as we pulled out of the parking lot and headed for home.
“I can buy you a new bed.” Blake offered.
“I don’t need a new bed, Blake. I’m looking forward to curling up on my lumpy bed tonight and pretending the last twenty-four hours didn’t happen until I have to get up tomorrow and face reality all over.” Well, there was one thing I didn’t want to pretend didn’t happen and that was meeting Blake. I wasn’t telling him that though.
“Our Kailani is a resilient thing, Alpha." Aunt Leandra chirped. “Did she tell you she’s been working at the fishery since she was sixteen to help keep food on our table? Or how she graduated top of her class and got into a great college on a full scholarship?”
Blake glanced over at me. “She’s mentioned the college thing but not in that much detail. You’ve done great, Kailani. I’m proud of you and my mom will be too when she finds out.”
I sucked at taking compliments and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “She told me to call her mom.”
“What?” Blake and Aunt Leandra said simultaneously.
I looked at my aunt. “Blake’s mom told me to call her mom because he told her I’m his mate.”
Aunt Leandra's eyebrows raised. “And what did you say?”
“I told her my mom was dead and then I might have cried. I’m not completely sure. This whole damn day has felt like a month.”
Blake huffed out a laugh. “You ain’t lying. This has been a long ass day.”
We pulled up in front of my house and headed inside with our food. Blake ran back out to the jeep to grab the door since it had started to rain again. That meant there would be even more mud to trudge through tomorrow.
Aunt Leandra took our food out of the bag and handed me a burger.
“How do you feel about having a mate?” She asked, unwrapping her burger and taking a bite.
I slowly unwrapped mine and took a bite before answering. “I won’t lie and say I don’t feel something for him. I just don’t know if it’s the whole mate thing or hormones. I’m not blind. He’s an attractive guy. But what happens if we fix my lioness and she doesn’t recognize him as her mate?” I really wanted to know the answer.
Leandra shook her head. “That won’t happen, Kailani. I can see it in the way you look at him without you even realizing you are looking. You’re being drawn to him just not near as strong as he’s drawn to you.”
“Maybe." I shrugged. "I just don’t know if I can trust another man after what Kavik did. How do I move past that?”
“Well first of all.” Leandra held up her hand. “Kavik is a boy! Don’t ever compare him to a real man. Blake has done more for you today then Kavik ever did in all the years you’ve known him."
“And Blake is a real man, is that what you’re gonna say?”
“Let me finish, cub. Number two.” She held up a second finger. “Kavik is from a bad family that has been known to bully people. I knew he wasn’t your mate, and I always knew he’d hurt you. I just didn’t think he would physically put you in harm’s way. I thought he was the better of the bunch…” Aunt Leandra stopped and took a drink of her Pepsi.
“You should have seen his face when he said those horrible things to me. He never even liked me, Auntie." I shook my head, willing back those stupid tears. "He said he hated me. He was pretending the whole time.” Goddess, saying it out loud hurt like hell. I had to remind myself that it hadn’t even been a whole day since it happened, even if it felt so much longer.
“I’m ready for food,” Blake announced, coming into the kitchen and breaking the moment.
I held the takeout bag out to him. His food was the only thing left in it. “Here ya go.”
He took the bag and pulled out a burger, pulling this wrapper off. “Thank you, Princess.”
I arched a brow at him. “Princess?”
“Yep.” He took half the burger in one bite and held up a finger to ask me to wait while he chewed and swallowed. “I’m alpha and also consider myself a king. As my mate, you’ll be queen but since you aren’t ready yet, you’ll have to be my princess.”
My aunt laughed as I pointed a fry at him.
“I can’t even tell you how offensive that sounds. You are so bad with words, Blake. I thought we were making progress with our communication skills.”
“I don’t know how I keep offending you, Kailani, but I’m sorry. I’m trying.” He looked hurt, and I felt like an ass.
I sighed. I knew I was being too hard on him. “I know you’re trying, Blake. I do appreciate it, but you’ve got to understand that we’re on different pages right now in our friendship.”
Blake smiled and I felt something inside me stir again. “I can wait for you to catch up.”
My aunt cleared her throat, pulling our attention to her. “I’m gonna start getting the living room picked up while you two finish your food.” She stood and patted the top of my head and then gave Blake's shoulder a gentle squeeze on her way out of the room.
Blake sat down in the chair my aunt had occupied. “I’ll eat fast and then get that door up so we can sleep knowing we’re safe tonight,” He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “At least as safe as sleeping in a town full of shady shifters that don’t want you here can be.”
“Been there. Done that.” I laughed. “I’ll help you with the door when we’re finished.”
&
nbsp; “You can sink the screws,” Blake said before stuffing way too many fries into his mouth.
I wasn’t gonna judge. He was a big man and probably required large meals regularly. Neither of us had eaten all day so he had to be starving. “I need to go to the DMV tomorrow and get a new driver’s license. Then I have to go to the bank and see if Kavik’s drained my account. After that, we’ll just lay low and hope that he comes back here and didn’t take my money and run.”
“I’ll hunt him down if he ran with what’s yours,” Blake promised before shoving the rest of his burger in his mouth.
I smiled at him, feeling that stir deep inside me that was becoming familiar. Watching him with a mouth full of food, bags starting to form under his eyes from the stress of the day. He was handsome and kind. This was a man that had spent his money and time helping me and was promising to continue helping. I suddenly wanted to keep letting him for however long he wanted.
“I appreciate you helping, Blake.”
His eyes met mine. The hazel being chased away by the glowing gold of his lion. “I will always help you, mate.”
I smiled again. I couldn’t help it. Not with his stupid beautiful golden eyes confirming everything he was saying. No one should be allowed to be that good looking.
Then he grinned like he knew what I was thinking.
“Stop it!” I said, my face hurting from smiling. Why couldn’t I stop?
Blake smirked.
“What am I doing?” He threw his empty burger wrapper in the bag before standing from the table.
“You already know what you’re doing.” I considered putting the take out bag over my head to keep him from seeing me blush.
“I don’t know, Kailani.” His voice was full of amusement. “Why are you blushing?”
Goddess, my face was on fire. I needed to get out of the kitchen. “Let’s go get the front door up.” I stood from the table and headed into the living room. Not ready to admit how much he was starting to affect me.
Blake didn’t take long to follow me into the living room. He was nice enough to drop whatever had happened in the kitchen while we got the new door installed and let me screw it into place while he held it.
He crossed his arms over his chest while we admired our work. “Good as new.” Then he pushed the door shut and locked it before turning to me. “You wanna let your aunt know we’re done?”
My aunt had finished picking up the living room halfway through us hanging the new door.
I nodded. “Sure. I’ll grab you a blanket and pillow for the couch while I’m back there. Be right back.” I headed to my aunt’s sewing room. I had a feeling I’d find her there. I cracked the door open to find her sewing away on her machine. “Auntie, we’re finished putting up the front door.”
She stopped sewing and smiled at me over her shoulder. “Good. I have some orders to finish so I’ll be here for the rest of the night. There should be some blankets in the hall closet for Blake.”
“I figured there would be," I said, going over to see what she was making. It was another one of her famous quilts. “You really are the quilt queen, aren't you?”
I was rewarded with another smile. “I suppose I could be called that." I found it amazing that she could take her eyes off of what she was doing, and not sew her fingers to the fabric. "There are some throw pillows on my bed that Blake can use as well.”
“Okay. Thanks.” I turned to leave, stopping before shutting the door. “Goodnight, Auntie.”
“Goodnight, my girl.” She gave me one last smile before going back to sewing.
It was a little strange to have her talking to me after years of thinking she was babbling crazy shit. The things she’d said had been true even though it took years for it to make sense to me. She had been fighting her lioness so she could be present enough for me to stay with her instead of being stuck in the system. Who knows what might have happened to me if I been left to be bounced from one home to another?
Heading to my aunt’s room, I grabbed a couple of throw pillows off her bed and then pulled out the biggest quilt from the hall closet and went back to the living room.
Blake had moved our old plaid couch back into a decent place and was sitting on it. He stood when he heard me enter.
“Here.” He held his hands out for the blanket and pillows. I handed them over. “Thank you.”
I gave him a tired smile. “You’re welcome.” The day was finally catching up with me and I yawned.
“Bedtime for us both, huh?” Blake’s eyes were starting to glow again. They seemed to be doing that more frequently in the last few hours.
“I think so. You know where everything is in the kitchen, not that there’s much in there but help yourself to whatever. The bathroom is the door at the very end of the hall and my room is the door on the left. The two doors on the right are Aunt Leandra’s sewing room and bedroom.”
“Got it.” Blake smiled before laying down on the couch.
It groaned and creaked and I thought for sure the old thing would snap under his weight at any moment.
“I’m off to bed now." For some reason, it felt odd leaving him. "Goodnight, Blake.” I turned and headed back toward my room.
“Goodnight, mate!” He called after me, making my heart flutter.
This man was weaseling his way into my heart and I knew there was no way to stop him.
~15~
Blake
I laid awake much longer than I should have after Kailani went to bed. Mostly because I was thrilled over the clear fact that our bond, even in its weakened state, was opening her heart to me. I knew this because she was starting to give me her beautiful smiles. A gift that had my lion purring for hours before I finally got him to calm down and let me attempt to get comfortable on the broke down couch. I was impaled by no less than seven springs as I moved throughout the night. If not for being a shifter, I’d probably have died of tetanus by the time I woke up the next morning.
I hadn’t been asleep long when I was startled awake by the sound of someone in the kitchen. Jerking upright, I sliced my side on a spring.
“Mother of fucks!” I roared, grabbing my side. It was the same side that had been injured the day before and even though it was fully healed, it was still tender.
Leandra’s head poked around the corner of the kitchen doorway. “Everything okay in here?” Her glowing eyes looked me over until they landed on my barely bleeding side. “Couch got ya?”
I chuckled and looked at my hand. It had barely any blood on it. “Yea. I’ve never been attacked by a couch before. I hope it’s had its rabies shot.”
Kailani came running down the hall wrapped in a blanket, her blonde hair was a mess.
She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“What’s going on out here?” She asked, her eyes locking onto mine. She was concerned for me. It made me so damn happy.
I gave her a reassuring smile. “Couch attacked, but I’m gonna make it another day. I think.”
She frowned and looked between me and the couch. “I’m sorry, Blake. I knew it was old and shitty but didn’t think it would actually attack you.”
Her apology was honest. She didn’t intend for me to be hurt.
I stood and approached her, stopping a few feet away. “I know you didn’t, Kailani.”
She looked up at me before noticing my bare chest. It had started to get chilly at some point during the night and I realized that the wood-burning stove was running on hot embers. I hunted down the woodpile on the side of the house and put a fresh stack of wood in to get the place warm again. I may have overdone the amount of wood I added and got overheated shortly after and had to take my shirt off. It was worth it as long as my mate was warm.
“You have a tattoo.” She started to reach toward it and then changed her mind and stepped back. “I should go get dressed.” Her eyes went to her aunt who was standing watching us quietly in the kitchen doorway. “Are you making breakfast, Auntie, or should we grab something on
the way to the DMV?”
“I’ve got some eggs and ham. You two good with ham and cheese omelets?” Leandra looked between us.
My eyes were still focused on Kailani and how stunning she was fresh from sleep.
“Sounds good. Thank you.” Kailani said, focusing her violet eyes back on my chest. “Maybe you should find your shirt and I’ll meet you in the kitchen after I’m dressed.” She pulled the blanket tighter around her making me wonder what she was wearing under it. Or if she was wearing anything at all.
I shook myself of those thoughts. Now was not the time to be venturing into those emotions. My mate was just starting to like me. I wanted nothing more than for her to feel the way I did which meant giving her space and time.
“I’m sure I can find my shirt before you’re dressed,” I assured her as she headed to her room.
I turned and immediately spotted my t-shirt draped over the back of the couch. Going over, I grabbed it and slipped it on before going into the kitchen to see if Leandra needed help with breakfast.
She was already plating an omelet when I entered. “Sit.” She ordered, pointing to a chair.
“Yes, ma’am.” I chuckled, taking the seat she was pointing to. “It's not every day an alpha gets bossed around by someone he just met.”
Leandra sat the plate down in front of me. “Yes, well, you should always respect your elders.” She gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze before going back to the stove. “As long as they respect you of course.” She added, cracking an egg.
Kailani came into the room a few minutes later, wearing dark jeans and a gray sweater. Her blonde hair was in a messy bun. Was she just going to get more stunning as the day progressed?
She took a seat next to me, eyeing my food. “How come Blake gets to eat first?”
“Because he’s our guest,” Leandra gave her niece a look that dared her to argue.
I couldn’t help but laugh as Kailani crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.
“Here,” I said, sliding my plate over to her. “Ladies first.”
She slid it back. “I’m not gonna take your food, Blake.”