Chapter 8
Austin
The day seemed to drag on forever. He was worried about Kate stuck at Jasper’s house, but until everything was hosed down and then accounted for, he couldn’t leave. As much as he wanted to go to Kate and finally tell her everything, he also wanted to go confront her ex. The man was acting like a spoiled toddler who hadn’t gotten his way. He had wanted Kate gone, but he hadn’t realized that seeing her move on would sting the ego quite as hard as it had. Austin knew his kind, and he hated them.
Kate deserved so much better. Austin wished somehow they had found each other sooner. Years wasted on a marriage that was nothing when they could have been together. His mate deserved to be worshiped by him. Hell, they could have had a couple of cubs by now. For some reason, his rage for all the time lost was directed at her ex. It was a dangerous game to let his mind fuel his bear's rage.
“Okay, I think we're done here for now, sir. You give us a call if anything else sticks out. We should have our report ready for your insurance adjuster in the next couple of days.”
“Thank you, officer.”
Austin shook his hand and then jogged back to Jasper’s house. Jasper had been called off to his job and had left a few minutes before Austin.
“Austin, did Kate tell you when she would be back?”
“What do you mean?”
“She took my car. I just assumed you told her she could borrow it. I got to get over to the office because there was a problem at one of my construction sites last night.”
“Shit! I didn’t tell her she could leave. She's going to Derek.”
Austin ran back out of the house and down the street. Rick wouldn’t be up yet, but he had several cars. Austin barged into the house and grabbed the first set of keys he found. Rick’s Mustang would be perfect to get him across town. He hoped Kate didn’t have a good head start on him. The thought of her in the hands of her ex for any amount of time was unacceptable. He shouldn’t have left her over there by herself.
Traffic was light for a Sunday afternoon, so the trip was quick. When he pulled into her old house, he saw Jasper’s car. He threw his car in park and sprinted to the door. The yelling greeted him when he stepped inside. He followed the voices down the hall to a closed door. Without a second thought, he slammed his weight against the door, splintering it into pieces.
Derek had Kate by the shoulders and was shaking her violently. Her face was bruised and her lip was bleeding. Austin couldn’t control the shift. His bear lunged forward and his roar filled the house. Derek immediately pulled Kate up against him and tried to use her as a shield from Austin. Austin dropped to all fours and waited. The coward couldn’t hide behind her forever.
Kate’s eyes were wide with shock at seeing him in his bear form. He wished she had seen him shift naturally without being angry. He pleaded with her through his eyes for her to get free. She finally registered what he wanted. In one fluid motion, she stomped on Derek’s foot, elbowed him in the gut, and then brought her fist back up to meet his nose. The whole thing seemed almost professional. She scurried out of the way and backed into the far corner of the room.
With Austin in his bear form, there wasn’t much room in the office space. He growled low in his throat and began to descend on Derek.
“I didn’t burn your house down. Please, I’m begging you. I don’t want her anymore. She’s all yours. Why would I go after you when I’m the one who kicked her out?”
Austin didn’t care for his words. He snarled and shook his head to let Derek know he should stop talking. Footsteps down the hall alerted Austin to someone else in the house. Before he turned, though, the scent hit him. Jasper had followed him over instead of going to his office. Jasper spoke to Kate, and Kate argued whether or not to leave Austin alone in the room with Derek. Jasper quickly resorted to physical means and picked her up over his shoulder and walked out.
“Damn it, Austin, don’t you kill him!” she screamed as Jasper carried her down the hall.
His bear smirked at her comment but then turned back to his prey. He let another roar rip through the house, and then he set about showing Derek how it felt to be truly scared.
Chapter 9
Kate
Jasper dragged Kate down the hall. When they got outside, he finally put her down. She immediately tried to get back into the house. Her fear wasn’t for Derek, but for Austin. She knew the laws for shifters that harmed humans, and she wouldn’t let him risk any of it for Derek.
“We have to stop him. What if he kills him and ends up getting put down or something? Damn it, Jasper, don't just stand there, go do something!” She was punching Jasper hard. It was futile. Jasper just stood there.
“Kate, trust me. He’ll be okay. Derek started this, Austin’s just ending it. This has to be done. Nothing will happen to Austin.”
“You don’t know that! Derek knows a lot of people, and he’ll use them to get what he wants.”
“Trust in your mate, Kate. Everything will be all right.”
Kate stepped back. There was that word again. Everybody else seemed to know she was Austin’s mate. Conveniently enough, they had all failed to mention the fact to her.
“What does that mean? Why do you keep calling me his mate?”
Jasper looked shocked for a minute, but didn’t answer her question.
“Jasper, tell me right now what that means. You’ve said it twice now, and this thing between Austin and me, it’s strong, and it’s tangible. Please explain it to me.”
“You’re his mate. We mate for life with one person whom we will know as soon as we see them. He was aware that the minute you walked into the bar the other night that you were his mate. The potency behind it is immeasurable. There’s a ceremony to signal the actual joining of your souls, but they’ve already begun to join. Austin is very dominant, and he’s waited a long time for you, so your bond probably started strengthening immediately.”
Kate was floored. She would have never dreamed up that definition. Austin had known the entire time. He had slept with her without explaining the mate bond to her first. Had sleeping with each other tied them together forever without her knowing?
She was sick of being tricked and used by men. Derek was always tricking her into things he needed her to do for him. Going behind her back about important things that she felt as a wife she should have been privy to. It seemed like Austin was going to be the same way.
He had known since the minute he saw her what she was to him. All the kindness he had shown had been because she was his mate. It seemed to her that a vital part of the mate bond would be the other half knowing they were mates.
She turned on her heel and jumped in Jasper’s car. She could hear him calling to her for her to stay, but she didn’t care. Apparently, everybody felt the need to make decisions about her life without her. Austin could plan out their entire lives after he was done with Derek. Maybe he would find her to fill her in, maybe he wouldn’t. They had gone this far with him keeping her in the dark, perhaps he wouldn’t even notice she was gone.
Pain ripped through her body. Tears started to stream down her face. Walking away from Austin felt like it was going to crush her physically and emotionally. She tried to focus on driving. All she wanted was to get to Emma’s house and seek solace in her friend. From the moment Austin showed interest in her, she had known it was stupid to go along with it. Her heart was vulnerable, and she was naïve. Kate had actually believed Austin wouldn’t take advantage of that.
Emma was walking out of her door when Kate pulled up. Kate got out of the car and never had to say a word as Emma wrapped her up in a hug and pulled her inside her apartment. Kate felt like a fool, but Emma was a good enough friend not to ask questions or say anything at all. They sat there in silence for a while.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really. I would like to go on record as saying it’s not Derek that has me upset.”
“I know.”
“How do you k
now?”
“Because he’s not the one you love.”
“I haven’t even talked to you about Austin. How would you know if I loved him or not?”
“First off, the chemistry the two of you have is palpable. Just being in the bar that first night with you two, everybody could tell. Second, he called me yesterday.”
“Why would he call you?”
Emma didn’t say anything. She just held up her wrist to show Kate the hair tie that had been on the door the night before. Kate wasn’t sure if she wanted to punch her or Austin.
“So you were in the know on the whole mate thing, too?”
“Yes, has he not told you yet?”
“No, we slept together, though. So now I’m like, what, tied to him forever? And he didn’t even have the balls to tell me about this first. Do you know how that makes me feel?”
“Pissed, from the sounds of it,” Emma snarked as she got off the couch and made her way into her kitchen. She seemed dismissive of Kate’s feelings which was new to Kate.
“Are you taking his side or something? He lied to me!”
“How did he lie to you, Kate?”
“I slept with a man who is apparently my mate or whatever, and I didn’t even know. I gave my life away to a complete stranger!”
“A man who has been better to you in the short time he has known you than Derek had ever been. Maybe Austin hasn’t explained everything to you, but he’s been good to you. He’s taken his time. You’re fresh out of a marriage, and not even divorced. To you, he may be a stranger, but to him you're everything. Give him some credit for the good instead of pushing him away.”
“I can’t believe this. I figured you of all people would understand what I’m going through.”
“No, I don’t. I love you, Kate, but I can’t hold your hand and agree with you on this. I know you haven’t ever been around shifters, but I have. I know a little about the mate bond, and you’re lucky. Austin will love you and cherish you forever. There won’t be any fear of cheating or him leaving you. You deserve the kind of love you’re receiving. I won’t let you throw it away.”
Kate didn’t know what to say. Emma had never been a romantic. To hear her talk about the mate bond that way humbled Kate. Maybe Emma was right, and what Austin had done wasn’t necessarily lying. Everything seemed like such a mess, she wasn’t sure what to think. She slumped down further into Emma’s couch.
It seemed like her life was going on, but she wasn’t actually a part of it. She was a bystander just watching from the outskirts. She could look at the chaos unfold, but she couldn’t make any decisions. Everyone just pointed her in the next direction, and she followed blindly. Kate was so afraid to follow Austin blindly so soon after everything that had gone wrong with Derek.
Chapter 10
Austin
Jasper had been waiting for Austin when he walked out of the house. He looked around, but he knew that Kate had already left. He didn’t blame her, really. Derek was her ex now, but he had been her life for a long time. Austin didn’t regret stepping in, but he hated that it would hurt Kate. More than anything, he hated that she cared about that loser at all. His bear raged against the idea of her having any feelings towards another male at all.
“Here, put some clothes on.” Jasper tossed him a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Shifters had a way of always having extra clothes stashed in places in case of a sudden shift.
“Everything okay in there?” Jasper asked, pointing towards the house.
“He won’t be bothering her or me again. Where did she go?”
“I’m not sure. She didn’t say, she just sped off. You know your mate has a real problem with grand theft auto.”
“She’s probably over at Emma’s house.”
“You going?” Jasper asked.
“No, I don’t think she wants to see me?”
“I think that’s dumb. Maybe you’re exactly who she wants to see.”
Austin didn’t respond as he slipped behind the steering wheel. Jasper hesitated and then finally got in as well. Austin was glad Jasper chose to spend the car ride in silence. He knew Jasper was probably right about going to Emma’s house, but if he admitted it he was scared. Kate held his life in her hands. If she told him to take a hike, he’d never be able to survive that. His bear would be feral in days. He could feel his bear starting to go crazy even now. Even though they had made love, Kate still wasn’t aware of the mate bond. That meant part of her had been held back, and without the ceremony he still didn’t have the full connection he needed to his mate. His bear was in trouble. Jasper’s construction sight came up, and Austin pulled in. Just when he thought Jasper was going to leave him in peace he stuck his head back into the car.
“You’re assuming she doesn’t want you because of your past. She’s not your parents, or any of the foster parents you had. She may be upset, but she loves you. She’s your mate, and at some point you need to tell her exactly what that means, and what she means to you. I know if I was lucky enough to stumble onto my mate, I wouldn’t be wasting more time.”
Austin wanted to punch Jasper. He was right. Most shifters especially ones his age would be thrilled at finding their mate. Kate was different though. She was fragile and vulnerable. Most importantly she was human and he had no idea how to deal with that.
He hesitated at the intersection to go towards Emma’s house and for the bar. Fear won out though as he guided the car towards the bar. He’d have to stay in the apartment above the bar for the time being. His bear raged against him the rest of the day. The night at the bar came and went and even though he figured Kate wouldn’t show up for work he was still disappointed when she didn’t. Annie and Greg asked him about her, and he made up an excuse and ignored them. He spent the night in his office instead of out on the floor. Jasper threw the door open at one point and tried to talk sense into him. It took a while before he was ready to hear it.
“Come on, I need a ride.” Jasper slapped him on the back and tossed some money on the table to cover his beer.
“It’s about time old man.”
When they pulled up to Emma’s house, Austin sat in the car before getting out. He wasn’t sure how to smooth things over with her. They had a lot they needed to talk about, and he wasn’t sure where to start. Jasper went on ahead, and Austin watched as Emma opened the door. He decided the only place to start was just to see her.
“I’m sorry, but you’re not coming in.” Emma poked Jasper in the chest.
Austin looked at Jasper, who seemed to have suddenly lost his playboy charm. He was standing there, staring at Emma. Austin pushed him to the side.
“Emma, please, I know she’s here. I need to speak to her.”
“Austin, I want to help, but she just needs some time right now. This is a lot for her.”
“Kate, please come talk to me!” Austin yelled past Emma. Kate didn’t respond.
“Come on, pretty thing, let my friend inside. He needs to talk to her. Maybe you can come out here and get to know me better. I don’t think we’ve met. Jasper Boudreaux.”
Austin rolled his eyes. Jasper had recovered quickly. Emma’s eyes moved over to Jasper long enough for Austin to move her. He picked her up and set her next to Jasper and then slipped inside. He flipped the deadbolt quickly to keep them both out. Kate was on the couch. Her eyes scanned over him as if she was checking to make sure he was whole and safe.
“Kate, I’m sorry that… ” But before he could finish, she interrupted him.
“Am I your mate?”
“Yes.” He sighed, relieved to have finally admitted it out loud in front of her. So many times he had started to explain it to her. His heart was pounding now as he stood watching her to see what she would say next.
“Why not just tell me?”
“I tried. A couple of times, actually.”
“A couple of occasions? You should have tried to say it every minute we were together.”
“Really? Would you have been ready to hear it? Ha
d I walked right up to you at the bar and blurted it out, you would have accepted me?”
“Well, no, but I deserved to have known. Especially before we made love. What was that this morning? It was more than just sex. I felt it; I just didn’t realize.”
“You’re right, it was more. It was more because we are more than just lovers. Mates are more than even husband and wife. There’s magic inside of us that binds us together. You were made to love and be loved by me and me only. I will always cherish you, protect you, and love you more than life itself.”
“Why did it take us so long to find each other? Why couldn’t we have met each other sooner? Save us both all of our heartache and loneliness?”
“I don’t know. I can’t say you would have liked me much before, though. I’m glad I’m the person I am today for you. I do wish that you hadn’t had to live with someone like him for so long.”
“What happens now?”
“Whatever you want to happen, Kate. It’s at your speed. I know this is new for you, and not something you ever expected. I’m not going anywhere.”
Austin watched as Kate chewed her lip. She hadn’t invited him to sit with her, so he continued to stand. He wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms, but he felt like she had been pushed too far. She hadn’t asked about what had happened with Derek. He figured that would have been her first question. Watching her now, though, it seemed like that was the furthest thing from her mind. Her emotions played over her face: excitement, fear and hope.
“Where are you going to live?”
“There’s an apartment over the bar. It’s not real fancy, but it’ll do until I hear back about my house.”
“Is it a total disaster? I’m so sorry. Derek admitted to me that he had been behind it. Well, he bragged more than he admitted.”
Seduction of the Bear (Bear Kamp Book 1) Page 6