Page 52 of Mated

I find my shadow, Bardo. He returned from St. Infernus and has not had much to do since then. I’ve kept him close because of all the unsettling events that have taken place recently. Denholm doesn’t usually have this number of guards. I called them in once I knew my mate would be in the fortress. They watch every window, every door, every entrance and exit. Their job is to keep her from leaving again.

Some might say Kira is a prisoner, but I am trying my best to ensure that she does not notice it. A gilded cage might be a cage, but at least it is comfortable.

“Bardo, can you please keep an eye on Isabella? I don’t want fighting in the pack, and I know she’ll cause trouble among the other females. I want her out of the way, and out of trouble.”

“Out of the way I can do. Out of trouble, not so much.”

“Just keep her away from Kira, and ensure she reports to Linus. I want her well occupied.”

Bardo nods. “Understood.”

CHAPTER 13

Kira

I’m happy. For the first time in my life, I feel as though I truly belong somewhere. Cain has gone out of his way to ensure that Denholm is a welcoming place for me. I haven’t seen Isabella in weeks, not since she took that dig at me about my previous home life.

It really does feel like a previous life now. I wake up next to Cain every day, and I go to sleep with him every night. He has redefined what it means to exist. I don’t have to prove myself to him, and I don’t owe him anything.

These are all the ingredients for a fairytale happily ever after.

But there’s something below the surface, like a shark swimming just deep enough to avoid having its dorsal fin cut the water. I can sense it, even if I don’t entirely understand it. I do my best to ignore it and to lean into the happiness that is all around me.

I don’t want to ruin this. I want to be a good mate to Cain, and it feels like I’m finally able to achieve that. We have sex all thetime, and every time we do, I fall for him a little more and am astounded at how good he is capable of making me feel.

It’s probably just anxiety. I’m probably just not good at feeling good. I’ve heard that once you get into a healthy relationship, things can get a little weird because you’re not used to people being nice to you. So that’s probably what this feeling is. I just have to relax and let myself trust the world, and I guess, myself.

“How are you feeling, Kira?”

Abel has come to Denholm. He comes and goes quite often, and lately, Cain has been trusting me enough that he comes and goes sometimes too. They have a multinational corporation to run, and I know I have taken up more than enough of everybody’s time. I’m trying very hard not to be a bother to anybody.

It’s breakfast time, which is my favorite meal of the day. The cooks here have taken it on themselves to lay out a sweet spread, which today includes chocolate croissants. I’ve put on a little weight, but Cain doesn’t care. I know that not because he says it, but because he shows it. His desire for me only ever seems to grow.

“Good, thank you,” I say, trying not to spread crumbs everywhere. I find Abel a little intimidating. Hell, I still find Cain intimidating. These men are beasts. Cain softens toward me because I am his mate, but there’s none of that softness in Abel. Instead, there’s a politeness and a respect that doesn’t quite make it all the way to deference.

“You seem like you’re starting to settle in,” he says.

“It’s very nice here,” I say.

The small talk is already starting to feel awkward. I don’t know why. I see something swimming behind his eyes. Something like the thing that swims in me. Maybe this is just how it feels to be a wolf sometimes.

Or maybe something is happening. Something I need to pay attention to.

I just don’t know what.

Cain

My plans are now turning to more commonplace plans, like a proposal, a wedding, and perhaps if I am very fortunate, a pup. Yes, Kira is a domestic dilute, but I am sure that will make her an excellent mother.

Unfortunately, Lupin industries has a way of commandeering my attention whenever I let it, and though I am indeed planning to marry my mate, I need to give things time to settle, both at work and at home. We have been experiencing some unrest at work, largely due to a kind of corporate sabotage that has seen several settled contracts fall through of late. I am putting it down to the fact that I have been so distracted lately.

Even now, a part of my mind is on how Abel’s silly jumping the gun by calling an immediate conclave wasn’t helpful at all, and it indicated a certain lack of judgement. That’s why I can’t take my hand off the tiller at either work, or at home. If I could split myself in two, I would.

I’ll bring Kira back to work at the office once we are married, but for now, I think it is best for her to be in the company of the pack. She needs to be socialized by them, which means we are sometimes separate for a day or two. Today is one of those days.

I miss her.

A lot.

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