Page 57 of K'Vella

I inhale deeply, growling low in my chest when the female isn't here. Sloane's eyes move to the window, and I realize why my sister was trying to hold me off from coming back here.

Whoever the female is, she ran from the house. How she knew I was coming for her, I don't know, but maybe it means she's asunhappy about this scent matching as me. Although she should be drawn to me, she shouldn't be able to run from me.

I open the window and crawl through, rolling into the garden with the grace of a child just learning to walk. Sloane leans out the window, her eyes wide, and some other emotion flickers over her features. I'm up on my feet and following the scent trail before I think to ask about it.

I follow the scent four houses down, and this time, before I bang on the door, I slow my movements and frown.

This is my house. The house I built with my uncle before I went through my first rut. The house I planned on living in once I reached adulthood. The house I—

A loud crash followed by a scream has me moving again. I push the door open, not needing to be invited in since this is still my home, and whoever's in here is intruding.

My scent match or not, I didn't invite them here and they shouldn't be inside. There's another crash, but it's in one of the back rooms. Another crash, a sound like someone's throwing something against the wall. There's another scream right as I open the door and see the most beautiful sight I have ever seen.

K'Vella's in the middle of swinging a club with her upper arms, beating a fifth or sixth hole into the wall as she growls at it. She turns around to face me, her violet chest heaving in angered breaths, her eyes wide with a wild fury, and her lower hands clamped possessively over her abdomen.

I sniff deep and let a smile pull up on my lips. My beautiful, perfect mate. This sweet Varon has been keeping secrets from me.

twenty

K'Vella

Holoth stares at me from the doorway with a crazed look. I'm used to his carefree smiles, playful smirks, and even the hot, lusty way his lips wrap around my marked pelt.

This look, with his hair falling out of his braid, his eyes wide, and his pupils so blown there's barely any blue left. I'm not used to it at all. It's not a look for me, or at least, I don't think it is.

"K'Vella." Holoth's voice is a deep growl as he takes a step toward me. his nostrils flare as he takes a deep inhale.

His eyes never leave mine, even though I'm frozen in place with the wooden club over my head. I might have stolen it from Helna's closet before I snuck out of her room.

After hearing the news about Holoth's scent matching someone, I made sure Helna and Sloane were okay, and then I let my emotions fill me. Those emotions were rage and a terrible feeling of being discarded again. So I came to his house, where I knew Holoth would most likely bring the female, and decided to destroy the nesting room.

I only managed to put a few holes in the wall. I tried to bash the nesting platform itself, but it's made of a large slab of white stone that didn't even budge when I brought the club down on it and screamed.

"K'Vella," Holoth growls again, this time right in front of me, so close that our noses touch.

I feel the rage still burning under my pelt. Not rage at him. He has no control over this, either. I have to be angry at someone, so I'll be angry at fate and, yeah, a little angry at Holoth.

He nudges the edge of my chin with his nose, his eyes wild with need. I do as he asks and bare my neck to him, something I've done frequently.

"Is she with you?" I ask, hating how I'm still baring myself to him even when we both know there's a Rytharian perfect for him.

"She is," Holoth growls against my neck as he trails his nose over the slope over and over again. His inhales are sharp and deep as he breathes hard against me. "She's right here with me."

My eyes narrow at his words because there's no one else here. Definitely not another Rytharian female watching as her scent match continues to sniff me.

Holoth's hands wrap around me. One of them pins my lower back, so I'm forced closer to him, our hips touching as he presses his length against me. I whine and wiggle in his hold, needing more of him.

I don't understand how he's able to fight off the scent match, but I don't want to question it either. His other hand splays wide on my back, rubbing up and down as he buries his face in the crook of my neck.

"What's going on?" I whimper. I need to know if he's with me right now and can stay with me or if this is prolonging the inevitable heartbreak we're both going to feel.

"What's going on?" Holoth repeats, smiling against my neck before pulling away just enough to look back into my eyes. "I chased the most delicious smelling female around the clan, all to find out she's been sharing a nest with me every night. I learned that the female I want to spend my life with is the same one I'm fated to be with. I went through all the stages of grief on my way to find you, and now I don't know what to do because you're here, and it's you. It's always been you." He growls low in his throat as he pulls me tighter against him. "You smell like soft florals, K'Vella. I've never smelled anything like it on a Rytharian female, but that's not all I'm smelling, is it?"

I whimper again, knowing he's talking about the babe I've kept secret from him.

"How long has my mate been keeping secrets?"

His nostrils flare as he takes another deep inhale. His eyes show how lost to his lust he is, but he's being patient with me, letting me understand what's happening. Allowing me time to figure out all of my emotions since I'm going through a lot of whiplash right now.

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