Page 35 of Mating at Midnight: Book 1

Finally, dinner came to an end, and we were on our way back to the hotel. I rarely spoke on the ride unless Kenia asked me a question. Braxton didn’t say much either, so I know his head was probably in the same space as mine but I’m sure he observed the way Kenia and Levi were interacting with me.

I’ve had questions about her and Levi since the day we were at the barbecue. Kenia gave me a cryptic answer, so I left it at that, but I’m still trying to figure out how their interchanges seem so natural. Yeah, I couldn’t wait to get to the suite.

At the hotel, we dealt with the asshole who thought his black card was an all-access pass, but Braxton slapped the taste out of his mouth. He and his little entourage were eventually escorted out of the hotel, I’m sure he learned the lesson that money can’t buy you everything. I really wanted to do bodily harm to him because of the way he spoke to Lisa. She is one of our best employees and I know she has dealt with assholes like him before. And in my opinion, she handled it perfectly.

When that shit was over with, we boarded the elevator to take us to Braxton’s suite. We stepped off the elevator and I noticed the tray of liquor I requested.

I didn’t give a shit about what the guard said to Braxton as Levi entered the code to unlock the door. When the light turned green, he opened the door. We went inside, but my main concern was to have Kenia elaborate on what she said in the elevator. With that, we left Braxton and Levi in the living room.

I let Kenia’s hand go once we were inside the master bedroom.

After closing the door, I faced my older sister. “Kenia, we’ve always been close, but I think there is something you are keeping from me.”

Kenia stared into the dark sky through the windows, fumbling with her hands.

Cutting off her line of vision, I step in front of her. “Kenia, what is going on? Talk to me,” I insist.

She walks over and sits on the bed, letting out a deep breath. “You’re right, I have been keeping something from you.”

I take a seat next to her. “Okay.”

“Levi has asked me to be his mate,” she informs. My jaw drops from the news. She continues, “And I have accepted.”

“When? Where? How?” I fire off, standing. “Does daddy know?” I ask, pacing in front of her.

Kenia shakes her head. “No, we wanted to wait and tell him after you and Braxton’s ceremony. When Braxton and Levi were at the house that first night, it wasn’t the first time he and I met.”

“What?” I screech, then cover my mouth. Moving closer to her, I repeat in a lower tone, “What?”

“I initially met Levi when I was working at one of the outreach centers outside of Dallas. He brought in a young wolf that was bitten by a copperhead snake. The way he worried over the boy, you would have thought he was the kid’s father whichreally impressed me when I found out he wasn’t. I don’t know what it was, but we had an instant connection. After treating the boy and scheduling him for follow-up visits, Levi handed me his business card. He told me if I hadn’t called him within twenty -four hours, he would be parked outside when I got off. Attraction or not, I wasn’t about to call that man. I was there to do a job, nothing more, nothing less. I tossed the card in the trash after they left and carried on with my day.”

“And he came back?” I inquire.

“Did he?” Kenia laughs. “The twenty-four window was way over and when I stepped out of the outreach building, he was propped up against his car, looking pissed.”

Wanting all of the juicy details, I ask, “What did he say? What did you do?” I swear I wish I had a bucket of popcorn right now.

“I didn’t say shit and kept walking to my rental car as he called out my name several times before stopping me from getting inside. Don’t get me wrong, I was excited to see him there, but I didn’t want him to think so. Remember momma used to say,“If he ain’t your mate, let him wait.”

I cracked up, high fiving her.

“Anyway, I did just that. After going on and on about how he waited for my call, Levi asked me out to dinner that night. No, let me take that back, he told me we were going out to dinner that night. That dinner turned into another dinner, more time spent together, then ultimately us doing the deed in my Airbnb. I never met his Pack or Braxton which was fine with me because I didn’t see our little rendezvous lasting after I moved on to my next outreach assignment. Two days before I was supposed to leave, Levi had to go out of town for business. We spent our last night together making passionate love, declaring we would reunite. I meant the words that I said, but when it was time for me to leave, I made the decision to keep whatever we had in Texas with the mindset of it was fun while it lasted. Knowing that Leviwas a Beta, I knew he would have resources to find me or at least our Pack, so I made sure my information with the outreach was flagged confidential and changed my last name to momma’s maiden name, Randolph. So, us reconnecting again after all this time may be something the Gods wanted.”

I have so many questions, but I decided to ask her my main ones.

“So, what about the mate the Gods destined for you in the Pack? And does Levi have one in his? Also, Levi is a Beta, and you are an Alpha female, how is that going to work?”

Kenia smirks. “Well don’t hold back.”

Resting my hand on my hip, I tell her, “Trust me, I am. Those were just more important than the other questions I had.”

“Yeah, okay. Well, as for the destined mate, it doesn’t matter because I declined the bond. Levi did have a destined mate in his Pack, but she was killed several years ago in a car crash. He said he would never mate with another; that is until he met me. As for the Beta and Alpha question, our hearts and our wolves want what we want. He wants me and I want him. I don’t see Levi as a Beta. To me we are equal.”

I understand what she was saying, shit, it’s up to our wolves and ourselves to determine who is fit for us, fated or not. If Kenia is happy with her decision, then I’m over the moon happy for her, but there’s one lingering question I have to ask.

Kneeling beside her, I clasp my hands together, hoping Kenia wouldn’t clam up before asking, “Who was your fated mate in the Pack?”

Kenia peers into my eyes without blinking, answering, “Corey.”

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