Page 6 of The Prince's Mate

“You were being too loud. I couldn’t sleep,” I groused to hide how shaken I was by what I’d seen and heard. What kind of nightmare had he been having? Caelan was old, so I was sure he had a lot of memories, but I couldn’t imagine him feeling the fear I’d heard in his voice as a soul collector. There were very few things that scared them, but this had sounded different. Surely, he didn’t still have his human memories? Everyone I’d talked to had said the same thing—human memories disappeared the longer someone stayed in Otherworld. Caelan was one of the oldest people here, so there was no way he was still having nightmares about his human life, right?

“Don’t you have a silencing ward around your bedroom?” he asked, apparently already awake enough to annoy me.

“I was in my living room. Just try to be quieter,” I said, and he nodded. His fist was curled up tightly in the blanket, the knuckles white. A small, stupid part of me wanted to crawl into the bed and hold him, comfort him, but the moment the thought crossed my mind, I took a few steps back. Clearly, the lack of sleep was catching up to me if I was thinking of crawling into bed with my enemy.

“I’m gonna go,” I mumbled, jerking my thumb toward the exit.

“Walker,” he said before I could leave, and I raised a brow at him. “Thank you,” he said, his voice soft. He was always cocky and confident, a true cat. But right now, he just looked like someone desperately in need of a hug.

Since I didn’t want him to think I’d suddenly changed my mind about him, I rolled my eyes before returning to my room, where Ro’Shassz sat on my bed right where I’d left him. I did not, for a single second, believe that he hadn’t been in Caelan’s room, watching every moment of our interaction.

“So, how did it go?” he asked innocently, and I scowled at him as I threw myself on the bed, almost crushing him in the process.

“Like you don’t already know,” I said, turning my head to look at him, and he widened his eyes.

“What? I was being a good snake and waiting for you right here.”

“Sure, Ro. Whatever you say.” I closed my eyes, and instantly, Caelan’s terrified face appeared behind my eyelids, forcing me to open them back again. Fuck, what the hell was wrong with me? I wasn’t supposed to feel sympathy for someone I hated, and I hated Caelan. I hated him so much.

Maybe if I kept telling myself that, it would stop feeling like a lie.

Caelan

I couldn’t believe Walker had seen me like that. As if he didn’t already have enough reasons to dislike me. Fuck, I must’ve looked pathetic.

I couldn’t remember a time when I hadn’t had nightmares, but they’d gotten better over the years. My human life had been brutal, and it was only after meeting Damien that I found the strength to overcome everything that had happened, but for some reason, the memories refused to leave.

I headed into the bathroom, splashing some cool water onto my face before I turned my eyes to the mirror. My eyes widened for a whole other reason—I'd forgotten I was naked!

Had Walker seen me naked?

Luckily, my scars had disappeared when I came to Otherworld, so I didn’t look quite as damaged as I used to, though tonight’s events had to have changed Walker’s perception of me even without that. I wondered if he’d likedwhat he saw, or if his dislike for me was so strong he hadn’t even tried to catch a glimpse.

Shaking my head at myself, I wiped my face and trudged back to my bed. I had no hope of falling back asleep, so I grabbed a book and started reading, trying my best to push Walker out of my thoughts. I hadn’t managed to do that in the last four years, so my chances of success were slim.

A knock at my door woke me up the next morning, and I squinted against the brightness as I sat up in bed.

“’M coming!” I called out as I struggled out of the sheets and put on a pair of pants. Running my fingers through my hair, I reached for the front door, opening it to find the king of Otherworld.

“Day, what are you doing here?” I asked, stepping aside to let him in.

He raised a brow at me as he walked past, the end of his tail brushing against mine. “I didn’t realize I needed a reason to visit my best friend.”

Closing the door behind me, I turned to him, crossing my arms over my chest. “You don’t. It’s just been a while.”

Damien winced, though I hadn’t meant it as an accusation. Our dynamic had changed a lot over the years. We’d started off as teammates, then became friends. For a long while, we’d been friends-with-benefits, but that had stopped a while before Reeceand Arty entered the picture. We’d still been close, though, until I had to leave.

Sometimes, a part of me resented Walker for making me walk away from my family. I knew on a rational level it wasn’t his fault, but sometimes I couldn’t bring myself to accept that. I’d known Damien for close to ten centuries, and this had been the first time I’d had to stay away from him for so long. After I’d gotten back, our friendship had become a little strained because of my connection with Walker.

“Cae? Are you okay?” Damien asked, and I blinked up at him.

“I’m fine,” I said, and he frowned, clearly not believing me.

Closing the distance between us, he placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing slightly. “You know you can talk to me, right?” he asked, and I shrugged. I would never be able to talk to him about Walker, and as close as I was to the rest of the residents of Otherworld, Damien had always been my only confidant. “And if you can’t, you can talk to someone else. Otherworld is still your home, Cae. We’re still your family.”

I shuddered at the words. I hadn’t realized how much I’d needed to hear that until Day had said it. I nodded, meeting his eyes and giving him a small smile. “I know. I just had a bad night, so I’m a little off. I’ll feel better after a shower.”

“Nightmare?” he asked, and I nodded. Sighing, he shook his head. “I wish I could do something to help.”

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