Page 92 of A Wolf's Heart

Rainor gave up his searching.Then, we do the only logical thing. We give in to the fates.

We surrender?Kage scoffed.To an imaginary force?

No. We surrender to our mate.I wasn’t sure if I had projected the words loud enough for the others to hear, the thoughts an echo in my mind.Cridhe never surrendered.

If she will take us, Rainor whispered.She has just as much power to reject us as we do her.

Lila

Two days had passedwithout a call from any of them. I tried my best to get on with life, like they obviously had, but when I got home from work and their scents were fading, it wrecked something inside of me.

I lay on the couch but was disappointed when the strongest scent on it was mine. I rushed to the bedroom, breathing in Rainor and Weylin, but at most, it was a faint dusting. Even the pillows they had used were fading. The knife in my heart began twisting, taking my breath away.

Max walked into the room. “I hugged them too much,” I complained to him, indicating the pillows. Max let out a huff of air, as if he understood me and was flabbergasted. I mean, I knew I could call them as easily as they could call me, but I shouldn’t be obsessing over them like this.

I was Lila Evans, damn it! Detective Evans. With a deep breath, I shoved the emotions and pain deep down inside. It could fester there while I thought about what I wanted to do with it.

“I’m Lila Evans. I’m Lila fucking Evans.” I got up off my bed and marched into the kitchen. “Hungry, Max? I’m hungry. There’s a shit ton of food going bad. Let’s make dinner.” I was pretty sure I snapped. I felt like I’d snapped. This was it—this was my breaking point where I refused to break. I would just smile and pretend I had all my shit together.

Opening the fridge, I started yanking out ingredients for food. I took my phone out and searched for a recipe to make with what I had.

I was elbow deep in the recipe—two frying pans were going, and I had a roast in the oven and potatoes boiling in the pot—when there was a knock at the door. What? I never got visitors.

I was halfway to the door when the scent hit me, causing my heart to leap. I yanked open the door to find a scowling Kage.He came back for me?I didn’t think I had ever breathed in someone’s scent so deeply before. The stabbing in my chest ebbed away just a little.

“I forgot my watch.” He pushed himself into the house, forcing me to take a step back.

I frowned as I closed the door behind him. “A watch?”

“Yes. A wristwatch. It was a family heirloom, and I wish to have it back.” He began walking around the house in search of the watch.

“I haven’t seen anything like that around here. I would’ve called you if I had.”

He ignored me and continued his search, the grumpy ass. Whatever.

“Do you smell smoke?” he suddenly asked.

“My roast!” I ran back to the kitchen. One pan was smoking, and the potatoes were boiling over, foamy water spreading beneath the pot.

Kage cursed and pushed me aside. “Perhaps it would be safer if we removed your stove altogether. Do you think you can handle a microwave?”

He opened the oven, and a large puff of black smoke came out. He quickly closed the oven and gave me a pointed stare. “What the fuck is that?”

It was the roast. I guess turning up the temperature on the oven wouldn’t, in fact, cook it faster. I crossed my arms. “None of your business. I’ve changed my mind, you can leave now.”

“Obviously, we can’t. You need one of us around at all times to prevent you from burning down the place.” He went to work turning off the burners. “The potatoes might be salvageable. But whatever was in the pans isn’t. We’ll have to do a rotating schedule.” He started talking to himself. “Weylin, Rainor, and I, of course. I wouldn’t put my men through the risk of being here.” As he kept speaking, I found myself relaxing, only slightly, though. He was talking about one of them always being with me and switching that person out, almost like joint custody.

“You know”—I walked up to him and gave him a little bump with my shoulder—“you can say you want to be with me without belittling me. That is possible.”

Kage met my stare and turned towards me, giving me his full attention.

“Just because you don’t like owning up to your feelings doesn’t mean you have to go and make mine feel small.”

His lips twitched. “I apologize.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to call him a liar.

“Would you like me to take over, or would you like to continue cooking?” he asked.

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