Page 58 of Rejected Pretend Mate

"The mate part? That took a little longer, but I've always loved her, Cayden. She filled a part you left behind. And it was never anything inappropriate when we were younger. It was comforting to have someone that understood. It just grew from there."

Cayden inhaled slowly and looked back at his sister. "April, I'm just trying to keep you safe. I'm not trying to be the bad guy. I've screwed up enough and lost so much already. I can't imagine losing you again."

"And I love you for that," she said, her eyes softening. "But if you fucking keep another secret from me like this or try and get in the way of my happiness, I will hurt you in return." April leaned forward, her eyes darkening. "And I swear to god, you'll regret it, Cayden. Be a brother. Not my father."

April turned on her heels and marched out. I could hear her echoing out of the kitchen until it fell silent. I was utterly impressed. I felt proud of her for standing up for what she wanted.

"Damn…. she's…a tough girl," I said, holding back a laugh.

Cayden sighed, rubbing his face again. He looked exhausted yet relieved. "She always has been."

I glanced at him, watching different emotions playing over his face. "She wasn't serious about hurting you, was she?"

He nodded, a smile cracked on his face. "Yeah, but not in the way you would think. April is the revenge type."

Cayden turned to me, his face a little calmer now. "You swear you never slept with her back in the old pack?"

I shook my head. "No. Your sister was too young for that. I told you why I came down."

"You didn't say it was because of my sister," he growled. "You said you weren't ready to settle down."

I scuffed. "And you would have murdered me if I told you I got with your sister while you were away. You would have lost your control like you did at the party."

He sighed. "I just want what's best for her, Weslie, and if you plan on being with her, I need to know that you'll keep her safe."

I leaned forward. "Have I not done that the past few months?"

His shoulders dropped, and he nodded. "You have."

"Then trust me that I will continue to because your sister is the most important person to me. I love her, and I will always protect her. I will spend my life doing that."

I sighed and leaned back—an idea formed in my head. I didn't want this relationship. I wanted one better. Something more real, more concrete. "Can you cover for me?"

Cayden raised an eyebrow at me. "For what?"

"I have…an emergency."

Cayden scowled. "I might be okay with you being with my sister, but that doesn't mean I want to think about your dick going into her. If you're asking me to cover your shift so you can find my sister and sleep with her, I'll fucking punch you."

I shook my head and snorted. "I just…need to talk with her. No funny business." Well, if it happens, he doesn’t need to know about it. But I also needed to stop at a few other places while I was out.

Cayden nodded and waved a hand. "Sure."

I swung out of my chair and headed out of the meeting room toward my truck. I pulled my phone up and looked for a decent jewelry store I would stop by. Then, I called my realtor.

Chapter 23 - April

I was folding the blankets in the living room when the door opened. I looked at the clock, checking the time, seeing it was only three in the afternoon, which wasn't the normal time for Weslie. I grew nervous for a second, thinking it might be Ivan. But I knew I heard the door unlock, and Ivan was the type to pound on the door. Plus, he didn’t have a key.

"You're home early," I said, folding the blanket in my hands. I tossed it onto the couch.

He nodded, walking towards me. "I had a few things I wanted to take care of, so I asked Cayden to fill in for me."

I raised an eyebrow at him. I had hoped my yelling would get them to talk, and I was a little proud that it had worked. "You two…are talking now?"

He nodded. "We're good. You yelling at us didn't really give us a choice."

I smirked because that had been the point. I didn't want them to continue to fight when there was no point. They were fighting over something so petty and meaningless when Cayden should have been happy I had found someone who loved me and treated me right. And he couldn't really be too angry about it being with his best friend when he was with mine.

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