Page 79 of Cursed by Death

Being that man’s mate and caring about him was going to ruin my life.

I cleared my throat and tried again. “You do know that Rally and I are together, right? I know its brand new and everything but for Rally I’m his mate and that means it’s a life sentence, whether I want it or not. And Rally definitely wants it. But he’s never going anywhere now. Like I said, it’s a life sentence.”

“Yeah, I noticed that,” he said before shoveling a forkful of food into his mouth. He chewed, swallowed, and kept right on talking. “I also noticed that he already thinks we’ve got something going on. He was jealous at first and had me kidnapped but he’s come to terms with it since then. I don’tthink he likes it, and I certainly can’t fault him for that, but he’s not going to try and put a stop to it by ending me.

“Did you know that I was the first person he called when you disappeared from your house last night? He thought you were with me and he wasn’t pissed about it, he just wanted to make sure that you were okay and that you were safe. Rally’s not going to stand in the way because all that matters to him is that you’re happy. And I can respect him for that. I don’t have to like the man, I think he’s dangerous and crazy as fuck, but I can certainly respect him. So, it’s just up to you and what you want.”

I just stared at him, once again at a loss for words, as he forked more food into his mouth.

“Eat,” he commanded through a mouthful of food.

He didn’t have very good manners, but that didn’t bother me in the slightest.

I picked up my burger and took a bite out of it but I couldn’t tell you what it tasted like or if it was even good or tasted like shit. My mind was far too occupied, busy running his words back and forth through my mind.

Did I want what he was offering me? Yes, absolutely. Because I wanted him and I hadn’t exactly been shy about that.

Did that mean that I was going to say yes and jump on this opportunity while it was in front of me, to say yes and jump on him. As much as I wanted to, as much as I desperately wanted him, I couldn’t just automatically say yes to him. And I really, really wanted to say yes. But I couldn’t, because I had more than just myself to think about now.

And it wasn’t just about Rally either, though he was a really big part of it. Rally didn’t just come as himself. He could never just be Rally the man, though I did get that side of him and I was grateful for it. But he was so much more than just that. He was a shifter too, a wolf shifter. But he was also a Prince and a leader.Both of those things would always come before the wants and needs of Rally the man and shifter.

Being Rally’s mate didn’t just mean I was mated to a shifter. It was so much more than that because of who he was and I was just now beginning to realize that.

There was a whole group of people he was responsible for and though it wasn’t my job to help carry that burden for him that’s exactly what I intended to do. Even if all of the shifters weren’t going to accept me, I’d still do everything I could to look out for them.

And then there were the twins, Bane and Roan. I hadn’t forgotten what they’d said in the parking lot at the underground. I hadn’t responded to it in any way but that didn’t mean I hadn’t heard every word they’d said. Not only had they agreed to share me with each other but they knew if I agreed to that they’d also have to share me with other people too.

Obviously, I hadn't agreed to that and maybe I never would. Hell, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to allow them back into my life again. Not that I really thought they were going to give me much of a choice on the matter. I was pretty sure they weren’t going anywhere, whether I liked it or not.

It was safe to say that my dance card was pretty full and I had no idea how it had even gotten that way in the first place.

All the Detective knew about was Rally. He knew who the twins were. He’d met them a few times and he’d been in contact with them but he didn’t know that they weren’t going anywhere.

Rally was one thing. Bane and Roan were entirely different. Not only were they a package deal but they were also hunters who hunted down and took out supernatural beings who had committed grievous, unforgivable crimes.

And then there was Johnathon Maredo to think about. Not only was he a demon but he was the biggest, baddest criminal in these parts. I think it would be severely frowned upon if peoplefound out the Detective had something going on with Maredo’s daughter.

Yet, he knew who I was related to and he hadn’t once held it against me. He still wanted to have a relationship with me.

I owed him the truth. He was a good man and he deserved that much.

I had been honest with Rally right from the start. I needed to be honest with the Detective as well. That meant I needed to tell Rally about what the twins had said they wanted from me as well. That didn’t sound like a fun conversation, but definitely a necessary one.

“You might not want to date me,” I told him hesitantly. “There’s Rally. There’s my father. There’re the hunters. My life is suddenly messy and very complicated.”

He waved his hand around dismissively, as if swatting each problem away. “We already talked about Maredo and he’s not an issue for me. The wolf and I will work our shit out, but that’s between him and I to do. Not you. And the hunters and I had a conversation after you left the crime scene where the dead demon was. I know where they stand and they know exactly where I am. If that’s all the complicated you’ve got going on then it’s not going to be an issue for me.”

He went back to eating like this was just all some kind of normal conversation we were having and like he wasn’t rocking my world.

“What the hell did Bane and Roan have to say to you?” I asked him incredulously. Out of everything he’d said that one stood out the most and I found it to be the most alarming.

He shrugged but kept eating, talking in between bites. “They said they weren’t going anywhere and planned on being permanent fixtures in your life for the rest of it. Whether it was just friendly or more was up to you but they’re aiming for more. They also informed me that they know you have ongoingrelationships with other men and they’re okay with it. Just so long as they get to be included in your ever growing harem of men. They don’t have an issue with me and I’ve got no issue with them, just so long as they don’t hurt you. I’m not sure how the wolf is going to feel about that though. It’s my understanding that his people don’t much care for the hunters. Can’t say that I blame them. We can ask your shadow how he feels about it, since he’s a wolf and all.”

That was a lot of information to digest but did he say shadow? “What shadow?” I might be purposefully ignoring everything else that I’d heard him say.

Priorities, and all of that nonsense. They were good to have and they came in handy when I wanted to avoid certain topics.

He pointed across the street with his fork and turned around in my chair.

---