Page 28 of Destined Mate

“I didn’t hear my phone.” I almost said I didn’t have it on me, but that would’ve led to more questions. Questions I didn’t want to answer.

“What do you mean you didn’t hear it?”

“I was sleeping.” I sighed, wishing he hadn’t texted. He’d never been so needy before, but I’d also never left the pack. “That was the whole point of Bodey bringing me here, remember?”

He chuckled darkly. “Oh, I’m aware.” His tone softened. “I was worried when I couldn’t get a hold of you, especially with how injured you were when you left. I wanted to make sure he was following through on his word by takingcareof you.”

I didn’t like how he’d emphasizedcare. “He has. I’ve slept most of the day, and he even cooked me food.” It was sad that an alpha adviser for an entirely different state had helped me when Zeke, my own alpha and the alpha adviser for my state, had been determined to break me.

Worse, Theo hadn’t intervened. None of it made sense when I considered that Bodey was twice as strong as Zeke. As the next alpha and royal adviser, Theo wanted to be taken seriously and should’ve sided with Bodey. That would’ve been the right thing to do, especially since the other royal advisers had agreed with him.

But it wasn’t my place to tell Theo that. It would only lead to an argument and add to the tension between us.

To reinforce that everything was okay, I added, “Bodey’s been great.”

“Great,” Theo growled. “What does that mean? Has he touched you in any way?”

I rolled my eyes. Theo wasn’t used to having another man be kind to me, and he sounded extremely jealous. I kept my voice even. “I already told you why he was great. He let me sleep and fed me. He even gave me my own room. That’s it. Nothing more has happened.” Even if Bodey had touched me, it was none of Theo’s business. He and I were justfriends.

“Okay, sorry.” He groaned. “I’m losing my mind. I hate you being there.” The kindness filtered back into his voice, reminding me of the boy who had befriended me long ago. “I wish I had stood up to Dad instead ofhim.”

“Why didn’t you?” I asked. If he was my friend and expected to claim me one day, why wasn’t he more invested in how I was treated?

“You know it’s complicated, Callie. I can’t go against my father. What would the packs think of me? Forcing a takeover would cause mass chaos, and other shifters would think they could do the same thing and challenge me.”

Zeke must have told Theo that to prevent his son from challenging him. Zeke wanted to maintain control, even though he was getting older. But he and Theo were acting as if they weren’t already pushing the time line for the transfer of leadership.

I eased myself back on the pillows and grunted.

“What’s wrong?” Theo’s voice thickened with concern.

“My ribs. I’m just lying down. I’m exhausted.” I wanted to hang up, but I couldn’t rush him. I needed to make sure he didn’t come here and make things worse.

After a moment of silence, he eventually asked, “Is there anything you can tell us?”

My eyebrows lifted, and a warning buzzed in my blood. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re with Bodey in his home.” He exhaled. “Have the royal advisers said anything odd? Have you overheard plans they might be keeping from my dad?”

He wanted me to spy on Bodey and the other advisers. My blood pumped harder through my veins. Zeke had put him up to this, but I refused to help them, not after what this group had done for me. “I’ve been resting in my room like I told you, so I haven’t had a chance to learn anything. However, I did meet Samuel briefly.” I hoped that would reinforce that I wasn’t hiding information from him. “He seems nice. We didn’t talk for long, and I haven’t seen the other alphas since I arrived.” I was thankful he wasn’t here in person, or he’d smell my lie.

“Maybe they aren’t staying there. I think Jack’s main pack lives closer to the Washington border, so he could easily go back and forth. Lucas and Miles are probably staying somewhere nearby since Montana and Wyoming are much farther away.”

Wanting to change the subject, I used the opportunity to ask a question of my own. “What punishment has Zeke inflicted on my family?” Dread knotted my stomach. I was certain Zeke had found a workaround for what he’d promised Bodey.

“They’re fine. Dad doesn’t want to risk causing more problems with the other advisers. And Callie…” His voice deepened. “I’ll make sure they’re safe. I’ll do better where you and your family are concerned. I won’t continue to sit idly by.”

He’d made vows like that before, but not quite as boldly…more like hints of protection. Maybe—just maybe—he’d follow through this time.

I still couldn’t get myself to respond. Anything I said would seem snarky or insincere, especially since it had taken Bodey’s involvement to get Theo to this point.

After a few beats of silence, Theo cleared his throat. “So…about what I said earlier.”

My lungs quit working.Please, no.

He continued, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about my intentions and our future.”

I was not ready for this conversation in any capacity. “Can we talk about it later? I’m tired, and that’s a huge discussion. It’s not something we can resolve in a few minutes.” In truth, I never wanted to discuss it. Theo and I were just friends. I didn’t have romantic feelings for him. I’d never been attracted to him like that, even though he was very good-looking. The feelings of love I’d hoped to develop for him one day had never happened. We didn’t quiteclick.

---