Page 54 of Destined Mate

I wanted to snatch my hand away, but I didn’t have the energy to fight. Not when I was struggling to keep the tears at bay.

“You belong with us. You’ll see.” He nodded sternly. “It’s my life’s mission to ensure people start treating you differently and that you feel comfortable at home.”

“We’ll see.” I didn’t buy it. He was determined to make a difference, but his father had done irreparable damage to me during the past seventeen years.

We drove past the pack houses, heading to my house. I couldn’t wait to see Stevie. She was the only highlight of coming home. Being back here felt surreal.

When my house came into view, my stomach clenched. A man was standing underneath the small porch.

Zeke.

Theo pulled into our driveway and put the car into park.

My heart dropped. Oh, gods. What was Zeke doing here? He was supposed to be with the advisers.

There was only one reason I could think of, and Bodey had been right. I never should’ve come home.

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

Zeke’s expressionwasn’t his standard scowl, but it wasn’t pleasant, either. Tugging down his black polo shirt, he hunkered under the front porch, waiting on the two of us.

“Did you know he would be here?” I asked, probably louder than needed, but with the way my ears were ringing and the sound of rain pelting the car, it was hard to tell. I couldn’t believe I’d been so foolish, thinking I’d be safe until Zeke got home from the advisers’ meeting that day.

Theo shook his head. “I didn’t know. I promise. I have no idea what this is about.”

There was no stench of sulfur, so I had no reason not to believe him. He wasn’t even trying to be crafty about his answer.

I turned to him just as his irises glowed, indicating he was using his wolf to pack link with his father.

Tearing my gaze from him to Zeke, I noticed evidence of Zeke’s wolf surging forward. His brows furrowed, and he pursed his lips.

My body tensed, and my mouth went dry. Whatever Theo was saying would only make this worse, and I needed him to end it now.

Unsure what to do, I squeezed his hand to divert his attention back to me. “Don’t. It’ll be fine. Let’s go see what he wants.” I hoped that proactively coming home earlier would be in my favor. This way, he’d know that I’d upset one of his rival advisers.

“Don’t worry,” Theo murmured, raising my hand to his mouth and kissing it lightly. “I’ll be right beside you the entire time.”

I flinched, unable to stop myself. His lips on my skin did not feel natural or right. Hell, even his touch wasn’t comforting like—no, I had to stop thinking abouthim. There was no other choice. He was searching for his fated mate.

Trying to play off the negative reaction, I kept my hand in his for a beat, even though my skin crawled and I blew out a breath. “Let’s get this over with.” I pulled my hand away a little too eagerly.

Ready to face the inevitable, I opened the door. I was certain my punishment would come in the form of yard work or cleaning toilets. Anything that involved intense physical labor, horrible weather, or handling literal shit.

Despite the rain and wanting to run away, I forced myself to take casual steps toward Zeke. My heart ached, and the last thing I wanted was to deal with his shenanigans. Maybe for once, I’d actually keep my mouth shut…or I could make the situation worse.

There was no telling which way this would go.

I heard Theo get out, but I didn’t wait on him. All I could focus on was meeting Zeke head-on.

Zeke scanned me and said, “You look better.” Unlike his normal tone, there was only a touch of malice. For the first time ever, he sounded almost nice, which sent a buzz of warning coursing through me.

I needed to proceed with caution. This was uncharted territory. “I’m feeling better.”

Between the anguish coursing through me over leaving Bodey and the uncertainty of what the hell was going on, I wanted to wrap my arms around my stomach, but I refused. I’d only come off as insecure or timid.

“That’s one reason I decided to come home.” I shrugged, unconcerned. “I’m pretty much healed, so there was no reason to stay there.”

He tilted his head, sniffing as if he expected to catch me in a lie.

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