Page 11 of Kendrick

“Well, you’re connected to them through Boyd, who’s connected to them through Alexis, who’s a Krsnik like Rowan.”

“Still doesn’t feel like enough, but I appreciate the fact that they’ve tried to make me feel welcome. I just don’t particularly like parties, and I knew Devon was going to be here.”

Jonas looked at the house. “Do you want to go back inside?”

“Not really. I’m sure Boyd and Chris will be looking for me eventually, but they can text or call me if they can’t find me. I just want to go home.”

Jonas nodded. “I agree. I might be more closely related to Rowan than you since I’m a Krsnik and Alexis’s best friend, but they still don’t really feel like family, no matter how nice they are.” Probably because Jonas had been convinced that they would kick him out if he dared breathe wrong. He now knew that wasn’t so, but it would take some time to actually accept it.

His old clan hadn’t been like that.

Times were different when Krsnik and Kudlaks were at war, so he understood why his clan leader had been harsh and demanding. Jonas had been a child, but he’d seen what it had done to his parents and his siblings.

There was none of that here. Clay and Rowan wanted their clan members to come to them if they had a problem. They wanted to help them build happy lives. They wouldn’t force him into anything, even though it would be easy for them to. It was different, but that didn’t make it bad.

If anything, Jonas suspected it made everything better. The clan would be more than a clan once everyone settled in. It would be a massive family, and for once, the thought didn’t scare him.

* * * *

“What about you?” Kendrick asked. “Will you go back inside?”

Jonas shrugged. “I don’t feel it’s my place, either. Maybe I’ll go home, too.”

“Let me walk you home, then,” Kendrick offered. He hoped Jonas would accept, but he wouldn’t be offended if he didn’t.

He didn’t want to be alone right now. He couldn’t help but wonder if Devon had stormed home or if he was hanging around, waiting for Jonas to leave. Kendrick didn’t kid himself into thinking that Devon had given up. He might be hurt and angry right now, but Kendrick was ready to bet that by tomorrow morning, he’d be back. He’d want to talk about Jonas and ask how Kendrick could be sure that Jonas was actually his mate. He’d tell Kendrick that maybe Jonas was lying because he wanted to take Kendrick away.

It would be bullshit. Kendrick might be human, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel a certain pull toward Jonas. He couldn’t tell if it was the bond or just that he found Jonas attractive, but he didn’t see a reason for Jonas to lie. Why would he declareKendrick to be his mate of all people? Kendrick had little to offer, and he was probably more trouble than he ought to be.

Especially with Devon following him around.

Jonas’s smile was sweet. “I’d love that.”

Kendrick gestured in the direction of the rest of the village since he didn’t know where Jonas lived. He just knew he lived with Caroline, while Alexis had moved in with Boyd. “I guess you were given a house like everyone else,” he offered.

“I was. Well, it was supposed to be me, Alexis, and Caroline, but Alexis already left.”

“I live on my own.”

Jonas wiggled his eyebrows. “Is that an offer?”

Kendrick felt a bit flustered. He wasn’t used to flirting. In fact, he wasn’t used to spending a lot of time with men he found attractive. When he was with the hunters, all of his energy had gone into hunting Kudlaks. That was probably why he still felt so much at odds with the village. He had more free time than he ever could have dreamed of when he’d been with the hunters, and even more, he actually had a home, people he could call friends, and the opportunity to build himself a life. He couldn’t have had that with the hunters, who lived in abandoned buildings and drifted from one place to another in their hunt for Kudlaks.

So no, Kendrick wasn’t used to flirting with guys or being flirted with. It gave him a little thrill, especially since this was Jonas.

“I was just thinking ahead,” he explained. “Both my best friends met their mates recently, and they’re already living with them. You know that Alexis moved in with Boyd, and Chris and his mate also moved in together. I was just wondering if that was going to happen to us, too.”

Jonas shrugged. “Only if we want it to. There are no rules when it comes to bonding and moving in together.”

“I understand that, but I was thinking more along the line of the houses. One of us is going to have to move.”

“It’s easy. You said you live alone?”

“Yeah. The house is a bit of a mess, but then, so is everything in the village. I’ve been renovating, but it’s slow going, since I’m also working as a hunter.”

“Then I’ll move in with you. Caroline will be happy to have the house to herself.”

Was it that easy? Kendrick had a hard time believing it, but maybe that was because nothing had ever been easy in his life. Even the time he’d already spent at the village hadn’t been all roses and butterflies. He was hunting, and of course there was the Devon situation that had made him feel like he needed to hide in his own home. “I don’t want you to feel obligated,” he offered.

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