Page 7 of Kendrick

Chapter Two

Jonas had no idea what he’d walked in on, but he’d seen his mate—or rather, the man he hoped was his mate, because there was no way he could bond with that kid—push away the kid when he’d kissed him, so he could take an educated guess.

The kid looked like he wanted to punch Jonas. Jonas wasn’t going to goad him into it, even though he kind of wanted to, but hewoulddefend himself if he had to. He would also defend his mate, but he’d rather that not be the first impression he left on the man.

He’d known that his mate would appeal to him, both physically and mentally. He knew who Kendrick was, although they’d never really talked. That explained why he hadn’t realized that Kendrick was his mate before now, but that didn’t matter. What he did know was that he liked what he knew about Kendrick and couldn’t wait to find out more.

Part of him regretted not finding out sooner, because he would have felt more comfortable at the village if he’d known his mate was here, but another part of him was fine with it. He needed time to get out of his fight-or-flight mentality. He’d lived that way for so long, relying on Alexis and Caroline to help him survive, working as hard as he could to earn enough money that the three of them could eat and have a roof over their head. Now, when he allowed himself to relax and rest, he still felt like he was doing something wrong. That was partially why he was so antsy. He felt he needed to do more, and that more could only be fighting Kudlaks since he was a Krsnik.

“You can’t be Kendrick’s mate,” the kid continued.

Jonas arched a brow. “Can’t I? Because I know you’re not. You’re human.” And so was Kendrick, unless Jonas was mistaken. The two couldn’t be mates because they were bothhuman. They could be boyfriends, but it didn’t look like they were.

Jonas sure as fuck hoped not. The kid was painfully young, and if his mate really had something going on with him, Jonas would be pissed and disappointed.

“It doesn’t mean we don’t belong together,” the kid snapped.

“Devon,” Kendrick said, reaching for the kid’s shoulder.

Jonas took a moment to look at him. He was pleased with what he saw. He was also happy that his Krsnik senses were stronger than a human’s, because it meant that even in the darkness, he could see the freckles on his mate’s nose, the way his blond hair looked like he’d just rolled out of bed, and more importantly, how gentle his expression was. Jonas didn’t know who Devon was, but he was sure that his mate hadn’t agreed to be kissed by him. It didn’t look like he would hold it against Devon, though.

Devon shook off Kendrick’s hand. “No. He can’t be your mate. You should be with me.”

This was going to be a problem. If Kendrick was Jonas’s mate, they would have to deal with Devon, and it wouldn’t be pleasant. If, God forbid,Devonwas Jonas’s mate, it was clear Jonas was about to be rejected.

He wasn’t sure he’d mind. If Devon was his mate, he was too young for Jonas to be with him. Even if he’d reached eighteen, there was no way Jonas would touch him. Right now, Devon was a brat, and that wasn’t something Jonas wanted to deal with.

Please, let Kendrick be my mate.

“He’s right,” Kendrick said. “You and I can’t be mates because we’re both human, and there’s a possibility that I’mhismate.”

Devon looked betrayed.

Jonas wanted to ask what kind of relationship there was between the two of them, but he suspected he already knew the answer. Devon would tell him that he and Kendrick weretogether, while Kendrick would argue and say that wasn’t the case. It didn’t look like he was taking advantage of Devon, which was a relief.

Devon crossed his arms over his chest in a stubborn gesture that showcased his age. “There’s no chance of that. I don’t believe him.”

“You’re free to believe whatever you want,” Jonas said. “I know what I smelled, and I’m sure that one of you is my mate.”

Devon frowned. “You just said it was Kendrick.”

“Well, you were kissing him when I arrived. It could be either of you, but I really hope it’s not you.”

Devon scowled. “Yeah, I hope it’s not me, too.”

“I can come closer and check.”

Devon shook his head. “I don’t care. Just leave us alone.”

“Devon, please,” Kendrick begged. He looked at Jonas.

Jonas could see how uncomfortable he was. If he had to guess, Devon was slightly obsessed with Kendrick. It was clear he’d kissed him without his consent. For some reason, Kendrick was trying to be nice to him, but sometimes being nice wasn’t right. Devon was delusional. He’d convinced himself that he and Kendrick should be together, and he wasn’t taking no for an answer, which was dangerous. He might do something stupid that would result in Kendrick getting hurt, and that wasn’t something Jonas could allow.

Jonas crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not going anywhere until I know which one of you belongs to me.”

“We don’t belong to you. We’re not objects,” Devon snapped.

“Ireallyhope it’s not you,” Jonas snapped back.

---