Page 59 of Pack Kasen: Part 2

The kitchen workers glance at me, because clearly, they can still hear every single word. I don’t know why I thought they wouldn’t be able to when I know how sharp a wolf’s ear can be. Wishful thinking maybe?

“You have no reason to lie to me. Kill me? Maybe. But not lie to me.”

I watch her finish scrubbing a pot, then stack it alongside the others.

For several seconds, she stares into the metal sink of bubbly water.

“If Aren said that’s what you are, then that’s what you are.”

I eye her suspiciously. “Because he doesn’t lie?”

She picks up another burned pot. “Because he has no reason to lie about something like that. And it makes sense the way he lost his head over you.”

He lost his head over me? When was that supposed to have happened?

When he was dumping food on the floor for me to eat from?

When he wrapped his hand around my throat like he intended to choke the life from my body?

Because if that’s his idea of losing his mind over a girl, I’d hate to see what the guy looks like when he’s in love.

I consider my options. “And if I don’t want to be his mate. Is there another way to break whatever this thing is?”

She laughs until she meets my gaze, still chuckling. Slowly, her laughter dwindles, and she appears genuinely shocked. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

17

AREN

Idon’t take my eyes off Kat as she walks into the bedroom and past the new bed that Tagge helped me build without pausing, placing her duffel on the floor.

She didn’t notice.

I glance at the bed I made up with new green sheets and a comforter. The old sheets were blue. The entire bed looks nothing like the one I had before, and that was intentional. I wanted Kat to know that it was different.

But she didn’t notice.

So what do I do?

If I mention it, she’ll think I’ll want something in return.

And I do. Her forgiveness. Just without me having to say it.

My wolf doesn’t know or understand women. He knows about female wolves.

A female wolf respects power and the ability to hunt well and provide for the pack.

An image of a dead deer flashes into my mind.

We are not hunting a deer and dragging it into the room for Kat;I tell my wolf.

He doesn’t understand subtlety and why I’m not just telling her about the new bed. For him, if you do something impressive, you show it off so everyone can admire you. Like a dead deer showing off your hunting prowess.

I’m getting ready to ask her if she’s noticed anything different about the room when she pulls out a T-shirt and a pair of shorts from the duffel and walks over to the bathroom. “You didn’t have to buy a new bed.”

I stare at her back. “What?”

She glances at me, then at the bed. “You heard me.”

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