Page 29 of Protected Promise
“You don’t have to apologize for that,” she said softly.
“I can feel you don’t like it when she touches me. She’s been my only true friend my entire life. She’s like the sister I never had.”
“Landon, you don’t have to explain your relationship with Tobi to me.”
“I think I do.”
“You don’t. I’ve gotten to know Tobi very well this past year. She’d never do anything to purposefully hurt a soul, especially Jackson. I know there’s nothing between you because Jackson wouldn’t care if you’re an Alpha. He’d challenge you if he thought you were a threat in any way, and Tobi loves him.”
“Still doesn’t change how you feel,” I insisted.
Her lips turned up slightly. “No, it doesn’t.”
“She promised to try to keep her distance.”
“She’s happy for you,” Kaitlyn said as if it were a fact that she couldn’t comprehend.
“Of course she is. Ever since she met Jackson she’s been preaching to me to never settle for anything less than, well, you.”
“I’m not who you think, Landon.”
“I don’t think anything, Kaitlyn. I know who you are to me, and the rest, I’ll learn along the way… if you let me. The ball is in your court.”
I didn’t let go of her hand as I drove following behind the caravan of her friends. I also noted that while her Alpha had been in attendance, there didn’t seem to be any family surrounding her. Was she alone in the world like me?
I wanted to know everything about her, but I was scared to push for too much, too fast.
I’d just met her less than twenty-four hours ago. My head was still swirling from the shock of finding her. I had no doubts she was equally confused. We clearly both had things that needed to be said, but for the moment, just being near her was enough.
Kaitlyn
Chapter 9
Landon seemed sweet. I knew that from the night before but seeing his protective nature and finding out he was an Alpha made me wonder if I’d imagined it. I hadn’t though. His words and actions proved that.
The most unsettling thing for me still was the sense of safety I felt every time he was near.
Just holding his hand made me feel stronger, like I could take on the world, and face the demons of my past. It was crazy, and I was sure someone was going to have me committed before this was over, probably Sawyer.
I knew he was just worried about me. He wasn’t the only one either. They all worried about me and went out of their way to protect me, but they didn’t make me feel any safer. All it did was buffer the things I pushed down and didn’t want to deal with.
I was going to have to talk to Sawyer before he left. He’d all but insisted on it, and my instincts told me it was just to check on me.
Maybe he had wanted to call me back to the Pack. Landon changed that though. He was my true mate and if I accepted him, I’d be leaving Longhorn forever. He was an Alpha so there would be no choice or concessions about that.
I tried to think about that and how I felt about it. The truth was, I felt relief.
What if my true mate had been a Longhorn and I’d have been stuck there the rest of my life having to constantly worry if I’d run intohim.
I shuddered to think of it.
Despite Landon’s Pack status or anything else, I knew he wouldn’t force me to do anything I didn’t want to do. He’d been pretty clear on his intentions where I was concerned and I had no doubt he would take me for a mate, but as he said, he was leaving that ball in my court.
I didn’t know what to do with that, but my heart was overflowing with gratitude. There was no way he could possibly understand just how much that meant to me.
I was still terrified of the whole mating thing. It was new and unknown. It stirred up emotions inside me that I never would have expected. I was already feeling a connection to this man who was still a stranger to me.
But he didn’t feel like a stranger.
