Page 7 of His to Protect
He burst into the motel parking lot,but there was no one and nothing there. He scented the air, andalthough he caught the slight scent of this mate, it was fadingquickly. Filled with determination, he stomped back into the roomto grab his gear. Kaea might think he had the upper hand, or thatXavier was going to simply sit back and wait for this to be over,but he didn’t know him very well. Not yet. Xavier had a few thingshe needed to say to his mate, and as sure as shit was going to doit today.
He was going hunting.
Chapter Five
“What an asshole,” Kaeamuttered to himself as he sat in the bus heading back to his ownaccommodation. It had been sheer luck that there had been a busstop just outside Xavier’s hotel. He had no idea if the one he wason would get him anywhere near where he needed to be, but he didn’treally give a shit.
He reached into his bag, right to thebottom, and pulled out his cell phone. He turned it on, and waitedfor the service to click in. He smiled when he saw he’d missed acall from Ata. Kaea could almost hear her cursing his name andcomplaining vigorously about the fact he didn’t have a messageservice. He pressed Ata’s name, and dialed, waiting for the phoneto connect. The call connected. He wondered where Xavier might beright now and—
The bus driver cried out, then slammedon the brakes, sending the bus into a short, sudden slide. Kaearammed into the back of the seat in front of him, and he droppedhis phone. He pushed himself back into the chair, and looked aroundas someone started banging on the front door of the bus.
“Open the door.Now.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,”Kaea groaned, closing his eyes briefly before standing up andstomping to the front of the bus. “Xavier! What the hell are youtrying to do? Kill someone?”
Xavier was standing on the other sideof the glass door, face like thunder and eyes blazing blue. “If Ihave to! Get your ass out here now, Kaea. You don’t walk away fromme just because you don’t like what I have to say.”
Kaea crossed his arms over his chestand glared back. “I walked away because you were being a cluelessasshole. That’s my right.”
Xavier threw his hands in the air.“And it’s my right to protect you and make sure that you are safe!Christ, Kaea, all I want to do is keep you from getting hurt. Isthat a crime?”
“What did he do,honey?”
Kaea turned to the olderwoman behind him. “Heforbademe from doing something that is well within myrights to do.”
The woman arched her brow and turnedto glare out the door. “Frank! You open this door rightnow.”
“For you, Marge,anything.” Frank, the bus driver, shot them both a grin over hisshoulder.
“How dare you, young man.”Marge turned a scolding gaze on Xavier, who was now standing in thedoor to the bus. “This lovely boy seems to be old enough and wiseenough to make intelligent and adult decisions on his own, andshouldn’t have to have your permission to do anything. You don’texactly show common sense and great decision-making skills. Youjust slid your car in front of a moving bus, forcing Frank to haveto slam on the brakes and scare the living daylights out of us hereon this bus. What do you have to say for yourself?”
Kaea could see Xavier closing his eyesbriefly and taking a calming breath. He almost felt sorry forhim.
“Ma’am,” Xavier said in atone that practically dripped in charm. “I agree my actions wererash, and I could have caused injury to any of you on this bus, andfor that I am truly sorry.” Kaea frowned and cast a quick look athis defender, and sure enough, Marge seemed to be melting under allthat charm. “But you have to see it from my point of view. Kaea ismy mine, the one man the fates have destined for me alone, and nowthat I have found him, it is my job, no, my right and privilege tosee to his safety. When he ran from me tonight, he did not give mea chance to explain, or to try and see our disagreement from hisperspective. He simply left me in a hotel room with a fire tocontend with, and ran without telling me where I could findhim.”
Marge shot Kaea a disappointed look.“Kaea, is that true? Why would you worry your man likethat?”
Kaea’s jaw dropped. “Wait,that’s not exactly how it went. He’d just told me that I couldn’tdo something. Heforbademe, Marge.”
“I know that, dear,” Margesaid in a patient tone that reminded him of his Nanny-ma. “But fromwhat I am hearing, he did it from a place of caring, not from aplace of oppression. There are many people in this world that wouldfight to have someone care for them like this young man obviouslycares for you. You shouldn’t look down on that.”
Kaea squirmed under her disapprovingstare. “I wasn’t exactly looking down on it. I mean, I get it, andit is nice to know that someone cares.” He shot a look to Xavierand if he’d looked even slightly smug, he would have punched himright in the nose, but there was no sign of that. Just an intensityin his gaze that had Kaea swallowing hard.
Marge sighed. “I can tellby the way you look at each other that there is something betweenthe two.” Marge turned to level a look at Xavier. “You know what itmeans to protect a loved one, young man, but can you learn tolisten to one, and actuallyhearwhat they have to say? Because if you can’t thenyou invite a toxicity into your relationship that many cannotsurvive.”
Xavier seemed to pale slightly, but henodded almost immediately. “I can do that.” He shot Kaea a quicklook. “We’ve only just met, Marge, but he means a lot to me. I’lltry harder, be better.”
Marge gave him a smile that had asweep of color rising in Xavier’s face. “Good boy.” Marge turned anarrowed gaze on Kaea. “And you! Learn to listen to your man. Openyour mind and your heart and hear what he has to say before you gooff halfcocked with only half the story. You hear me?” Kaea,feeling only two inches tall, simply nodded. “Now both of you, geton out of here and let us get on with our journey.”
“Yes, please!”
“Hear, hear!”
Kaea became aware of the other coupleof passengers on the bus, and the looks they were giving him wereones of impatience. He apologized as he walked back to grab hisduffle, and stepped off the bus as quickly as possible. Marge waswaving as the bus drove away, and he lifted his hand to return thegesture.
“How did you catch up tome so fast?” He’d known the fire wall would dissolve quickly, buthe had no idea how Xavier knew which direction he wasgoing.
“I followed your scent,”Xavier answered as he moved a little closer. “When I got to the busstop, I simply looked at the timetable and from there it was fairlyeasy to follow you. Look Kaea, can we just go and grab a coffee andhave a conversation about Gray? Maybe tell me what it is I ammissing?”
