Page 35 of Tide Touched

‘You did what?’ Moira’s voice cuts through the darkness. ‘Katie!’ She sets down a shell filled with water and wraps her arms around her friend. ‘Are you okay?’ Moira looks at me. ‘You kissed her? When she was unconscious? Dude—’

‘No, no.’ I cover my face. ‘That’s not—’

‘You’re my mate.’ Katherine taps her heart. ‘That’s what that was. Wasn’t it?’

‘What?’ Moira looks between us.

‘I—’ I feel my cheeks flush. Shit. Am I blushing? I really wish it was just the two of us having this conversation, but I won’t ask Moira to leave. She wouldn’t anyway.

‘What happened?’ Katherine looks to Moira.

‘You set your room on fire and passed out. Not the greatest escape plan.’ She’s smiling.

Katherine scoffs. ‘Hey, it worked, didn’t it?’ Her gaze lands on me, smile fading. ‘Moira, could you, uh, give us a second?’

‘Not until you drink this.’ She hands over the water-filled shell.

Katherine drinks the whole thing, handing it back.

Moira rises to her feet, her gaze on me. ‘I’ll go get some more. You’—she says pointedly to me—‘I’m watching you.’

I shouldn’t be unnerved by that. But I am. I watch her leave. The silence gathers around us. I want to tell Katherine that I didn’t mean to kiss her when she was out cold because I’m not a creeper, that she was having trouble breathing. I want to gather her into my arms. To ask her if she has any other wounds. To look over her body myself.

Instead, I hold back. She needs the control, now. She deserves that. I wait patiently for her to say, or ask, anything she needs to. Someone’s hurt her. She flinched from me. I need to respect her space.

But… she’s my mate. Something inside me—the bond—settles into place. Right where it’s been since I got my wolf.

Katherine looks me over. After a moment, she sits up properly and turns to face me. She gathers her knees up, wrapping her arms around her legs. ‘Why did you come to the estate?’

Not the question I expected. ‘They took you. I had to come get you.’

Katherine meets my gaze levelly. I can’t tell what she’s thinking or feeling. ‘You had every reason to think I was where I belonged. Why bother?’

I blink, startled. ‘Bother? I—I couldn’t not come for you.’

Her eyes widen. ‘Oh.’ She takes a deep breath and stretches out a little, as though giving herself a once over. If she has a million other questions, she sets them aside. She’s asked what she needs to know right now.

‘You must be exhausted.’ It takes all my will power not to ask what happened to cause the bruises. If it was Carter or someone else. The alpha, maybe. I grit my teeth. This is about her. What she needs. She doesn’t need me going all possessive on her. I’ve been her mate for five seconds. Let her breathe.

Katherine nods slowly. ‘I am. Moira, you can come back, now.’

Moira walks out from behind a tree.

I blink. ‘How did you know she was there? You could smell her?’ I didn’t know she was there.

Moira makes a face at me. ‘I don’t smell.’ She hands Katherine the water.

‘She’s my best friend. That’s how.’

I wish I had tents to set up, at least for the girls. Unfortunately, all the gear we travelled with is back in our quarters at the estate. Perhaps an oversight on my part, but this wasn’t exactly planned. At least the night isn’t too cold, and Katherine now has her wolf to help keep her warm. Moira sets a small fire between us. Nothing too big, lest someone nearby—say, a Water wolf—should see or smell it, but just enough to help keep the chill away.

I wish I had something to give Katherine to eat. Again, no such luck. I struggle to keep myself in check. She’s my mate. My fated mate! My wolf tries to paw to the surface, thoroughly excited, but I push him down. She’s not ready. Not for the way I want to be with her, touch her. That flinch won’t leave my mind. I will not push her. ‘I’ll stay on watch, you two get some rest.’

Katherine and Moira lay down together on the damp earth, keeping close. They really do act like sisters. Moira holds her hand tightly between them, and I know she probably wishes I weren’t here. Would she ask Katherine about her ordeal if it were just the two of them?

‘Please don’t watch me sleep,’ Katherine mumbles.

‘I’m not,’ I lie.

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