Page 8 of The Suspicious Mate

"I'm going to tell you something, and I want you to listen and remember." Ames began, and Noa gave him his undivided attention. "Kallan is your Fated mate. Fight it all you want, but your bear will not allow you to walk away under any circumstances. As the days go by, the need to be near him to take care of him and protect him will grow to a level that will blow your mind." Noa started shaking his head, but Ames did not slow down.

"Nothing settles your mind or calms your heart. Accept Kallan, and you will do anything, be anything, go anywhere to make him happy. His happiness will become like a beautiful drug. Your life is no longer just your own Noa. You have a mate, and Fate will not be denied." Ames paused, and Noa broke in.

“That sounds absolutely horrible.”

"The feelings you get, the perfection that enters your life is worth it all, and remember your mate feels the same things as you. Even human mates succumb to the pull and cannot stay away from their shifter mates. It's a love that is honest, pure, and forever." Ames finished and leaned back against the wall allowing Noa to process the information. He then slowly turned his head and caught Noa's gaze once again, and added. "How hard did you work to make sure tonight wasn't simply goodbye?"

"I did everything in my power to keep him talking and to arrange another date. I didn't want to part with him without committing to another time to get together. As soon as he agreed, I excused myself to go back to work because I was afraid if I stayed too long, he might try to back out." Noa answered honestly and included his intent. "The thought of goodbye filled me with panic."

"He's your mate Noa." Noa didn't respond as they were told by Lowell to let more patrons inside, and they were suddenly back to work sorting the interesting from the not.

Kallan and Mac made their way to the sidewalk and started down the block to where Mac had parked. "He was a lot nicer and easier to get along with than I had expected," Kallan commented as they walked.

"He can pop off sometimes, but overall, he's a decent fellow. Thanks for agreeing to let him show you around town tomorrow. I think he wants to make up for his bad beginning." Mac added for further explanation. "It sure would be nice if you two got together. Having my two closest friends in a relationship would be great." He smiled wistfully.

Kallan barked a laugh and stuck his hands into his jacket pockets. "Don't start sending out wedding invitations just yet. There is plenty of time for this relationship, as you call it, to go speeding downhill." Just then, a group of approximately four guys came up on them from behind, rushing passed, and one seemed to deliberately slam into Kallan's right side. He would have fallen if Mac hadn't caught him.

The guy stopped and turned, eyeing Kallan darkly from head to toe before he ran off to catch up with the others who were already well down the block. Kallan regained his footing and watched the back of the man as he sprinted away. "That guy gave me the fucking creeps."

“Yeah, it would be wise to stay away from that bunch and others like them. They’re some sort of gang wannabees who are trying to form a presence on this side of town.” Mac looked concerned and held Kallan back for a few seconds before they continued on their way to the parking lot. "The police are cracking down on them, from what I read. They've stepped up patrols, but it takes time."

"Somehow, that does not fill me with confidence. If this police force is anything like the guys back home, then any real change is unlikely." Kallan remarked.

"I've heard good things about the force here, so hopefully they can get the job done, but in the meantime, watch out for the grays as they are called."

“Why are they called the grays?”

"They tend to wear gray skull caps, and the name formed from there. I don't know if they refer to themselves as such, but society calls them the grays."

“You’ve done a lot of research on this bunch?” Kallan noted.

“I like to know who I’m dealing with and who to avoid. Luckily they tend to keep to the dark alleys and back lots. It's unusual for them to be on a main street like this."

"I'll watch out, and I will definitely stay out of dark alleys." Kallan grinned and patted his cousin on the shoulder. Thankfully they parked in a lot that was well-lit and public. Mac dropped him out front of his apartment building and asked him to call tomorrow if he wanted to meet for dinner.

"You will probably have dinner with Noa, but in the event that you don't, give me a call." Kallan shook his head at Mac's silly smirk and agreed to call. He hurried up to his apartment on the third floor, feeling the need to get off the street now that he was aware of the criminal element working the streets.

The guy who bumped into him left him tense and ill at ease. His scent was harsh, like a wet dog, and his eyes were calculating. Noa had a wildness in his gaze that left Kallan feeling excited, but the look in the gray's eyes was different. It was felt evil and cruel. Kallan stifled a shiver that went up his spine at the memory of that stare.

He was quickly in his apartment with the door locked and then closed all his curtains. He took a deep breath and slipped off his jacket, still feeling a little tense but was beginning to relax now that he was safe in his own space. He made himself a cup of coffee and sat on his sofa with his tablet, planning to check out the job situation a little further and submit some applications.

After a few minutes of searching, Kallan gave up because his thoughts were filled with constant visions of Noa, along with nagging concerns over the creepy gang Mac had told him about. That guy who ran into him left an impression a disturbing, unnerving impression. His eyes had been so hateful, and the color rather gross. They were small, yellow eyes that were shot through with streaks of red. He sincerely hoped he never came in contact with that guy or that group again.

Mac was a fairly big guy and could handle himself in most situations, and even he stepped back from that group. That was enough to put Kallan on edge at the time, and still, he felt a shadow of dread at having met that man's yellow gaze. He closed his tablet and shifted his mind back to Noa, remembering when the surprise of the night came, and he earnestly pushed for a future date.

Noa was very good looking, but the problem was that he knew it and used it to get what he wanted. Kallan was familiar with the type, but still, he fell for this guy's line and was now obliged to go out with him tomorrow. Still, he promised to show him around the local antique shops and indicated that there was also an architectural salvage company in the area.

He seemed understanding and supportive of Kallan's goals, although that might have been all for show, but he sounded sincere at the time. He'd find out tomorrow. It was getting late, so Kallan turned out the lights and headed to his bedroom.

He had rented the apartment partially furnished, and that would do for now, but he hoped to soon ship some of his things from home to help make the place really his own. Maybe he would find something tomorrow that would help with his apartment design. Passing the large picture window in the living room, he pulled back the side of the curtain and looked out onto the dark street below.

To his shock, he saw a man on the street who appeared to be looking up at him, and he looked like the creep who had bumped into him earlier. Shocked and more than a little scared, he dropped the curtain and flattened his back against the wall, suddenly feeling too scared to move. Kallan hyperventilated for a few seconds before reaching over and killing the light.

It couldn't be him. He it was crazy, he told himself, and finally, he gathered the courage to take another peak but only moved the curtain by a minuscule amount, just enough for one eye to see down to the street. There was no one there. The street was vacant.

With a sigh of relief, he dropped the curtain but remained standing with his back to the wall. The room was dark, and the curtains were all drawn, but still, he feared that he could be seen, so he made his way along the wall to the door needing to make sure it was locked and the deadbolt was in place.

Still not feeling completely secure, he looked around and found a straight-back wooden chair in the kitchen and jammed it under the doorknob. He stood there for a few minutes and then pulled the chair from the living room out and pushed it up against the door next to the wooden chair. He surveyed his work and decided there wasn't much else he could do.

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