Page 5 of Forbidden Pregnant Mate

“Aren’t you going to tell me when you want to hang out?” I asked.

He turned back toward me, that wicked, dazzling smirk playing across his face as his eyes danced. “Where’s the fun in that?” he asked. “Surprises are always more fun.”

There was the Klyte I knew.

***

There was a knock on the door. When I opened it, I was face to face with Klyte.

“Dad’s not home,” I said.

“That’s all right,” he said. I’d forgotten how tall he was. “I was actually coming to see you.”

When I stared at him blankly, he added, “You know, I asked if you wanted to catch up, and you said yes…”

“You refused to tell me when that time was,” I reminded him.

Klyte’s eyes brightened. “See? Youdoremember.”

Despite myself, I couldn’t hold back my smile. There was something about him that made even his infuriating habits weirdly attractive.

“Why exactly do you want to catch up?” I asked.

“Because we grew up together and I wanted to see you?” he said. “I didn’t realize I needed an excuse to want to chat.”

Maybe if we’d actually spoken some in the last several years instead of avoiding one another, I thought, still not taking my eyes off Klyte.

His smile faltered, uneasiness and uncertainty flashing across his expression. “But if this is a bad time…”

“No,” I said before I could think better of it. “No, sorry. I just wasn’t expecting you to actually come and catch up. It’s not like we’ve spoken much in the past few years. Hence, why actual plans tend to be a good option.”

“Yeah, okay, you got me there. But this was more fun.”

“For who?”

He flashed a dazzling smirk. “For me.”

I rolled my eyes, but that just made his smile grow even wider.

“And as for not talking, you were never around when I came to visit,” he pointed out. “So maybe I’m trying to rectify the whole ‘not talking’ thing?”

That annoyingly delectable scent of sandalwood and leather washed over me. Against my better judgment, I stepped aside, and Klyte walked in.

“How have you been?” he asked.

“Good,” I said.

“I’ll admit I was surprised to see you,” he said. “Last time I asked, your dad said something about you joining a pack in California. Fire or flame…something to do with fire, at least.”

“Ember,” I said, and this time, I couldn’t hide the stiffness from my tone.

“Yeah. So it’s a far cry from the Sun Pack where we grew up.”

“I left,” I said. There was no use denying it. Even Dad knew I’d left. I’d just lied to him about why.

“Really?” Klyte cocked his head, eyebrows raised in polite curiosity. When I didn’t elaborate, he said, “Well, I guess thatexplains the whole you not having anything to go back to. Does that mean you’re sticking around here?”

“I’m considering it,” I said.

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