“And if she rejects you, what then?”
“Then you’ll have to change her memoriesbecause I won’t be able to do it, and we know what comes afterthat.”
He hated the tears in her eyes before sheblinked them away. She drove him nuts, but she was his best friend.They’d been together since creation, and he couldn’t imagine lifewithout her.
He knew exactly how she felt right now. IfDante had been human, he would have been as concerned as her.However, he couldn’t do anything to make it better for her.
He could only hope things worked out as wellfor him and Melanie as they had for his other siblings and theirmates.
“How are you handling your bond not beingcomplete?” Cassidy asked.
“Fine,” he replied.
“Your need to complete the bond is only goingto intensify.”
“I know how it works. I’ve seen this matething happen a time or two before. I’m doing better than Iexpected, but I haven’t fully matured yet. Things will probably bea lot different when that happens.”
“True,” she murmured.
Then, before he knew what she intended, shethrew her arms around his waist and hugged him. He stood for asecond, trying to breathe, as he hugged her back.
“It’s going to be okay,” he assured her andhoped he could keep his promise.
It wasn’t until Dante rested his hand on hershoulder and gently pried her way that she eased her grip andreleased him.
“I’d like to go to lunch with the two ofyou,” she muttered as she wiped tears from her eyes.
“As long as you promise not to scare heraway,” Kyle said.
“I would never!” she gasped, and when hequirked an eyebrow, she chuckled. “Okay, maybe if she was someother girl, I would. But I wouldneverdo anything to riskyour relationship with your mate.”
“We’ll go to lunch,” he said. “But don’t askher anything about her past; she doesn’t like talking aboutit.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. And I’m not going to push heron it. Which means you’re not going to either.”
“Cross my heart and hope to die,” Cassidysaid as she crossed her heart.
Kyle shook his head at the reply from theirchildhood, but she wouldn’t do anything to push Melanie away. Theycontinued down the street together until splitting up to go theirseparate ways.
***
Two days later, they went to lunch at thesmall restaurant where Melanie worked. The place was more of adiner with its booths and stools lining the countertops, but it dida steady turnover business.
They sat in a booth while Melanie ate withgusto, and the rest of them picked at their food enough to make itlook like they were eating a lot too. They talked about movies,music, and Cassidy’s wedding plans, but after a while, it becameobvious Cassidy and Dante were avoiding asking about her.
Kyle had asked his sister to refrain fromprying, but he should have told her to slip in at least onequestion about Melanie’s family or her past. Melanie wouldn’t haveanswered, but it would have been more normal.
However, Cassidy remained on her bestbehavior as she talked about color schemes and music. After theywent their separate ways, Kyle held Melanie’s hand while theystrolled down the street and through the park near where shelived.
Melanie considered their meal as they walked.She believed it had gone well. They’d laughed together, and thoughtheir first encounter had been more than a little awkward, this onehad gone better. Melanie found Cassidy to be a genuinely happyperson who cared deeply about her brother.
However, the entire time leading up to thelunch, she’d been on pins and needles as she considered how todeflect their questions without being rude, but that time nevercame. And it felt weird.
She suspected Kyle told his sister not to askabout her past, and she didn’t know how to handle that. She didn’twant to talk about it, of course, but it suddenly felt like thisgulf between them, and she wasn’t sure how to breach it.
When he settled onto a bench near the duckpond, she sat beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.Everything was still so new between them, and it petrified her, butthis week had been the happiest of her life, and she never wantedit to end.
