“Only while I finish her training.”
“That’s a good excuse, but you’re not fooling anyone.”
“I’m sleeping on the floor.”
Frank raises a brow. “Because she wants you to or because you’re afraid of taking that next step with a female you clearly want.”
Where’s he getting this? I haven’t touched her.
Callen leans back against a tree. “You’re training her, Garrett. You swore off training anyone ever again after Marla went rogue.”
Rogue. It’s not the first time they’ve spoken of her that way. I never thought she’d attempt a rescue by herself. No backup, no true planning. She went against everything I taught her. All to prove herself. To whom? Damien? Me?
“Angel needs the training. For her confidence. She doesn’t ever want to be as vulnerable again.”
“You fell for that?” Callen says. “You’re not an idiot, Garrett, but you are blind. That female wants you. I’m betting she’d say and do anything to have you spend time with her.”
“Unlike Marla,” Frank throws in. “She had a thing for Tiberius, except he kept turning her away. She outright told him she’d prove herself worthy of him.”
“That’s why Marla asked me to train her? I thought she wanted to rescue shifters.”
“Rescue shifters?” Callen lets a derisive laugh loose as his eyes move. I follow his gaze. Tiberius is crossing the path up ahead, deep in conversation with Blade. “There was only one shifter she was interested inrescuing.”
“Face it, Gare, Marla played you,” Frank says, as blunt as ever. “You wouldn’t have trained her had you known the truth.”
I wouldn’t have.
“Going up against the WSSO alone just to gain a shifter’s attention…” Frank gives a low whistle. “… crazy.”
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“We didn’t put the pieces together until after. She fooled us all. Even Damien.”
“Wait, she went to him?”
“She asked to be included in scout intel meetings. He shut her down, fast. Told her to report back to you, complete her training and stop going over your head. He didn’t say anything to you because he saw it as ambition, nothing more. No reason to make her look bad to you or anyone else.”
Callen’s nostrils flare and he grins wide. I’ve seen that look before. He’s caught his mate’s scent. With extra vigor, he kicks off from the tree. “Princess!”
A dark-haired, dark-eyed female pops up from between three taller females. Kate. A smile blooms on her face the second she spots him.
It’s a scenario I envy, Angel lighting up the second she sees me. I’d love that, and having the freedom to call out to her, to know she’s mine.
“You deserve some happiness, Gare. That’s why we’re speaking up about the new female.” Callen claps my back as he turns to leave. “Don’t let this opportunity pass you up because you’re still blaming yourself for Marla. That female used you.” He strides forward and lifts his mate high in the air then lowers her into a passionate kiss.
Frank’s similarly scenting the air. His face falls, Delilah nowhere nearby, I’m guessing. “Part of having a mate is seeing her flaws… and still loving her, sometimes more, because of those flaws. You never saw Marla’s flaws. You never cared to, but she saw yours… and used them against you for her own benefit. Stop beating yourself up over a shifter who used you.” He physically turns me in Angel’s direction. “Focus on the one who likes you, and not because you rescued her. She sees the ass you can be and yet she’s still hanging out with you. That’s worth holding onto.”
“She only came to me for training,” I blurt, a hardness to my tone that earns me a bite from my wolf.
“Training…” Frank laughs. “She could get the training she wants from any guard here, including me and Callen if she doesn’t want the single shifters hitting on her. There’s a reason she hasn’t considered anyone besides you or why she’s still hanging out with our pack. You, you idiot, and if you don’t stop being an ass, you’ll lose her. Be a shame, too. She’s good for you.”
With one shove forward from Frank, I’m walking toward Angel, his words bouncing around in my head.
Why have I been pushing her away? Despite what Frank seems to believe, this isn’t just about Marla. It’s all about Angel. Something’s off with her, and I’ve been too afraid to discover what she’s hiding. Because then I might lose her—and I won’t survive that.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
GARRETT
