Page 76 of The Secret Mate Society

"Not government," he said carefully."More like...a tribunal of experts.People who've dedicated their lives to keep everyone safe.”

“But they want to use me as bait?”

Calder took a deep breath, closing his eyes.“Yes.”His face twisted with pain.“They think, since you’re the target, the one this creature seems to be following, that they could use you to draw him out.And they wanted me to stay close to you so that?—”

“So that you could be there to take him out when he showed up.I’m your assignment,” I finished.“I see…”

I tried to turn away, but Calder’s hands were suddenly on my shoulders, forcing me to look at him.

“Ethan, it’s not like that,” he said, his eyes intense and piercing.“I might’ve been ordered to watch and protect you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you.I meant what I said.Every word of it.”

His earnestness made me want to believe him, but my mind was reeling from all these revelations.I searched his face for any sign of deception, any hint that this was all just an elaborate lie.

"So our relationship...Was it just part of your mission?"I asked, my voice smaller than I intended."Get close to the target, keep him where you can see him?"

"No," Calder said fiercely, his hands tightening on my shoulders."God, no.That was never part of any plan.The Council wanted me to watch you, yes, but falling for you?"He shook his head, a rueful smile playing at his lips."That was entirely my own doing, and believe me, it's complicated everything."

I swallowed hard, trying to process what he was telling me."But you still can't tell me the whole truth."

"I want to," he whispered, his forehead coming to rest against mine."More than anything.But there are consequences I can't protect you from if I do."

"What kind of consequences?"I pressed.

His jaw tightened."The kind that would make what that creature did to your father look merciful."

A chill ran through me at his words.Whatever secret he was keeping, it was clearly dangerous enough to terrify even someone as strong and confident as Calder.

"Jesus Christ, Calder,” I sighed, unable to break out contact.“You make it sound like you’re in the mafia or something.”I paused for a moment.“Shit…areyou in the mafia?”

“No, I’m not,” he replied, shaking his head.“It’s more dangerous than that.And… more terrifying.I’ve already told you too much as it is and you should’veneverknown the Council even existed.Trevor was right, they’re going to separate you and I if we don’t figure this out.If this…monsterkeeps killing people, I… I’ll never see you again.”

The fear in his voice was thick and filled with emotion.I’d never seen Calder so frightened.He could stare a monster in the face and not flinch.But the thought of losing me?Well, that seemed to have shaken him to his core.And while the situation was dire, I couldn’t help feeling reassured that he actually did care for me.

“So what do we do?”I asked, looking up into those warm brown eyes of his.“How do we stop it?”

Calder's expression hardened with determination, his golden-flecked eyes boring into mine.

"We find it before it finds you," he said firmly."And we end this once and for all."

"How?"I asked, feeling a surge of hope despite everything."You've been looking for weeks and haven't caught it yet."

He took a deep breath, his hands sliding down my arms until they found my fingers, intertwining them with his own."Because now we have something we didn't have before."

"What's that?"

"You," he said simply."Your memories, your experiences with this creature.Everything you've seen might be the key to finding it."

I pulled back slightly, not breaking contact but creating enough space to study his face."I've been trying to piece this together for fourteen years, Calder.What makes you think I suddenly have the answers now?"

"Because now you have me," he said."And..."he hesitated, clearly weighing his words."And others who understand what we're dealing with.People with resources you couldn't access before."

“Like theCouncil?”

“Among other things,” Calder nodded.“You’ve been tracking this monster for so long.You know more about it than anyone.But I… I know the context.”

I let out a long sigh, the choice crystalizing in my mind that I’d been actively avoiding for over a year.My therapist was not going to be happy.

“I guess it’s time to open the box then,” I said simply.