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“After the shit you said to me in your texts, it can’t come as that much of a surprise.”
His brows snapped together. “What texts?”
“Cute, Kingston. Playing dumb in front of your friend. Nice, real mature.”
Derek stiffened, his eyes flitting from me to his Alpha. “Do you two need some privacy? I’m picking up some serious tension.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Alek said, arms crossed over his chest.
“You can go. They’re no danger.” Kingston draped the shirt across his shoulders like it was a towel, somehow looking even hotter than before.
With one hesitant look back, Derek left, the silence between the four of us deafening.
“What were you saying about text messages?”
“Come on, Kingston. Grow up.”
His eyes narrowed, temper leaking into the hazel depths. “You’re the one playing fucking games. My phone was destroyed in the fight. I don’t know what fucking messages you’re talking about because I didn’t send them.”
The ache in my heart intensified, but not because I was sad. I was so flooded with relief my knees buckled, and Alek put an arm around me to keep me steady. He always seemed to sense my emotions before I could process them.
Kingston’s gaze tracked our movements, jealousy turning his irises so dark they were nearly black.
“King, please stop this. I don’t know why you’ve started acting like this again. We had it all figured out. Things were good. Amazing. What happened?”
“I’m not doing anything, Sunshine. I’ve been in bed for days.”
“I know that, asshole. I was there with you for most of them.”
“Most,” he agreed, the word oddly weighted. As if it was significant somehow.
“Yeah, most.”
“If our roles were reversed, I never would’ve left you.” His eyes blazed with accusation, and Noah slipped his palm across my shoulder, fingers trailing over the mark before he gently massaged the nape of my neck.
“She was a wreck when she left you. I found her walking alone, beside herself. It was all I could do just to get her to go to her room and shower.”
Kingston’s focus landed on Noah’s hand around the back of my neck. “But she had enough energy to go brand herself with a tattoo? Don’t lie for her.”
“What? That happened before you got hurt. The only reason I didn’t come back is when I tried to visit you Chad sent me away saying that’s what you wanted. Even then, I tried again, but he sent me awayeverytime I came to see you.”
His gaze narrowed as those words landed. I could tell he was warring with himself as my statement brought to light something he never considered. That one of his pack mates might not want me around. He gritted his teeth and growled, eyes glowing amber.
“Fucking Chad. I’ll deal with him later.” He looked into my eyes, hurt still swimming in the depths. “But why do you think he’d keep you away?”
“He’s an asshole? Most Chads are.”
“Or maybe he’s protecting his Alpha from a mate who doesn’t seem to understand devotion.”
“What are you really angry about, Kingston? You’ve never doubted Sunday like this before.” Alek’s voice cut through the pettiness of our argument, and I was thankful for it because the fact that Kingston came to Chad’s defense hurt.
Kingston started to pace, raking his hands through the thick locks of his golden hair and tugging hard. I could tell he was losing control, fighting against his wolf and trying to stop it from taking over. There was only one explanation for such a battle between beast and man. Emotional turmoil. And I was the cause... Again.
Please don’t run. I willed the thought to take shape and find him. If he ran, I’d lose him. My wolf let out a mournful howl inside my consciousness, and as though he heard it, he snapped his attention to me.
It didn’t look like he was going to answer, his eyes hard and the lines of his face drawn with tension. And then it all crumbled, anger shattered by his pain, his shoulders slumping, hands balling into fists at his sides.
“She claimed you both.”
