AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Kayden,” I said softly. “Come here.”
I pulled her over to a small bench along the path I’d chosen that led down to the beach and sat, patting the seat beside me. She sat but stared straight ahead.
“I know this is a lot for you to take in,” I began, “but I’m not going to pressure you. We have a lot to talk about, sure. But just for tonight, can we put everything aside and just be us? Let’s forget the Contention, forget about being mates, all of it. I just want to spend some time alone with you.”
Slowly, she turned her gorgeous gaze to mine and let out a breath. “I guess I can agree to that.”
Relief like I’d never known washed over me, the tension I didn’t realize I’d been carrying seeping from my body. I squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”
She didn’t know what else to say, so I stood and continued along the path. A few moments later, we were at the shore.
Kayden stopped, her mouth dropping open as she took in the setup that went above and beyond what I’d asked for.
Straight ahead, only yards from the crashing waves, was a small tent. The gauzy curtains were currently held open by silky ties, and tiny sparkling lights hung from the tent top, giving it a magical look. Hundreds of flowers decorated the space, including a trail of rose petals leading from where we stood at the edge of the sand to the tent.
Inside was a small table just a foot high, and piles of thick, plush pillows covered the ground. It was beautiful, secluded, and romantic.
“This is…amazing,” Kayden breathed, looking at me once more. Her eyes were full of unspoken emotion, and I desperately wanted to ask her what she was thinking and feeling. But I wasn’t going to push. She was here with me, and that’s all that mattered.
I squeezed her hand gently, then bent to take off my shoes. She slipped out of her sandals, and we walked toward the tent. The scent of the flowers mingled with the salty sea breeze. I’d have to make sure Willow was properly recognized for putting this together.
When we entered the tent, Kayden breathed in deeply, walking toward the table full of covered silver platters. “This smells delicious.”
I smiled. “One of my mother’s friends, Helen, owns a restaurant not too far from here. We prefer to use her for catering when possible because her food is just so damn good.”
Kayden nodded, her eyes lighting up. “Your mother mentioned Helen when I dined with her. I’m excited now.”
That was a good start. “Would you like to eat or take a walk on the beach?”
“Honestly, I’m starving,” she admitted. “Training was particularly brutal today.”
In prep for the ball, no doubt, though I didn’t mention that. Not that I knew what would happen, but our trainers were the very best.
“Perfect,” I said, helping her sit on one of the overstuffed pillows before sitting at the side of the table next to her. “I hope you like Italian food?”
“Mmm,” Kayden moaned, the sound awakening desire within me. “One of my favorites.”
I grinned as I lifted the lids from the platters and served Kayden a generous helping of each item—salad, garlic knots made from scratch, shrimp risotto, and mushroom Alfredo. “Helen’s cooking was my favorite growing up. She was always around, kind of like an aunt—she was actually a contestant in my parents’ Contention. She taught me a thing or two.”
Kayden lifted her brows as I set the heaping plate in front of her. “So you can cook?”
I nodded, filling my own. “Learned from the best.”
“I never really learned how to cook,” Kayden admitted, spearing her salad with a fork. “My parents died when I was young, so I never had the chance.”
“Who cooked for you then?” I asked.
“My brother,” she said quietly, then shoved her mouth full of food.
My heart ached for her. She’d lost her parents and her brother. I couldn’t imagine losing the people I cared for the most. The worst part was, I was responsible for her brother’s death.
“Kayden,” I began, my throat tight. I hadn’t wanted to discuss this on our date, but it was the elephant in the room. “I’m so sorry about your brother. Truly. Yes, it comes with the territory of being an alpha, but had I known you then…” I shook my head. “I don’t enjoy killing. It’s the worst part of my job.”
Kayden set her fork down and stared at her lap for a moment that felt like forever. This was the reason she didn’t want me, and I’d do anything to change it, but there was no way to undo the past.
“I told you before,” she finally said, “that I understand why you had to. I’m not saying I’mokaywith it. Not exactly. But I do get it. The person to blame here is Branson.”
Her eyes ignited with fire as she spoke his name, but Kayden soon resumed eating her meal, making little sounds of pleasure that had my cock standing up and taking notice, but I tried my best to ignore the raging desire I always felt around her.
