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That was all he said. No.
Caden had to slap a hand over his mouth to suppress a laugh at Rick’s mate’s disgruntled face. He kind of appreciated the fact that Dare didn’t even pretend to feel bad about it or explain. The other man was a shifter, so there was no way he hadn’t heard Quinten ask Dare to stay with him. It seemed rude to ask him to leave after that, like he didn’t respect Quinten enough to be considerate of his wishes.
He was also super grateful that Dare wasn’t leaving him alone with the guy while he was so weak.
Sighing, the man came over, pulling a chair with him and sitting next to the bed. “My name’s Kai. I’m the alpha-mate of this pack.”
Caden bowed his head in acknowledgment and respect for his position, wondering what a man like this could want from him.
“What pack is that?” he asked, unsure where they were.
“Oh, right. Sorry,” Kai said, smiling. His face was so bright and open that it automatically put Caden at ease, even though he wanted to stay alert. “You’re in the Kincaid Pack territory.”
Caden’s spine straightened a little, surprise filling him. He’d heard of the Kincaid Pack. Of course he had. Who hadn’t in the last year? He glanced at Dare, who gave him a quick nod.
“Oh” was all Caden could think to say.
“Quinten brought you here so our witches could help you,” Kai added, his mouth twisting a little around Quinten’s name.
All of the easiness he’d been feeling evaporated. Despite barely being able to feel his jaguar, he and his cat were immediately on the defensive.
“Well, please tell your coven thank you from me,” Caden said, doing his best to keep his tone respectful.
“Of course, we were glad to help.” Kai smiled again, glancing at Dare once more before scooting forward on his seat until he was right on the edge. He reached out to touch Caden’s arm, but he jerked it back without thinking. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dare take a step forward. Kai cleared his throat and drew his hand back. “I talked to Rick earlier, and I wanted to let you know that if you’d like to stay here, you are more than welcome.”
Dare growled softly, but Caden kept his eyes on the alpha-mate in front of him. Stay there? Why would he want to stay there?
“You mean join your pack?” he asked, just to make sure he was understanding correctly.
“Yes, if you’d like to.” Kai’s face softened. “I’m guessing that… whatever happened that led you to that warehouse and a collar around your neck that nearly killed you, you probably don’t have a pack out there looking for you.”
Caden flinched. That was mostly true, though he couldn’t say for certain. The last pack he’d been with, he hadn’t technically been a member, and he doubted anyone other than the alpha knew he was taken and hadn’t just left. But the last thing he wanted was to see that alpha again.
“Living without a pack can be hard and stressful, and it can weaken you. Slow your recovery,” Kai said, his words straightforward but tone gentle. “We just wanted to let you know that you have the option to stay here, if you’d like.”
“If I’d like,” Caden repeated, running his tongue over his dry lips. “You mean, instead of going home with Quinten?”
Kai’s eyes widened, and he glanced over at Dare. “Quinten isn’t part of a pack. You wouldn’t have that support if you went with him and stayed in his territory.”
That didn’t make sense to Caden. The way that Dare trusted him and turned to him… He would’ve sworn that Quinten was an alpha, even without being a shifter.
He glanced at Dare. “You don’t mind living there, right?”
He shook his head, glaring at Kai. “No, I don’t mind.”
Kai ignored Dare, his scent turning frustrated. “You don’t have to make a decision right now. For now, all you need to focus on is resting and getting stronger. We can talk again later if you want.”
Caden nodded stiffly. “Sure. Later.”
Kai chewed on his bottom lip as he pushed to his feet, looking like he wanted to stay and try to persuade him more, but gave one more frustrated glance toward the wolf in the corner of the room. Giving up, he told Caden to rest one more time before walking out.
He wanted to rest. Truly. His body was weighted down with exhaustion like he hadn’t slept in a decade, but there was something more important he needed to do first.
Slowly, he climbed out of the bed, holding a hand up to stop Dare when he stepped forward to help.
“You should stay in bed,” Dare said slowly, obviously not wanting to order Caden, just strongly suggest it.
“I’ll get back in bed when we get home.”
