Page 34

DAYS LATER

E very morning, I woke to candy placed on the end of my bed from Gannon.

Ivy was staying in the king’s old quarters and no one had been able to get close to her.

Not even me. Clarice explains she is fretting for the king, and it turns she-wolves savage.

However, because things have been so chaotic around here, I have hardly had a chance to see Gannon.

Though he has been leaving candy and craft supplies in my room or his for me to find when I clean it.

Which only makes me feel more guilty when I find them each day.

This morning is no different when I find a bunch of roses on the end of my bed, with chocolate.

I pick them up, putting them in a vase on the windowsill before getting ready for work.

Today, we are holding funerals for the rogues who were found dead, and I have to help Clarice in the kitchens to cater for it.

Grabbing my uniform, I slip it on and move toward the door.

Although, the moment I step out the door, I find Liam is waiting in the hall, leaning against Dustin’s doorframe.

“Gannon spent all afternoon looking for you, Abbie, while you were off with Kade. You still haven’t told him,” Liam states as I close my door.

“I haven’t had a chance because he has been busy,” I tell him, walking past him.

“Have you decided?” he asks, and I sigh. How can I decide when I barely know either of them really? I’m not sure I can reject Kade. The mate bond is stronger than I was ever told about. It make me crave my mate, and fills me with loneliness when he is away.

“Kade is my mate, Liam. It is a blessing from the Moon Goddess,” I tell him, walking down the stairs.

“Not all mates are blessings. Kade doesn’t want you. He just knows by keeping you, it makes him stronger,” he snaps, keeping up with me. I scoff because it sounded ridiculous. Liam grabs my arm stopping me.

“He is using you. How can you not see that?” he snaps.

“Using me?” I laugh. “I have nothing to offer him. He isn’t using me, Liam. You know nothing of our relationship.” Now Liam scoffs and folds his arms across his chest.

“So he told you he has kids and a wife?” Liam asks and I blink at him before getting angry. He would say that just because I want to try to make this work with my mate?

“You’re lying,” I growl.

“Ask him. To Kade, you are just another side piece with the added benefit that his wolf side will get stronger having his fated mate,” Liam growls at me and my hand moves before I even registered what I did.

My hand connects with his face that he would say such outrageous things about Kade when he has been nothing but nice to me.

The slap is loud, and I gulp when his head whips to the side before turning back to glare at me. “I will let that one slide since I know you are blinded by your bond, but I would not recommend hitting me again.” Liam snarls, stepping closer to me when I hear Gannon’s voice.

“What’s going on here?” he asks, and I lift my head, peering to the top of the stairs to see Gannon coming down them.

Liam arches an eyebrow at me before clicking his tongue.

“I warned you,” Liam hisses at me, turning to speak to Gannon.

Yet my hand reaches out and I grip his wrist. He looks down at my hand before looking back at me.

“Tell him because I won’t lie if he asks me,” Liam says before stalking off. My gaze darts to Gannon, who is watching us as he comes closer. He watches Liam leave, stopping next to me.

“Are you going to explain why you just slapped my friend?” he asked, gripping my hand that is trembling. He lifts it to his mouth, kissing my knuckles, and I pull my hand from his grip.

“Gannon don’t. You won’t want to touch me after I tell you,” I tell him, feeling guilty and know I’m holding off. I don’t want to tell him because I want him, too, but Kade is my mate.

My destined mate. Someone the Moon Goddess chose for me and I can’t throw that away.

If I did for Gannon, and Gannon left me, I would have no one but Ivy.

Kade told me he couldn’t leave me, that he doesn’t want to, that he loves me and he will always love me.

So I have no choice but to go with the safer option.

“Tell me what?” he asks, glancing back at Liam as he leaves. Yet how did I tell him? How can I tell him that Kade asked me to leave with him? Gannon turns back to me and my heart is torn. I want Gannon, I also wanted my mate.

He cups my face in hands, and I shake my head, tears spilling down my cheeks. “Tell me, whatever it is. I can try to fix it. Did Liam do something?” he asks, and I shake my head.

“You can’t fix it, Gannon,” I tell him, knowing this isn’t something that needs fixing or something he can control.

“Tell me, whatever is wrong, we can work it out,” he says, pressing his forehead against mine. I try to push him away, but he doesn’t budge, refusing to let me go. When I try to pull away again, he lifts my face, staring at me with worry.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, wiping my tears away with his thumbs. “I.. I found my mate,” I whisper, and he shakes his head.

“What?” he asks and I swallow, looking away, unable to meet his gaze. “I found my mate,” I repeat, though this time my voice sounds dead even to my own ears. Gannon lets me go, stepping away from me.

“Who?” he asks clearly stunned by this information. However, I don’t get a chance to answer when he asks another question.

“Is this why I haven’t been able to find you over the last few days?” he snaps at me. “Why Clarice has been avoiding me?”

I say nothing, knowing Clarice knew where I was, although I never asked her to lie for me.

“Who is your mate, Abbie?” Gannon asks.

“Why! So you can threaten him like Liam did?” I snap, becoming frustrated with everyone telling me to choose damn sides, forcing my hand. Gannon growls.

“I would never hurt you like that?” he says, and I feel instant regret at his words as he looks away.

“It’s Alpha Kade,” I tell him and his head whips back to face me, his eyes turn black, and his canines protrude.

“No. You are not his mate,” he snarls.

“Yes, I am,” I tell him.

“No, Abbie, you can’t be with him. I won’t allow it!” he snarls.

“It’s not up to you, Gannon; he’s my mate, not yours.” He growls at me, and the angered look on his face frightens me.

“No, you don’t understand. He is not a good man, he?—”

“I don’t want to hear your lies. First Liam tells me he is married and has a family and now you want to try get between us, too. Mates don’t cheat on mates! Liam said it himself regarding the king. He would tell me if he had a family before me.”

Gannon steps closer but I step back. “You’re wrong. But you need to listen to me. Kade isn’t who you think he is. I have known him for years?—”

I hold up my hand having heard enough and he stops, and I open my mouth to say something but then close it not wanting to say something I will regret. Instead, I head down the stairs toward the kitchens.

“Abbie!”

“No, Gannon. I don’t want to hear it.”

“He is married!” Gannon yells at me and I stop spotting Liam waiting by the doors, I growl storming off to find Clarice.