Page 4 of Devon (Krsnik Clan #5)

RYAN WAS ALONE IN THE house.

Most people would’ve been happy—it gave him an opportunity to relax that he didn’t usually have. As much as he loved his brother and liked Jonas, he felt a bit like a stranger in their home, no matter what Kendrick said. He didn’t want to take up too much space, so he spent as much time as he could in his room without Kendrick wondering why he was avoiding them. He wasn’t. He just didn’t want to be a bother.

But he couldn’t relax.

He had a roof over his head and all the help he might need, but he didn’t want to take advantage of his brother or the clan. He had to find a job, and he would, but that didn’t help him decide what he wanted to do with his life. He was eighteen and had recently graduated high school, but he’d known his parents would refuse to pay for him to go to college, so he hadn’t considered it. He’d thought he’d have to stay in low-paying jobs until he was lucky enough to find more, but that wasn’t the case anymore.

If Ryan told Kendrick that he wanted to go to college, he was sure that his brother would find a way to make it happen.

Kendrick seemed willing to do a lot for Ryan, even though they hadn’t seen each other in ten years. The problem was that Ryan didn’t know what he wanted. He’d never let himself think about it too much because he’d been sure he would never get it.

He huffed and pushed himself up from the couch.

He didn’t know what he wanted from his life, and he wouldn’t find out by rotting on the couch and staring at the ceiling or, worse, by watching reality TV.

He turned off the TV and looked around.

The house was neat and clean, so there wasn’t much for him to do. He could go back to his bedroom, but to do what?

The village was his home now, but he didn’t really know it or the people who lived here.

He could change that by leaving the house and walking around. He might not make friends, but at least he’d know where things were.

There wasn’t much yet.

Kendrick had explained that the village had been abandoned until recently, and while a bunch of hunters had moved here, it was far from being crowded, even with the new people arriving. Kendrick had mentioned the Vila, but Ryan had no idea who these people were. Maybe he could find out.

He left the house with a bounce in his step.

He hesitated between going left or right, then shrugged and decided it didn’t matter. He went left because, from the looks of it, that was where the center of the village was. It might have stood empty for a while, but the people who’d abandoned it had left things behind, and not only their homes. As he walked, Ryan saw a closed bakery and a tiny grocery store.

For now, people went to the closest towns to get their groceries or anything else they needed.

Maybe that was where Ryan should start. Could he open a business in the village? He’d have no idea where to start, so probably not the bakery—he couldn’t bake to save his life. He couldn’t cook, either, because his mother had never allowed him in the kitchen. Cooking and taking care of the house had been her job, and Ryan’s father had agreed.

Ryan was still thinking about the possibility of reopening the grocery store when he noticed a little girl playing on her own in front of a house.

She wasn’t smiling. She was staring at the two dolls in her hands and moving them, but there was no joy in it, and it broke Ryan’s heart to see.

He looked around, but he was alone, and so was the girl.

He doubted her parents were very far, so she had to be safe, but she didn’t look happy. There was nothing he could do about it, but he wished there was. Maybe he could become a teacher or something? He’d always liked kids, and while he doubted there would ever be a need for a school in the village proper, the towns around it had them.

The girl looked up and found Ryan staring at her.

He expected her to run, but instead, she stared back until Ryan felt uncomfortable.

“Hi,”

he croaked.

This was a bad idea.

Ryan was new in the village and barely knew anyone. If this girl’s parents saw him talking to her, they might get the wrong idea, and that wasn’t what he wanted. He was just worried because the girl was alone. She couldn’t be older than seven or eight years old—although she could be younger. Ryan had never been great at guessing kids’ ages.

He took a step back when he realized he was probably freaking the little girl out.

She cocked her head, and Ryan suddenly felt like prey, which didn’t make sense because he was a tiger shifter and could shift and eat her if he felt like it.

Not that he did.

He’d never hurt anyone, but especially not a little girl.

“You’re new,”

the girl finally said.

The way she stared at Ryan was still weird, but at least she was speaking.

“I am.

My name’s Ryan.”

“I’m Haley.”

Ryan sucked in a breath.

He’d heard that name before. He remembered it because it had been in association with his mate’s name.

“You’re Devon’s sister.”

Haley finally smiled, revealing sharp-looking fangs.

“You know Devon?”

What was Ryan supposed to say? He couldn’t tell her that Devon was his mate.

He didn’t know if Devon had told anyone or if he wanted people to know.

“We’re friends.”

Kind of.

Ryan didn’t think that Devon would mind if he described their relationship that way to his sister.

“Do you want to play with me?”

That wasn’t what Ryan had expected.

Weren’t young children usually afraid of strangers.

“Uh, what about your mom? Where is she?”

He remembered that Kendrick had mentioned her, too.

“She’s sleeping.

I’m not supposed to leave the house on my own during the day, but I was bored, and Devon wasn’t there.”

Shit.

So she was supposed to be inside the house and no one knew that she wasn’t. Ryan could knock on the door and hope Melissa would wake up, or he could leave.

He wasn’t about to abandon the kid.

He wouldn’t have even if she hadn’t been Devon’s sister. He didn’t know how Devon and Melissa would react when they found him with Haley, but he wouldn’t leave her until one of them got there. She was safe with him, and they could play for a bit.

“What do you want to do?”

he cautiously asked because he had no idea what little girls played.

He didn’t know what he’d do if she asked him to play with her dolls. Obey, probably.

Instead of doing that, she dropped both of them and scrambled to her feet.

“Hide and seek! I’ll start.”

Ryan wasn’t sure what role that gave her, so he waited until she covered her eyes and started counting.

Once he knew he was supposed to hide, he ran to the closest tree and threw himself behind its trunk. He didn’t want to make things too difficult for Haley.

Ryan didn’t remember the last time he’d played like this.

It had been a while, probably since he’d been a little older than Haley. He had memories of playing hide and seek with Kendrick, which was probably why he smiled through it. He felt a bit ridiculous, but both he and Haley were having fun, and that was all that mattered as far as he was concerned.

When it was his turn to count, he made sure to keep an eye on Haley in case she decided to try to hide in a place that would be too dangerous.

He shouldn’t have worried because she dove into the closest bush and giggled the entire time it took him to countdown. She continued doing so as he poked around the area and dramatically called her name.

It shouldn’t be fun for an adult—although Ryan wasn’t sure he’d call himself that—but it was.

For a little while, Ryan forgot that he was worried about his future and his relationships with Kendrick and Devon. Unfortunately, that didn’t last nearly long enough.

“Ryan? Haley? What the hell is going on?”

WHEN DEVON ARRIVED home from work, he hadn’t expected to find his sister playing with his mate.

He firmly pushed the thought away.

He was Ryan’s mate, but that wasn’t what mattered right now. What mattered was that Ryan was playing with Haley, and Devon didn’t understand why.

He looked around for Melissa, but she was nowhere to be seen.

His stomach dropped when he realized that Hailey had to have snuck out of the house. She was less sensitive to sunlight than Melissa, and while Devon would normally keep an eye on her while Melissa slept, he hadn’t been able to do so lately. He was usually at work when the two of them were in bed.

Well, when they were supposed to be in bed.

Haley popped out of the bush she’d been hiding in and screeched as she ran toward him. He cringed at the sound and caught her, hauling her up into his arms.

“You’re home,”

she exclaimed happily.

Her smile was wide and exposed her fangs.

Devon glanced at Ryan, hoping the man hadn’t seen them, but it would be impossible for him not to have. Besides, Haley turned toward him, still smiling.

“Devon is back,”

she told Ryan as if he couldn’t see Devon.

Ryan’s smile was soft and gentle.

“I can see that.”

“Haley, you shouldn’t be playing out here on your own.

Is Melissa still in bed?”

Devon asked.

He needed to do something about Ryan’s presence, but he couldn’t do that while Haley was here.

“She’s sleeping,”

Haley said.

She sounded grumpy now.

She knew that Devon and Melissa would scold her for playing outside on her own.

They lived in a small village now, but that didn’t mean they were comfortable with Haley not having supervision. They’d seen and heard too many things that could happen to a child as young as her.

“Haley.”

She wiggled until Devon put her down.

As soon as her feet were on the ground, she crossed her arms over his chest and glared. Her jaw was set, and Devon could see she would be stubborn about this. He wasn’t surprised.

“Something could’ve happened to you,”

he said gently.

“I played with Ryan.

I was bored.”

Devon’s chest felt painful.

“I understand that, but you should’ve played inside.”

“You never play with me anymore.”

He’d suspected this was his fault, and now, he had confirmation.

“I’ve been busy.

I’m sorry.”

“Can you play with me now?”

The best thing Devon could do was send her inside, tell Ryan to leave, and follow her in.

He hated to disappoint her, though. It was true that he hadn’t played with her in a while.

“How about you play by yourself while I talk to Ryan? Once I’m done, we can decide what to do.”

Devon really wished he could go to bed or at least stretch out on the couch because he was tired from work, but Haley was more important.

Besides, Devon wouldn’t be here to play with her for much longer. He needed to do it while he could.

Haley stared.

“You promise we’ll play?”

“I do.

We’ll find something fun to do.”

That seemed to be enough.

She trusted Devon, so she turned and hopped ahead to pick up her dolls. Devon watched her for a moment, wondering what his next step should be. He didn’t have to think for long because Ryan made the decision for him.

“I’m really sorry about this.

I saw her playing outside on her own and was worried because she was alone. She told me that Melissa was sleeping, and I didn’t have anything better to do, so I decided to stick around until she woke up.”

“It’s fine,”

Devon told him.

“I swear that I wasn’t trying to do anything.

We were just playing hide and seek.”

Ryan seemed desperate for Devon to believe him.

Devon could understand that. A lot of people wouldn’t have liked to see an adult man playing with their six-year-old sister. Devon barely knew Ryan, but he trusted him enough to know that Hailey had never been in danger with him.

He reached out and touched Ryan’s arm.

Ryan’s eyes fluttered, and he stared at Devon. It made Devon slightly uncomfortable because he didn’t know what he’d done to deserve the devotion he could see in Ryan’s gaze.

“It’s fine,”

he repeated before dropping his hand.

“I know my sister.

She’s stubborn and sneaky, and it’s not the first time she’s done something like this.”

“I don’t think anyone in the village is dangerous, but still.

I wouldn’t have been comfortable leaving her.”

“Thank you for playing with her.”

Ryan smiled.

He was finally relaxing, which was a good thing.

“I wanted a younger sibling when I was young.

It’s a good thing I never got one, but I enjoyed playing with her.”

“It’s good that she found someone.”

It wasn’t Ryan’s job to watch over Haley, but she’d need people after Devon left.

Devon felt good about the fact that one of those people might be Ryan.

Feeling good about that also made him feel guilty, though.

He shouldn’t be leaving Haley. She was his sister, not Ryan’s, and she needed him. It was nice that she also had Ryan, apparently, but it wasn’t the same. Ryan wasn’t Devon.

There was no way out of it, though.

If Devon left the village, he’d have to leave Haley, too. He would never be able to convince Melissa to take her daughter and leave the only place where they’d felt safe in years. She shouldn’t have to do it, anyway. Leaving was Devon’s decision, just like he’d decided to bother Kendrick and fixate on him. Melissa and Haley had nothing to do with that, and they shouldn’t pay for how stupid Devon had been.

Devon turned to his sister.

She was sitting in the grass and playing with her dolls, and almost as if she could feel him watching her, she glanced up and beamed at him. He peaked at Ryan, but the man didn’t seem to think anything of Hailey’s fangs. He looked relaxed and peaceful, and for some reason, it helped Devon feel the same.

When he thought about Kendrick and Jonas, he still felt the need to hide, but he didn’t want to leave as badly as he had before.

It was a dangerous way to think.

He couldn’t stay. After what he’d done, Kendrick and Jonas didn’t deserve to be stuck with him, especially as a family member. Even if he decided to stay, he and Ryan shouldn’t be together. It was even ridiculous to think that something like that could work.

But for the first time, Devon wished it could.

He felt the pull toward Ryan, and he wanted to give in. He wanted to lean closer to his mate, to have Ryan wrap an arm around his shoulders and hold him close. He wanted to feel safe and cherished, and he knew that Ryan could give him all of that. Unfortunately for him, even though Ryan seemed willing, Devon couldn’t accept it. He’d made a mess out of the chance he’d had of living there, and the only way to clean it up was to leave.

Devon hated this.

He didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay in the only place that felt like home. He wanted to watch Haley grow up. He wanted to be there when Melissa needed him.

He would keep in touch with them over the phone and visit as often as he could without making a mess of things, but it wouldn’t be the same.

Haley would grow up, and she wouldn’t need Devon as much as she did now. Ryan would eventually give up and find someone else to love, and Devon would grow old. Ryan, Melissa, and Haley wouldn’t, or at least, not as quickly as he would. He was human, but they weren’t.

Ryan was Devon’s chance to age as slowly as Melissa and Haley would, but he couldn’t take it.

It wouldn’t be fair. It hurt to think, but Devon couldn’t deny that it was the truth. He’d ruined his own life. It was better for him to leave so that Melissa, Haley, and Ryan wouldn’t pay the consequences of Devon’s stupidity.

“It’s good that she has you,”

Ryan said.

“We didn’t talk a lot, but I could tell that she loves you very much.”

He hesitated.

“Kendrick told me a bit about your story, so I know that you and Haley aren’t related.

You decided to be her brother, and that’s not something many people would’ve done. She’s right to love you as much as she does.”

“We’re not really family.”

Devon couldn’t help but wonder how much Kendrick had told Ryan.

He couldn’t have told him everything, right? Ryan wouldn’t be here if he knew.

“Because you don’t share blood? Trust me, blood doesn’t make family.”

“You’re Kendrick’s brother.”

“Half-brother.

We might share blood, but we don’t have the same mother.

He’s not who I was talking about, though.

My parents decided they didn’t want me anymore and didn’t hesitate to kick me out.

You would never do anything like that, even though you’re not related to Haley.”

He was right, but Devon wasn’t sure how helpful the conversation was.

RYAN WISHED HE KNEW what was going through Devon’s mind.

For some reason, Devon didn’t seem to recognize that the way he loved Haley was good and something that not many people could feel.

Haley wasn’t Devon’s sister.

They weren’t even the same species, but it was obvious the two of them loved each other.

Ryan’s parents didn’t love him as much as Devon loved Haley, and Ryan was actually related to them.

As far as he was concerned, blood didn’t mean anything.

Kendrick loved him, but not because they had the same father.

He loved him because they were brothers, and that went beyond the blood they shared.

Maybe it was a Kudlak thing.

Devon was human, but he’d been living with Melissa and Haley for a while, from what Ryan knew.

That might be why he felt that he should be blood-related to them, or maybe he just loved them so much that he wished he was.

Ryan wanted to say more, but he didn’t want to spook Devon.

He was surprised that they were still talking.

He’d expected Devon to whisk his sister inside and slam the door closed so that Ryan couldn’t follow or something like that.

Instead, they were standing in front of Devon’s house, watching Haley as she played with her dolls.

Her voice was sweet and gentle, and it soothed something in Ryan.

Even after everything she’d been through, Haley was happy.

Of course, she was only six and didn’t understand the world, but still.

Maybe Ryan could try to be a little more like her.

He needed to stop being doom and gloom all the time.

So what if he didn’t have a job or didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life? He had a home and his brother.

Everything else would eventually happen.

He’d find a job.

Maybe he would like it so much that he decided to do that long-term, or maybe it would be temporary until he found something else.

It didn’t really matter.

What did matter was that he had people who loved him.

He glanced at Devon.

Maybe one of those people would eventually be his mate.

They hadn’t yet talked about their bond and what it meant, and Ryan was afraid of spooking Devon.

He’d been wary when he’d arrived, and while Ryan had thought it was because he’d found a stranger playing with a sister, he suspected that wasn’t the case.

Devon had been wary of Ryan from the moment they’d met.

Ryan wanted to show him there was no reason for him to feel that way, but he wasn’t sure how to do that because he didn’t know why Devon felt the way he did.

It was why he hadn’t pushed when he’d changed Devon’s tire the other day.

It was why he didn’t ask questions now, even though he was dying to.

He cleared his throat and took a step back.

“I should go.

You’re home, so I don’t have to worry that something will happen to Haley.”

Devon turned to Ryan.

He bit his lower lip, and Ryan told himself not to be an idiot. Devon didn’t need him to drool over him.

“Do you really have to go?”

Devon asked.

Ryan’s heart beat faster.

Why was Devon asking? What did he mean.

“Not really.

I don’t have a job yet, but I was getting bored in the house, especially because my brother and Jonas are out.”

Ryan didn’t miss the little grimace that passed on Devon’s face at the mention of Kendrick and Jonas, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

He waited for Devon to say something about them, but he didn’t. They’d have to talk about it eventually, but clearly, that wouldn’t happen today, and that was fine with Ryan. He wanted to enjoy his mate. Talking about the crush Devon had had on Kendrick would make the situation awkward and weird, which wasn’t Ryan’s goal today.

“I understand getting bored,”

Devon said softly.

“I was in the same place as you a few weeks ago.”

Devon probably did understand.

Their personal situations were different, but they’d both recently moved into the village and lived with their families. They were the same age, and Ryan doubted that Devon had ever considered going to college or even what he could do with his life. Maybe they could find common ground and get to know each other.

Even though they would need to talk about Kendrick and Jonas, Ryan suspected that trying to do so now would send Devon running.

Besides, it wasn’t like Ryan was looking forward to that conversation. It would be rather awkward to listen to his mate talking about his crush on his brother. No, he was fine delaying that conversation until it was unavoidable. For now, he wanted to get to know Devon, and that was that.

“You could stay for a while longer,”

Devon offered, sounding shy.

“I mean, if you don’t have anything better to do.”

Even if Ryan had something else to do, he would’ve found a way around it.

“I’d like that.”

The smile Devon gave him was worth it.

Ryan had no idea what they were doing, but he didn’t have to now.

“Devon!”

Haley called out.

“Are you done talking?”

Devon glanced at Ryan and grinned.

“I am.

How about we continue that game of hide and seek you and Ryan had going on?”

Haley screeched and jumped to her feet.

Ryan hadn’t realized that his afternoon would consist of him playing hide and seek, but he didn’t mind. It was fun, and he liked watching Devon smile.

They took turns counting and hiding.

Haley’s hiding spots were easy to see, but Devon gave Ryan a little bit more work to do. Still, Ryan could’ve found him with his eyes closed. He could feel the pull toward his mate, and even more so, he could smell Devon in the sweet summer air. Neither of them cared that the other could find them easily, though. The only thing that mattered was Haley’s laughter.

Eventually, Melissa came out of the house.

She had her hands on her hips as she watched them, and Ryan hesitated, wondering if she wanted him to leave. She turned her attention to him, but only to nod quickly before she walked to Haley.

“Young lady, what have I told you about leaving the house without telling me?”

Haley frowned.

“I wasn’t alone.

Ryan was with me.”

Melissa blinked.

“I can see that, but still.

You should’ve stayed in bed.”

“I was bored.”

“Well, you won’t be bored for long.

Come inside and help me with dinner.”

Haley whined, but Ryan could see that she would obey.

He watched her run to Devon and hug him. They whispered something to each other before Haley let go. Ryan expected her to follow Melissa inside, but instead, she turned toward him and hugged his legs.

“We’ll play again soon.”

Ryan had no idea what to do, so he quickly squeezed her shoulder.

“We will.”

She nodded, apparently satisfied, and followed her mother inside.

That left Ryan and Devon alone, and Ryan wasn’t quite sure what his next step should be.

He should probably leave and give Devon space, but that was what he’d done before, and while Devon was talking to him now, it still didn’t feel like their relationship had made any progress.

Maybe Ryan needed to be a little bold. Maybe he needed to show Devon where he stood. Devon clearly wasn’t ready for the conversation they needed to have, but this could be good anyway.

Devon turned toward Ryan.

“Thank you for what you did today.

She had fun.”

“So did I.”

Devon’s smile was sweet.

“Yeah.

I didn’t think that playing hide and seek could be so fun, but it was, wasn’t it?”

Ryan should probably think better about what he was doing, but he’d been thinking about Devon and their relationship since they met, and he didn’t feel it had changed anything.

For once, he stopped thinking as he leaned toward Devon to quickly press their lips together.

Devon gasped.

He didn’t push Ryan away, but maybe that was because Ryan was already stepping back. He swallowed, praying that Devon wouldn’t tell him to fuck off.

It would be his right to.

Ryan had kissed him without asking him if he could. He wasn’t even sure that Devon was interested in him that way, even though, considering their bond, there was a good chance that he was. Still, Ryan had no idea what there was between them beyond a bond Devon was clearly trying to resist.

He might be about to find out.

DEVON HADN’T EXPECTED Ryan to kiss him.

Maybe he should have since they were mates, but it had been obvious that Ryan was giving him space. The last time they’d been together, Ryan had behaved as if they were friends and nothing else. He had today, too, at least until he’d kissed Devon.

Devon swallowed.

He didn’t know what to say. He’d liked the kiss, and a part of him wanted more, but another part of him was terrified.

What was he doing? If he decided to do this, he’d have to stay in the village.

He’d have to talk to Ryan about Kendrick and what had happened with him, and he would have to continue seeing Kendrick and Jonas. Worse, he’d force them to become his family if he was with Ryan, and that wasn’t something he was willing to do.

They wouldn’t want him in their family.

The only reason they might accept him was that Ryan wouldn’t get another mate, but Devon wasn’t an idiot, even though he’d acted like one. He would ruin the relationship between Ryan, Kendrick, and Jonas if he stuck around. Ryan would eventually find out what he’d done, and he’d probably feel the need to be on his side because they were mates. He’d lose Kendrick, even though he’d just found him again.

It wasn’t something Devon was willing to let happen.

But maybe for a moment, he could forget about all of that and enjoy the fact that he had a mate.

Ryan was hot and sweet. He clearly understood that something was up with Devon, but he wasn’t rushing him. He hadn’t even talked about their bond yet, even though Devon expected him to every time he opened his mouth.

It was stupid, but Devon leaned forward to kiss Ryan again.

Ryan made a pleased sound in his throat and opened his mouth, allowing Devon in. His hands landed on Devon’s waist, sliding around so he could pull Devon closer.

Devon couldn’t have resisted even if it wanted to, and he didn’t.

He wanted to continue kissing Ryan. He wanted to kiss Ryan for the rest of his life.

He locked his hands around Ryan’s neck and pressed as close as he could.

If this was the last time they kissed, he would take full advantage of it.

The problem was that they were in full view of anyone walking around the village.

A wolf whistle made Devon jump, and he scrambled back, quickly glancing around to see two of the recently arrived Vila walking by. One of them winked, and Devon felt his face heat.

Ryan chuckled, apparently not bothered by what had just happened—neither the kiss nor the whistling.

Devon wished he was still in Ryan’s arms, but he kept a respectful distance. He couldn’t make a mess out of this, not again.

Ryan seemed to understand that something was wrong.

His expression changed, and even though he reached for Devon, he didn’t touch him.

Devon wanted him to.

“I don’t want to rush you,”

Ryan murmured.

“I understand that you’ve been through a lot.

We’re also both young, so I really don’t expect us to bond or anything like that. I don’t think I would be ready for it, even if you were.”

Devon frowned.

“I thought all shifters wanted to bond with their mates.”

What was wrong with him that Ryan didn’t want that?

“Oh, I do want to bond with you.

I’m just not ready to do it now. I never imagined I’d meet my mate at eighteen, and my life is a mess.”

Devon snorted.

“Welcome to the club.”

“See? You get it.

We’re both a mess, and neither of us is ready to bond, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get to know each other. We can take this as slow or fast as we want, and I’m inclined to go slow.”

Devon was relieved, but at the same time, he was also worried.

He was supposed to leave this place. He was supposed to put the humiliation and everything else behind him. How could he do that when Ryan clearly expected them to bond eventually? It wouldn’t be this year or maybe even next year, but if the two of them got to know each other, Devon knew he would fall in love with Ryan. It wasn’t only that he was supposed to, but also that he could tell how perfect Ryan was for him. Hell, he’d walked up on the guy playing hide and seek with his kid sister.

Devon didn’t know how he was supposed to resist falling in love with his mate when he was as perfect as he was.

Maybe he wasn’t supposed to resist. Ryan was his mate, not someone else’s mate.

“Just give me a chance,”

Ryan softly pleaded.

“I truly don’t expect anything from you.

I just want us to be friends.”

Devon arched brow.

“That kiss didn’t feel very friendly.”

Ryan laughed.

“Okay, maybe I want us to be more than friends, but we don’t have to do that or anything else.

I just want to get to know you. There can be kisses included, or not. Your choice.”

Devon watched Ryan.

He could tell that Ryan was sincere, and he desperately wanted to say yes. Would it be so bad?

Yes, it would be if Devon left.

It would be an awful thing to do to give Ryan a chance when he knew he wasn’t sticking around. He either needed to change his mind and stay or to tell Ryan what he was planning. That way, Ryan could make the best decision for himself.

Which would probably be to distance himself from Devon.

Devon wasn’t sure he could survive that.

Even though he barely knew Ryan, he could feel how necessary Ryan was to him already. Part of him had never wanted to leave the village, and that part was growing stronger every day.

He still had good reasons to want to leave, though.

The Kendrick and Jonas problem wasn’t going anywhere. If Devon was going to stay, he needed to tell Ryan about it.

He closed his eyes.

“Before you decide anything, you need to know something.”

“You don’t have to tell me whatever’s on your mind if you’re uncomfortable, Devon.

When I said I wanted to get to know you, I didn’t mean that you had to spill all your darkest secrets to me right now.”

“It’s about your brother,”

Devon pushed on.

He felt like if he didn’t tell Ryan now, he would lose the guts.

“I had a crush on him before.

It was stupid, but he was one of the people who saved me, and I guess I latched onto that.”

“Devon, you don’t have to tell me about that.

I already know what happened.”

Devon blinked his eyes open.

“What do you mean?”

“I talked to Kendrick and Jonas.

They told me that you tried to get with Kendrick and that you didn’t take no for an answer.”

Devon was going to die of humiliation, wasn’t he? Could the earth open up under him and swallow him? He’d be extremely grateful if it did.

Ryan shook his head.

“I can see that you’re freaking out, but you don’t have to.

Yeah, it’s a bit weird, but it’s fine. Kendrick told me what happened when he and other hunters found you and your family. Just like you said, he thinks that’s the reason you latched onto him. He doesn’t resent you for anything that happened.”

“Jonas does,”

Devon croaked.

“Yeah, he does, but he’ll get over it.

You’re my mate. That means you don’t want anything to do with his mate anymore.”

“I already don’t want anything to do with your brother.

It was a stupid crush. I wanted to be loved, and I convinced myself that Kendrick would be the perfect person to do that.”

“Maybe it’s because a part of you recognized him as my brother.”

Devon wanted to believe that was true, even though it couldn’t be.

He wasn’t a shifter. He would’ve been perfectly fine never having a mate.

But he had a mate, and Ryan was asking him for a chance.

“What do you want from me?”

“A chance.

That’s all I’m asking for, Devon. A chance to get to know you and for you to keep your mind open to our bond.”

Devon wasn’t sure he could do that, but for the first time since they’d met, he wanted to try.