Page 48 of Fated to the Wolf Cowboy

“This kind of work is not a five day a week sort of job. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

“I’m calling bullshit,” Tim said. “He’s worried about you. We all are.”

“Well stop!” I snapped.

“Are you really not coming home tonight?”

“No. I’ve already spoken with Luke and I’m getting a place of my own. I just need a few things from the house and don’t want to deal with Peyton and Oliver right now.”

“Oh, well, they’re over at the Alpha house. All the Colliers are there having a meal together. You know how that goes. We were invited, but I wanted to make sure you’re okay instead.”

“You turned down a Collier dinner to check on him?” Tim asked.

Kenneth hesitated and nodded. “It was bad this morning. Like really bad. I’ve never seen him lose his shit like that before. It was more like something dad would have done for no good reason.”

Tim and I shared a look. He knew damn well I had my reasons, a good one too, but none of that mattered.

I pulled my baby brother into a hard embrace and just held him.

“I’m sorry, man. I shouldn’t have snapped like that. I never want to be anything like that man. I’ll do better. I swear.”

“I know,” he said, softly.

But there was no way to know how much his words had cut me straight through the heart.

“Um, so, the family’s gone for a bit?”

“Yup.”

“Okay. I’m going to run over to the house and grab my things.”

“You don’t have to leave.”

“I do, actually. It’s just time, Kenneth.”

I wasn’t ready to talk about it. I didn’t even know how to fully explain all that I was feeling and what I was going through. I had a mate and I just let her slip on by because I was so worked up and furious that she smelled like him and not me.

I still didn’t understand everything that had happened with Clementine and all that. But I know the difference now. And I also knew those big brown eyes would haunt me every second of the rest of my life.

I blew it.

She was gone because I’d lost it. I was no better than my father as Kenneth had just pointed out. I was an asshole to her which meant I certainly didn’t deserve to have her as a mate. Instead, I would live my life in misery knowing damn well she was the one and I let her just slip on by.

“I’ll swing by later.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” he asked, innocently.

“No,” Tim said before I could answer. “Trust me on this.”

I shot Tim a look, but I knew there was no way I could convince him to keep his mouth shut over what he knew, or suspected he knew. The second I turned my back he would explain things to Kenneth.

And sure enough, as I walked away, I heard him say, “Look, there’s something you should know about that girl. She’s his true mate and was carrying your scent. So give him a break. That dad comment was a low blow.”

I hung my head in shame and walked a little faster.

Sometime soon I was going to have to have that same conversation with Peyton and Oliver. I owed them that much, but I wasn’t quite ready for it.

My wolf was on edge like never before and I felt like a loose cannon. It was best to get this done and over with before anyone came home.