Page 10
W atching Darby’s retreating form as she storms out of Simmer Down, my jaw hangs lax. Declan, the asshole that he is, reaches over, using one finger under my chin, pushes my jaw closed.
Gradually, the dining room returns to normal, with the low hum of conversation punctuated by the clanging of empty plates being cleared away or the clinking of metal silverware against the dish of a fresh meal.
Kyle glares at me briefly before turning to fuss over his mate. I feel bad for upsetting Dayton, but being this close to Darby caused all good sense to flee.
“Kyle, dinner is on us,” Declan states, showing that at least one of us still has their wits about them.
“That’s not…” he starts to rebuke.
“Yes, it is,” I volley as Declan moves away from the table.
“You and me,” Kyle says, narrowing his eyes at me. “Need to talk. Stop at the garage tomorrow. Nonnegotiable.”
He grinds out the last part right before moving to help Dayton rise from her chair.
Kali is on Dayton’s left while Kyle is on her right.
Both have an arm wrapped around Dayton’s back, helping to support some of her weight.
Taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly, I get a glimpse of what Darby will look like when she is pregnant with our cubs.
All of the blood rushes to my cock and I make quick work of escaping to my office before anyone notices.
I should have expected that Declan would be hot on my heels, not giving me a moment’s peace.
“Are you proud of yourself?” he chastises, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the door, removing all hopes of my escape.
“Declan,” I start with a weary sigh. “I am in no mood for I told you so’s.”
“I don’t give a fuck. I warned you!” His voice gets louder, punctuating his point. “You asked me. Dragged me all over town. Hell, you bought a fucking engagement ring! What the hell were you thinking?”
Declan’s chest heaves, and he pauses briefly to catch his breath before continuing his tirade.
“Did you even sign any of those notes?”
“Well, no—” I interject before getting cut off.
“Darby was freaked out and in the process of all this, you managed to piss off one of the other alpha’s. One of your best friends. Kyle doesn’t need this shit. His focus needs to be on his very pregnant mate!”
My mouth opens and closes, trying to come up with something to say without sounding like an asshole.
Yeah, I got nothing.
“You need to make this right, Arek,” Declan continues.
“I know!” I roar, slamming my hands on the top of the desk, startling Declan in the process.
Slumping into my chair, I scrub my hands over my face, muttering, “I just don’t know how.” Somehow, Declan hears me.
“Start by apologizing to Kyle, Dayton, and Darby,” Declan says flatly, stating the obvious.
“Yeah, I will go to the garage tomorrow morning and talk to Kyle,” I concede. Raising my head to meet Declan’s gaze, his features soften at whatever he sees the defeat in my eyes. “You just don’t understand.”
“You’re right, Arek. I don’t understand. Finding one’s mate is supposed to be the single most stimulating experience in a paranormal’s life. There’s no handbook on how matings are supposed to be, especially when your mate is a human.”
Declan moves away from the door, sitting in one of the chairs on the other side of my desk, facing me. Leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his expression turns serious.
“Something you need to know about Darby, and Dayton, I guess. Their mother is quite a character. She had nothing polite to say about Dayton marrying Kyle. Lacene, their mom, is not a fan of paranormals either,” he heaves a heavy breath before delivering the final blow.
“Their parents got married because they felt they had to.”
He lets that information hang in the air while I process it. We sit in silence as my mind whirls. My head falls backward, and my eyes drift shut. Words tumble from my mouth without permission.
“I am well and truly fucked!”
Declan, the asshole that he is starts laughing. He takes a few minutes to get over his mirth before heading back out to the front of house, leaving me to wallow in my misery alone.
How the hell am I going to convince Darby to not only forgive me, but also accept our mating?