Page 22 of Protected Promise

“Why?”

“Huh?” I asked sitting up to look at him like he was insane.

“It was clear he was into you, and unless I completely misread the situation, you were kind of into him too. I’ve never seen you look at a guy around here like that before.”

“Is that why you challenged him to a dance off?”

He laughed easily. “Hey, if he couldn’t handle a simple challenge like that then for sure he wouldn’t be good enough for you.”

I snorted. “So you’re saying he is?”

“Good enough for you?”

I nodded.

He shrugged. “He was a good sport about it and actually, your boy can dance.”

I shook my head but I couldn’t keep the grin off my face.

“You know you’re covering yourself in his scent, right?”

I wrapped the jacket tighter around me.

“He’s your mate, isn’t he?”

“What? Why would you say that?”

“I know you, Kait. We’ve gotten to be really good friends, and I’ve never seen you act like this about a male before, and I don’t really think you would for anyone less than your true mate.”

“Is it really that obvious?”

He grinned. “You have been drinking tonight, not that I blame you. Heck, I’d probably go on a binge if my mate showed up out of the blue.”

“Wait, you don’t want a mate?”

“I do, it’s just after the whole Jenna and Chase thing, I’m a little terrified.”

“You’re worried she won’t be a panther?”

“Terrified,” he confessed. “How about this Landon guy? Is he a wolf?”

“Yeah, he is.”

“That’s good, right?”

“I don’t know, Kian. You know I don’t want a mate.”

“I get that, Kait, but maybe you need one. I wouldn’t close my heart off too fast if I were you. You are a strong independent woman, but it’s okay to let people close. We’re not all going to hurt you.”

*****

Kian’s words had kept me up late into the night, even more so than the constant thud from the music downstairs. Did I really shut people out? I felt like I had a lot of friends, but there was a sting of truth to his words too.

I didn’t see or hear anything more from Landon. By the next day, I could have almost made myself believe I’d imagined him…almost. Then, since I had overslept, I had to rush to get ready for my graduation ceremony. The other girls had gone ahead without me and I didn’t have time to swing by the doghouse first.

I sprinted across campus to the quad where the stage had been set up while the yard was adorned with chairs filled with spectators. I quickly found the lineup.

“Kaitlyn, nice to see you made it,” Lachlan teased as I ran by him and slid into my place just as the music began to play.