(Katelyn's POV)The quiet hum of the TV filled the living room, but I wasn’t really paying attention to it.Tyler and I were curled up on the sofa, his arm draped over my shoulders as I leaned into him, enjoying the comfort of his warmth. I should have been more relaxed, given everything that had just happened, but a quiet nagging worry about Ryder wouldn’t let me settle.Tyler, ever perceptive, squeezed my shoulder gently, as if he knew I wasn’t entirely present.“Distracted?” he asked softly, his voice soothing rather than accusing.I let out a small sigh, feeling guilty that I wasn’t more in the moment.“I don’t know... I feel like Ryder’s been on his own for a while now...” I trailed off, not sure how to explain the uneasy feeling that gnawed at me."Go talk to him then,” Tyler suggested with a casual shrug.I wanted to go and talk to him. I at least wanted to go and check on him, even if he didn't want to talk. I just needed to know that he was okay. But I also didn't want him to
(Katelyn's POV)"You know something..." I whispered, calling him out.He instantly looked away, guilty as he shook his head."I don't KNOW anything," he insisted, but the way he said it wasn't convincing."Then you have some kind of idea or suspicion," I replied, taking a seat on the bed and making myself comfortable.If he had even an inkling, I wanted to know about it so that we could maybe try and figure this out together.He groaned and flopped back on the bed. “Maybe...” he hesitated. "Maybe it has something to do with... the Alpha thing..." he trailed off, the last three words of that sentence barely audible.Now there was a thought."What do you mean?" I probed.Clearly he'd thought about this and he must have some reason for this suspicion.Ryder was silent, but I could see the wheels turning in his head. It was as if the idea had planted itself in his mind, and now he was wrestling with it, trying to figure out if it made sense before he wanted to voice it as an actual possib
(Katelyn's POV)"Yeah?" Ryder replied hesitantly."It's just the whole coffee cup thing..." I began to explain, trying to brush it off as something casual rather than what it really was, which was insane."You mean the coffee cup you blew up with your mind?" he asked with a little smirk.I nodded. "That's the one," I admitted with a sigh. "Well... I told Tyler about it too. He says we probably shouldn't mention anything about it to The Elders.""Obviously not," Ryder agreed with a shake of his head. "They'd have a fucking field day with that one. No, definitely not. Even if they ask you about it outright, you lie, okay?" he pressed, giving me a serious look."You want me to lie to The Elders if they ask me?" I repeated, disbelief tinting my words."Absolutely," Ryder insisted. "Kate, you can't tell them. We aren't talking about sweet little visions that only happen in your head here. This is some real-world shit. I'm sure you'll figure out a way to control it. Or maybe it only happens
(Katelyn's POV)There was always something about Ryder... Some undeniable connection I felt with him that ran deeper than words. It was like we were tethered together by some invisible string of shared experiences.It was different with Tyler, not less, just... different. Tyler was my anchor, my certainty. But Ryder? Ryder was the reflection of all the chaos I carried inside. They were the balance in my life.Tyler was my always and forever and Ryder was my one in a million. The same, but different.I rolled over to face him, sighing deeply. My mind was racing with too many things... The Elders, the coffee cup, and the associated fears that simmered just beneath the surface."You good?" he asked softly, glancing over at me. He probably sensed the waves of dread that rolled off of me.I shrugged. "I mean, I guess as good as can be expected under the circumstances. I'm still trying to come to terms with the possibility that I might be blowing up coffee mugs in front of The Elders, you k
(Katelyn's POV)Playing Tekken turned out to be way more entertaining than I’d expected. Turns out that mashing buttons wildly was actually a pretty solid strategy and I managed to get a few impressive wins.."Alright, Kate,” Ryder muttered, a smirk spreading across his face as he leaned forward, focused. “You got lucky in the last round, but this time I'm playing with my favorite character.”I scoffed. “Should have played with him from the beginning if he's your favorite, don't you think?” I taunted, clutching the controller as he prepared to demolish me.He shook his head. "That's not my strategy."I won again."Well, I don't know what your strategy is exactly, but it's shit," I teased as he handed the remote over to Tyler with a frustrated groan and a look of disbelief.Tyler put me back in my place quickly though and then I watched the two of them battle it out.It was impressive. They knew all sorts of combo moves with all the different characters. I basically got lucky when I pr
(Katelyn's POV)As we headed downstairs, I breathed a sigh of relief. I honestly thought that David was going to give us some miserable news about The Elders or something, but instead, it had just been Liz congratulating us on finally sealing our mate bonds.I felt all warm and fuzzy inside. I felt like I fit in. Like I had a place in this family. Poor David and Liz still had preparations to attend to, but they told us to enjoy the rest of our evening, probably realizing that we might not be enjoying much once The Elders arrived.Ryder’s arm slipped around my waist as we stepped off the last stair, and he leaned over and kissed my temple. He seemed... I dunno. Proud? Relieved? I wasn't sure. Whatever it was he was feeling, it was clearly good because he was smiling.“Alright, Kate. I think it's time to put you back in your place. I don't want you getting a big head or anything," Ryder announced as we walked into the living room.I paused, giving him a puzzled look.He picked up one o
(Ryder's POV)Her lips crashed against mine and the world around us faded away. The music from the game, the flickering light from the TV screen, the sound of footsteps in the hallway...... The sound of footsteps in the hallway.I peeked my eyes open mid-kiss and briefly caught a glimpse of Tyler over Kate's shoulder.He hovered there with a drink in his hand, seemingly uncertain what to do.With one hand, I pulled Kate closer, my fingers settling in the nape of her neck. With the other hand, I urgently waved Tyler away, determined not to have him cock-block me here.He rolled his eyes and shook his head before retreating silently with an amused smile, allowing me to focus back on the moment again.With Tyler out of the picture, I let my mind be consumed with Kate once more. Kate and only Kate. The feel of her lips against mine, her fingers as they wound through my hair and clutched at my shirt, her warm breath against my skin, her quickening heartbeat...Kate pulled back for a moment
(Katelyn's POV)"I love you too," Ryder replied, watching me with an expression of complete adoration.It felt like I was going to melt into the bed as satisfaction and contentment flowed through my veins, spreading through me and leaving me so relaxed it almost felt like effort just to blink.His fingers grazed over my thighs gently, his lips planting soft kisses along my skin as my laboring heart searched for its old, steady rhythm."You alive?" he whispered softly, his breath warm on my skin."Barely," I managed to mumble, my voice sounding a little hoarse.He smiled, his eyes shining as he planted one more kiss on my thigh before sitting up abruptly and pulling his shirt up over his head to reveal his taut, lean body.Oh, God... Already? I was still riding my fucking high over here.I was about to protest, to tell him I needed more time, but before I could, he was on me again, his lips trailing a path of kisses along my body. He started at my knee, his lips moving slowly along my