Chapter 21

Cammy's POV

I cut the last potato into wedges and added it to the water-filled pot and placed it on the stove and turned up the heat. I went to the fridge and pulled out the package of fresh spinach and turned on the tap to rinse the vegetable before pulling the leaves off the stem and dumping half into another pot.

I was cooking for us tonight. Fried potatoes, creamed spinach and steak. One of my favorite meals.

I was feeling a little apprehensive. I liked my steak blue. Something my Grandmother had always hated and always tried to convince me to eat a little more well done. I think the bloodied mess reminded her that I was not a pure blooded wolf. I usually only eat steak like this in the privacy of my own home, and even then, not very often. I hated feeling ashamed about my differences and maybe a little paranoid that if I gave outsiders too many opportunities to see into my private life that they would be able to piece the puzzle together. Somehow figure out that I was a half breed of something they were taught to hate.

What would Kai think? I had revealed more of my true self to him than I had to anyone else, apart from my family. He had touched my cool skin. Surely he had noticed that my temperature was below what was considered normal. I knew my eyes changed colour when I got excessively angry. Something I had been just two days ago, when Kai had brought me home and introduced me to his supposed girlfriend.

Just thinking about that day had me feeling angry all over again. The way he had embarrassed me in front of my new pack and the laughter of his stupid friends. And Angelique! She was just the worst! I would still be able to empathise with the girl if she had been heartbroken at the thought of losing her boyfriend. But she didn't seem hurt at all. She seemed to enjoy what had happened, at my expense! She seemed down right bitchy too. Great taste he had in women! I wondered if I could trust Kai to be faithful to me. His opinion on mates and mistresses bowled me over. I was actually worried that he would have more sublime ideas that would cause us to clash. When we were together, our bond was so strong. I could drown in the deep melody of his voice and the electricity in every touch. I was drawn to him like he was my sun and without him, there would be nothing but darkness. And I could feel the effect the bond had on him too. But what was he feeling when he was away from me? With other people. Female people.

I thought back on the things my father had told me when he'd learned about my mating. He had said that Hailey was a place that held dark secrets that I would soon learn. He told me to never forget who I was and to remember that I always had a choice. He made me promise to not blood-bond with "Rutherford," as he had called him, until I was completely sure that I wanted to be with him for the rest of my life. Until I had learned all his secrets. Secrets my father had refused to tell me, but had made me promise to be strong. Use my head and not trust the mate-bond blindly.

But the mate-bond had already consumed me. I was too weak to stand against it after our truce. Kai had made love to me three times after our fight on Sunday evening. Then again in the morning. And again when he got home from his business meetings yesterday afternoon until late into the evening. I tried not to think of what having sex so many times made me. I had agreed to this. And my body burned for him at even the slightest touch. Every time with him was body and soul -spiritual even, which really confused me because I hardly knew his mind at all. Most of our time together so far had been in each others arms.

Already, I would give anything for him. He was my life now.

What was plaguing me was the secrets my father had been talking about. What could they be? My father had made it seem like something really bad. That I needed to stay vigilant. And keep my heritage a secret. He made me promise not to tell Kai. At least until we were blood-bonded. Which he seemed apprehensive for me to do.

I trusted my father.

So I kept distracting Kai when I felt him wanting to blood-bond me by putting his mark on me. When we were lost in each other. When he scraped his fangs over my neck, I would usually pull his lips down to mine. Fighting the bond.

I spent the day alone in this beautiful mansion yesterday. Kai needed to get to work. He had that important matter he needed to attend to. I had learned that he was CEO of a company that imported and distributed diesel. He had opened the company a little more than a year ago and was bringing in millions by the looks of it. He had a meeting yesterday morning with a major prospective new client.

I had enjoyed the time alone. The past few days had been a whirlwind of emotion in my usually peaceful life. Leaving me utterly drained. I needed to recuperate. I spent the day relaxing in my amazing bedroom, reading on the enormous bed. It was spacious and the entire exterior wall was made up of glass panels that opened up into a patio facing the forest. It was like I was laying in nature, but in complete comfort.

My bedroom.

When Kai had told me that I would be sleeping in a separate room, I had felt the first red flags go up. Why did he not want to share a room with his mate? And then Angelique.... Arrgh! Gees, I wasn't going to go there again. Circling that mess like a vulture does it's prey. I was waiting for him to realize he wanted me there all on his own. If things kept going like they were between us, it would happen sooner rather than later.

Flashback to this morning:

I woke up in Kai's arms, as I had every morning since we mated. His warmth and his scent engulfing me. I studied his gorgeous face. Tan skin pulled over high, perfectly symmetrical cheek bones. Thick, sculpted eyebrows. Straight nose. Plump pink lips. His head crowned with dark hair, shaved on the sides and longer on top. He was gorgeous. His shoulders were broad and mascular. His impressive eight pack and imposing strength. Perhaps it was because his body was so close to steel, that he failed to notice my stony one. I even liked the tattoos that covered the majority of his torso. His back, his chest, his upper arms and up his neck. They suited him. In fact, they reminded me of Maui's tattoos in the movie Moana. I was sure they told the story of who he was. So much so that if you'd told me that he'd been born with them, I'd find it believable. Sure that if I looked close enough, that I'd be able to unravel all his secrets. The sight of him sleeping peacefully next to me in my bed, spread liquid warmth through my body and had my stomach fluttering. This beautiful man was mine. How lucky was I?

I was starting to get antsy though. My body needs very little rest and a lot of exercise. I missed my two hour morning jogs and pack training. I hadn't exercised since Saturday and my body was feeling irritable for it.

I tried to wiggle free, but Kai was so in tune with me that he opened his eyes as soon as I moved.

"Morning." He whispered.

"Morning. It's still early. Go back to sleep." I kissed his cheek and tried to slip out from his firm grip.

"Stay." He just snuggled closer.

I tried to lay still for a while longer. But it was no use. I'd been awake for hours already and the forest outside the open patio doors were calling to me.

I tried to gently pry his arms off of me. He turned over onto his back and yawned loudly, rubbing his hands over his face. Then turned back to me and smiled.

"Morning baby." Oops. I felt bad for waking him.

"Hi. Go back to sleep." I whispered and managed to slip out of bed.

He looked up at my naked body, fully awake now. He gave me that look. But I didn't want to do that now.

"I'm just going for a run. I'll see you in a bit."