CHAPTER TWELVE

RAIN

Three days later, I was ready.

At 3:00 AM, I got up and left the room while Kay and Ray were soundly sleeping in the bedroom. I hid in the neighboring room, leaving the door slightly ajar.

The man arrived at 3:30 AM as expected, quietly entering the room where my loved ones slept, unaware. But… he immediately backed out! He must have seen that I wasn't in the bed, and it alarmed him. Maybe he thought I was in the bathroom, about to come out any second? I'm not sure—but he left right away and skipped Marco's office. He probably didn't want to take the chance that I'd be in the kitchen for a midnight snack. That kind of encounter wouldn't be pleasant.

Clearly, he was taking the big risk that no one would check the files for the next 24 hours, perhaps planning to delete them on the second day, hoping it would slip by unnoticed. But I wasn't going to let him go, no way. I followed him as quietly as a ghost. Pun intended.

I knew the route he usually took across the garden, so I went out a window to cut him off. Moving along the line of bushes, I reached the garden corner first and hid in the shadow of the serviceberry shrubs. When he pulled himself up on the edge of the fence, I jumped out of hiding, grabbed him around the waist, and yanked him off the fence, pushing him to the ground.

He let out an inarticulate sound—a mix of shock, surprise, and desperation. But if I thought I could hold him down with my weight alone, I was quickly proven wrong. His body seemed as hard as steel. He thrust his hips up, rolling me off him with ease. I tried to hold him, but he jumped to his feet, shoving me away, and quickly climbed over the fence. But I was right behind him. Although I wasn't as physically adept at hand-to-hand fighting as he was, I had one thing I was really good at.

Running was always my forte.

My passion. I'd jogged my whole adult life, and sprinted a lot in college.

So I successfully chased after him, and since I was taller with longer legs, I caught up with him again in the open field—there was no forest, just small groves on the gentle slope leading toward the seashore, nowhere for him to hide.

I grabbed him again, but his training showed—he twisted my hand in a clever move and pushed me away, running off once more. Oh no, I didn't give up. Knowing he wouldn't want to really hurt me, gave me more confidence. Eventually, this game of chase and shove wore me out.

"Stop running, Maurice!" I shouted as he pushed me away for the sixth time. We were already pretty far from the house, at least half a mile away.

"Then stop chasing me, Rain!" he blurted out, turning around. I grabbed him again, this time my hands found his waist, and I realized too late that he was armed, but he didn't reach for his weapon.

"I demand an explanation, fucker! I have the right to know, and Kay has the right to know!" I shouted.

"I don't owe you any explanations! Maybe I owe them to Kay, but not to you…!" he spat.

I cursed at him. "How dare you, scum, how could you fake all this, break his heart…! You sick bastard, you deranged snake…"

Finally, he stopped struggling, slowly turning to face me. I took the opportunity to rip the scarf from his face—and he didn't protest this time.

In disbelief, I looked at a face illuminated by bright moonlight, with strikingly symmetrical, classically handsome features—and very much like mine. Kay was right; we could be brothers!

"Maurice."

He clenched his mouth shut.

"What do you want?" he growled, his jaw twitching.

"What do I want? I want answers, dammit! How could you do this, you dickhead, lie to everyone, break Kay's heart…! How could you leave your own son without a father, you heartless, soulless jerk!" As I spoke, I kept pushing him, hitting his hard chest with my open hands.

He stayed silent, and then I saw tears on his face, one, two, three tears streaming down his cheek. But I didn't feel sorry for him, not one bit, the bastard!

"You're an idiot if you think I could ever leave someone like Kay just like that. I love him more than life itself; I've always loved him, from the first time I saw him. He was everything to me!"

I stared, not understanding. What was he babbling about?

"So how could you do that to him? You let a stranger take your place in his bed! You let him go through that nightmare?"

He squeezed his eyes shut and didn't answer.

"I don't get it—" I trailed off.

"I think you do," he whispered. "There could only be one reason I faked it all, why I did something so cruel. I think you know what it is."

I blinked in sudden realization. The answer was simple yet shocking.

"You met your own True Mate."

A dreadful silence fell. We stood facing each other, a million miles apart, yet strangely close.

Suddenly, I remembered that odd fact about relationships where one partner left after finding their True Mate. For some reason, the other partner had a fourfold higher chance of finding their own True Mate than anyone else. Was that at play here?

But I still stood there, dumbfounded, not knowing what to say except for one thing:

"But why fake your own death? Why not just go to Kay and tell him, 'I met my True Mate'? In our society, everyone understands that those relationships take precedence over all others."

Maurice's face twisted into a bitter smile. "He chose this. He called it: Clean cut."

"What?!"

He shrugged slightly. "We once talked about it back in high school—the possibility of meeting True Mates in the future. We had totally different takes on it. I told him I'd want him to let me know so we could talk it through, say goodbye, and I could accept it then. But Kay had a different view. He said he'd prefer me to die rather than leave him. He was really upset during that conversation, very emotional. I tried to lighten the mood by saying it was silly because situations like that frequently happen, people leave. Even if it's not with a True Mate but with some other higher mateship, people get through it, and we'd get through it too. But he got even angrier, saying it would be like endless torture. Death, he said, cuts things off clean, and then you can rebuild and maybe find happiness again. But knowing that the person you love so much is out there, not caring about you anymore and fucking with someone else, that's too much. Kay said he couldn't bear it."

"There's a simple thing you could have done to never meet your True Mate."

"Suppressants?"

"Exactly. I bet you felt his allure."

Maurice laughed dryly. "And here's where you're wrong. My True Mate used suppressants because he was also married. He had a similar approach to yours."

Silence fell. I dreaded asking, but I had to. "I don't understand. So how did you know?"

Maurice bristled with irritation. "My parents sent me to a hotel conference. There were many owners of smaller hotel chains discussing industry issues, promotion, cooperation, those sorts of things. By chance, I was seated next to an omega. From the moment I saw him, I was very moved. We talked, and though I didn't scent his allure, I felt a strange attraction that scared me because I'd never felt anything like it before. And he looked a lot like Kay, he could be his brother, which is often a sign, as people are drawn to those who resemble their True Mate."

He tilted his head and made a meaningful gesture toward my face. "You must have noticed the obvious."

"So, there's another person out there who looks like Kay?" It was almost hard to believe.

Maurice snorted with laughter. "He's not as tall, but he's very similar, right down to the navy-blue eyes and the long black braid."

"Incredible. It's almost as if our True Mate's appearance is somehow imprinted on us, and we unconsciously seek out people who closely match that image."

"Yeah, that's how it works. So, after some casual talk, we introduced ourselves, and that's when we first shook hands."

"First Touch? What's that like? I never had that with Kay."

"Weren't you on that super-strong Seprudin 500?"

My eyes went as big as saucers. "What the fuck? How do you know? Did you eavesdrop?"

He smirked. "I have my ways of knowing things that concern Kay."

"The strange stone bench in the woods near Adam's house, I first encountered? I thought it was a vantage point of Dawsons."

"It was mine. But it wasn't the only one."

The information made me even more uneasy, knowing he was watching us, listening, maybe even during our intimate moments? Sick bastard.

"Did you watch us fuck?" I growled, clenching my fists.

Maurice's face contorted painfully. "No! I'm not a masochist! Anytime it was starting, I've been walking away. It was… hard for me. Believe me."

My eyebrows almost involuntarily furrowed, but I said nothing.

He only sighed. "So. When I touched his hand—our bodies literally shook, it was like an electrical shock. Then I knew, but I had to be sure. I couldn't risk my whole life for a fleeting sensation."

"How did you get certain? You had to sleep with him, it's the only way!" I growled.

Maurice gasped angrily. "No! I'm not the jerk you think I am! No, I didn't cheat on Kay. I didn't sleep with my TM before the arrangement of my… death. We just took a separation test."

I blinked, feeling stupid for not thinking of that. I'd had the same test with Kay.

"But wait. For the Pull to start and, in consequence, the veradiol spike, you had to somehow initiate it. The touch of his hand alone would work, but over weeks, not days."

Maurice blushed. "Well. We kissed. A lot."

"So you did cheat!"

He snorted angrily. "There was no other way to be sure, and the test confirmed it beyond doubt, so there was no escape from it anyway. My TM and I discussed what to do. He was married, with four kids, and he is ten years older than me. When we met, his kids were very young, the youngest just one year old. They loved their father. So, he decided to tell his husband. But I was in a different situation. We had to come up with a plan." Maurice paused.

"Stupid plan. Lies. Deceptions. Fraud."

Maurice let out a huff. "Think of what Kay would feel seeing me leave for another man with young children, becoming a father to a new family, for kids of another man, but leaving him behind, pregnant with my own child! I know Kay! It would break him much more deeply and longer than my death. No matter how awful—death cuts it all off, just like Kay said. There's no anger at the one who leaves, no sense of betrayal. And you can start a new life with a clean slate, without a treacherous ex hovering around. And look, was I wrong?" he asked with a strange bitterness.

But I stayed silent.

"Was I wrong?" he repeated. "Kay started a new life, found you. And look, he got even better. You're his True Mate, an upgrade! Isn't that a wonderful twist of Fate?"

I closed my eyes tightly, feeling the chaos and confusion grow within me. Something was off, something wasn't right.

"You don't understand. You don't understand the impossible situation you've put me in now. Lies. I'll have to get tangled up in the same web of lies you spun for him. I won't be able to be completely honest with him. You're condemning me to a life of secrets."

"You're being overdramatic. Look at it practically. Kay is happier now. That chapter of his life is closed. He doesn't feel like I hurt him or abandoned him—he feels like Fate hurt him, but Fate also gave him something new, even more beautiful. Sometimes lies are better than the bitter truth."

A quiet growl escaped my throat. "I see you've thought this through. But what about honesty? Kay isn't a child; he can understand the situation. Remember, you talked to him about this years ago in high school. Time changes people—he might see things differently now."

"Bullshit. Didn't you feel hurt when your husband left?"

He was right, and I fell silent. Even in a less serious relationship, I suffered.

But would I prefer not knowing at all?

Maurice stayed quiet for a while before saying, "Sorry, but I think I know Kay better than you do."

"Maybe. But Kay doesn't deserve lies. He deserves the truth, no matter how painful. He's an adult, a smart one. You don't give him enough credit. And he has me now. You've known him since he was 15, and maybe you still see your relationship as puppy love. But Kay has grown up too, you just didn't give him the space to mature."

Maurice looked out toward the ocean and took a deep breath.

"I'll grant you some more time. Kay just gave birth a month ago; he deserves peace of mind. But I can't promise I'll keep your secret forever," I murmured.

He nodded slowly, biting his lip. "How much time exactly are you giving me?"

My eyes rolled on their own, observing his nervous fidgeting and swaying from one leg to another. It was pathetic. "We'll see. There's also the matter of your parents. You hurt them as much as you hurt Kay. Maybe even more. You don't care? You're an only child… Kay has me, but what about them?"

Maurice's eyes became glossy, and his lips trembled slightly.

"But I did it for Kay too. I had to disappear so he could start a new life. He wanted that! Their suffering is on my conscience. As much as I love them—Kay meant even more to me. Maybe I'm a bastard, but I couldn't hurt him. My mission was always to protect Kay."

As an alpha, I understood him. But we were humans first. Maurice was still a scumbag, willing to ruin other people's lives for a decision he thought was right! For this… obsessive—protective mission.

"What's important to me is that Kay knows the truth. Whatever decision you make about your parents—and Ray—is a different matter. You'll have to discuss that with Kay. You treated them cruelly, but I won't get involved in that. However, I can't agree to keep this lie from the person I love most in the world!"

Maurice exhaled, his voice trembling slightly. "You love him." There was a strange relief in his voice, mixed with resentment.

"Yes, I love him."

Maurice nodded, a bittersweet expression on his face. "That's good. It's proof to me that I made the right decision. And even this whole conversation shows me something about you—it shows me that Kay ended up better off… than with me."

We locked eyes.

"One more thing," I needed to say this, not to torment him, but to simply make him more aware of a bigger picture, as I knew he still cared for Kay.

"Kay is successfully nesting."

A silence fell, and Maurice's eyes widened. I knew that in the dark room, he couldn't see it clearly enough to assess the state of the nest, which was previously distorted and never finished. I saw it hit him—right in the heart. His nature as an alpha and protector failed in a way, hindering Kay's omega nature from blossoming. He raised his hands and pressed them to his eyes.

"So I wasn't perfect for him… after all."

Seriously? He was making it about himself.

I couldn't listen to this anymore. He had become so focused on the 'mission of protecting Kay' that he stopped seeing Kay himself. He blocked him on his path to growth. I realized I was close to doing the same… but ironicallybecause I wasn't as skilled in defense as Maurice—because I wasn't perfect, Kay could see the human in me and not a protective "nest" or wall—like Maurice was. And then there was space for Kay to build his own nest, his own center of strength.

But these thoughts didn't matter now. I doubted Maurice would even want to hear more of my rants. Fate had planned it perfectly: Maurice was the right partner for the immature Kay. But Fate wanted Kay to gain his own strength. That's why Maurice had to leave.

I crossed my arms over my chest and said, "There's still one more thing. Your visits to our home must end. It's too risky. And I don't want you getting close to Kay, standing over him in the dark, touching his braid, and staring at him like some creep! You no longer have that right—you gave it up."

He stayed silent, eyes fixed on the ground, his jaw slightly clenched.

Observing him attentively for a while, I finally added, "But I understand you might feel the need to see Ray from time to time. I sometimes take him for walks to give Kay a couple of hours to himself. Once in a while, I can let you know when I'm on a walk so you can see my son. Yes, you heard me right. My son. Ray is mine, and I'll be his father. Consider this a huge generosity on my part because you don't deserve even that!"

"I understand."

Maurice took a phone out of his pants pocket. "This is my new burner phone. I'll signal you from it. You can text me at this number."

Speaking through clenched teeth, I dictated my number to him.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Don't thank me. Kay and I are getting married in May. Only after that will I decide when to tell him the truth. I want him to enjoy our honeymoon in peace, without another disturbance in our lives."

Maurice had a dejected expression. He looked miserable.

"And I hope you'll also do the right thing with your parents then. They suffer."

He nodded slowly. There was a moment of silence.

"So. Do you love him? Your new man?"

A sad smile appeared on Maurice's face. "I do—now. I grew to love him over time. True Mate status didn't guarantee instant love, despite the instant lust part. We needed to get to know each other first."

"Oh, I know what you mean. He doesn't mind you coming here?"

Maurice chuckled lightly. "He's my True Mate!"

And that was all the answer I needed; I knew exactly what he meant by that.

Slowly, I rubbed my forehead and cleared my throat. "That moment will come, Maurice. When I'll tell Kay the truth. Yes, he was under your protection then, but he's not an upset teen anymore, and he shouldn't be treated as such."

Maurice stood with a gloomy, dispirited look. Then, without another word, he turned and started walking down the slope of the coastal hill.

But then something struck me.

"Wait!"

I rushed up to him and put my hand on his arm, forcing him to turn back to me.

His light gray eyes seemed almost silver in the moonlight.

"What?" he grumbled.

"Thank you. For saving our lives."

He averted his gaze and murmured, "You don't need to thank me for saving his life. I still love him. This kind of love never dies, even if I've found my own True Mate."

There wasn't much more to say after that, beyond: "I hope you'll have a good life, Maurice."

He smiled and nodded. "Well, I've found my True Mate, and he's… wonderful. Plus, I don't have to work as a fucking hotel manager anymore. I'm a martial arts instructor now, something my parents would never have appreciated."

"Good for you."

Then he turned away again and walked off slowly.

His silhouette, black against the silvery dune grass, quickly became indistinguishable in the play of shadows, and the sound of his footsteps was muffled by the roar of the sea.

I was left alone, feeling like I had been put through a meat grinder. I felt a deep inner conflict. There were moments when I didn't know what to think.

Sometimes, I believed Maurice made the right decision, leaving everything behind with a 'clean cut'. But on the other hand, Kay wasn't oblivious, everyone in our society had to learn to deal with the reality of being left for a better mate, it was like a sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's heads. Except for True Mates.

Kay could probably handle the truth even now, and might even forgive his ex for not being honest. The question was, could I? Was it me who needed more time in a simple, peaceful existence with Kay, without the 'treacherous ex' hovering around?

Over the next months, countless doubts plagued me: Was my stance correct? Should I leave it to Fate? Should I get involved at all? But I believed that my partner wasn't fragile and deserved honesty from those he trusted. It was so little and so much at the same time.

I decided that when the right moment came—for both of us, I would reveal the truth to him.