Chapter One

Jonas was in hiding. He felt ridiculous even thinking about it, but he couldn’t deny it. He was hiding.

He was a powerful Krsnik, could turn into a wolf, and had been bred to fight and defeat Kudlaks, yet here he was, afraid of a bunch of humans.

Hence, the hiding.

“You do know you can leave the house, right?” Caroline asked from behind him.

He didn’t even turn to glare at her. He was sure she already knew he was. “I’m busy,” he commented before sticking his brush into the paint bucket a bit too harshly. The paint splattered on the floor, which he’d thankfully covered in plastic.

He moved a little more carefully now, cleaning the brush so he had the right amount of paint before returning his attention to the doorframe he’d been painting around.

“You’re making excuses,” Caroline said. “You don’t have to paint the living room today. You could go out there and make friends.”

But making friends would mean people would get to know him, which in turn meant they’d find out he couldn’t fight. He was pretty sure Alexis had already told the two clan leaders about it, but they’d probably forgotten or something. That had to be the only reason they’d welcomed Jonas into their clan, even though he couldn’t fight his way out of a wet paper bag.

Jonas wanted them to continue to not remember that detail. He was afraid that if he left the house and they noticed him, they’d suddenly remember he existed and would try to put him to work. As a Krsnik, he’d be useful fighting Kudlaks, which was what he’d been born to do.

He had to have been born defective, though, because he’d never successfully fought a Kudlak, and he wasn’t planning to start anytime soon. He couldn’t fight, and he was fine with that as long as it wouldn’t cause him to lose his two best friends.

Alexis and Caroline had had no problems settling in at the village. It was like they’d always lived here and had always been part of the Harper clan.

The same couldn’t be said for Jonas.

“I already have friends,” Jonas reminded Caroline.

“You have me and Alexis, but there’s an entire clan out there who wants to get to know you. Why don’t you give them the opportunity?”

The opportunity to do what? Reject him? No, thank you. Jonas was fine keeping to himself if it meant people wouldn’t try kicking him out of the clan. He only trusted Caroline and Alexis, and possibly Alexis’s mate Boyd. That was it. No matter how much Jonas wanted to trust the clan leader and his mate, he didn’t know either of them well, so he didn’t dare.

And yes, he knew that the only reason he didn’t know them was that he’d been avoiding them.

Jonas was a mess. He supposed that everyone around him was, too, so that didn’t make him special. He’d lost his clan to a Kudlak attack, but he wasn’t the only one. Most of the people who lived here, except for the humans, had gone through the same thing, and even the hunters had more often than not become hunters because they’d lost someone they loved to the Kudlaks. They were all in the same boat.

And sometimes Jonas felt it was rapidly sinking.

Clay and Rowan were doing their best, but their clan was very new. They didn’t have a lot of members, and at least half of them were human. They might have trained for this for years and even been good hunters, but as humans, they were still slower and not as strong as Kudlaks. It would be easy for a bunch of Kudlaks to attack the village and decimate it. Frankly, Jonas sometimes wondered why they hadn’t yet.

Caroline sighed heavily behind him, and he still didn’t turn to look at her. He understood why she and Alexis were worried. He was worried, too.

Hiding wasn’t like him. Even when it had just been the three of them, Jonas had been the happy one. He went out, talked to people, made friends everywhere, and returned with stories to tell his friends while they were dozing on the couch after spending a night killing Kudlaks. Neither of them expected Jonas to start fighting or even to train with the others, but they’d probably thought he would be at the center of the clan by now.

He wanted to be. He didn’t particularly like being stuck in this house, even though it was massive. Only he and Caroline lived here, and sometimes, it felt like it was too much. Sometimes, Jonas yearned for the tiny apartments the three of them had shared over the years.

But those apartments were long gone. Now they lived with the clan, and Alexis had a mate. He lived with Boyd, as it should be, but between that and becoming a clan member, Jonas had been a bit overwhelmed. He wasn’t sure where he fit in this new family or even if he fit at all.

Caroline and Alexis wouldn’t be happy if Jonas were to leave the clan, and they’d probably stay behind. Alexis wouldn’t go anywhere without Boyd, and this was Boyd’s home. Caroline was unattached, but that didn’t mean she’d come with Jonas. He was a lot of trouble, and if it was only the two of them, she’d have to babysit him all the time.

“Are you even listening to me, or are you that focused on painting?” Caroline asked.

“I hear what you’re saying, and I disagree. I don’t need to get to know the people in the village. I don’t think they’d want to meet me, anyway.”

“They do,” Caroline said a bit too forcefully. “Clay has approached me twice to ask what was up with you. I didn’t know what to tell him.”

“You should have told him I was fine, because I am.”

“We both know that’s a lie. You can get Alexis to believe you, but it’s not gonna work with me. You know better, Jonas.”

He did know better. Once Caroline sank her teeth into something, she didn’t let go. Right now, she’d sunk her teeth into Jonas and his loneliness, which meant he had to do something to distract her.

He took a step away from the doorframe and gestured his brush at it. “What do you think?”

A hand landed on his shoulder. He squeaked and turned around, raising the brush as if he was going to use it to defend himself.

He always reacted like that when he was startled. He thought it came from when his village was attacked and how life had been hell for him over the past years. It had gotten so bad that he didn’t know if there was a way to fix it. He wasn’t sure he wanted to try. He was exhausted, and it felt like a lot of work.

“There’s a small party tonight,” Caroline said, glaring as soon as Jonas started shaking his head. “Let me finish.”

There was a warning in her voice, so Jonas snapped his mouth shut. Caroline stared at him for a moment as if waiting for him to start talking again, but he didn’t, and she nodded, clearly satisfied.

“It’s not really a party,” she reassured him. “It’s just for family.”

Before, that would have meant Caroline, Jonas, and Alexis. Now it included Boyd, and through him, his friends and their mates. More people kept getting pulled into this, and Jonas felt uneasy.

He wasn’t used to spending time with so many people. He’d gotten better at it after he and the others had arrived at the village, but he still felt more comfortable on his own.

“That’s kind of the description of the party,” he pointed out.

Caroline slapped him upside the head. “You know what I mean. It’s not formal, and you don’t have to bring anything but yourself. There will be food and drinks, plenty of chairs to sit on, and time to make friends with other people.” She hesitated. “I know you’ve only had me and Alexis for a long time. You’re never going to lose us, but your life can expand to welcome other people. We’re part of a clan now, and that’s what being clan means, Jonas.”

Unfortunately for him, she was right. Being part of a clan meant actually being part of it, not hiding in his house. Even if he wasn’t planning to become best friends with any of the people he met tonight, at the very least, he should get to know them better.

“Fine, I’ll come,” he agreed, even though he was pretty sure he’d regret it.

* * * *

Kendrick was seriously considering not going to the family dinner at Clay and Rowan’s house.

For one, he wasn’t sure why they’d called it a family dinner. He was close to Clay, but not that close. They might have fought together as hunters, but Clay had never truly been part of their group, and while Kendrick had always been on his side, he had no idea when that had become something more to Clay.

He’d invited Kendrick, along with Chris, Boyd, and Rachel. Chris and Boyd would no doubt be bringing their mates, and that was fine with Kendrick. There would be others there, too, which was the problem, or rather, one person was the problem.

Devon.

Kendrick liked the kid. He was strong and had defended himself and the people he considered family, which was impressive at only eighteen. What Kendrick didn’t like about Devon was that the kid had a massive crush on him and had been hounding him since they’d met. He didn’t take no for an answer, which was annoying, though not surprising, considering how young he was.

No matter how many times Kendrick told him they couldn’t be together, Devon didn’t seem to get it. Initially he’d thought it was because the kid was only seventeen. But the day he’d turned eighteen, he’d knocked on Kendrick’s door.

Kendrick had tried telling him that he just didn’t see him like that and that he was more like a brother to him, but Devon seemed to have taken that as a challenge.

Kendrick didn’t blame him entirely. He was new to the village, and while there were a lot of things to do to get it back to its previous glory, it couldn’t be great for an eighteen-year-old boy. Devon wanted to have fun and make friends, and he couldn’t get that at the village. He’d latched onto Kendrick because Kendrick was present when Devon had been found, but that was it.

Or at least, Kendrick prayed that it was.

He looked down at his phone. He’d grabbed it from the coffee table so he could text Boyd, but he knew Boyd would see right through him. Would that be enough to stop him? Absolutely not.

He opened his text app and quickly wrote what he had in mind. It wasn’t complicated, and hopefully, Boyd would fall for it. Tell Clay I can’t come tonight. Not feeling well.

He sent off the text and waited for a moment, but Boyd didn’t answer. Kendrick set down the phone, satisfied, and snatched the remote control from the coffee table. He turned on the TV, pulled up his current series, and settled in for a great evening.

Everything was going to plan until someone knocked on his door half an hour later. He frowned, pressed pause, and grabbed his phone. He checked the notifications as he walked to the front door, sidestepping a bunch of construction material. The village was still only halfway habitable, including the houses everyone was living in. They were slowly renovating, but with many houses and not a lot of people, it was taking time.

Kendrick didn’t care. As long as he had a roof over his head and was warm enough, he was fine with pretty much anything. When he was a hunter, he’d lived in abandoned warehouses. It hadn’t been fun. In the summer, they were boiling hot, and with so many people pressed together, it had been a nightmare. During the winter, they’d almost frozen to death, and mold had grown everywhere.

He looked around his front door. There were no signs of mold here.

He didn’t have any texts or missed calls, so he had no idea what to expect when he swung open the door. He should have known better.

“You don’t look like you’re not feeling well,” Boyd said, looking Kendrick up and down.

Kendrick huffed and turned, stomping back to the living room. He heard Boyd and Chris follow him and the door closing behind them.

Fuck. Boyd had seen right through him. He wouldn’t drag him to this family dinner, but he’d sure try to convince him to come, and when he did stuff like that, Kendrick always broke down and gave in.

He wanted to make his friends happy, dammit, and Boyd had mastered the puppy eyes, which shouldn’t be possible, considering how big he was.

“He was lying,” Chris said as he walked into the living room.

“Yeah, I got that. What I don’t know is why,” Boyd told him.

“You do know I’m right here, right?” Kendrick asked.

Both of his friends turned to look at him in a way that would have sent him running for the hills if he’d been a weaker man. They were intimidating. They would be even if Kendrick didn’t know they were hunters.

Well, they had been hunters. Boyd had retired, and he was living his best life, renovating his house, gardening, and making Alexis happy. Chris was working on that last part with his own mate, Gary. Kendrick was the only one who didn’t have anyone, and he was fine with that. He didn’t have to have a mate to be happy. Did he want to meet them? Yeah, just like anyone else. That didn’t mean he was looking, though.

“Why don’t you want to come with us?” Boyd asked as he flopped onto the couch.

“Because I’m not feeling well. I have a stomachache.”

Boyd’s expression told Kendrick he didn’t believe him. From the way Chris was staring, he didn’t, either.

The three of them were best friends and had been for a while. They’d met when they’d drifted toward the same hunter group, and they’d been a unit since then. They’d had each other’s backs when they hunted and in their private lives.

So why did it feel like Chris and Boyd had ganged up on him?

He sighed and sat next to Boyd. “Devon is going to be there, isn’t he?”

Chris grimaced. “Oh, that’s why you don’t want to come. Yeah, he’s going to be there. Clay mentioned it when he texted me earlier.”

“He’s why I don’t want to come. He’s a great kid, but I don’t want to deal with him right now.”

“You did tell him you weren’t interested, didn’t you?” Boyd asked delicately. He sounded like he was afraid Kendrick’s answer would be no.

“Of course I did, several times. I told him I wasn’t interested in dating someone so young, even though he’s eighteen now. I told him that he’s not my type and that I see him like a younger brother.”

“I take it that it didn’t work?” Chris asked.

“No, it didn’t, which is why I’m planning to spend the evening on my couch, where Devon can’t get to me.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that,” Chris muttered.

The problem was that it was too easy for Kendrick to imagine Devon sneaking into the house to surprise him. He’d think it was a nice gesture, but as far as Kendrick was concerned, it would be creepy and nothing else.

He rubbed his face. “I don’t know what else to do. He’s so fucking young and traumatized. I want to help him, but I know that if I give him one inch, he’s going to try to take everything, and that’s not something I can deal with. I don’t want to be with him. I also don’t want to hurt him, though, and I don’t know how to reconcile those things.”

“I think that the only way is to continue telling him you’re not interested every time he brings it up,” Boyd said. “I know it’s not what you want to hear, but I’m sure that eventually he’ll understand. You just have to give him a bit of time. He latched onto you because you were there when we rescued him and his family, and he’s had a bit of hero worship since that day. Maybe he wants to be like you but doesn’t know how to deal with that.”

“So he decided to try to get into my pants? I’m sorry, but that sounds absurd.”

“It probably is, but you just said he’s traumatized. His life wasn’t exactly normal. How can you expect him to have normal reactions?”

Boyd wasn’t wrong, but that still didn’t help. What the fuck was Kendrick supposed to do?

* * * *

Jonas had allowed Caroline to drag him to what she’d called a party. No matter how many times he told her he was too busy to go, she ignored him, so here he was, clean and wearing nice clothes, wondering if he could hide in a closet until Caroline forgot about him. He could try, but he suspected she’d eventually find him.

Going home was out of the question. She’d know that was where he was, and she’d just come fetch him and drag him back. Jonas was pretty sure Clay and Rowan would notice if he hid in a closet, though, so instead, he hovered by the wall, clutching his glass and glancing around.

Caroline had called this a party, but from what Jonas could see, it wasn’t exactly that. It was more like a family dinner. Clay and Rowan had invited the people they cared most about and the people those people cared about. That was why Jonas was here. He didn’t know Clay and Rowan well, so they hadn’t had a reason to invite him. He was here through Alexis, who was Boyd’s mate, and Boyd was a good friend of Clay. That was it. There was no other reason for Jonas to be here, which made him feel like no one would miss him if he just vanished.

The closet was starting to look better and better.

“There he is,” he heard Caroline say.

Dread filled him as he turned to find her. He sucked in a breath when he saw that she was with Clay and Rowan and that the three of them were coming toward him.

What the fuck had Caroline done?

Jonas plastered a smile on his face as the two clan leaders arrived. “Whatever Caroline told you, it was a lie,” he declared, hoping to get ahead of the mess Caroline had started.

Rowan arched a brow. “So she was lying when she said you were afraid we’d kick you out because you won’t fight?”

Jonas grimaced. “Okay, maybe she wasn’t lying.” He swallowed and looked down at his drink. “But I know I should be doing more for the village. I’m a Krsnik, and my place is out there, fighting the Kudlaks and protecting our people.”

“Your place is wherever you want it to be, Jonas,” Rowan said as he grabbed Jonas’s shoulder.

For a moment, Jonas thought he was going to give him a good shake. Instead, he squeezed and didn’t let go. The position they were in meant that unless Jonas wanted to look like an idiot, he had to look at Rowan.

When he did, Rowan nodded, clearly satisfied. “I didn’t welcome you into the clan because I needed more fighters.”

“But you do need more fighters.”

“Yes, I do, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to force anyone into doing something they don’t want. You don’t want to fight? That’s fine with me. You can stay in the village and protect it while we’re out. You want to come on a raid after all? That’s fine, too, as long as you let me know beforehand.”

“I don’t want to go on any raids,” Jonas said quickly so Rowan wouldn’t get the wrong idea.

“Then you won’t,” Rowan said as he finally let go. “Think about Boyd. He wanted to retire, even though the main reason he came to live here was that he was a hunter. He doesn’t want to kill anymore, and I’m not going to ask him to do that. If he wants to stay at home and garden, that’s what he should do.”

“The same goes for you,” Clay interjected. “If you want to stay home and renovate the shit out of it, you’re welcome to do that, but you not being a fighter doesn’t mean you have to stay away from everyone else. They don’t care what you can or can’t do. They care about you and the kind of person you are, and from everything I’ve heard, you’re a good guy.”

Jonas didn’t need to be hyped up, especially not to the clan leaders of all people. He wanted to draw as little attention from them as he could, but he was right smack in the spotlight.

“He is a good man,” Caroline confirmed.

Jonas turned to glare at her. He felt slightly betrayed, even though he knew she only wanted the best for him and had been trying to help. Jonas wasn’t helping himself, so Caroline had stepped in and taken that role.

It was hard to hate her.

“We won’t ask you to leave the clan or the village even if you never go on a raid,” Rowan said gently. “You’re an asset to us, just not on the battlefield. If you want to stay home and bake muffins, we’ll eat them when we return from a raid, and that’s that. I don’t expect or want anything else from you. We have more than enough fighters for now, and more people are coming in every week. The village and the clan will be fine, even if you don’t go out there to kick Kudlak ass.”

“We want the village and the clan to thrive,” Clay added. “I might not have any experience when it comes to being a clan leader, but Rowan grew up in a clan. He told me all about the people who never fought a day in their lives but were still crucial to the village and its community. That’s where you and others come in. The village can’t just be made up of fighters. That would be a disaster.”

Jonas shuffled his feet. He never would have expected to be welcomed with open arms like this, and he was overwhelmed. It was a good way to feel for once, though. “You really don’t care that I don’t want to fight Kudlaks? I’m a Krsnik. I should do that, and I’d be faster and stronger than any of the human hunters. You wouldn’t have to put them in harm’s way.”

“Oh, we don’t make that kind of decision,” Clay said with a grin. “They’re happy as they are, but then, most of them are seeking revenge for a death in their family. They’re still looking for something, and they hope to take it out on the Kudlaks. It’s easier now because we know that we’ll return to something good here at the village, and you’re part of that something good. I know you’re renovating your house, but once you’re ready, you should start thinking about what you can do.”

“I’ve never really had the opportunity to do that,” Jonas murmured. “I was very young when my clan was attacked. Since then, I’ve worked odd jobs in bars and other places. I don’t know how to do anything much, but it’s usually enough for me to contribute. It was easier when there were only three of us, though.”

“You’ll find your path,” Clay said as he patted Jonas’s shoulder. “You don’t have to do it now, anyway. Take your time. Considering everyone’s history, we all understand it might be a slow process. Every single one of us is dealing with trauma and doing so in a different way. Rowan and I just wanted you to know that whatever happens, whatever you decide to do or not do, we won’t be kicking you out. This is your home.”

Jonas’s eyes burned, so he took a deep breath to try and calm himself. He wanted to thank Clay and promise him he’d come up with something, but before he could, his heart started racing. A smell in the air slammed into his nose and brain, and it only took him a few seconds to realize what was happening.

His eyes widened. Clay looked alarmed and grabbed his arm, but Jonas wasn’t trying to go anywhere. If anything, he felt like he was frozen in place.

“Jonas?” Clay asked. “Everything all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Jonas shook his head. “Not a ghost. My mate. I smell my mate.”

* * * *

Kendrick had found out that sticking with Boyd and Chris meant that Devon couldn’t corner him, so that was what he’d been doing since they’d arrived.

It might be a family dinner, but with so many people there, it was a bit of a crowd. Dinner wasn’t ready yet, and everyone was pitching in, helping in the kitchen. Kendrick had noticed that Clay and Rowan had stepped away for a moment, so he’d taken Rowan’s place at the stove. Boyd had been right next to him, but he’d been looking around, probably searching for his mate.

“You can’t leave me,” Kendrick hissed.

“I’m not leaving you. You have to be clear, though. Tell Devon that nothing is ever going to happen between the two of you.”

“You think I haven’t already tried that? I’ve been pushing him away since we first met him. He doesn’t take no for an answer.”

That made Boyd frown. “I don’t like that. He might be human, but it would be easy for him to hurt someone. You’re a big man, but imagine if he fixated on someone else. He could really hurt them, even if he didn’t mean to.”

Kendrick had thought of that, too. Unfortunately, Devon had lost his family. Melissa had kind of adopted him, but she had her hands full with her daughter, and they’d lived on the streets for a long time. Melissa probably hadn’t thought of talking to Devon about things like this, and Kendrick could understand why. It hadn’t been a priority.

It seemed it was now.

Kendrick could afford to push Devon away because he was an adult and strong enough to do so, trained to act if Devon did something stupid. Devon might turn his attention to someone else, though, and they might not be capable of doing all of that.

He groaned. “Why is it my job to do this?”

“It’s not. I wasn’t saying that you had to talk to him about his behavior, especially considering the way he feels about you. You should talk to Rowan and Clay, though.”

“It’s going to make an already messy situation even messier. I don’t want that.”

“I don’t think you have a choice. Everything you’ve done has failed. Clay and Rowan are the clan leaders, so Devon will have to talk to them, and they’ll be able to punish him if he doesn’t. It’s gone beyond a normal rejection, Kendrick.”

Boyd was probably right, but Kendrick didn’t think he could do this. He didn’t want to get Devon in trouble, especially after everything Devon had already gone through.

“I’ll think about it.”

Boyd rolled his eyes. “No, you won’t. I know you. I’ll never understand how you became a hunter, because your heart is so soft. You don’t want anyone to be hurt, not even people who might be dangerous.”

“I don’t think Devon is dangerous. He’s confused and probably overwhelmed, but I don’t think it’s going to help him if I alert the clan leaders to that. He’s going to feel watched and probably freak out, and I don’t want him to leave. He finally has a home here.”

“I understand all of that, and I’m not going to push you to do something you’re not comfortable with. You have to be careful, though. It might not be your responsibility to ensure that Devon grows up into an honorable man, but I don’t think Melissa realizes anything’s happening, and he has no one else.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Kendrick promised.

“Which means you’re not going to do anything.”

“Maybe. Probably.”

Boyd shook his head. “As long as you’re careful.”

Kendrick was always careful around Devon. He was even more careful about keeping his distance from him, which was why when he saw Devon coming toward him, he handed the spatula he’d been using to Boyd and quickly vanished.

He had no idea where he was going as he fled the kitchen. Unfortunately for him, Devon caught up to him.

“Hey, Kendrick,” he called out.

Kendrick could act as if he hadn’t heard him, but they were alone in the hallway. Besides, he didn’t want to lie to Devon. “Devon,” Kendrick said as he turned to look at him. He glanced around, relieved to see he was by the stairs. That meant the front door was close by, so he could make an easy escape.

“I want to talk to you,” Devon said.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go. I’m not feeling well.”

Kendrick rushed toward the front door, throwing it open and stepping out before Devon could stop him. But even though Devon was human, he was fast, and he was out the door after Kendrick only minutes later.

“Wait,” Devon said. “I can help if you’re not feeling well.”

“There’s nothing for you to do,” Kendrick called out.

Devon grabbed Kendrick’s wrist. Kendrick’s heart really was too soft. That was the only explanation he could come up with for what he did next.

Instead of running away after shaking Devon’s hand off, he focused on him. “It’s fine. I know you’re trying to help, and I’m grateful for that, but I don’t need help.”

“You said you weren’t feeling well.”

“And since I’m an adult, I can take care of myself.”

Devon placed his hands on his hips. “But you don’t have to. Why do you keep treating me like a child?”

“Because you are a child,” Kendrick snapped. He regretted it right away.

But Devon didn’t seem to be hurt. He looked angry instead, and Kendrick had no idea what to make of that. “Is that why you don’t want to be with me? Because I’m so young? I turned eighteen, Kendrick. Whatever happens between us will be legal.”

“It’s not that, at least not only. I am uncomfortable with dating you because you’re only eighteen, but more than that, I don’t see you that way. You’re like my little brother, Devon, and incest gives me the creeps.”

“I’m not your brother.”

“I realize that. It’s the way I feel about you, though, and I can’t change that.”

Devon had a mulish expression that didn’t bode well. It was one of the reasons Kendrick wasn’t surprised when Devon stepped closer. He was surprised by the way Devon threw himself into his arms and sloppily pressed their lips together, though.

Jesus. Was this Devon’s first kiss? Kendrick couldn’t imagine he’d had many opportunities to kiss people while he’d been living on the streets, and he didn’t know what to make of this.

He gently pushed Devon away. “Don’t,” he said.

“But I know we can be happy together.” Devon sounded desperate. “I’ll be whatever you want. I’ll do whatever you need.”

“Why the fuck were you kissing my mate?” a voice snapped.

Kendrick frowned and turned to look at the man. He was on the short side, with blond hair and blue eyes. He looked a bit like an angel, and Kendrick briefly wondered if his hair was as soft as it looked. Kendrick recognized him—Jonas, he was pretty sure—but that didn’t help much.

What the fuck was happening?

Devon placed himself between Kendrick and Jonas as if trying to protect him, which was both endearing and ridiculous.

“What are you talking about?” Devon asked. “Kendrick doesn’t have a mate.”

flashed Kendrick a grin, exposing a pair of fangs that shouldn’t be as sexy as Kendrick found them. “He does now. Unless it’s you I smell, but I really don’t think so. I also hope you’re not my mate because you sound like a brat. He told you that he doesn’t want you and pushed you away when you kissed him. You should learn to take no for an answer.”

Devon’s body was tense, his arms flung out to the sides and his hands curled into fists, as if he was thinking about punching the guy. “You have no right to bother us. Leave us alone.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not going anywhere. You should be the one to leave.”

Kendrick didn’t know what to do. He didn’t think Jonas was lying, but it felt impossible. Had they really not been close enough to each other Jonas would have realized that Kendrick was his mate sooner? Jonas was Alexis’s best friend, while Kendrick was close to Boyd. He’d met Caroline several times, and he liked her. Why hadn’t he met Jonas? Where had he been hiding all this time?

“You’re lying,” Devon said in a shaking voice.

For a moment, Jonas looked at him with pity. Kendrick felt the same way, so he understood. Devon was desperately trying to cling to something that wasn’t real, and it couldn’t be easy. It was time to let go, though, and not only because of Jonas.

Maybe Devon would finally understand that he and Kendrick couldn’t be together. He wouldn’t break the law to oppose Jonas, right? He wouldn’t try to break the bond between him and Kendrick.

At this point, Kendrick wasn’t sure of anything, but he wouldn’t put it past Devon to at least try, which fucking terrified him.