Chapter Four

Things had gotten even more complicated, and Kyle was lost. As if he hadn't already had enough problems with the pack and Gal, now, he had to add his mate to it. He'd hoped he could convince Dennis to be on his side, but it was clear he wouldn't be able to. Dennis was his pride's man through and through, and he was apparently ready to discard his mate if it meant keeping the pride safe.

Kyle stared at the ceiling of his room. He'd been avoiding his family because he didn't want to answer the inevitable questions, but he would have to face them eventually. His grandfather knew what was happening, and it was a small miracle that he hadn't told Kyle's siblings yet. They still expected him to take over the pride, and he didn't know how to make that happen.

Or if he wanted it.

He sighed. If he wanted the pride, he'd have to give up his mate. If he wanted his mate, he'd have to stop going after the pride. Normally, he wouldn't even have to think about it. He didn't want to become an alpha. He didn't want to lead any group of people, let alone his father's pride.

But if he didn't take over the pride, how could he keep his family safe? After what he'd done, he doubted Gal would agree if he asked him to welcome his family. He could try to convince him to take in just them, but they wouldn't be happy about that, and they'd refuse. Kyle knew they'd rather follow him wherever he was going.

He grabbed his pillow, pressed it against his face, and screamed into it. Hopefully, the sound was muffled enough that no one would hear it.

He needed to do something, but with no idea what, he decided he should get out of his room. Maybe once he had some fresh air and a walk to clear his head, a solution would suddenly appear in front of him. He desperately needed one because it felt like his love life just couldn't work with the rest of this mess.

He climbed off his bed, put on his shoes, grabbed his wallet and phone, and left the room. The motel was silent, and when he paused by the door of the room his siblings shared, he couldn't hear anything. His grandfather was out, too. That was why Kyle had their room to himself this morning.

They were out there, exploring Green Hill and probably having fun. Kyle wanted to have fun with them, but he was also worried. Would anyone confront them? Hopefully, if he stayed away from them, no one would realize who they were. They were wolf shifters, so it wouldn't be easy to connect them to Kyle, but people had seen them together, including Dennis.

Would he tell his alpha about Kyle's family? Would he mention they were wolf shifters? Kyle had no way to know. He wanted to be able to trust his mate, even though he didn't know him. That was how mates should be.

He still couldn't believe he'd found his.

He headed toward the park, needing to be away from people. He couldn't help but wonder what his mother would have thought of this town. She had to have come through at least a few times because of Kyle's father, but Kyle couldn't remember being here. He thought she would have liked it. It was pretty and small, and it felt like home even though it wasn't.

She would have been happy for Kyle. She would have told him to stop being an idiot and do whatever he needed to keep Dennis, but he didn't know if he could do that. His family needed him. Could he sacrifice their safety for personal gain? It felt selfish, and even though he didn't regret that they'd followed him away from the pack, he thought they should have stayed. Life would have been much easier for them if they'd continued being pack members.

But they weren't pack members anymore, and they weren't pride members yet. Kyle needed to fix this, and he would if he knew how. He wished someone would tell him, but he only had his family, and his grandfather had already been clear about what he thought of the situation.

Kyle snorted as he kicked a pebble. As if Gal would listen to him after what he'd said the first time they'd met. Kyle had made a mess of that, and now, his family would have to pay the price. Kyle might have been able to take his father on in a fight, but there was nothing he could do against Gal. He was young and bigger than Kyle, and even worse, it was clear he was trained. Kyle had noticed the way the alpha kept an eye on him and how smoothly he moved. He suspected it would only take Gal five minutes to have him on his back in the dirt.

Kyle was lost in his thoughts, which was the only reason he didn't see the two men coming toward him on the path. When he noticed them, he didn't even look up to see who they were. He stepped aside to let them pass, but to his surprise, they slowed down and stopped. That was when he looked up, and his gaze locked with Gal's.

Shit.Had Kyle summoned the alpha by thinking about him? It looked like Kyle might get his ass kicked in front of half the town, which wasn't something he was looking forward to.

"Kyle," Gal said.

Kyle nodded at him. "Gal." He really should call him alpha, but he couldn't bring himself to.

To his surprise, Gal smiled. He had an arm wrapped around his mate's shoulders, and for some reason, both of them were smiling. Kyle didn't expect them to run away screaming when they saw him, but he would have thought they wouldn't want to talk to him. "I'll leave you to your day," he added as he moved to continue walking.

A hand on his arm stopped him in his tracks. He peered at Liam, who stared back at him, not looking one bit sorry.

"We'd like to talk to you," he said.

Kyle swallowed. That didn't sound like a good idea, but at the same time, it was what he'd been thinking. He had to talk to Gal. "I'm listening."

Liam dropped his hand and turned to Gal, clearly waiting for him to speak.

"We just want to talk," Gal promised.

He sounded like a good person and a good alpha. Kyle wished he'd known about him sooner. If he had, he might not have made a mess. It would be within Gal's right to kick Kyle out of his town, but instead, he wanted to talk to him. It made Kyle hopeful and wary at the same time. "Like I said, I'm listening."

"Why don't we walk?"

"Sure," Kyle said with a shrug. He didn't care where they talked. He just wanted to know what the fuck was happening.

"I'd like to know how you and your family ended up in Green Hill. Well, beyond knowing that your father was the alpha of the pride," Gal said.

"We drove." Kyle knew that wasn't what Gal meant, but he couldn't help it. The need to protect his family and ensure Gal didn't find out more about them than he clearly knew already was strong.

Thankfully, Gal didn't seem offended because he chuckled. "I see. You don't have to tell me anything if you don't feel comfortable, and I understand why you wouldn't. I'd like to know the circumstances around your plan to take over the pride."

Should Kyle tell Gal? Part of him felt like he shouldn't, but another part was tired and wanted this to be over. The situation had gotten out of hand, and Kyle didn't know how to fix it. Maybe being honest with Gal would help. Maybe it would make things worse. There was only one way to find out, and Kyle decided that Gal seemed like a nice enough person not to hold what Kyle had done against his family. Hopefully, he was right.

He swallowed. "My mother recently died," he said.

If he was going to tell someone his story, he needed to start from the beginning.

* * * *

"I wonder who that guy is," Eddie said from his chair by the wide window of the bakery. "I don't think I've seen him around before. I'd remember if I had, because he's cute."

Dennis continued placing the pastries behind the glass of the counter, but he did look up, wondering who Eddie was talking about. He hadn't seen anyone new in town except for Kyle and his family. Maybe that was who Eddie had noticed. Dennis had seen Kyle's family exploring the town, and Kyle's sister had come into the bakery a few times. She seemed to have a passion for the cupcakes, and Dennis had started keeping a few of them to the side for her.

He liked her. He hadn't thought he would, considering what he thought of Kyle and what was happening, but she was sweet and seemed genuinely excited to be in Green Hill. It was a contrast with both her brothers. Kyle was Kyle, while Christopher seemed grumpy every time Dennis saw him.

"Who're you talking about?" he asked his friend.

"That guy, the one talking to Gal and Liam."

Dennis started panicking when he realized Eddie was talking about Kyle. Why was Kyle talking to Gal and Liam? Were they kicking him out of town? Did that mean that Dennis's mate was about to leave?

Dennis hadn't told his alpha about Kyle being his mate. He needed to, but he'd barely had time to wrap his mind around it himself. Kyle was a complicated man in what was no doubt a complex situation, and while Dennis hated that he couldn't be honest, he'd been trying to find a solution around the mess Kyle had made. He'd hoped he'd be able to find one before something happened, but it looked like he was too late.

He rushed out from behind the counter and went to stand next to Eddie. Sure enough, Gal and Liam were talking to Kyle. They all wore serious expressions that Dennis couldn't read. The conversation wasn't a light one, but there was no way for Dennis to know what they were saying.

"All right?" Edde asked, gently bumping his shoulder against Dennis's thigh.

"I don't know. That's Kyle."

Eddie blinked a few times before his eyes widened. "You mean your mate?"

"Yeah. Why do you think he's talking to Gal?"

"I don't know. Hopefully, they're talking things out, and you won't have to worry about your mate wanting to be the alpha for much longer."

That was what Dennis wanted, but what would Kyle do if he couldn't have what he'd expected would fall into his lap?

Kyle wanted to be the pride's alpha. Whether it was because he felt it was his by birthright or for other reasons, there was no way around that. He'd come to Green Hill to take over the pride, but he'd found that it was more than he could take on. What would he do now? Would he take his family and leave? What about Dennis?

Dennis couldn't follow Kyle if he left, and he didn't want to. He had everything he could ever want here in Green Hill.

Except for his mate.

Dennis gritted his teeth. He shouldn't want his mate if Kyle was the kind of man who thought he could take over the pride like he was trying to. Dennis didn't understand why fate had decided that Kyle, of all people, should be his mate and why they'd met now. They didn't need each other. They didn't need each other's messes, either. Dennis certainly didn't need to be associated with Kyle, considering what he was doing.

"I mean, it doesn't look like Gal and Liam are angry, so they have to be okay with what's happening, right?" Eddie asked.

"I don't know."

"I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. I know it's impossible, but things really don't look that bad. You only talked to Kyle once, right?"

Dennis nodded.

"Then you don't know what kind of person he is. You didn't even have time to have a full conversation, and from what you said, you don't know why he's in town. Maybe he doesn't actually want to be the alpha, but he thought he should be because he believed his father was still in charge. I remember him all too well, and I think you'd rather have Kyle in charge than his father, right?"

"I have no idea what kind of man Kyle is, so I can't answer that," Dennis murmured.

He was still staring at Kyle, Gal, and Liam, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. For some reason, Liam appeared heartbroken while Gal was nodding seriously. Kyle was talking, and he looked sad.

Dennis's tiger pushed for them to go and comfort their mate, but he stayed where he was. He wasn't about to make a scene. He couldn't go to Kyle until Gal and Liam left. He wasn't even sure he'd go to him then. He didn't know if he could stay away, since Kyle looked sad, but part of him was worried that if he gave in and talked to his mate, he wouldn't be able to step back if he had to.

Why was all of this so fucking complicated?

"Don't give up yet," Eddie said. "If he's your mate, he can't be a bad person. I'm sure there are extenuating circumstances to what he's doing. We don't know what happened in his past and what he's dealing with now, so give him a chance."

"I want to. I just don't know if I'll have the opportunity."

Eddie hummed. "Gal's a reasonable man. Maybe you should tell him that Kyle's your mate. I'm sure that if he knew, he'd ensure the two of you have space to talk and work things out. He might even decide to allow Kyle into the pride. I mean, being your mate makes him a pride member, right?"

It did. Even though they weren't bonded, the mate bond was present between them. That meant that Kyle was a pride member beyond being the former alpha's son.

Should Dennis have told him? Kyle had to know it, yet he hadn't brought it up. Maybe he didn't want to be part of the pride and just wanted to lead it. Maybe he'd decided this was too much and that he didn't want to deal with any of it after all. Dennis hadn't exactly welcomed him, even after they'd realized they were mates. He should have been nicer, but he'd been angry and worried.

"Looks like they're done talking," Eddie said after a moment.

Sure enough, Liam and Gal were saying goodbye to Kyle. They turned and walked away, but Kyle stayed where he was. He stared at them, a complicated expression on his face.

What had just happened? There was only one way for Dennis to find out. He didn't know if it was the best idea, but that wouldn't stop him.

He turned to Shirley, who was working behind the counter as always. "I'm stepping out for a moment. I'll be right back, but if you need anything, you can ask Eddie to help."

"Since when do I work for you?" Eddie complained.

"Since now. I'll even pay you if you actually have any work to do." Dennis just needed to know that the bakery would be fine while he talked to Kyle.

He rushed outside, needing to get to his mate before Kyle left. He was still standing at the entrance of the park, looking lost. Seeing that expression on his face broke Dennis's heart a bit, and he wished he could fix whatever made Kyle's heart heavy.

Maybe he could. Maybe what had just happened between Gal and Kyle meant that Dennis would have the opportunity to comfort his mate.

"Kyle," Dennis said when he reached him.

Kyle blinked and turned to him. His eyes widened, and he stared at Dennis as if he couldn't believe he was there. "Yes?"

"What did Gal want? What were you talking about with him?"

Kyle blinked. "How do you know we were talking?"

Dennis gestured at the bakery. "I saw you. What's happening? What did they want from you?" Dennis sucked in a breath. "Please tell me you weren't fighting with them and that they weren't kicking you out of town."

Kyle grinned. "You don't want them to kick me out? Does that mean that you care about me?"

Great.Dennis was right back to wanting to strangle his mate. Was this how things were always going to go between them? Or would Kyle eventually give Dennis the answers he was looking for? Dennis didn't know, but he needed Kyle to tell him what the fuck was happening.

* * * *

Kyle stared at Dennis. The scowl was firmly back on his face, but for a few moments, he'd looked almost happy to see Kyle.

Was this what Kyle had to look forward to for the rest of his life if he and Dennis ended up together? Would his mate alternatively glare and smile at him like he was the only thing that made him happy in the world? Even if that was how things went, Kyle couldn't say he disliked it. Actually, he liked the thought of being with Dennis very much.

Dennis crossed his arms over his chest. "I never said I didn't want them to kick you out. I just want to know what's going on."

"Maybe you should ask your alpha."

"As if he'd answer me. I know it's none of my business."

Kyle frowned. "But it is. I'm your mate."

"I haven't told anyone but one of my friends. Gal doesn't know."

Kyle wasn't offended or even surprised, but it still hurt a bit. "You didn't tell anyone about me?"

Dennis arched a brow. "I said I told one of my friends. Why? Who have you told about me?"

He had Kyle there. "Only my grandfather, but I only have three people in my life, so I told almost everyone."

"Very funny, but it doesn't work like that. There's a reason you didn't tell your siblings about me, and it's probably the same reason I didn't tell Gal about you."

Kyle didn't want to fight with Dennis, so he nodded. "I get it."

"Finally. Now tell me what Gal and Liam wanted."

It was an order, even though Dennis had no authority over Kyle. Kyle could decide whether or not to tell him, and he wasn't sure what he should do. To be honest, he had no idea what had just happened. The mess he was in was getting more complicated by the second, and Kyle wasn't crazy about that. He just wanted a safe place for his family. Was that too much to ask for?

But if he wanted even one chance with Dennis, he'd have to be honest. That was how relationships worked.

Kyle had never seen his mother in a relationship, but his grandfather had been bonded to his mate. Kyle's grandparents had helped his mother raise him and his siblings, so he knew what a loving relationship between mates looked like. If he could have half the love and happiness his grandfather had had, he wanted it. His heart would break if he ever lost Dennis, and he wasn't sure he'd be as strong as his grandfather and survive it, but he was tired of resisting.

He wanted to do the right thing for himself once, and he felt like telling Dennis might be part of that. He didn't know what Dennis wanted or if he was on his side, but he had to hope that was the case. After all, Dennis was his mate. The pride was important to him, but even though he looked like he didn't want that to be true, Kyle was just as important.

Hopefully.

"He wanted to know more about the reason my family and I are here," Kyle explained.

Dennis waited and, after a few moments, rolled his eyes. "That's all you're going to tell me?"

"I don't know. Do you want to know more?"

"Of course I do. I have no idea why you ended up here, and I'm curious because I know the rest of your family are wolf shifters." He paused. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable with it, but I'd like to know. You're my mate, Kyle. I want to know more about you."

For the first time, it looked like Dennis didn't mind the fact that they were mates. Kyle might be reading too much into it, but he hoped he was right. He needed something to go the right way. He still had no idea what Gal would do given what he now knew, but at least everything was on the table, and the alpha understood better why Kyle had confronted him. He didn't seem to hate Kyle, even now, and Kyle hoped the same would go for Dennis.

Kyle was suddenly exhausted, so he flopped onto the nearest bench. He was relieved when Dennis followed. He even sat down, which Kyle hadn't expected. It seemed like Dennis was giving him a real opportunity, and Kyle didn't want to waste it.

He didn't enjoy telling strangers his life story, but Dennis wasn't a stranger. They might not know each other, but Kyle's heart and his tiger recognized their mate.

"I never really knew my father," Kyle started. "Which, from what I know about him, is a good thing. My mother never talked about him much, but I looked into him once I was old enough, and he sounded like an asshole. I only have a few memories of him, but those are from when I was a child."

"He is an asshole," Dennis confirmed. "It's why we were so happy when he was forced to step down. It would have been better to be without an alpha than having him."

"But you have an alpha. You have Gal."

"And he's a good alpha. Tell me more about you, Kyle."

Kyle needed to stop changing the topic of the conversation. Dennis had something in mind, and it looked like he wouldn't back down until he got what he wanted. "My father wasn't in my life, and that was fine. I had my mother and my grandparents. Then, years later, my mother had two more children. My siblings are younger than me by more than ten years, so I understood things much better when she had them. She never married my stepfather, and eventually, they broke up, and he left the kids with my mother. My siblings and I grew up together in my mother's pack. I'm the only tiger shifter, obviously."

"And you're what, mid-thirties?"

"Yeah."

"That couldn't have been easy. Things were very different back then."

They had been. Alpha Davis wasn't welcoming of other shifters, but his father had been even less so. The only reason he'd allowed Kyle to stay was that his mother was a wolf shifter and part of the pack, and probably also that Kyle had been a child. That alpha had died before Kyle turned eighteen, but Kyle suspected he would have kicked him out as soon as he was an adult if he'd still been in charge then.

His son hadn't. Alpha Davis junior clearly hadn't liked Kyle, but he'd still allowed him to stay, probably to make Kyle's mother happy.

Kyle's eyes burned, but he didn't want to cry, especially not in front of his mate.

"Your family doesn't seem to care that you're a tiger," Dennis said gently.

"They don't. They see me as part of their family, and they never cared that I could turn into a tiger instead of a wolf. They're the only ones who didn't, though. Our mother died in a car accident a few weeks ago. I always knew she was the only reason the alpha allowed me to stay, so I wasn't surprised when he asked me to leave."

Dennis looked ready to strangle someone. "So soon after your mother passed away?"

"She was the only reason he tolerated me, and she'd passed, so here I am. To be honest, it's not a bad thing that I left the pack. I never really belonged there, even though it's where I was born and grew up."

"What about your family? They decided to follow you here?"

"They did." Kyle sucked in a breath. "They're the reason I went to Gal and tried to take over the pride. I don't want them to have to live with humans. I want them to have a community of people they can trust and be a part of, and since I knew my father was the alpha here, I thought this would be the best way to give them that. I didn't expect him to welcome them, but I thought I could take him on. I didn't expect Gal to be the alpha instead of him."

Kyle just wanted a chance and to keep his family safe. Surely, that wasn't too much to ask.

* * * *

There it was. Dennis had been sure there was a big reason behind what Kyle was doing, and now, he knew it.

Kyle wanted the pride because he thought that being the alpha would keep his family safe. It didn't entirely make sense to Dennis, but he realized it was because Kyle didn't really know what being part of a pride was like. From what he'd said, he'd always been kept at arm's length and isolated. He'd only ever had his family, so of course, he wanted to do everything he could for them now that they'd followed him away from the pack.

He'd been an idiot about it, but at least he was an idiot with a good heart. He'd felt forced into wanting to be the alpha, but it didn't sound like he actually wanted to be in charge.

"Do you want to become the alpha?" Dennis asked.

Kyle hesitated, then shook his head. "I don't. I can't think of anything worse than being in charge of a bunch of people, especially people I don't know. I just thought that was the best way to keep my family safe and give them what they'd lost to follow me."

Dennis was relieved. For a while, he'd thought his mate was evil and that he'd have to choose between him and the pride, but it didn't look like he'd have to anymore. Kyle didn't want to be the alpha. He just wanted a place to call home.

But what did Gal think of that? Had Kyle told him about not wanting to be the alpha, or had he only told Dennis because they were mates? What would Gal say if he knew? After all, Kyle had threatened his authority. He was a good alpha, but that didn't mean he was ready to welcome a man who'd tried to take the pride away from him.

Technically, he couldn't refuse to welcome Kyle into the pride. Kyle was already a pride member, even though he didn't seem to realize it. His family was different. From what Dennis knew of Gal, he'd probably welcome Kyle's family into the pride without Kyle. He wouldn't punish them for something Kyle had done.

Dennis wished he could know for sure what would happen, but he wasn't Kyle or Gal. They had to make decisions that wouldn't be easy to make, and Dennis didn't know if telling his alpha about his bond with Kyle would make things easier or harder. He wasn't even sure he wanted to find out.

If it came to it and it looked like Gal was going to kick Kyle out of town, Dennis would talk to him. He couldn't keep this a secret if being honest about it meant keeping Kyle close, but for now, maybe it was better like this.

He leaned back against the bench and looked at his mate. He still had many questions, but he could see that Kyle was all talked out. Maybe he could ask just a few.

"So you don't want to be the alpha."

Kyle shook his head. "I don't. I don't care that my father was the alpha. Honestly, I don't believe that it should be an inherited position."

Dennis agreed, and he was glad they felt the same way about it. Maybe they weren't that different after all.

Maybe they could work as mates.

"Would you still like to stay in Green Hill? Not as the alpha, but as a pride member?"

"As long as my family is welcome into the pride, too, yeah. The only reason I did this was that I wanted to give them a safe place to call home, a place where they could belong. I want the same. Since the wolves never wanted me, I thought that maybe the tigers would welcome me. In a way, I do belong here, right? My father might be a dick, but he was your alpha, and his family lived here."

"I guess you do belong. You went about it the wrong way, though."

Kyle snickered. "You're not the first to tell me that."

"That's because it's true. I can't believe you just came in and demanded that Gal hand over the pride. What did you think would happen?"

Kyle sighed. "I don't know. Not this. I mean, I didn't even know about Gal until I arrived here. I fully believed I'd find my father sitting behind his desk."

But Alpha Carter was gone, and he was never coming back. He wouldn't be making the decision about Kyle becoming a pride member. Gal would.

"You didn't make the smartest decision when you confronted Gal," Dennis pointed out.

Kyle snorted. "That's an understatement. I panicked. I thought for sure that my father would be there, and I hoped to be able to convince him to accept at least my family into the pride. When I saw Gal, I didn't know what to say. I felt that he had no reason to take them or me into the pride, and I needed to be sure my family had a place here."

"So you made a bad decision and told Gal you wanted the pride."

Kyle rubbed his face with a hand. "I did. I don't know how to take it back. Earlier, he asked me why I was in Green Hill, and I told him everything."

Dennis sucked in a breath. "Including that you don't want to be the alpha?"

"Including that. I'll understand if he doesn't want to see me ever again, though. As long as my family can stay, I'll be fine with it."

But Dennis wouldn't be. "Your place is here with them." And with Dennis.

"I don't know. I hope so, but I'll understand if Gal decides it's better not to accept me into the pride. After all, I went against him. I told him I would take the pride, and it would be normal for him not to trust me."

"But you belong here as much as he does." If not more. As much as Dennis liked Gal and loved what he'd done for the pride, Kyle was Alpha Carter's son and Dennis's mate.

Gal had found his mate in the pride, too, but until then, just like Kyle, he'd been an outsider. He had to understand, right? He had to see that it would be best to welcome Kyle into the pride.

"I'll tell him you're my mate," Dennis declared.

"It would probably be best if you didn't. What's going to happen if he tells me to leave?"

"I don't know, but I'm not giving you up. As long as you stop being an idiot and let go of your idea of taking over the pride, I'll be on your side."

Kyle stared at Dennis.

Dennis didn't know him well enough to be able to read his expression, but something in his eyes made Dennis hold his breath.

When Kyle leaned forward, Dennis stayed still, almost as if he was dealing with a spooked animal. He couldn't believe it when he felt Kyle's lips skim against his cheek. Kyle leaned away, then in again, aiming for Dennis's mouth, and that was perfectly fine with Dennis.

He'd wanted the kiss since the first time he'd seen Kyle, even before he realized they were mates. After he'd smelled Kyle and realized who he was, he hadn't thought he could have it, yet here they were.

Their lips finally touched, and Dennis broke. He wrapped an arm around Kyle's waist and hauled him closer, wishing they were in private. Since they weren't, they had to keep things PG-13, so instead of dragging Kyle into his lap, he settled on kissing him softly.

The kiss was gentle and cautious, and it felt like the beginning of something. Dennis could only hope it wouldn't be the end, too.

He didn't want to have to choose between his pride and his mate. When he'd thought that Kyle was a bad person, it would have been easy—maybe—but not anymore. Kyle had done what he'd done to protect his family, and Dennis understood that. He didn't blame his mate for it, even though Kyle had gone about it the wrong way.

There had to be a way to solve this problem while making everyone happy and keeping them safe.