Chapter 11

Mateo

My mind churned with no sign of stopping anytime soon, consumed by doubts and suspicions gnawing at the edges of my consciousness.

Kael Morales — the omega who had unexpectedly and completely captured my heart. From the moment our paths fatefully crossed at Club Nocturne, I sensed there was something deeper about him, something unexplainable. I knew why. He was my fated mate. We were meant to be together.

And now, months after claiming him fully as mine, questions swirled like vultures overhead, waiting to descend upon their prey. Could I truly trust him? Or were his sweet words merely honey-coated lies meant to ensnare me? No, it couldn't be. We had already gone over that. He would never lie to me again.

A sharp rap sounded at the door, jolting me from my introspective musings. Without awaiting an invitation, Santiago strode into the room with his chin up, his expression grim. In his hand, he clutched several sheets of paper.

"Boss,"he greeted, bowing his head. He respected me so much, which was one of the reasons why I trusted him."We need to talk."

Crossing my arms over my chest, I arched a brow.He wanted to talk. What about?

"Speak then,"I commanded right away. No matter what I was doing, if there was one thing I hated, it was wasting time.

He hesitated before extending the documents to me."These are reports from our men tailing Mr. Novak,"he explained. I knew who he was talking about. Club Nocturne's current owner. I couldn't help but wonder how much longer he would last."It seems your little omega has been spending quite a bit of time with him..."

Anger flared hotly within my veins at the implication behind those carefully chosen words. How dare they spy on Kael without my direct order! Before I could voice my displeasure, however, Santiago continued:

"And that's not all..."He added."Apparently, they've been seen meeting in secret locations away from the club. Places where no one else would know about unless..."

Unless they were working together. Unless Kael was betraying me even now while nestled safely in my bed upstairs. The very notion made bile rise in the back of my throat.

Mr. Novak wasn't just the owner of Club Nocturne; he was also the leader of a rival family. Kael had claimed that his relationship with his boss was strictly professional, and I had taken him at his word. However, Santiago's reports began to cast doubt on that belief. What if Kael had been lying to me this entire time? If that turned out to be true, I'd never fully trust him again. Not to mention, I would have to find a way to deal with him.

As I listened to Santiago lay out these damning accusations against Kael, icy fury crystallized in my gut. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, knuckles turning white beneath straining skin.

"No,"I growled low in my throat, shaking my."Absolutely not. You're wrong about this."

Santiago flinched almost imperceptibly, taking a small step backward under the force of my glare. Good. Let him feel he had to weigh his words when it came to Kael.

"I don't care what your sources say,"I snapped, jabbing a finger at him for emphasis."Kael would never betray me like that."

Or so I thought. Doubt wormed its insidious tendrils through my conviction, planting seeds of uncertainty. The truth was, as long as there was a chance that something had happened — or was still happening, in this case — it would continue to gnaw at me. I wouldn't find peace until I had ruled out every possibility.

Had I been blind to the signs? Were there clues I had overlooked or dismissed? It was possible, but for the time being, I was refusing to think that way.

Kael was my fated mate, I reaffirmed again to myself. Our bond just ran too deep for something like that to be true. Or at least, that was what I thought.

"You're letting your personal feelings cloud your judgment,"Santiago argued, trying a different tactic."Think logically in this case instead of following your heart. The evidence points to Kael being a mole, feeding information to Mr. Novak all along."

Evidence schmevidence. The reports didn't matter to me as much as he believed they did. I knew my omega better than anyone. He wouldn't do this to me. Or at least, he knew better.

"Get out,"I ordered, pointing towards the door."Before I throw you out myself."

Santiago opened his mouth as if to protest further, but wisely thought better of it. With a curt nod, he spun on his heel and exited the room, leaving me alone with my tumultuous thoughts.

He knew he had a point, but he wasn't going to push his luck. Otherwise, I might end his life prematurely.

Alone, I sank onto the couch, looking up and reflecting. Was I making a mistake trusting Kael so much? Should I investigate his activities more thoroughly, just to be sure? I already knew the answer. The last thing was exactly what I was going to start doing.

For the moment, though, I shook off those traitorous notions. They served me no purpose at the moment.

The next few days passed in an uneasy haze, tension simmering beneath the surface whenever Kael and I found ourselves alone together. After my subordinate's revelation, it was never going to be different. It had forever changed my perception of Kael.

Though we both tried to act normal, pretending nothing had changed between us, the cracks in our once-unshakable bond grew wider with each passing hour. I'd thought one of the perks of being fated mates was that our love was indestructible, but that didn't seem to be the case anymore.

During quiet moments shared side-by-side, I caught Kael glancing at me askance, brow furrowed with concern. He sensed something amiss, but remained silent rather than pressuring me for answers. For that, I was grateful. I didn't want to answer his questions, if he asked me.

Meanwhile, doubts swirled inside my head, fueled by lingering suspicions stoked by Santiago's revelations. Every stolen glance, every hushed phone call, took on sinister undertones in my paranoid mind. I had never felt so paranoid before in my life and thought I had gone through much worse. Even the most innocuous actions seemed fraught with hidden meaning.

Was Kael truly innocent, or just playing a long con game? Was he even capable of such a thing? Had he been deceiving me since day one, biding his time until the perfect opportunity arose to strike? Would he really do something like that?

No, I couldn't believe such nonsense — and for the time being, that was all it was.

I couldn't take my paranoia too seriously after everything we had been through together. And yet... the nagging voice of doubt refused to be silenced. There was a way to handle it. It involved confronting the problem head-on, but I didn't want to go through with it. The consequences could be severe.

To distract myself from spiraling thoughts, I threw myself into work with renewed fervor, overseeing operations and meeting with contacts. Anything to keep busy and avoid confronting the elephant in the room. Maybe I was being a coward. In other circumstances, I would never think that way about such a problem. But when it came to Kael, things were different.

Late one evening, exhausted from a grueling day, I returned home to find Kael curled up asleep on the living room sofa. He might have been watching something while waiting for me, which made me think he wasn't a traitor. Still, that 'proof' was flimsy at best.

He looked so peaceful, so vulnerable, that my heart clenched in my chest. How could someone who evoked such strong emotions within me possibly harbor ill intent? Maybe something else was at play, something that I couldn't put my finger on at the moment.

Unable to resist, I sat down beside him, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. His eyes fluttered open, hazy with sleep and confusion. He looked so angelic.

"Mateo?"He murmured, sounding groggy."What time is it?"

"Shh, go back to sleep,"I whispered, tracing the curve of his cheekbone with my thumb."I'll carry you upstairs."

Without hesitation, he melted against me, allowing himself to be lifted as though he weighed nothing. As I carried him towards the bedroom, his face nestled against my neck, I breathed in his familiar scent, feeling some of the tension drain from my body. He was one of the reasons I remained strong.

In the darkness of our room, I laid him down atop the mattress before stripping off his clothes with practiced efficiency. Once naked, I joined him under the covers, pulling his warm body flush against mine.

"Stay with me tonight,"Kael pleaded, tangling our legs together."Please, don't leave..."

"I won't,"I promised, pressing a tender kiss to his temple."Sleep now. Everything will look brighter in the morning light."

As his breathing evened out, signaling his descent back into slumber, I lay awake staring up at the ceiling fan spinning lazily overhead. My mind raced with conflicting thoughts and emotions, torn between my love for Kael and the insistent doubts plaguing me. I wished Santiago had never told me what he knew.

Minutes later, exhaustion claimed me as well, dragging me down into fitful dreams haunted by images of betrayal and loss. When dawn broke, I awoke with a heavy heart and a newfound determination to get to the bottom of things once and for all.

I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I didn't have another choice. It was either that or allowing things to get worse.

Over breakfast, I studied Kael while he ate, searching for any sign of deception in his demeanor. But he simply smiled at me over the rim of his coffee mug, seemingly content in my presence. Nothing had changed in his behavior. He remained the same person I loved so much.

"So,"he began with half a smile on his face, setting down his cup."Any big plans for today?"

There were always big plans in my days, but this time, my response was going to be different.

My grip tightened around my own mug. Did he mean that innocently, or was there a deeper subtext behind the question? Was he fishing for information about my schedule — perhaps to relay to Mr. Novak later? I didn't know for sure.

"No,"I replied, unable to fully mask the edge of suspicion in my tone."Just business as usual."

Kael nodded, not pushing the issue despite the flicker of hurt crossing his features. I'd never answered him that way before. He hadn't expected it.

Damn it. I hated this distance growing between us, but I didn't know how else to proceed without risking further damage if my fears proved unfounded.

Finishing my coffee in seconds, I rose from the chair I was sitting on."I need to make some calls,"I muttered, grabbing my phone."Don't wait up for me."

With that, I strode from the room, ignoring Kael's bewildered expression. The shock in his eyes hurt me. In the privacy of my study, I slammed the door shut and sank into my chair with a loud sigh, head throbbing with the weight of my suspicions.