Page 17 of Ridge

He wanted someone he could belong with. He wanted someone who would belong to him.

Maybe that someone was standing in front of him.

He shook his head. “Apparently, I’m being a traitor.”

“You’re not. Don’t listen to those assholes.”

“I know I’m not. Why did you do that, Ridge? Why did you react the way you did? Is it because you’re being paid to protect me?”

Ridge snorted. “Are you really asking me that?”

“I am. I understand if you did all of this because you have to. It’s a job, after all.”

“You know damn well that’s not why I did it.”

“I don’t think Gregory would be happy to hear that.”

“Gregory can bite my ass. It doesn’t matter, anyway. There’s no better bodyguard than a mate.”

Kael swallowed. He’d known, but he hadn’t allowed himself to think about it. He’d been afraid of what would happen if he did, of what it would mean, and he still was.

He didn’t know what to do with a mate. He was a demon. He wasn’t supposed to have a mate, and he didn’t—not in the demon sense. He was Ridge’s mate, though, so in the end, what he was and what he had or didn’t have didn’t matter. He was this man’s mate, and it was clear that was important to Ridge.

They stared at each other. It was the first time either of them had acknowledged what was between them. Kael hadn’t dared to because he’d been afraid and hadn’t known for sure, but he didn’t know why Ridge hadn’t said anything until now. Maybe he’d wanted to give Kael space. It had to have been clear that Kael was hesitant and scared, and it was nice to know that Ridge hadn’t wanted to push him. Kael was glad, but at the same time, it left him feeling a little lost.

He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what to think. He could see how happy Nymon was with Tex, and part of him wanted the same, but another part couldn’t help but wonder. Would it actually work? There was a bond between them, but it felt very one-sided. Kael knew that if he wanted to, he could ignore it and continue living his life. He wouldn’t suffer for it, probably. He likely wouldn’t even feel it.

But Ridge would. If Kael didn’t give them a chance, Ridge wouldn’t have another mate. He would have to deal with rejection and would probably be alone for the rest of his life. Thinking of that made Kael want to scream, but that probably wouldn’t be a good idea considering where they were. Besides, he hadn’t decided to leave Ridge. He hadn’t decided anything. He didn’t know what the fuck he was doing, and this wasn’t helping, but he was beginning to realize it wasn’t something he could hide from. Willing or not, he and Ridge were linked. They’d both have to deal with that knowledge.

It would be easier for Ridge because he’d known this could happen to him his entire life, but after watching Nymon and Tex, Kael thought that maybe he could do it, too. He just wasn’t sure where to start.

Ridge shifted his feet and winced. Kael looked down, realizing that he was probably uncomfortable. He was standing barefoot in the middle of the street, with little stones and pebbles biting into his skin.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“My shoes are somewhere behind me. I didn’t exactly check where I left them when I ran this way.”

“I bet you didn’t. We should probably go get your clothes, too.”

“I do think that’s a great idea.”

It felt strange not to talk about their bond, but Ridge seemed fine saying nothing more about it since he shifted back, so Kael stayed silent as they walked back to where Ridge had shifted.

Kael blinked when he saw the clothes and shoes. It looked like Ridge had shifted while moving, without stopping to think about what he was doing or where he was leaving his things. His cell phone was next to his t-shirt, glinting in the sun, and one of his socks was sitting on top of a yellow flower that had grown in a crack in the sidewalk. Ridge moved forward, and Kael watched him shift back to his human form.

He’d found the cat sleek and beautiful earlier, but it was nothing next to the man. Ridge was tall and broad-shouldered, and he moved silently and gracefully, almost as if he was a cat even in his human form. There was a scar running down the length of his back, right along his spine, and Kael’s fingers itched to touch it. Maybe one day he’d be able to. Maybe he’d be allowed to. For now, the only thing he could do was watch from a distance and think about how to get there. Could it be as simple as acknowledging their bond? It was too late to go back on that now. He’d been dreading this moment since he’d met Ridge, and it had arrived.

Chapter Four

The walk back to Poppy’s house was awkward. What helped was that Ridge had put his clothes back on, because he was pretty sure it made Kael feel less strange, but it didn’t help the tension between them. Ridge had finally told Kael that they were mates, and he still didn’t know how Kael had taken the news. Was he okay with it? Was he freaking out? Had he suspected all along, or was this a total surprise for him?

Ridge couldn’t know if he didn’t ask, but he wasn’t sure Kael would answer his questions. He didn’t want to push if Kael wasn’t ready for that. He was pretty sure that if he tried, he would send Kael running, and that was the last thing he wanted.

He wanted his mate. Most shifters did, and he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it since the first time he’d met Kael. He’d known they were meant to be together as soon as he’d smelled Kael, and it had taken everything in him not to grab the man. Of course, the situation had helped. They were desperately trying to leave Starhaven, and it had been fairly easy to focus on keeping Kael safe and getting everyone out. Then, Kael had stayed away from Ridge, making it easy for him to keep his distance, even though his cat hadn’t been happy.

His cat was incredibly happy now, though. Kael was walking next to Ridge, and while it was obvious that he was nervous and a little jumpy, he wasn’t running away, which Ridge took as a good sign.

But they needed to talk. Kael knew now. Even though he was a demon, he understood how important mates were to shifters. He knew what Ridge wanted. It was what every shifter wanted, or at least, every shifter in their right mind. Who would refuse their mate? Who wouldn’t want someone in their life the way only a mate could be? Certainly not Ridge. He wasn’t sure how that would work with his job, but he was willing to do pretty much anything for Kael. Kael was it for him, and that was important, even though he hadn’t been planning on settling down anytime soon.