Chapter Seventeen
Cade made Hunter breakfast. It gave him the excuse he needed not to go to the pack house that morning. Hunter grunted at the sight of pancakes on the table but without a word, he sat down and ate until his plate was cleared.
“I have to patrol this morning. Then I’m heading out with Seth to get some supplies to fix his bike. I probably won’t be back until dinner time. You want me to let Sybil know you’ll be over for lunch at the house?”
That was the last thing Cade wanted. He planned to be gone by then. He’d been feeling steadily worse as the days passed, a coldness that seemed to reach right down to his bones, and he longed for home.
“No. I think the house could do with some cleaning.”
To his relief, Hunter didn’t bat an eyelid, climbing to his feet and carrying his dish to the sink.
“Sure, I’ll see you tonight. Joe should be over soon to keep you company.” He paused next to Cade. “Thanks for breakfast.”
He leaned in then, and Cade tensed, confused by the alpha’s proximity. All he got was a chaste kiss on the cheek and a brief glimpse of Hunter’s eyes, dark and full of questions that the alpha didn’t voice.
Cade ran upstairs to change his shoes, putting on something that would make running easier. His only regret was that he hadn’t had a chance to catch up with Joe again before taking off. If the way he and Axel were in each other’s pockets the previous day was any indication, the two of them were finally actually getting somewhere. He hoped stupid pack misconceptions wouldn’t derail that.
He came back downstairs, heading for the kitchen and the bag he’d hidden there. Only Hunter hadn’t left like he’d thought. He was still sitting at the table, and Cade’s bag lay in front of him.
“I think you and I need to have a talk, don’t you?”
Hunter was leaning back in his chair, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. Running was out of the question. He wouldn’t be fast enough unless he shifted and right then he didn’t think he could.
“Let’s go for a walk,” Hunter said pushing back his chair and getting to his feet.
Side by side, they walked toward the sea, climbing up onto the cliffs. The wind howled around them, catching their clothes and hair.
“Where are we going?” Cade yelled.
“You’ll see,” Hunter shouted back. He started climbing down some rocks, turning back and holding out a hand for Cade. “Don’t worry, it’s not as steep as it looks.”
Cade thought about running again but he was curious about what Hunter had to say and decided to hear the alpha out. He climbed down after Hunter and when he turned around, they were on one of the secluded beaches Sybil had talked about. They were sheltered from the wind, the beach warm and quiet.
“Aren’t you supposed to be patrolling?”
Hunter shrugged. “I told them I needed some time with my new mate. That you were finding the transition a bit of a struggle.”
From Hunter’s point of view, having found Cade trying to run, that wasn’t so far from the truth.
Hunter took a seat on the sand, looking out toward the sea, and patted the space next to him. Cade sank to his knees beside him, the sand warm beneath him.
“I said that first night that once we got here, we’d talk. I’m sorry we didn’t do this sooner.”
“I haven’t changed my mind. I still don’t want to mate with you.” Cade knew he had to be clear about that.
“Well, if it’s any help, the feeling is mutual.” Hunter awkwardly dug his hand into the sand. “Not that you’re not… great, and all. I just have a lot going on and I’m not ready to settle down. I don’t know the first thing about being a good mate.” Hunter sounded so out of his depth that Cade’s anger faded.
“I just want to go home. I was only supposed to be gone a week, two max. But then the Red Fang’s chased me and Baelon’s guys grabbed me and Baelon wouldn’t let me go. And then that stupid Gathering…”
All his emotions just poured out; fury, embarrassment, fear.
“Hey.” He was engulfed in a pair of strong arms and pulled into a warm embrace. Hunter’s scent surrounded him, oddly comforting. “I’m sorry that you wound up here like this.”
Cade managed to laugh through his tears. “It’s not like I didn’t have choices. Though it was you or Zane and you… seemed less crazy.”
“Less crazy, huh?”
“Yeah. When Zane came to see me, he brought a knife.”
“So I seemed a better choice than a knife-wielding maniac, is that what you’re saying?”
“Uh-huh.”
Hunter chuckled. “Not exactly setting high standards for yourself, are you?”
“What about you? You have to mate so not only do you chose a complete stranger but the only one clearly there under duress.”
“That’s why I chose you. I didn’t want a mate, you didn’t want a mate. I knew you’d run and I’m one hundred percent supportive of that. In fact, I’ll even help you get to where you’re going. I just need you to wait a week or two. A full month, if you think you can survive that.”
Cade wiped the tears from his cheeks. “And you’ll let me go, just like that?”
“Imagine how miserable it would be for both of us trapped in a mating neither wanted. My plan was to set us both free.”
“What about your anger?”
“A mate was never going to fix that. Best case scenario, they’d just become another target for my temper. Worst case…” He trailed off, looking out at the horizon.
“Then what do we do?”
“We play along, act the happy couple until things quieten down. Then I’ll help you on your way and go back to searching for a better way to manage my anger.”