Mateo
I am in a terrible mood, and I feel like shit to add on top of it. It is stifling out here today, and it’s still early morning, today’s going to be a scorcher. Ezra was acting strange when he left, very out of character for him, like something beyond the norm was bothering him. I finish pulling the busted front guard off my car and am about to remove the radiator, when I hear the front door swing open, making me glance in the direction of it. I sigh, before pressing my lips in a line when I see Kat come out, striding towards me. A woman on a mission, that one.
Damn, and here I was thinking she would stay inside and ignore me, at least that’s what I was hoping she would. I know I’m an asshole for the things I said earlier. The choice for what I had done was entirely mine, she had never asked me to do it. But, it sucks watching her and Ezra together when I want her too, want both of them. Though Ezra has never thought of me like that, and why would he? He is straight.
Standing up, Kat comes over, she hands me a bottle of water. I take it from her, cracking the lid before taking a sip, trying to ignore the strange tension simmering between the both of us.
“Can it be fixed?” she asks, glancing over at the damage done to the car.
“Yeah, the truck, no, but this just needs a front bar, a grill, and a new radiator.” I pat the hood of my old faithful and she nods before looking at me. She chews her lip and my eyes dart to the action, remembering how her lips tasted the night she went into heat, the way her tongue rolled over my skin as she licked and kissed me, the way she wanted me. I almost scoff at my mental images. It wasn’t really me she wanted, just a chance to get laid. Not that I could blame her, I didn’t envy her for going into heat and being a slave to her instincts.
“Did Ezra seem off to you?” She asks. Strengthening my intuition, something is up with that man, he’d been acting pretty cagey, and it is distressing if even Kat has caught on and thinks he is being a bit strange.
“Yep, probably arguing with Maddox, why, what did he do?” I ask her.
“Nothing, he was asking about you,” she says, with a shake of her head, her eyes dart away again.
Hmm, what exactly was he asking? I can’t deny I am curious, though I am not about to grill her. “I’m sorry about what I said earlier, I didn’t mean it, I never intended to upset you,” I confess, though that is only half true.
“Yes, you did, but it’s okay, Mateo, I get it,” she sighs, before chewing her fingernail, again I am hypnotized by her, and I catch myself staring, wishing things were different.
I hadn’t realized I was staring long enough for her to realize until she shifted from one foot to the other awkwardly as she gazes back.
“I made breakfast if you’re hungry,” she offers, turning around and heading back inside.
“She is also acting strangely,” Ares notes, watching her through my eyes, she hurries inside, closing the door. My skin is prickly, I’m not sure if it’s from the heat outside or if all this strangeness is getting to me. Why are the two people I care about most acting so… odd? I know Ezra and I had an argument, but usually, he is over it as soon as it starts. We have had plenty of run-ins, but they never jeopardise our friendship, although this time, something is different.
“Need a hand at training?” I ask him through the mindlink.
“No, everything is fine, what is Kat doing?” he asks, which I find odd when he can mindlink her and ask her himself.
“She is inside. Is everything ok? I can leave if you want, Ezra. I don’t want to get in between you and Kat if it is going to make things awkward.” It is hard to get the words out. I don’t want to leave, but there is no way I can stand between them any more than I already have.
“No, you are where you belong, Mateo. Kat and I are fine. Why did she do something?” He asks.
Huh? What is the deal with the twenty questions? “No, is she supposed to?”
“Nothing she doesn’t want to-” Ezra answers vaguely.
“Whatever, man, if you got something to say, just say it, I can take it,” I tell him. I’m tired of the games. If he wants to kick me out, he needs to do it fast, so I don’t lose my nerve.
“Just go spend time with Kat,” he answers, before abruptly cutting the link and not giving me a chance to reply.
“Yeah, I think Maddox is planning to murder us,” Ares cautions.
“He isn’t going to kill us, why would you even think that?” I ask him.
“They’re both being strange, since when do they act like that? Not to mention Ezra’s vague answers. It’s something he doesn’t want to tell us about.” Ares explains, and I pack everything up.
“So you just assume he is going to kill me for what I said earlier?” I question, shaking my head at him.
“Makes sense to me,” Ares replies, warily.
I take everything out to the shed and put it away before walking inside. Kat is leaning on the kitchen counter when I walk in, eating scrambled eggs on toast. “You came in,” she states, like she didn’t think I would.
“Yeah, are you okay?” I ask, and she nods, pushing my plate toward me.
“Are you?” she questions, staring at me oddly again, though her eyes sparkle brighter and I know Kora is forward with her too.
“Kora.” I nod to her. Strangely, her wolf doesn’t reply to me or even acknowledge I said a word. More weirdness.
Kat hands me my plate, and I lean on the other side of the counter, watching her as she eats, and I start eating mine.
“Ok, Kora is creeping me out, why does she keep staring?” I ask, she shrugs, and I can tell she is unsure.
“No idea she is being-I don’t know, different.” She reaches for her glass and sips her water.
“Does she wanna go for a run?” I ask, it’s the longest I have seen her come forward, and it has me on edge.
“Maybe, but my father is on his way over, afterward if Ezra says it’s okay?” she offers before biting into her toast.