We eat in silence when the doorbell rings and the door opens. “Kat?”
“In the kitchen, Dad,” she calls out as she rinses her plate. I finish mine, and she holds her hand out for the plate. I pass it to her, and she quickly rinses it, stacking it on the side of the sink.
“Hey, Pumpkin,” her father greets, walking into the kitchen. I watch Kat roll her eyes at the nickname, making me smile. Although, it just makes me more curious about why her father calls her that. One day I will discover the secret, and tease her to death with it.
“Mateo, how have you been?” Her father asks, breaking me out of my thoughts.
“Good, well, I will go and give you guys time to catch up,” I offer.
Kat turns around, looking at me. “You’re leaving?” She questions, and even her father looks at her strangely, her voice sounds off and I realize it isn’t her that spoke, but Kora coming through.
“Yeah, to remove my radiator, I will be back,” I promise, I watch her eyes fade a little as Kora recedes. I glance at her father, who is watching her curiously, then turn on my heel, walking out while shaking my head.
“Yep, Maddox told her he was killing us,” Ares says, and I roll my eyes at my stupid wolf.
Katya
“What was that about?” My father asks as we watch Mateo leave. I turn to face him, and Kora leaves, now that Mateo is out of the room.
“Pardon?” I ask.
“You and Mateo, what’s going on with you two, and where is Ezra?”
“Oh, nothing, and Ezra is doing training today,” I reply with a little shrug, walking over to the kettle. I grab it and show it to him, waiting until he gives me the go ahead before I turn it on and grab some mugs from the cabinet.
I glance over at my shoulder. He’s been watching me the entire time, judging my every movement. Was I some sort of science project to him?
“Are you sleeping with Mateo?”
My eyes bulge and my jaw literally drops open. “What?” I demand in a squeak. Why did he have that idea? “No, I have a mate, you know, Ezra!” I remind him.
“But you like him, and so does your wolf, doesn’t she? Does Ezra know?”
“And we thought mom was observant.” Kora chuckles, listening in.
“I never said I like Mateo in that way,”
“You don’t have to tell me, you forget I can feel and hear your thoughts and feelings,” she tells me.
“And you also never said you didn’t like him. And I know you love him.” She retorts.
“Really?” I growl at her, it is bad enough Ezra is acting strange, I don’t need my wolf acting weird too.
“Yes, because I do too.”
I shake my head at her. “We have a mate, and Maddox will kill him.” I inform her, and she shuts up, her guilt bleeding into me at my words.
“What are you arguing over with your wolf?” My father asks, eyes scrutinizing my face.
I turn around to make coffee, anything to get away from his gaze. Why did Ezra have to say the things he said this morning? His actions confuse me, and I am confusing myself now as well. “Spill, I know when you’re hiding something.”
“I will when you do. What’s going on with you and mom?” I counter, and my father sighs.
“I moved back home, but I am staying in the spare room. We are trying to work things out, I just don’t know if I can forgive her,” he sighs.
I nod, I am caught in the middle of them, it is hard knowing there is a chance they may not get back to the way they were or not sort things out at all. “Where is mom?”
“At home, she wanted to come, but I asked her to stay home, so I could spend time with you.”
“And she was okay with that?” I scoff.
He nods. “So, what is going on with you and Mateo?” My father asks again, clearly not willing to drop it.
I hand him his mug before sipping from my own. “Nothing, but Ezra was asking me some weird questions this morning, and now it feels awkward,” I explain to him.
“About what?” My father asks, pushing the chair out with his foot. Huffing, I walk over to it and sit down.
“Asking if I like Mateo, I think he was trying to find out if I wanted to be with Mateo,” I answer, my face heating at what I am talking about with my father. Though he and I are close, I can tell him anything, yet that doesn’t seem to make it easier to say this to him. But for some reason, dad always happens to be around when things turn awkward.
“Okay,” dad nods at my words. “How did Ezra take it? Did he seem angry after he asked you? More importantly, Pumpkin, do you want Mateo too?”
“Ezra? No. He was just acting differently, and I have a mate, dad,” I insist.
My father shrugs. “You can love two people at once, Kat. I did.” He looks thoughtful, staring out past me. “You know, we haven’t been here long, but I’ve seen the way the Alpha and Beta interact. Have you ever thought that maybe there’s something that could be there with them? You could be a triad.”
“Ezra is straight, dad. So I don’t think that will be possible, he would have to mark him too,” I tell him.
“But I am guessing Mateo is not, so it can work. Not that it matters, your mothers never marked each other.” He gives a shudder at the thought, yeah, that would definitely have been wrong. “Let’s look at this a different way. What if you didn’t have a mate, and Ezra didn’t exist? Would you choose Mateo?” he asks, his lips turning up deviously.
“Well…” How am I supposed to answer that?
“Answer the question. I won’t judge, you know that,” he says.
“If that were the case-” I let his words wash over me. I imagine a world where Ezra isn’t my fated mate, and doesn’t even exist, and the warmth that comes over me when I deal with Mateo. Even Kora has feelings for the silly wolf. I open my eyes and they meet his, the answer I am seeking is simple. “Then yes,” I tell him, before letting out a breath. A ton of weight suddenly lifts off my shoulders.