Their Mate Between

CHAPTER 5.

Ravyn was spiraling.

Yes, she’d agreed to reject both of her mates, but only to get Rion off her back. As she sat in the empty car, waiting for Calvin to return, the last thing she expected was to see Kade casually strolling out of the same building her eyes were fixated on.

Was this a sign?

She watched as he crossed the road, lit up a cigarette and leaned against the wall next to an alleyway. She could have been mistaken, but he did not look happy.

However, Ravyn was amused by his agitation. Serves him right. It was karma for what he’d done to her and countless other women, or at least that was what she was telling herself.

Unfortunately, he looked in her direction and their eyes collided.

Immediately, she crouched down, breathing fast. “f**k!” she swore, hiding as far back as she could. Maybe he actually hadn’t seen her.

A sharp knock rattled the glass above her head.

She groaned, refusing to look up. Another tap followed. This time, she couldn’t ignore it. She tried to play it cool instead, peering between the seats like she was searching for something.

“Oh. Hello.” She didn’t intend to sound so awkward as she turned to face him.

Kade was leaning over slightly, a smirk tugging at his lips, knuckles still pressed against the window. He looked so smug, it pissed her off.

She’d clearly been caught.

Rolling her eyes, she forced herself to sit up and hit the button to lower the window halfway. “What?” she snapped.

“You stalking me, princess?” His voice was casual, too casual. That cocky grin stretched wider as smoke curled from the cigarette between his fingers.

Ravyn scoffed. “Please. Don’t flatter yourself.”

“I saw you watching me.” His brows rose, playful and accusing all at once. “Kind of feels like you were spying.”

Heat rushed to her cheeks. “I wasn’t spying. I was—” She fumbled for an excuse, then scowled. “You know what? It’s none of your business.”

Kade chuckled, the sound infuriatingly smooth. “Hey, you’re the one busy following me around town.”

Her stomach flipped, traitorous, and she gritted her teeth to cover it up. “Like I have nothing better to do. I’d rather stick my hand in a blender than watch you all day.”

He leaned closer, resting his forearm casually against the window frame. That stupid grin still in place. “You’re feisty. I like it.”

Ravyn’s wolf stirred restlessly under her skin, but she forced herself to glare at him. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be? Or is bothering me your full time job now?”

“As a matter of fact…” His gaze flicked over her face, lingering, maddening. “…it’s starting to feel like my favorite hobby.”

Before she could fire back, a feminine voice cut across the street.

“Kade!”

Ravyn stiffened, her glare snapping to the young woman who had just stepped out of the building Calvin had disappeared into. The girl—long-legged, glossy hair, curves in all the right places—smiled and waved at him like they were old friends. Or worse, more than friends.

Kade pushed off the car with ease, tapping his cigarette against the side before dropping it to the pavement and grinding it out with his boot. “Duty calls,” he said smoothly, sending Ravyn one last wink.

Then he was gone, striding across the street without a single glance back. The girl hooked her arm through his like she’d done it a hundred times before, and he didn’t resist. Didn’t hesitate or tense up.

Ravyn’s jaw clenched so tight it hurt.

Good riddance. She didn’t care. Not one bit. His absence was a relief. A blessing. A—

Her stomach twisted violently, and she knew she was lying to herself. The jealousy tasted bitter, sharp, like poison on her tongue.

Why didn’t she just reject him there and then? Spit the words in his face and end this stupid mate bond before it could tangle deeper?

Because there hadn’t been time. That was all. Nothing more.

Still, her hands were trembling.

A minute later, Calvin appeared, sliding into the driver’s seat with a grin. “Well,” he announced, rubbing his palms together, “that went better than I thought it would. We might actually pull this off.”

Ravyn barely heard him.

He frowned, glancing her way. “What’s wrong with you?”

She shook her head quickly, forcing her expression into something cool and disinterested. “Nothing. Just… tired.”

Calvin didn’t look convinced, but he let it go. “Alright. Rest then. I’ll drive.”

Ravyn leaned back in her seat, eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead as they pulled away. But in her mind, all she could see was Kade’s smirk, the way his eyes had found hers so easily… and the girl who had stolen his attention in a heartbeat.

***

Sebastian slumped on the bench in the changing room, unable to enjoy yet another easy win. A hard slap on the back of his head roused him and he whirled, a growl escaping his lips, ready to lunge in attack.

“Ease up, man. We won!” Josiah reminded him happily before reverting his attention to some other player.

“We always do,” he mumbled in response.

“What? You’d rather we didn’t?” Alex came from behind, grinning wildly.

Sebastian sighed.

How could he tell his teammates the problem wasn’t the game? Of course, they were bound to come out victorious. They were the best team in Eureka. Hell, they were the best in California. As much as he wished they had better competition, lacrosse was far from his list of worries tonight.

He hated being away from Whisperden. He hated being away from her.

It had been two days since he met her. Two days of texting and getting to know one another. But still, he didn’t feel any closer to her. Yes, they’d been talking, and it was going so well, but he wanted more.

Deeper conversations. Broader topics. He wanted to know everything about her. Like where she lived before coming to Eureka, what she was like as a kid, her plans for the future. He wanted everything.

“Quit moping, you’re making the rest of us look bad,” Alex commented once again, wiping off his face with a hand towel. “What’s the matter with you, anyway?”

If there was anyone he’d open up to, it would be Alex. Maybe even Josiah. They were his closest friends, but Josiah was more of a ‘go with the flow’ kind of guy. He never took anything serious and was more likely to laugh it off or give some advice about burying his d**k in some other girl to snap out of it.

Sebastian didn’t want that. He didn’t want anyone else.

“Fine,” he muttered, dragging a hand through his damp hair. “It’s about Ravyn.”

Alex’s eyebrows shot up, towel frozen mid-swipe. “Ah, the mysterious doe eyed girl you’ve been texting nonstop? The one who somehow made you smile at practice yesterday? That Ravyn?”

Sebastian gave him a sharp look, but his lips twitched. “Yeah. That one.”

Alex’s grin widened. “Good. About damn time you found someone who knocks you off balance. What’s the problem?”

“The problem,” Sebastian said, reducing his voice, “is I don’t know what I’m doing. I want her. More than I’ve wanted anyone. But I don’t want to scare her away.”

Alex dropped onto the bench beside him, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Then don’t overthink it. Go for it. Tell her how you feel. Show her you’re serious. Girls like honesty, Seb. Especially from a guy who looks like you.”

“Looks like me?”

“You know… like someone that doesn’t and shouldn’t give a damn.”

Sebastian furrowed his brows. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“It’s kind of scary actually,” Alex admitted. “But as long as you let her know how you truly feel, it’ll be fine.”

“Honesty, huh?” a new voice cut in.

Sebastian stiffened. Josiah had been walking past.

He stopped in front of them, crossing his arms, with a smirk playing on his lips. “Sorry, couldn’t help overhearing. But Alex is dead wrong.”

Alex scowled. “Says the guy whose never had a girlfriend.”

Josiah raised a finger. “By choice.”

“Well then, why don’t you tell us how you’d handle the situation, oh great lord of sex.”

“Guys, this isn’t just about s*x though,” Sebastian tried to interject.

“Listen, Bass,” Josiah started, ignoring them. “If you come on too strong, you’ll just freak her out. What you need to do is play it cool. Keep her guessing. Act like you don’t care how things turn out. Trust me, nothing drives a girl crazier than a guy she can’t pin down.”

“That’s bullshit,” Alex shot back instantly. “She’s his mate, Josiah. Not some fling you pick up after a game. If he acts like he doesn’t care, she’ll believe it, and walk away.”

“That’s better than smothering her,” Josiah countered. “You know how intense Bass gets. If he lays it all on too fast, she’s gone.”

“Being intense about lacrosse and a girl are two different things!”

The two of them squared off, throwing arguments back and forth like it was their relationship on the line.

Sebastian sat in silence, his chest tightening. He could see both sides—Alex urging him to bare himself, Josiah warning him to hold back.

And he hated both. Because neither felt right.

All he wanted was her. To see her, talk to her, just be near her. He didn’t care if that made him reckless. He didn’t care if it made him vulnerable. Ravyn was worth the risk.

Even though he’d just met her, he had a feeling she’d be everything he wanted and more.

Without another word, he pulled out his phone.

“Seb?” Alex asked, noticing.

Sebastian ignored him, scrolling through his contacts until he found her name. His thumb hovered for only a second before he pressed call.

The ring felt endless—until her soft voice answered. “Sebby?”

Relief washed over him, loosening muscles he hadn’t realized were wound so tight. Even her voice is heavenly.

“Hey,” he said softly. “I just wanted to hear your voice.”

A pause, then a smile he could hear in her tone. “Well, you got it. How was the game?”

“We won,” he tried to sound casual, though pride edged his voice. “Of course, we won. But I wish you could have been here to see it.”

She laughed lightly, and the sound hit him square in the chest.

“I’m not in town tonight,” he admitted, leaning back against the wall, ignoring Josiah and Alex still watching him. “But I’ll be back tomorrow. And the first thing I want to do is see you.”

Her silence stretched just long enough to make him anxious.

“You’re serious?”

“Dead serious,” he replied. “Let me take you to dinner tomorrow night. Just you and me. No distractions.”

There was another pause, filled only with the sound of her breath. Finally, she whispered, “Can I pick the time and place?”

Sebastian smiled. “You can do whatever you want.”

“Alright,” her voice went lower. “I’ll text you the details later.”

“Good. I can’t wait to see you.”

When they hung up, Alex nodded in approval, while Josiah shook his head.

“You’ve got guts, my friend.”

Sebastian barely heard Josiah’s snark comment. The background noise was fading, all he could picture was Ravyn in a beautiful dress, flaunting her pretty smile.