The Lost Queen

Chapter 14. Misunderstandings and rejections

Ace

When I led Kayla to my car, I looked at her profile and couldn’t stop thinking about her beautiful face with a touch of redness on her cheeks. I was on the edge because unwanted feelings were creeping into my heart. I have to stop myself from thinking about her perfect lips and her brightly shining eyes.

My future mate didn’t deserve that. I can’t fall for a girl who is not my mate because we won’t have a future together and I was sure Kayla wasn’t my mate. If she was, I would already feel it, but even if my emotions were more alive with her, it didn’t mean that she is my mate and her scent still lingered in the back of my head. It was annoying and alluring at the same time. My mate’s smell should be the most intoxifying scent to me, but in this situation I wasn’t sure what was wrong with Kayla’s scent.

I snapped out of my thoughts when her green eyes found my gaze and I looked at her questioningly.

“I don’t know where to go.” Quiet voice filled the empty street and I looked around, trying to remember what I should do.

Oh, right. I should drive her home.

“My car is next to the glass building.” I showed her with my hand in the right direction and she started walking again. The rain now was only drizzling, and I could see small drops dripping on her face.

We walked in comfortable silence, and I didn’t want to break that, but the urge to get to know her was undeniable.

“You mentioned before that your parents are dead. Do you know what happened?” I asked sombrely. Kayla turned her face to me, and I could see her curiously examining me. Maybe I crossed the line? Why couldn’t I come up with a simpler question?

“No. In the orphanage, they told me that my parents were dead, and I didn’t have any other relatives, so I was doomed to live my whole childhood in the orphanage. I quickly understood that fairytale’s ending wouldn’t be happening to me,” Kayla shrugged and my heart clenched from the revelation, “what about you?” I flinched hearing her question, but I tried to smile nonchalantly and turned my eyes to the sidewalk.

“They were murdered. Someone slit their throats while I was asleep in my father’s office.” Something loosened in my chest after revealing it to another person who didn’t have any clue about my life and responsibilities that I had to carry on my shoulders.

“I’m so sorry to hear that. It’s awful.” Kayla’s eyes were full of rage. “I hope that someday those people will get what they deserved. It’s very cowardly to kill someone while they sleep.” I was surprised to hear so much resentment in her voice, but I was also pleased with the compassion she gave to me.

When we reached my black Lexus, I took her hand in mine and squeezed it lightly.

“Thank you. It’s very refreshing to hear the same thoughts that were swirling in my head all those years.” She smiled sweetly and squeezed my palm back. The warmth spread throughout my body and for a moment I looked at her green eyes and wanted to kiss her. I didn’t know what came over me, but the urge was so powerful, that I had to step back and make some distance between us. Nor growled in my head, displeased, but I wasn’t sure for what reason he was like that.

After the moment was broken, Kayla lowered her head and I felt annoyed with myself for those kinds of thoughts. She called to me because my stupid brother was an i***t, not because she wanted to hook up with me. I wanted, no, I needed to smack myself, for thinking about such shameless things. Kayla needed compassion, not the other brother to complicate her life.

With that thought, I opened the passenger’s doors to her, and she climbed in quietly thanking me. When I sat nearby, Kayla inhaled deeply and looked through the window. Comfortable silence disappeared and was replaced with tension.

We drove in silence except when Kayla said which turn to take. I stole glances whenever I could, but she was occupied gazing through the window, and I could only see her black hair. It looked exactly like in my dream; shiny and so thick that it was everywhere. I wanted to touch them and feel if they were soft too, but I didn’t dare and gripped the steering wheel harder.

“You can stop here,” Kayla said tightly and I exhaled deeply.

I wasn’t sure if she had read my expression earlier, if she understood what I wanted and why I retreated. With her, I wasn’t sure about anything anymore, but now that wasn’t important. I took her home; I would say goodbye and leave her alone. She didn’t need our drama in her life and Kayla would be better without both of us. And I still needed to go home and beat the s**t out of Kade.

“Thank you. For everything.” Kayla thanked and opened the door. I wanted to say something more, but everything became so messy that I didn’t find words to describe my feelings and I just nodded to her.

“Be safe.” I blurted, not being sure if she heard me. For a second, I looked at her back when she crossed the street and went into the beautifully decorated yard. The house wasn’t huge but still looking good with dark wooden panels around it. Kayla turned back for a second but when she saw my car in the same place, she quickly turned and took out her keys from the jacket pocket.

The rain finally stopped and the sun shone through the heavy clouds. In that kind of setting Kayla looked like a nymph and I wanted to enjoy a scenery in front of me. I needed to go but I was frozen in place, unable to tear my eyes away. Finally, I managed to turn the engine on, and drove away. I tried to think about everything else, but all my problems shrank, and Kayla was on a pedestal in my head. I couldn’t stop thinking about her red eyes and blood on the white blouse. Especially blood. It was like I was transported all those three years back and saw everything in a new light.

When I drove into the packhouse yard, I heard someone shouting and wasn’t sure what was happening. I quickly got out of the car and ran towards the noise, but I wasn’t expecting to find my brother in the hold of two older wolves.

“What the hell is happening?” I shouted, drawing attention to myself. Kade’s head snapped at my side, and he trashed more intensively. I looked around the shed and found some tools dropped on the floor. Kade’s face was bleeding, his cheek bruised, and rage was brewing in me.

“Sorry Alpha, but your brother acted like a madman. We tried to stop him, but when that didn’t work, we needed to hold him down.” Will firmly explained.

He was one of the teachers who taught small pups to defend themselves and I trusted his words. Something was wrong with my brother, but I didn’t know what and it had to change.

“Release him. I will take care of everything.” I nodded to both men and after a moment they stepped away, leaving Kade on the floor. I scooted over and sat on the wooden floor. Everything was becoming a true mess and the worst part was that my brother suffered, and I wasn’t near when he needed me. Shock washed over me when a devastated sob echoed in a small shed. I turned my head to the side but faced Kade’s back and a sigh left my lips. I heard how my brother, the tough guy, tried to muffle his crying but it was worthless because every time he stopped, the more brokenhearted sound came out.

“She… she rejected me,” he slurred words and continued, “and I thought… I thought I would die.” A lot of minds raced through my head when he mentioned rejection. Could it be Kayla the one who rejected him? But she didn’t mention anything… what… what the f**k was happening?

“Kade, hey!” I patted his back, “it’s okay. I’m here. Everything will be okay.”

My brother moved closer to me and put his head on my lap. The same way as he did when we were small. I brushed my fingers through his short hair, feeling unsure if it was not too much, because we weren’t small anymore and we hadn't had contact for more than five years. The last time his head was on my lap was after his first breakup with a girl when he was twelve. As he said, that girl was his first love and she broke his heart. That time he cried the same as today and I was unsure how to help him through it.

“We need to get out of here.” I tapped his back one more time and tried to stand, but Kade grabbed my hands and put them back on his head.

“Just a few minutes. I’m not ready to go,” he groaned, and I nodded for a response.

“Who rejected you?” my voice was soft, and I tried to ignore the rising anger in all my power.

“I…” he started, but a sob came through his lips as well, “I’m not ready to talk about it.”

“I will be waiting whenever you are ready.”

For a long moment, I stared at the wall in front of me. My fingers were in my brother’s hair and his crying filled the space between us. It was a heart wrenching experience, but I couldn’t do anything. At that moment I couldn’t even be angry at him for his behaviour with Kayla, but I would have to talk with him and maybe talk some sense to him.

Clearly, he was hurting, but it didn’t justify his actions towards the innocent girl. I’m positive that it wasn’t Kayla who rejected him, but I needed to find out who did this to my brother. Mate's bond was priceless, and no one should reject his other's half soul. Sometimes it happened, but I didn’t think that it also could happen to my brother, who was an alpha heritage.

Well, if it can happen to anyone, why should I be the exception? Maybe the same thing awaits me in the future.