"I know," he admitted. "But the same expectations are expected of an alpha and a beta."
His shoulders straightened. "A strong mate. A mate that can stand beside Luna Ava. This isn't just about love, Nelly. It's about strength. Survival."
He shook his head slowly, almost in shame.
"I got a human…A human I cannot seem to be able to tear myself away from when I am around her."
He paused, breathing shallow. "It drives me crazy. The moment I see her, I forget who the hell I'm supposed to be. The way she looks at me like I'm both her enemy and the only man who's ever touched her right…" He stopped himself, jaw clenching.
"But I'm Beta to the most powerful Alpha in the West. I sit at Alpha Lucas's right hand. I cannot be seen breaking for a human woman."
"Then leave and don't come back until she is married and has gone away from here. Mark can make her happy. You can make her happier—with complications—but happier. But if you will not stay with her, let her have the happiness she can get." Nelly said.
Kade stood there, muscles twitching beneath his T-shirt.
"Nelly…"
"No," she snapped. "The closer you are, the more the bond is undeniable. I will not let you make her a cheating woman."
She turned and stormed out of the kitchen.
Kade exhaled heavily. His head dropped, eyes squeezed shut as the weight of Nelly's truth settled into his chest. His wolf stirred violently beneath his skin, pushing forward, whining.
The horny fool didn't care if she was right for them. He only wanted her.
All it cared about was her—May, with her flushed cheeks and biting tongue and fragile eyes that made him want to burn the world just to see her smile.
Kade scraped a hand through his hair and let out a low curse. "Thank God one of us isn't thinking with his dick."
His wolf snarled in protest.
Kade flipped off the internal voice. "Don't start with me."
His beast was prowling just under the surface. And he had no leash on it anymore.
*****
The next day, Kade was sprawled on the couch, legs wide, one arm draped lazily across the back of the leather. Beside him, Adelita, was perched on the floor.
The front door creaked open.
Mark walked in, clean-cut, button-up shirt, casual smile. A bouquet of daisies in one hand.
"Hi…" Mark said, a little too cheerfully.
Kade didn't even look at him at first. He kept his gaze fixed on Adelita.
"Is May home?" Mark added.
The scent of flowers hit Kade's nose and turned sour. He finally turned, slowly. His eyes locked on Mark—glassy steel.
He took his time answering. "Why are you always here?"
Mark stood awkwardly in the center of the living room, confused. He could feel Kade's hostility.
He knew. Of course, he knew. He wasn't stupid. Kade didn't like him, and it wasn't because of differences in lifestyle. No. It was about May.
Mark raised his chin, refusing to be cowed. "Do you have a problem with me?"
Kade's jaw tensed, the muscle in his cheek ticking once before he spoke. "Do I? Why would I?" His lips curled pretentiously. "I merely asked a simple question. This is Miss Nelly's house. You come here all the time. One might assume you live here."
There was no mistaking the growl beneath the sarcasm.
Mark's smile thinned. "Well, that particular issue will be solved soon. At least in about a month." He deliberately left the sentence hanging.
Kade's golden eyes narrowed, his attention snapping away from Adelita and zeroing in on Mark. "What do you mean?"
Mark casually lowered himself into the armchair across from Kade, legs crossed in a relaxed posture that was anything but. "We're getting married," he said, watching Kade's reaction with interest. "I was planning on taking her into town today to look at houses. Something for a small family. Something cozy, within budget."
It was a solid jab. One meant to draw blood.
Kade inhaled through his nose slowly, every bone in his body suddenly rigid. The words hit harder than they should have—each syllable hammering into his chest.
His mate—his mate—talking marriage with another man. And this man had the gall to talk about budgets.
"Within budget…" Kade scoffed, letting a dark smile tug at the corner of his mouth. "How cute."
It was a petty swipe. He knew it. But jealousy was a vicious, uncontrollable emotion, especially for a werewolf of his rank. The idea of May playing house with someone else was enough to short-circuit his logic.
"Not all of us are millionaires," Mark replied coolly, eyes scanning the room before settling on Kade again. "Some of us are just trying to build a life, not buy one."
Just then, Adelita crawled toward Mark with a happy squeal, throwing herself into his lap. He smiled, bouncing her gently on his knee.
'Traitor,' Kade thought bitterly.
"So, you're getting married in a month," Kade said aloud at last, the words casual.
Mark gave a short nod, attempting a non-confrontational smile that Kade found infuriating. "It all depends on May. But I'm hoping so."
Kade's lips twisted. "Hmmm," he hummed in response, the sound throaty, loaded with layered meaning. He reclined further into the couch, one arm thrown behind his head as he stared at the wooden ceiling beams above.
The silence that settled over the room was razor-sharp. Mark shifted, and bounced Adelita gently on his knee to mask his discomfort
May stepped into the room, barefoot and fresh from the shower, her damp hair curling over her shoulders in dark spirals. She wore a simple soft T-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts that rode just high enough to make Kade's blood pound.
"Who's ready for breakfast?" she asked in a sing-song voice, her tone laced with a cheerful lightness meant for Adelita. But it faltered the moment her gaze landed on the scene in front of her: Mark seated casually with Adelita in his lap and a bouquet of daisies on the coffee table. Kade sitting like a predator at rest, watching her with eyes that were taking off her clothes.