"A small wedding, not too expensive," May chipped in. She knew that look in Nelly's eyes—gears were turning, lists were already being written, and decorations were probably being mentally hung. May tried to head her off at the pass, knowing Nelly's idea of simple was the equivalent of a banquet.
"You want cheap because your man here cannot afford it?" Kade's voice slid across the table, his fork lazily pointing toward Mark as though he were a barely interesting target. His gaze was sharp, direct, and hot with a barely leashed anger.
May's eyes snapped to his, heat rising to her cheeks. That was a territorial bite, meant to provoke. She could feel it in her chest, the same way she felt his presence whenever he entered a room.
"If you are going to be rude at my table, you can finish your dinner in your bedroom," Nelly ordered. There was a challenge in her eyes as she stared Kade down, daring him to push further.
"Fine! Was full anyway." He tossed his napkin onto the table. As he rose, the scrape of his chair against the floor was louder than it needed to be. His presence left the room in body, but the echo of him lingered—hot, charged, and impossible to ignore.
Mark watched him go, then turned to Nelly. "You don't have to come to my aid, Miss Nelly. I truly understand what he is going through."
Nelly arched a brow, folding her arms. "I highly doubt that."
"No, I do," Mark said, leaning back slightly. "I know he has a thing for May."
May choked on a breath mid-swallow, her hand fumbling for her glass of water. The cool liquid barely made a dent in the sudden rush of heat to her face. She dared a quick glance at Nelly.
"I mean, it's obvious," Mark went on. "And please, I am not stupid. I have known since the first day I met him about a year ago. He looked at me like he was going to rip my head off."
May's fingers tightened around her glass.
"I'm just glad May chose me because, well, that could have been me all cranky and stuff," Mark finished with a chuckle, as if he'd just defused the tension with humor.
Nelly's gaze stayed on May, searching, weighing. And somewhere in the back of May's mind, she could almost feel Kade in the next room—probably pacing, probably stewing, probably imagining a dozen ways to make her admit she wasn't as certain about her "choice" as she claimed.
"Hmmm," Nelly said, her lips pressing into a line. Outwardly, it was a simple sound—a polite acknowledgment. Inside, though, her thoughts were a storm.
It was so much more complicated than Mark would ever understand. She couldn't just blurt out the truth: Hey, Mark. Your fiancée is actually the fated mate to the most loyal and faithful werewolf I have ever known. Yeah, that would go over well. Right after that revelation would come the inevitable cascade of questions.
A few minutes later, Mark had rolled up his sleeves and was helping May with the dishes. The clink of porcelain, the splash of warm water, and the soft domesticity of it all almost masked the undercurrent of tension in the air. His hand brushed hers once as he passed her a plate, and May smiled politely, the way a fiancée should. Nelly caught it. It was a good smile. Safe. But not the kind that reached deep enough to touch the bone.
Mark said his goodbyes soon after, a quick kiss to May's cheek, a friendly nod to Nelly, and then he was out the door.
That left Nelly and May alone in the kitchen.
"We haven't really talked since your engagement yesterday," Nelly said, leaning against the counter.
"No, we haven't. But it has been crazy around here since then." May's hands were still wet from the last plate, and she wiped them on the towel in that slightly nervous way that betrayed she was ready for whatever lecture might be coming.
"You truly love him?" Nelly asked.
"Miss Nelly, don't be silly. You know I do." May forced a light laugh, but her eyes skittered away for just a moment before coming back.
"Have you told him?"
May froze for a beat before recovering. "I have tried multiple times. He wants the past to stay in the past." She smiled then.
"Good man," Nelly said after a pause. "But he still needs to know."
"Someday, when he is ready…" May's voice softened, and then she added almost casually, "How is Mr. Kade?"
Nelly, sharp as ever, caught the faint quickening in May's pulse, the way her hands gripped the dish towel just a fraction tighter.
How is Mr. Kade? Oh, if only May knew just how he was.
"He'll be fine. Do you believe in soul mates, May?" Nelly asked suddenly.
The question caught May mid-movement—one hand still holding the dish towel, the other resting against the counter. She blinked, not sure whether to laugh it off or take it seriously. "Ugh…I don't know," she said, shrugging with nonchalance. "I guess I believe a couple can love each other very much, but I don't really believe one person is made for the other."
Nelly's lips curved. "I believe in soul mates," she said, leaning forward slightly, her eyes catching May's and holding them. "I believe that a higher power somewhere destined someone for each and every one of us… and when we do find them, everything stops making sense."
Her voice dipped lower, intimate. "Every action, every thought, every reaction… it feels like something inside you responds to the other. When they are near, you ache deep inside your soul until they can be even closer, moulded together into you."
The way she spoke was carnal. May shifted in place, acutely aware of the phantom ache Nelly's words described. She'd felt that before… still felt it. And it most definitely wasn't for the man who had just kissed her goodbye at the door.
Her throat tightened. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked.
Nelly's gaze softened, but only slightly. "We all deserve someone like that. You too, no matter what was in your past. Do not look back on it and settle for less."
May wanted to argue, to tell Nelly she had chosen love, stability, safety. But the words tangled in her throat because—deep down—she knew exactly who Nelly was talking about.
"Is that what you think I am doing? Settling for less?"
"Only you can answer that. Mark is a wonderful boy. But does he tug at your soul?"
Then, as though she hadn't just dropped a grenade into May's thoughts, Nelly's tone shifted. "Can you make me a cup of tea for bed?"
May swallowed hard, grateful for the reprieve. "Of course, Miss Nelly. Right away." But as she moved to the kettle, her mind kept circling back to the question she wasn't sure she wanted to answer.
*****
"Mr. Kade?" she called softly a few minutes later.
He was sitting at the edge of the pool, the water catching the pale silver of the moonlight, his feet dangling lazily in the ripples. He didn't turn his head—didn't need to. He had felt her coming the moment she'd stepped barefoot onto the porch. Her scent had already wrapped around him—sweet, maddening, hers.
"You made it all the way out here just to say my name?"
She knelt and set a cup of tea down on his right side, the steam curling into the cool night air. Then she moved to slide in beside him—on his left.
Kade's muscles tightened instantly. He knew it was a mistake to let her sit that close. Her bare arm brushed against his as she settled, and every inch of his skin lit up. He clenched his jaw and stared at the water, willing himself not to move.
His wolf shifted restlessly under his skin, pushing against the tight leash he kept on it.
He told himself this was temporary. He had only a few days left here—just enough time to soak in a bit more of Adelita's laughter before he returned to the Silver Pack. He just had to stay strong.
Yeah. Wishful thinking.
Because with May sitting this close, her warmth bleeding into him, her quiet breathing syncing with his own, strength felt like a luxury he didn't have anymore.
"Why are you mad?" May asked.
Kade let out a low chuckle. "Wish I could tell you." He didn't look at her when he said it.
Her brow furrowed. "Why not?"
His mouth twitched. "Because you wouldn't understand."
"Well, you could dumb it down for me," she pressed.
Kade finally turned his head, his gaze sliding to hers. "There is no way to dumb it down."
May arched a brow. "How about I ask questions then?"
A beat passed. Then, with a reluctant nod, he granted her permission.
Her first question came without hesitation. "Why did you leave after what happened a year ago without saying goodbye?"