This time, Killian told himself that he wasn’t going to let any rift come between them again, and so he tossed the last words she had uttered at him in the trash, trying everything possible to wear down her defenses.
But it seemed he had forgotten who he was dealing with.
Forgotten how much of a stubborn headed mule she was, how much of a stubborn mule she could be. The lengths Kendra had gone in the past two days to stay away from him were crazy. She was gone all, day, only to return at night. He practically camped at her door, but he never got to see her. One maid had given him a hint that she had been hiding in the library as well, but it seemed word had gotten to her that he knew, for she had stopped showing up there altogether. All of this combined with training for the upcoming war, and Killian found that he was barely getting the much needed rest he deserved, but he didn’t care. All he wanted was his mate.
As for Aiyisha, he didn’t even want to talk about her. He didn’t care for her repentant ass or anything that had to do with her. At least she was respecting his requests this time… but then again that was the least thing she could do after putting him in this fucking mess in the first place.
He was tired, truly, the rogue Alpha was, for it seemed that all he appeared to be doing was jump from one trouble to another.
Didn’t it fucking end?
With a loud sigh, Killian stood up his post on the floor right behind her door and wearily headed for the library. He was going to check that place one last time before he headed to bed.
But unfortunately for him, she wasn’t there as well.
****
“For the last time, you’re welcome to stay with us, child.” Rida, Saul’s wife said lovingly to the female Beta as they made lunch in the sparsely decorated and yet surprisingly cozy kitchen. Kendra only smiled, not wanting to out rightly say no. The thing was that, the old couple had just one room, aside the living room, and she didn’t really want to be an inconvenience— at least even more than she already was anyway.
Besides, every step she had been taking so far seemed to be working. She had successfully evaded Killian in all of two days, and with some luck, today was going to be her third. She didn’t have to give up her comfortable living space and bother the sweet old couple who housed her warmly during the day, especially when she seemed to be handling things quite well.
“We’ve talked about this, Rida…” She finally said, “I’m doing just fine where I am, you really don’t have to worry about me.”
“But I see it in your eyes child,” The old she wolf reached for her arm fondly, “I see that hint of sadness in your eyes whenever you’re lost in thought… when you think no one is watching, and to be honest with you, I really don’t think staying there with them is doing you any good.”
Rida, being without child seemed to have taken a strong liking to the poor she wolf that her husband had found on one of his trips out. Kendra had told her all about her life, and she knew that the girl’s problems right now just had to do with her stubborn mind and her heart of steel. But she was going to come around eventually… that much Rida knew, and so she wasn’t going to interfere. Plus, something told her that the young she-wolf wasn’t one who easily listened to other people’s opinions when she had made up her mind about something.
“Like I said, I’m doing just fine, Rida… but should there come a time that I start to get uncomfortable over there, I will keep your offer in mind.” Kendra finally said, not really meaning it but wanting the old woman to just stop pressing.
“From my point of view, and my understanding of the whole issue, I do think that you’re being too hard on your mate though, Kendra. I have said this before and I will say it again.” She quickly continued when she realised that Kendra wanted to cut her off. “It might have something to do with the three of you living together in the same space, and you having to bear the stress of the probability of bumping into any of them at any point in time when you’re in the palace.
“I know, Rida—”
“This is why I keep pushing for you to move, child… to give yourself the time and the space to heal, so that you can forgive him and put everything that has happened behind you.”
“There’s nothing to forgive, Rida, he has found someone else, and he does have the right to move on especially after all that I have put him through.”
“If you think that, then that’s all the more reason why you need to sit back and analyze things from your perspective.” Rida retorted softly. “Perhaps, there’s some underlying cause as to why you’re looking for the littlest of reasons to call things off, you know? Perhaps it has nothing to do with him, and everything to do with you.”
Kendra felt a cold chill rush down her spine at the old wolf’s words. What if Rida was right? That would mean that she hadn’t been fair to Killian and their mateship at all, but then again, she was the one who had been willing to put aside all her fears and insecurities and plunge into this relationship, he was the one who had once again given her a reason not to. Gods, she really didn’t want to think about this now.
“I’m pretty sure by now Saul is close to dying from being famished for such a long time,” She said in a bid to change the conversation. Thankfully the old woman decided to play along even though she recognized the deceit. “You’re right. Let’s take his meal to him before we have a death on our hands.” She said with a chuckle as they dished out their lunch.
By the time Kendra climbed on her assigned horse to make the short trip back to the alpha’s palace, nighttime had long fallen. She was used to showing up that late though, and from the way the guards let her in without a word, so were they too, apparently. She greeted them with a small smile and made a little bit of conversation, which she cunningly used to ask about the closing of the town’s border. Their answer was still the same. Dnakle was still under lockdown.
With a dejected sigh, the female beta took the first few steps towards her room, but then she stopped in her tracks all of a sudden.
Something was wrong.
She didn’t exactly know what it was, but she felt… weird.
It was some kind of unplaceable feeling, one she felt all over— from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. Then just as quickly as it had started, it disappeared all of a sudden. The short incident had Kendra puzzled, for she had never felt that way before but perhaps it had something to do with the stress of the past two days. She made to move towards the door that would take her to the huge gold-paved hallway that would lead her to her room, but then the feeling appeared again, with a surprising twist this time.
All the pressure had pulled up at her pelvis.
A feeling oh so sweet intensified in her lower belly, causing her to bend over in pleasure as she let out a slight moan in the process. It lasted for what felt like an eternity but was most definitely only a couple of minutes, and then there was pain.
Where there once was pleasure, there was a pain so unbearable that Kendra collapsed to her knees.
What in the hell was happening to her?
The guards, concerned rushed to her side to try and help out, but a pleasing aroma wafted into their nostrils, causing them to become very agitated even as they tried to help her up to her feet.
“What… what is happening to me? P-please call someone for help.”
Too caught up in her pain to realise what was going on around her, Kendra didn’t open her eyes until she heard a female’s voice. One she hadn’t been expecting to hear anytime soon.
Aiyisha.
“W-what are you doing here?” She growled, eyes turning cerulean as the blond haired wolf still held onto her, undeterred, with the guards still hovering close by, seemingly still agitated. By now, huge wisps of her curly mane were stuck to her neck and forehead from how much she was sweating, and her pain was akin to a wolf in labor’s if not more. It felt like her core was being ripped apart, and the funny and most surprising part of it all was how aroused she still was despite all of it.
“Look Kendra, now’s not the time to hold grudges… you need help from whatever this is. Let me help you, please. I have no idea what is happening to you, but whatever it is seems to be agitating the male wolves… my guess is that it has something to do with your own wolf. We need to get you inside before we agitate them any further.”
Kendra wanted to refuse. Oh, every part of her itched to say no, she did not want any form of help from a two faced bitch who acted all nice and then kissed people’s mates behind their backs?
But she didn’t exactly have a choice.
The cramps were getting stronger and she had a sudden urge to throw up. As for the guards, they were actually starting to growl now, wanting to come near her, but equally knowing their place and torn by that fact.
“You guys need to leave this moment, go as far away as you can, and make sure no males come in this direction.” Aiyisha ordered curtly, her aura and demeanor leaving no room for argument. “I’ll let you know when it’s safe to return to your post.” Turning to the she wolf in her arms, she said, “Kendra… we need to leave now. Your scent is changing, I can smell it.” Her voice laced with something that was akin to awe as she observed the distressed wolf. She already had her suspicions as to what was happening, but she needed to confirm it first.
“Changing?”
“Yeah. Come… let’s go to my room.” With that, the blonde head dragged the ailing woman into her room and bolted the door shut.
Kendra noticed the action, but was hit with another pang of unbearable pain that made anything she wanted to say in response to the act vanish into smithereens.
“W-what is happening to me? Am I going to die?” She breathed out in exhaustion when it had passed.
“No, love. You’re not going to die. If my suspicions are correct, you are going into heat, Kendra.”