“And you? You’re his enforcer too.”
“I won’t do it, Kat. You have the right to mourn your parents in peace. You’ll come home when you’re ready.”
“This is my home, Cage.”
He didn’t respond, but she saw the hurt cross over his eyes.
“Three enforcers? Their orders are to only take her when she’s alone?” Bass asked.
“That was the order, but Jackson is bound to find out I’ve warned you. He may get desperate. Maybe I should stay, Kat, protect you.”
A growl cut off Katalina’s reply. “I can handle three. Katalina has no need for you.”
Cage growled back, his eyes filling with anger.
“Hey! No fighting!” Katalina yelled before they had a chance. Looking at the two of them, she became acutely aware they were more than just men.
“Is this what you want, Kat? You want me to leave?” Cage asked.
Katalina sighed, the heavy feeling of dread settling in her stomach. “It was hard enough explaining Bass. I can’t have you hanging around, too, Cage. You should go home to your family, to Toby.”
He nodded, turning away. He headed for the trees, but before he reached them, he paused. Half-turning, he asked quietly, “Does he make you happy?”
“Yes,” she answered honestly.
“It was supposed to be me,” he said so quietly, she was sure she only heard him because of her new wolf abilities.
Katalina walked toward him; she couldn’t help it. She felt terrible for making him so sad. She could almost feel the sadness seeping off him.
“Kat,” Bass warned.
“He won’t hurt me, Bass. Trust me.”
Katalina walked over to Cage, who still stood on the edge of the tree line, his back to her, shoulders slumped.
“Cage,” she whispered, touching his arm.
It broke her when he looked at her, tears in his eyes. “I love you, Kat. I’ve been waiting my whole life for you, and now I’ve messed everything up.”
She pulled in a deep breath, thinking of the right words to say. “Cage, you don’t love me, not really. You love the idea of me. You love the life everyone has told you, you should live. I’m not the girl you were told about. I never have been. Maybe it’s time to stop doing as you are asked, and really think about what you want. One day you’re going to meet the girl you’re supposed to be with, your mate, and you’ll understand what I mean. I’m sorry, Cage, truly I am, but I love Bass.”
A tear escaped, trailing slowly over his cheek. Katalina reached up on her toes and kissed the tear away. “Goodbye, Cage,” she whispered.
He remained standing when she looked back minutes later as she walked along the road.
“Stop beating yourself up, Katalina. It is not your fault you do not feel the same.”
“I didn’t want to hurt him, Bass. He saved me, both him and Toby. I would be dead right now if they hadn’t come.”
“He’ll get over it,” Bass muttered.
“Would you?” Katalina snapped.
“No…but we are different. We are mates. Your wolf doesn’t want him; she wants me. It would have never worked, and if your father was thinking straight, he’d know he could never push two shifters together. Our wolves choose; it has always been that way.”
“I don’t think Jackson has thought straight since Winter died.”
Chapter 13
They’d been walking for a while when finally Katalina saw her drive ahead. She didn’t feel the cold like she used too, but her face still stung from the constant bite of cold wind against her skin. A surge of joy filled her as she saw her house. Her feet quickened their pace, excitement flowing through her blood until she was slapped with reality. Her stomach dropped. It was her house, her home, but the reason behind her happiness had been ripped away from her forever. For just a second there, she’d forgotten they were dead. For one glorious second, she’d managed to forget she’d just watched their coffins being lowered into the earth.
Her feet faltered, her eyes noticing the burned charred ground. Immediately, she was hit with the memory of the attack; images, sounds, the fear came back to her. It was as if she was there again, reliving the horror, watching her parents burn as a wolves sunk their teeth into her flesh, dragging her away from her family, as if she was nothing but game. She heard distant barking; a sudden feeling of hope that Arne might save her, and then she remembered the pack of wolves, wanting to devour her.
“No, Arne!”
She didn’t want her dog to die, too. She couldn’t lose them all.
It was too late. He was there licking her face, whining…
“Katalina, baby, come back to me,” the voice whispered around her.