Mae POV
After a very restless night's sleep, I wake up to the sound of hammering outside of my bedroom door. I groan and pull the covers over my head, wanting to disappear from the world. I am sure Kieran and Tish were up all night arguing about me. Both seem to think they know what is best for me without asking me what I want.
The hammering continues, and I roll over onto my back, knowing there is no way that I can fall back asleep now. I crawl out of bed and glance at myself in the mirror before I leave my bedroom. I am still wearing the oversized t-shirt from last night, and it is speckled with blood from where Jameson hit me.
My cheek is swollen and bruised, with a deep cut across my bone. I lean into the mirror and inspect the cut. It probably could have used stitches, but it is too late for that now. Hopefully, it won't scar too badly. My eyes are sunken in with dark circles under them. I look like I haven't slept in months. Pulling my hair into a messy bun, I walk out of my bedroom, looking for the source of the hammering.
I walk down the hall, and the hammering gets louder as I approach the living room. I peek around the corner and see several large men fixing my front door and installing some cameras outside. Kieran is sitting on the couch, drinking coffee, giving directions.
"What is going on here?" I ask curiously.
Kieran looks at me and smiles brightly. "I am having your front door fixed before I head back to the North Pack."
My heart sinks a little at the thought of him leaving. "You are leaving so soon?"
Kieran's face falls. "I would prefer you to come with me, but I doubted I could convince you to."
"You didn't ask," I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Would you like to move to the North Pack with me?" Kieran asks eagerly.
"Can Tish come too?" I ask the question, and I already know the answer, too.
Kieran growls, and the men fixing my door straighten with fear, but I remain steadfast, waiting for him to tell me no.
"Tish isn't one of us," Kieran replies. "No, she cannot come."
"I am not one of you either," I sigh. "What makes the difference?"
"The difference is, you are my mate, and Tish is not," Kieran says shortly. "You will be accepted into the pack as a werewolf. Tish would remain an outsider."
"I don't go anywhere without Tish," I say stubbornly. "Where is she anyway?"
"She finally went to bed after giving me the lecture of my life," Kieran groans. "I didn't think she would ever leave."
I can't help but chuckle. Leave it to Tish to think she can protect me from some supernatural creature that has claimed me as his mate. She is a good friend.
"Speaking of Tish," Kieran continues. "We need to talk about something. Is there a place we can go that is more private?"
Kieran's whole demeanor has changed. Whatever he has to tell me must be important. I look over at the men fixing my door. Usually, I would be hesitant to leave strange me in my apartment, but the clothes they are wearing cost more than my apartment. I don't think I have anything here they would want to steal.
I gesture for Kieran to follow me back the hall and into my bedroom. Kieran closes my bedroom door and clicks the lock. Suddenly, my already small room feels too small. There isn't enough room for us both to be in here.
Kieran sits on my bed and pats the space beside him. When I refuse to sit next to him, he lets out a huff of frustration and runs his hands through his hair.
"There is something about me you need to know," he begins. "Some parts of my life I am not proud of, but you deserve to know the truth."
Kieran's knees are bouncing up and down nervously, and I feel the need to comfort him. I slide onto the bed beside him and place my hand on his knee. Even through his jeans, I can feel the comfort of the tingles spreading across my skin. Kieran stops bouncing his knees and takes a deep breath.
"How bad can it be?" I attempt to make him feel better.
"Bad," Kieran replies. "Really bad."
"Okay," I say. "What is it?"
"My sister is the Queen of the Werewolf world. She was chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. Growing up, she was obviously the perfect child, and I was jealous. When we turned eighteen, there was a faction of werewolves that believed I was supposed to be the ruler, not my sister, and they recruited me to be part of their movement.
"I should have said no, but I didn't. I helped them hunt my sister like she was an animal. Because of me, my sister was attacked and poisoned, among other unsavory things. I eventually came to my senses and turned against the recusants. Their leader, Alice, was killed, and so were many of the others. Those who were not killed have gone on the run.
"That's what I do now. I hunt down those who are still against my sister's rule and bring them to justice," Kieran finishes and waits for me to respond.
I don't know what to say. It is worse than I could have imagined. Family is the most important thing in my life, and Kieran turned his back on his for power.
I remove my hand from his leg and place it in my lap. I don't dare look up into his eyes for fear of seeing a monster lying beneath the surface.
"I think you should go," I tell him softly.
Kieran gets to his feet and walks to my bedroom door. I don't watch him as he opens the door and walks out.
Tears stream down my cheeks, but I am not sure why. I have known this man for less than two days. Why do I feel so attached to him?
"He told you the truth, didn't he?" Tish's voice comes from my doorway.
I look up and see her standing in her bra and panties with a cup of coffee in her hands. She steps into my room and hands me the cup of coffee.
"People don't change," Tish reminds me. "You and I know both know that."