Kaden POV
I shouldn't have done it, but I left the mind link open with Kai while Tish was telling me about her past. I felt like it was important for him to know what she had been through. Then maybe he can learn to be a little more gentle with her.
I could feel his presence in the mind link, but he never said a word. As soon as Tish was done talking, he shut me out.
Now, I am sitting here with Tish's head on my lap while she sleeps. I run my fingers through her dark hair and try not to think about the number of men who have touched her against her will. It will only make me angry, and I cannot change the past. I can only do my best to protect her now.
There is a gentle tapping on the cabin door, and I know instantly it is Kai. I knew he would show up here sooner or later. Sliding out from under Tish, I pick up my shoes and head for the front door.
Kai is pacing in front of the door like a caged animal. His eyes are dark. Fang is trying to surface, but Kai is doing his best to hold him back. I close the door behind me, making sure to flick the lock behind me. He isn't getting in there. Not tonight.
"Do you think what she said was true?" He growls.
"What parts?" I respond.
"The parts where she was abused her whole fucking life," Kai snarls.
"I do," I tell Kai. "I could see it in her eyes. She has been abused, and she is broken. We need to be gentle with her."
"I don't think that is what she needs," Kai responds. "She needs us to treat her like she is fucking normal."
"I am not saying we treat her like a freak," I groan. "I am suggesting we slow things down."
"Slow things down," Kai scoffs. "We tag-teamed her the first night she was here, and she fucking loved it. How do we slow down?"
"I don't know," I run my fingers through my hair. "We need to make sure she doesn't leave, first off."
"Wouldn't that be easier if we told her she is our mate and we marked her?" Kai grumbles.
"What if that scares her off?" I counter. "She isn't used to not being used."
"You aren't making any sense," Kai screams at me. "We can offer her something that no one else can or has. Security."
"I am not debating that," I reply. "But we have to remember, she doesn't want to be found. If we claim her as our mate, the news will get around to the other packs. To the North Pack. The Luna Queen will come for a visit, and Tish will be faced with her past again. I don't think she is ready for that."
"So, we don't tell anyone but her," Kai sounds desperate. "It's not like she can mark us in return. We mark her discreetly. No one has to know."
"We should discuss it with Dad," I try to be reasonable. "He can guide us in the right direction."
"When are you going to stop being the Golden Boy and start being a fucking Alpha?" Kai snarls at me.
"I am not the Golden Boy," I snap at him.
Kai shoves me back, and I hit the door of the cabin. "Then stop acting like it."
I push off the cabin door and slap Kai across the face. "Would you be quiet? Tish is sleeping."
"She was drunk," he says loudly. "It would take an act of the Goddess to wake her up. So, what is it going to be? Are we going to tell her the truth?"
"No," I growl as I storm toward the pack house. "Not until we speak to Dad."
The creak of the cabin door opening is loud. Louder than it should be. I spin around and see Tish standing in only her panties. Her nipples harden as the night air hits them. The sight makes me want to pounce on her, but I try to remember everything she told me in the truck. She rubs her hands against her eyes and squints into the darkness.
"Why are you two fighting outside my cabin?" She asks sleepily. "I was having a really cool dream about fairies and shit."
The moonlight glows against her skin, and I am too mesmerized by her to speak. Kai, on the other hand, has zeroed in on her bandaged arm. He is inching his way closer to her, and before I can step between them, he is standing right in front of her.
He brushes the back of his knuckles against her arm, and she twitches in pain, but she doesn't shy away from him.
"I am so sorry," he mutters. "Does it hurt?"
Tish grabs his hand and holds it against her breast over her heart. "I have been through worse," she says gently. "Are you okay?"
I stand back and watch the interaction between them. They already share a bond that I don't understand. He almost ripped her arm off, and she is concerned about him. She understands his anger in a way that I never could.
He pulls his hand away from her chest and wraps it around her waist. Kai holds her close, and she nuzzles her nose into his chest. He kisses her on the top of the head, and all is forgotten. I can't help but feel a pang of jealousy as I watch the two of them.
"I am sleepy," Tish yawns. "Are we having a sleepover?"
"I don't think so," Kai responds. "You need some space."
Tish rolls her eyes and pulls him into the cabin. My heart shatters when the door shuts behind her. After everything over the past two nights, she has chosen him. I try to accept my fate, but I can't stop the anger from coursing through my veins. I am the level-headed one. I am the easy choice.
I am about to turn back to the pack house when the door to the cabin opens again. Tish peeks her head out of the cabin door and beckons me forward.
"It is a sleepover for all of us," she giggles.
I dash to the door as quickly as I can, and her laughter gets louder. Slipping through the open door, I give her a chaste kiss on the lips as I pass. Kai is already curled up on one side of the bed, or what his estimation of one side of the bed is. He is taking up the whole damn thing.
"You are going to need a bigger bed if this is going to be a thing," I tell Tish.
She slaps me on the ass cheek and kisses me on the shoulder. "Get in the bed, Cry Baby. I will sleep in the middle."