Kaden POV
It takes all of my strength to hold Kai back. He wants to go after Tish, but I know he will only lose his temper again. I cannot risk her being hurt again, even though I know she will forgive him. I don't know if I can.
Once he has finally calmed down, I drag him into the pack house. I push Dad's office door open, and he looks up at me in surprise.
Kai sits down on the couch and grumbles under his breath about scummy bar owners. I approach Dad's desk and place my hands on the edge.
"I need to speak with Alpha Kieran and Luna Mae," I tell him.
This definitely gets my father's attention. He sets down his work and pulls his reading glasses off his face. "Why would you want to do that?"
"We need to tell Tish she is our mate," I say urgently. "She is going to run."
"What does this have to do with the Alpha and Luna of the North Pack?" My father sighs.
"I know things are rocky between our two packs," I try to sound diplomatic. "I want to tell them first. Plus, we need to know if she is being hunted by them."
"This is a bad idea," Kai whispers from behind us. "We can't let them know she is here."
"We will never be allowed to claim her unless we tell the werewolf world she is ours," I tell Kai. "And we can't do that without speaking to the North Pack."
"What do you suggest?" My father asks.
"A straightforward phone call," I say nervously.
Dad pushes the phone in my direction and gestures toward it. "Go ahead."
I look back at Kai, but he is refusing to look at me. "I won't be a part of this."
"It is for the best," I tell him. "We are in an awkward position."
I pick up the phone, and Dad dials the number. Kai storms from the office and slams the door behind him. My heart is in my throat while the phone rings, and I fidget uncomfortably.
"Alpha Fred," Alpha Kieran's voice comes over the speaker. "It is a little late to conduct business."
"Actually," I say, clearing my throat. "It is Kaden."
"What's up!" Alpha Kieran shouts into the phone. "I was worried this was a business call."
"It is," I sigh.
"Yikes," Kieran still sounds amused. "What can I do for you?"
"Can you tell me about the human that escaped from you?" I ask carefully.
"Not much to tell," Alpha Kieran responds seriously. "She is a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who got mixed up in something she didn't understand."
"Are you looking for her?" I ask nervously.
He growls, but it isn't out of anger. He sounds frustrated. "Yes and no," he finally answers. "Why is this important?"
"She is here," I spit out. "But before you send your warriors after her, she is my mate. Mine and Kai's."
I hear a squeal and it sounds like Alpha Kieran is in a struggle for the phone. Suddenly, a woman's voice is on the other end of the call.
"You found Tish," she squeals.
I am confused. "Technically, my father found her."
"She is safe?" The woman asks.
"She is safe," I reply.
"Oh, thank the Goddess," the woman sighs. "I am Mae."
"Luna Mae," I say respectfully. "It is a pleasure to speak with you."
"Cut the pleasantries," she snaps. "What are you going to do with Tish?"
"She is my mate," I reply. "Mine and my brothers. I want to mark her, and so does my brother. But if she is wanted in the werewolf world, that complicates things."
Luna Mae busts out laughing. It is not the response I was expecting. "You are fucked."
"Excuse me?" I respond, trying not to sound offended.
"Tish is broken," Luna Mae responds. "Her life has been and will always be a mess. Her walls are thicker than Fort Knox. You might get in her pants easily, but her heart is a whole other matter."
"I know about her past," I inform the Luna. "She told me."
The other end of the phone is silent. "Why are you calling us?"
"She loves you," I tell Luna Mae. "I want your permission."
"You have to be gentle," she says, and I can tell she is choking back tears. "You won't win her over with gifts or sex. She can get that from anyone. You need to take care of her. And before you say anything, the tough guy persona is an act, she does need to be taken care of."
The phone goes silent, and I don't know what to say. Alpha Kieran comes back on the line, "You made my Luna cry."
"That was not my intention," I reply.
"We were not hunting Tish to lock her up," Kieran says. "Mae just wanted to know she was safe. Take care of her."
"I will do my best," I reply.
"By the way," Kieran says with a hint of amusement in his voice. "She sleeps with women too. Have fun with that."
Alpha Kieran hangs up his call, and I look at my father. His face is stuck between amusement and concern. "What are you going to do with her?"
"I guess we will have to use kid gloves," Kai's voice comes from behind me.
I turn to see him in the doorway. "How much did you hear?"
"All of it," Kai replies. "I don't know how to take care of her. She is so fucking stubborn. Every word that comes out of her mouth makes me crazy."
"Can I make a suggestion?" Dad interrupts.
We both turn and look in his direction.
"Be there for her, don't judge her, listen to her, tell her exactly how you feel about her," Dad makes a list on his fingers. "Spend time with her; don't just try to sleep with her."
"To be fair," Kai says. "You try being in the room with her and not fucking her."
"Dad is right," I reply. "We need to do a better job of showing her she is more than just a plaything, and we need to stop fighting with each other. We need to be a team."
"Alright, Golden Boy," Kai grumbles. "We will do it your way."
"We need to move her into the pack house," I tell Dad. "Make her feel like she is part of the pack. She is isolated in that cabin."
"Your mother won't be pleased," Dad says. "But I think you are right."