Kaden POV
It has been a week since Raven and her mates left, and Tish hasn't been the same. She has become reclusive and, frankly, a little mean. She goes to bed hours before Kai and me and then disappears from the bed in the middle of the night. We often wake to find her on the couch in the living room.
I have tried to call Raven and ask her what she said to Tish to make her withdraw from us, but she isn't taking my calls. Oliver and Leo are being frustratingly tight lipped about the whole situation. Kai and I are at a loss for what to do.
The pack members are starting to talk. I hear murmurs echoing through the pack house about problems in our relationship, but they quickly stop their conversations when Kai or I come into the room. We have tried to talk to Tish but she assures us that everything is fine and quickly changes the subject.
I wince against the sunlight peeking through the window, and the bed beside me feels cold. She is gone again. I sit up and rub the heels of my palms against my eyes, and Kai clears his throat. "I think she is planning on leaving."
"She wouldn't," I answer him, but I am not sure I believe myself.
"She is packing a bag," he tells me. "It is hidden in Macy's room."
"How…" I begin, but Kai silences me with a single finger.
Tish comes into the bedroom and stares at us both. Her hair is a mess, and there are dark circles under her eyes.
"Where did you sleep last night?" I ask her.
"Why are you worried?" She snaps back at me. "If I betrayed the bond, you would have felt it."
It is like a kick to the chest. Her words knock the air out of me, and I am unable to look at her. She stalks into the bathroom and shuts the door behind her, making it clear that we are not invited. I may be stunned, but Kai is pissed. He isn't as easily deterred.
He tries to twist the doorknob, but it is locked. A growl rumbles in his chest before he kicks the door in. Tish doesn't scream or look shocked. She glances over her shoulder and rolls her eyes at him. She tries to get into the shower, but Kai is faster than she is. Grabbing her by the arm, he pushes her against the bathroom wall and cages her in with his arms.
I am instantly on my feet. It has been years since Kai has hurt Tish, but the threat is still in the back of my mind. I dart into the bathroom, but Kai shoots me a warning look before turning his attention back to Tish.
He runs his fingers down her bare arm, and she shivers under his touch. She is unable to resist the tingles of the mate bond, and her arousal begins to permeate the air, but she keeps her face neutral.
Kai leans in and rubs his nose up her neck, but she still doesn't move. She stands with her hands balled up into fists at her sides and glares over Kai's shoulder. She is not giving in today.
Finally, Kai steps away from her, and she lets out a heavy sigh. "If you aren't happy here, maybe you should leave," he spits at her.
"That is exactly what you would think," she snaps back at him.
"What else are we supposed to think?" I respond calmly. "You are always gone. You won't talk to us. We are worried about you."
"Just leave me alone," she groans.
"Macy stays with us," Kai growls. "She needs to grow up with her kind. Not humans."
Tish turns on us both with vigor in her eyes. Her cheeks are red with anger, and her green eyes are filling with tears. "God forbid she be raised by a familiar."
"Tish," I say softly. "That is not what he meant."
"Of course not," she screams as she gets into the shower. "Just leave me alone. I have places to be."
"Where might that be?" Kai challenges her.
She sticks her head out of the shower, her face wet with tears. "I am going to the bar if you must know. Don't bother waiting up."
Kai and I leave the bathroom. Both of us feel defeated. We shouldn't have started a fight with her. Now, she will have even more reason to leave.
"What are we going to do?" I ask in a voice low enough that she cannot hear.
Kai doesn't answer. Instead, he picks up her phone off the bedside table. He tries her usual code to unlock it, but she has changed it. "She is hiding something," he mumbles as he carefully slips the phone cover off. He adheres a tiny sticker to the back of the phone before sliding the cover back on.
"What was that?" I ask.
"GPS tracking," he whispers. "In case she turns off her location, we will still be able to find her."
"Smart," I sigh, wishing that we didn't have to go to these lengths.
"I can't lose her," Kai almost whimpers. "Not again. I would go to the ends of the Earth to get her back."
We hear the shower turn off, and Kai quickly places the phone back where he found it and moves into the closet to get dressed, and I do the same. We wait inside the closet until Tish has dressed and left the room.
Kai holds a finger to his lips and sneaks out of the room after her while I wait. He returns only moments later with Macy in his arms. She has a bright smile on her face, but it drops when she sees how upset Kai and I are.
"She took the bag," Kai whispers.
"What bag?" Macy asks.
"Nothing, Sweetheart," I say, taking her from Kai's arms. "Let's go get you some breakfast."
I look to see if Kai is going to join us, but he is staring at his phone. He is undoubtedly already stalking Tish's location.