The Wrong Mate (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Nine

Kane was early. There were no cars parked outside of Tyler's house, that was the first clue. The second was that when he knocked on the door, Tyler opened it without a shirt on, holding a bowl in one hand and a wooden spoon wedged between his fingers. Tyler's white hair was a mess on top of his head. Kane was early, but he didn't know why.

"You told me to come at six, right?" Kane asked. He peered over Tyler's shoulder and sure enough, the house was empty. He had half expected to see their friends all hanging out in the living room but instead it was just Tyler's dog, a yellow lab, lounging on the sofa. "I must have gotten the time wrong," he muttered, his eyes still on the happily lounging dog.

"You're right on time," Tyler said, much to Kane's surprise.

Tyler ushered him into the kitchen, where it seemed that five things were all cooking at once in different places. There were pots on the stove, steam coming out of two of them. The kitchen was warm, due to the oven that looked to be full, although Kane couldn't make out through the dark glass exactly what goodies were baking. Tyler pushed him into one of the stools and then stood on the opposite side of the kitchen counter, stirring away.

Kane folded his arms across the benchtop. "Are you going to explain why I'm the only one here and you're definitely not dressed for company?"

Tyler's eyes were still on whatever he was stirring vigorously. "Everyone else is coming at seven," Tyler explained. "I asked you to come early."

Kane looked at him with eyes that asked the question, but Tyler was too busy to notice. Realising his eyes weren't speaking loud enough, Kane spoke the words. "Why exactly?"

Tyler's hand paused. "Oh," he muttered. "I have a thousand questions for you, that's why."

"What's number one?"

"What happened Saturday night?" Tyler asked pointedly. He pushed the bowl away from him and lent with his elbows on the counter. His eyes didn't waver from Kane's stare. "Last I hear, you're an emotional wreck and you don't want anything to do with your mate, and then suddenly word gets around that you introduced Nora to your parents yesterday and you're leaving soon to meet her pack. You can understand why, as your friend, I am wondering what the heck is going on."

"Oh," Kane said, as if that answered all of his friend's questions.

"Oh?" Tyler smiled. "That's all you have to say?"

Kane explained the situation, from his realisations in the shower to the awkward breakfast with Adam and then to the parental introductions and even to the small talk they had made the night before, in Kane's bed. His first night with a girl in his bed. It had felt weird, looking over at her and suddenly expecting to see Wyatt there. Kane didn't tell any of that to Tyler, however. It would be too weird. He thought of what Heath had said, mates fall in the love the second they see each other, that's the deal. What did it mean that he was still thinking about Wyatt?

After the story was over, Tyler took a moment to absorb it all. Before he had time to comment, however, the oven chimed and he then spent the next few minutes stirring pasta and readjusting the oven temperature. When he returned to Kane, he only had one question.

"Do you love her?"

Kane hated the question. He wished that Tyler would have asked a better one. Do you want to be with her? Yes. Do you want to get to know her? Yes. Do you WANT to love her? Yes. However, the question he chose to ask didn't have such a simple answer. Or maybe it did, and Kane didn't want to admit that.

"I just met her," he replied, knowing full well that he had just opened a can of worms. He could have lied. He wished that he did.

"I'm worried about you," Tyler whispered, almost as if he was afraid of the words. "I don't understand-"