True Mates

Chapter 4

Kyler

Kyler walked to the packhouse at a clipped pace. Ensley was going to be his undoing. The moments he spent with her were like rays of sunshine shining just on him. The way she looked at him as if he were her everything, he knew he wasn't. Her touch made him feel things he never felt before, and honestly, it scared him. He could be honest with himself. His mom leaving and his dad dying made him want to be untouchable. Ensley, though, touched his heart in a way that left him reeling emotionally. He was twenty-two years old and while he knew one day, he would find his mate; he was just not prepared to discover her as someone else's intended mate. The fact she was in love with someone else bothered him to no end. It was not even the pull of being Maddox's mate that drew her to him. She loved Maddox for himself and that somehow made it worse.

"Kyler, wait up." Chase jogged up to him. "Are you ready for our meeting?"

"Yeah. I want to go over all the aspects of the mines with Jackson before we meet with Ensley's grandfather tomorrow." Kyler glanced over at Chase. "I wonder what he knows about the situation with Black Flint." He also wondered how her grandfather knew Jackson was their pack attorney. Martin Mason may be a human, but he seemed very informed about werewolf packs and how they operate. Most humans did not even know there were werewolf packs.

"His attorney called Jackson the day after you found Ensley. He gave little away to Jackson, only the basics of the meeting and he relayed that all to you." Chase said. "By the way, Hannah, said at lunch that you and Ensley are getting on better."

"Not really. I still can't get over the fact she is in love with someone else." Kyler said.

"Come on, man. She didn't do it on purpose." Chase admonished him. "Hannah said she is great, and they had fun on their shopping trip. She really likes her. Maybe you would too if you got to know her."

"I like her fine. Ensley isn't the problem. It is who she loves." Kyler said.

"Hannah said she smelled like you." Chase raised his eyebrows at him.

"It was not my doing. She said it was just from being in my house." Kyler shrugged. "Drop it. I need to focus on the meeting." They walked inside the packhouse and back to Kyler's office.

After the long meeting, Kyler shifted and ran along his pack lines. He stopped often to talk with pack members, sometimes shifting, other times not, and conversing with the mind link. He asked about their concerns, but mostly they just congratulated him on finding his Luna. They were genuinely happy for him and Ensley. He wished he were as happy about it as they were. Kyler went back to his office to hang out until he thought Ensley had gone to bed. He had ignored the sad and unsettled feelings he could feel coming from Ensley. It was just the pull of them being mates. She didn't really miss him, Kyler. He yanked off his clothes and jumped in the shower. Afterward, he fell into bed. He smelled Ensley everywhere. She had been in his bed. That is why she smelled like him earlier. Mates need to be close to each other and since he pushed her away, she had done the only thing she could to feel like she was with him. Man, what was he going to do with her?

Ensley

The next morning was the same as all the others. Kyler had left the house before she woke up. Ensley was getting bored with the sameness of her days. She walked down to Hannah's house.

"Good morning!" Ensley called out. Hannah was sitting on her front porch, eating a muffin and drinking coffee.

"Hi! What to join me?" Hannah asked as she rose to go inside to get Ensley a mug of coffee and a muffin. Handing the items to Ensley, Hannah said. "I baked them myself. The coffee is decaf." She rubbed her pregnant belly.