Page 26 of Betrayed Kidnapped Mate

It’s invigorating.

“Looks like someone needs practice,” Rosa says when she’s the first to capture a piece. My bishop. I watch as she grabs it and takes it off the board, moving it to her side.

“Good thing you’re here,” I say, and she falls silent again, chewing on her bottom lip.

I think about what Linnea said about apologizing, but my stomach twists at the idea of explaining myself to Rosa. First, I don’t think she would accept any excuse for disappearing the way I did. And second, the idea of admitting that her father scared me—that I’d backed down the second he made a threat—makes me feel like a coward.

Thinking back to that moment outside of her apartment with Amon’s cool scowl right in my face, I remember the terror I felt. This was the alpha of a very powerful pack. My pack was in an uproar after Varun killed Aris’s father and took over. It’s not like I had a lot of backup.

And Amon wasn’t threatening to kill me if I stayed. He was threatening to kill Rosa’s mother, Olivia. People who didn’t deserve retribution for my acts. How could I protect them all? How could I watch over all of Rosa’s sorority sisters and make sure Amon didn’t get his hands on a single one?

It had felt impossible. And I had felt alone.

But still—if I’d known Rosa was pregnant, I never would have left. Protecting my child would have been the most important thing to me. Olivia and the others would have understood that.

“Checkmate,” Rosa says, flicking her eyes up to me, and I realize I’ve been so lost in my thoughts that I’ve been moving my pieces on autopilot, playing a pretty shitty game.

“Well, shit,” I say, letting out a long breath. “Another?”

Rosa looks at me for a long moment, then shakes her head, pushing against the table to get to her feet.

“Goodnight, Bigby,” she says before turning on her heel and walking down the hallway to their bedroom. I watch her nightgown flutter before she shuts the door.

I sit at the chess table for a long moment, then I stand and walk into my own bedroom. My body hates me for not following her down the hallway, taking her in my arms. I want nothing more than to slant my mouth over hers and bring her back to my bed.

Shutting the door behind me, I make my way to my bed in the dark, thinking about Aris and what he was like when he and Linnea were blood-bonded. I remember finding him out in the forest, looking practically feral, and I was afraid that if I sent him back to his cabin, he would do something he regretted.

He and Linnea were endgame. That was obvious. But she needed some time to come around, to see that he was a different person than he was back in high school when he bullied her relentlessly.

Rosa and I are endgame, too. I can feel it in my blood, and our mating bond grows stronger every day. I just need to give her time to come around to it.

I settle into bed, trying to breathe deeply to fall asleep, but inevitably, my hand travels south again. I’m thinking about Rosa, and thinking about her, then dreaming about her.

Chapter 14 - Rosa

Kaila is gone again the next morning.

This time, I rouse myself slowly, then get to my feet and wander out into the living room. Once again, Kaila is sitting on the counter while Bigby cooks, but this time, omelets. When he sees me, he serves one up in front of me, then says, “California style,” with a wink as he slides a few slices of avocado on the top.

“Good morning, dear,” I say to Kaila, who opens her mouth for a bite of my omelet. “Have you eaten yet this morning?”

“She had an omelet,” Bigby says, “but I can make another if she wants.”

“No, I’m full,” Kaila says, opening her mouth for another bite of mine. Kaila always looks adorable in the morning, her blonde hair—the exact shade as mine—mussed from sleep, the imprints of the blanket still wrinkled on her cheeks.

“If you’re so full, why are you eating my food?” I laugh, and Kaila shrugs, grinning through her bite.

“Tastes better when it's someone else’s.”

This makes Bigby chuckles, and I shake my head, pulling my plate away from her. When Bigby laughs like that, I see Kaila. When Kaila wrinkles her nose at me, I see Bigby. It’s too much.

“Why don’t you go take a shower?” I say, gaze flicking to Bigby, who’s moving the pan to the sink and wiping down the counters.

Kaila grumbles but eventually goes, and Bigby and I are alone in the kitchen. I swallow, trying to keep my eyes on my eggs instead of tracking to his biceps as he washes the pan in the sink.

“I’d like to go back to the compound today,” I say, trying to keep my voice as even as possible. Bigby looks over at me sharply, and I can see he’s already going to protest, so I keep going.

“I’m assuming security has increased, and Byron is still working hard to figure out who the intruder was. I saw those people down there, Bigby. I know I can help.”

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