Page 32 of Betrayed Kidnapped Mate

“Hey,” Linnea says, holding up a lunch box with a unicorn on it. “I thought I’d bring you lunch.”

“Do I get to keep the lunch box?”

“Araya might fight you if you try,” Linnea laughs, gesturing for me to follow her out. I take off my lab coat and wash my hands before following Linnea out to a little area with tables. Byron accepts a wrap from her and sits at a different table, completely enthralled in his work.

“How have things been going, staying with Bigby?”

I take a bite of my food so I don’t have to answer right away. While I chew, I try to think of a way to answer without saying I want to rip his clothes off, and it’s killing me.

“Well,” I say, after swallowing, “he’s very clean.”

“That’s it?” Linnea laughs, “Just clean?”

“He also makes breakfast.”

Linnea laughs, which makes me laugh, and a moment later, we’re both sighing together.

“In all seriousness,” Linnea says when I go in for another bite. “Bigby is a good man. When we were here—well, I told you I would tell you the story. So here it is. Aris was a total ass in high school—and not in a cute way. He was a bully, and a lot of the stuff he said back then has stuck with me, even now.”

I stare at her.

“How could you be with someone who made you feel like that?”

“He apologized—I realized he’s a different man now. A man, for one thing, instead of a boy. He learned from his mistakes, and he’s stronger for it. I think it was learning to apologize that actually made him ready to be the alpha of the Rosecreek pack.”

“Yeah, but being a bully is one thing. Abandoning your girlfriend because she’s pregnant?”

Linnea rears back, putting her hand to her mouth.

“I can’t believe he knew that. It doesn’t line up at all with who he is.”

“Yeah, well, believe it. He was taking the trash out, and then he never came back. It doesn’t take a genius to realize he saw one of my many positive pregnancy tests in the garbage and realized it was his last chance to get out.”

“Do you think the years apart may have made it easier for you to twist Bigby into something he’s not?”

“Linnea,” I say, taking a deep breath. I put my hand on hers, trying not to get angry. “Do you remember how you felt, when you were pregnant? Bloated, disgusting, fat, angry, hungry, tired, exhausted? Now, imagine what it would have been like if, right before you were going to tell Aris about the pregnancy, he had left. Imagine if not only did you have to go through all those terrible things alone, but you also did it with the knowledge that the person you loved most in the world didn’t actually love you at all.”

To my surprise, Linnea is looking at me with tears in her eyes.

“Sorry,” she says, choking a little on the word. “I—as Luna, I just feel my pack-mates emotions strongly.”

“I’m not your pack-mate.”

“Oh,” she says, blinking and wiping at her eyes. When she looks up at me, there’s something curious in her eyes, and a bolt of panic pushes through me. How long does it take to integrate into a new pack? Kaila and I have been living here for a few weeks now—is my scent starting to change? Is Linnea starting to sense my emotions because she’s starting to become my luna?

“I can feel Bigby’s emotions for you, too,” Linnea says after a long moment. “And all I feel there is love. And guilt. I wish the two of you would talk. For Kaila’s sake.”

“For Kaila’s sake,” I mutter, taking another massive bite of my wrap. I think about Bigby and the way he acts with Kaila. I’m beginning to wonder if I know what’s best for either of us anymore.

Chapter 17 - Bigby

Lisa’s apartment is an homage to everything about her—the kitchen is fully stocked with every kind of ingredient, including squid ink and fresh lavender. There’s a wall with a peg board featuring every size and shape of pan, and the kitchen still smells like freshly baked bread.

There are muffins and scones on the counter, which look like they were baked the day before. The oven is cold, and the fridge has cream and butter. A cat purrs as I hold her in my hands, petting her under the chin.

A coffee cup sits on the counter, the cream congealed on the top.

But no, Lisa.

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