Page 17 of Twisted Mates

“Your office. It’s in the Shenandoah State Park, correct?” He doesn’t wait for me to answer. “I’ve already had my staff draft and send your resignation letter. They’ve informed me that your employer states you can get your personal effects today. We need to get that taken care of.”

I look at Kai again and his lips are parted like he wants to say something, but he is just as shocked as I am. I truly hope that’s the case.

“I’m sorry, what?” I hold up my hand when he starts to speak again. “No, Icomprehendyour words. But this doesn’t make sense. Why would I resign from my job?”

I workedreallyhard to get the job with the state of Virginia as an environmental scientist so soon after college. University wasn’t easy for me. Earning my Bachelors degree was something I was always determined to do, but with my ADHD, I had to work harder than many of my cohorts. To earn my 3.85 GPA,I had to study every night, make use of the tutoring center and accommodations, and stay on my medication like clockwork. When I went on leave for the cleansing ritual, it almost broke my heart. I had to lie to the people I’ve built not only professional relationships with, but friendships. The letter that was written for me by a shifter doctor stated I had a medical condition and my treatment for it would have me out of work for three months. I was scheduled to return next week and very much looking forward to it, and now I won’t be doing that. My job meant more to me than most people understand, and he just... took it away from me?

“Your focus needs to be here, with your people and your mate. From this point forward you only have one responsibility... bearing my son an heir.”

I dig my fingernails into the wooden arm of my chair, and I divert my gaze to the bookshelves lining the walls, the bay window behind the king regent’s desk, to the ornate burgundy rug beneath my feet. Looking a man in the face who just told me that my dream career is insignificant to my reproductive system is impossible. Suddenly, it’s like my worth as a person is equated to my ability to breed.

“Dad, what the fuck?”

My head snaps up, my eyes darting to Kai. I’ve never heard him talk back to his father like this before, but I have to admit, I'm glad he is right now because I truly have found myself speechless.

“Excuse me, son?” Clayton says, his eyes wide as if he can’t believe what he’s hearing.

“I said, what the fuck?” he repeats, reaching over and taking my hand as if he knows I’m about to lose my cool. I grip it gratefully and he continues. “How could you do this? Take it upon yourself to send in her resignation letter? This was not eversomething Mom talked about when she explained what it meant to find a mate.”

Clayton rolls his eyes. “Your mother romanticized everything about being mated. She never talked about the logistics of it or even the logistics of ruling this pack. Everything was just rainbows and hearts with her.”

I hate the way he’s talking about Olivia. It’s almost insulting, which is bizarre because all I’ve ever heard about her from Clayton are doting words. From the look on Kai’s face, he hates it even more.

“Don’t talk about her like that,” he says in a voice hardly above a whisper.

“It’s the truth, Malakai. And don’t take that tone with me. You’re not king yet.”

“And Alexia isn’t queen yet either! There is no reason for you to have done what you did!” Kai exclaims, jumping to his feet and letting go of my hand. “You have to take it back. Email them and retract it.”

Clayton slowly stands, coming around his desk to stand directly in front of Kai. “Are you telling me what to do?” he asks in a low, deadly voice that for a moment, terrifies me.

And for the first time I’ve seen, Kai looks scared of his father.

“No, I just?—”

“I didn’t think so. Now, take your mate to gather her things so this can be over and done with.”

I swallow and say, “I’d just like to go on the record as saying I’m not okay with this. My job is really important to me. If you needed me here physically with Kai some days, I’m sure we could have worked that out. But not giving me an option about my future is unacceptable.” I’m struggling to maintain my composure when I am screaming on the inside. My entire body is quaking with anger and the impulse to unleash that rage on Clayton.

Clayton strikes me with an icy stare and remains unnerved. “I’m sorry you feel that way. Perhaps you should take your grievances up with the goddess. She’s the one who mated you after all.” His nostrils flare as he sniffs the air and turns back to Kai. “While you’re at it, complete your mating bond. She lacks your scent. Claim her as yours, Malakai.”

Kai springs from his chair and grips my hand, pulling me to my feet. “We will take care of Alexia’s job but stay the hell out of our sex life.”

We say nothing to one another as we stalk down the hallway. Kai is seething, his body shaking and breath ragged. I don’t blame him. If it weren’t for my embarrassment about the last thing Clayton said, I would be just as physically enraged as him.

We march down the stairs, and Kai grabs his keys from a decorative bowl that sits on the console table behind the couch. He pulls me toward the front door with a desperation to leave this house that matches my own.

Xander jumps up from the overstuffed chair in the corner of the living room. “What the hell is going on?”

“Dad sent a resignation letter on Alexia’s behalf to her job. She needs to get her stuff from her office,” Kai says in a clipped tone.

“What?” Xander looks at me with confusion written on his face.

Tension builds in the air. The last thing I want to do is make this matter worse. Getting these guys more riled up will do nothing to fix this, so I work to de-escalate it. “It’s fine. I have responsibilities. I can’t fulfill them and work a nine to five at the same time.” I don’t believe a word of it, but what’s done is done at this point.

“Fuck that!” Xander squares his shoulders and makes for the stairs.

I grab his bicep to stop him. “Please, just leave it alone.”