Page 37 of Bite the Power
Kaidan set down his fork, memories surfacing with the familiar ache of old grief. "We lived in a small cabin until I was five. Simple life—my father worked as a hunter and tracker, my mother tended our home and the community's children when needed. Then the feud with Magnus's family escalated beyond normal clan rivalries."
He stared into the dancing flames, remembering fragments of shouting voices and his parents' hushed, worried conversations after they thought he'd fallen asleep.
"Magnus was ten at the time, old enough to understand what was happening when his father challenged mine for leadership after the king at the time had died unexpectedly with no living heir. The battle was brutal—not just physical, but political. When my father won, everything changed overnight. Suddenlywe were living in this palace, and I went from being just another clan kid to the future king."
"That must have been overwhelming," Tessa said softly. "Going from a normal childhood to royal expectations."
"My mother helped me adjust. She was... remarkable. Strong, compassionate, never let the palace formality change who she was." The familiar tightness gripped his chest. "She died when I was twelve. Pneumonia swept through the territory that winter, and even with our enhanced healing, she couldn't fight it off."
Tessa's hand found his, her fingers intertwining with his larger ones. The simple touch sent comfort through their bond that no words could have provided.
"And your father?"
"Stomach cancer, seven years ago. It moved fast—maybe three months from diagnosis to death. At least he didn't suffer long." Kaidan's voice roughened despite his efforts to stay composed. "I became king at twenty-eight, barely prepared for the responsibility. Sometimes I wonder if he would have handled Magnus differently, and found a way to avoid this current mess."
"I'm sorry you had to go through all that." Tessa's green eyes held genuine sympathy. "Losing parents when you're young changes everything."
Something in her tone made him study her face more carefully. "What about your family?"
"My parents died in a motorcycle accident when I was ten. Some driver ran a red light and..." She shrugged, but he could see the old pain in the set of her shoulders. "My grandmother raised me after that. She was fierce—probably where I got my stubborn streak from. She passed away two years ago from old age."
"So we're both orphans now," Kaidan said quietly, understanding settling between them like a missing puzzle piece clicking into place.
"Seems that way." Tessa managed a small smile. "Though I'm sure your royal orphan experience is probably more comfortable than my small-town version."
Kaidan's bear stirred with protective instincts as he realized what her admission meant. For two years, she'd been completely alone—no family, no support system beyond her friends. The thought of his strong, beautiful mate facing the world without anyone to care for her made his chest ache with fierce protectiveness.
She has me now,he thought.If she chooses to stay, she'll never be alone again.
But he couldn't pressure her with those thoughts. Instead, he had to keep showing her how much she meant to him, how well they fit together, and how much better both their lives could be as a partnership.
"What about your career?" he asked, wanting to understand every piece of her life.
Tessa's expression darkened, anger flashing in her green eyes. "I got let go from my senior research position at Washington University a few weeks ago. Apparently, another male scientist was 'more adept for the job' than I was."
"That's ridiculous," Kaidan growled, his own anger rising at the injustice. "You're brilliant—anyone spending five minutes with you can see that."
"The head scientist didn't think so. Made up some bullshit excuse because he couldn't handle having a woman on his team who was smarter than him and called him out on errors he wanted to ignore before publication." She forcefully stabbed her vegetables. "Typical male ego protecting itself."
"That man sounds like a terrible scientist," Kaidan said, meaning every word. The thought of anyone diminishing Tessa's capabilities made his protective instincts spike dangerously. "Though, his loss worked out in my favor. If you'd still beenworking there, you never would have been at that gala trying to find a new position."
"True." Tessa's anger faded into something more thoughtful. "I never would have bumped into Gerri Wilder."
"About Gerri..." Kaidan hesitated, knowing this revelation might complicate things but needing honesty between them. "She's a paranormal matchmaker. That's her actual business—the Paranormal Dating Agency. She matches shifters with their fated mates and has a one hundred percent success rate."
Tessa nearly choked on her wine. "What?"
"I know how it sounds?—"
"So Gerri set me up with you on purpose?" Tessa's voice rose with indignation. "Not really to help with Eli's research?"
"I don't think it's quite that way," Kaidan said carefully, recognizing the dangerous territory they'd entered. "Gerri operates in mysterious ways, but never harmfully or selfishly. She always tries to help others, and it just so happens that in the process, shifters find their fated mates in the women she introduces them to."
"That's... weird."
"Weird, but effective. Every shifter I know who's had Gerri involved in their life ended up completely happy with their mate. She has some kind of sixth sense about these things that can't be explained."
Tessa stared into the fire, processing this information. "I noticed 'Paranormal Dating Agency' on her business card but assumed it was a side gig or something."
