They Took Turns Pretending to Be My Mate Chapter 05

They Took Turns Pretending to Be My Mate Chapter 05

After I got Lola settled, I carried her wooden box to the gate outside Kane and Kyle’s house.

They were things Lola had once treasured.

I did not want to leave them behind in the empty house.

Once the Council reassigned the house to another she-wolf, everything in the box would simply be thrown out as trash.

After thinking it over, I decided to return it.

I bent down and had just begun lowering the box when the door suddenly opened.

Kyle stood in the doorway.

The moment he saw me, his entire body went rigid.

“E-Ella?”

He stammered, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the doorframe.

One look at his panicked expression told me everything.

Kane must have warned him not to show himself while Kane was out, in case anyone saw him.

I had no interest in exposing him.

I simply held out the box.

Kyle took it instinctively.

He glanced down and recognized Lola’s belongings.

His Adam’s apple bobbed before he asked hoarsely, “What does this mean?”

“Lola said some of the things inside were broken.”

“She wants you to fix them for her.”

It was a lie.

But Kyle looked dazed for a moment and actually believed me.

I quietly studied his lowered eyes and suddenly felt as though I were looking at a stranger.

During all those years, had I loved Kane or Kyle?

I doubted even I could tell anymore.

Perhaps I had loved them both in equal measure.

But none of it mattered now.

“Kyle.”

I suddenly called his name.

The familiar yet unfamiliar sound was quickly swallowed by the night wind.

Kyle looked up blankly, as though he had not heard me clearly.

I did not dwell on it and continued, “I’ll come back for the box after you fix everything.”

That was another lie.

I would never come back.

Kyle’s eyes brightened, and he nodded immediately.

“No problem.”

“If you’re busy, I can bring it over myself.”

I looked at him and smiled without saying anything.

Then I turned and walked away.

I had no idea that behind me, his amber eyes remained fixed on my back, unblinking.

I did not know how long I had been walking when Lola spotted me from a distance and came running excitedly.

She grabbed my hand.

“Mommy, come on!”

“I made a new friend. I want you to meet him!”

She nearly pulled me off balance as she dragged me into the last converted truck in the convoy.

A tall werewolf leaned against the side of the cargo compartment.

A black half mask concealed much of his face, drawing attention to his high-bridged nose and deep-set eyes. His unusually icy-blue gaze swept over me without expression.

Then he lowered his eyes and continued working the scarlet cord through his fingers.

Lola crouched in front of him, watching in fascination as the cord took on different shapes between his hands.

The grizzled convoy leader leaned inside with his pipe between his teeth and counted the passengers.

“Everyone here?”

“If so, we’re leaving.”

The convoy slowly began to move.

Lola clutched the butterfly the werewolf had braided for her from the scarlet cord and settled against me.

I watched the last sliver of sunlight vanish beyond Southridge Pass, then lowered my head and kissed my pup’s forehead.

I wanted neither Kane nor Kyle anymore.

From that moment on, it would be only Lola and me.