Chapter 70

KATHERINE.

In my entire life, I’d never felt as stupid as I did since I found out Theo and Lenore were cousins. I wished the ground would swallow me up.

“Oh, come on. Stop looking so tormented,” Tiffany said as she nudged me. “You made a mistake. Anyone could have.”

That was the thing; no one else had. I was the only one that had said that to them. And after she said he was her cousin, my dumbass had said, “You’re dating your cousin?!” That had made Josie laugh even harder while Lenore and Theo just walked off. There was also the fact that I wouldn’t have made that mistake if I had actually been completely focused whenever we – Lenore, Priyanka, Josie, and I – had conversations because it turned out that they had actually mentioned it a couple of times.

Theo wasn’t just her cousin. He was practically her brother because they’d grown up together in the same house and big brain Katherine accused them of having a brother-sister relationship. Pretty sure they both found me immensely weird now.

I’d already apologized to Lenore for ‘that’ assumption and for how I’d behaved two days ago and the past week, and I didn’t know if she believed the excuse I had given her for my behavior but she’d told me it was fine. Part of me told me she didn’t mean that because I had been incredibly rude to her while the other part told me I was just projecting. I didn’t know which to believe but I couldn’t help but wonder who she was getting married to then.

‘Nosy Katya.’

I heaved a sigh before Tiffany nudged me again and I glanced at her. I was heading to the parking lot with her, Helena, Kit and Aunt Vivian because the last public event for the day had already ended and it was time for guests to start heading home. I didn’t want them to leave – we’d only spent a couple of days together – but the anniversary had ended so they had to.

“Have you apologized to her?” Helena asked and I nodded, remembering how it went. After that conversation in the pool room yesterday, I didn’t see her till afternoon today – she didn’t spend the night in our room – and when I approached her, she gave me a small frown. It had thrown me off because I’d never been on the receiving end of that before but I’d deserved it. After I apologized, she replied with a blank expression on her face and that was why I wasn’t sure if she’d accepted it.

“What did she say?

“That it was fine,” I replied – seriously, that was all that she said before walking away – and Helena raised a brow.

“...That’s all?”

“What else do you want her to say?” Tiffany asked and Helena shrugged before her gaze slid over to Aunt Vivian and Kit who were walking ahead of us while the corner of my mouth twitched. It was clear that she wanted me to fix my relationship with Lenore and get closer to her so I could bring up the pack alliance, and though it was a bit annoying because the council members were beginning to bother me for the same reason, I liked that she was just looking out for our pack.

“I’ll talk to her tonight,” I said and Helena's brows lifted as she faced me once more. “Not about the alliance. Just… normal talk.”

“Okay.”

“What about the other ‘issue’?” Tiffany cut in and it took me a little while to realize what she meant by issue was me finding my mate and I pursed my lips. I’d been hoping Theo wouldn’t be my mate and telling myself he couldn’t be because of my assumptions and now that I’d been wrong, he was now back up as a potential mate, so I was back to square one in my mate search… Not like I left square one in the first place.

“I don’t know,” I sighed and she gave me a sympathetic look before rubbing my shoulder while Helena’s eyes twinkled.

“So many hot men. Which one shall Katherine choose?”

That drew a laugh out of me and I reached out to smack her but she moved out of my reach before I could. Moments later, we got to the parking lot and my mood immediately dampened before we got to Aunt Vivian’s car which she’d brought yesterday.

“So,” I muttered as we all came to a stop next to it. “I guess this is it.”

“Aww, she misses us already,” Helena said before she and Tiffany wrapped me up in a hug and I groaned even though their warmth made me feel a bit better. “Don’t worry. We’ll come visit you during weekends.”

“Where are you gonna get a car?”

“I have my ways,” she replied, wiggling her fingers in front of my face before I moved my attention to Kit. The sad expression on his face made my heart tighten in my chest and I lowered myself so we were at the same eye level.

“When are you going to come visit?” he muttered, his bottom lip quivering, and I knew that if he began to cry, I would ‘not’ leave him.

“When do you want me to?”

‘Tomorrow,” he replied without hesitation and I smiled before brushing his hair away from his eyes.

“I can’t come tomorrow.”

He looked heavenward, taking several moments to think after I said that and when he finally returned his gaze to me, he said, “The day after?”

My smile grew wider at that and the corners of his mouth turned up a bit. “I’ll come soon.”

“Promise?” He held out his pinky finger.

“Promise.” I locked my pinky with his and his smile widened a bit before I kissed his forehead. I spent the next couple of minutes exchanging goodbyes with my family and friends and when they finally got into the vehicle and drove off, I didn’t stop waving at them – especially Kit – till they were out of sight.

I let out a harsh breath as a somber mood immediately settled over me when I couldn’t see them again and I took a few moments to myself before leaving the parking lot. Now that most of the guests were gone, campus seemed less lively and I didn’t know what to do. Should I go back to my room or should I keep walking around till the moon replaced the sun in the sky?

My answer ended up being neither as my gaze fell on the Art Faculty and I remembered there was going to be an art auction tonight. One that Hunter would be at.

I’d barely talked to him recently and since the sun was already setting, that meant the art auction would be starting soon. That meant he wouldn't be busy painting anything.

I walked over to the building and immediately made my way over to where the art auction was held, following the signs that were placed in the hallway to help people find it. Two men were standing on each side of the door while red stanchion ropes and posts were used to block off the door and the path leading to it, and since it was a private event, I knew I wouldn’t be able to just walk in.

I was about to turn around and head back to my room when I spotted Hunter walking into a room that only had one guard stationed at the door and my lips instantly curved into a smile.