"Are you sure you want to tell me? Don't feel obligated."
"No, not at all. Are you sure you want to know? I don't want you to hate me or be afraid of me afterward."
I thought about it. I have a good opinion of Gadreel, and I care about him. He's been good to me, keeping me grounded and taking care of me. I wouldn't want to hate him, to be honest.
"I'll give you time to think it over," I said. "Right now, I just want to enjoy the moment."
"Okay."
•
After spending a few hours with Gadreel up on the mountain, we returned home. Gadreel dropped me off at the door.
"See you tomorrow, bunny," he winked at me, turning and walking away. I entered the house, and as I was about to climb the stairs, I found Kayler standing at the bottom, waiting for me.
"Bunny?"
"What do you want, Kayler?" I climbed the stairs, passing by him. "I'm not in the mood."
"Don't worry, your mother and Mike will stay at Mike's place. We're alone. Kylie wanted to stay with her tonight."
"And so what?" I walked to my room and went inside.
"It means we have time and privacy to talk about all this," he followed me, locking the door. I turned to look at him.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"You won't escape from me this time," he put the key in his pocket. "I want us to talk. Did you take the toothbrushes or not?"
I rolled my eyes.
"Kayler, what's the big deal?" I sighed. "Fine, yes, I took them."
"For the DNA test?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "Does it bother you? Or are you scared?"
"No, Carolina, I'm not scared. Want to know a secret?"
"Tell me."
"I took the test a long time ago, and I know the result."
I furrowed my brow and looked at him incredulously. What did he say? He knew the result of the test and hadn't even told me anything. What game was he playing?
"What are you talking about?"
Then I remembered that he's Kayler Brown, and if he had doubts, he wouldn't just sit idle. It had seemed strange to me why he hadn't done a DNA test to find out if Kylie was his daughter, so why hadn't he told me? If that was what kept us apart, did it turn out that she is his daughter? There must be a reason he keeps seeing her, why he hasn't confronted Piper, why he still treats her like his daughter. The answer was right in front of me, right under my nose.
Kylie is his daughter.
Tears welled up in my eyes at that moment. I wanted to cry, to break down right there because once again I felt betrayed. This relationship has become a torment for me, a source of pain and suffering. My vision turned red, and I felt so dizzy that I had to hold onto the desk.
"What's wrong with you?" Kayler tried to touch me, but I didn't let him. Instead, I looked him straight in the eyes. Maybe we're beyond saving.
"Don't touch me, Kayler Brown," I snapped.
He seemed hurt.
"Carolina... Is it because of the test?"
"No, of course not! Yes, it is! You knew Kylie is your daughter, and that's why you didn't want to tell me. Of course, now that you know I investigated on my own, you had to confess. You'll always be a terrible liar," I turned around, wanting to leave there. I don't want to be under the same roof as Kayler.
"Carolina, wait!" He grabbed my arms and made me turn to face him. "Let me explain things, please. I know the result of the test, and you will know it too when you get yours. I didn't say anything because I had to experience something with you. I had to know if you would accept me, whether or not I had a daughter. Stop judging me. You have no idea the things I've had to keep quiet to protect you. This is one of them."
"I don't understand."
"Yes, Carolina, you're in danger."
"I've been in danger since I met you," I said, and immediately regretted it.
"You shouldn't say those things, Carolina. All I've tried to do is protect you with my life, put your happiness above mine, and love you." His eyes welled up with tears, but he held them back.
Don't do that, Kayler! I'm weak when Kayler Brown cries. I can't control myself, and my instinct is to embrace him so he doesn't suffer. I guess it has to do with being mates. You can't bear to see your mate suffer. We're weak when it comes to their pain and tears.
I don't want to do it, but this time my body, my inner wolf, is in control. I approached him and hugged him to comfort him. I rubbed his back, breathed in his scent, and held him tight, as if wanting to become a part of him. Kayler also held me tight, as if he didn't want to let go.
"You feel it, don't you? We can't be apart. We have an inexplicable connection. Trust me just once in your life, Carolina. If you give me time and wait for your results, you'll understand, and then we'll sit down and clarify everything. I want you to know that I've never let you down. That's the only thing I can tell you."
A solitary tear rolled down my left eye, traveled down my cheek, and fell onto Kayler's shirt. I need a lot of willpower to accept this. But, I have nothing to lose anymore.
"Okay," I accepted. "In a week, we'll define our future." I stepped back to look at him.
"Thank you, sweetheart. Can I call you 'kitten'?"
I shook my head.
"Gadreel calls you 'bunny'."
I shrugged. I couldn't speak because of the lump in my throat.
"Whatever," I replied. "What did Mom say?" I wiped away my tears.
"She'll bring Kylie in the morning." Kayler started tidying up my bed. It was late, and I was exhausted. I can't believe how bipolar I've become. "Does it bother you that she went with your mother?"
"No," I replied, and then I remembered what Gadreel had told me about Piper. "Hey, Gadreel told me that Piper found out you're living here with Kylie and she's coming over. I guess you have problems."
"Why?" He took off his clothes, leaving only his boxers. "She decided to leave, and I can take Kylie wherever I want."
I nodded, grabbing my pajamas.
—But she'll want to take it out on me," I said, taking off my clothes without caring if Kayler saw me in my underwear. He has seen through me, down to my soul. "As always, I don't know what the hell they have against me," I rolled my eyes. I put on my pajamas and lay down next to him.
"They're jealous of you, Carolina. I don't want to sound arrogant, but they would love to be with me, and they know that the only person I love is you."
That made me feel unique and special.
"That's too bad," I snuggled under the covers. It was starting to rain outside.
"Don't worry about Piper. She can't take Kylie away. We'll spend the week here while you make a decision."
"Okay."
"Why do you hate Kylie?"
"You're mistaken. I don't hate Kylie. It's just that when I see her, I'm reminded that you slept with Piper right after we broke up," it sent shivers down my spine.
He smiled.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Because you're jealous. You can't stand another woman in my arms," he boasted, and that made me angry.
"You better shut up, or else..."
"Or else what?"
"You'll be sleeping on the couch."
"Carolina, soon you'll realize the truth," he got closer to me and hugged me. "For now, show me that you would accept me even if I had made that mistake."
I didn't understand what he meant by that, but it seemed like he was trying to give me hints or signals. Could it be...? That betrayal was the only thing keeping us apart.
"We'll see, Kayler Brown."
"Learn to forgive, Carolina. It's not good to hold grudges in your heart. Think about what would happen if I were to die in battle. What would you do then?"
I imagined that scenario, and my heart constricted. I can't imagine a life without Kayler Brown, without the love of my life. If that were to happen, I'm sure I would wish for Kayler to be alive, and I wouldn't care about what happened in the past. I would simply accept him again and start anew together. It would be sad for something like that to happen for me to open my eyes and forgive. I imagine a future Carolina wanting to turn back time to this moment where I'm with Kayler and know how to make the most of it.
"I think I would die with you," I looked at him. "I can't imagine a life without you."
That made him happy, and it showed in his eyes.
"I love you," he came and kissed me on the lips. "I will always love you."
I hugged him tightly, in that moment I just enjoyed the moment and didn't think about the past. I want to leave all that behind.
•
The next morning, I woke up, and it was still raining outside. It seemed like it wouldn't stop. There were lightning and loud thunder. Kayler was peacefully asleep beside me. I gazed at his face, rubbed his head, and kissed him on the forehead.
"Good morning," he murmured with his eyes still closed. "Nice weather, don't you think?"
"It's very cold," I admitted.
"That's right. Perfect for hunting."
I chuckled.
"Yes."
"It's been a while since we did it together."
"I know."
However, the happiness didn't last long because I smelled Piper approaching.