His Clever Mate (Book 3: The 'His' Series)

: No Way!

Kaia POV

I’m in my bathroom, doing my skincare routine. I'm putting everything in motion tomorrow. It’s time. The sooner I can get this done, the better. Then I can go back to Blackstone and be free of the suffocating presence or lack thereof in my life.

I always thought Sinclair and I had similar but different lives. We both want to be wanted. We both had shit father’s growing up. We both want to belong. It’s the same circumstances but different forms.

She was bounced from foster home to foster home and ultimately landing in a shit environment with her last foster family. Chad, Candy and the fucking dad, Conrad. They never treated her right. She was always the outcast.

Then in my life, being given gift after gift, but no time with my own father. I rarely saw him growing up. The only time I could get his attention was if I did something bad. So, I would get in trouble…a lot. I did it on purpose so my dad would come and stay with me for a while. My mom died when I was young, but she wasn’t present when she was alive either. All I had left was my dad, and he barely tolerated me. Most days, I was left alone with no one to hang out with and no one to care about me.

By the time I turned eighteen, he arranged for me to get married to my husband. I thought, maybe this could work. Maybe if he got to know me, he would like me and want me. But no. Another disappointment. He never wanted me. Not once. Instead, he rarely comes home. Only when I ask him to come and wait for a repairman or something while I went on a job, would he come. He would only come under this roof if I wasn’t under this roof. So, tomorrow, I will ask him to come and wait for the cable repairman. Then I will sneak in and do my thing.

My phone starts ringing. It’s Sinclair. “Hey girlie. So, how is mated life?” I teased.

“I wouldn’t know. You are his mate. Not me.” She said.

“What?” I said. Even I hear the shock in my voice. I was certain it would be Sinclair. Why would he get paired with me? He doesn’t even like me.

“Just as you heard. We saw each other and nothing. I am not his mate. You are, Kaia.” She repeated.

“I may not be his mate either.” I said, still in denial.

“Really? Thalia told me he even went into our room. By the way, your unique scent for him is coconut and jasmine.” She said flatly.

I shake my head, willing myself to snap out of it. “Are you okay? I thought for sure you wanted to be mated to him.”

“Kaia, I have told you over and over again, even before we turned, he was always looking at you. Not in a normal way. Like a man should look at a woman. He is interested. I’m sure of it.” She said. “That’s why I didn’t want it to be me. He didn’t look at me the way he looked at you.”

“So, what do I do?” I said. My head is spinning. How could it be me?

“Why not call him. Text him. Something. He was not happy that you weren’t going to be around for a few months. He asked me why and I told him it wasn’t my story to tell.”

“I appreciate that. I don’t want to tell him anything about my current situation.” I said.

I hear her sigh, “You know you can’t keep him in the dark forever, right? He’s your mate. He is going to find out. Besides, he already knows you are married. He will have questions. Better to come clean and see where things go.” Sinclair said. “Also, remember, you wanted to turn so you could have a mate. You have one now. Don’t screw it up.”

“You’re right. I know you’re right. I did want a mate, and I do want a mate. I just didn’t think it would be this soon and Isaiah of all people. I know you say he looks at me, but he calls me a pain in the ass, Sinny.”

“First, don’t call me Sinny. That’s a hard line.” She said with a chuckle. “Second, so what if you are a pain in his ass? Most women are a pain in their man’s ass, Kaia.”

I laughed and the smiled as I said, “Okay, I promise I will reach out tonight.”

“That’s my fierce friend. Let me know if you need me back there. I will drop everything and come help you.” She said.

“Will do. By the way, did you find out who put those trackers in your car?”

“Not yet. But I have the scrambler in and now that I’m back here, I am going to search for the car again for additional trackers. I will trace it back to the origin point and deal with it.” She said.

“Okay. Good night, girlie.”

“Night and good luck.”

We hang up and then I go through my contacts and find Isaiah’s name. Actually, his name in my phone is ‘Stickler’ since he is so uptight.

[Kaia: So…we’re mates. Now what?]

I put my phone down and continued with my skincare routine. My phone buzzed and it’s Mr. Stickler.

[Stickler: How about you tell me where you are, and I come find you and bring you back to the pack?]

Ugh. Of course he would try that.

[Kaia: No can do. I’m busy over here. I am finishing up loose ends.]

Suddenly, the phone rang and it’s Stickler himself.

“Hello.” I said, casually.

“Kaia, what exactly is keeping you away for a few more months?” Isaiah asked.

“Before you turned me, I believe it was your dad that informed you and Aiden that Sinclair and I would be leaving to get things done here. My situation is taking longer than Sinclair’s.” I said.

“You said a whole lot and told me nothing. What is so important that you can’t come back?” He asked and I could hear the frustration in his voice.

“Family business. I don’t want to bore you to death. Between you and me, I’m the fun one.” I said with a smirk. The phone is on speaker, and I am finishing this damn skincare routine that is taking three times longer than normal because of all these interruptions.

“You’re idea of fun is causing trouble!” He said, exasperated.

“There is no better kind of fun, Isaiah.” I said. I finally finished getting ready for bed. “Now that the stage is set here, tomorrow the fun begins and so does the countdown of when I get back. Wish me luck…mate.” I finished before hanging up.

I go to my bed and lay down. I’m staring at the ceiling, and I don’t even realize there is a smirk on my face. That’s the first time a man, not related to me, has called me. Sure, the conversation frustrated him and it wasn’t all lovey dovey, but that was our first conversation…as mates. Something about it is giving me butterflies. I need to take care of this problem here and close this chapter. Then I can open a whole new one with Isaiah. Maybe it will be a better ending. Wouldn’t that be nice?