Page 14 of Breaking the Surface
“Braden.He’s a little intense, but I don’t think you need to worry about him, unless he did something that makes you uncomfortable.Did that happen?”
“No.Braden’s fine.He made sure I was comfortable here, and when I had that nightmare, he checked in on me.”
“What’s wrong, then?I mean, it’s fine if you don’t want to jump into anything right after ditching Lou, and you don’t really know Braden, but he seems like a nice guy.”
“He’s human.”
Vincent blinked, clearly confused.“So?”
“So is Lou.Lou’s human, and he hates shifters.He’s always hated them, and he used to tell me that it was a good thing I wasn’t one, but at least if I was, I was attractive.”
Vincent screwed his eyes shut and sucked in a breath.“I really want to find him and kick his ass,” he muttered as he opened his eyes again.“That man is an asshole, and I should have stepped in when I realized it.”
“I’m an adult.There was no reason for you to step in.”
“I knew something was going on, and I should have intervened.”
“I don’t know if I would have left him.”
“Then I should have knocked you upside the head and forced you to.But, Peter, this isn’t about Lou being human.I mean, there are plenty of humans who are bad people, but it doesn’t mean we all are.I’m human, too, and I love you.The only reason I care that you’re a shifter is that I’m jealous that I’ll never be able to shift into anything.I mean, my best friend is a kelpie, and my mate is a wyvern, and then there’s me, unable to turn into anything except maybe a lobster during the summer.”
Peter snickered.That much was true.“I know that not all humans are like Lou,” he said softly.“But he’s my mate, Vincent.”
Vincent stared at Peter.He didn’t ask questions, didn’t say anything.He just stared, and Peter sat there, his words still hanging between them.
Panic made his chest feel tight.He’d found his mate in the worst situation possible.He didn’t think Braden would ever hurt him, not when he thought about it logically, but that didn’t mean Braden would want him.Maybe he saw Peter as nothing more than a job.Even if he didn’t, why would he want this kind of complication in his life?Why would he want to deal with Lou?There was no way that Braden would ever want to be with Peter, and that was something Peter needed to understand and accept.
He didn’t like it, though.His kelpie really didn’t like it because it pushed at Peter’s mind, almost as if it wanted Peter to shift.He wasn’t sure what the kelpie would do if he did, so he clamped down on his control, but the panic was still very much there.
He’d met his mate, but there was no way Braden could ever want him, was there?
“Hey,” Vincent said, reaching for Peter and cupping his cheek.“Breathe.I can see you panicking, and there’s no reason for you to.Braden’s your mate?”
“Yeah,” Peter croaked.
“And that’s okay.You don’t have to tell him or anyone else.You don’t have to be with him if you don’t want to.Nothing has to happen.”
Peter sucked in a breath.Did he want to tell Braden?Part of him did.Part of him wanted to be loved the way only a mate could love him.Another part of him was terrified, though.
What if Braden decided that he wasn’t worth it?
* * * *
BRADEN WAS BACK INhis office, reviewing the security protocols for the actress’s apartment, when his phone buzzed on the desk.He glanced at the screen and saw Remi’s name.His stomach tightened immediately.Remi texted him often, both for work and as friends, but the situation made Braden uneasy.He could feel something was going to happen, but he just didn’t know when.
He picked up the phone and read the message.Lou was spotted driving past the eastern border of pack territory.Didn’t stop, but he was there.Patrol got his plates.Be careful.
Braden’s jaw clenched.They’d expected this, but still.Lou knew that Peter was in pack territory.The man was either desperate or stupid, and Braden wasn’t sure which was worse.Either way, it meant that Peter was in danger.Braden had hoped that having Peter in pack territory surrounded by shifters would be enough to scare Lou off, that he’d realize he was outmatched and give up.Clearly, that wasn’t the case.
He pushed away from his desk and stood, his mind already running through the security measures he’d put in place.The cameras were working, the doors were locked, and every guard knew to be on the lookout.Still, Braden needed to check on Peter and make sure the man was okay and that he knew what was happening.Peter deserved to know, even if the news would scare him.
Braden climbed the stairs quickly.When he reached the top, he paused, listening.He could hear voices coming from Peter’s room—Peter’s and Vincent’s.That was good.Peter needed his best friend.
He approached the door and was about to knock when he noticed something strange.The voices inside weren’t just two friends talking.They sounded urgent, not arguing, but definitely stressed.Braden frowned and knocked anyway, pushing the door open slightly when no one answered.
“Peter?”he called out.
Vincent looked up from where he sat on the bed next to Peter, and Braden’s eyes immediately went to the glass of water on the nightstand.The water in it was moving, not just like it would if someone had bumped the table, but swirling into a small vortex.Braden’s eyes widened slightly before he caught himself.He’d been told about kelpie shifters, but he’d never seen it in action.
