What is wrong with me?
The second one of them gets lost in me, I submit without even thinking twice. Of all of them, Kage is the one that I would sell my soul to. Even though I am devoted to Liam, the instant that Kage merely touches me, I lose all sense of reality and desire takes over every fibre of that part of me that needs to be satisfied in a way that Liam never could. Kage used to set my body alight in a way that no man ever could, and being around him again has got me wanting to feel that way again.
But I can't.
I am with Liam.
And it is Liam that is lighting up my phone now.
So taking a deep breath, and clearing my mind of everything that is Kage, I answer his call, "Hey babe."
"Fuck baby, I am missing you." I can clearly hear the desperation in his voice as he takes a stuttered breath, "I need to see you."
"Babe, I will see you soon," I say with the full knowledge that I have no idea when I will see him again, for I have no idea how long this arrangement with Kage is going to last.
But then he shocks me. "Babe, I am still at the pub. Please come meet me. I really need to see you."
"Liam, I thought you left."
"You know I don't just walk away."
"Liam…"
"Babe, please. I need to see you."
Scrunching my hands in my hair, I let out a strained breath, "Liam…"
"Please, babe."
Considering the consequences, and reminding myself that there is only one man I need to be loyal to, I make a decision that would probably haunt me. "I will see you just now."
What are the chances of Kage checking up on me?
I can sneak away for just long enough to keep Liam satisfied and get him to leave town.
Peeking out the door, knowing that Kage and Niko and Slater's room are on the other side of the house, I make my way downstairs. Slipping out the door and rushing over to the cab that I organised, I feel confident that I have managed to leave undetected.
But why do I feel so fucking guilty?
Pushing that aside, I make my way to the pub in less than fifteen minutes. Walking through the door, I see Liam sitting at the bar. He is still pretty beaten up from his encounter with Kage earlier on, but apart from his beaten state, he seems to be more than happy to see me.
As I walk up to him, the same bartender from earlier gives me a slight raise of the brow, but chooses to remain silent.
"Babe," Liam pulls me into a hug.
"Hey," Choosing my words carefully, "I thought you would have left?"
"Seriously," he bursts out laughing. "Do you think that asshole is going to run me out of town?"
Knowing that he is playing a dangerous game, I only sigh with caution, "Babe, Kage is not a man you fuck with."
"Babe, he does not own you. I will fuck with him when it comes to you."
"Liam…"
"No babe, I understand your mom is not well, and it is none of his fucking business."
God if only knew.
Sitting next to him, I take his hands in mine. "Babe, I need to do this thing with my mom on my own," Lying through my fucking teeth, "I need you to go home."
"I am not going anywhere but staying here."
Then I hear a deep husky voice coming over my shoulder, "You are leaving town."
Spinning around, I see a very furious Kage standing behind me. Those beautiful eyes have turned dark and by the way he is folding his arms in front of his chest, he is screaming a dangerous anger.
"I thought I told you to leave town."
Liam, staring at him, "You don't own this fucking town. You can't tell me what to do."
A mere chuckle, Kage steps one step toward Liam, "That is where you are wrong. I own this town." Turning to me, Kage reaches for my hand, "Come Avyanna, we are going home."
Fuck.
Liam furrows his brow. "Home?" He clenches his jaw, "What is he talking about, babe?"
Fuck.
"Liam,"
"No, babe. What the fuck is he talking about?"
"Liam, please can we talk about this later?"
Kage, with one fucking gigantic smirk on his face, locks his arm around my waist, "Oh, did Avyanna not tell you she is staying with me?"
I see a fire light up in Liam's eyes, "I thought you were with our mom?"
"Liam, it is complicated. Can we talk about this later?"
"No babe. What the fuck is going on here?"
Staring at Kage, still trying to reach out for my hand, I growl at him from underneath my breath, "Please give me a moment alone with Liam."
With nothing but a smirk on his face, Kage chuckles, "Maybe it is a good time to tell your boyfriend where you truly belong."
Squaring his shoulders, Liam steps closer to Kage, "Maybe we should take this outside."
Oh, my god.
Heading towards the door, Liam follows Kage outside. Kage cannot smile any wider than he is at the moment, and Liam cannot be anymore furious. I can only see this going one way. Kage has got the upper hand, and he is playing this to his advantage. How the fuck he knew that I came here to meet Liam, I don't know, but I can only guess it is the bartender.
So moving into the alley, Liam is the first to demand, "What the fuck is going on here? You seem to forget that Avyanna is my girlfriend."
Kage bursts out laughing, "Avyanna is my mate."
Liam looks at him confused, "Mate?"
"Oh, has Avyanna not tell you who she is?"
Liam turns to me, "Babe?"
I growl at Kage with utmost anger, "Kage, this is not the time or place."
Kage locking his arm around me and with a gaze that says that he owns me, continues, "It is the time and place."
Liam, seeing Kage's arm around my waist, sees nothing but fury. There is a switch that turns and his once calm turns into anger. He leaps forward, pulls me away from Kage and launches his fist towards Kage's jaw. Kage swerves to the left and misses his jab, though the beast that normally lies dormant awakes. Not able to contain his fury, those beautiful eyes turn yellow, his jaws clench and, beyond his control, his fangs expose in a snarl. Turning half wolf, I see Liam turn into a total shock.
"What the fuck?"
Kage growls, "The fuck, I am your worst nightmare."
Then Liam turns to me, "What the fuck is he?"
"Liam, I think you need to leave."
"No Avyanna. What is going on here?"
"Liam, Kage is a… He is a werewolf. Please just leave. You have set him off."
"And you?"
"Liam, I am… I belong with my own."
Liam steps back, absolute horror on every inch written on his face. Looking at me with nothing but utmost disgust, he hesitates and then stutters, "Are you?"
Not being able to look him in the eyes, looking down at the ground that is about to swallow me into the bottom pit, I barely hold back the tears, "Yes, I am."
"What the fuck?"
"Liam," my words came as a whimper. "Why do you think I disappear every full moon? Have you not noticed? Kage was supposed to be my mate, but I have been running away from him for years and now he has me again. But I…"
"But you? Are you fucking staying with him?"
"Babe, it is complicated."
"Fuck complicated. Avyanna, I can live with what you are, but you need to choose."
Seriously? First Kage gives me an ultimatum, and now Liam. How the fuck am I supposed to choose between love and family? I will always feel this undeniable attraction, whether sexual or on a soul level with Kage, but there is a sensible choice with Liam. Liam is normal, he is security. He is safe, and that part that is not my curse. But Kage…
So looking at Kage, those eyes pierce deep into my soul, "Avyanna, you belong with your own kind."
Then there is Liam, "You need me, you know I am your kind even though I am not what you are."
Then I see a vulnerability in Kage, "Avyanna, listen to that heart that I can clearly hear thumping."
Both Liam and Kage extend a shaking hand to me, both asking me to make that decision.
What the fuck do I do?