The Wrong Mate (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Kane threw a handful of shirts into the duffle bag that sat open on his bed. He wished that he had packed the night before, like Nora had, but he had been too tired. Now he was rushing, not really caring about the clothes that ended up in the bag. His mind was too caught up on other things to care about that stuff anyway. He couldn't stop the nervous feeling in the bottom of his stomach that reminded him that he was so close to having his real bond restored, and yet so far away. In two days they would be with the witch doctor. In two days he would know his fate.

He pushed the nervousness away as much as he could. Kane knew that he had to keep positive. He turned back to his wardrobe and grabbed a pair of jeans just as a knock sounded against his door. He called out for them to come in.

It was Heath who stood in the doorway. His eyes scanned the room before he spoke. "Hey, uh, Dad told me last night," he murmured, "about everything."

"Oh," Kane replied. He hadn't even thought of telling his brother.

Heath came to sit on the edge of his bed. He crossed his legs and rested his elbows on his knees. "I wasn't going to say that I told you so," Heath told him with a hint of sadness to his words, "if that was why you didn't tell me."

Kane placed the pants in the bag and sat down next to his brother. "No," he admitted, "it just slipped my mind. I've been more than overwhelmed the last few days and I've been staying out of the house to avoid Nora, actually."

Heath nodded in understanding. "Oh, I see."

"Yeah, wasn't on purpose. Sorry."

Heath gestured towards the bag. "So, you're leaving today?"

"Yeah, we are leaving soon."

A smile overcame Heath's face. He looked genuinely happy. "I'm happy for you, man."

Kane smiled over at his brother. "You really were right," he admitted.

"Well," Heath said with a laugh, "now that you've said it, yes. I was so right!"

Kane thought back to everything his brother had said. "I should have listened to you from the beginning. I'm sorry that I was rude to you."

"It's no problem," Heath admitted. "To be honest, I'm just more than happy that you realise it too."

"How did you see something that I didn't?" Kane wondered. Heath was the only one who stood up to him and could admit that things weren't right. When everyone else just followed along, Heath showed more insight than most people his age. Kane wanted to hug his brother, in that moment, knowing that even though he couldn't trust hardly anyone anymore, he could trust him.

"I'm just a perceptive guy," Heath said with a shrug. "But in all seriousness, it can't be easy to accept that your mate isn't really right for you."

Kane thought about all those sleepless nights he spent wondering why he wasn't in love with Nora. He never thought of himself as a quitter nor as someone who would ever abandon their mate. It just wasn't in his blood, and that was just one of the many reasons he had persevered with Nora, even in the face of a future filled with fake love.

He thought of Mason and the kiss they shared. That one kiss was enough to make him question every decision he had made with Nora. If they hadn't shared that kiss then maybe he would still be trying to make it work. Maybe his parents would still be hiding their secret. Adam would probably still be his best friend.

Kane sighed. "It's not easy. Not in the slightest."

"Tell me about you and Mason," Heath requested, that joyful look still on his face. "Dad said that you think Mason's your real mate. Is that true?"