The Luna’s Choice (Theo and Ayla) by Kat Silver

Chapter 44: Theo

I would have kept Mina in my office all night if Briggs had let me. We spent hours just talking about Ayla. Mina told me stories from growing up with her. I even had dinner and some beers brought up to the office so I could find out as much as I could. Kieran was as pleased as a pup. He especially enjoyed hearing about Ayla’s first shift, even though Mina refused to tell us what Dasha looked like.

Unfortunately, the memories began to dry up when we got to their teenage years..

“Ayla helped me reach out to some family in the Wildtail Pack about a year after my parent’s death. My dad’s cousins took me in,” Mina said with a touch of sadness.

“Why didn’t you stay with Marie?” I asked.

“Because they couldn’t afford it,” Mina said. “Trust me, Ayla did everything she could to keep us from being separated, but she couldn’t keep going the way she was. When I told her I would get a job to help out, she put her foot down. That was when she told me she was going to drop out of high school so she could get a full-time job.

“She had already arranged to graduate early. I wasn’t going to let her throw that away. So I went to live with my cousins.”

“But you stayed in touch with each other?” I asked.

“The best we could. There were a few years when contact was limited to birthdays and holidays, but Ayla always made an

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effort,” Mina said. “She felt terrible for not being able to take care of me, though. Not that she should have. My cousins were great, and I was happy there. But she still helped pay for my degree.”

How could anyone think Ayla was heartless? I hated that I ever thought that about her. Anger started to creep up again, but I pushed it back. That wasn’t going to help me. I was supposed to be learning about my mate so I had the best opportunity to re-establish our mate bond.

Mina yawned as she lay against Briggs’ chest.

“I think that’s enough for tonight,” he said, k*ssing her head. “I think we should all get to bed.”

I still had more questions, but he was right. I walked with them back to our wing of the packhouse, telling them good night when they went off to Briggs’ rooms. I walked to my own room in a better mood than I had been in for weeks. I couldn’t stop thinking about Ayla. According to Mina, she was incredibly smart. She was resourceful, determined to take care of everyone, and completely selfless.

But I also knew she was strong and feisty and sy as hell.

And I wanted her back.

I was so caught up in thoughts of Ayla that I didn’t notice the scent of someone in my room until I saw Kylee when I opened the door.

I growled, my entire b*dy tensing.

“What the hell are you doing here, Kylee?” I said. “I made it perfectly clear I never wanted to see you again.”

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“I don’t care,” she said, walking toward me. “We are going to talk about this, Theo.”

“There’s nothing to talk about, Kylee,” I insisted. “We’re done.”

“No, we’re not,” she replied. “You’ve already told the whole pack that I would be your Luná, Theo. We love each other. I’m not going to let you throw that away.”

“No, I don’t love you,” I said calmly. “That’s another thing that you convinced me on. But the more I think back, the more I realize I never loved you, Kylee.”

I expected her to start crying or denying everything, coming up with more lies. But she didn’t. Instead, she pouted as she closed the door. I moved to reopen it to kick her out, but she jumped in front of me.

“You’re mad,” she said. “I see that, but this isn’t anything we can’t get through, baby. And I know there was at least one thing you definitely loved about me.”

She pushed the dress from her shoulders and let it drop to the floor. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath it. I rolled my eyes and turned away as she moved toward me.

“Kylee, stop this,” I insisted. “You’re embarrassing yourself.”

I opened the drawers to my dresser, remembering some of Kylee’s stuff she might as well take. But suddenly, her arms sn*ked around me, one hand going to my crch as the other started to unbutton my jeans. I grabbed her wrist with a growl, turning on her in a second.

“Don’t fing touch me.” Anger and disgust flooded through

me.

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甘

“Oh, come on, baby,” she cooed. “Don’t pretend I don’t know what you like.”

I threw her back. She stumbled and landed on the bed, which was not my intention, but a smile spread across her face.

“See, you know you want me, baby,” she said, running a hand along her n*ked b*dy to caress her breast. “So let’s put all this mess behind us.”

“Kylee, I’m working really hard to keep my anger in check,” I said through gritted teeth. Her whole display was making me sick, and the longer she was here, the more I began to wonder what I ever saw in her. Which made me angrier that she had the nerve to continue to disobey me.

“And you know exactly where you can take out that frustra…”

“Kylee, stop. Shut the f*ck up and get the hell out,” I bellowed.

She jumped up off the bed. “Theo, you’re being ridiculous. I don’t believe you suddenly don’t care about me when everything was fine two days ago.”

I laughed bitterly. “You really fuing think everything was fine, Kylee? I’ve been fuing avoiding you for a month. I’ve bearly been able to stand looking at you, let alone touching you.”

“That’s not true,” she whined, rushing to me and running her hands up my arms. “You’ve been with me since…”

I had her by the throat, slamming her against the wall as my control snapped. “The only

reason I was with you was because of your lies and

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manipulation. But don’t for a second think you were satisfying me,” I growled. “I had to picture someone else just to get through it.”

I let her go and she dropped to the floor, gasping for air.

“You’re lying,” she rasped out.

“Oh, no, sweetheart. That’s what you do,” I said, tossing her dress back at her.

She pulled herself to her feet as she awkwardly tugged her

clothes back on.

“Who is she?” she demanded viciously as she got in my face.

Tlaughed smugly, looking her dead in the eye as I opened the

bedroom door.

“My mate.”

I pushed her out forcefully, not caring that she stumbled to the floor before slamming the door and locking it.