Chapter 48

Kadeem

“Awoooo!”

Kadeem and Mateo spilled out onto the sidewalk half-drunk. Okay, more than half-drunk.

“Did you see the look on his face,” Mateo said, slurring on the ‘s’ sounds and stumbling past a group of women entering the bar. “I’ve never seen a vampire turn that color before.”

Kadeem grabbed Mateo by the shoulder to keep him from colliding with the women. One, with purple hair and a silver nose ring, shot a look of loathing and disgust at Mateo.

Mateo took no notice. The man was Teflon to the disdain of others.

“How does the undead get flushed,” Mateo asked, completely oblivious to how close he was coming to trampling another crowd of passing strangers on the sidewalk. “He went as red as a cherry tomato!”

Irritated, Kadeem helped Mateo weave through the other group of Weres. “How the hell would I know?”

“Maybe he had just eaten,” Mateo said, shrugging Kadeem off of him - as though Kadeem was the annoying one.

Kadeem rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw. He already need another drink.

“From the blood flow after eating,” Mateo continued. As he walked unassisted, he began to veer into Kadeem’s path on the sidewalk.

“I don’t think that’s the way it works,” Kadeem said, trying to fight the spinning sensation in his head, so he could walk properly. Mateo continuously bumping into him wasn’t helping matters. He finally gave him a light shove.

Mateo began to veer in the other direction. “Well, then how else do they get erections?”

Kadeem stopped walking. “What is the matter with your brain?”

Mateo cackled with laughter. “Love me. I’m charming as fuck.”

Kadeem shook his head and started walking again. “The only thing you should be worrying about is why the hell a vampire was in a werewolf bar in the first place.”

“I’ll leave the alpha shit to you,” Mateo said.

“Obviously,” Kadeem said. “Your mind’s too crowded with the Freudian.”

He froze. His wolf senses picked up and he sniffed the air.

Mateo looked over at Kadeem, nearly tripping over a bench. “What’s wrong?” He sniffed, too. “I don’t smell anything interesting.”

Kadeem inhaled sharply.

Mateo’s eyes searched up ahead. "Isn't that..." Mateo trailed off, pointing towards the nearby diner.

And there she was.

Ardal, stepping outside from a diner across the street. She was wearing a form-fitting black dress. Her chocolate brown hair was down, cascading over her shoulders. Kadeem's heart stuttered, caught between the jaws of desire and sharp pangs of guilt and sadness.

“Who’s that with her?”

Ardal’s familiar laugh rang out. Beside her was a tall, well-dressed man, his blond hair glinting underneath the streetlights. Jealousy began to ripple through Kadeem. Ardal and the man were arm in arm as they strode down the sidewalk together.

Across the street, Kadeem watched Ardal hesitate, then look over, noticing him. She held up her hand in a shy sort of wave. Kadeem’s heart raced. His wolfish senses were on high alert over the man with her.

“Easy, buddy,” Mateo said.

Kadeem nodded, taking a deep breath of the cool night air. His wolf growled inside. He began to stride toward them. To what end, he didn’t know.

He watched Ardal direct her date to cross over onto Kadeem’s side of the street. Kadeem’s hands curled into fists as the man took Ardal’s hand, smiling down at her in a way that made Kadeem want to rip out his throat.

Mateo whistled. “Would you look at that? Somebody’s getting laid tonight.”

A snarl built in Kadeem’s chest. His eyes bore through Mateo’s, making him shrivel.

“Sorry, man,” Mateo said. “You know I can’t help myself!”

“Say one more sex-crazed thing about my ex-wife. I dare you.”

“Hi guys,” Ardal said, coming up to greet them. She dropped the man’s hand as she met them. Her voice was honey-sweet, but it completely didn’t hide the edge of tension.

Kadeem’s breath caught at the sight of her, radiant even in the eerie green neon glow of the nearby bar.

The blond-haired man frowned, pulling Ardal closer against his side.

Possessive bastard.

Kadeem’s wolf simmered beneath his skin. He gave a curt nod. “Hello,” he said, before turning his glare on the man standing next to her.

“This is Jack,” Ardal said, her mouth lifting in a nervous smile.

“Dr. Jack Rayburn.” The man held out his hand. “I’m Ardal’s date for the evening.”

Kadeem ignored the outstretched hand, folding his arms over his chest.

Rayburn let his hand fall. “And you are?” All traces of politeness were gone.

Kadeem gritted his teeth.

Mateo jumped in, swaying drunkenly. “That would be your alpha - Kadeem. And I’m the world-famous hypnotist, Mateo Grimshald.”

Mateo’s eyes shifted from Rayburn to Ardal, his gaze lingering on her in a way that made Kadeem’s blood pressure rise even higher, the corners of his mouth curling into a lewd grin.

Kadeem fought the urge to kick the shit out of him. The air around them crackled with tension, the atmosphere thick with unspoken desires and forbidden thoughts.

Rayburn blinked. “I don’t believe I’ve heard of you,” he sniffed, barely looking at Mateo, before turning to his date. “And Ardal, how do you and Kadeem know each other?”

“We’re... friends,” Ardal said. “I work at Kadeem’s gym.” Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink.

Friends. The word was a knife in Kadeem’s chest, even as he struggled to keep his expression neutral.

"So, Ardal," Kadeem replied, his voice strained as he forced a smile. "What brings you out here tonight?"

"Jack and I were just grabbing some dinner." She gestured towards Rayburn, whose hand was now resting possessively on her shoulder. Kadeem's fists clenched at his sides, enraged by the man's audacity yet unable to voice his jealousy aloud.

“Sounds nice,” Kadeem said, the insincerity in his tone more obvious than he’d like.

“What are you guys up to,” Ardal asked politely.

Kadeem's eyes darted like a caged animal, searching for an escape from the awkward gathering under the glow of the streetlight. The laughter of distant bar patrons clashed with the tension that hung thick in the air between Kadeem, Mateo, Ardal, and Rayburn. His heart raced, jealousy boiling beneath his skin as he watched Rayburn lean closer to Ardal.

“We just went to grab a few drinks,” Kadeem said.

“It ended with Kadeem doing a roundhouse on a vampire,” Mateo said, grinning. He leaned his hand against the brick exterior of a pub for support. “Never a dull moment with this guy, is there?”

Ardal dropped her eyes. “I… I wouldn’t really know,” she said.

Kadeem began to fume, his stomach churning with fury. He swallowed it down like a bitter pill, forcing himself to maintain a calm façade.

“Oh, come now, sweetheart,” Mateo said, winking. “The game is up. He -“

Kadeem reached over to punch him in the shoulder. “Shut. Up,” he growled.

“Alright,” Mateo said, wincing and rubbing his shoulder.

Kadeem’s eyes flickered to Ardal, who looked nervously over at Rayburn. He had draped an arm protectively around her shoulders. The warmth of his touch seemed to comfort her, and when their eyes met, Kadeem saw a spark of something more – desire, longing, and a hint of passion lurking just beneath the surface.

Mateo put his hands behind his back. “Well, Isn’t this chummy?”

"Maybe we should call it a night," Rayburn suggested, his voice smooth and calming.

"Agreed," Ardal murmured, her gaze lingering on Kadeem for a moment before she turned away, tucking herself closer to Rayburn’s side.

A fresh wave of jealousy went coursing through Kadeem's veins, his wolf howling in frustration.

"Fine," Kadeem growled, turning his back on the pair - but not before catching sight of Mateo. His eyes were hungrily scanning Ardal’s body, lingering on her ample cleavage. For about the hundredth time that night, he wondered why the hell they were friends.

“Let’s go, asshole,” he snapped. His wolf paced beneath his skin, snarling and raging.

“Hey,” Mateo said. “Check it out.”

Kadeem turned and followed Mateo’s gaze to find Ardal and Rayburn, curled into each other. Ardal was standing with him, pressed against an expensive-looking black car, locked in a passionate embrace.

Kadeem balled his hands into fists. The urge to shift and chase Rayburn down was overwhelming.

But it was Ardal’s choice to make, and he only had himself to blame for mucking up their marriage years ago. The truth of this sunk in, hitting Kadeem squarely in the gut.

As Kadeem and Mateo walked away, a gust of cold wind tousled their hair, mixing with the sound of laughter that floated out from the cozy interior of a nearby restaurant. The night was alive with the hum of distant traffic, the scent of grilled food wafting through the air.

"Hey, cheer up, buddy," Mateo said, slapping Kadeem on the back. "You know what they say about true love – if it's meant to be, it's meant to be."

"Mateo, do you ever read the room," Kadeem snapped, his temper flaring as he imagined Ardal snuggled up against Rayburn. "This isn't a joke. You don't understand what's at stake here."

"Whoa, dude, take it easy." Mateo raised his hands defensively, a mischievous grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I'm just trying to lighten the mood a little. Didn't mean to ruffle your fur."

"Ruffle my—" Kadeem clenched his fists, resisting the urge to shove Mateo into the nearest lamppost. Instead, he forced himself to take a deep breath, mentally counting to ten before exhaling slowly, a futile attempt to quell the rising tide of anger within him.

"You have no idea what I'm going through right now. And your stupid jokes aren't helping. Neither is you opening your goddamn mouth and almost blurting out to her that I remember who she is.”

"Okay, okay, I get it," Mateo said, his tone turning more serious. "I won’t say a word to her. But you've got to admit, man, you're acting a little... possessive. Like Ardal's some sort of prize to be won or something."

"Of course she's not a prize!" Kadeem growled, his wolf bristling at the accusation. “And you’re the LAST person who should ever lecture me on the treatment of women.”

"Alright, alright," Mateo said, holding up his hands in surrender. "I didn't mean to hit a nerve. I'll back off, I promise."

"Good," Kadeem muttered, his anger still simmering beneath the surface as they continued walking down the moonlit street, the shadows lengthening and deepening with each step. "Let's go home," he said quietly, the words barely more than a whisper.

As the night wore on, Kadeem couldn't help but replay the evening's events over and over in his mind, searching for clues, for some hidden sign that Ardal shared his feelings. But all he could see in his mind’s eye was the way she looked at Rayburn - their undeniable chemistry.

Kadeem eventually fell into bed, but he couldn’t sleep. He couldn't help but wonder if fate had other plans for him, for Ardal, and for the fragile threads that bound their lives together.