Chapter 52 - The Watchdog

Kai pulled up his car to the patch of forest that surrounded Adalyn's home and opened the door on her side to let her out.

Kai couldn't help but think about what Arrow had told him. Who was she really? Part of him didn't really care. She was his fated mate and he loved her. That was the only thing that truly mattered, but he couldn't help but be intrigued as to why was she keeping it to herself. Was she a rogue? Had her family done something wrong that forced them in to hiding? Kai didn't feel like those were questions he could outright ask her right now, so he pushed those thoughts to one side for now.

"How has your wolf been?" Kai tried to ask casually. She hadn't talked much about Tara recently. Even though they had made some progress in learning her name, it was Kai that Tara had submitted to, not Adalyn, so there was still every possibility that she could still turn feral.

"Good, she seems more content. I think spending more time with you helps." Adalyn beamed just thinking about how much better her relationship was with her wolf already. They actually had a relationship now and weren’t just two souls fighting over the same body.

Her expression tugged at Kai’s heart. "That's good to hear. Are you still having any headaches?"

"I haven't had one for a little while. I don't know if that means I'm due one or if something has actually changed since I learned Tara's name."

"Have you shifted much since then? It will help to build your connection with her." Kai slipped his hands in to hers and interlocked his fingers as they walked.

"I haven't shifted since I was last with you. I guess part of me is still nervous about what she'll do. Overall she seems to be a bit calmer these days. She's not fighting me to come out all the time. She's like a lovesick puppy around you. She's seems more submissive when you’re near."

"That's probably due to our bond. She's submitted to me a few times already. Not because she had to but because she was willing to. I don’t doubt that she'd put up a decent fight if I pissed her off though. What you need to try doing now is get her to submit to you. With her being so strong, she could easily revert if I'm not around. Increasing your own strength is key to winning her over. Even though it's a partnership you'll still have to earn her respect and trust for her to submit to you."

Adalyn was impressed at Kai's knowledge. He had already offered her more practical advice than all of the doctors that she had seen over the years. "Will you help train me to get stronger? You seem to have such good control over Pax."

Kai laughed to himself. "It might appear that way at times, but believe me he can still be a pain in the ass" He squeezed her hand. "I'd be happy to teach you few things. With that being said, you've surprised me a few times with some of your moves." Kai recalled her knocking out one of her kidnappers and getting out of his hold on her at the ball. "You must have had some training already. Who's been teaching you so far?"

"Gabriel..." Adalyn replied suddenly lost in her thoughts. She missed talking with him and was starting to worry about where he might be. She had tried calling him a few times but he never answered and Mya kept brushing it off whenever she asked her about him.

"Ah." Kai huffed *'The watchdog... that makes sense'* he thought. From his last encounter with him, he looked like a guy that could handle himself.

"Is he still not back?" Kai followed up.

"No, I'm actually a little worried." The concern was etched on her face. "He's not the type to just take off for days on end. He knows I was lying to him about where I was before. He was so upset when we last spoke. He's always been a bit over protective but I still feel bad. I don't want things to stay awkward between us. I'm hoping that I can organise something for us to do together when he's back before I leave for college."

Kai couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable about her wanting to be alone with him. He tried to hide it but Pax's agitation was making it difficult.

Kai stopped walking and pulled her to look at him. "Adalyn, did it ever occur to you why he might be so protective of you?"

Adalyn raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "What do you mean?" The blank look on her face only confirmed how oblivious she was.

"Is it not possible that he has feelings for you? I've seen the way he looks at you."

Adalyn's eyes widened. "What?! No way!" She waved her hand dismissively at Kai. "We're like siblings." She almost wanted to laugh at the thought of it. Kai had to have been joking, but when she looked back up at him, his face was deadly serious. The smile from her face slipped seeing his reaction.

"Really, Kai. Gabriel is like a brother to me."

"To you, maybe, but I'm not so sure it's the same for him."

Adalyn huffed. "Now that's Pax talking... There's no need to get jealous." She couldn't stop a small smile from appearing on her face, knowing that her mate was jealous of Gabe.

Kai couldn't help but get irked by how dismissive she was being. As she started trying to walk again Kai held her back by her hand. "This is not about jealousy. I'm a guy Adalyn. He doesn't look at you like a sibling. He looks at you the same way that I do. Trust me, I know that look."

"Kai, he doesn't see me that way. I swear you're just misreading this..."

"So I guess I misread him threatening me to leave you alone?"

"What? When?" Adalyn asked confused.

"It doesn't matter when."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"What would I have said then? It still doesn't sound like you're taking me seriously now."

"He's just protective Kai."

Kai sighed and swept his hair out of his face "I knew how this conversation was going to go even before I started it. I know I'm not going to get through to you on this. Whilst I'm not overly keen on him, I know he's important to you. If you're certain that I'm misinterpreting this, then I'll let it go for now, but if he tries something..." Kai held his tongue. He knew threatening him in front of her was only going to make her resent him. He huffed again and then started walking again, pulling her with him.

This jealous streak was a new side of him that Adalyn hadn't seen before. *'It must be Pax or the mate bond making him think like this.'* she thought. She tried not to take it personally and followed him along quietly.

As they neared her house, Kai could feel the hairs on the back of his neck start to stand up. It felt like someone was watching them. He stopped just at her front gate and released her hand as Adalyn walked through. Realising that Kai was no longer with her Adalyn stopped and turned around.

"What is it?" she asked curiously. Kai's face didn't seem to give anything away.

"I better hold back here, just incase Mother Gothel is inside." He put on a fake cheeky smile. He didn't want to alarm her to what he was sensing and was keen for her to get inside the house.

Adalyn rolled her eyes at his comment. "You're really gonna have to stop calling her that you know. She's gonna hear you one of these days."

Kai smiled at her. "Go on inside, I'll send Arrow back round tonight. Can you stay indoors until then?"

Adalyn's brows furrowed. *'Hmm.. no goodnight kiss?'* she thought. She was worried that maybe he was still a little annoyed with her dismissing his claims about Gabriel so enthusiastically. With all that had happened back at the palace she was also still worried about everything that he had on his plate. Maybe that's why he was so overly suspicious of Gabriel.

"Are you sure there is nothing that I can do to help you? I feel like..."

"No!" Kai's answer was short and clipped. He was getting anxious having her out in the open with someone watching them and was keen for her to get in to the house.

Adalyn was a little taken aback by how abruptly he cut her off. She huffed and turned back towards the house shaking her head.

"Fine! Bye Kaiden"

*'Crap!'* Kai thought. He didn't mean to make it sound like he was angry with her for asking to help, but he couldn't stop his tone from slipping. The front door slamming behind her only confirmed his suspicions about her mood, but annoyed or not she would be safer inside instead of standing outdoors with him. He'd have to sort it out with her later. But for now he'd have to find out who was lurking nearby watching them and get rid of them.

*'Why was everyone suddenly crawling out of the woodwork now?'* Kai monologued to himself.

Kai's eyes turned red as he invoked Pax. With his hearing and sense of smell magnified, he could hear the heartbeat of another person nearby. They were trying their best to conceal themselves with no distinct scent and a slowed heartbeat, but it wasn't enough to escape Kai, not in this form. Kai turned and walked back from her front gate into the forest. As he stepped in to shadow of one of the trees, he caught the slightest scent of where they were located. *'Gotcha!'* Kai shifted his feet causing them to burst out of his shoes, then darted to his left. The dry ground under his feet cracked from the force as he took off.

He caught the suspect by the throat and slammed them in to a tree, pinning them.
"Who are you?!" Kai demanded using his alpha tone in full effect.

Up close it was easier to catch their scent and as the man held on to Kai's hands around his throat Kai recognised him. "Gabriel?"

Kai had clearly caught him off guard and Gabriel looked at him wide eyed in surprise. Kai released his hold and Gabriel slumped back against the tree. He knew that hurting him would only hurt Adalyn.

"What are you doing creeping around outside your own house?" Kai asked suspiciously. Kai's eyes turned back from red to blue as he picked up no real hostility from him this time around. "Adalyn has been waiting for you" Kai continued.

Gabriel massaged his neck. "I can't go back home yet."

"Why?"

"I don't have to answer to you." The familiar hostility was returning to his voice.

Kai narrowed his eyes at his response. "Do I need to be worried about you? If Adalyn didn't think so highly of you, I'd perceive you as a threat."

Gabriel snorted a small laugh. "You've known her for no more than 5 minutes and now suddenly you're her guardian? You think you're helping her but you're not. You're making things worse."

"What are you talking about?" Kai asked confused

"It doesn't matter. Don't tell Ady that you saw me. I just came to check on her briefly"

"What? Why?"

"It doesn't matter why. Why can't you just leave her alone?!" Gabriel stood his ground and stared hard at Kai.

Kai wasn't understanding anything that he was saying and all of Gabriel's posturing just felt like bluff. "In spite of all your attempts to look threatening, all I can see when I look in your eyes is fear. I know it's not of me, so what are you so afraid of?"

Gabriel didn't respond. His mask slipped a little realising that Kai was seeing through him.

"Who are you? I know Gabriel isn't your real name." Kai continued.

Gabe's eyes widened hearing this.

"Are you and your family in some kind of trouble?" Kai could see from Gabriel's reaction that he was hitting the nail on the head.

"Gabriel?" Kai prompted again.

"Please, just leave her alone!" Gabriel's voice cracked and sounded almost desperate.

Kai slowly shook his head. "I can't do that. If she's not safe here then I need you tell me now."

Gabriel gritted his teeth as he tried to hold back his emotions. "Why are you fighting so hard for her?! You could have any woman you want, why her?!"

"Because she's not just 'some woman' to me!" Kai didn't want to reveal that they were fated mates. That information was strictly for those that needed to know. Kai sighed. "You care for her too, don't you?"

Kai started to approach him realising that something bigger was at play here. "Gabriel please, whoever you're hiding her from, is she safe here?"

Gabriel sighed. Kai was obviously concerned about her wellbeing too. "She's safe as long as she's in the house. The house is warded. Anybody with ill intent towards her can't pass through."

"Warded? As in magic? Who are you people? Who are you hiding from?"

"I swore I'd protect her from him." Gabriel confessed.

"From who?! Gabriel! From who?!" Kai grabbed Gabriel shoulders. All of the fight in Gabriel had gone and he suddenly realised that he had already said too much.

Before Kai could react, he was suddenly surrounded in darkness as his sight and sense of smell disappeared. Gabriel moved out of his reach. Kai waved his hands in front of his face, but could see nothing.

"If you really care for her, you'll keep that I was here to yourself. I'll protect them regardless" Gabriel spoke.

"Gabriel? Are you doing this?!" Kai asked. *'Was Gabriel gifted too?'* he asked himself.

Kai turned around trying to locate him but all he could see was pitch black. Kai's eyes started turning red again as he invoked Pax to try and feel him out instead. He picked up on Gabriel's heartbeat and reached out to grab him.

Gabriel darted out of reach, barely missing Kai's hand but he couldn't help but be impressed at how close he got.

"Don't follow me!" Gabriel reiterated before taking off in to the night.