Worthless to Priceless The Alpha’s Rejected Mate novel Chapter 51

AMELIA’S P.O.V

Kaden led me towards the blanket and helped me sit down slowly. He opened the first basket and the aroma of pastries filled my nose. I hadn’t eaten anything since morning and I was grateful for it because my mouth watered at the sight of the things in the basket. I could see pies and sandwiches and cake slices.

The other basket had all sorts of drinks. There was a fruit smoothie as well as some tea and sweets. I smiled widely as I thought of all the effort he must have taken to do this.

“Did you make these?” I asked and he scoffed.

“I am a good cook but a terrible baker,” he whispered as if it were a secret. “I had to enlist help from a friend who makes the best pastries in the pack. Maybe one day I can take you to her shop.”

“I would like that very much.”

I thought we were going to eat in silence but Kaden was determined that we do the exact opposite. While we ate, we spoke about anything and everything. He asked a few questions about my childhood and I tried to answer them without making my childhood sound sad but I failed because each time I told a story, he would clench his fist tightly and grit his teeth in anger. I was sure to end every story by saying it didn’t matter anymore and I didn’t care.

“I’m sorry you had to go through all of that,” Kaden whispered to me as soon as we had finished the last of the cake slices.

I was so full that I doubted I could eat any more. I assured him that I was fine with a soft smile but I could see the wheels turning in his head. There was more to it than he was telling me and I wanted to know but I also didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere by asking more questions instead I asked about his family.

He told me stories about his father and how his father was kind and brave. The more he spoke, the more I wished I met him or at least had a father like that. His father taught him sports and took him for training while mine left me at home and would not have cared if I lived or died. The stark difference was obvious and I hated that life was so unfair.

“Next time,” Kaden said immediately changing the subject. “I will make sure you carry a swim suit so we can roll around in the lake.”

“Next time,” I repeated wanting to make sure I heard him right and he smiled.

“I would love to have many more nexts with you, if you will let me,” in that moment I honestly thought things couldn’t go bad but they did. “Blake is in the way however.”

“Blake?” I asked suddenly alarmed by the quick change in subject. “Blake has nothing to do with this.”

“You feel for him, don’t you? He was right there in your room.”

I knew things were escalating and I needed to do something immediately. I reached out and grabbed his cheek. We were both shocked by my actions but Kaden stayed still. He watched me carefully as I made my way over to him.

“Blake means nothing,” I lied. “I don’t feel for him.” I could tell he wasn’t fully convinced so I leaned forward and kissed him.

He kissed me back almost immediately.

I hated lying to Kaden but I needed to. I wanted to be with him but something about Blake kept pulling me back and I needed to know what it was. I knew Kaden would never understand so I pushed every thought of Blake out of my mind and allowed myself get lost in the kiss.

For the rest of the evening, we sat on the lawn chairs in perfect silence- all thoughts of Blake forgotten. Before Kaden, I had never found anyone that I could just sit silently with and feel no need to fill the air. I never knew the volumes that silence could speak before today and I suddenly had a newfound appreciation for it.

We watched the sun set hand in hand and didn’t make a move to leave until it became chilly and I shivered against the breeze. Kaden wrapped an arm around my shoulder and the heat from his skin seared into mine. My cheeks heated and I couldn’t help but wonder what a vast difference it was from when I first met him.

He was still the same scary Alpha I met and sometimes, his presence overwhelmed me but he was so soft with me, it was almost like he was deliberately trying to be soft. When he stood to his feet, I tried to avoid his eyes because his sheer height and the way he towered over me had me feeling anxious. He noticed because he immediately took a step back and gave me the space to stand up on my own.

When we got back to the car, he helped me in and I couldn’t stop myself from speaking. “I had fun. I didn’t think I could have that much fun but I did.”

“I’m glad you did. I hope that means you’re open to the possibility of another one.”

This time, I smiled a genuine smile. “Let’s see how things go.”

He dropped me off at my house sometime around eleven. I was about to get out of the car when he stopped me. He looked anxious and I wondered what he could possibly want to say that would make him so anxious. He opened and closed his mouth a few times and I began to worry. Was there bad news?

“Look inside the glove compartment,” he said and I hesitated before pulling it open. It was empty save for a simple wrapped box. “Open it, it’s yours.”

I tore into the wrapping because I couldn’t be patient enough to take it off the right way. When I saw what was inside, my eyes widened to the point of saucers. I had thought of every possibility but never did I imagine that it would be a brand new phone. I still had my old one so it wasn’t like I had no means of communication.