On The Run

Chapter Twenty-Two Cold -Winters and Burning Fires

      /Paisley's POV-

    Kane left me to get dressed after our.. moment earlier. My bottom was now extremely sore and it was difficult to walk. Every movement felt like a sting.
      I had taken a quick shower and threw on a simple beige sweater and a pair of black leggings. Since the air outside was growing colder. Winter was approaching rather fast.
    Ace was waiting downstairs for me, dressing in a simple black button down, his sleeves rolled up his arms. He wore black slacks to match. A gold watch on his wrist and the same colored chain.
   "Where would you like to go?" He asked as we made our way into town. Passing by a number of large buildings.
     "Are you hungry?" I asked softly.
     "I could eat." He said back softly.
     "The usual place?" I asked him and he smiled back. Giving me a soft nod.
    There was a restaurant Ace always takes me to. It was a pretty expensive restaurant that you need a reservation to even get into. But Ace is pretty well known. So he gets in pretty easily. The food there is literally amazing.
     It only takes us about ten minutes to finally pull into the restaurant. He walks around to my side and opens my door for me. He's established many times that he prefers to do it. The first time Ace voiced that, it was a huge surprise to me. Since I was getting used to Kane's lack of.. niceness.
     I took his hand and climbed out of the car, walking with him to the door. His hand held my lower back as we walked. It was a gentle hold. But I knew it still held dominance over me.
     The moment we walked into the restaurant we were greeted by the host, who immediately showed us to a table. Handing us our menus. We received dirty looks from the people who had been waiting in line. But what was I supposed to do about the fact Ace was not going to wait in line.
     The waiter waited as we searched through our menus. "Can I get some drinks started for you?" He asked, bowing his head to Ace.
    "Water, and she will have a tea." Ace answered.
     He knows I always get a sweet tea, anywhere we go. "I'll get my usual, the smoked salmon." Ace said.
    "That sounds good, I'll get that too." I smiled at the waiter. Handing over my menu.
    "I'll have that right out for you." The waiter bowed and walked towards the back. Moments later bringing our drinks.
    "Perhaps we should talk." Ace said as the waiter left.
    I gave him a confused look. That was until he pulled a familiar device out of his pocket and set it on the table in front of me. It was the phone that Max had gotten for me.
     My heart was racing. "I..-"
     "I didn't tell Kane, if that's what you are wondering." He said and it eased some of my worries. "It's been blowing up nonstop all morning."
     They're trying to reach me. I look down at the table. "Are you going to tell him?"
     "Not unless you don't answer my questions." He said softly.
     "What questions?" I asked worried.
     "Which one of them is your mate? Soren or Roman?" He asked, his eyes boring into mine.
    My heart stopped. Kane had to have put him up to this. If Ace really wanted to know, he would have asked me last night when he and I were alone.
     "No, he did not put me up to this." Ace answered my silent thoughts. My eyes flew to his. I couldn't tell if he was lying or not. "I'm only curious. Andre pointed out the way you looked at both of them. You held a look of knowing and love when you looked at Soren. But when you looked at Roman, it was sheer surprise, fear. As if he shouldn't have been there. Also, the way Roman reacted when he found out you are mated to Kane. My bet, it's on Roman." He explained.
   Shit.. shit shit shit. I couldn't speak. It felt like my throat was closed up completely. My entire body had tensed up. "I won't be the one to tell him, he will figure it out on his own-"
    "Please, Ace I am begging you. Don't tell him." I choked out, clutching the bottom of my sweater. My grasp was so hard my knuckles had turned white and my hands ached.
    "So it is Roman, then?" He questioned.
    I nodded slowly, "I rejected him, Ace. You can ask him yourself."
     "And who did you get intimate with? Because something tells me, it was not Roman." He said and now my heart was in my stomach.
    "It really was Roman, Ace. I swear-"
    He leaned in forward, his eyes squinting at me in displeasure. "Really? Because I've already looked into everything. Roman had already returned to his land around the time that Kane felt the pain of betrayal. Soren, however did not."
     My chest hurt. My body hurts. I felt like I couldn't breathe. Every bit of air I could suck in felt like it was stabbing my insides. "Ace..-"
    "Do not lie to me, Paisley." His voice was hard.
   My hands were trembling, "It was Soren that I messed with. But I stopped, I pushed him off of me. I told him that I can't. I want to be with Kane, Ace. I did not lie about that. I swear on everything. On everybody. I have chosen Kane. Soren and I.. I met him at the Festival. And I liked him.. we got really close. They took me, drugged me as well as Kane. And I was unaware of any of it. Soren came onto me, and for a moment I did let him. But I made him stop. I told him that he and I would never work because I am with Kane. I told him I wanted to be with Kane. And he left, and then we left."
    "To Michigan?" He questions and my heart was completely docile now.
    "Yes.." I answered truthfully. "I couldn't get away yet. I had to wait until everyone was asleep. And then I went straight to you. Ace, I don't want anyone to get hurt. You can't tell Kane."
    "I'm pretty sure he already knows. He knows that one of them is your mate. If he has to, he will kill them both."
     My tears fell from my eyes quickly. Kane will kill Roman. But I know Ace is telling the truth. If Kane can't figure out who my mate is exactly. He will kill them both. I had a choice. A choice I don't want to make.
    Do I tell Kane who my mate is? And Roman loses his life, possibly his child and his mate as well? Or do I tell him that Soren is my mate and Soren dies instead?
    How am I supposed to choose one life over the other? And if I don't choose then they both die. I won't be able to convince Kane to not hurt either of them. Kane has already established what he is willing to do. And the fact that I have messed with Soren. It's going to make Kane's willingness a whole lot worse.
     I was snapped out of my thoughts as the waiter set our food in front of us. Ace was watching me the entire time. "You are going to have to tell him." Ace said after the waiter bowed and left.
    I covered my mouth. My appetite was completely gone now. All I could think about was Kane ripping them all to pieces. Killing them. Torturing them.
     "He already knows where your friends are located in Michigan. He found that out himself." Ace filled the silence.
    I picked up my fork and knife with a shaky had and cut pieces from my food. Slowly bringing it to my mouth. "Is there any way I can convince him to stop..?" I finally asked.
    Ace ate his own food, wiping his mouth before he speaks. "Not really sure, honestly. Talk with him about it."
     I took another bite of my food, "Andre's mate is having her baby pretty soon, once we are done. Could we visit a few shops so I can get her some gifts? I haven't had the chance to." I mumble. Desperately wanting to change the subject.
    "Kane informed me that you also need a few things, so yes." Ace said.
     The rest of our time was spent mostly quiet as we ate. He occasionally brought up conversation. Asking me how I was doing with everything. Book talk. Things about the packs. I was feeling too sick to say much. But I did talk to him.
    He drove me to the mall in town and we shopped at multiple stores. Ace was a great help carrying all of my bags. I needed new clothes, most of mine were old, ripped, stained with blood. And I was missing a lot of them. And I had maybe three pairs of underwear left since Kane prefers to rip them instead of pull them down. Ace insisted I got more than just clothes and a pair of shoes. He took me to every store in the mall, not leaving until I bought at least three or four things from each. Perfumes, soaps, more shoes, more clothes, accessories, handbags.. it was endless.
    Once we had made it to our final stop my feet were hurting. We did a double take around the entire store. It's been hours. My feet were filled with shooting pains and aches.
     I asked Ace to stop by this last shop before we leave. It was a jewelers shop, I pulled my wallet out of my purse while Ace was preoccupied assessing watches in the corner. He seemed displeased with them.
    I point at a diamond plated bracelet inside of the case and the older lady pulled it out with a smile. "Is this all for you?" She asked politely. I know she seen me come in with Ace. And I know she sees the mark on my neck.
    Many people assume that since I'm with him and I'm marked, that he's my mate. So I always receive respect from people immediately. But I know if I were alone, I wouldn't receive the kindness that I'm getting now.
     My eyes lock onto a ring on the left of me, I like it. It was a plated with diamonds with a dark red ruby in the middle of it. I pointed at it and she pulled it out of the protective case.
    "That's all, thank you." I said as I approached the register as she was ringing it up.
    I dug into my wallet as she expressed the total to me. Pulling out the money I managed to save up doing chores and with training, bets and whatnot. I barely had enough money to cover the cost.
    Ace walked over to me just as she handed the bagged up items to me. "What did you get?" He asks, walking me to the door. His hand on my lower back while his other arm was completely full with bags. I could see the handles of the bags digging patterns into his arms.
     "I got a gift for Kane. I used the money I managed to save up." I said as I looked into the bag.
    "Are you ready to go?" He asked softly.
    I look ahead as we walk to the door, "yeah, my feet are killing me. And Kane will probably lose his head if I'm gone too long."
   Ace chuckled, "You're right about that one. He's been bitching at me for the last two hours. Asking where you are. Why he didn't just mindlink you himself, is beyond me."
   I smile at him softly, clutching the bag in my hand. "I hope he likes what I got for him."
    He helps me into the car and shuts the door, walking over to the driver's side and getting in. Starting the car. "Can I see?" He asked.
    I handed the bag over to him and he pulled out both of the tiny boxes. Assessing inside of them. He doesn't pull them out. Just looks. "How much was this?"
   I chuckle, "It took all the money I had."
   "I'm sure he will like it, he's most definitely not going to tell you that he does though." Ace chuckled.
    I smiled, "We should probably get back before he comes looking for me."