Chapter 146

Third Person POV

Nan wasn’t sure what she was doing. She had been a complete mess for days and she could feel herself spiraling out of control.

“My cousin really likes you,” Mac told her during lunch the day before. “He thought you were really cute and funny and wanted me to find out if you were seeing anyone.”

At this point, Nan and Judy arrived in this country the day prior and Nan met Mac and Tyler later that evening. She met Kelsey at their current lunch. She was currently watching their exchange, her eyes darting back and forth as they spoke to one another like she was watching a volleyball game.

Seeing anyone? Nan thought to herself as she processed Mac’s question. Was she seeing anyone? Her situation with Chester wasn’t exactly black and white. Chester was her fated mate, but it seems he doesn’t want her. He’s too busy having sex with anyone that has a pulse. Would going out with a guy while on a trip out of the country really matter to Chester?

Nan was so sure that Chester would end up rejecting her once she got back anyway, that nothing really mattered. Maybe it was the rebound or the fact that she was on her third martini, but she found herself shaking her head.

“I’m not seeing anyone,” she said softly, picking up her glass and taking another sip of her martini.

Mac’s smile lit up the entire room as she clapped her hands together.

“He’s going to be so happy,” she cooed. “Do you want to get together tonight? Tyler wants to go to dinner and thought we should all go together.”

Nan nodded, nibbling on her lower lip.

“Yeah, that sounds great,” she agreed.

Since that conversation, an entire day has passed. At dinner last night, Tyler was very kind to her. He sat close to her and talked to mostly her. She tried to pretend to be interested in the things he said, but her mind kept returning to Chester. Many times, she cursed herself.

Today, though, Tyler had been acting strangely. Almost possessively, he kept touching her, wrapping his arms around her, whispering in her ear, kissing her. They shared a kiss the night before, but Nan stopped it before it became too much. She couldn’t stomach the thought of being with another while she had a mate, even if said mate didn’t want her. But Tyler didn’t seem to get the hint; he continued to touch and kiss her despite how many times she’s pulled away. It’s like he had a silent claim on her, and then that stunt he pulled when he answered Judy for her and then denied Judy an invitation to come along.

Nan understood that it was last minute and there were most likely no tickets for sale, but that wasn’t for Tyler to decide. It was Nan’s invitation to her best friend, so it was her responsibility to figure something out. Not some guy she met less than 48 hours ago.

Nan could tell that Judy was upset about the situation as well and she wanted to say something, but she was biting her tongue. Maybe she was waiting for Nan to say something?

How did things get so messy so quickly?

“What are you thinking about?” Tyler asked, draping an arm around her and pulling her into his side. They were seated in one of the resort parlors that overlooked a gorgeous water fountain. Nan found tranquility in this place; there were flowers overlooking the floor-to-ceiling windows and in the distance, she could see the ocean. This was the one place in this resort that wasn’t swarming with people because there really wasn’t much to do besides lounge.

Before Tyler randomly showed up, Nan was seated on the loveseat with a book in her hands, trying hard not to think about Chester, but it seemed to be the only thing her brain could do lately.

“I’m just nervous for Judy,” Nan lied; she was more than confident in Judy’s abilities to kick ass, but that wasn’t what she was thinking about. She was upset with Tyler for speaking rudely to her friend. Nan wasn’t even sure if she wanted to go out with him, but it didn’t seem he was giving her much of a choice. He seemed to always be around.

“I’m sure she’ll do great,” Tyler said, tucking a strand of hair behind Nan’s ear. “How about we go back to my room and—”

“Actually, I promised Judy that I would help her with something,” Nan said, tucking her book back into her purse which sat at her feet on the ground. She grabbed the strap of her purse and shouldered it, standing to her feet.

Tyler looked dejected. But seriously, what did he think was going to happen?

“Oh, okay,” he said, his eyes pleading for her to not go. Her stomach twisted, guilt clouding her judgment. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

“But I’ll still see you tonight, right? The concert and all…” she reminded him.

He nodded.

“Yeah, definitely,” he replied.

She forced a smile at him and was about to walk away, but he quickly stood, grabbing her arm to stop her. He pulled her into his embrace, wrapping his arms firmly around her statue-like body as his lips brushed across hers.

At first, it was featherlike, but then he deepened it, shoving his tongue deep into her mouth. She recoiled at the feeling, but he didn’t seem to notice. He continued to kiss her like he was never going to see her again. He kept one hand on her lower head, and he moved the other hand up to her hair, gripping her head and holding it in place.

He nipped at her bottom lip, drawing it into his mouth, and then licked her upper lip. He ran his lips down the nape of her neck and took in her scent. She could hear the low growl of her wolf, but just as she was about to push him off and run out of the room, she heard the door opening and then heard a gasp at the doorway.

Tyler quickly released her and turned to face the intruder.

Nan’s stomach dropped when she saw Judy standing at the doorway. Her face was pale, and she was staring daggers at Nan as if she had just slapped her. Nan could see the utter confusion on Judy’s face and a little betrayal in her eyes.

Nibbling on her lip, Nan fixated her gaze on the ground. Her head was so clouded, that she had no idea what Tyler said to Judy, but Judy looked even more annoyed. Tyler didn’t stick around, he put his hand on the small of Nan’s back and pressed his lips gently to her cheek.

Then he pulled back, gave Judy one last look, and then slipped from the room without another word or look in Nan’s direction.

Judy stepped aside, letting him pass her at the doorway.

Once they were alone, Nan thought Judy would have gone in on her about keeping something this big from her. Or maybe she was angry on Chester’s behalf. They were friends after all. Nan couldn’t stand not knowing what was going on Judy’s head. Her heart ached and she could see that Judy was hurting as well.

“Judy, I—” Nan started to say, unable to take the silence any longer.

“Does having a mate mean nothing to anyone anymore?” Judy asked, her tone hard and cold, sending a shiver down Nan’s back.

Nan was taken aback by the harsh tone and the discriminating question.

“W…what?” Nan asked, her eyes narrowed.

Judy’s eyes were glossed over with unshed tears, and she refused to look Nan in the eyes. She looked everywhere but it was unsettling.

“You have a mate, Nan,” she said simply. “And yet here you are… with another man. Does that not bother you? Does it not bother anyone because it seems to be happening more often than not? First Ethan and now you.”

“Don’t compare me to him…” Nan tried to say, her voice weak and barely loud enough, but Judy managed to hear her.

“Why not?” She shot back without hesitation. “You both betrayed your mates. You are the same right now.”

Nan let out a choked sob at Judy’s harsh words. Her shoulders sagged and she felt as if her world came crashing down around her.

“No…I—” Nan tried to say, but she wasn’t sure what to say.

“He’s an asshole, Nan. Why can’t you see that/” Judy asked, folding her arms across her chest? “Can’t you see that he’s not good for you? It hurts me to see you like this, but you could fix it if you just talked to your mate. But instead, you ran away.”

“That’s not fair…” Nan tried to say, tears stinging in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She just stood there like a statue, trying hard to keep herself under control.

Judy shook her head as disgust filled her expression.

“It’s not fair to Chester. He doesn’t deserve a mate who will skip the country and have sex with random men. He deserves better.”

With those words in the air, Judy turned and stormed out of the room, leaving Nan alone with her thoughts.