Read Online Kadenburg Revealed (The Kadenburg Shifters Series, Book 4) by T.E. Ridener - Free Book Online

whispered. 
    He is not ours, Natalie reminded her sadly as she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out.  He didn’t want us, remember?
    That is not how things looked yesterday.
    Oh, funny.  You know the reason for that happening.  Don’t try to get my hopes up.  There is nothing between Arnold and me.
    So you say.  You need to stop lying to yourself.  He is our destined mate.  You chose him.  He will accept it.
    As much as Natalie wanted to believe her delusional bear’s musings, she knew better. Arnold would never forgive her for everything that had happened.  Even if Presley insisted it wasn’t her fault...Natalie would never be able to ignore the guilt.  No matter what reason stood behind her actions with Breslin Connor, she initially and knowingly allowed herself to be his lover and she’d almost killed her precious niece in the process.  It was sickening.
    “Well, good morning, Natalie,” Jim Proffitt stated from behind the bar as he gave her a big, toothy grin.  “I haven’t seen you in a while.  How are you doing?”
    “Hi, Jimbo,” Natalie replied as her eyes scanned the dark room.  “Is Arnold here?”
    “Uh, yup,” he nodded in the direction of the game room.  “You’ll find him back there.  Can I get you a drink?”
    She stared at him as if to say ‘are you serious’?  She politely declined before making her way towards the small room with filled slot machines and other various sources of entertainment.  As a teenager, the room had been a lot of fun, but now she wasn’t so sure she wanted to go in there.
    The sound of coins clanking together reached her ears before she even set foot within, and she already knew what Arnold was doing to pass the time-or keep his mind off things.  It was one or the other, and she was beginning to wonder if chasing after him was a good idea.
    I promised to take care of him, she thought as she poked her head through the doorway, staring at Arnold’s back.  He was playing the quarter machines, though how, she wasn’t sure.  He couldn’t see what he was doing.
    “What are you doing here?” He asked grumpily.  “Ain’t you supposed to be holed up in your apartment?  Do you realize how many unattached ursithropes are in this town at the moment?”
    Natalie blinked, opening her mouth to reply before shutting it hastily.  What did he care about unattached ursithropes?  And who was he to tell her she had to be holed up at her place.  Oh, the nerve of this man!
    “I came by for a drink,” she lied.  “Jimbo said you were here so I thought I’d say hello.”
    “Hi.” He murmured bitterly as he dropped another quarter into the machine.  It landed atop the other coins and he cursed beneath his breath.  Honestly, how did he expect to win if he couldn’t see where the coins were in the first place?
    Running a hand through her long hair nervously, Natalie racked her brain in an attempt to think of something to keep the conversation going.  She wanted to talk to him.  She wanted to help him...but how?  It was obvious he didn’t want her to get too close to him, and she could understand that; but he didn’t need to be at Jimbo’s at one o’clock in the day, starting a drunken stupor that would lead him to doing things he’d regret.
    “Have you eaten today?”  What the hell kind of question was that?  Obviously her brain was going in the wrong direction.  She wasn’t supposed to be talking about food-she was supposed to be helping him work through this.  They needed to work through it together for the sake of Presley, her unborn cub, and for themselves.
    “Had some waffles.” He responded as his palm collided with the side of the machine.  The small alarm went off and both of them had to cover their ears quickly.  Pain pulsated in her brain as she gasped, squeezing her eyes shut.  Damn sensitive hearing!
    After ten seconds, the shrill noise shut off and they were surrounded by silence save for the peppy 8-bit tunes of arcade