battles for me. If I don’t learn to handle the situations on my own, they’re never going to learn to respect me.”
Gage put his hands on his hips, looked at the ground and let out a deep sigh. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just so hard to see those guys treating you that way. I want to step in and beat them all.”
Skye smiled at him. “I appreciate you being all protective of me, but I have to take care of this battle on my own. Trust me, I’m ready for it. A month ago, I wouldn’t have been, but now I can take anything that comes my way. Alden taught me well.”
“I’m sure he did,” Gage said with a snort.
Skye immediately went stiff and grew apprehensive. Had he done or said anything that gave them away. He and Alden had been so careful. Skye couldn’t have imagined how they could have slipped up.
“What do you mean?” Skye asked, noting how stiff his voice was.
Inside he was screaming, don’t say anything to make him any more suspicious. Just act cool.
“Don’t think I haven’t noticed how close you two have gotten,” Gage said in a knowing tone.
“Of course, we got close. He was my mentor.”
“You know what I mean. Don’t play stupid with me. I’ve seen the way you two look at each other when you don’t think anybody is looking.”
Skye shook his head, still playing the dumb card. “There’s nothing going on with me and Alden at the moment. He would never start something with somebody while he’s mentoring them.”
“Yeah, but I’m willing to bet that in the next couple of weeks, you two will be all over each other like two cats in heat,” Gage snapped.
Well, that wasn’t too far from the truth so Skye decided that he wasn’t going to confirm or deny it. Instead, he said, “And if it did happen, what would be so wrong with it?”
“Besides the fact that he used to be your mentor, and he’s older than you? Are you fucking kidding me?” Gage asked in a loud voice.
Skye looked around nervously. “Can you please keep it down?”
“What? Are you afraid of everybody finding out about your dirty little secret? It’s going to be out soon enough.”
“There’s nothing dirty about it? So quit trying to make it sound that way,” Skye fired back angrily. “In case you forgot, my brother is older than you.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“He was never my mentor like Alden was with you.”
“Alden isn’t my mentor anymore, and nothing happened while he was.”
Skye decided to leave out the part where they shared the one kiss. It was nobody’s business but his and Alden’s, and it would stay that way. Besides, at the rate Gage was going, if he did find out, he would flip a gasket.
“Wait until Branson hears about this,” Gage said.
Panic filled Skye. “You’re going to tell Branson?”
“Of course. He’s my mate. I never keep anything from him, especially something this big.”
Skye leaned against the wall as dread filled him. Branson was going to blow his lid when he found out about this. Skye needed to find a way to warn Alden, but how was he supposed to do that when they were keeping a distance from each other for three weeks?
Then the answer came to him with crystal clarity, he could tell Logan. He and Alden were best friends. Surely Logan could be trusted to pass along the message. Now all Skye had to do was get Logan alone for a moment.
“I need some time to think,” Skye said as he turned away from Gage.
“I’ll bet you do. Maybe you should think of a way of not messing up everything you do,” Gage shot back.
Skye wanted to flip Gage off for that one, but that would have been a move the old Skye would do. The new Skye just ignored him and kept on walking. He finally found Logan talking to one of the newbies.
Going up to him, Skye said, “Sir, can I have a moment of privacy with you? It’s about an important matter.”
Logan did that cocking of his brow thing, reminding Skye so much of Alden that it hurt. But in the end,
Gage put his hands on his hips, looked at the ground and let out a deep sigh. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just so hard to see those guys treating you that way. I want to step in and beat them all.”
Skye smiled at him. “I appreciate you being all protective of me, but I have to take care of this battle on my own. Trust me, I’m ready for it. A month ago, I wouldn’t have been, but now I can take anything that comes my way. Alden taught me well.”
“I’m sure he did,” Gage said with a snort.
Skye immediately went stiff and grew apprehensive. Had he done or said anything that gave them away. He and Alden had been so careful. Skye couldn’t have imagined how they could have slipped up.
“What do you mean?” Skye asked, noting how stiff his voice was.
Inside he was screaming, don’t say anything to make him any more suspicious. Just act cool.
“Don’t think I haven’t noticed how close you two have gotten,” Gage said in a knowing tone.
“Of course, we got close. He was my mentor.”
“You know what I mean. Don’t play stupid with me. I’ve seen the way you two look at each other when you don’t think anybody is looking.”
Skye shook his head, still playing the dumb card. “There’s nothing going on with me and Alden at the moment. He would never start something with somebody while he’s mentoring them.”
“Yeah, but I’m willing to bet that in the next couple of weeks, you two will be all over each other like two cats in heat,” Gage snapped.
Well, that wasn’t too far from the truth so Skye decided that he wasn’t going to confirm or deny it. Instead, he said, “And if it did happen, what would be so wrong with it?”
“Besides the fact that he used to be your mentor, and he’s older than you? Are you fucking kidding me?” Gage asked in a loud voice.
Skye looked around nervously. “Can you please keep it down?”
“What? Are you afraid of everybody finding out about your dirty little secret? It’s going to be out soon enough.”
“There’s nothing dirty about it? So quit trying to make it sound that way,” Skye fired back angrily. “In case you forgot, my brother is older than you.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“He was never my mentor like Alden was with you.”
“Alden isn’t my mentor anymore, and nothing happened while he was.”
Skye decided to leave out the part where they shared the one kiss. It was nobody’s business but his and Alden’s, and it would stay that way. Besides, at the rate Gage was going, if he did find out, he would flip a gasket.
“Wait until Branson hears about this,” Gage said.
Panic filled Skye. “You’re going to tell Branson?”
“Of course. He’s my mate. I never keep anything from him, especially something this big.”
Skye leaned against the wall as dread filled him. Branson was going to blow his lid when he found out about this. Skye needed to find a way to warn Alden, but how was he supposed to do that when they were keeping a distance from each other for three weeks?
Then the answer came to him with crystal clarity, he could tell Logan. He and Alden were best friends. Surely Logan could be trusted to pass along the message. Now all Skye had to do was get Logan alone for a moment.
“I need some time to think,” Skye said as he turned away from Gage.
“I’ll bet you do. Maybe you should think of a way of not messing up everything you do,” Gage shot back.
Skye wanted to flip Gage off for that one, but that would have been a move the old Skye would do. The new Skye just ignored him and kept on walking. He finally found Logan talking to one of the newbies.
Going up to him, Skye said, “Sir, can I have a moment of privacy with you? It’s about an important matter.”
Logan did that cocking of his brow thing, reminding Skye so much of Alden that it hurt. But in the end,
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