Stuck in the Middle (MxMxM)?

Chapter 46 - Explain Yourselves!

"They wouldn't have-"

"Exactly!" Ryder pulled away from the two. "I'm sorry I made you worry, but I had to do it. Delilah wasn't just a 'pack matter'. I remember how everyone treated me when I was considered a rogue, so I couldn't risk her being treated the same way. Please understand!"

"I do understand." Adan finally spoke. "I'm not angry about that. I'm angry that you tricked me." There was obvious hurt in his eyes. "Why did you do that to me?"

Ryder had left Adan alone in the hotel with nothing but an address texted to him and no context. Not to mention it was Adan who had been expected to protect Ryder that night, only for him to slip away. The panic and shame he must have felt when he learned that Ryder had been captured...

The consequences of his actions caught up, and Ryder felt utterly ashamed. "Adan, I'm sorry. I didn't...I..."

He reached out to touch Adan's arm, but he pulled away and went to his car. "I need a minute."

"We're still meeting up in a bit, right?" Kendric asked, and he nodded before driving away.

Kendric sighed, rubbing his temple. "Well, this is fantastically complicated."

"I'm sorry."

"Good. What you did was foolish. But I understand. Get in." He held the door open and Ryder obeyed.

"Where are we going?"

"To the park." That was all the man said. The whole drive, they didn't say a word. No music, no nothing. It was awkward as hell, and Ryder wanted to melt into the seat.

At the park, they found a remote picnic area and waited. Soon, Adan arrived, still looking upset.

"Let's discuss this before his parents get here." Kendric scooted over so that Adan could sit between them.

"Discuss what?" Ryder asked.

"The bond."

"Bond?"

"Our bond," Adan explained in a flatter tone than Kendric's. "The reason we were able to find you."

"We had wanted to discuss this with you sooner, but...Things got complicated." Kendric twirled his thumbs together. "You see Ryder, with us werewolves, we sometimes find life partners through a thing called a 'bond'. It's only possible between werewolves, and some packs consider it sacred."   

"Old-fashioned packs," Adan added.

"Okay?" Ryder was confused. "Why are we talking about this now?" It seemed to be a weird topic to bring up right after the kidnapping. Plus with Adan's mood, there seemed to be more pressing matters.

"It's how we found you." Kendric elaborated. "We don't choose who we are bonded to. It just kind of happens. And when it does, we develop a closer bond than normal mates would. We can sense where each other is, so long as we are close enough. And we can even determine each other's emotions at times. That's how we found you. But even though we were able to sense your presence, we didn't realize you were underground in the mines."

"Wait, you mean the reason I can detect your location is because we're bonded?"

They both nodded.

"Is that like...Werewolf marriage?"

"No." Kendric cracked a smile. "It means we'd make great mates is all. But we haven't sealed the bond."

"How do you do that?"

"Either by marking, or other means." He looked provocatively at Ryder, who grew flustered at the random look. "But we didn't want you to think you had no choice but to date us just because we're bonded. So long as we don't seal the bond, you can always decide to find someone else."