CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

“Lavender, we need to talk,” Caden says.

By the way he says it, I can tell it’s going to be more difficult to get him to help me with any of this moving forward. He chose Zach and Zach didn’t choose me.

When he went after her, I knew.

He’s convinced she’s his mate. He’s going to replace me.

Or at least, he thinks he is.

I won’t allow that to happen.

“I need time,” I tell Caden.

I can’t look him in the eyes because I do have feelings for him. I know he has feelings for me. But he doesn’t have the same status Zach does, so it could never work. I’m too ambitious for him.

“We can talk after, okay?” I say. “I just need to take a walk or something.”

“Are you going after him?” Caden asks, his heart clearly broken at the thought.

“No,” I tell him. “He’s running after her. Trying to stop him now would only result in him being furious at me. I’m not going to even try chasing after him.”

It’s the truth. There’s no point in running after Zach right now.

Caden nods.

“Okay,” he says. “I