FULL NOVELXO Chapter 26
Aspen's fated mate was named Caitlyn.
My twin sister's name was also Caitlyn.
Aspen said I looked similar to his fated mate and he almost mistook me for her when he first saw me. That was his whole reason for taking me in. Knowing what I knew now, Aspen should have left me to die once he detected the fox in me, but I looked exactly like his fated mate. The puzzle pieces were starting to come together.
"Care to share with the class whats going on in that brain of yours?" Kieran asked after a moment. I blinked before looking to Kieran.
"Aspen... I'm not his fated mate. We agreed to be mates because of the situation we were both in. Me, because I was rejected and on the brink of death, and Aspen, because he said his fated mate died. His fated mate who looks similar to me. Her name was Caitlyn," I explained, hoping he would put the pieces together like I did. Kieran's eyes widened slightly.
"You're not even his fated mate?" Kieran asked. I rolled my eyes and sighed.
"The other part!" I snapped.
"What Caitlyn? Wait... Caitlyn was Aspen's fated mate?" Kieran asked. I nodded.
"So you just... replaced her? Your twin sister?" He asked again. I nodded again. Kieran scoffed.
"He can't take care of his own mate so he takes mine?" Kieran muttered.
"That's not the point right now! Does that mean that Caitlyn is dead?" I asked. Kieran hummed thoughtfully.
"Not necessarily. He thought you were dead too until you called. Did he see her die himself?" Kieran asked me. I shrugged.
"I never asked for details because it seemed like a sensitive topic," I admitted. Kieran sighed before coming closer and sinking his teeth into my neck. I sighed in relief as the energy flowed through me. After a moment he released himself and brushed off the corners of his mouth.
"You looked lethargic. But you have every right to ask. For one, he's using you as a replacement. Two, it was your twin sister. What you decide to tell him is up to you, but I would call him... like now," Kieran suggested before he stood and went up to his room. I sighed before pulling out my phone. It wouldn't hurt to ask, would it? I called before putting the phone up to my ear.
"Cami," Aspen said in relief.
"Aspen, I need to ask you something, but I need you to try not to get angry please," I said hesitantly.
"What is it?" He asked curiously. I took a breath before closing my eyes.
"It's about Caitlyn. Did you actually see her pass away, or did you just feel it?" I blurted.
"What the hell, Cami? What kind of question is that? Where is this coming from?" He erupted almost immediately.
"I know this seems out of the blue to you, but it's not to me. I just found out today, but Caitlyn is actually my twin sister. That's why we look alike. That why you were confused when you saw me. So I just wanted to know if you actually saw her die, or did you just feel it, like you felt the bond break when I got injected here?" I asked. There was a pause on his end. I was assuming that he was trying to calm down.
"I didn't see it," he finally answered. "But if she was your twin sister, wouldn't she be a hybrid too?" He followed up.
"According to what I saw, I was the only one who successfully got both sides. Caitlyn was just a wolf. That's why she was able to live a normal life... and I wasn't," I explained softly.
"When are you coming home? The longer you're gone, the more uneasy I feel," Aspen changed the subject.
"I'm still not sure yet. I'll call you later," I said before I hung up. I felt strained from Aspen. Knowing that I was replacing my twin sister just didn't sit right with me. Sighing, I got up before going to get ready for bed. Maybe I would feel better tomorrow. I crept down the hallway before knocking on Kieran's bedroom door. It only took a second before his door opened to reveal him in his pajamas. There was something else I didn't get an answer to.
"Camilla," he said, slightly confused.
"What are fox mates like?" I asked. He hummed thoughtfully as he leaned against his doorframe.
"Take what you know about wolf mates, then take out the wolves and possessiveness. I don't want to possess you, I just want to protect you. Something like that," he tried to explain. Oddly, it made sense.
"Did you ever regret having me for a mate?" I asked. He only smirked.
"I knew you were going to be trouble the minute Gemma said the word hybrid, but no, I don't regret anything," he answered. He stood suddenly and moved out of the way.
"Do you want to come in? You look like you have a lot more questions," he teased. I shook my head.
"I know I shouldn't be this comfortable around you," I said out loud. He raised an eyebrow at me in amusement.
"What's wrong with being comfortable with me? You've been a fly on the wall long enough. Haven't you come to a conclusion yet from all your observations as to what kind of person I really am? Wasn't that why you had reservations at first? Because you didn't want to get too comfortable?" He questioned. I blushed. Kieran saw all of that?
"I-I was just observing and processing," I lied. Kieran smirked before stepping closer to me.
"Oh? And what are your thoughts so far?" He asked.
"You like to tease me a lot, but you're still respectful about it. You say we're mates, and I'm comfortable around you, but I'm not sure about that yet. You're careful around me, like you're scared to cross the line," I started.
"I'm not really scared to cross the line. I'm more nervous that I'll scare you, and I don't want to do that again," he corrected me. I stopped as I looked at him.
"But you're not a bad person," I finished what I was saying. Kieran reached a hand out towards me before he hesitated and dropped it back at his side with a sigh.
"You should get some sleep," he said softly. I wanted to stop the door from closing in between us for some reason as Kieran went back into his room, but instead, I just stood there. Is this what a fox mate bond was like?