Honesty and Apologies
The Next Morning
Kano opened his eyes, panicking at the realization he’d fallen asleep. Seeing Essence gone, he felt his heart fall a little. When had she left? Why had she stayed in the first place? Hearing noises coming from the bathroom, his wolf went to alert. He growled, his eyes tinging, and slowly rising, he stalked to the bathroom, silently opening the door. A plume of steam from the shower hit him in the face, keeping him from seeing. He stilled, hearing off-key singing, and he realized he walked in on Essence bathing. His eyes widened, and he tried his best silently to back away, but his enormous frame cast a shadow onto the curtain, grabbing her attention.
Essence’s heart fell to her feet, and she let out a small whine. “I fucking knew I was going to get murdered here!” She picked up the soap and prepared herself for war before tearing the curtain open. Hurling it at her soon-to-be murderer’s head, she heard a loud thump. Quickly, she grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her body. She jumped from the shower and prepared to run, but as she darted across the floor, the slippery tile under her feet sent her flying to the ground. She held her breath, and her hands shook as she tapped the massive frame under her, feeling a face.
“Ahhhhhh!” she screamed, swinging wildly. Steam exited the bathroom, and she looked down to see a mortified Kano. Completely red in the face, he froze as she shouted at him, “What the hell?! Are you crazy?! I thought you were a murderer coming to take me out!” Her eyes bore into his, and she seethed in anger. “No! Your quiet ass better mumble out an apology. You scared the hell out of me! Who the fuck walks in on someone in the shower, you pervert!”
Kano didn’t move, his face almost purple in pure embarrassment. Essence looked down, realizing she no longer wore her towel. She was completely nude, laying on him, and screaming his head off, leaving Kano unable to process what was happening. Tossing her from him, he heard her body hit the tile as he bolted from the door. He swung open his bedroom door, colliding with his brother. As the two hit the floor, Cayden saw how shaken up he was.
Cayden pulled him up. “What’s the matter?!” he shouted. With his face continuing to resemble every color of the rainbow, Kano shook his head, and his brother swore he would soon cry. “Did something happen with Essence?!” He heard a growl, and his lips parted when he realized it didn’t come from Kano, but a furious Essence, who stood behind the still traumatized alpha. Kano’s eyes widened in horror when Essence tapped him on the back.
“Turn around so I can properly yell at you,” she said. He looked at his brother and shook his head.
A smirk played on Cayden’s lips. “Do you deserve to be yelled at? Because her anger says that you probably do.”
Kano cut his eyes and glared at Cayden, who let out a chuckle. He couldn’t turn around; he was way too embarrassed, and the more he thought about the interaction, the more his embarrassment grew.
“Fine!” she shouted before she stormed around him. She briefly faced Cayden. “Excuse me, Cayden, I’m about to knock your brother’s head from his shoulders for being a goddamn creep!”
Completely past his level of embarrassment, Kano yelled, “I didn’t mean to see you naked, Essence, fucking hell! You think I wanted to see that?!” As soon as the words came from his mouth, he saw Cayden’s face line in horror. He knew in his fluster Kano hadn’t realized that the words hadn’t come out the way he’d intended.
She’s about to rip him a new one. Cayden thought as he shook his head.
Essence cocked her head back. “That?! That?! Oh, so I’m a that now?!”
Kano’s mouth dropped, and his eyes shot to his brother, begging him for help. Cayden folded his lips, his eyes gleaming in amusement. He linked to Anastasia, who shortly joined them in the hall in a panic.
“What’s going on?!” she shouted.
Essence glared. “Kano here walked in on me in the shower, and then—and thennn, Ani—he had the audacity to say he didn’t want to see that, referring to my body!”
Anastasia looked at him in shock. “You said that?!”
He grumbled in exasperation. He’d never had an argument before, but even he knew he was losing.
The action further pissing her off, Essence screamed at him, “Don’t grumble at me! You know how many men would appreciate seeing all.of.this!”
Anastasia and Cayden saw Kano's eyes burn gold in anger at her words. “Essence…” Anastasia said nervously as she watched the rage spread across Kano’s face.
He gave Essence a hard look that caused her to back away in fear. Saying nothing, Kano stalked to his room and slammed the door so aggressively it shook against the frame.
“E… I don’t think he meant it the way it came out, and I also don’t think he meant to walk in on you. I just can’t see him doing that on purpose,” Anastasia said hesitantly as the three sat in the den.
Essence huffed. “I know… he just—ohh, he pisses me off! Those glares and cut eyes. He says nothing, but I know when he’s talking shit! I can deal with actual words, but when I don’t know what you’re saying exactly, that pisses me off!”
Cayden laughed. “In his defense, you were really giving it to him. Kano has never had an argument with anyone, including me.”
Her eyes widened. “You two never silent argue?”
He shook his head. “He walks away before his anger gets the best of him, though I have seen him crush a marble table to pieces under his bare fist to keep from hitting me.”
She fumbled with her fingers. “That look he gave me scared the hell out of me,” she confessed.
“I’m going to be honest with you. Whether you want it or not, you are his mate. Werewolves are instinctively protective, but with our mate, it is more intense, more volatile. I’d slaughter someone for touching Anastasia, and he would do the same for you.”
Essence replayed her words, realizing that he’d only reacted when she’d mentioned other men. “Dammit, I’m going to have to apologize, aren’t I? I hate apologizing!” she whined. Anastasia gave her a look that said, yes you are. Essence stood. “Where is he? May as well get this over with before he pisses me off again.”
Cayden gave her a smirk. “He’s out back, working out. Apparently, you’ve got him to speak, show anger, and go outside again, all in the same day.”
Inhaling sharply, Essence made her way out to the courtyard. “Alright, you can do this, big girl panties. He doesn’t even talk, so he can’t tease you.” She cut her eyes. “He’s gonna find a way to. Gonna look at me with those eyes and say it.” She calmed her nerves and walked towards Kano, who laid on a bench lifting weights. Chewing the side of her lip, she tried to think of her next words. “So, I’m uh… sorry for throwing soap at you… and attacking you… and landing on you naked… and accusing you of being a creep—fuck, I definitely did a lot to you, and it’s not even noon.” She laughed nervously, hearing nothing in response. Not looking at her, Kano continued with his workout. She could feel his anger, and it sent her into a ramble.
“I didn’t mean to stay the night and invade your space! We fell asleep and when I woke up, my wig was twisted because I didn’t have a bonnet on. I was going to sneak out, but then I was like no girl, that’s treating him like a dollar hoe, but I didn’t want you to see my Meek Mills! Fuck, you definitely don’t know who he is or what that means. Um, so I twisted my wig back, fast, and left your room. I was going to write a note, but I couldn’t find paper! Then I got mad because where the fuck is your paper?!
“So, I left to find Ani to tell you bye, but then she met me in the hallway with my clothes and my hair bag and was all like ‘tell him yourself. Don’t be a dick especially since I went home and got your stuff’ so I snuck back into your room—you sleep really heavy by the way, that’s dangerous—and next thing I know, you scared me, and well, you were there for the rest. What I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry, I know you didn’t mean it!”
Kano finally put up the weights and stood. Facing her, Essence’s mouth dropped as she looked at his bare chest. Always in heavy clothing, it was the first time she’d seen that much of him. Every taunt muscle of his glistened from his sweat, and the way his eyes bore into hers made her blush. He’d pulled his hair up into a bun that sat on the top of his head, held together by her favorite scrunchie. An etched imprint of the wolf’s paw laid on the right side of his chest. He tilted his head in confusion and curiosity at the way she was looking at him. Trying to regain her composure, she rubbed the back of her neck.
“Do you always ramble like that when you apologize?” he asked. His deep voice matched his current demeanor, making her throat dry.
“N-no, I just got a little nervous. You’re really big—huge—fucking hell, can you stop looking at me like that?!” she shouted, embarrassed. She turned her head to keep from looking at his shorts again.
Still angry, he stepped towards her and thought of his next words. He didn’t want to speak anymore, but there was something he needed to get off his chest. It was the thing that set bubbling rage inside him, leaving him sore from trying to work it away. The one sentence she’d said that kept replaying in his head. His eyes glowed at her. “I am sorry for walking in on you. It was not my intention, and you have not invaded my space.”
“O-okay.”
He shook his head slowly. “I’m not finished yet. I am not angry at the other stuff, Essence, but do not flaunt even the notion of another man touching you. I shall never lay a hand to you, that is my word, but make no mistake, I’ll tear every limb from his body while wearing the biggest smile you’ve ever seen.”