Midnight Matings 13 Splash and Elegance (11 page)

Neither of Whitley’s parents had tried to contact him. He’d left without any explanation, taking the family jet, and disappeared for over a week. While Benny had returned the plane long ago, Whitley still found it odd that his parents weren’t blowing up his phone and demanding to know where he was—especially if his dad was working with Jude’s father.

Several times he’d picked up Jude’s phone, debating on going through his recent call list. Things were going so well between them, though. He didn’t want to betray Jude’s trust like that. Surely if something was wrong, his mate would tell him.

He’d learned a lot about Jude over the week. They’d talked and talked until Whitley had run out of things to say. Then they’d make love, maybe eat something, and talk some more. He doubted everything he’d ever said in his whole life would total up to the number of words he’d spoken in over the past several days.

Though the more he learned about Jude had him falling just a little harder for the man, Whitley still couldn’t shake the feeling that his mate was hiding something from him. Staring down at the cell phone in his hand, he sighed as he turned it on for what felt like the millionth time.

Jude would be there any minute, but Whitley had to know. The only answer he’d received when he’d asked Jude about the phone call was that it had been a wrong number. It was such an obvious lie, and not a very clever one at that.

“Screw it,” he mumbled under his breath as he opened up the call list and scanned the incoming calls. There were only three from the last week, and they were all from the same number. There wasn’t a
name associated with it, and Whitley couldn’t find the number in Jude’s contact list.

Taking a deep breath to steel his courage, Whitley highlighted the mysterious number and pressed
talk
. Holding the phone to his ear with a shaking hand, he scanned the shoreline for any sign of Jude.

“Jude?” a feminine voice answered on the fourth ring. “I told you that I wouldn’t have any information for you until next week. You can’t call me like this.”

Whitley’s breath caught in his throat, and he started shaking his head mutely. He knew that voice. He could picture the face it was connected to as clear as if she was sitting right next to him.

“Jude?” she asked, concern in her tone. “Did something happen?” As she spoke, Jude emerged from the water, grabbed his clothes that Whitley had left for him, and dressed quickly. Then he jogged across the sand, a beaming smile on his face that Whitley could see even in the waning light.

Jude slowed when he got closer to the pickup, and the smile slid off his face when he got a good look at Whitley’s expression. “Whit?

Who’s on the phone?” He approached cautiously as though he feared Whitley would bolt if he made a sudden movement.

He wasn’t far from the truth. Whitley’s heart was breaking, and he felt like the world’s biggest idiot. How could he have ever trusted Jude Chambers? How could he have allowed himself to get so attached to such a lying, manipulating asshole?

“Jude?” the woman on the other end of the line asked again.

“What’s wrong? Talk to me.”

“Melody?”

There was a long, pregnant pause, interrupted only by Jude’s heavy sigh. Whitley slid off the tailgate and began backing away from his mate.

“Whitley?” Melody asked in shock. “Whitley, is that you?

Where’s Jude? Did something happen?”
Something had happened all right. In that moment, something changed inside of Whitley, and he lost something he didn’t think he’d ever get back. He couldn’t put an exact name on what that was, but it made his chest constrict and his heart pound painfully.

Whitley tossed the phone to Jude and took another step back. “It’s for you.” Then he turned, grabbed his backpack from the bed of the truck, and walked away.

Chapter Ten

“Jude?”

“Yeah, Melody, I’m here.”

“Was that Whitley Turner?”

Jude watched as Whitley disappeared into the darkness and then closed his eyes. “Yeah, that was him.”

“You didn’t tell him, did you?” she accused.

“There just wasn’t a good time,” Jude said, trying to defend himself and knowing he was doing a lousy job of it.

“You said you were falling for him.”

“I was. I mean, I am. I just…fuck!” Jude spun around and began pacing as he shoved a hand through his wet hair. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.”

“You need to tell him, explain it to him,” Melody replied gently.

“He seemed like a good guy when I met him. He’ll understand if you just give him a chance.”

Jude hoped she was right, but after seeing the look on Whitley’s face before he’d walked away, he highly doubted it. “Right. Just call me if you find out anything.” He waited for her agreement before hanging up and pocketing his phone.

“Whitley!” he yelled as he ran across the parking lot in the direction his lover had disappeared. “I’m sorry. Please, just let me explain.”

“Explain what?” a soft reply came from somewhere to his left.

“Explain how you lied to me? How you tricked me into helping you?

Or maybe you want to explain how you used me.” Whitley stepped out from beneath one of the pavilions and crossed his arms over his
chest. “Why are you still here, Jude? You got what you wanted.

There’s no reason to pretend you give a damn about me anymore.”

“Whit…” Jude trailed off, unsure of what to say.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to sell you out to the elders, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

The thought had never crossed his mind. Unlike him, Whitley was far too noble for something so underhanded. “Let me explain. That’s all I’m asking. After that, if you still want to leave, I won’t stop you.”

“If I was going to leave, I would already be gone,” Whitley countered with a slight growl to his tone. “I’m not stupid, Jude, and I know you’re not, either. I’m stuck with you. What did you think? I was just going to run back home to mommy and daddy and sit in my room until I went feral?”

Jude didn’t know which was worse, having Whitley hating him from across the country, or seeing the man every day and knowing how much Whitley despised him. When he didn’t respond right away, his mate shook his head and began walking back toward the pickup.

Following along behind him, Jude rehearsed what he wanted to say inside his head. The more he repeated the words to himself, the less convincing they sounded. There was literally nothing he could say that could make this situation any better. On the other hand, there was also little he could say to make it worse.

When they reached his truck, Whitley tossed his bag back into the bed and hopped up on the tailgate. “Talk,” he demanded.

Jude remained standing, keeping a respectful distance. His fingers itched to reach out for his lover, but he knew his touch wouldn’t be welcomed. “Melody is Elder Gamble’s daughter and Isa’s sister.”

“I thought her last name was Eck?”

“It is. Her mother and father were never married or even mated.

Eck is her mother’s last name.”

“So, you knew about what the elders had planned before you even arrived in Scotland.”
“It’s the reason I went,” Jude admitted. “I tried everything I knew to get Carter out of that cage, but the longer he went without shifting, the more…unstable he became. I spent every free moment I had with him, trying to give him some kind of hold on reality, but I had to work. The worse he became, the more desperate I got. He’s just a kid.”

“So, you needed a Turner,” Whitley deduced. “You needed someone who knew how to shut down the cell.”

“Yes.” Jude closed his eyes and hung his head.

“Why didn’t you just ask me? I would have helped you, even if we weren’t mated.”

“I know that now.” He’d screwed up in so many ways, he didn’t even know where to begin. “I met Seymour when he came to discuss the plans for the holding cell with my father.”

“And you just assumed that any son of an egotistical sack of shit like that was bound to be the same.”

“Well, your brother seems like a standup guy,” Jude countered with sarcasm.

“Point taken,” Whitley conceded. “I guess the apple usually doesn’t fall far from the tree. Keep going.”

“When Melody told me about the forced mating the elders had planned, I knew it was a long shot, but she assured me that you were of mating age and unattached. You’d be there. She’d heard rumors that you were the one who originally designed the cells, and we both agreed you were the only one who could help us.”

“What interest does Melody have in helping Carter?” Jude glanced up at Whitley and grinned. “She’s a good person, Whit. After what she did at the gathering, I know you probably don’t think so, but she’s been on my ass all week to tell you the truth.”

“Okay, fair enough.” Whitley chewed on his bottom lip and motioned for Jude to continue.

“You look just like your dad, so you weren’t hard to pick out.

Once we knew who you were, it was just a matter of being in the right
place at the right time. Because of his connections with UPAC, Dad knew about the spiked drinks as well. Since Isa had left him, he figured the next best thing was for me to be mated to Melody.”

“You staged the whole thing.” Whitley nodded absently. “My meeting her, the argument with your dad, you set it all up.”

“Melody lives with her mother in South America. Not many of the elders even know that Gamble has another daughter. When we figured out about the mating book, it was a piece of cake for her to lie about her name. It helped that your name is kind of feminine, so the elders didn’t even question it.”

“I’m sure my mother would love to hear that,” Whitley said with a dark chuckle. “After we were mated, what did you plan to do then?

Win my trust? Ease me into the idea of helping you?” Jude pinched the bridge of his nose as guilt overwhelmed him. “I actually intended to force you to help me. If we were mated, I’d have some power over you, and I would use it if I had to.”

“It was so much easier to just lie and manipulate me, though. You must have been pretty pleased about that.”

“No.” Jude shook his head firmly. “Ten minutes after I met you, I knew you were nothing like your father. I knew I wouldn’t have to force you, but I didn’t want to lie to you, either. I’d known you for less than a day when Cara called, though. It was my brother’s life on the line, and I couldn’t know for sure if I could trust you.”

“Would you have ever told me if I hadn’t called Melody?”

“I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you all week!” Jude stepped close to his mate, relieved when Whitley didn’t flinch away from him. “I tried to keep my distance. I didn’t want to get attached to you because it would make what I was doing so much harder.” He moved a little closer. “You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met, Whit. You are so selfless, so giving. You always see the good in people, even when they don’t deserve it.”

“I’m not sure I’m that person anymore,” Whitley whispered. “I’m really beginning to wonder if there is any good in people. Everyone
I’ve ever met has used me in some way. I really thought you’d be different.”

“Give me another chance,” Jude pleaded. “I will be anything you want me to be. I know I fucked up, but I can fix this. Let me prove to you that I’m not the person you think I am.” In one short week, Whitley had wiggled his way into Jude’s heart and changed the rules of the game. Hell, it wasn’t even a game anymore. If there was such a thing as perfection, Whitley Turner was as close as Jude had ever seen it, and he couldn’t give him up.

Whitley’s hand landed on his chest, and Jude froze, unaware that he’d moved so close to the man. “I can’t think when you’re that close.”

Jude didn’t want him to think, though. If Whitley thought too hard about it, he’d realize Jude wasn’t worth a second chance. “I think about you all the time,” he confessed. “I miss you when you’re not with me.” Taking one more step, he insinuated himself between Whitley’s thighs and leaned close as he reached up to place his hand over Whitley’s where it still rested on his chest. “The thought of never seeing you again makes my chest hurt.” Very slowly he bent his head, giving Whitley plenty of time to pull away before he pressed their lips together in a tender kiss. “Don’t leave, Whit, and don’t stay because you have to. If you really want to go, I’ll find a way to break the bond, but I need you to stay.” He covered Whitley’s mouth with his own before the man could deny him.

When he pulled away, he was happy to see the desire burning in Whitley’s eyes. Maybe if he kept his mate distracted long enough, he’d forget why he wanted to leave in the first place. Jude dipped his head again, but Whitley’s hand on his chest stopped him with a hard push.

He stepped back from the tailgate, watching Whitley slide off of it and onto his feet. “You can really break the bond?”
Jude nodded mutely, not liking where the conversation was headed. “There has to be a way. The elder that recorded our mating said that it can be broken if they find that one or more parties were being abused.”

“That’s not what you want, though, is it?”

“No,” Jude answered honestly. He’d never lie to his mate again. “I want to make this work. I know it’s going to take time for you to trust me again, but I’m willing to work for it.” Maybe he didn’t deserve it, but that didn’t stop him from wanting it.

Whitley was quiet for a long time as he rested his hands on his hips and stared down at the ground. When he finally lifted his head, Jude knew what he would say before he opened his mouth, and it made his stomach clench painfully.

“Whit, don’t say it. I can see it in your eyes, and I’m begging you, okay? I’m sorry that I fucked everything up and was such a shitty mate to you. That’s over with, though.”

“Everything you ever told me was a lie. Why should I believe you now?”

Jude didn’t have a good answer for that. There was absolutely no reason for Whitley to trust him. “Because I need you to believe it.” He reached out, but Whitley dodged his advance and shook his head.

“I’m sorry for what happened to your brother. I also understand that everything you did was to help him. But you used me, Jude.

Everything that you just said you liked about me, you exploited it for your own gain.”