Page 100 of Wolf's Gambit

“Have you spoken to Landon?” I asked him carefully. “Does he feel like this?”

Kris shrugged. “No, but it’s how I felt. Cass was the same.”

I nodded, keeping my silence.

“I can’t believe I have to say this,” Kris muttered. “Give him a chance, and let your body tell you how you feel.”

I forced a smile, and we chatted for a few more minutes before he had to return to pack duties. I thought about what he said. Let my body tell me how I feel. I already knew what it was telling me—I felt nothing at all for Landon.

Nothing.

CHAPTER 26

Kezia

Landon was due back to the pack today. He wasn’t the reason I was making bread, but as I looked around the cottage, I realized I also didn’t want to be here if Landon came calling. Getting ready, I had a shower while my loaf baked in the oven, dressing in simple shorts, a black sleeveless shirt, and my favorite boots as I waited for the bread to bake.

Letting it cool on a wire tray, I left the cottage and went to visit the shaman. The shaman was hosting a meditation group in his backyard, and as soon as I heard the brass dong of the drum, I turned one hundred and eighty degrees and headed into town.

On my way to the store, I met Cass. She looked radiant. There was no other word for it. My friend was glowing, and her happiness was contagious.

“Kezia!” She embraced me tightly and kept hold of my hand when we drew apart. “I am so happy you’re home. Kris has been so worried about you, and having you here makes him happy.”

I gave her a skeptical look, but she was genuine. “Don’t tell me…what makes him happy makes you happy, right?”

I was subjected to another hug as she squealed with happiness.

Good Goddess, did having a mate turn you into an idiot?

Cass laughed when she saw my face. “All these months gone and you still have RBF down pat.”

Nudging her with my elbow, I couldn’t hide the grin. “I’m useless at diplomacy,” I agreed. “If my mouth isn’t saying it, guaranteed my face is.”

Cass let go of my hand, choosing to link our arms together. “Want to buy a bottle of wine and get drunk?”

“Yes! One hundred percent yes.” I glanced around us—a few were openly staring and the ones who were simply looking, were smiling at the ray of sunshine my best friend was. “Won’t we get in trouble?” I whispered.

“I’m mate to the head of security and daughter to the pack leader.” Cass had a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Who’s stopping me?” She headed straight to the store.

“Me?” I asked, hurrying after her. “I feel like it should be me?” I added when I caught up to her.

“Are you?” Cass asked me with a raised eyebrow.

“Hell no. I make terrible decisions.”

“Then let’s get drunk,” Cass whispered. Pushing the door open, we headed inside.

We ended up buying two bottles—one fruity white for Cass and a nice red for me. We got a disapproving stare from the store clerk, but Cass was right, who would challenge her? Especially when she said in the loudest voice possible that we were hosting a dinner for her brother’s return.

I accidentally stepped on her foot when she almost called Landon my mate, but no harm was done. We headed to Cass and Kris’s house, which sounded weird, but even I couldn’t deny they were mated. They just oozed happiness. And love. It was nauseating.

The house was one of the newer builds in the pack. With a nice open-plan kitchen and living room, there was a master bedroom and bath upstairs with a balcony looking out to the mountains. Another bedroom was situated off the family room, and it had a large, enclosed garden with a gate at the side of the house so you could go straight there without walking through the house. The main benefit of the garden for me was the recessed fire pit. I was a huge fan of a fire pit, which Cass knew, and as I arranged our chairs around the pit, Cass opened the wine.

Not ten minutes after arriving home, Cass was wearing short denim shorts like me and a white halter-neck top. Her feet were bare, and I contemplated removing my boots but decided to keep them on.

“All right,” Cass announced as she sat beside me. We clinked glasses. “Tell me all the bits you haven’t told your brother.”

Which implied everything I had told my brother he had told Cass. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. “I don’t know what you mean?”

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