Page 3 of Rejected Wolf Mate

“This is everything we have on the Silver Wolves,” he explained. “It’s not much, which is where you’d come in.”

I reached out my hand, then paused, fingers hovering over the file. I glanced up at Ansel, whose grin widened as if he already knew what I was going to say.

“It’s the perfect revenge,” he pointed out. “You’ll make a lot of money, get back at your ex, and you’ll be helping us out. To me, it seems like everyone will be happy with that.”

“Except the Silver Wolves,” I pointed out.

He shrugged. “This isn’t going to do them any harm. We just need the information to make sure we stay out of their way to avoid any more casualties.”

I stared at the envelope, mind reeling as I debated with myself. But in the end, it was a no-brainer. I’d get to help Thea and get back at Rand. It seemed like the perfect fit.

So why did I get that uncomfortable crawling sensation creeping up my back?

I pushed the anxiety out of my head. I was being paranoid for no reason. This would be a simple in and out, after which I wouldn’t have to worry about any of this ever again.

“All right,” I said. “I’ll do it.”

***

I came back to the small but tidy house I called my home and opened the door to the smell of sizzling meat and rock music blaring from the kitchen. My stomach growled.

“I’m home,” I called, closing the door.

The music stopped. Thea poked her head out from around the corner, her long blond hair swishing behind her.

“Hey!” She beamed, giving me a smile I knew was identical to my own. “How was it?”

“It existed.” I followed her into the kitchen and slumped into one of the uncomfortable chairs.

“Did you quit?” Her face, almost identical to mine, was anxious, eyes round with worry. I could tell by the way she studied me and the way she carefully masked her features that she already knew the answer without my saying anything.

“Not exactly,” I finally admitted. “I was going to quit—I still am—but I agreed to help out with something first.”

“Help out with what?” Thea asked, her shoulders tense.

I hesitated, trying to figure out what to tell her. She felt as though something was off with Ansel and the group I’d fallen into, but she didn’t realize how bad things had gotten or how deep I’d inadvertently gone. I’d protected her from the worst of it.

“Nothing too serious, but I’ve got to go away for a bit,” I said.

She frowned. “Why?”

“It’s hard to explain. But it’s just the one last thing I’ve got to do for them,” I explained. “After that, it’s over.”

She let out a huff, folding her arms. “This doesn’t seem like a great idea, Astrid,” she said. “I can see a thousand different ways this could go horribly, horribly wrong.” She hesitated. “I don’t trust those guys.”

I winced, trying to hide the guilt. “I’ll be fine,” I promised. “They’re not bad people. But I’m more worried about you. Are you going to be okay?”

She raised her eyebrows. “You need to stop worrying about me so much. I’m not going to fall apart just because you leave for a bit.”

“Of course I’m going to worry about you,” I countered. “You know that.”

Thea couldn’t shift. She still had a wolf inside her that she could sense and communicate with, but any ability to shift had never developed. The official medical term was “lupus absentia,” but most people called them “absents.” It was a rare phenomenon in shifters, one that usually resulted in them being ostracized at best, cast out at worst.

The people around here knew what she was and treated Thea well, which was one of the reasons I’d stayed with the group for so long. But the condition wasn’t easy on Thea. She tended to be antsy, almost as though she were cooped up. I think it was her wolf trying to get out. She always seemed to bounce from foot to foot, like she was right now.

Still, despite being an absent, she was always optimistic and cheerful. Honestly, I was a little envious of that. I had never shared that same level of optimism. But I wanted her to keep it. It was one of the reasons I watched out for her. Ever since our parents died when we were fairly young, I had looked after her, making sure she was taken care of and safe.

Being an absent in a shifter world wasn’t always safe. We kept it to ourselves more often than not, but that didn’t change the fact that I always worried. It was the only reason I didn’t like the thought of her being alone. I knew she could look after herself, but that didn’t change the fact that I didn’t get concerned.

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