Page 13 of Rejected Wolf Mate

“Of course. I’ll give you a call soon, all right?”

“Sounds good.” Then came a third pause, this one feeling heavier than the previous two combined. “Hey, Astrid?”

“What’s up?”

Thea hesitated, and I could imagine her worrying her lower lip as she paced back and forth in our tiny house, the way she always did when she was nervous.

“Be safe, all right? I don’t know what’s going on, but just… be safe.”

My heart lurched a little bit. “Come on, you know me,” I said, injecting as much cheer as I could into the comment. “I’ll be fine.”

Chapter 6 - Rand

The next morning, Thea came down the stairs, groggy, her hair a mess. It was so like the old days, it was hard not to feel like we were back at that cramped house we used to live in.

“Good sleep?” I asked.

She shrugged. “As good as I ever get.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Better,” she said. She hesitated, then added perhaps a bit begrudgingly, “Thanks for letting me stay here.”

“Anytime,” I said. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”

Something flickered in her eyes, and her jaw twitched, an old sign of growing irritation. Again, something so familiar to me, it was like nothing had ever changed.

“The Silver Wolves have a meeting later today,” I said. “I was hoping you and I could go over a bit of information before then. That way, I’ll have something to go on when I talk to the others. Do you think you’re up for that?”

She nodded. “But did you have to ask first thing in the morning?” she groaned.

I cracked a grin. “Still not a morning person, I see.”

“Some things are never going to change,” she fired back. “Let me at least get a cup of coffee in me before you start grilling me, all right?”

I gestured toward the full carafe. “Help yourself.”

Once she was on her second cup of coffee and had scarfed down her breakfast, I started asking her a few questions, trying to stay gentle while also getting as much information as possible. I knew these types of conversations weren’t always easy. She answered them to the best of her ability, but I was beginning to doubt how useful her information would be.

She seemed to recognize this as well, because as we wrapped up, she said, “Sorry. I know I’m not being super helpful.”

I shrugged. “Any information is going to help,” I said. “We’ll at least have a decent idea of where you might have been held.” I looked at the clock. “I should probably get going soon. Are you going to be okay here on your own for a couple hours?”

She glanced outside, something like longing on her face as she looked out at the wind blowing through the trees.

“Honestly, I’d like to go out on a run,” she said. “After everything that’s happened, I want to stretch my legs and clear my brain. Runs tend to be the best solution for that.”

I frowned, glancing at her up and down, taking note of all the injuries still on her body. I knew that when she meant “run,” she meant run as a wolf, and I didn’t like that idea for a myriad of reasons.

“Are you sure that’s a great idea?” I asked. “You’re still pretty banged up.”

She glanced down, scowling at her arm. “It feels better,” she protested. “And if it gets bad, I can always shift back and run home.”

I let out an annoyed huff. “In that case, you don’t think it’s a bit risky, considering some dangerous people are after you?”

“We don’t know that,” she pointed out. “I doubt they even know I’m here.”

I exhaled, trying not to pinch the bridge of my nose. “Stubborn to the last, I see,” I muttered.

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