Page 25 of Rejected Wolf Mate

I blinked, some of the tension leaving my shoulders as I glanced at her, trying to hide my surprise.

“I honestly didn’t know absent wolves were a thing.” Iris mused.

“It means she can’t shift,” I explained.

She glanced at me, a little embarrassed. “Sorry, I’m still learning about shifter culture. Is it rude to ask if she still has a wolf? I mean, if I ever meet her?”

I gave a small, sardonic smile. “It’s one of the most common questions,” I said. “As far as I know, she does. It’s what makes her a shifter still instead of a human. Not that there’s anything wrong with being human,” I added.

Iris grinned and winked, clearly conveying no hard feelings.

“If she would be safer here, we’re more than happy to figure out how to get her here,” Georgia said.

“I’d be happy to hang out with her some if she does,” Iris mentioned. “I know how weird it can be not being able to shift in a pack. I know it’s not entirely the same, but at least she would have someone to walk on two legs with her while everyone else ran around on four.”

I snorted in amusement. “I’ll keep that in mind.”.

Honestly, though, I was fairly certain that Thea would love something like that. She was such a social person, which was one of the reasons her being an absent was so difficult for her, despite the brave face she put on. When we were younger, she was constantly left out of things. I tried to sit events out with her, but she always insisted I enjoy myself.

Something wriggled inside me, some mix of surprise and… guilt? The girls were so nice and friendly, more so than they had any right to be to a virtual stranger. It was almost unsettling.

I pushed the nagging concern to the back of my head. There wasn’t anything to worry about.

Andi leaned toward me. “Are we allowed to ask about Rand yet?” she asked in a stage whisper.

Georgia shifted in her seat, and Andi let out a soft “Ow!” She glowered at Georgia, giving me the sneaking suspicion that she had just kicked Andi under the table.

“There’s not much to tell,” I said. “Rand and I dated. Then he decided to go off hunting monsters, and we broke up.”

“How was that?” Iris asked. “Honestly, he scares me a bit. He’s massive.”

“He’s harmless,” Jenn dismissed.

“Just stubborn as all get out,” Andi added.

“You don’t know the half of it,” I said. “The guy would argue his head was on backward if someone told him otherwise.”

The girls laughed. I cracked a grin, trying to ignore the sinking dread in my stomach. It was impossible not to feel like I was betraying them along with Rand. For the first time, I started to wonder what impact my actions might have, and how they might reverberate beyond Rand.

My gut twisted again, and the drink tasted like ash in my mouth as I sipped at it.

What exactly was Ansel planning on doing with the information I was giving him? He had said he needed intel on the Silver Wolves to make sure he and the rest of them stayed under the radar. But how would that information impact the rest of Brixton?

I tried to push the thought away. This situation had nothing to do with the rest of the pack, only the Silver Wolves. I was getting my revenge on Rand by using him the way he had used me, and that would be the end of it.

Except that was the other problem. I didn’t hate Rand the same way I used to. The anger hadn’t vanished, but it had ebbed to annoyance and frustration rather than the cold fury it had been for so long.

On top of all that, I had begun to wonder what it would be like if I decided to stay in Brixton. I could bring Thea here. If Iris was any indication, no one would treat her differently. And we wouldn’t be starting entirely over, now that I knew a few people. We could make a life here, and a pretty good one at that.

Ignore it, I told myself. Stay the course. Just finish this as quickly as possible and get back to Thea. You don’t belong here.

I repeated that to myself over and over, hoping that it would get rid of some of that guilt beginning to fester inside me. But it stayed where it was, churning my insides.

Chapter 10 - Rand

I heard the front door open and close, and my shoulders eased. Astrid had gotten back safe. I trusted the girls and knew they wouldn’t do anything to bring Astrid to harm, but that didn’t mean I hadn’t been more than a little anxious. It was nearly midnight at this point. I’d stayed up watching TV to make sure she got back.

I heard a loud, frustrated sigh, then footsteps toward the kitchen. At first, I figured she might be getting a snack, except then the back door that led to the back balcony opened and closed. Frowning, I turned off the TV and wandered back into the kitchen, where I saw the back of Astrid’s blond head.

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