Page 120 of Silent Jay

I treated Wiggles the same. I knocked back the entire dram in one gulp, though the smooth malt didn’t burn as much as I wanted. I tightened my grip on my lowball, a glass I hadn’t picked out, like the couch under my ass and the pictures on my walls. My moms had done all of it for me.

I found my phone, but Wiggles still hadn’t answered my text from this morning. I pulled on our mate bond, but like it had all day, it felt so flat. The first time I’d pulled on it, she’d responded, our link shimmering with her intentions. When Og blocked me,it felt like someone slammed a door in my face—a sharp cut-off. But today, it just felt like nothing.

I’d put her in the Air Temple. If something had gone wrong up there, it was my fault.

I clicked on the group chat and glanced around my room before reading through the messages. A smile pulled at my lips.

Master Baiter:Tyson must have cheated last night.

Plant Food:Unfortunately, he did not.

Master Baiter:Areyou sure?

Plant Food:Sadly, yes. He doesn’t strike me as the type to cheat at games.

Master Baiter:He cheated in The Hunt.

Og responded with a meme of Yoda from Star Wars saying: Touching that with a ten-foot pole, I will not.

I snorted.

Master Baiter:Do we have a plan for tonight?

Plant Food:I am not the right person to orchestrate this. So, no.

Master Baiter:And you think I have experience with group sex?

Plant Food:I’ve no idea, but I guarantee you have a leg-up on me.

Although I read the messages in succession, there was a few hours' break after Og’s awkward leg-up statement. Where did Jay find this guy?

Master Baiter:Jay hasn’t answered my texts, nor has she piped in with a meme about ‘leg-up’ yet.

Master Baiter:You’d set her up pretty good too, Og.

I grimaced. Og made his wording awkward so Jay would have fun with it. I didn’t know if I wanted to punch the guy or take lessons from him.

Master Baiter:I’m worried.

Plant Food:I’ve also not gotten a response from her, nor have I needed to block Tyson from calling on her mate mark. Though, I could be too far away. I don’t know the limitations on that yet.

Plant Food:I can still feel her in air dragon territory.

Master Baiter:Me too.

I gritted my teeth. I didn’t want to be part of this group chat. But sitting in my home, surrounded by everything I’d been conditioned to love, this communication thread felt like something I’d chosen. I took a deep breath and typed.

Tyson:I just pulled on her mark again. Did you block it?

Three little dots appeared.

Plant Food:I didn’t even know.

Tyson:Feck.

I ground my teeth together.

Master Baiter:She might have just had her phone confiscated. We’ll find out tonight.

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