Page 22 of Spirit Island

Deno noddedthrough gritted teeth. “Very.”

He filled asmall plate with fruit and ate. “Good. I will wait a few minutesbefore pursuing her.”

Serin looked ather mate. “Deno, can you go to town and get some bread or pastriesthis morning? The hostility radiating off you isn’t helpful.”

Deno sighed,got up, leaned over to kiss her cheek, and then left.

Serin looked atXo. “What do you want to know?”

“You weren’ttrading her to me to help me through my heat?”

“No. I don’ttrade anyone. She voluntarily went because you were her mate.”

He frowned.“Past tense?”

“I don’t know.She’s crying like a rejected mate. She’s hurting like one.”

“I more or lesstold her that she had paid for access to the strait with herbody.”

Serin nodded.“Yes, that qualifies as a rejection.”

“I didn’t meanit as one. She said she had had alphas before.”

“Sure. You havehad betas, right? You used all the slow seduction techniques andeased her into pleasure, right?”

He colouredslowly. “Not exactly.”

“You made sureshe was in a comfortable environment, at least?”

“Notexactly.”

“Ah, and yether heart still broke, even though you fumbled your first joining.It seems the compulsion to find a partner can sometimes overwritegood sense.”

Xo swallowed.“Tell me about her illness.”

“Oh. Hang on. Ihave pictures. She had tumours on major organs, and eventually,they were shrunk and removed.” Serin brought up pictures of Bellein hospital, losing her hair, getting so terribly frail, and thenpacking for the island. “I haven’t got a new photo of her after shegot to the island.”

“She was notdoing well.”

“She wasfighting. She fought hard. Deno did what he could to keep on top ofthe medical bills, but they both drained everything they had justto keep her alive, and then, they started over. Belle is a stuntwoman, and she is capable of anything she sets her mind to. Rightnow, she’s being paid by the Wonder Islands as a stunt woman andlocation scout for the upcoming Alphas versus Betas.”

“She is acompetitor?”

“No, she is thetrainer for the ladies. They will come with no knowledge of how tomanage on the water, and Belle will show them. Deno will show thealphas.”

“Will she be indanger?”

Serin shrugged.“As much as any other woman on the open ocean.”

Deno came backin with an armload of pastries. “Is it all hashed out?”

Serin nodded.“It is.”

Xo looked athim. “I am sorry to have hurt your sister.”

“She’s beenthrough a lot, and when I heard she had a mark, I was shocked.”

“My eel couldsee it when we fought.”

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