Page 34 of Aine

“Well, that, I can fix,” she says, grabbing a glass jar from the cabinet. “You can have this.”

She places it on her desk before opening another jar and scooping a handful of clear gel onto her palm. It’s thick and chunky, and I resist the urge to shiver as she begins spreading it on my skin.

It brings immediate relief, and I sigh as she rubs it into my arms and chest. Oh, that’s nice.

“Damien needs to give you more blood.” Jenna grabs another glob from the jar and orders me to spin.

I laugh, shaking my head at her statement. “I doubt he’d be willing to do that.”

She tuts, taking a moment to collect her thoughts before responding. “I thought you two were starting to get along?”

Should I lie? I still can’t tell what’s expected of me here, but it seems like she’s genuinely curious about how things are going between Damien and me.

“Not really,” I say. “He’s a dick, and I’m pretty sure he hates me.”

My legs have taken the most damage, and my knees buckle as she applies her gel to them. Simply existing has been causing me pain, and for a moment, I’d forgotten how it felt to live without it. Jenna returns to her shelves and scoops a hefty amount into a jar for me to take home.

“Put this on before bed,” she orders, setting it next to the sunscreen. “And he doesn’t hate you. You’re his mate.”

Her tone implies that being his mate is supposed to mean something, but I’m more than positive it doesn’t. I don’t have the energy to argue, though, and am afraid of offending her by bashing the mate bond the beasts claim to treasure so much.

Still, Jenna seems to recognize the hesitation in my face as her shoulders drop and she gestures for me to redress.

“You’re the only woman his beast will ever be interested in,” she insists, her words earning a surprised laugh from me.

He literally has Olivia living in his home and there was a half-naked woman in his bed just the other week. Damien holds no affection for me, and the fact that people think he’s pining after me is laughable.

Jenna’s eyes narrow. “What is it?”

“Damien and his beast are very much not holding out for me.” I snort, shaking my head at the mere notion.

Jenna’s lips purse, the woman clearly upset with my lack of belief in her words. It’s been made abundantly clear how much most of the beasts worship this bond, but that doesn’t mean Damien feels the same way about it.

“Look,” I start, ignoring my flushed cheeks. “I thought maybe he’d come around at one point, but he’s made it crystal clear he has no interest in me. Besides, I’m pretty sure he’s got a couple of women he’s seeing.”

Jenna shakes her head, disagreeing with me. “He was messing with a few women before you came into the picture, but he hasn’t seen them since you were found in the woods.” Jenna tosses the gel and sunscreen into a bag for me.

“I saw him in his room with a half-naked woman on his bed,” I deadpan.

Jenna groans, throwing her hands in the air. “Beasts aren’t unfaithful. Damien isn’t cheating on you. He wouldn’t do that.” Her voice rises in pitch as she speaks, slowly transforming from friendly banter to full-on scolding. “Sure, Damien isn’t perfect, but he’s been through a lot. Have you tried talking to him?”

Her words make me pause.

“He’sthe one who claimed me as a mate, and he has a clear advantage here. It’s unfair to expect me to beg for his attention after he’s treated me so poorly. I don’t have the luxury of safety. Nothing’s stopping him from beating or killing me, and it would be naive of me to believe something as silly as a mate bond would prevent him from doing so.” I say, a slight bite to my words.

Jenna dips her chin and adjusts her stance before looking back up at me. She looks embarrassed for a brief moment, but the expression is quickly replaced by determination.

“You’re not understanding, Aine. When I tell you their mate bond is sacred, I truly mean it.” Jenna’s clearly desperate for me to understand the deep meaning of this stupid bond. “Will you at least give him a try? He just needs a bit of encouragement.”

“I don’t think so.”

My body is all slimy from the gel, and Jenna tosses me a rag to wipe the excess off. She hands me my goodie bag as I clean myself, her tone stern as she reminds me to apply more before bed.

“I’ll make a deal with you,” she says as I grab the supplies.

There’s a mysterious glint in her eye as she waits for my reply, her lips turning up at the corners. This should be interesting.

“Let’s hear it.”

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