Page 60 of Howl for the Gargoyle

CHAPTER 22

Hannah

"I think…I think I might've met my mate."

My head shot up and I blinked, turning and finding Theo in the circle, his own expression recovering from the initial surprise.

Nancy laughed softly at all of us. "Yeah, I know. I wasn't expecting it either. Definitely been taking my chance to just…sample the buffet, I guess you could say. And that was totally the plan, but she…"

I kept my gaze on Nancy as a few others around the circle tried to stifle their reactions—mostly men tittering and clearing their throats.

Nancy stumbled in her speech and took a moment of pause before smiling slightly. "She just makes me happy. As a werewolf. And as a woman, of course, but no one's ever…you know, made my tail wag before."

Can't be that hard. Rafe makes my tail wag all the time.

Around the room, the mated werewolves chuckled and smiled at Nancy.

"And I thought mating would be aggressive or possessive, but it's not. It's just feeling sure of my place with someone. Excited to be with them, but relaxed too. Feral and domesticated. In control."

Everyone was beaming at Nancy now, her joy infectious, but I had my hands clamped around the metal ridge of the seat.

"And the human part of me is overthinking all of this. It happened really quickly, and I had a mindset of not forming a romantic attachment yet, just learning myself. But I know myself better when I'm around her. My werewolf feels like me, and vice versa. And that's the part of me that has no doubt that this is right and permanent."

"Werewolves have good instincts," Diane offered gently, cheeks rounded with her smile.

Nancy huffed out a laugh and nodded, and I watched them all from a distance, my heart kicking and punching in the cage of my chest.

Don't make something up just because it sounds familiar, I warned myself, but the thoughts were already racing, toppling like dominoes, little moments recalled through the rosy filter of Nancy's words.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm learning that. I guess that's what I'm offering today. Don't fight the good things this change can offer you. Don't talk yourself out of the best parts."

Don't jump to conclusions, I told myself, trying and failing to push the thought of Rafe's lazy grin and dark curls from my mind. But even the thought of him settled me and stirred up a flurry of warmth in my chest. Feral and domesticated indeed.

I am not mating my sex worker. The words were my new mantra, but they didn't stop the satisfying zipper-click sensation—tines sewing themselves perfectly together—as I thought of Rafe and compared my time with him to Nancy's description of how mating felt.

"Hannah?"

I startled, sucking in a breath, and found the circle all staring back expectantly at me.

"Anything you'd like to share today?" Diane asked.

"No!" I realized my mistake as the word burst out of me. Theo's lips were twitching, and his brows rose behind his glasses. I shook my head, clearing my throat. "No, not this week," I said, recovering my senses slightly.

I sank deep into my folding chair as the conversation turned, but a few stares remained fixed on me, gazes reading me too clearly.

"Hey—"

I jumped as a hand caught my elbow while I was trying to flee the scene of the support group. Theo was grinning, hands raised at his sides when I spun.

"Sorry. You're jumpy today."

I shook myself and glared at my friend. "Don't ask."

He pressed his lips together and nodded. "How about an invitation to dinner?"

I sighed, glancing back at the doors to see more of the group heading for the exit. Including Fletcher, who'd once again tried to catch my attention afterwards. I started walking again and Theo followed, keeping pace with me.

"Dinner sounds good," I said, because Natalie would probably talk enough to distract me. Maybe.

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