Page 19 of Hunny and the Bear

God, what was wrong with her? She was like an addict when it came to Tank.

Tabitha smiled politely. “I asked if you intend to stay here long?”

Hunny’s eyes widened. “Oh! I, um, I haven’t really thought about it.”

Mostly because she knew being a lone shifter was a touchy subject. If she had her talk with Murphy, and told him she was alone, pregnant with another Alpha’s baby,andrejected,he’d think she was defective—that Jason had sensed something broken within her and kicked her to the curb. That she’d been tossed out by her previous nest. He probably wouldn’t even believe her if she explained everything. He would assume she was trouble, too much of a problem to keep around.

Could she really blame Murphy for that?

He wasn’t her Alpha. His purpose was to protect his clan from threats—even a lone bunny shifter. When that inevitably happened, she’d have to leave Montana with her tail tucked between her legs.

She’d never see Tank again. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest at the thought.

The last few days with Tank had been amazing, some of the easiest days she’d had in years. She wasn’t ready for them to end. But how long could she avoid this talk with his older brother? A few more days? A week?

Maybe she should lie about her circumstances, but she was terrible at that, and it would be easy for another shifter to sense her unease and call her out on it.

The older woman’s gaze softened. “Do you have a family to get back to? A mate, perhaps? I don’t see a mark on you—”

“No mate,” Hunny cut in abruptly. She cleared her throat. Suddenly ashamed, she glanced down at the clothes in her hand. “Not anymore, at least.”

“Oh.” Tabitha sent her a small, sad smile. “No wonder you and Tank get along. His own mate passed away when he was younger, before they could claim each other, but even still; a loss like that changes a person.”

Hunny’s eyes went wide with shock, and her heart physically ached at the news.

Poor Henry.

Shaking her head, Hunny blurted out, “My mate isn’t dead. He just …” She paused, unsure if she wanted to say anythingelse. But knowing that Tank’s mate got lumped into the same category as Jason didn’t sit right with her. Tank’s mate had probably been a lovely female. There wasn’t a lovely thing about Jason. Not in the slightest. She felt she had to explain.

Her throat clogged with emotion, and she clenched her jaw, swallowing thickly as she tried to calm down. “He led me to believe he wanted to mate with me, got me pregnant, and then he rejected me in favor of a dominant shifter. He said I was too weak to stand beside him.”

It kind of felt cathartic to say it out loud.

Tabitha gasped, and Hunny’s eyes shot to her face, just in time to watch a flurry of emotions cross over it. Shock, outrage, and then, oddly enough, a bitter fury that morphed the sweet-looking lady into some kind of avenging angel. “What kind of low-life piece of shit would do that? To theirmate? Abandon you at such a crucial time, and for another female?” Her voice rose with each word until she was practically shouting.

“Please keep your voice down,” Hunny hissed, moving to the railing and looking over the side. No one was below in the living room or the kitchen. And she didn’t hear anyone moving around on the first floor either. Had the guys gone outside? She turned back to Tank’s mom. “I haven’t told your son anything yet. It’s kind of embarrassing, and honestly, I’m ashamed that I was so blind to my mate’s schemes.”

“Oh, dear.” Tabitha blew out a breath, some of the red draining from her face. “You shouldn’t feel embarrassed. You believed your true mate held your best interest at heart, and it’s his loss that he didn’t. Be grateful that he showed you the type of male he was before he claimed you.” She frowned. “I’m sure you don’t feel that way currently. But in time, you will.”

Tears pricked Hunny’s eyes, and she let out a trembling breath. “Thank you for saying that. I feel so weird about everything.”

“How so?”

Hunny shrugged, biting her lower lip when her chin wobbled. Great, first she cried in front of Tank, and now she was word vomiting all over his mother. This poor family was going to be more than ready to send her packing when the time came.

“I-I don’t miss him. Not at all. And I should, right?” Hunny ran a hand through her disheveled hair, grateful her fingers didn’t snag on a tangle. She took a deep breath before continuing, “I mean, he was my mate. When we were together, every thought I had revolved around him. What he was up to, if he missed me, when could I see him again … But since I came here, I haven’t really thought about him. He didn’t even cross my mind all day yesterday, not until last night. And even then, I didn’t feel sad … just worried that he’d find another way to ruin my life.”

“Ruin your life how, Hunny? Are you in danger?”

“No,” Hunny replied immediately. “At least, I don’t think so.” Not unless Natasha resurfaced, the nasty bitch. “I’m just being dramatic,” she added.

Tabitha snorted, placing a comforting hand on Hunny’s shoulder. “After what you’ve been through, and that awful attack in the woods that Murphy mentioned, I think you’re more than entitled to a little theatrics. And for the record, I think it’s remarkable you’ve gotten over your mate so easily,” Tabitha finished, a twinkle in her eye Hunny couldn’t make sense of.

“You do? I feel like there’s something wrong with me.”

Though getting rejected, propositioned to be a whore, and then nearly killed in the woods all in one night had probably sped up her mourning process far more than her cry in Jason’s cabin ever could have.

“There’s nothing wrong with you at all, Hunny.” Tabitha smiled happily. “Sometimes fate has other plans for us. Maybe this true mate of yours wasn’t supposed to be your endgame, but your stepping stone to something better.”

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