Page 26 of Forsaking His Mate

I wonder if he’s feeling the same hollowness that I feel, the same pain at remaining unclaimed.

I rub my aching stomach before I forcemyself out of bed and into the bathroom to take a shower, putting on the same clothes I wore yesterday.

Hester wanted me to make a list of things I need, which I’ll do after breakfast.

I go to the kitchen area, pulling open the fridge, which is empty and smells funky. Cleaning that will be my priority before I fill it.

Slipping my feet into my shoes, I make my way up to the main house.

It’s quiet this morning and the sun, which is low on the horizon, peeks around the edge of the mountains that surround us.

It’s idyllic out here, and I feel both relaxed and calm as I make my way up the path that leads to the house.

I wonder who the empty cabins I pass are for. Did Hester build these or were they already here? I have questions that I don’t think I’ll get answers to.

As I walk past his cabin, his awareness invades my mind. He’s restless and angry too.

I almost step onto the path that leads to his porch, but I stop myself.

He pushed me aside.

Whatever shit he’s going through, he can just do it alone.

I give the cabin a final glance before I go on toward the house. When I push through the kitchen door, I find Hester and Roux sitting at the table. Apryle is at the stove stirring something in a cast-iron skillet.

“Morning.” Roux is the first to greet me. Her face has a dreamy look on it as she takes me in and I wonder what it is about.

“So, you and Abel are mates,” Apryle says without any prompting.

I glance at Hester, my cheeks heating. “It doesn’t matter. He… he rejected me.”

“Because he’s a dumbass,” Apryle mutters, pushing what I realize is eggs around the pan.

Hester signals for me to sit at the table, which is full of delicious-looking food. The smell of the bacon and pancakes is making my mouth water.

I take a seat and Roux hands me a plate. “Eat. There’s plenty to go around.”

I load my plate up and place it in front of me when I’m done. In my old pack, I ate with my father, and although we had parties as a group, we never sat around and ate meals together. The pack was too big and there were a lot of families within it.

Thinking about them makes my heart hurt.

I wonder how they are?

I wonder if Avery, my closest friend in the pack, survived.

As if sensing my sudden morose thoughts, Roux leans across the table and takes my hand in hers. “I’m sorry for what is happening to you.”

“I’m okay,” I assure her, even though I don’t feel that way. Inside, all that pain and rage has faded to something dangerous—numbness. I feel completely empty.

“We’ll start with some training after breakfast,” Hester says.

“Sure,” I agree, pushing the food around my plate. Suddenly, I don’t feel very hungry.

“Hester has been teaching us to harness our joint powers.”

That makes my gaze snap up. “Joint powers?”

“We’re part witches,” Hester explains. “We’re stronger when we’re working together. The three of us have been building our coven.”

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