Page 30 of Sass Me

“We do.” One of the she-wolves from the party stepped into the circle, then another, and another.

“We do.” Three young men joined the women in the circle.

“Central, who from your pack joins the scenting ceremony?

“I do.” A young man, but strong of build stepped into the circle and glanced at one of the Wolfe she-wolves. Looked like that alliance might already be formed.

“We do.” Another small group of people joined the others.

A new energy charged through the forest. The mood was no longer somber, but an air of excitement pushed against them all.

“Golden Falls?”

“Vegas?”

“Rahound?”

Two more groups of men and another band of women stepped forward.

“Welcome to you all. We wish you well in your search for your mates. Any others who wish to be mated, go forth, greet each other in the ways of our people, and should you find your true mate, may you live happily ever after.”

Whoops and hollers rose up through the air about half the group shifted into wolves who all began circling and scenting each other.

The remaining group of humans in the circle, mostly women, were all approached by wolves who stuck their noses right in crotches and butts. Some giggled, one girl was toppled over by a large blonde wolf who began licking her face.

Fleur waited and hoped. One wolf stepped tentatively near her, then turned quickly and trotted away. Uh, that was weird. Guess he wasn’t the one.

When two more approached her and did pretty much the same maneuver, she wondered if the spa had snuck a strong-smelling lotion or perfume on her that she hadn’t noticed. Shifter’s sense of smell was sensitive and anything fake or artificial grossed them out.

She surreptitiously turned her head to sniff one arm and then the other.

That’s when she noticed the big ass green dragon standing a few feet from her in the trees. His scales blended in perfectly with the foliage around him and she might not have seen him at all except for the light coming beaming from her necklace. It seemed to do that a lot around him.

“You smell delicious, little flower.”

The way he spoke into her mind reminded her too much of the dream she’d had with him. That was the last thing she needed to be thinking of on scenting ceremony night. “Go away, you’re scaring off the wolves.”

He chuckled right into her head. “I know.”

Fleur crossed her arms doing her best to close herself off from him. “Dammit, Steele. I’m never going to get mated if you don’t back off.”

“You already have a mate.” This time his tone was anything but jovial.

What if she didn’t want one. Oh, who was she kidding. She did want a mate, and a family. She knew in the first minute of the scenting ceremony none of the wolves were going to pick her. Actually, she knew this morning when she’d woken up with daisies sprouting all over her room.

So, why was she fighting it so hard?

Stupid destiny.

Maybe destiny could go fuck itself.

“You said we had deal. You told me to come to the scenting ceremony and see if a wolf wanted me.”

“I told you to come to the ceremony. I never said I’d let a wolf get anywhere near you.”

“That’s not fair.” Yeah, cause life thus far had been fair. Where was fair when she’d grown up without a father and an absentee mother? Where was fair when every relationship she’d tried to have had fallen apart when they figured out she wasn’t normal? And where the hell was fair when destiny decided to dick her around, let her think she’d found a family with the Wolfe’s and then mated her to a god-damned dragon?

“All’s fair in love and war. Especially when the battle is to win the love of my fair lady.”

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