Page 108 of Wolf Mate

“Gods,please.” Lucy wrinkled her nose and took a step back. “Get that mangy thing away from me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic. She’s not mangy. I gave her a bath earlier today.” I was the only one she somewhat tolerated a bath from.

“All cats are mangy,” Lucy grumbled.

Having something to focus on was helping me already. I snatched the bag off the floor, went into my room, and shut the door behind me. I’d been avoiding my room due to the memories of Raffe, but with the cat living here now, I’d create new ones.

Raffe’s scent was still on my sheets, and tears sprang to my eyes. I couldn’t make myself wash them. They might be the only way I could smell him ever again even if doing so was pure torture.

Placing Keith on the bed, I checked her over, and soon she was back on her feet, stalking the room. I set up the litter box, and when I was done, I heard a knock on the front door.

My heart galloped. Lucy was back, and the last thing I wanted was to face wolf-shifter Keith, Adam, or Josie. Apart from Lucy, I didn’t want to see anyone who reminded me of Raffe.

Lucy’s footsteps moved toward the door, and I placed my ear to my own. The door opened, and Lucy said, “What are you two doing here?”

Two.

I hoped hard that Raffe wasn’t one of them. My blood jumped straight into a fizz until I realized that the guys would be warming up for tonight’s football game, which started in an hour.

“Uh … we’re here to see if Sky wants to eat with us,” Hecate said.

My body slumped with relief.

“What areyoudoing here?” Zella interjected. “The last we heard, you skipped out on her.”

Shit. This would turn ugly if I didn’t go out there. Cat Keith rubbed against my leg, and I reached down and scratched behind her ear then picked up my wallet and phone. “I’ll be back soon, and I’ll grab you some tuna.”

I slipped out my door, making sure to shut it firmly, and found Lucy frowning as she blocked the doorway so that Hecate and Zella couldn’t come inside.

“Hey, I’m in for eating.” I slid on a jacket. “Let’s go.”

Even though Lucy and I were settling back in with each other, she was part of Raffe’s pack and needed to be loyal to them. Me eating with the witches and vampires would make things easier on her.

Lucy pouted. “Sky, I thought we’d hang out.”

“Go eat with your friends.” I forced a smile. I didn’t want to give wolf-shifter Keith any reason to come after me again, thinking I was trying to get between Lucy and their pack. “Besides, don’t you have a football game to go to? We can watchCriminal Mindstonight.”

It was another home game, so I didn’t have to worry about running into any shifters at the student center.

Like Josie.

My stomach dropped. Would she be wearing Raffe’s jersey again? Were they back to pretending to date? Even as pain stabbed through my chest at the betrayal, I second-guessed myself. How was it a betrayal when we weren’t together? Something was desperately wrong with me.

“Yeah, okay.” Lucy exhaled. “That sounds like a plan. I should get to the game.”

My blood surged into a high fizz, ready to hum.

Hecate’s eyes widened, and she pulled me into the hallway. She could sense my power and how close to the edge I was. “Let’s go,” she said urgently to Zella.

“What’s wrong?” Lucy asked with concern.

“The usual here, lately.” Zella scoffed. “I swear, we hang out more in the woods than we do anywhere else.”

Thankfully, the elevator was on our floor, and soon, the three of us were heading down to the first floor.

Zella twirled a piece of her hair around her finger. “Shouldn’t you be gaining more control by now? It’s like you’re getting worse each day.”

I felt the same way, but every day, the yanking in my chest, coupled with the need to see Raffe and touch him damn near overpowered me. I hoped bringing the cat home would keep me calmer from now on. “I don’t know.” I turned and pressed my head against the cool metal wall. “I just need to be out in the woods.”

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