Page 7 of A Mate Betrayed

“This place is awesome,” Kinleigh breathed, looking around in awe.

“Thank you.”

Both she and Payton turned.A tall, statuesque woman stood there, smiling.Her long, dark hair was braided down her back.Next to her was a shorter woman with curly red hair.

“Hi, Savannah,” Payton said.“Hi, Brinnah.This is my cousin, Kinleigh.We’ve come about a problem of the heart.”

Savannah cocked her head.“What type of problem?”

“I had to reject my moon-fated mate,” Kinleigh said.

Brinnah’s eyes widened.“I’m so sorry.I know how painful that is.”

Savannah put her arm around the younger woman.“Brinnah was rejected, which caused her to flee her pack.She came to Sheridan and found her true mate.”

“I’m so sorry that happened to you,” Kinleigh said to the pretty woman.“But true mate?”

“The High Luna always has a plan,” Savannah said with a wink.

“The man the High Luna gave me was a very bad person,” Brinnah said.“But he was a false mate.Now, I have a wonderful man.”

“I’m happy for you,” Kinleigh said sincerely.“My ex-mate is also a bad man.Payton thought there might be something to help with this emptiness inside.”

She tapped her chest, right over her heart.

Brinnah pushed her long hair behind her ear and Kinleigh saw the tip on the top curve, and she couldn’t help but stare in confusion.Brinnah must have seen where her line of sight rested and self-consciously moved her hair back into place.

“I’m sorry,” Kinleigh said sincerely.“I didn’t mean to stare.”

“It’s fine,” Brinnah said with a shrug.“I forget that my ears are different.”

“Were you born with them?”

She shook her head.“I come from a very secular pack.When our wolf presents itself, we’re taught to keep our ears in honor of our true nature.I never knew my pack was so old-fashioned until I came here.Unfortunately, I haven’t learned to retract them, and I’m not sure I ever can.”

“I think they’re beautiful,” Kinleigh said.

Brinnah’s eyes widened.“Really?Thank you.”

“Savannah,” Payton said.“Do you have something to help Kinleigh?”

She tilted her head.“May I?”she asked Kinleigh, who nodded permission.

Savannah reached out and ran a finger lightly over Kinleigh’s forehead.A flash of heat seared through her head, and the slight headache that had been lingering since she rejected Vaughn disappeared.

“Oh,” she said, surprised.“Whatever you did, that felt great.”

“The wound he placed on your heart is seeping,” Savannah murmured.“One gossamer thread ties you to your ex-mate.”She walked over to a wall and took down an amber-colored glass jar.“Unlike Brinnah’s case, the High Luna has not tricked you into leaving to find your true mate.She hoped this union would’ve healed the rot in his soul, but it’s too far decayed.He is to blame,notyou.Would you like me to cauterize the slice?”

“Will that completely free me?”

“Yes.Once the thread is severed, you can find love again.”

“But I won’t have children,” Kinleigh said sadly.

Savannah held up a finger.“Actually, I do see children in your future, just not biological ones.”

“Oh,” Kinleigh said.“I never thought of that.I bet there are lots of pups needing a forever home.”

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