She was fucking perfect.
“What happened to Finn?”
“If I tell you, I have to swear you to secrecy. The guys would kill me otherwise.”
Abby snorted. “I can’t imagine anyone being big enough to actually kill you.”
My lips curved slightly. “Male werewolves are all around the same size. If a couple of them teamed up, they could handle me.”
“I guess I have to believe you.” Her voice was soft, and playful. “I swear to pretend I know nothing. So, Finn?”
“Finn was barely eighteen when he met his mate. Jo. Don’t ever mention her name on the pack’s land. He still spirals.”
“Oof. Okay. I wouldn’t want to make anyone spiral.”
“Jo was… cruel. Controlling. Uninterested. She was twenty-four, and the age gap didn’t help. He was young and eager. She was bitter and hated desperation. They spent a few months together before her wolf finally rejected him.”
“Geez, that sucks.” I looked over, and found Abby grimacing. “What about Wyatt?”
I lifted a shoulder. “He hasn’t shared many details. From what we’ve gathered, they grew up together. Human women being raised in werewolf towns aren’t common, but they do exist. His mate was one of them. Corrine. He won’t spiral if you bring her up, but I still wouldn’t do it.”
“Noted.”
“Wyatt and Corrine were close friends through their childhood and teenage years. No one was surprised when they learned they were mates, but they had never been attracted to each other. They tried to make it work for almost a year before her wolf rejected him. Her wolf picked a second mate that night—his best friend. He packed a bag and was gone twenty minutes later.”
“Fuck.” Abby dragged a hand through her hair, mussing the smooth, damp strands. “I can’t even imagine how much that had to have sucked. For both of them.”
I made a noise of agreement. “Which is why I decided being unmated for the rest of my life was great.”
“No kidding.”
I squeezed her thigh again, then lifted my hand back to the steering wheel. “I wouldn’t change this, though.”
“I think it’s too early to say that. My wolf could do the same thing theirs did.”
“She could, and we would both survive it,” I agreed. “But she won’t.”
I hoped like hell that she wouldn’t, at least.
“What usually happens to women who reject their mates?”
“They typically move to a different city and lay low until their wolf picks someone else. Most of them aren’t single for more than a few years.”
“There aren’t any rejected women in your pack?” she checked.
“No. I’ve heard someone met one in Moon Ridge, but she’s never come out to our pack’s land. We wouldn’t turn her away, but Ican’t imagine she would want to live with a bunch of rejected guys.”
“I guess not. Especially since people call youFeral.”
“Right.”
She dragged her hand through her hair again. “Assuming my wolf decides to bite you, and we have to figure out how to do life together for the rest of… well, our lives… what are we going to do?”
“That’s a good question.”
“But that’s not a good answer, Cucumber.”
I snorted. “Are you ever going to let that go?”
