Page 90 of Unforgivable

"Don't you have a razor?" I ask him, shoving him back.

"Naw, I mean one of those razors that cuts hair."

"Hair clippers?" I feel my eyebrows shoot up to my hairline in surprise.

"Yeah," Thjis fidgets. I stare in amusement. He's never uncomfortable.

"Why you cutting your hair, Boo-boo Bear?" I say in a sotto, baby-voice.

Thjis punches me in the ribcage. "Shut the fuck up, dick. Lyri likes short hair," he mutters.

"That's why she likes me best," I smile, patting the blond spikes on my head like a prima donna just to piss him off.

"She does not," he mumbles. "Where are your clippers, asswipe?"

I give my hair one last pat, "in the bottom drawer, douche."

I leave to get dressed, laughing at the soft cursing from the bathroom as Thjis tries to figure out the clippers.

My laughter fades when I walk out into the hallway and see Rhet's arm around Lyri's shoulders as he walks her into the living room, murmuring in her ear.

I know what he's saying. He's already gone over everything a few dozen times.

We're going into town, and not one of us wants to go. But, after a friendly 'debate' that took a few hours and a couple of punches to each other's faces, we realized that we have no choice. If we go, we risk subjecting Lyri to the pack, but if we stay home, then we risk offending the luna.

If Luna Jessi hadn't given us a personal invite, it wouldn't matter if we showed up soon or not. But now we've been warned, twice, to let the pack see the nulla venia.

So here we are, each of us agitated and our wolves pacing, getting ready to take Lyri into town for the first time.

All I want to do is snuggle her somewhere safe and hidden. The truth that she finally revealed is so fucked up. To think that someone would reject their mate… Would reject this mate.

It's so baffling to me I can't wrap my head around it. I wasn't given a mate and cursed to be alone. For the last few years, I've been sleeping around, trying to find a female who would give two shits about me. Nothing. I'm the easy male lay of the pack. I feel like the slut that everyone accuses Lyri of being. And it fucking hurts.

"You OK?" Thjis slams his hand on my shoulder, and I realize that I've been standing in the doorway to my bedroom, staring at Lyri and Rhet without moving.

"Yeah," I croak out.

"Hey, Ez."

"What?"

"She really does see you as her sunshine."

"Thanks, bro." I turn to smile at him and feel shocked. "Holy fucking shit, Thjis." He's cut his hair, for real.

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Rhet

"It's raining. Do we have to go?" she whispers to me.

I brush my mouth on hers. "Yeah, I'm sorry, pretty. We'll nip in, grab some food, then zip out. We won't leave your side. All of us will be there the whole time."

I rub her hip. I know it's hurting her, a combination of the weather and her anxiety kicking up.

"Your parents invited us to dinner," I ply her with that blatant bribe.

Those hazel eyes lighten in pleasure. It's the only reason why she agreed to go today. Otherwise, I wouldn't have ever gotten her to budge. She's a stubborn one, my little female.

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