Page 49 of Rejected Mate

Fagua.

Fagua.

Fagua.

Does nothing else come out of my brother's mouth?

I ignored him, pretending that he was a mosquito buzzing in my ear, and hoping that if I ignored it long enough, it would go away. My focus would be on getting the wolves I met out there together and seeing if we could work out something to bring down SmallHeath. As long as all wasn't riding on Fagua, it would be a solid plan because something was up with Fagua's magic, even if she didn't want to tell me about it. I had a feeling the conversation we had and her not wanting to come back today, meant that she didn't want Winter to know about it either.

17

Sky

Fagua stared out of the window at the pool. It was weird because usually, she would be out there doing laps or simply soaking up the sun. She wouldn't be looking at it as if she was pining to swim but had been shut in here.

"A penny for your thoughts," I said, walking up behind her.

She jumped up as if I'd awoken her from a dream. Then she rushed into my arms.

"Hey, what’s up?" I was going to check the back room, but I could see that my girl wasn't happy. That wasn't good. "Here, here," I whispered as I hugged her lightly, and she squeezed me tightly, but not like before. I could feel that she was using every force inside of her. Yet, she felt so light. I didn't know what to think. I dismissed it, thinking that her trip with Husk had probably tired her out.

"Nothing." Her voice hitched.

She was so emotional and her gaze raced around the room. I hadn't seen her like this in weeks.

"Fagua." I smiled and pulled her closer. "Are you okay? I’ve never seen you like this."

She nodded, shook her head, then nodded again.

"You ate today?"

She shook her head again, and I was hoping some food would help. I took her hand. I was hungry too and did all the talking as I led her to the kitchen.

"We had to replace dice on table three. Turns out a klepto kept swiping them." I was breaking the ice, talking about the boring stuff about what has gone down in the casino while she was gone.

I knew her well enough to know the vacant look on her face meant she wasn't listening, but while I gathered up the eggs and the fixings, the more I talked, hoping to get her attention.

"You know, I make a mean steak." Shit, I hadn't had that all week and it was my favorite meal. "Winter also joked that I was part lion rather than wolf because of it."

"I'll lay the table," she said with dread in her voice, as if she were going to make a human sacrifice.

"No. Leave it. We'll keep it simple and I'm not that hungry. How about an omelet instead?" I knew how Fagua liked her eggs and I could make one quickly. I wanted to have my girl back to her smiling, joking self.

She didn't need any more encouragement than that, as she slumped down in the kitchen chair.

"If you're going to be like that, I'm going to order some steak and then eat it alone in the movie theater room."

She shook her head. "No. Don't leave me. Husk might come back and then…"

"What? You'll have to be alone with him if I leave you?"

She shrugged once again and then I realized that the trip didn't go well, which annoyed me because Husk said that they were making progress. Since when did we lie to each other?

"I just can't connect with him," she said as she threw her hands up in the air. "One minute I think it's all in my head. I let go. I surrender myself to him, and then he does something that reminds me that's he Husk. The one who locked me up. I just can't let it go."

"I see." I take out some grated cheese and add it to the bubbling egg in the pan. I use the time to try to find the words to comfort her and wondering how much of a lie Husk told me and Winter.

Finishing our omelet, I set it in front of her with two forks. We share a plate because I hate doing dishes. I sat down next to her. "So, you never mated with him?"

---