Page 29 of Wolf's Rejected Mate

“ABBY!”

I whirled around, snarling, and Etta froze where she stood, her gray eyes wide with fear. Instantly, I dropped my lip, lowering my head in silent apology, but I cast her companion a nasty look as she scoffed at me.

“You going to take off my hand, too?” Maisie asked caustically. “Or do you just do that to those who can’t defend themselves?”

I turned back to continue walking, still in my wolf body. I still wasn’t in any mood for conversation, but I didn’t want Etta to think I was being rude. If it had only been Maisie, I would have bounded away, leaving her to eat my dust the second I’d laid eyes on her.

“Honey, have you been in your human form at all today?” Etta called tentatively.

I glanced over the fur of my shoulder, briefly shaking my head. The fairies exchanged a wary look.

“Why not?” Maisie challenged. “You afraid or something?”

I bared my teeth at her again, but she smirked. Even so, I caught the alarm in her eyes. For all her talk, Maisie didn’t want to butt heads with me.

“Can you shift so we can talk, Abby?” Etta pleaded. “I’m a little worried about you.”

Anxiety spiked through me.Worried? Why? What does she know? What did she see?

Reluctantly, I nodded and trotted ahead to duck behind the closest building, shifting into my naked, human form again. Hastily dressing, I honed my ears toward the fairies’ discussion.

“…your friend. You talk to her,” Maisie whined. “She doesn’t listen to me, anyway.”

“She’s clearly under some kind of stress, Maisie. Yesterday, she rushed out of our barbecue without any kind of explanation—”

Oh, shit. They noticed. I thought I was being sly leaving the way I did to go find Elijah.

I appeared in front of them, fully dressed in a pair of cargo pants and a pale blue V-neck, sneakers kicking up sand as I moved. They abruptly stopped speaking as I stared them down.

“I explained that I wasn’t feeling well,” I said, managing to keep my voice even. “I warned you that I was tired when I got there. I just needed some rest.”

Etta offered me a weak smile, embarrassment tinging her face.

“And did you get rest?” she asked gently. “Because you don’t look so great today, either, babe.”

“You look like shit, and you’re jumpy as hell,” Maisie offered. “She wants to know why you’re being so weird.”

I bristled. “I’m not,” I retorted sharply. “I’m working.”

“What Maisie means,” Etta interjected before things could escalate between Maisie and me, “is that we’re worried about you.”

“I’m coming off a full moon,” I replied, thinking quickly. “You don’t understand, but it’s harder for me.”

Etta nodded agreeably, but Maisie didn’t look convinced.

“Of course! That makes perfect sense,” she said, nudging her friend. “I’m sorry we ambushed you, sweetie. We’re just worried about you.”

“I’m not,” Maisie answered, but Etta poked her again, this time harder.

“We both are. If you need to talk about anything, you know we’re here for you.”

Gods, did I ever need to talk, but I couldn’t very well tell Orson’s partner and her best friend about Elijah, could I?

“Thanks,” I mumbled, avoiding their eyes. “I appreciate that.”

We stood staring awkwardly at one another for a moment until I broke the silence, adjusting my backpack over my shoulder. “I still have some more deliveries, so…”

“Yes, go,” Etta chuckled. “We won’t keep you. Why don’t you come over tonight—”

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