I look up from the box I’ve been staring at without actually packing anything. Imani is standing in the bedroom doorway, her arms crossed, her expression determined.
“We need to go into town today.”
My whole body tenses. “Today?”
“Yes, today.” She walks toward me, stepping over a pile of blankets I still haven’t dealt with. “I need to quit my job officially. And I need to tell Derrick about the cleaning solution.”
Derrick. Of course this is about Derrick.
“Can’t you call him?”
“No, I can’t call him. This is important, Tolin. That solution masked my scent from you for two days. What if it’s doing the same thing to other shifters? Other mates?” She stops in front of me. “Derrick needs to know so he can fix it.”
“Ronan already told him.”
“And I want to make sure he understood. I want to explain it myself.” She tilts her head, studying my face. “Why are you being weird about this?”
“I’m not being weird.”
“You’re being very weird.” She pokes my chest. “What’s your problem?”
I turn away, shoving books into a box. “I don’t have a problem.”
“Tolin.”
“I said I don’t have a problem.”
“And I said you’re lying.” She circles around to face me again, blocking my path. “Talk to me.”
I clench my jaw, trying to swallow down the irrational anger building in my gut. It’s not her fault. None of this is her fault. But the thought of going into town, of watching other people look at her, talk to her, take up space in her attention...
“I don’t want to share you.”
The words come out harsher than I intended. Imani blinks.
“Excuse me?”
“The past two weeks, it’s been just us. No one else. No interruptions. No...” I wave my hand vaguely. “No Derrick.”
“Oh my God.” She laughs, but there’s an edge to it. “Are you seriously jealous right now? Still?”
“I’m not jealous.”
“You are absolutely jealous. You’re jealous of a man who has never once made a move on me, who is your friend, and who is about to find out that his cleaning supplies almost ruined your entire life.”
“He’s not my friend, anymore.”
“He is your friend. And you’re being ridiculous.”
“Maybe I am.” I turn back to the boxes, tension in my shoulders. “But I don’t want to go. We’re in the middle of packing. We have things to do. It can wait.”
“It can’t wait.” Her voice hardens. “And you don’t get to make that decision for me.”
“I’m not making decisions for you. I’m just saying?—“
“You’re just saying you want me to stay in this cabin where no one else can see me or talk to me.” She steps in front of me again, and this time her eyes are blazing. “I’m not a possession, Tolin. I’m not something you get to hide away because you don’t feel like sharing.”
“That’s not what I?—“
