“Have I what?”
“Thought about it?”
“Haven’t done anything else since she left.” I looked back out at the forest. “She cried.”
“Jade said she cries a lot.”
I scowled. “Hermateshouldn’t make her cry.”
“A lot of the bastards in town abduct their mates when they meet them. Tears happen.”
They shouldn’t happen tomymate.
Hell, I shouldn’thavea fucking mate.
“She didn’t reject me,” I said.
“I’m pretty sure she did the opposite, man.”
He had a point.
“I didn’t reject her,” I added.
Wyatt tossed an arm over my shoulders. “I know.”
I tried to shove his arm away. “Fuck off.”
“Nah.” He pulled me closer.
“You reek of Jade.”
“Best scent in the world.”
“For you, maybe. I’m going to have to shower before I—” I cut myself off.
“Before you what?”
I growled. “You’re a pushy asshole, you know that?”
“I’m a fucking joy, and you know it.”
“Mating has ruined you.”
“I’ll miss the depressing loneliness desperately,” Wyatt drawled.
“I didn’t want a mate,” I said, finally shaking his arm off.
“Fate doesn’t give a damn what you want. At least Emmy is nothing like Jo.”
I grunted.
That couldn’t be debated.
Jo was a divorce lawyer.
Emmy was a kindergarten teacher who was wearing not one, butfourpink articles of clothing when we met. One of which was fuzzy. And one of which was a thong.
The thong was under my couch. I’d smelled it there. It had taken serious restraint not to grab it and carry it out to the porch with me like a fucking security blanket when I followed her outside.
