Teagan was full of surprises. I wanted to uncover them all.
Our conversation was interrupted by yelling coming from downstairs.
“You can’t just walk in here and act like you own the place anymore,” Chai bellowed, her voice laced with anger.
Footsteps stomped up the staircase. The click of nails and the familiar clack of Chai’s hooves.
And that’s when I saw her.
Jade.
By wolven standards, my ex was a knockout. Her body was toned and thin, leanly muscled with long legs and big tits. She had silvery-white fur and bright yellow-green eyes, but beneath that attractive exterior was an ugly side. Her tongue was vicious. She knew exactly what to say to cut you down and make you feel small. Insignificant. Imperfect.
A shiver raced down my spine as she stormed over to us.
“Hello, Atlas,” she said with a sharp smile.
“Jade,” I replied, my voice low.
“You look like you’ve put on weight,” Jade said as her gaze passed over my body.
As soon as the words left her mouth, I instinctively dropped my shoulders and tugged my tank top away from my stomach, doing what I could to disguise my body.
I had put on weight, but it wasn’t anything noticeable.
And even if it was, I was the happiest I’d felt in a long time.
Tegan didn’t judge me. I felt safe with her, and it was helping to heal my relationship with food and with my body. But the damage Jade had done to me over the course of our relationship was hard to repair.
“You can’t be here.” Fallon stepped closer to her, his feline tail thrashing from side to side in agitation.
Jade held a hand up to silence him, and her red-painted claws glistened under the fluorescent lighting. “Shut it, bird brain. The last time I checked, this wasn’t your gym.” She noticed Tegan and her eyes narrowed, her sharp stare raking over Tegan’s body. “You must be my downgrade.” She sneered at Tegan, the bridge of her muzzle wrinkling in disgust.
“I’m Tegan.” Tegan’s voice was calm and confident. She puffedout her chest and smirked up at Jade. She wasn’t intimidated in the slightest, and it made my heart swell with pride to see her standing her ground.
Jade glared daggers at me, and her mouth twisted into a devious smile. “Does she have any idea who I am, Atlas? Hmm?” She examined her nails, awaiting my response.
“Tegan.” I sighed. “Jade is my ex.”
“Ex-fiancée,” Jade corrected.
Tegan didn’t seem bothered by what she said, but I hated that I wasn’t the one to tell her about my engagement to Jade.
My ears flattened and my tail sagged behind me, the fluffy tip kissing the ground. Just being around her sickened me. Made me feel small.
Jade and Tegan were polar opposites. Jade was callous and cold. Tegan was warm, caring, and supportive.
Knowing that I’d wasted so many years of my life with someone so horrid made me feel even worse. Was my self-esteem really so low that I’d allowed myself to be treated that way? I guessed it was.
“I wish that I could say it’s a pleasure, but from what Atlas has told me, you were a truly awful partner.” Tegan grabbed my hand in hers and squeezed tightly. “He deserves better.”
A low growl slithered out of Jade’s mouth. “And you think that’s you?” she snarled at Tegan before taking a step closer to me. “Does she know about wolven, Atlas? Really know? The full moon is only a few weeks away. Are you planning to spend it with her?”
I swallowed hard, not answering her.
Jade’s malicious grin widened. “Has she taken your knot yet? How’s she going to fare when you go into rut?” Jade reached a sharp claw out toward Tegan’s body and trailed it along her cheek.“Do you know what rut is, Tegan? Or did Atlas leave out that little detail?”
Tegan slapped her hand away, her chest heaving and her body shaking. I could feel the anger radiating off her in waves.
