Page 10 of From the Edge

The healer rubbed his hands together. “Yes. She did.”

“Vines, jackass.” Rowan wiggled her hands.

He looked surprised. “Ah. Oops. Apologies.”

Mell watched the vines retract, and Rowan sat up. “Thanks for that.”

She pulled her shirt down and jerked her jacket into straight lines. She rolled to her feet and looked at Mell. “You good?”

“Yup. He thought you were a dude. Hence the attacks.”

“Miss, I am very regretful that the goblin attacked you when he saw you. He thought you were trying to take our mate.” Norecayet sighed.

“Great. There is a reason that alpha and idiot both have five letters. Nice and easy to remember.” She stood and looked at Mell. “So what do you want to do now? I have kept your driver’s license and student loans updated. Your credentials are all waiting. Your bank accounts are intact.”

Mell smiled with watery eyes. “You did that for me?”

“No, I did it for the asshole next to you who likes hitting me. If you move in with him, I am going to do lots of video chats and not many visits.”

Mell felt like she had been struck. “What? No.”

“Yeah. He has regret. I had agony. That isn’t going to fade any time soon. I am not asking you to choose. He’s a mate. That’s fine. I just don’t want you surprised that I don’t want to be around him.” She smiled sadly. “You know I hate surprises.”

Mell started sobbing and thudded into Rowan’s arms. She was babbling apologies, and Rowan soothed her. Nothing felt like Rowan. She had found a mate, was having a child, and now felt like she was losing her best friend.

Rowan sighed. “You aren’t losing me, but our friendship is going to have to change. I can’t look at his face without remembering all the pain, and that is not a memory I want when I see him holding your baby.”

Mell blinked. “I want you both.”

“You can’t have us both. He hates me, and I really hate him. I have lost two jobs to repair because of him. I don’t have the kind of sick days that account for being attacked by a blue jackass.”

“I... didn’t know.”

“You didn’t need to know then. You need to know now. Dell is excited to meet with you again. You aren’t losing a village. Your village is just moving.”

“But... you invited Dell. You said she could bring her babies.”

“I did. That was before a green man pinned me down and took care of my internal bleeding and punctured lung. I had time to think.”

Mell sniffled. “You could just attack him if he growled at you.”

“Honey, you deserve to not be on guard every minute of every day. You know what? I deserve the same thing.” Rowan stroked her hair. “He’s looking at me like he wants my guts on the ground right now.”

Mell gasped and whirled, looking at her mate. There was a red tinge to his gaze. “Are you mad at her?”

“She’s holding you, and she smells like alpha.”

Mell stared at him in astonishment. “Are you mentally deficient? I know you are a slow learner. If you touch her again... ever... I am going to find someone to break your arms, and you won’t need them for me because any hand raised to her will never touch me. I am not fucking kidding. Today, I want to go home, relax, have a shower, and try to find a new job. I don’t want to hear from you for a while.”

“But you need me.”

Mell looked at him. “You don’t understand. The scent that she’s wearing is yours. She wears it so that the baby and I can continue to grow and thrive. We never bonded. This is an alpha-less pregnancy. She’s acting as friend and father during my gestation. Your blue half wasn’t there enough to get me through the first few weeks. You have been flitting in and out. I need someone dependable, and that has always been Rowan.”

Mell looked at the other mages. “Can one of you give me a ride home? Rowan needs her bike.”

Ted raised her hand. “I’ve got you.”

Rowan gave Ted the address and then looked calmly at Norecayet. “If you try and touch me at any point, I will create a story to tell your child after I use my stored energy to rip you limb from limb.”