I tried to get out of the meeting early a few times, but every time my Alpha would shoot me another question.
Sunny's a big girl. She can handle herself. Or so I keep telling my wolf. But nothing feels right about this.
In the main hall, only half the new shifters remain, helping clean up dinner or perusing the tables in the back covered with donated clothes and toiletries. The rest of the new shifters have been picked up by pack members who offered places to stay in their homes.
In the main hall, only half the new shifters remain, helping clean up dinner or perusing the tables in the back covered with donated clothes and toiletries. The rest of the new shifters have been picked up by pack members who offered places to stay in their homes.
Allison and Fiona are still here, sitting with the two strange shifters from Tucson. I pause at the end of their table
"Where's Sunny?"
Allison frowns, exchanging a look with Fiona. "I haven't seen her in a while."
"Yeah, she didn't eat with us. Last I saw her was outside by her VW."
"Thanks." I head outside, an inexplicable sense of dread twisting in my gut.
"Sunny?" The low-slung sun slants into my eyes and I shade them, heading around the bus and SUVs, searching for the familiar silver flash. Amid the sea of smells, Sunny's fruit and herb scent teases me. I stride to the end of the parking lot. Where did she go? Did she pull around to the front of the building for some reason?
My wolf snarls insults at me and I ignore him. Not now. I gotta find Sunny. I need to get this shit figured out with her. Right away. Either we're together, or we're not. But I gotta know.
My wolf howls. Mine. Our mate.
I rub the back of my neck. I really gotta figure this situation out. I care for Sunny but I belong with my pack.
I blow out a breath and stare at the ground, my wolf tugging at my attention. It takes me a moment to understand what I'm seeing: a set of tire tracks curving through the dust.
Fuck. I guess this means we're not going to be together.
She left me.
Again.
SUNNY
FOXFIRE FILLS my mug with chamomile tea. Behind her, Tank takes up all the available space in the kitchen, leaning against the cabinets. His big form is so like Titus', it hurts to look in his direction.
"So you just left?" my daughter asks softly. She's calm but her colorful aura pulses with alarm. It's not everyday I surprise her on her doorstep and burst into tears.
"Yes." I wipe my eyes. "I didn't want to stay where I wasn't wanted. Given the choice between me and his pack, who is he going to choose?" I try to scoff. The bite on my shoulder throbs and I rub it with my palm. The pain radiates through my arm. "Do you have any arnica?" I tug on my collar.
Foxfire sucks in a breath, grabs my shirt and stares at the enormous hickey. "What the hell? Did Titus do this?"
"It's all right, darling." I push away her hand and cover the mark again. "Just a love bite." A big one.
"That's not a love bite. That's a mating mark."
I blink at her serious tone. "What?"
"Tank?" my daughter calls. Her man is already standing over me. "Let him see."
With a sigh, I drop my hand. His gaze zeroes in on the mark.
"It's nothing," I insist.
"It's not nothing. See?" Foxfire tugs away her own shirt and shows me a healed bite. "It's a wolf thing. They do it when they want to claim you. If Titus did that it means you're his mate."
"But… I'm human."
"Doesn't matter. His wolf claimed you as his."
"And then Titus renounced me. He called what we had 'a fling' and told his alpha it didn't mean anything." The words stab my heart all over again.
"Fuck," Tank mutters, and stomps off. The act is so Titus, tears fill my eyes.
"It's okay, Sunny." Foxfire covers my hand. "I promise, it'll be okay."
Titus
SHE LEFT. She fucking left.
I try to call her all the names I called my ex-wife. Bitch. Traitor. But my wolf doesn't want to play. He was glad to be rid of my ex wife, who lied to us from the beginning. Sunny didn't lie. She was true to herself, every day, and let me in knowing I might judge her.
I bring my phone to my ear before I realize it's buzzing.
Junior the screen reads. I answer. "Tank? Everything all right?"
"Nope. Gotta situation."
My heart falls to my boots. "Is it Foxfire? Did someone come for her?" Shit, I knew there'd be blowback. Didn't realize it would be so soon.
"Not Foxfire. She and I are fine. It's Sunny."
The world spins. "Sunny? She… she's there?"
"Yep. Turned up a half an hour ago, crying her eyes out. Apparently she heard you denounce her to Alpha Green."
The pieces rearrange and snap into place. My mind spins. What did I say to Green? Oh fates, it was bad. Really bad. "Fuck."
"Yeah."
"Tank, I-"
"You marked her, Dad. I saw the bite."
I can't speak.
"Listen, you can't put pack above your personal happiness. Pack isn't everything. And Sunny-she's not Mom. Not every female is like that."
It hurts, hearing Tank bring up his mother. He never talks about her if he can help it. I'd rather take a bullet than make my son remember the female who abandoned him.
"I know."
"Sunny isn't like that. She's loving and loyal."
"She left," I remind him. "Twice."
"Foxfire left me. These Hines women will do that rather than face rejection."
"I didn't reject her." The lie tastes like ashes in my mouth.
"You did. You brought her into your life, and threw her to the wolves. That's not how you treat a mate. That's not how you raised me."
Ours. My wolf howls. Our mate.
I swallow the pain. "She left of her own accord."