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"I told them! Oh shit. And I take it by the cry-fest when I got here, they didn't take that well? Oh shit, oh shit."
"Why… why would you tell them that?"
"I didn't know they were your scent-matches! But also, I dunno, Red just called me being all vague and weird, asking questions about you. I figured it was because you were their new employee. Though it does explain why he pretty much hung up on me after I mentioned you were engaged. Dude, I'm so sorry. I swear I had no clue. And you've been in the Daily Rag, pictured with Stevens… I didn't think it was a secret. I mean, god forbid Red pick up a local newspaper."
"It's really more of a magazine," I add, dejectedly.
"That's true. Do you ever think the Daily Rag is like, on someone's payroll? Enzo and Sully keep telling me to stop reading it, that I should follow The Cove Herald, apparently it's much more reputable. But I just like all the glossy pictures."
Her winding soliloquy comes to an abrupt halt when she takes in my deadpan expression.
"Sorry. They're just super biased, you know?"
"The Daily Rag?"
"Yeah."
"Well, they did publish all that stuff about you last year before your pack publicly claimed you."
"Excuse you! I publicly claimed them."
I can't help but smile. She's right. She claimed her pack when she was ready, not the other way around. Not catering to their agenda. But my situation is different. When she's back on track, she adds, "So, are you going to claim them? Tell them, or let your blockers wear off?"
"I had to let them wear off, anyway. I have a date with Stevens on Friday. They requested I return to my natural scent by then." I don't have the guts to look at her face, that I would agree to a request like that. Throwing the containers of leftovers into the trash, I slump back down on the couch. Again, Ophelia follows.
"Can I give you some advice?"
"Please."
"I think it's important that you do what you need to do at the pace you want to do it. If you're not ready for Dante, then that's all you need as an excuse. You don't even need an excuse. A scent-match is an undeniable bond, but it doesn't control your life. It's meant to enhance it. You help each other, it's symbiotic."
"I sense a but coming."
"Coming from someone who denied their scent-match for a long time, I think it's important you're at least honest with them. I spent almost a year feeling kind of hollow and in pain. I wasn't ready to bond with them, and we wouldn't have been perfect for each other if they were the kind of guys who wouldn't give me the space to be ready. Sure, Sully manipulated me into moving into their house, but that was literally after my neighbor shot a gun off into the wall," she points to the kitchen. "That wall, actually. I appreciate he was scared for me. And he didn't force me to move; it was my choice. My point is, even though we didn't get together for a while, all of us being on the same page made life a lot easier."
"So you think I should tell Dante we're scent-matched." I was already planning on it, but I'd intended to wait until I could clear up the mess with Stevens and my parents.
"Yeah. But also… Stevens?"
"That's more complicated. I'm not going to marry them. I can't, even if I had wanted to before this whole mess. But I can't cancel the engagement yet. It's a long story, but I just need a couple of weeks, then I'll tell Dante."
She doesn't look convinced. And she tells me as much. We argue back and forth for another five minutes before I finally relent and agree I'll cancel my engagement on Friday with Stevens and will tell Dante that night.
I'm not, and I won't. She doesn't know about the bill collectors and my dad's broken arm. I will tell them, both packs, my truth, but on my own timeline, which, if you think about it, was her suggestion in the first place. Thinking she won, Ophelia sighs, leaning back on the couch where we started, a giant smile on her face.
"I'm so happy for you, Im. My brothers… they're good dudes."
They really are. Needing a change of subject, I nudge her with my foot. "So, what did you need to talk to me about? Isn't that why you were looking for me?"
"Oh! Yes. I forgot. Umm, I have a huge favor to ask of you. But you can't tell anyone. My mates cannot know, and Dante can't know either; they'll all freak out."
"Okay… Ophelia, you can ask me anything. What do you need?" I sit up straighter.
"I need you to go to prison with me."
Hm. Not what I was expecting.
Chapter 17
