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“She’s not saying much.” Wills shook her head. “When Zinny’s here, I see the way Jaz clings to her. It’s killing her. I haven’t talked to her yet, but Mom said she hiked to the gateway with her this time and saw her off. She met Death—”

“The fuck!” The words exploded from me, loud and growled, and Willow actually jumped. Violet let out a cry from the other room.

Willow blinked at me and put down her tea. “It’s fine. Death gave her safe passage back, apparently.” She stood and went to get Violet, and I sat there breathing in through my nose and out my fucking mouth so I didn’t lose my shit. I’d lived in that forest for almost two years, and the thought of Jasmine in there alone was bad enough, but standing face to face with Death? Fuck no. She was way too fragile, too breakable. So fucking vulnerable.

Willow walked back in, Violet held against her. At the sight of them both, the storm inside me increased. They had Warrick, they were both safe, protected by him, by his whole pack, but as her familiar, the desire to protect Willow and now Violet as well, was a fundamental part of me.

“Vi okay? I didn’t mean to—”

“She’s fine.” She sat back down, and Violet drifted off in her mother’s arms.

“That was a pretty big reaction,” she said carefully.

I forced my muscles to relax. “You’ve already been through enough. You’re already worried about Zinnia, last thing you need is to be worrying about Jasmine as well.” That was all true, but I recognized that wasn’t the reason I’d reacted the way I had.

The idea of Jasmine being hurt or put in danger—I didn’t fucking like it.

“Zinnia wouldn’t have let her go with her if she thought it was dangerous.”

I nodded and forced myself to take a sip of my lukewarm coffee. “Yeah, of course.”

Willow shook her head, a small smile curling her lips. “Jazzy’s changed so much. When you first met her, pink was her favorite color, and she was so painfully shy it hurt to watch her around people who weren’t family. Now?” She chuckled. “Well, two nights ago she was dancing in a room full of people in only a pair of shorts and a painted-on, glow-in-the-dark bra. She almost had a throw-down with a wolf, she’s covered in tattoos, and she talks to dead people for a living.”

I swallowed, my mouth weirdly fucking dry all of a sudden. Jasmine had looked…beautiful…and completely and utterly untouchable.

“She’s actually consoling herself over Zinny leaving with another tattoo.”

“Yeah?” I gripped the arm of the couch tighter.

Wills pressed a kiss to Vi’s little head. “A bigger piece. She drew the rough outline for it a while ago. She finally got it exactly how she wants it. Rome’s doing it now.”

My thigh muscles clenched, and I had to fight with myself not to stand.

“So what’s going on with you? You were gone a couple days.”

There was worry in her eyes. I forced the tension from my shoulders and smiled. “Just busy at work.” That wasn’t entirely true, but I wasn’t going to tell her I’d been too fucked in the head to be around anyone.

“I was worried, then I heard about you and that Silver Claw female. Breanne? So I assumed you were with her.” Hurt filled her eyes. “I wish you’d told me yourself.”

I stilled. Breanne? “Told you what?”

“Is she your mate, Ren? Is that it? You can tell me. I know it’s scary and you might not think you’re ready, but you deserve to be happy. So if you’ve found your female—”

“Who the fuck told you that?” The armrest groaned when I gripped it again. Bree sure as fuck wasn’t my mate. I didn’t have a mate. I didn’t want one. I could barely function as it was; how the fuck could I protect and provide for someone else as well.

Wills studied me. “Jazzy said something to Mags. Sounds like Breanne staked some kind of claim over you.”

“And she told Jasmine I was her mate?”

Willow frowned. “I mean, I don’t know exactly what was said. Jaz called her your female, said she saw her at your place the other night when she was out walking. You guys seem to hook up a lot, I guess we all just assumed—”

“Well, don’t. We’re not mates. We aren’t even friends. We fuck sometimes, but I’m done with that.” I shoved my fingers through my hair and stood, pacing away.

“She was with you last week according to Jaz.”

Pressure built in my chest, growing tighter and tighter. The need to fucking roar, to join the roaring already vibrating through my skull, damn near choked me. I didn’t want Jasmine…fuck, anyone…thinking that shit. My reaction was extreme, even I could see it, and the only reason I was able to swallow the anger down was the sight of Violet lying against her mother, my instinct to protect them so much stronger than my outrage. “It won’t be happening again.”

“It’s no big deal. Be with whoever you want.” Willow stood.