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Breaking into a wide smile, she beams at me. “Oh, it’s going to be lovely. The day after the Blue Moon Bash at the alpha’s house, all the ladies in the society are going to set up a dance for the young folks. You know, the unmated ones,” she winks.
I reach for my notepad and take some notes. At this point, I’m ninety-nine percent sure she’s remembering an event that happened years in the past, not something that is coming up for this year’s Blue Moon celebration at the alpha’s house. We do, however, also have a brewery here in Oakwood. There is no ladies society, so I definitely need to listen in to find out.
Ten minutes go by, and when Mrs. Bortles finishes, I know for sure that she’s remembering something that happened years ago.
I don’t know why, but that… hurts.
It’s not that I was looking forward to going to a singles event at the suggestion of a woman so old, she’s lived in a world without cars. It was more that… Well, okay, maybe I was looking forward to it.
But there’s no point. After Will, I’m not sure that I can open my heart to anyone in a romantic sense, let alone someone I would meet at a mixer. Besides, the Oakwood Pack isn’t enormous. I know most of the other wolves, and they fall pretty firmly into two camps: taken, and assholes.
I’ve had my fair share of assholes with Will as my ex.
Still, it would have been nice, I guess, to just have the hope of moving forward. I’ve always wanted a mate.
But I’m not on board with a mate who treats me like dirt.
I finish my tea and thank Mrs. Bortles for her time. I’ll come back in two days, the day before the Blue Moon party. Checking my phone, I see that my friend Amira texted me.
Amira: Once you wrap up, meet me for drinks in town! The library bar is open!
That will be fun. The library holds quarterly nights when it stays open after dark, offering cocktails and the opportunity to peruse the stacks in the darkness. It’s a little spooky, but I love it. I text Amira back quickly, then smile at Mrs. Bortles. “Keep taking your medicine, okay? I’ll be back in two days.”
“Bring your young man with you!” Mrs. Bortles says cheerfully.
I shake my head. “I don’t have one, Mrs. Bortles, but thank you for the invite.”
“Oh, such a shame. You’d make a fine mate!”
Politely, I nod and exit her house.
Mrs. Bortles’ words linger, and they swirl around in my chest, bouncing off of feelings that flare up easily lately.
I would make a darn good mate.
To someone who wants me just as much as I want them.
After Will, I made myself two promises:
First, no more assholes.
Second, only settle down with people who match the energy that I give to them.
As with most social workers, my background is in therapy, so I am pretty proud of the boundaries that I finally set for myself.
Will’s betrayal feels like a scar, and I don’t know that my heart will ever feel the same again. But at least now it feels like it’s healing, and not like a gaping wound.
I get into my car and head to the library. There are a few people gathered around, and I head inside.
Amira is waiting for me in the fiction section, martini in hand. “Hey girl. Ready to get weird in these stacks?”
I shake my head and accept the drink. “Not too weird, though. I still have to work tomorrow.”
“Boo. That’s boring. No late-night mysteries for you then?”
I sip my drink. “Do I seem like a late-night mystery type of person?”
Amira scrunches up her nose. “You could be. People grow and change.”
