“Always.”
“You still coming to dinner at our house tonight?” Silas asks gruffly.
“Errr. Yeah.” I rock from foot to foot.
I’ve been trying to compile a list of questions I want to ask—though a part of me is worried I’ll chicken out. At least my mates will be there with me again.
“Good. That’s good.” Silas’s jaw moves before he nods once, taking a step away. “We should get going.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, before the two of them can get too far away. “For helping me find Christian, I mean.”
Kyle’s expression softens. “Of course, Izzy. We’d do anything for you.”
“Anything,” Silas repeats.
Then, with one last glance in my direction, they disappear into the woods.
Leaving me alone with a fuming, irritated Ashton.
“Are you done with all of your heartfelt goodbyes?” he snaps, his tone caustic and bitter. “Because I’m pretty sure you forgot to kiss that tree goodbye.”
I roll my eyes and move to walk beside him. “Jealousy isn’t a good look on you.”
“Why the fuck would I be jealous?” He gives me a look like I’m the most ridiculous person who ever lived. “Someone thinks rather highly of themselves.”
“You’re right. I know my awesomeness. And you don’t deserve to bask in it yet.” I purposely move so I’m a few steps in front of him.
If he wants to be an ass, then he can watchmyass as I leave him behind.
Ashton quickly catches up with me, however, and the two of us walk in awkward silence.
“Aren’t you going to…you know?” I wiggle my fingers in the air to emphasize my point.
One of his brows arches. “What?”
“Shift. To scent Christian better.” That’s what everyone else is doing.
Ashton shakes his head. “I’m not the best tracker, but I also don’t want to come across as a threat to him. My wolf has a slightly different scent than I do—all wolves do. Christian might not be able to recognize me as his brother in my shifted form.”
“So we just have to walk alongside each other in uncomfortable silence?” I snark.
Ashton tosses me a pointed look. “For starters, we’re talking right now. And secondly, you’re the one who asked to be paired up with me.”
“I plead temporary insanity,” I deadpan.
“Makes sense.” Ashton nods resolutely, and I throw him a withering glare.
“Are you calling me insane?”
“You said it first,” he points out.
“Honestly, the only ‘insane’ one here is fate herself—for putting the two of us together.” I kick at a loose pebble, watching it roll down a slight decline.
Ashton appears stricken before he quickly clears his expression. “You’re right. Fucking insane.”
I eye him suspiciously. “Don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what?”
