“There are two of you,” I say.
Ari nods gravely.“We travel in packs when men are being emotionally constipated.”
Akasha smiles.“Also, we heard pacing.”
I look down at my bare feet.“I wasn’t pacing.”
Ari glances past me at the carpet.“Your floor disagrees.”
I step back and let them in because I am tired and confused, and maybe I don’t want to be alone with the word mate crawling around my skull.
Ari goes straight to the couch and dumps the bag onto the coffee table.Chocolate, chips, pastries, and what looks like three protein bars.
I point at them.“Korvin?”
Akasha sighs.“He shows he cares through nutrition.”
“That’s unfortunately adorable.”
“I know.It’s awful.”She smiles widely.
Ari pats the couch.“Sit.Talk.Spiral productively.”
I should tell them to leave.Instead, I sit.Akasha hands me a cup of tea and takes the chair opposite me.Ari folds herself onto the couch, close but not touching.I appreciate that.Everyone here is learning my edges, even when I don’t know where they are.
“So,” Ari says.“Knox told you.”
My fingers tighten around the cup.“You knew.”
Her expression softens.“Yes.”
Anger flares, quick and hot.Akasha nods once.“I suspected.Ari knew after the collar incident.”
“The horned panic attack was a clue,” Ari says, then winces.“Sorry.Bad joke.”
“No.”I stare into my tea.“It was kind of accurate.”
Akasha leans forward.“You have every right to be angry that you were not told.”
“I am.”
“Good.”
I look up at her.
She shrugs.“Anger is information.It tells you where something hurts.”
Ari grabs a pastry and tears it in half.“It also keeps you from making stupid decisions because a brooding man has cheekbones and trauma.”
“Knox doesn’t have cheekbones.”
“He absolutely has cheekbones,” Ari says.“Under all that scowling.”
I hate that I almost laugh.
“He said he didn’t tell me because he thought it would feel like another claim,” I say.
Akasha’s gaze gentles.“That sounds like Knox.”
