Page 34 of Glitched Fates & Stolen Mates

My heart sank as I realised we were devouring this quiche at a rapid pace. I took a tiny bite next, trying to make it last. This was the most we’d ever spoken, and although half of it was about Felix’s boyfriend, it felt like something precious and fragile.

Felix fidgeted with his phone for a moment, thumb swiping across the screen. I made sure I wasn’t peeking—the last thing I needed was for him to think I was some sort of creep who read his messages over his shoulder.

Then he gasped.

A sharp intake of breath that made my wolf sit up and take notice. Something was wrong.

“What?” I couldn’t stop myself asking.

Felix stared at his phone screen, blinking rapidly behind his glasses. “This is so weird, but Wren actually just messaged me about the SEVENTEEN gig. His great-aunt has just died, so he has to travel up to Birmingham that Saturday evening for the funeral the next morning.”

“Oh no,” I said, my heart pounding with a confusing mix of emotions. Sympathy for Wren’s loss warred with something darker and horribly selfish that I refused to examine. “So it’ll just be you and Lily?”

“No.” Felix said. “Her friend I’ve never met will be there as well. That was the point of me bringing Wren, so it wasn’t all her friends.”

My throat closed up. Usually, I spent hours rehearsing lines I wanted to deliver to Felix, running them through my head during morning runs until I had every word perfect. But now I only had seconds before the conversation moved on.

Offer to go.

Offer to go.

Offer to go.

But the voice in my head was screaming other things too.

You’re not his friend!

He won’t want you there.

It would be creepy to invite yourself.

He has a fucking boyfriend, you sick fucking freak.

Felix miserably stabbed one of the final pieces of quiche with the fork, shoulders hunched in defeat.

This was it. Now or never.

My wolf reared its head, howling with fierce determination.

“Felix, I—”

“Hey, hey, hey!”

Rory burst into the kitchen like a tornado, all bouncing energy as he moved straight for our counter. I startled so hard I nearly fell off my stool—I’d been so focused on Felix that I hadn’t sensed my own brother approaching.

“Rory! You’re back early. I thought you were out most of the afternoon.”

I wanted to scream at him that as usual he had the world’s most terrible timing.

Rory shrugged, brandishing a packet of instant noodles. “Plans changed.” He threw the noodles down, then turned to open the cupboard where the bowls should have been. He froze.

“What… What happened to all the stuff?!”

“Ask Priya,” I said. “And tell her to put it all back.”

Then I snatched up the empty plate and fork, threw them in the dishwasher, and tried to leave the room as casually as possible, while inside, I was slowly dying.

Present Day