Page 84 of Red

“I did, but not you, obviously.” Because you’re taken.

Stark abruptly lifts me and climbs off the bed. He doesn’t say anything else before the door closes behind him.

I shake my head. He knows I’m right. Even if I’m starting to like his lack of boundaries and that he researches useless things to help me, there’s nothing we can do. Mates are set in stone. His actions make my mind feel like it’s going haywire.

With nothing else to do, I hit play on another song and stand. I’ll dance with myself until this feeling of losing something that wasn’t mine in the first place leaves.

Chapter 25

The main room is dark in the morning thanks to the clouded sky.

I hop up to Jocko, his curly hair extra fizzy today. “How was the rest of your night?” I ask.

“Good. We behaved, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“It was.” I smile. At least some of us behaved.

The table is full for breakfast, and I take a seat by Kiya and Jocko. A few other Elders are here, and my pulse races. It’s not like they’re here to punish me again.

Eyes up.

I place my fork down and look over at Graden at the end of the table. “Those who woke early have already been updated. Four of you will be going off to the other cohorts to update them on the Uprising. We will then reconvene with a meeting here to discuss further action. This will take all of our resources to be successful, and I’d like to thank Mitus for stepping in here while we take these steps to a safer home.”

A few clap, and I smile back at Kiya across the table.

“You ready?” she asks.

I take a bite of a strawberry. “Hmm?”

“To meet the other cohorts. I’ll be with you. Stark and Jocko are coming too.”

The heat in my legs flames where those thick hands gripped last night. Bad. This is a terrible idea. I never offered myself up for this.

“What about Mitus?”

“He’s taking things over here while we’re gone.” She smiles up at her mate, who is talking over with Graden and Stark.

“It’s not like we have to go far?” Cohorts are all within an hour or two from each other.

“You’ll see,” she says.

I take in her mated mark covering half her forearm. The bite scar sits healed in the middle, the bond’s art branching out from wrist to elbow. Every pair’s is different—some soft swirls, others jagged as claw marks.

“I don’t know if I want to,” I admit.

“It’ll be great, and if anyone’s got a problem with you, I’ll be there.” Jocko gives my arm a quick squeeze.

When it’s clear that I’m not going to be given a choice, I head back to my room and pack a mini bag of clothes, then do a rush dye job before we leave. I take one last ice-cold shower to calm the nerves. Everyone here might have started to accept me, but the other cohorts won’t get the same time it took. I am not looking forward to the comments. I shut down my connection and breathe, reminding myself I won’t be alone.

When I step outside, Jocko waits on the steps with his bag. I take a seat next to him and lean into his shoulder.

Nerves fill me. “This is going to be interesting.”

“You got it, sis.”

I smile up at him. He does feel like a brother now.

Kiya stands to the side of the stairs, giving Mitus a hug.