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I smiled at Korfas. “Good luck.” I followed Rauf out of the room.

22

RAUF

If this day got any worse, I’d do violence.

Fighting the drones had left me sore in places I hadn’t noticed until I sat down. My back hurt from hitting the bank, my shoulders ached from throwing the damned things around, and dried mud scraped against my skin whenever I moved. I was going to have to peel my shirt off before I got under the water.

All I wanted was to go home, wrap myself around my mate, and sleep. Possibly forever.

It took me a moment to realize I’d left my mate inside.

I turned to go back for her just as the door opened. Teresa came out with Nezara right behind her, and I waited for her to join me. She looked tired enough that I considered picking her up and carrying her to the truck.

Teresa wouldn’t look at me. Instead, she spoke to Nezara. “I’m going to head back home. I think we should talk in the morning.”

Nezara nodded. “Of course, that would be wise.” She gave me a pointed look and walked down the street towards her office.

Teresa still wasn’t looking at me. “Well, um, I’ll see you later.” She made to turn down the street.

I reached out and put a hand on her arm. “Where are you going?” It came out harsh, but I was already riding the edge of anger from Jason and his antics. I just wanted to go home with my mate.

For some reason she didn’t seem to realize that.

She finally looked at me, and I let go of her arm.

“I’m going home. Jason’s taken care of; there’s no danger anymore. I need to shower and sleep.”

“We have a shower at the farm.”

She blushed, then scowled when she caught me looking. “Yes, I’m aware.”

I remembered her naked in my lap on the shower bench, with her legs spread over mine and her hands pulling me closer. Exhaustion hadn’t done a damned thing to stop me wanting her, and the memory was enough to make me start getting hard.

“And I have a bed.”

“I’m aware of that too.”

“Do you want to pick the rest of your things up at the dorm and bring them back to the farm?”

“No, Rauf, I’m going back to the dorm, which is where I live. And then I’m going to think long and hard about my future, just like I told you yesterday. The only thing that’s changed since then is that we found Jason.”

“But you’re my mate.”

She folded her arms, looking more angry than tired now. “I have no idea what that means. You want me? Great! Fucking wonderful, but I told you, I need more than that, and if you’re not willing⁠—”

“I went to Nezara this morning.”

Teresa clamped her mouth shut and looked almost comically surprised. “What?”

“As soon as I woke up. That’s why I was gone. I was coming to tell you when Korfas found the ship. Everything got a little out of hand after that. Do you think that I would call you my mate, that I would take you to bed, without a thought to your wishes?”

“Honestly? Yeah, kind of.”

I didn’t like that answer. I wanted to argue with her, but I’d spent plenty of time telling her I didn’t want a bride. I’d even suggested she find another male.

“You have known terrible men.”