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“Looks that way,” she says. Another chime sounds, and she flicks to another screen. This time, her face falls. “I do have some news for you, though.”
“I presumethisnews is bad,” I mutter.
“Depends on your definition,” she says. “You’re um…I don’t think you need to worry about pregnancy.”
My thoughts stutter to a halt.
I guess I should be happy; I came here to get birth control, after all, and I never intended on getting pregnant. For a long time, I’ve believed this isn’t a good world to raise a child in. Bringing up my sister was hard enough.
But it still stings, somehow, hitting something raw and aching in my chest—not because I wanted it, but because I might have wanted the choice, I guess. Or maybe because I haven’t really felt safe since the Celestial Convergence…not until this week, anyway.
“Good,” I say, and I wish my voice didn’t sound so hollow.
Suyin points to the screen, where the dock has taken a scan of my whole body. “It looks like when your friend shot you, the bullet tore right through your abdomen,” she says. “There’s some considerable scar tissue there—frankly, I’m surprised you’re even walking. Does it still hurt?”
“Not at all,” I say. “Y’all are always talking about ‘wolf things’ and I kinda just figured it was one of those wolf things.”
“Well,” Suyin says. “Regardless, I think you’re all set…so if you want to bang him, go off.”
Peaches lets out a laugh that somewhat breaks the tension in the room, and Suyin gives us both a shy grin. I get the impression there’s someone funny hidden inside the quiet woman—maybe her wolf has a sense of humor.
“He keeps saying he has these pesky vows of celibacy, but I figure it’s not going to be that hard to break them,” I say. “And besides, there’s no Catholic Church anymore, so…”
“I think it’s all terribly romantic,” Peaches sighs. “Just make sure to keep us updated.”
I smile. “Will do.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
?
REYES
I’m not one to avoid my problems, but Icertainlyavoid Tilda.
I continue to go to the garden plot to work, but I don’t speak to her. In fact, I actively try not to. Instead, I let Peaches and Suyin keep an eye on her during our off-time, only seeing her in the peripheries while we work and at dinner.
She’s temptation incarnate; but, to my relief, she leaves me alone.
By the time Charlotte’s wedding rolls around, Tilda has somehow managed to embed herself with a small group of friends. Arden continues to distrust her, but everyone else has come to a somewhat uneasy truce. And she proves herself by picking up shifts on kitchen duty, working in the garden every day, and even spending time in the common room at night.
Shecan’t staythough, no matter how much she’s starting to fit in here. The wedding will be on the new moon, which means we only have two more weeks until the alphas go into rut, and the omegas go into heat. She can’t be here for that if I want to keep to my vows.
The clock is ticking.
Even if she’s my mate—even if I’m starting to like her—she has to go.
Beyond that, I’ve gotten in touch with some friends in the city and we’re ready for our raid on a Heavenly Host medical shipment. There should be supplies going to San Antonio in just over a week, at which point we’ll get the insulin for Tilda’s sister. Then, it’s all smooth sailing and wrapping up loose ends on the farm before we let her go.
Some of the others still think I should keep her locked away here, holding her as our prisoner…but I’m not going to do that. She’s not my prisoner.
When she leaves, we’ll part ways as equals.
On Charlotte’s wedding night, I do everything I can to prepare as herpadrino—at least, in all the ways that I think she’ll be comfortable with as a non-Catholic. I get a coil of rope to use asel lazofor the end of the ceremony, and with Peaches’ help, I wind golden thread and dried flowers around it. I attach a rosary to it as well—not her father’s, since it was lost a long time ago, but something that belonged to my mother. I even slap togetherlas arras matrimoniales—wedding coins, courtesy of other members of the pack. I place the old, now polished, currency into a little wooden box, and Mateo helps me paint it in brilliant colors.
This is not the way weddings were when I was first ordained. Back then, these little trinkets were ornate and beautiful. Thepadrinowould spend loads of money on the bride and groom, doting on their beloved family members.
Family is so hard to come by nowadays. I’m pleased that I can at least do this.
