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He was standing with Lothar and Warrick at one of the tall tables.Relic stood opposite him, Fern under his arm.Goddess, the excitement was bubbling from me now; I was almost giggling I was so giddy.As I got closer, I realized my friend was scowling across the table at Jagger.I frowned, looking between them—and that’s when I noticed the female tucked into his side.

Her arm was around his waist.

My steps faltered.

What was he doing?Why was that female touching him?The little girl who had been hurt and rejected so badly screamed at me to turn and leave, to get the hell out of there.But the female who was looking at someone else touching her male forced me to keep walking.

Fern turned then, spotting me.Her eyes widened, and Relic’s jaw tightened.

I turned toward Jagger, not at him, though, at the female with her arm around his waist.I couldn’t take my eyes off her, and I didn’t like the way I felt.

“Sutton,” Fern said, rushing around the table to me.

I couldn’t look away from the other female, though.I didn’t do confrontation.It had my PTSD flaring up in a way that was debilitating for days after, but I couldn’t not say something.“I—I’d like you to s-stop touching him.”The fact that those words had just come out of my mouth, even stuttered as they were, and that I was envisioning making this she-wolf bleed, told me everything I needed to know.I didn’t do physical altercations, I avoided them.I was a healer.I didn’t injure, but I wanted to right then.For the first time in my life, I wanted to inflict pain.

“What the fuck did you s-s-s-say to me?”she said, mimicking me and smirked.

“I think you heard me,” I said, managing not to stutter this time.

The wolf cringed.“What the fuck is wrong with your face?Freaky-looking bitch,” she muttered.

Fern tried to put her arm around me, to pull me away.“Sutton, honey.Let’s go down to my den for a bit.”

Why was she talking to me like that?She knew the truth.She knew Jagger was mine.She’d been hinting at it for months.

My gaze shot up to Jagger.He wasn’t even looking at me, he was talking to another hound.

“Jagger…”

He turned to me then.

“Sutton,” Fern said again.“Let’s go.”

Again, why was she talking like that, like I was some unstable freak she was afraid would flip out.

“Jagger?”I said again, waiting for him to say something, todosomething.

His brows lowered, like I was the one behaving insanely, like I was the one standing there with someone else, pretending I felt nothing for him whatsoever.

“What are you doing?”I choked out.

His frown deepened.“What are you talking about?”

Fern tried to pull me aside, and I pulled away.“You know.You know what I’m talking about.”

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, Sutton.Spell it out.”

My throat was so dry I struggled to swallow.“You’re my mate.We’re…mates.”The last came out barely audible.

His chin jerked up, and he stared down at me for several moments, then he shook his head.“Female, you’re confused.”

“I’m not.”I gripped the edge of the table.“Your scent…you gave me your shirt, and?—”

“I wanted you to stop crying.”

“No…that’s not what happened.I’m not…” I was struggling to say what I needed to, my words getting all tangled up.“You kissed me, and I felt it, I felt?—”

“You kissed me, Sutton,” he said low.“I’m not your mate, that’s impossible.”