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I scrub a hand down my face as I come out of the bathroom area carrying my small bathing kit. The tent is quiet, mostly everyone asleep or working towards it. My mind moves over thethousand new things we learned today, everything I’ve got to do tomorrow. And as always, unsurprisingly, my thoughts turns back to Nadia.

Because I saw that expression she had on her face – that stubborn, determined one that usually means she’s going to do whatever the hell she wants without concern for what I think is okay.

Which is frustrating, but also…

God, why does thatworkfor me? Why does Nadia getting all stubborn make me want to pin her down and –

I very nearly stop in my tracks as I see the blonde figure standing by the front of the nurse’s tent, her back to the entrance, arms crossed across her chest in a way that emphasizes her rather fantastic figure. A growl rumbles in my chest as Rose quirks an eyebrow at me and then turns, walking out of the tent, her order to follow implicit.

My wolf snarls as I sigh, hesitating for a moment, wondering if I should just ignore her and go to fucking bed. I glance over at our crowded corner of the tent, two of the three girls all curled up under their blankets, Tommy sitting up for a bit reading something with a small booklight, Nadia sitting up doing…something. I can’t tell what it is from this distance and in darkness.

But I sigh and move for the door, knowing that if I don’t address this, Rose will just make a scene.

And Rose is better at nothing than making a scene.

I step out of the tent, my face already set in grim lines as my eyes meet Rose’s.

“A human, Cole?” she snaps, ready to fight.

I exhale slowly, mental fingers already curling in my wolf’s fur, holding him back as he lets out a vicious snarl. “Let’s step away, Rose.”

“Oh,gladly,” she snaps, storming off towards the fire pit. I follow her, glad that she’s being reasonable and not just shouting at me within earshot of everyone. It’s not something that’s beyond her.

When we reach the pit, she spins, glaring up at me, livid. “What the hell are you thinking?”

I just sigh, shaking my head at her.

“Fucking around with ahumanwhile yourmateis out there, Cole Kincaid? You should be ashamed of yourself!”

My eyebrows rise as I realize what Rose has put together. Obviously, she saw Nadia in my clothing this afternoon, smelled my scent on her – all over her, really. But her understanding of wolf culture has justblindedher to the possibility that Nadiaismy mate – not just some human girl I’m messing around with on the side.

Which is understandable, I guess. As far as I know, no wolf has ever had a fated mate bond with a human before.

“So, what?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at Rose. “Suddenly you’re all protective of my mate’s honor?” I don’t miss the irony in that.

“It’sdisgusting, Cole,” Rose snaps, shaking her head at me like she’s disappointed. “I mean, I couldmaybeunderstand it if you wanted to have a human flingbeforeyou met your fated mate – but thegracelessdisrespect –“

“Watch it,” I snap, taking a step towards her, shaking my head. “There is nothing –“

“There is!” she cries, nearly shouts. “It’s an insult to she-wolveseverywherethat you’dslumit with –“

“I said enough!” I snarl, slicing a hand through the hair between us. “You have no right to talk about this, Rose, even if youdidunderstand –“

“Iintendto be your second-chance chosen mate andQueen, Cole,” Rose snaps, closing the distance between us and glaringup hatefully into my face. “As soon as yourejectthat fated mate, whoever she is. And I will not have thestinkof human women on you when we –“

“Back off, Rose,” I snarl down at her, my fangs going to points despite my best efforts to keep my cool. “That is not happening, and this conversation is done. You willleavein the morning and I’ll face whatever my father has to say about it -”

“Oh, I am already packed, Cole!” she shouts. I snarl and turn away, glad to hear it andfinishedwith this conversation. “I’m not going to stand by andwatchas you –“

“Good!” I call back, still livid, rage pulsing through my muscles and making them shake. “Bye, Rose! Have a good life!”

“An insult!” she screams after me. “Disgusting!”

I ignore her, stalking away, heading back to the sleeping tent, just so…sickened with Rose in turn. I mean, her prejudices against humans are nothing new to me, if I’m being honest. But I always corrected or ignored her little comments, assuming it was just some Oseanian prejudice she couldn’t help.

But shame runs through me as I realize that I was in denial. I just overlooked and dismissed what is clearly a very real, living, disgusting anti-human sentiment in her because I didn’t want to admit that it was real. Which is weak of me, and unfair, and an insult to all of my people whoarehuman –

I stop before the dormitory tent entrance, ducking my head into my hands, gritting my teeth against the shame. Not that I deserve any respite from it. I knew how she felt, and I tolerated Rose anyway - for years.