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“Boyfriend, then. Eventually, she’ll realize what I am to her. I’m hoping she’ll be too attached to me to run when she finds out.”

Belle grimaced. “That is a terrible idea.”

“What’s the alternative? I tell her, and watch her walk away? Or pressure her into agreeing to seal the bond?”

Her forehead wrinkled further. “It’s a difficult situation.”

“I know.”

“I still think your plan is shitty,” she finally said.

“It is,” I agreed. “But better than the alternatives. She needs the freedom to figure it out herself.”

Belle sighed. “I guess. She’s going to be pissed when she finds out the truth, though.”

“Undoubtedly.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’ve got to go, but I assume you’re here to tell me to keep my mouth shut?”

“Yep.” I nodded in confirmation.

“No one will hear any more news about you two from me. I have to participate in the group conversations from time to time though, or they’ll get suspicious.”

“That’s fine. Just don’t tell them anything. And get them to stop sending pictures of us.”

She agreed, and I headed back home.

Now I just had to survive eight and a half hours without going to my mate.

four

SIENNA

I chatted with the other girls working the same way I usually did. Every time I made eye contact with Tori, she grinned and shook her head at me.

She was proud of me for having the courage to say yes when Bauther asked me out, and for sleeping with him, but she warned me to be careful not to get attached. Being with him more than once was risky, considering we both had mates out there somewhere.

But still, all was well.

Life was good.

Minus the Wildwood Bitches group chat, of course.

I kind of wanted to murder all of the bitches.

But life was still good.

Everything was fine.

I was great.

I usually had that group chat muted so my phone didn’t go off all day, but after I’d read the messages going on and on about how sexy Beck was, I’d turned the notifications on.

If they were talking about him, I wanted to know.

My phone buzzed on the table, where I’d left it while I frosted skeleton-shaped sugar cookies. Of all the bakers, I was the best at decorating cookies, so I’d been having a blast making fun designs for Halloween since it was approaching.

When I saw the text on the screen, I scowled.