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“Uh huh, okay.”

“As long as Mine is okay and Odie stops lying…” Ellie side-eyed me. “And you too. Don’t think I haven’t put the pieces together.” She took a sip of the soup, and I squinted my eyes in annoyance. “Glare at me all you want. I know she’s yours too. You’re too nice to her.”

“And if she isn’t?”

She met my gaze and shrugged. “Then she should be anyway. If she’ll have you, of course.

Who else is going to make you act like this and put up with you? I don’t even do that.”

“I’m nice to you, and you love me.” I leaned forward with a pout on my lips.

“I don’t always like you though. That’s an important distinction. And you’re older sister nice to me. That’s still kind of mean.”

“That’s fair enough.” I drank some water, enjoying the feel of the cool liquid sliding down my throat. “I hope finding your mates isn’t this complicated.”

“If I find them, cool. If I don’t, I’ll find someone who loves me and I love just as much. It’s not about who is matched by whatever magical nonsense connects true mates.” She scrunched her nose, and I laughed.

“Pheromones. What you’re looking for is pheromones. They determine who is a match, and it all goes from there. But you’re right, there’s more to it that not even I understand. If it was that simple, wouldn’t more people be matching, and how come there are groups that match?” I had always wondered how it truly worked, but no one had the answers that I knew of.

“Maybe it’s like how Humans work a bit. They aren’t all monogamous, and some sync hormones and cycles, right? They have periods, but we have heats—how does that work for Mine?”

“I have no idea. This is completely new territory. She could, in theory, go into heat at any moment.”

“Gag, no thanks. I don’t want to be anywhere near here for that.”

I snorted. “And you think I’d want that? Now that you mention it, we should probably get her some suppressants and make a nest.”

“I know you two never planned on taking a mate, but not having a room designated as a possible nest is ridiculous.”

“We have a space for it as a precaution for you, but we haven’t filled it with anything.” I tapped my fingers on the table and glanced over my shoulder at the hallway. “Odie really needs to tell her so she can pick out what she wants.”

“Why don’t you tell her?”

“Because Odie—”

“Because Odie gave Mine some of her blood? That doesn’t mean they are bonded forever. Not all mates even have to do that. Did she actually confirm it? Is Mine her mate, or are we playing a guessing game all around?”

She had some fair points. “Guessing game as far as I know.” A sound from the porch caught my attention, and I waited for Odie to appear.

The front door was fine, thankfully, but the back door was covered by duct tape and a tarp until we could fix the frame and buy a new door.

Ellie leaned in and whispered, “Mine will be more pissed that you didn’t tell her, and you know it. She might be in shock mode now, but just wait.” She pulled back and finished off her soup in record time.

As Ellie placed her dishes in the dishwasher, Odie came through the front door, drenched in sweat.

“Have a nice run?” Ellie teased. “Is that why you’re so in shape? Do you always run to avoid a problem?” She smirked, and Odie gaped.

“No more hanging out with Cy.”

“If Mine was in my position, she’d say a lot worse.” Ellie shrugged and walked off to her room.

“When did she get so…”

“Like us? Smart and forward but with the sass of a teenager?”

“That, yeah.” She filled a water bottle, then sat down where Ellie had previously vacated.

“Hit a nerve, then, did she?” I grinned, knowing she had.