Page 80 of His True Mate

Food was set out and wine was flowing freely.

I had never had alcohol before. At first, I wasn’t sure I liked it, but I didn’t want to be rude so I kept sipping it to appear I was least drinking something. Still, Lily kept filling my glass up, so I sipped it a little faster.

After a while it started tasting pretty good.

“Okay, so Winnie,” Ruby said as all eyes turned towards me. “You said earlier that Clay hasn’t even tried to claim you?”

“Nope,” I confessed, feeling a little too comfortable with these women after so much wine.

I was pretty sure they could ask me anything and I’d answer it honestly right now.

“But you have had sex, right? Though as on edge as that boy has been this week, maybe not,” she considered aloud.

“Oh, we’ve had that, lots of that.”

Lily let out a whoop!

“That’s what I’m talking about.”

Peyton glared at her. “Is Thomas even coming near you since Audrey’s arrival?”

“No!” Clara shouted. “Baby brother. Do not answer that.”

Lily just shrugged. “With two little ones in the house, it’s no secret I’m not getting it the way I’m used to, but we manage as best we can. Quickies between parenting and Pack responsibilities can be quite exciting. I do miss those lazy days of…”

“Stop. Please. I’m going to have nightmares,” Clara explained.

“Oh whatever. It’s not like Gage can keep his hands off you,” Lily challenged.

I started to laugh at the look of indignation on Clara’s face. I tried to hide it, but it just sort of burst from me until the others started laughing too.

“Okay, okay, settle down,” Kate said. “I need to hear how things are going between Winnie and Clay. Wyatt thought when you accepted the job at the stables that you two would be all in. Why hasn’t he claimed you yet?”

I shrugged. “We haven’t talked about it.”

“Because they’ve been too busy doing other things,” Sydney teased.

“If that were the case, she’d be a marked woman by now,” Lily pointed out.

I groaned.

“Maybe he’s having second thoughts about taking me for a mate,” I told them.

“No. That’s not it,” Ruby blurted out. “He told me that it hasn’t happened because you only committed to staying for one month and he needs to be sure you want to stay indefinitely first.”

“Men are idiots,” Clara said.

“That’s really why? I just assumed he wasn’t sure he wanted me forever.”

Kate laughed. “When he came in to have breakfast with Thomas this morning and they were talking about it, Clay was a mess. You have that boy so tied up in knots he’s not even thinking at this point, just letting his wolf control him. I’ve known him for years and I’ve never seen him like this before.”

“Yeah, me either,” Lily agreed.

“I haven’t really seen you guys together much, but I’ve known Clay since we were kids. He’s always been tight on his money and more passive than the others. I mean don’t get me wrong, he can dish it out with the best of them, but of the Six Pack he’s definitely the most laid back, and the cheapest. The way he whipped out that credit card to buy you anything and everything you wanted told me right away that he was off the market forever. Bond with him or not, but I promise you that’s your decision, Winnie. That boy will never take another.”

My jaw dropped.

“Yeah, I’d believe that, too,” Kate said. “Wyatt and I mated young, but I was there for the others as they grew into men. Austin and Emmett have always been the wildest. Thomas had Sydney and then Lily.”