Page 9 of The Art of Avoiding Your Soulmate

“Ooh, scandalous. Tori will be thrilled.” The Wildwood Pack had been growing madly, and was in the process of expanding the neighborhood because of it.

I didn’t blame the Finches for wanting to get out before it exploded even more.

“They’re taking some heat from a few of their closest friends,” he added.

I tsked my tongue. “How dare they be independent.”

He chuckled. “That seems to be the attitude.”

“How do you feel about them moving out?”

He lifted a shoulder. “It’s their life. I’ll never leave, but I can see why some people would.”

“I feel the same. Well, not about never leaving. I haven’t decided about that. But about it being their life.”

“Where would you go if you left?” There was something between curiosity and caution in his gaze when it flicked to me.

“I don’t know. Scale Ridge is pretty, and it would be cool to see the dragons flying overhead every now and then.”

“Scale Ridge is run by three demon brothers, and a vampire clan that only lives by the laws that won’t get them killed by the demons.”

I grimaced. “Not Scale Ridge, then. Maybe Wolfcrest.”

“There are a handful of powerful fae that control Wolfcrest. They ran out the wolves that founded it long before the war between humans and supernaturals.”

The war had ended a century earlier, and supernaturals had become a normal part of life for humans. We were like low-level celebrities—some people were obsessed with the idea of us, but others didn’t give a shit.

My grimace deepened. “Guess I’m staying.”

I rolled my window down and took in a deep breath of the clean, fresh air.

If I was going to be stuck somewhere, Wildwood was far from the worst option. It was peaceful and calm, the city nestled in the forest so completely that it felt much smaller than it was. Maybe some supernaturals would like a big-city feel, but I wasn’t one of them.

Wind whipped through my hair, and my lips curved upward as we passed massive, old trees.

I felt safe in the forest.

Free, too.

My wolf stretched languidly. “I like Wildwood,” she murmured into my mind.

“So do I,” I admitted.

“I like Bauther, too.”

I didn’t want to tell her I felt the same way. “We’re not looking for a mate.”

“Mating could be dangerous.”

But her interest in the man beside me was so evident, I wasn’t sure I believed her.

There was too much shit in my past to let myself consider that, though.

“He would be more aggressive if we were fated mates, don’t you think?” I asked her. “There’s no way Vex or Madd would’ve followed Tori or Love around for so long if there was a bond between them. Werewolf guys are desperate for mates.”

“I don’t think any male wolf would be as patient as him if he knew we were his mate. But we also haven’t given a potential mate any reason to be aggressive yet.”

“How would we do that?”