Page 99 of The Enforcer's Rejected Mate

I blush hot. Rats. Of course, Piper knows who I’m looking for. “W-what? I mean, who are you talking about?” When in doubt, play dumb.

“Thorne,” Piper says.

Playing dumb never did get me anywhere smart.

“Ohhhh, him. Why didn't you just say Thorne?” I ask, making a hard turn into the land of semi-delusion. If I don’t tell her that she’s wrong she’ll let it drop, she’ll think she’s right and I’ve got nothing to hide. Which…why do I have anything to hide? Thorne and I are both unmated, would it really be so odd that I was looking for him? He’s been my shadow since I got to the pack after all. What kind of shifter would I be if I didn’t wonder where he was now? A really inconsiderate one, that’s what kind. It’s perfectly normal to wonder where an alpha that you may or may not consider your friend to be and-

“She didn’t say so because we’re letting you play coy about your feelings for my cousin,” Clover tells me.

I stop my mental breakdown and stumble and almost break my neck down the flight of stairs we’re walking down.

“What?” I croak. Feelings? Holy hells. They know. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t you ‘what do you mean’ us, Cordy.”

“I don’t have feelings for,” I look around us, the pack is rushing like water towards the exit and we’re nowhere near being clear of them, “Thorne,” I say in a whisper.

“And my cabinet doesn’t conjure,” Clover laughs.

“It’s okay, we’ve all had a crush on tall, dark and broody at some point,” Piper tells me.

Clover makes a face. “You had a crush on my cousin?”

“Hey, it’s not like we have a giant dating pool and you’re only a hormonal fourteen-year old once, I’ve had a crush oneveryone.”

Clover hums. “Fair point….even if it grosses me out.”

Piper points at me. “How come she can have a crush but I can’t?”

“I think it’s because you’re new? I don’t understand the quick math of it,” Clover tells her with a shrug.

“Wait what? I mean, I don’t have feelings for him, we’re just…you know, friends,” I tell my friends. They both look my way and for one shining moment I think I’ve gotten through to them and they believe me, but that’s before they burst into laughter.

“Hey, what’s so funny?” I pull my arm from Clover’s and cross my arms. She doesn’t notice on account of her slapping her knee and doubling over with laughter. She takes a breath and looks at Piper who’s wiping tears from her eyes.

“They-she-I mean you’d think that,” the pair of them are talking over each other before they laugh again. We’re on the bottom floor now and I stomp off with the pack towards the doors leading to the courtyard and leave them behind.

“Cordy! Wait, wait, we’re sorry!” Piper rushes forward, she’s grinning at me but she holds her hands up to show she means no harm. “We’re sorry. We’ll zip it.”

“Really, we didn’t mean to laugh that hard,” Clover adds, coming up on the other side of me. “It’s just so funny.”

“What do you mean it's so funny? What’s funny about Thorne and me?”

“Because not even a blind bear couldn’t miss the way you two gravitate towards each other,” Clover tells me. “I’ve known Thorne all my life and he’s never once treated a female like you.”

“He has orders from Ronan to watch me, I’m sure of it.” It’s true. I know he has to watch me.

“He dotes on you. Brings you food, walks you to work, makes sure the riff-raff stays away.”

My ears get hot. She’s right, he does do all of those things. “He’s thorough at his job? He thought I was a witch and then a fairy, plus there’s the whole spy thing I think he’s still worried about. He’s sticking close for that reason, so if you think about it, I’m really his prisoner.”

“That’s kind of hot,” Piper chimes in.

“Piper, not now,” Clover gives her a swat and looks at me. “He’s not worried about any spy stuff or whatever. I know him. He likes you.”

“But-”

“Your first night in the Keep…you remember that?” she asks.