Page 49 of This Mate Thing

"Yeah."

"My family--"

"Oh, God!"He sinks into a crouch with one hand on the wall and one on the floor, his head hanging between his knees.

Oookay.

"You okay?"

He shakes his head, and I go get him a glass of water.He turns around to look at me, only to slide down to sit on the floor with his back against the wall.

I approach him with a full glass, but I walk slowly.He continues to stare at me as I hold the glass out to him.It takes a couple of seconds before he reaches for it.

He sips, and I wait.

"Is it a joke?"

"No."

"You're a..."He shakes his head."I should go to a hospital.Fuck.Who'll take care of Ira?"

"You don't need a hospital, and should you need one at some point in your life, I'll take care of Ira."

He stares at me, but not in a wow-I'm-so-lucky-to-have-you way.It's more horrified.I grin."I promise not to eat him."

He whimpers, and I huff."It was a joke!We don't eat people."

Nothing.Glassy eyes staring out into nothingness.Damn.

I grab my phone and call Zahrah.

"Are you in prison?"She sounds distracted.

"Not yet, but I've broken my mate."

She makes an undignified sound."I don't want to hear about your sex life, Boris.Not unless you're stuck somewhere and are being taken by five burly blue-collar men."

I snort."I'm being serious."

"As am I, darling."

"No, you're not."

"Okay, I'm not.What happened with Simon?"She's more focused now, and I look at Simon.I put her on speaker and place the phone on the table before crouching in front of him.

"Well...I told him about soulmates, and he didn't believe me, so I partially shifted."

Silence.Then she groans."Partially how?"

"Eyes and claws."

"Great.How did he take it?"

"He didn't.He's on the floor mumbling about a hospital."

"He's there now?You're there now?"

I glare in the direction of the phone."Yeah."