Chapter 81: Chapter 80

Katie | turned around to make sure she wasn’t talking to someone else.

“Sorry, | don’t know a Lanie.”

She blinked quickly, bewildered by my response.

“Wait, is this some kind of joke?”

Then her eyes traveled down to my belly, and her jaw dropped.

G ods, had she never seen a pregnant she-wolf before?

“Lanie, it’s me. Mindy.”

The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

Why did she keep calling me that name?

I “Good for you,” | said. “But I’m not Lanie.”

“Hey.” Mason waved his hand in front of the girl’s face. “Let's take a step back. Whoever you're looking for, she isn’t here.”

The girl looked from Mason to me, then back down at my belly.

| wrapped my hands around it instinctively.

‘lms so sorry,” she said, taking a step back. Her face turned a deep shade of red.

“Of course not.” Her voice started to shake. “It’s just that my best friend Lanie died in an accident recently, and you look so much like her.”

G ods, how terrible.

No wonder she was freaking out.

“I'm Katie.” | smiled, even though a creeping unease was still lingering in the pit of my stomach. “It’s nice to meet you, Mindy.”

I turned to Mason..

“Will you give us a minute?”

| wanted to learn more about her without Mason’s watchful eyes on us.

He glanced from Mindy back to me. “Sure. I'll be over there with Asher,”

“I'm sorry about your friend,” | said softly after he’d walked away.

“That’s okay.” She swallowed hard. “You know. I’ve heard everyone has a doppelganger out there 1/3 “Where are you visiting from?” | asked her.

“Oh, I’m here with my mates Maxim and Monroe representing the Constantine pack.” Her face lit up at the mention of her mates and her words tumbled out, fast and excited. “We're not too far from here.”

“Wow, that’s cool.”

| tried to match her excitement, but truthfully | had no clue what the Constantine pack was.

“Isn't it?” she said, biting her lip. “Normally, | wouldn’t get to come, but the Alpha and Beta were tied up with some family emergency, so they sent their most trusted High Guards in their stead.”

She smacked a hand on her head.

“Oh g ods, why am | telling you all this? You probably couldn’t give two sh its.”

| barked out a laugh, | couldn’t help it.

“Hey, | asked the question,” | said.

Mindy laughed, too, and she suddenly seemed so familiar.

Not the first time I’d had that thought tonight.

How strange...

Maybe it was just that her bubbliness reminded me of Quinn.

“Anyway,” she said, “where are you from?”

“Oh, um...I’m from Stillwood.”

It sounded like she was from a fancy traditional pack with all her talk about “High Guards” and s hit.

| had no idea how she'd respond to the news that | was a rogue.

“Whoa,” she said, her eyes widening. “I’ve never met someone from rogue territory before. | want to ask you like a million questions, but | will refrain.”

She clasped her hands together and rocked back and forth on her feet.

“Appreciate it,” | laughed “Well, I'll let you get back to your date. Thanks for not thinking I’m a total freak.”

G ods, that was strange.

But as Mindy walked away, | had the crazy thought that | already missed her.

Maybe we'd see each other again.

Or maybe | was the strange one.

Asher and Mason were deep in conversation when | walked back up to them.

“You really think Katie would go for that?”

Go for what?

| hung back, waiting with bated breath for Mason’s answer.

“| don’t care. I’m going to take what's mine.”