Chapter 18

“Could it be… to see if I have a wolf?” Colette asked, her voice laced with anxiety.

Shemika shook her head with conviction. “Not quite. It’s more like… to confirm if he’s truly your mate. It’s for your peace of mind. It won’t be of any use if you need to prove it to the alpha.”

“I…I suppose there’s no harm in trying. I want to know for myself,” she admitted, her words trailing off into a sigh.

Ylenia shot Shemika a puzzled look. “Mika, I’m the one with the knowledge here, and I’m lost. What are you getting at?”

“Quiet,” Shemika retorted, gently pushing Colette’s shoulders, guiding her back onto the couch. “Just relax. It’ll be over in a minute. I’ve heard plenty about mates, just like Ylenia,” she added, shooting Ylenia an irritated glance.

She positioned herself behind Colette, massaging her shoulders for a moment. Her hands were firm, but it didn’t bring Colette any closer to knowing if Sorin was her mate.

After an awkward, drawn-out silence, Shemika finally spoke. “I’m actually quite envious of you, Colette. Sorin is incredibly attractive.”

Colette’s brows furrowed. “Is this part of your test to see if he’s my mate?”

Shemika ignored her question. “If I could’ve picked my mate, it would’ve been Sorin, no doubt. He has this…” She paused, leaning in to whisper in Colette’s ear. “You know, everyone in this pack shifts in front of each other, so we’ve all seen each other naked. And let me tell you, Sorin is well-endowed.”

Colette’s frown deepened into a scowl. “Can we just get on with the test? I don’t find this conversation to be ~productive~,” she said, struggling to keep her composure.

“Sure,” Shemika replied cheerfully. “But we don’t ~know~ that Sorin is your mate yet, so you don’t mind me talking about how attractive he is, right?” she asked, a smirk playing on her lips.

Colette bit her tongue, choosing to remain silent.

Shemika smiled sweetly. “You know, I had my eye on him for a long time. If he wasn’t always away, he probably would’ve noticed me. Sometimes I think about the times I saw him shift back into human form.” Her voice dropped to a sultry whisper.

Colette could feel her ears burning with anger and her stomach churning as her mood soured. “Alright, I got it. We’re good,” she snapped, but Shemika continued.

“There was this one day when we were hunting in the woods outside the compound. I saw him shift back and I saw everything. Every…large…muscle…and appendage that he has.” She spoke slowly, each word ticking away at Colette’s patience.

“Okay, cool.” Colette tried to stand but was held down by the she-wolf’s strength.

“I’ve always wondered what it’d feel like to have his girth inside my—”

“Enough!” Colette shouted over her. “I’ve heard enough. Can we just get to the test?” she pleaded.

Shemika glanced at Ylenia, who nodded for her to continue. She was clearly in on the plan.

“We’ll get to that, girl, but since we don’t know if you are his mate yet, you shouldn’t care if I talk about him.”

“You’re not just talking about him. You’re being crude,” Colette growled, her patience wearing thin.

“Crude. I certainly want to be crude with that hunk of a man,” she said, her voice dripping with desire. “What I wouldn’t give to spend the night with him. Every inch of him—”

Unable to contain herself, Colette spun around, vaulting over the back of the sofa as Shemika stumbled backward to avoid her. Colette chased after her, snarling like a wild beast. “He’s~ mine~!” she yelled after her.

Ylenia grabbed her arm, holding her back for a moment. “Your answer.”

She came to a halt. “What?” she asked, her voice hollow, her eyes wide with confusion.

“Your answer has been given to you,” she repeated. “You wouldn’t react like that for anyone but your mate. Not for a stranger.”

Colette furrowed her brows. “No, that’s not right. That’s not proof,” she protested.

Shemika moved closer now, a devilish grin on her face. “Yeah. Listen, sweetie. It was all a ruse. Besides, I’ve never seen him naked.” She flicked her perfect curls over her shoulder.

“I don’t believe that it was ~all~ lies,” Colette spat at her, struggling against Ylenia’s grip.

“It was,” Ylenia interjected before Shemika could respond. “Trust me,” she said as Colette looked at her with wide, pleading eyes. “Shemika hasn’t even shifted since before puberty, let alone ~ever~ hunted.” Ylenia rolled her beautiful golden eyes.

Colette felt a wave of calm wash over her. Was she really Sorin’s mate? They were acting as if they couldn’t believe Sorin hadn’t just taken advantage of her.

Was Sorin a better man than she thought? So far, she felt like he just wanted to sleep with her and then he’d leave her alone, but what if he was resisting her more than she realized?

“So…” Ylenia returned to sit beside her. “Are you okay?”

She wasn’t sure if anyone had asked her that and fought back tears. “Yeah. What do you mean? I’m fine.”

Ylenia’s fierce yellow eyes softened. “Honey, can I be frank with you?” she asked gently.

Colette nodded.

“If you were just a human, they’d kill you. But even if you turn out to be a wolf, they won’t let you return. If you shift into wolf form, you won’t fit in there. You’ll never be the same.”

Colette felt her shoulders sag. She hadn’t given that much thought, nor had she pondered much about transforming into a giant wolf. It hadn’t seemed like a real possibility before. But if she truly was his mate, maybe there was a wolf lurking deep within her.