The Lone Wolf's Rejected Mate (Five Packs #3)(36)

“What does it look like?”

“It’s mauve.”

“You look really pretty in mauve.” That’s Annie. It’s as natural for her to build other people up as it is to give herself a hard time.

It’s going to be the first time I’ve worn a dress in forever. After Darragh, I switched to long skirts, and then after the coup, when Una made Killian ditch the dumbest of the rules, I switched to pants. But for my first real date, I’ve decided to go super feminine. Which is good. It’s progress. Getting back to the me I was before.

I’m excited, I think, at least as excited as I ever get these days. Time is passing more quickly than usual, and my heart is beating at a faster tempo. Nothing extreme. Just healthy, normal excitement.

It has nothing to do with the lingering effects of seeing Darragh. He’s gone again. Locked back up in a dusty corner of my mind where he belongs. He’s the past. I have a future.

“Annie, come help with this.” Noreen’s bent over the open oven door, waving her mitts and frowning.

“I’ll finish here.” I take the bowl of veggies from Annie, and she rushes to Noreen.

“Last chance, Mari,” Lucan calls from the walk-in freezer. He’s holding the sack of pheasant in front of his dick and grinning. “If you want this meat all to yourself, speak now or hold your peace.”

“Pass.” A smile pokes up the corners of my mouth. “Actually, I have a date tomorrow.”

Saying it out loud sends a thrill down my spine. I think things are really turning around. I’m turning them around. I’m not going to walk around under a gray cloud anymore. I ignore the small unease in my gut. I always feel like puking after I see Darragh.

“Seriously? Unprotected females can’t date.” He chucks the bird onto a shelf and ambles back to the island, studiously avoiding the disaster he made of the beets.

“Who says?”

“Who said you could?” He’s not being a dick. It’s a genuine question.

“We can go into town now if we take someone with us. There are no rules against drinking coffee.”

“Coffee? What, are you going on a date with a human?” He wrinkles his nose.

“No. A male from Salt Mountain.”

“What’s his name?”

“Lenox.”

He snorts. “That’s a douchebag’s name.”

“Lucan’s a douchebag’s name.” It’s not the best comeback, but comebacks aren’t exactly my forte.

“Who’s going with you?”

“Annie and Kennedy.”

“So this douchebag hillbilly has a date with three of our unmated females? That’s bullshit.”

“Hey, don’t hate the player, man. Hate the game.” I grin, and despite the grimness still lingering from that strange interaction out back, it comes easy.

Darragh Ryan is just a fact of my life. Like allergies. Or lactose intolerance. I’m going to live my life despite him.

One day soon, I’m going to take a package of meat off of him, say thanks, and not think about him at all the next minute.

I ladle the seasoned vegetables onto a pan, set it on the counter next to the oven, and scrub down my work area. When Old Noreen sends Lucan into the pantry to get a jar for her from a high shelf, I stow his abandoned pile of mangled beets in the fridge for smoothies.

I don’t have anything else I have to do tonight. I could eat if I want. I don’t have to serve anymore. These days, males like Lucan who are on Killian’s shitlist get to do a lot of the jobs that used to be Una’s and ours.

I believe Gael is serving my tables tonight. He probably tapped out too soon in the ring, or “whined like a bitch,” or something like that. No one will miss me if I skip dinner, so instead of heading back inside after I smash the beets down with the rest of the food scraps, I slip off for home.

Our new place near Una and Killian’s is a lot less homey than our cabin that blew up. It’s a little more bachelor pad, for lack of a better term. Our chore rotation lasted for about a week without Una to organize it, and it’s a good thing that Killian relaxed the rules because as soon as she wasn’t there to remind us, we immediately stopped hiding the gaming systems and the liquor.

The cabin is dark when I get there which means Annie must have been the last one to leave for dinner service. She’s the one who’s good about turning lights off when she leaves, and pre-rinsing the dishes, and stuff. I don’t bother turning on a lamp. I’m in the mood to be alone and under the radar.

I strip in my bedroom and streak down the hallway to run the bath. Annie did my nails earlier today, so I have classic red fingers and toes. I was thinking about putting my hair in an updo tomorrow, but if there’s even one percent humidity, it’ll look like a Truffula tree from Dr. Suess. Besides, Lenox says he can’t wait to play with my curls. They’re pretty much irresistible to everyone.

Even Darragh wound one around his finger that night when—

I squash the memory. Stomp it flat. Kick it into a corner. Slam and bolt the door behind it. Still, my stomach cramps. I sink back in the hot water until the steam heats my chin and focus on my breath.

Why did he have to show up today of all days? Just when I’m taking this big step?

The past is over. I’m not going back to thinking there’s something wrong with me, and perversely daydreaming about him showing up and begging my forgiveness. And I’m not going back to being angry all the time.