“But—you’re mates?” Lena protests.

I squeeze her hand, not wanting to tarnish her world with the harsh reality that rejecting a mate is possible. “No, buttercup. I have everything I need right here.”

The three of us climb into bed with Lena, snuggled together and inseparable.

14AVERY

It’s just after dusk when I meet Taryn at the tree with the gnarled formation resembling one of the Farrows elders. This part of the border isn’t far from the natural swimming hole I prefer instead of the main one the rest of the pack uses at Silver Falls.

All the times I’ve slipped away to my favorite secret spot on the mountain, I had no idea I was so close to another way in and out of packlands.

The tree divides a stream flowing around it and is surrounded by a thicket of bushes. Beyond the vegetation, there’s a steep drop off to lower ground where the stream becomes a waterfall.

I see now why this point is written off by the security team’s perimeter sweeps.

“Ready?” Taryn shows me where to shimmy between the bushes.

I peer over the edge. “How do we get down? I don’t see a spring large enough to jump into at the bottom.”

“We have to scale it. But don’t worry, the root system from the tree goes most of the way down. Or you could go the hard way. I assume you don’t want to waste time waiting for a broken bone to heal itself.”

“No,” I respond dryly. “I’d rather avoid that at all costs.”

“Be quick. We’ve got about ten minutes before a patrol passes nearby.”

I let her go first, keeping a close eye on the spots she places her hands and feet. She makes it look easy. My wolf stretches and climbs to her feet when I begin my descent with my satchel swiveled to my back. She’d rather shift and trot the woods herself. I picture snapped stems and plants covered in slobber if I let her have my skin.

There will be time to run later, after I’ve looked for anything else I can use to help Lena.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been to this part of the mountain.” When I reach the bottom I search the surroundings to get my bearings, trying to figure out which way Ashbury is if I were to try this route in the future. “How’d you end up finding this area?”

“By accident when my wolf was running down a rabbit,” Taryn says. “I’d gone off on my own after getting separated and we were tracking our way back to packlands. My wolf is a stubborn thing and tried to climb up those roots when she couldn’t jump it.”

I laugh as she leads me to a trailhead that splits in three directions. I smell humans and guess this is where they hike.

“Did you make it up that way?” I pause a few minutes into the trail to trim sprigs of goldenrod.

“About halfway up before I lost my footing. Landing on a log hurt like a bitch.” Taryn rubs her flank. “But I could smell pack—actually, it was mostly Eddie’s laundry he rinses in the stream and hangs to dry behind his cabin. You think those are pungent to our noses now? Wait until you catch a whiff of them in your fur.”

We both wrinkle our noses and giggle.

“I shifted back and scraped the hell out of my tits and stomach scrambling up,” she finishes. “Do not recommend naked hiking. Always go for the wolf.”

“Noted.” I tilt my head, giving her a sidelong glance. “That’s been a new change since I discovered my wolf. That some males smell vile, different from how their scents were for me before, even if it was muted. What’s that about?”

“What do you mean?”

I scrunch my face up and crouch to pluck juniper berries from the tip of a shrub branch. “Bad. Unappealing. There was a lot going on that night, ah…” Taryn makes an understanding noise. “When Lorne grabbed me, I almost gagged from how strong and unpleasant his scent became.”

She holds open a linen bag for me to brush them into. “What did he smell like compared to usual?”

“I wasn’t really analyzing his musk,” I say flatly. “Sour? Like milk that’s gone bad. I was a bit busy.”

“I don’t find Lorne’s scent appealing in the slightest, but he’s never smelled gross to me.” She opens and closes her mouth. “I really want to ask what it feels like. Callie keeps reminding me it would be unimaginably rude to make you recount it. But, Fates, I’m so curious, it’s killing me.”

My mouth twitches. “Honestly, it sucked. It felt like my soul was being ripped from my body and set on fire.

“That’s horrible.” Taryn grimaces.

“I don’t wish the experience of rejection on anyone. Except Lorne, but he’s far too much of an asshole for the moon goddess to bless with a True Mate.”

She chuckles. “She would never. But no, I don’t think all the males smell like rotten milk. A few have overpowering musks, except I don’t notice their scents usually.”

I purse my lips. “They all smell like it to me now, not just Lorne.”

She bites her lip. “Caden, too?”

I close my eyes and shake my head, releasing an uneven breath. “No. He…he smells incredible.” I lick my lips, searching for how to describe his dizzying scent whenever it encapsulates me. “He’s the kiss of mist on your skin before you jump into the falls, and the smoking logs freshly lit for a bonfire to honor the moon goddess.”

Taryn stares at me. “Wow. All the time? Even after…?”

“Yes.” My brows furrow and I pick at the strand of twine dangling from my bag.

“Sounds like how True Mates talk about each other and their bond like it’s the best thing to ever happen to them. I guess it’s how the Fates encourage us to accept it.”

I was afraid of that, though the same thought has crossed my mind several times since the bonfire. Hopefully the allure of his scent will fade with time.

We make our way down the meandering trail, stopping every so often so I can wade through patches of wild plants. Taryn observes, then begins pointing out anything she sees asking if it has an herbal use.

“What about those mushrooms?” She indicates the fungus growing on a dead fallen branch.

I grin. “Same ones you saw ten minutes ago. Again, those skullcaps are poisonous and shouldn’t be ingested. See the tan umbrella shape of its top? That’s how to identify them.”

“They kind of look like bread. What happens if I eat it?”

“At first, cramping and puking your guts out. Then kidney and liver failure. Good luck getting our healer to fix it. You’d better hope your accelerated healing flushes it from your system before that happens.”

“Okay, why is everything out to kill us?” She hugs herself and shudders.

My gaze softens and my mother’s stories come to mind. “I think it’s ancient druid magic. The forest’s way of protecting itself.”

Taryn bows to the dead branch. “You have my utmost respect, elder.”

I glance up at the treetops to the stars peeking through. “Let’s go for a bit longer, then head back.”

The trail winds down another decline and opens to a wide field past the break in the woods.

“Those flowers over there are pretty,” she says.

I perk up. “Evening primrose. Perfect, this will be wonderful for Lena. These are great for so many uses, but especially good to treat a severe cough.”

I ran low on primrose leaves weeks ago once the chill set in higher up the mountain. They’re one plant that doesn’t respond well to the concoctions Jade taught me to mix into the soil for longevity even when I try to grow it on my windowsill by the workbench.

“Wait, do you hear that?” She goes still as I harvest, listening. “Something’s in a hurry.”

She’s right. Whatever’s racing through the woods is doing it at breakneck speed, kicking up dead leaves, trampling twigs and any other underbrush in the way from the sound of it.

“Deer? No, that’s got to be something bigger. Maybe some hikers woke a bear,” I suggest when I rise.

I’ve gathered enough primrose clippings to fill a basket. I should’ve brought one to carry them back in.