“I’m not okay. I don’t know what I am,” I tell her. “He tattooed my name on his neck.”
Vivi’s eyes light up. “That’s hot.”
“It’s… something,” I mutter.
But I can’t help but agree. Itishot. It’s the hottest thing ever. It makes looking at Jase affect me more than ever and I was pretty affected already…
She links arms with me and we head outside.
“Thank you, thank you, Aunt Mimi!” I rush to hug her. “Is it okay that I call you Aunt Mimi?”
“Of course, child.” She gives me a kind smile and asks, “And how areyou?”
“Well… I’m not sure. I’m tipsy, sorry, but I had to go on a date with him tonight.” I make a gag motion with my finger.
“Not a good date?” Dani asks.
“On paper it was perfect. It was like a fantasy.”
“What’s wrong then?” Aunt Mimi asks.
“Minus him running into an old flame,” I add.
“All his old flames are burnt out,” she says pointedly, then adds, “I heard this was your dream man for years.”
“He was…” I say, emotion welling up in me as I find a seat on the closest patio chair. “He was my dream guy since I was a little girl.” I sigh wistfully. “He was everything I wanted. But in the last few months he’s been pushing me away.”
“But he was your dream man, why? Because he’s alpha? Because he looks like a movie star action hero?” Aunt Mimi asks.
“Well, I mean, his looks definitely contributed, as shallow as that sounds, but it was way more than his looks that made me so sure about him.”
“Then why worry about how you get your dream as long as you get it?” she asks. “You’ve done nothing underhanded or unethical to get his attention. This is all supposed to be.”
I frown. “He did nothing but push me away until I smelled a certain way and I’ve had trouble with how drastic of a turn things have taken, not to mention… you know… having no choice.”
She shrugs. “Scent is important to wolf shifters. It’s important to all beings, but particularly wolf shifters. Look at how much scent just affected your father. He loves your mother unconditionally, yet couldn’t bear to touch her because she smelled like another woman. It wasn’t only that she smelled like Soleil, it was alsobecause everything inside him abhorred the idea of touching a female that didn’t smell like his mate. You smell like everythingyourshifter wants. The bond will only grow stronger from here. Once you bond with him, his scent will mean everything to you as well.”
As if it already doesn’t.
I straighten up at that unwanted thought.
“Again, barring doing something unethical to get it, what does it matter how you get it as long as you do?”
I have no words, so I just look at her.
She tuts disapprovingly. “He fell from that pedestal you put him on, child. But you put him there. He never climbed up there himself. Think about all the reasons you wanted him, why you thought life with him would be perfect.”
“I didn’t think he was perfect.”
“But you thought life with him could be your perfect, idealistic life. Now it’s time for reality. Yes, you get the dream, but it won’t be perfect. It didn’t start out that way and in the decades ahead there will be wonderful times and also times where it’ll feel so far from perfect you’ll struggle in ways that you can’t fathom. But it’s been your dream all this time.” She holds one index finger up. “And now, finally, it’s his dream too.” She holds the other index finger up and then brings them together and links them. “And it’s not only meant to be, it’s so important that you two are together that earthly law can’t stop it from happening. All the things you loved about him are in your grasp. Think about that. I need to go soak in our spa tub. I might look like I shaved decades off, but that flight left me feeling every bit my true age. Goodnight Bailey. Vivica, drive us to the apartment, please.”
Aunt Mimi taps my cheek affectionately and moves along.
“Th-thank you again for everything. All of you,” I manage. “And thank you for making me part of the family. I love that.”
Vivi hugs me. Then Dani does, saying, “Neck tattoo? Ooh.” She fans herself before she waves and shuts the gate behind herself.
***