Craved Mate: Cybermates by Ayers, Candace (good short books .txt) 📕

“Yeah? Good luck with that. You are completely out of your mind, Adam. You want to bring a frivolous lawsuit to the courts, go for it.”

I ended the call and rolled my head back and stared at the ceiling. It was suddenly hard to fathom that I had ever been under the delusion that being with Adam was a better choice than growing old alone.

21

Mac

Mel was no longer on the island. I knew because, well, I just knew. The entire island was different without her. Something in the air had changed. It was heavier. The sun, while just as hot, didn’t seem nearly as bright.

I should maybe feel pleased that I’d saved us both from falling into a deeper bond.

I hadn’t been thinking only of myself. Sure, as a human, Mel was naturally more susceptible to ailments or injuries, and as a shifter I was tough, but fighting fires was a dangerous profession. I didn’t want her to have to suffer from a broken mating bond either.

And I felt like shit. Absolute shit. I went through every day like a zombie. I went to work, I cared for Ame, I helped with Warren.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

It had looked for a while as though Warren had taken a turn for the worse, but he surprised us all. His round of chemo ended, and he was looking and feeling better every day. He was still in the wheelchair for a portion of the day and tired easily, but he had color in his face, and instead of the droopy weariness, he was gaining strength.

Jenny had gone MIA, so unless I was at work, Ame was with me. The child was going through major growing pains. She was never happy. She fussed and whined, and threw tantrums. She did say her one word, though—Meewl.

“Meewl… Meewl… Meewl…” She said the same damn thing on repeat as though she were trying to tell me something. And maybe she was, but I refused to listen.

I avoided Parker or anyone else who wanted to ask about Mel. I just kept my head down, reminding myself repeatedly that I’d done the right thing, regardless of how miserable I felt without her.

The misery I was experiencing was nothing compared to how it would feel if I had to watch her slow descent toward death’s door. I told myself to give it time, but it had been over a week since she’d left, and I only felt worse.

It didn’t help that my wolf was inconsolable. He was angry and sullen. Lately, I couldn’t even shift. When I tried, he fought, refusing to emerge.

It wasn’t a complete surprise when Heather called me over to her house one night. She and Warren were seated at the dining room table. Warren’s face was pulled taut, but his eyes were sharp.

He and Heather exchanged glances before my sister went on the attack. “What’s going on with you, Hamish? You’ve been singing the blues for over a week.”

I grunted. “Naw, that’s light jazz.”

“I’m serious. Something’s going on with you and I want you to spill. You need to tell me. I can’t handle worrying about you too right now.”

“I’m fine, Heather. You’ve got enough going on here.”

Heather glanced at the clock. Then she pointed back and forth from me to her. “We’re not done here, but something’s going on with Jenny. I told her I’d call at four and I wanted you to be here.”

Heather held her cell to her ear, and when Jenny answered, she put the call on speaker and laid it on the table. “Hi, honey. You’re on speaker. We’re all here. Me, Dad, and Uncle Mac.”

“Bonus, then, you can all get the news at once.” Jenny sounded defiant, almost argumentative.

Heather glanced at me, then she and Warren locked eyes. “We’re listening.”

“I’m getting married.”

Tension filled the room.

“Jenny, where are you right now?” My words came out sounding harsher than I’d intended.

Heather held up a hand to silence me. “That’s wonderful, honey. Who’s the lucky man?”

“I’m in Seattle. Joe and I are tying the knot, then we’re thinking of heading down to California for a time.”

Warren’s jaw was working. It was obvious it was taking extreme effort for him to remain calm. “Jenny, you’re not the only person affected by your decisions. Your choices affect your daughter too.”

“I know that! You act like I’m stupid. Like I have no idea what I’m doing.”

My patience was thin. “How can you just move Ame away from her grandparents and uncle who love her? Not to mention, we’re your support system. You’re really just going to up and whisk her away like that?”

“I’m not taking Ame.”

The table finally fell silent, and I felt my stomach clench as Warren’s head drooped and his shoulders sagged.

Heather went to him and wrapped her arm around him. “Sweetheart, Ame is a wonderful child. You’ll come to love her as much as we all do. You just need to be around her more, get to know her better. Please come home for a while. Spend time with your daughter. I’m not implying you should end the engagement, only that there’s no rush.”

“Ame, Ame, Ame. I tell you I’m getting married and that’s all you can say. None of you give a shit about me!”

I rolled my eyes. “Jenny, we all care about you.”

“I don’t want to get to know her. I don’t want to be a mother. The only reason I had her was that you guys would’ve been disappointed if I’d had an abortion.”

Tears pooled in Heather’s eyes. Warren slumped in his wheelchair. I stepped back, feeling as though I’d been physically struck by Jenny’s words. “You can’t mean that.”

“I do. I really do. I won’t ever come back. Joe and I will make it on our own.”

I looked over at Ame, who was in the living room, sitting on a blanket spread out on the floor, playing with her toys while the tense conversation went on around her. “Jenny—”

“What?! I don’t want a daughter! I