“Why are you so cranky?” Sally asked as she pushed open the door to the healer’s study. Shelves filled with plants, herbs, and odd looking stones lined the walls. Books were scattered across the two tables that ran the length of the room.
“How do you feel about it?” Costin asked quietly.
Sally knew what he was asking. He wanted to know if she was angry about what Jacque experienced. But how could she be angry when she had experienced something very similar?
“How are you not losing it like Fane over what I experienced?” she countered. “Why aren’t any of the other males killing each other over what their mates felt while under the curse? You have to know that all of you males fear us going to other men. So we all went through that same thing.” She walked over to him and looked up into his hazel eyes—eyes that shown with such love that when they gazed upon her, it took her breath away.
“I know you want no other than me. I know that you would never touch another male and because I know that, deep in my soul, I have let go of what happened under the curse. You showed me the night we were bonded that there is nothing that could ever take your love from me. So what do I have to be upset about?”
Costin reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear and Sally leaned into his touch. He leaned down until their foreheads touched and inhaled her scent through slow deep breaths.
“Thank you,” he whispered softly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. It was his favorite place to be—wrapped around his mate, protecting her, loving her, and reminding her that she was his.
“I love you,” she told him gently.
He grinned at her flashing his dimple. “What’s not to love?”
Sally rolled her eyes as she pulled back from him and he reluctantly let her slip away.
“I swear you and Jen were separated at birth,” she grumbled as she turned to open up one of the healing books.
“So what are we doing today?” he asked as he rubbed his hands together like an eager child.
“A tonic,” she told him as she flipped the pages.
“A tonic for what?”
“Overbearing, jealous, obnoxious, yet hot, werewolves.”
Costin let out a laugh that filled the room and flooded Sally’s heart with joy.
“Will it affect my good looks?” he asked her playfully.
“Oh, yes perfect,” she muttered to herself ignoring his question.
“What’s perfect?” he asked as he leaned over her shoulder to see what she was doing.
“You just reminded me that I forgot to add something to shrink your ego.”
He put his hands on her hips and leaned down to her ear.
“As long as we aren’t shrinking body parts love, then it’s all good.”
Sally leaned her head back against him and closed her eyes with a huff. “I can’t win.”
Costin chuckled low and she felt his warm breath against her neck.
She finally leaned forward and pushed him away. “Alright Romeo back up. I’ve got work to do.”
“He talked to me after Sally went and spoke with him.”
“That was all your father-in-law,” Sally interrupted quickly.
“I told you I was cool with it, Sally, and I meant it. Fane knew I was at my breaking point.”
“Sooo,” Jen prompted her to answer her previous question.
“He’s still distant, but he’s trying. I’m just at a loss as to what to do to help him.” She looked down at her hands and bit her lip to keep from crying. She hated crying.