Chapter 26: Feelings
Alex
His question hung in the dim light of the hut like a cloud of smoke that refused to clear away. It sat there between us, heavy and unexpected.
"Do you have a mate?"
I could not look at him while I thought about my answer. I turned my face away from Sam and focused my eyes on the cracked wooden wall of the hut. There was a small spiderweb in the corner that trembled every time a draft of cold air slipped through the broken boards. I watched it for a long time. Silence felt much safer than giving him an answer. It was certainly safer than admitting the truth out loud. I didn't want to tell a stranger how empty and lonely that part of my life had always been.
Ever since I was old enough to understand what a mate bond was, I had told myself that I simply didn't h
