Page 5 of The Bunny Blues

I lost track of Edward and Clarice, but it was just as well. I wasn’t sure how much more my heartbroken shifter could bear.

The mate bond was a powerful thing. To a human, the betrayal of a partner was gut-wrenching. But to a shifter, it was absolutely devastating.

The men had never promised me love or that they would complete the mate bond by claiming me. But my animalistic side had no way of understanding why her mates were refusing to accept her.

I couldn’t blame her. Even with human logic, I couldn’t deny the pain stabbing at my chest. The men had been clear that if I couldn’t produce an heir, they would find someone who could.

However, I’d been under the impression that after we’d been matched, they had stopped sleeping around and that as long as I provided for their needs in the bedroom, they would remain faithful.

All four men had eagerly used my body whenever they pleased since I’d moved into the mansion, and I’d done my best to make it pleasurable for them. Which is why Edward’s flirtatious comments to Clarice and the familiarity with which she touched his arm and chest felt like a betrayal of our arrangement.

It was degrading enough living in a home with four mates who treated me with indifference, but to have Edward flaunt another woman in front of the burrows was a humiliation I hadn’t anticipated.

Males who didn’t bond with their females were rare, and those shifters were careful to keep their affairs out of the public eye and far away from nosy bunny noses.

“Ellora!”

Turning my head, I searched for the voice and found my best friend, Kacy, rushing toward me.

“Hi—umpf!” I grunted as her arms circled my neck, and she attempted to squeeze my soul from my body.

Maybe I was lightheaded from the hug, or maybe it was because her hug was the first affectionate contact I’d experienced in weeks, but tears sprang to my eyes without warning.

For a moment, I felt like someone cared and I wasn’t alone in the world.

“Kacy, your friend is turning purple. You should probably turn her loose before you catch a murder charge,” an amused male voice said from behind my best friend.

“I’ve missed your face!” Kacy laughed, finally releasing me from the crushing hug. Then, catching sight of my watery eyes, Kacy’s eyes shimmered. “Don’t you dare start crying! You’ll make me cry, and both our makeup will be ruined!”

Grabbing a tiny cocktail napkin, she carefully wiped away my stray tears and fixed my makeup.

Brett whispered in my ear, “You’re making a scene. Don’t embarrass me.”

A pulse of anger shot through me. I’m making a scene?

Why hadn’t he told Edward that when he’d been feeding another female from his fork?

Ignoring Edward, I grabbed the unused cocktail napkin from Kacy’s hand and dabbed under her eyes. “There, now you don’t look like you’re about two minutes away from turning into a trash panda,” I teased.

The unfamiliar male wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. “She’d make the cutest little trash panda, though.” He hooked his chin over her shoulder and pressed his cheek against hers.

The stark difference between Brett’s and her mate’s reactions had me biting the inside of my cheek to keep a fresh wave of tears at bay. Kacy and I had been matched to our fluffles the same week, but the difference between how our mates treated us was dramatic.

She was loved.

I’m not.

It was as simple as that.

“This is Bray.” Kacy introduced her mate, rolling her eyes. “And if he doesn’t quit trying to feed me every fifteen minutes, I’m going to be chubbier than a trash panda.”

Reaching out, I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m so happy for you, Kacy.”

It was the truth. While I would have loved to have even a tenth of the affection from my mates that Bray was showering on Kacy, I was thrilled my childhood friend was getting the adoration she deserved.

Kacy gushed about her fluffle. Her eyes sparkled as she told me about each guy and compared them to her favorite actors.

While she spoke, the rest of her fluffle appeared at her side, stroking her hair, kissing her cheek, or caressing her arms, each of them seeking the reassuring touch of their mate.

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