Page 36 of Simon

He’s male, Lucy, what the heck?

“Where did you get the cheese?” I blurted, as he poured more water into a basin at the far end of the cave. Simon’s ears perked up as the deafening thunder outside reverberated through the musty cave, causing the ground to shake beneath our feet.

I winced, and Simon came closer to me, sitting on the bed.

He was so close to me again, but instead of feeling offended, knowing that he wanted my body, I wasn’t. I felt comfortable with him sitting there while the storm raged outside. The power of the storm was strong. You could hear the howl of the wind and the snapping of trees.

The tents were made to withstand a storm of this magnitude. Magic, or something or other, to keep them from being broken, but I was still glad I was in a cave. The fire was roaring, and for being a cave, it was cozy.

“Friend gave me food. I kept her until she found her mate.”

I raised a brow. A she? So, he has spent time with other women?

Wow, way to be jealous.

“Friend? And did this friend not teach you boundaries?” I crossed my arms over my chest. “She didn’t tell you not to touch or steal people?”

Simon tilted his head. “Her mate did that to her.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

Of course he did. That was what this realm was all about.

Besides, you thought it was hot, anyway.

“But did you not talk to her?” How could he not talk to his friend, who was giving him all this food?

Simon shook his head, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. “I didn’t talk. Not the same now. I not her friend anymore.” He lowered his head and stared at his hands.

I knew that having a mate could make males and females more possessive and territorial, but did you have to drop all your friends once you are mated? That seemed absurd, and it made me angry for him. Simon didn’t have anyone, and now he was alone in this cave and had to kidnap someone to make a friend.

“If you were both friends, then you should remain friends,” I argued. “Why would she not want to talk to you once she got a mate? That’s just mean and cruel! Maybe she was never really your friend if she went off with some male.”

Simon darted his head toward me. “No, she wants to be friends. Her m-male—”

“Is a possessive asshole? Not being able to see your friend because you have a mate is ridiculous, Simon. If you want, I can go talk to the jerk so you can have a friend.”

A woman that you never talked to. She could be beautiful, lovely, and Simon used to spend all his time with her.

But…I did feel pretty smug that Simon only talked to me.

Simon’s lip curled into a smile. “Lucy upset if I talked to her?”

I paused. Wait a minute. Would I be upset?

Simon admitted I was the only person he’d tried to talk to. Would I be jealous if he went and talked to his friend? I shouldn’t be jealous.I wasn’t his mate.

Yes, I would be jealous. Should I admit that?

I scratched the back of my neck. “We aren’t mates—”

Simon's growl was a low, guttural sound, like the rumble of distant thunder.

“I think you should be able to have friends of the opposite sex. You must have had a friendly bond if you protected her.”

“We protected each other.” His shoulders fell limp. “She does not need me.”

I scoffed. “Did she tell you this? Or did you think this all on your own?”

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