Getting up, I wandered over to her and rubbed her back.
The touch did nothing for me. Yet in doing so, it picked up her scent once more. I loved that scent.
Mine,my wolf said.
I sighed.
This was definitely not how I imagined finding my true mate would feel.
Maybe it was better this way. I didn’t really want a mate, and I felt like I could still walk away from Clementine without too much damage, especially if she refused to shift and actually talk to me.
“Come on, babe. Shift. Dammit. Just shift already. We need to talk.”
All I got in response was aneighthat sounded a bit like she was laughing at me.
“Great. Just go ahead and keep mocking me. I hope it’s entertaining you.”
Cruz walked into the barn and looked around.
“Who are you talking to?”
“Clementine.”
“The horse?”
“My mate,” I corrected.
He gave me a quizzical look and then burst out laughing.
“You think the horse is your mate?”
“I know she is,” I said defiantly.
“She’s a horse, Brady.”
“Shut the hell up. Don’t you think I can see that? One of Lily’s brothers is mated to a panther. It happens.”
“Yeah, a panther shifter. Clementine is just a horse.”
“Says you.”
“And everyone else who knows her. There’s no humanity here.”
I shrugged. “James is mated to a human. She doesn’t even have an animal, yet no one seemed to question that.”
“It’s a horse!”
“And I’m a cowboy, so I guess it makes sense.”
None of this made any sense at all, but there was no way I was going to admit that to him.
“Tell me why you think this horse is your mate.”
“Because my wolf keeps telling me so. I know her scent, Cruz. I’m not going crazy.”
The look he shot me told me he wasn’t so sure about that.
“Well, I need to borrow your woman tomorrow. Wyatt’s scheduled to ride her.”