Page 36 of Tolerated By the Sigma (Mate Hunt 7)

But I didn’t really know.

Only time would tell.

FOURTEEN

Deland I met at Zed’s restaurant, hoping that having one of the other pack members nearby would help curb Ryder’s possessiveness.

She beat me there by two minutes, and threw an arm around me for a half-hug before I slid into the other side of the booth and sat down across from her. Del had already made good progress on the bread sitting on the table, so I grabbed a roll and slathered it in the honey butter the restaurant provided for free.

Free stuff was always a win. Always. And I would consume as much as possible, the way I always did even before I had a werewolf’s appetite.

“Tell me everything,” Del warned.

I sighed, and she gave me a look that I could only call her therapist look, even though neither of us technically fit into that category or career.

So, I did.

I left out the specific details about the sexy bits, but still mentioned them too—they felt pretty damn vital to the rocky relationship Ryder and I had sort of started building.

“So, what should I do?” I asked Del, collapsing against the back of my chair. We had ordered partway through my story, and luckily, the restaurant only served werewolf-sized portions. I’d gotten the new-werewolf-sized portion, too, because I’d have to eat even more than everyone else until my muscles got stronger and my body changed however else it needed to.

“Let’s summarize first. You met, propositioned him, and then left when he said no.” She ticked items off her fingers while she listed them. “When he came back and apologized, things got steamy, then you said something you shouldn’t have, and his wolf took over so he left.”

I nodded.

She continued ticking things off on her fingers. “Then you chased him down, and ended up spending the night with a wild pack in the middle of the forest. And then things got steamy again, and you realized he was keeping things from you, so you left the forest together.”

I nodded again.

“Then you got into an argument, met his parents, and then had a real discussion in which he made you feel better. And then you texted me, and came here.” She gestured to the restaurant.

I nodded a third time. “Right.”

“So you want my real opinion?” Del asked, lifting an eyebrow at me.

“Mmhm.”

“I think—“ our food arrived, distracting us both momentarily as the servers put the plates on our table.

We thanked them and got situated before I stared daggers at Del.

She noticed my glare and flashed me a grin. “Alright, I think you’re absolutely insane for not being in bed with him right now. I mean, I get wanting to be friends first, but you don’t really seem to want to be friends first. So, what’s the point of pushing him away? You’re going to have disagreements and growing pains, but the thing about having s…” she glanced at the family off to our side a bit. Probably not close enough to hear, but still there.

She lowered her voice when she continued, “The thing aboutbeing in bed togethera lot, is that it relaxes you. It makes things easier between you, and calmer between you. And what happens when you’re calm and relaxed? You feel better about admitting things you might be self-conscious about saying out loud. Open communication is what you guys need—and clearly lack. So ifbeing in bed togetherhelps with open communication, that’s exactly what you need.”

“We were pretty muchin bed togetherin the forest, and it didn’t lead me to want to spill my thoughts,” I countered.

“No, but neither of you had been honest before then, either,” she pointed out.

Fine, she wasn’t wrong.

“I don’t think that an assload ofbeing in bed together will fix anything,” I finally said, unable to come up with a better argument.

“It won’t. But honest conversations, and opening yourselves up to each other physically, mentally, and emotionally? That most definitely will.”

I sighed. “Why do you have to be right about this?”

“Do you realize what I’m being right about?” She checked. “It’s not like it’s boring to spend all that time knocking boots.”

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