Page 21 of Bullied Mate

Galanthia gasped and fixed her hair, adjusted her clothes, and popped her wings out so fast one of them smacked me right in the face. By the time I was rubbing my jaw, she was on the first floor apologizing profusely to Raven.

I snorted indignantly.Suck-up.

Unlike Galanthia, I had to take the stairs to the first floor. The new railing was sturdy, made of local wood, and polished to perfection by Izdor. That Elderling really had an eye for detail, and he insisted on making sure everything was top-notch, even going so far as to triple-check things for safety. Honestly, that kind of commitment was refreshing.

Raven grinned when she saw me. She waved around. “This place is really coming together. I can’t believe it’s the same building.”

“You’d be amazed what hard work can do.”

Galanthia planted her hands on her hips, pivoting away from me while keeping Raven in her line of sight. “That’s why you chose the Elderlings first for the job. Isn’t that right, Alpha?”

“I had many people in mind, but yes, I’d say I chose Elderlings specifically for our abilities.”

Galanthia beamed. “If I could use my whip to knock this place into shape, I would.”

“I don’t doubt that, Galanthia.”

I chortled while approaching Raven. “Sure, but you chose the rest of the pack members for their experience, right?”

Raven glanced quizzically between Galanthia and me. “My search was thorough.”

“Wolves tend to be better with construction,” I went on. “You know, because we have an eye for details.”

So much for praising Izdor, I thought timidly.No offense, buddy. It’s not like you’ll hear this or anything.

Galanthia glowered at me, and it seemed like maybe she’d heard what was in my head. But that was impossible, considering we were a different species entirely. She’d never completed a wolf shift, so she wasn’t a wolf shifter. She was just an Elderling.

Elderlings have special powers. I swallowed hard.I mean, I don’t think she can read my mind, but she can probably read my emotions.

Steel resolve locked into place from years of practice. I blocked as much of her as I could, reducing my inner wolf to a whimpering mess when I chose to ignore the alluring smell of roses. That was Galanthia’s scent, something I recognized fully now when she was around, and it usually clogged me up so much that I couldn’t smell anything else.

It was rude, to say the least, and an offense to my senses.

A whimsical smile spread over Raven’s lips as she turned to Galanthia. “Say, I heard you got your memories back.”

Galanthia stiffened. “If you’re worried about the effect, Etta said the worst has passed.”

“I’m more worried about the content.” Raven spared me a glance. “Izdor says you’ve gone from nightmares to talking in your sleep.”

“A fit that will soon pass as the good Etta has assured.”

My anger faded slightly. “You’re still having nightmares?”

Introspection would have taken me over had it not been for Raven’s intervention.

“We have tinctures for that,” she assured Galanthia. “I know Etta has told you already, but please, don’t hesitate to let us know of anything else you might need.”

Respect passed through their smiles, and I was spared one as well. Until Galanthia realized she was grantingmerespect, and the disregard returned.

That was fine. I didn’t need her respect. If she wanted to suffer in silence without any help, that was her preference. My assistance was clearly not wanted at this point, especially since she’d accused me of being a bully. Sure, I’d picked on plenty of kids when I was a teenager, but that was the usual boyish stuff most teenagers did. There wasn’t much wrong with it.

Two coughs this time reminded them I was standing nearby.

Galanthia frowned. “I’ll get the trash. Don’t lose your head.”

“I’m not the one who has lost my head.”

“Why you continue to speak to me that way is sad at this point.”

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