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Then, it occurs to me. If either woman does happen across me, they’ll want to speak to me. Humans are strange about casual nudity. Lycans wouldn’t care if we conversed naked, but humans often act affronted by it. I’ll need to retrieve my clothing before I make my way to the witch’s cottage.

Once I’m clean, I run back to my cabin, shifting into human form again.

My wolf doesn’t resist as I change back into my human form, especially when he realizes we’re going back to our mate. Then I slip on a pair of breeches and boots, hesitating for a long moment as I stare at the clothes in my trunk. I hate wearing them, but most human males do. I want my mate to feel comfortable with me, so I’ll wear them for now.

I walk back to the witch’s cottage and skirt around to the back garden, hoping to see Scarlett.

Instead, I come across her naked grandmother lying on a blanket in the grass.

The sight is so unexpected that I freeze in shock. I take a step back, my foot landing on a twig. It breaks with a loud crack. The sound echoes through the trees, and Vera’s eyes pop open.

She sits up on the blanket, voicing, “Oh, Conall. It’s about time you’ve come by for another visit.”

It takes me a moment to realize I’m gaping at her like an idiot as she gets to her feet. In shock, I spin around as she picks up a garment and lifts it over her head. My face burns as I listen to her dress. I have no idea why I’m so embarrassed by her nudity. In the Lycan lands, this situation would be normal. Our conversation would continue, even if I was dressed when she was not.

Maybe I’ve been around humans too long, and their uptight ways are rubbing off on me. Or maybe it’s because this is Scarlett’s grandmother. Surely it is wrong to see your mate’s mother or grandmother in the nude.

“I didn’t take you for the prudish sort, Lycan,” she mutters.

I can’t answer. My mouth refuses to work. Because she’s correct, I’m acting missish. But I can’t seem to force myself to turn around. My wolf insists the only woman we need to look at naked is our mate.

She sighs. “It’s safe to face me now.”

When I look at her again, her body is covered with a loose dress, and her long hair is tangled over her shoulders. It’s the same color as my mate’s but streaked with white. Upon closer inspection, I see how much my mate resembles her.

“Let me get something for us to drink,” she says. “I think we have plenty to talk about.”

“Um…”

“Scarlett isn’t here, Lycan. She needed to gather more plants for her tonics, so she left a short while ago.”

Vera disappears inside before I can reply. When she returns, she’s carrying two glasses and a bottle of spirits. I can’t read the words, but I recognize the writing on the bottle as fae.

“Come sit,” the witch bids me. “And tell me what’s happening between you and my granddaughter.”

She settles at the table set up in the middle of her herb garden and puts the glasses down in front of her.

“What do you mean?” I ask in confusion.

She shakes her head and pulls the cork on the bottle. After pouring a measure in each glass, she holds one out for me.

When I hesitate, she lifts it higher and says, “Come have a drink with me, and we’ll talk about what I do and don’t know about you and my granddaughter, Lycan.”

I finally walk over and take the glass, dropping my ass onto one of the tiny stools. It was so low, my knees nearly bumped the underside of the table.

“Want to tell me why you’re here when Scarlett just left your house this morning?”

“I need to know how you know all this,” I reply, then sip the fae liquor.

The spirits are strong, but the flavor is light and refreshing in the warm afternoon sunlight.

Vera drinks more of her own glass before she answers. “The women in my bloodline know things, wolf. Things others can’t or don’t want to see. So, answer my question.”

“She’s mine.” The words spill from my lips, uncontrolled.

“Good luck to you when you say that to Scarlett,” she replies with a laugh.

A snarl escapes my lips as I remember the way Scarlett reacted when I told her. My irritation is interrupted by the witch smacking my arm. “Simmer down, Lycan. I’m not one of your pack bitches. Treat me with respect, or I’ll make sure all your fur falls out the next time you shift.”