“You know why he's taking her out tonight, right?” Marni pulled me out of my thoughts.
“He's still trying to impress her. Maybe he thinks wining and dining her is the way to go.”
“No.” She shook her head. “She must have agreed. He’s making tonight romantic so the mating and sex happen more naturally.”
“No way. Hunter isn’t pushing her yet. She wouldn’t have given in.” I refused to believe it.
“Of course he’s pushing her.”
“Why? Can someone finally explain to me what her mating with him does?”
“It means she’s his.”
“Got that… but how is that any different than forcing her to stay here anyway.”
“It connects them. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve been through it.”
“And you haven’t…”
“No, and I won’t. Not that way. Alphas are different. With us, we can technically leave a mate. An Alpha can’t leave his. It’s for the protection of the pack and our kind.”
“So once they mate…”
“They’re together for life.” She looked off into the distance. “Hence why I keep telling you to get over her.”
“Unless they don’t mate.” I was done. I was done sitting around and pretending to behave. I thought we had time. I thought I had time to learn from Hunter, but I didn’t. I refused to let Mary Anne get stuck in a life like that.
“Gage, what are you thinking about doing?”
“Making sure she doesn’t do something stupid.”
“No, whatever you’re planning is what would be stupid.”
“Then I’ll be stupid. I don’t care.” I pulled off my shirt.
“What are you doing?” Marni stood right in front of me. “What are you going to do?”
“I already told you.”
“Let me talk to him.” Denny called from the edge of the woods.
“There’s nothing that any of you can say that will make me change my mind.”
“Wait for them to get back. They’re not going to mate in the middle of a restaurant.” Marni touched my arm, but I stepped back. “You can do whatever you want when they get back.”
“You mean when someone can stop me. You want them to mate.”
“Of course I do!”
“Why? So you can mate with Chet?”
“Because that way we can stop hiding. Hunter needs her help.”
“How do you know? Hunter’s had some sex dreams. What does that prove? They’re sex dreams. If men made decisions based on those things the world would have blown up twenty times already.”
“How are you going to find them anyway? New Orleans is a big place.”
“I’ll figure that out.” I didn’t care. I had to do something. I was done sitting around and expecting her to hold him at bay herself.
“I’ll go with you.” Denny walked over. “But put your shirt on. We’ll take a truck. I’m the best tracker in the pack.”
“No way.” Marni shook her head. “Why help him?”
“Because he’s going to be a mess otherwise.”
“You’re both idiots.” Marni stormed off.
***
Denny insisted on driving. I didn’t argue because I had no idea where we were going.
“Where do you think we should start first?”
“For what?” He turned onto the highway.
“To find them.”
“We’re not going to find them.”
“Then where are we going?” I readied myself to jump from the car. I figured one benefit of being a Dire is I wouldn’t hurt myself doing something like that.
“We’re doing something you need to do.”
“Which is?” I was losing my patience. I needed to find Mary Anne.
“We’re getting a drink.”
“You have liquor. Why drive into the city?”
“Let’s rephrase that. You need to go out for a drink.”
“No. I need to find Mary Anne.”
“You’re not going to find her right now.”
“Then what’s all that about you being good at tracking?”
“I had to tell you something.” He smiled.
“I’m not in the mood to go out for a drink.”
“What are you in the mood for then? To sulk around all night waiting?”
“They’re not going to be gone all night.”
“How do you know?”
“You’re supposed to be helping me here.”
“I am. Misery is easier with a drink. I know from experience.” There was something in Denny’s words that stopped me from pushing further. I got the sense that he’d known some pretty dark places in his life.