“So it’s true?” The human woman leaned against the wall next to the front door, her arms crossed under her chest, her chin jutting out. Her wild curly dark hair was in disarray.
His first thought was to wonder what he’d ever seen in her. Laurie was so much sexier. Whatever attraction he had for Veronica just over a week ago had vanished.
Laurie wiggled out of Corbin’s arm and put a few inches between them. “This must be Veronica. Please tell me you spoke to her after we mated.”
“Of course I did.” He didn’t glance at either mate. Instead he kept his gaze on Veronica and spoke out loud next. “Veronica. We talked about this.”
Veronica pushed off the wall and dropped her hands to her sides. “We talked about this? Are you kidding? We so did not talk about this. You called me last Wednesday after totally not showing up for our date the night before and broke things off with me.”
She stepped forward, pointing a finger at Corbin as she continued, “I’ll give you credit for not being an ass and ghosting me, but seriously? Now I find out that the night you were supposed to pick me up at my place for a movie, you were shacked up with these two in the mountains.” She glance at them both with utter distain.
Zach stepped forward, pulling Laurie behind him. “No reason to get nasty.”
“Don’t talk to me, asshole.” She yanked her gaze back to Corbin. “It makes me sick to think you were off fucking two people when you’d been with me just days before. Do you not have any morals at all? If I had known you were bisexual, I never would have slept with you. Now I’m going to have to get tested for any number of diseases.” She shuddered.
Corbin cleared his throat, not wanting to give this woman a response, but knowing it would be best if he did. “I don’t have any diseases.” He didn’t. Shifters didn’t carry human diseases.
She jumped back as if he’d struck her. “Whatever. How the hell would I know that? You probably gave me a VD, you asshole.”
“That’s enough,” Zach said. “I think you should leave now.”
Corbin didn’t bother to address the issue of him being bisexual. Let people believe whatever they wanted. He didn’t need to answer to any of them. His private life behind the bedroom door was not open for public ridicule.
“Fuck you,” Veronica shouted at Zach before leaning around to meet Laurie’s gaze. “You can have him, you hussy. If this is the sort of thing you’re into, fine. But you should know he was with me less than forty-eight hours before he stuck his nasty dick inside you and Masters here.” She shook her finger at Zach. “I’d run if I were you.” She stepped back and then shook her head. “Oh, what the hell am I saying? Clearly you like having two men.” She rolled her eyes and shoved her way between Corbin and Laurie. Seconds later she had stomped to her car and sped away.
Corbin opened the door to the apartment and stepped inside. As soon as his mates were in also and the door was closed, he dropped himself heavily onto the couch and set his face in his hands, he elbows on his knees. “I’m sorry.”
Laurie kneeled in front of him, took his face in her hands, and lifted to catch his gaze. “Not your fault.”
“She’s right, you know.”
Laurie’s face scrunched up. “About what?”
“I was with her two nights before you.”
“And you think I give a fuck about that? It doesn’t matter. It wouldn’t have mattered if you had screwed her ten minutes before we met. We’re shifters. We can’t control that sort of thing. We meet our mates when we meet them, and the rest is history.
“Sometimes other people get hurt along the way. It’s unavoidable. And it can’t be helped that Veronica is human with no understanding of our ways. What I’m more worried about is your reputation in the community and at work.”
“What are you talking about?” Zach asked, sitting next to Corbin.
Corbin grabbed her hands and held them in his lap. “My reputation.” He snickered. The woman is worried about my reputation? “Babe, I’m so much more worried about your feelings than mine, it isn’t funny. You’ve worked your tail off to get a job and taken flak from nearly every person we’ve come in contact with, including my parents and my ex-girlfriend, and you’re worried about me?”
“Yes. This is your hometown. You’ve lived your entire life here. You’re a respected member of the community. And now, since I’ve shown up, you’re taking heat from everyone in a fifty-mile radius.” She jerked her hands free and stood.