MAEVE'S POV
A pause.
"I'm just saying," he added, like that excused it.
For some reason, my heart constricted—and my teeth clenched down hard. I stared at the wall, blinking back the leftover wetness in my lashes.
"Sorry I'm not in the mood to… release the tension that way," I said quietly.
"Yeah. I figured," he sighed, a tad disappointed. Like I'd let him down by being too human. "Guess there must be something satisfying for your wolf to have your fated mate that close."
I didn't respond. Rather, guilt extended its vicious claws.
"Is he around?" he pressed, his tone suddenly more clipped. "Ivan. How have things been between you two? I learned that the Severance failed—for the second time. Are you having second thoughts on this because of Ivan? Maybe why you're not interested in releasing any tension with me?"
There it was.
That bitter little slip.
"Wow," I muttered. "Is this really the road you're going down right now?"
