Page 55 of Primal

I gaped in surprise. “Wow.”

Cody had said he would heal if he got shot, butgored? I cringed just thinking about the horrible injury.

My brain started skidding around. Was it pack protocol to mate anyone who found out? Maybe this mate thing with Cody wasn’t biology so much as a mandate. That usual flicker of doubt lit like a match on flint. Wait. No. I needed to stop doubting Cody’s intentions. Worrying that I was too young for him. Or that players never settled down. Or waiting for him to leave. That was the big one, and I blamed my dad for all that and other worries in my head.

“Anyway, I just want you to know that I’m here to talk about it. How to keep a secret from your family. How to manage integrating into a new world. I’m here anytime you want.”

“Thank you.” I smiled at the older woman although probably still a few years younger than Cody. “I really appreciate that. I do have a million questions.”

Audrey fished a business card out of her purse and handed it to me. “Here.” She wrote her cell phone on the back of it. “Call me anytime. My sister also mated a Wolf brother, and she’s closer to your age. Maybe the three of us could get together to hang out.”

Really? Two women I could talk with who knew about shifters? And nice, to boot? “I’d love that.”

The crowd had thinned out around the bar, and Audrey and I shifted closer to where Cody and Boyd were now chatting. Another man had joined their conversation and was talking and gesturing loudly. He’d obviously had a few beers already.

“How can I compete on the dating scene with Cody, though?” The man’s voice boomed as if his preschool “inside voice” was broken. “Every woman here has either hooked up with him or wants to hook up with him.”

Some of that glowy warmth that had been in my chest leaked away.

“Well, you’re in luck.” Cody was genial–obviously adept at handling drunk guys. “I’m off the market now. The ladies are all yours, Hank.”

The guy, Hank, lifted his glass to him in salute. “Show me your ways, oh great one. You’ve scattered your seed far and wide, Mr. Player.”

Cody caught my eye and sent an apologetic look. “Nope. No seed scattered. You’ve got me wrong, big guy.”

“Riiiiiight,” he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “You learned that lesson the hard way with Tyler, didnya? Wrapped it up good after that.”

Wrapped it up… oh.

“One was plenty,” Cody agreed. “I’m definitely done.”

He’s definitely done.

My stomach dropped out. Cody didn’t say the words with that placating tone used with a drunk guy to shut him up. He said them like he meant them. Like there was no doubt in his mind. Like he wasdefinitely donewith having kids.

Oh, God.

Dad had mentioned it during our fight, but he’d thrown out so many ways Cody wasn’t good for me that I glossed over it. I’d been working on whether Cody really wanted me. When he said forever, I assumed it meant… everything. But he hadn’t meanteverythingif he didn’t want more kids.

God, he’d already raised one.

When I pictured having kids, it wasn’t being a stepmom to my own close high school friend. It was like a bad TV movie.

I wanted a house full of noise and laughter and a slew of kids. Babies, not a nineteen-year old.

There was now a tarnish on the luster of our relationship. God, it was because I was so inexperienced! Why hadn’t I thought all of this through? Why did I think Cody saying all the right things meant everything would actually be all right?

Because you’re nineteen and have never been with a guy before. Not even a starter-guy like Matt or Ethan. I jumped all-in, didn’t I?

The band struck up a song. “Hey, Hank–why don’t you go see if one of those women cares to dance?” Cody suggested.

Hank slid off the bar stool and downed his beer. He was a little wobbly on his feet but would probably dance better half-drunk anyway. “Okay. I think I will.”

“You got this, buddy.” Boyd thumped him on the back, sending him away with a grin. Audrey slid up against his side, and he wrapped a muscled arm around her waist. “Riley, you seem like a real sweetheart. I’m glad things are going to work out between you two,” Boyd said, as if there had been some doubt about it.

Cody’s gaze was on me. He winked.

Alarm bells were going off at Boyd’s words, but I wasn’t sure why. I swallowed. “What do you mean,work out?”