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CHLOE’S GRANDMOTHER looked at me like I had three heads when I walked into town hall with Ari. Growing up, I’d spent as much time at her house as I had my own, so I could read her pretty well: she had a lot of questions and she didn’t approve of whatever it was she thought I was doing.
“I didn’t know you two knew each other.” Grandma’s words were slow. Yes, we were close enough that’s what I called her.
“I’m helping Ari out with some articles.” It wasn’t exactly true, but it cut off one line of questioning. Leo had dropped me off at Ari’s while he and Dylan went back up to Deception to find and reason with the lions we’d encountered yesterday, and we were working on the administrative end. If I kept myself busy, I couldn’t think about how much I hated this whole idea.
“How are things on that mountain?” Grandma raised an eyebrow, and even though her question was for me, her eyes were fixed on Ari. “Chloe told me you had some trouble.”
Of course she would have. I couldn’t be mad at Chloe because I knew she had my best interests in mind. “Everything’s fine now,” I assured her. “The season’s over and we’re staying in town.”
“Does your mother know that? I saw her this morning. She didn’t say anything to me.” Grandma turned back to me, tapping her pen against the counter.
“Not yet.” I forced a smile. This was the first time I’d seen Grandma since I’d gone out in the forest for The Mate, and I didn’t expect her to be so judgmental. It hurt. A lot. “Like I said, I’m helping out Ari, and we were hoping to find a deed on some county property.”
“I’ll be sure to tell her I saw you.” Grandma looked over her glasses as she put them on. “What’s the property you’re looking for?”
“It’s on Mount Deception.” Ari took over for me, thankfully. I was steaming. The herd was upset I’d mated with Leo, but it was more than that. This was how they always treated me, and among the many things I could be thankful to Leo for, was making me see how I’d been held back all my life. “It’s the ski area. I’ve done some research, and I couldn’t find a more specific name for it than Mount Deception Ski Area.”
Grandma pressed her lips together as she searched her computer screen. “I don’t see anything listed for it. I haven’t heard anyone even mention that place since I was a little girl. There’s a good chance it’s abandoned property. I’ll have to check the archives, which could take a couple of days, as you know, because it has to go to the county records.”
“If it’s abandoned property, how would someone go about claiming it?” Ari asked.
“First they’d have to try to reach out to the last known owner. If they don’t respond, and I have a feeling there’s a very good chance of that, you can petition the state for the deed. Whoever wanted the property would have to pay any back taxes owed.” Grandma looked between the two of us. “Why do you two care about an abandoned ski area?”
“It’s a story I’m working on for The View, Marie,” Ari said before I had a chance to put my foot in my mouth and caused more trouble. “Is there a form I can fill out for the archivist?”
“Let me grab it for you.” Grandma sighed. “Please tell me you’re going to see Chloe while you’re in town, Daphne. She’s starting to get overwhelmed with planning the ceremony. It’s right around the corner.”
“I’ve been talking to her every day.” I tried not to sound defensive, but I was very aware my best friend was bonding in a month. I might have mated with a lion, but Leo hadn’t given me a lobotomy. “I ordered the dresses for my sisters, and I got confirmation from rental people for the tables and chairs for the backyard.” What Grandma didn’t know was Chloe also didn’t want her butting in too much, so I had to let her know I had this under control.
“I know you’re both mated and bonding, but you’ll always be my little girls.” Grandma almost made me feel bad. Almost.
“I’m curious.” And terrified, but I had to ask. “How hard is it to get a bonding license?”
Grandma’s mouth dropped. Crap. “Normally, it’s just filling out paperwork. But Daphne, you’re not getting one.”
“Why?”
She flipped up her palms like it was obvious. “You can’t bond out of species.”
That’s what she thought. I didn’t say goodbye to Grandma before turning on my heel and storming out of the building. Ari came out a few minutes later and found me leaning against the hood of her car, my hands covering my face.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “That was pretty brutal. I thought you said she was like family.”
“She is. Or was. I don’t know anymore.” I peeked through my fingers. “I never expected her, of all people, to react like that.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I told her how great everything is with you and Leo, and that you’re both crazy about each other.”
“It doesn’t matter.” I uncovered my face and hugged myself. “I don’t care if they accept us or not.” Gods, I was angry. “I can’t wait for this bonding ceremony. They’re all going to act so fake to our faces and then freak out behind our backs. Actually, they won’t even bother with the fake part, since the people who are supposed to care about me the most aren’t holding back. And this is after always being told that I had to accept any buck who was my mate, simply because it was fate. It didn’t matter if he didn’t love me or treated me badly. It was forever.”
“I don’t envy you. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.” Ari smiled sadly. “The only thing you can do is show your herd that you’re meant to be with Leo. They’ll see the way he treats you at Chloe’s ceremony. You have to prove them wrong.”