The drive felt like it lasted a thousand years.
Ali clenched her teeth and dug her fingernails into her palms and curled her toes inside her shoes, trying to stay silent and not yell at Grey, Why? Why couldn't you be who I thought you were? Why did you have to be a lying jerk like everyone else?
She guessed that was what she got for believing that this one was different. No one was ever different.
To her relief, Grey stayed silent for the rest of the drive. If he'd tried to talk to her again, she wouldn't have been able to stop herself from yelling at him.
She remembered how last night, the cab of the truck had seemed like a little pocket of warmth and happiness. Today it was stifling, thick with anger and sadness.
When Grey reached Prescott, she gave him directions in a flat voice. She thought about having him drop her off somewhere public, but if he showed up at her house again, that would give her an excuse to call the police on him.
At least that would be satisfying.
As he turned onto her street, he said, "Alethia, for the last time, I'm telling the truth. I know that you're my mate."
"I don't believe you. I didn't believe you before, and I'm not going to believe you now, no matter how many times you say it." She kept her voice monotone. "So I don't know what you think you're getting out of repeating a lie."
"It's not a lie."
"Please stop talking."
The truck came to a stop and she undid her seatbelt and got her purse.
"Will you at least tell me why you don't believe me?" Grey said as she opened the door.
Ali looked back at him, one foot on the step. "This isn't the first time someone's used that line on me."
She hopped down.
For the first time, her skill with heels failed her. Her ankle twisted painfully when she hit the ground. She ignored the pain and walked straight to her front door, not looking back.
When she got inside, she let her face crumple at last. Two tears spilled down her cheeks as she leaned back against the door.
"There you are. What took you so long?" Molly stopped when she saw her. "What happened to you?"
"He—" Ali didn't know what to say. "He was a jerk," she whispered finally.
Molly shook her head in exasperation. "You always end up with jerks. Do ever think maybe it's because of you?"
Ali sucked in a breath. It hurt.
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"Anyway, come help me clean the kitchen. Work will make you forget about it." Molly turned to go, and then looked over her shoulder. "Well?"
Ali swallowed down her tears. No pride, she reminded herself. She followed Molly into the kitchen.
***
Grey kept his truck sitting in front of Ali's house for a long time after she went inside.
He'd been completely blindsided by her reaction. He'd thought he might have to deal with a little disbelief. But he'd figured that if she knew shifters, she'd at least have heard of the idea of mates before, and a little explaining would get it across.
He'd also worried she might think he was coming on too strong. He'd known some guys who had freaked their girlfriends out by talking about marriage too quickly, and this amounted to the same thing.
But he hadn't expected this.
She'd been angry. And not just angry, but hurt. Like he was deliberately doing her a wrong, somehow, by telling her she was his mate.