Before he could answer, Tristan came to his defense. “The mating sense is overwhelming for someone, no matter their age. It’s not like Rhett’s experienced it before and could have been prepared. They got swept up in the moment.”
“I wish that was a good enough excuse.” Rhett sighed. “The truth is, I messed up big time, and I need to figure out a way to earn Sara’s forgiveness. So I can be there for her now while she’s going through this.”
“I know you will,” Barbara said, her voice softening a bit.
Tristan cleared his throat. “Now, to the other issue at hand.”
“What’s that?” A surprise wolf shifter and a disgruntled mate were enough. What else could Tristan be waiting to reveal?
“Sara thinks that someone is after her.”
“The lynx, right?” Panic rose in Rhett’s chest. “Do you think they’re going to try coming back?”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Tristan said calmly. “It might be that they saw her shift, and now they will think twice about trying anything. Plus, I’ve had my tech guy install security cameras and alarms.”
“It could have been a wild animal.” Rhett could hope.
“No, I was there last night, and I distinctly smelled shifter.” Tristan shook his head. “Plus, she watched him run off and shift into his human form before getting into his car.”
“Did she get a good look at him?” Rhett asked.
“No, he was too far away, and it was too dark.”
“Damn.” Rhett shook his head and wracked his brain for ideas on who this might be. “Are there some people upset about the new witch in the area? Competing witches or someone loyal to her predecessor?”
Barbara answered. “Not that we know of, and I’ve been asking around in the witch community.”
“Did she come here with any enemies?” Rhett asked. “Students who didn’t like their grades or something? I know it’s unlikely that she pissed anybody off in the short time she’s been here …”
“Oh, no!” Barbara groaned and cut him off.
“What is it?” Tristan asked.
Rhett’s glance flew to Barbara. What was it that she didn't want to say?
She went to the coffee maker, bringing over the carafe and refilling each of their cups before she sat down and took a deep breath.
“I hadn’t even considered it because why would he have followed her?” she wondered aloud.
At the word he, Rhett bristled. “Who?”
Barbara looked guilty, but she continued. “Sara had been signed up on a dating site before she met you. Well, after what happened between you two, I guess she wanted to try to get over you by going out with someone else.”
“What?” Rhett’s rage boiled. Not at Barbara or Sara, but at the idea that someone had dated his mate and then followed her back to her home.
Barbara went on, ignoring Rhett’s anger. “She met him for dinner, only to find out that he was nothing but a liar, and she called him out on it. You don’t think that he would have been so mad at the rejection that he followed her home, do you?”
Neither Rhett nor Tristan answered. They both knew what kind of depraved people lived in this world.
Finally, Rhett asked, “what did the man lie about?”
“Pretty much everything, starting with his age. He spewed some lines about it, like commanding respect from his peers and women if he somehow appeared to be older. She found it really creepy and basically told him to fuck off.”
“And the little shit didn’t take it well,” Tristan assessed.
“I honestly don't know, but I do know one thing, “Barbara said.
“What's that? “Rhett asked.