"Lupa and Starry said they thought I was aromantic," I said.
My dad looked confused. "They said what?"
"Like how Starry doesn't want a mate. She doesn't want romantic love. They both thought I was like her. I don't know why, because I never said that."
"Slow down. Let's go sit and talk."
Frowning, I followed my dad to the edge of the grove. We sat in the grass together. I curled my fingers in it, stroking it like a big green animal. I was impatient for him to resume the conversation.
"Okay," he said with a sigh. "What did they say that upset you?"
"They thought I didn't want a mate."
"Do you?"
I frowned deeper. He just asked a question, but I couldn't help thinking he sounded surprised, too. That made me sad and disappointed.
"Yes," I stated. "Very much."
His brows raised. "I'm sorry, Leveret. I didn't know you felt so strongly about it."
I never got annoyed at my dad, but I was a little bit annoyed right now. My skin itched, so I rubbed my arm.
"Did you think I would be alone forever?" I asked.
"There's nothing wrong with being alone, if that's what you want," he said, tilting his head to look at me while I stared at the grass. "But clearly, that's not what you want. Right?"
I nodded.
"And it upset you that Lupa and Starry made an assumption that wasn't true."
I nodded again. My skin felt too itchy and uncomfortable. With a quick shake of my head, I shifted back into hare form and sank low to the ground.
"Did you tell them that it bothered you?" Len asked.
"No," I admitted. At the moment, I was too frustrated to tell him exactly what I felt and why. I didn't know the whole reason myself. All I knew was that since Lupa came home announcing she'd found her fated mate, I felt like I was being left behind. Like we were all in a race, and I’d come in last.
I didn't like participating in races. I preferred sitting on the sidelines and watching everyone else.
But it would've been better if I had a partner sitting beside me, holding my hand and watching, too.
Two
Animus
My inability to tear my gaze from these mortals was absolutely infuriating.
I was perched high up in a tree far away, hidden by leaves and shadows. My claws gripped the branch not for stability, but out of frustration. Because that's all these people did. Frustrated me.
I willed my body to be still so I didn't attract their attention. Even my long, flowing hair didn't move an inch. But I doubted I was a distraction anyway. Not only was I too far and too high up, but these mortals were so obsessed with each other that I wasn't even a speck on their radar.
This pact. This family.
Why couldn't I get away from them?
The better question was—what drew me to them in the first place?
I let out a disgruntled huff, sinking my black claws deeper into the wood. I watched as the older generation laughed, telling tales and remembering stories. Then there was the generation in the middle, the ones I kept running into over and over again. My eyes lingered on them for a while.