My Mates Chose The Other Girl novel Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Rufus spun around to leave, but Gale caught his arm.

“The Chief won’t let his own daughter be chosen.”

But even as he said it, doubt gnawed at him. His grip tightened on Rufus’s arm, and his eyes burned.

“I don’t care anymore!” Rufus yanked his arm free, his face twisted in fury. “This ends tomorrow! I’m done pretending!”

The three of them exchanged glances. The decision was made without words-this charade was over, no matter what

happened.

The tension eased slightly when Aquila spoke, his voice calmer now. “If we’re done, then finish it properly. Rufus-it’s your turn to test Ivy’s brew tonight. You haven’t been back in a while.”

Rufus stiffened, then grunted reluctantly.

The truth was simple: they’d never really been Ivy’s mates. The whole thing had been a setup. They’d asked Ivy to go along with it. All of it-the courtship, the affection-was just a performance to make me jealous.

Ivy’s price for cooperating? They had to take turns serving as test subjects for her remedies.

The quiet, delicate outsider knew more than anyone in the Silverwood Clan realized. She could coax vegetables from frozen ground and knew healing herbs better than our healers.

She’d been working on a cure for fevers.

On this continent, fevers killed more pups than any predator. It was the shadow we all feared above a

Ivy had agreed because it gave her test subjects.

The three of them had been so sure their plan would work. But Ivy had hesitated before agreeing. She’d looked at them

with something like pity.

“You want her to stand on her own, to appreciate you more. I get that.’ She paused. ‘But from where she’s standing, this will feel like betrayal. Like the people she trusts most conspired to destroy her.”

‘I don’t mind helping, but are you sure about this?’

They hadn’t listened. Now, they were living with the consequences.

The morning of the Drawing came. The sun hadn’t risen yet when Rufus spotted someone crouched by my door

As he got closer, he saw it was Gale.

Gale sat on the stone steps. arms wrapped around his knees. Frost dusted his hair and shoulders He didn’t look up until

he heard footsteps. His eyes were bloodshot.

“Were you out here all night?”

Chapter 6

Gale didn’t answer. He just jerked his chin toward the side of the house. A massive pile of firewood sat there, neatly

stacked-enough to last the whole winter.

Aquila came up behind them and frowned. “Why the hell were you out here chopping wood all night?”

Gale’s voice came out rough when he finally spoke. “I couldn’t sleep.”

Rufus’s expression was hard to read. Then irritation flashed across his face. “So you’re the only one who cares, huh? Had to sneak over here and play the devoted mate?”

“I didn’t go inside.” Gale’s voice dropped lower. “I just handled the wood.”

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