He’d ignored his texts from Asher all day, busy with Winnie. They’d piled up, and there were dozens of them now, texts like:

She’s human?!????? D:

is she still with you?

Please tell me you sent her home, bro.

I know she’s hot, man, but she has to go!

Fuck! I know you, West. I know what you’re like. ARGHhhdndhhhsnskh.

She’s with you, isn’t she? You’re keeping her cause she’s thiqq

Send ha home, send ha home

Fuck your weakness for stacked chicks

Answer me before I lose any more of my mind!!!

I’m gonna blow up your phone

BLOWIN IT UP BLOWIN IT UP

IM GETTING SHIT FROM HYSSOP

GET IN THE URN, YOU’RE DEAD TO ME

ANSWER, YOU COCK!!

Now, he finally had a moment. They’d come back from the museum and Winnie was getting dressed for their dinner out at the Plaza and had disappeared into her room. He could answer Ash, although he didn’t relish it. Texting seemed inadequate, so he went ahead and made a discreet call from the privacy of his own room.

“West.” Ash picked up immediately. “Is that girl still with you? In your home? Breathing your air?”

“Yes,” West admitted quietly. “What am I supposed to do, Ash? Throw her out onto the Avenue?”

“Get her a hotel room,” Ash answered flatly.

“That’s cold.”

“It’s right. She’s not one of us.”

“You’re such a hypocrite,” West said, snorting. “You’re with a different girl every weekend, and all of them are human.”

“This isn’t a girl you picked up at the Penrose, man. This is a girl from MeetYourMate. Human girls are not supposed to come from MeetYourMate. She is expecting something from you. It’s not a hook-up site. It’s for matchmaking. It’s. For. Mating.”

“I know that. Which is exactly why it is so completely ice-cold to toss her out without an explanation.”

“It’s worse to wait a couple of weeks, brother,” Ash said with uncharacteristic seriousness. “Look. What if she finds out about you? What then? She’s going to be there all the time. She might notice you’re different—no, she will notice that you’re different. And what if you get soft on her? Or what if she falls for you? What then? What if—”

“Ash. Stop.” West hesitated. “I can’t . . .”

“You can’t what?”

“I’m drawn to her, Ash,” he admitted softly. “She’s beautiful. Beautiful. Everything I want. I know she’s not one of us. I know we can’t mate. But I want to spend this time with her.”

“You shouldn’t. You can’t,” Ash pressed. “She’s human. She’ll never understand you. Shifters aren’t supposed to get intimate with—”

“I just said I wouldn’t mate her. I’m only talking about the two weeks.”

“Oh, so you just want to stud her,” Ash growled. “It’s not fair to her, brother. And believe me, Hyssop isn’t happy about this.”

West frowned. “No, I don’t expect she would be. But she’s not my elder, and even if she were, I make my own decisions.”

“No, yeah. She knows she doesn’t have any power over you. I mean, obviously—she’s not a bear,” Ash said in a low, warning voice, “so she can’t expect you to listen. But she wanted me to remind you that you’re not human. You’re not human, West.”

West grimaced. “I know that.”

“Do you?” Ash sighed. “Look, I have to go. I’m going to Prospect Park with Betony for some beers.” A fox girl who lived in Brooklyn. One of the few shifter women in the city. “I’ll speak to you later. Just remember, she’s human and you’re not. You can’t be together.”

There was an abrupt click. West frowned at his phone. After a moment, he slipped it back in his suit pocket and went out to the receiving room. Winnie was already there, waiting. Her smoked-honey smell filled the air.

“You look radiant,” he said, because it was the truth. She was dressed in a pink-and-green floral lace dress. The hem and neck had been cut along the organic shapes of the lace flowers, so it looked like she was wearing a spring bouquet.

“Thank you,” she said, sounding a little embarrassed. “You look very . . . very handsome.” Her cheeks went pink. “Shall we?”

“Absolutely.”

Forget Ash, West thought coolly. Forget everything and everyone. I can’t resist this girl’s company. Maybe it’s not right, but something about her is calling to me. I’m going to enjoy this for as long as I can.