Free Haven 4: Back Roads by Gabrielle Evans Page A

I do!” Jory rushed into the room, squealing like a dork as he dove onto the couch and tackled Willow to the cushions. “I missed you! We’re going to have to tie Blaise up by that magnificent cock of his so that you can come hang out with us more.”
    “You idiot, get off of me!” Willow laughed so hard his face was flushed, and he was panting for breath.
    Jory did as asked, grinning just as widely at Willow. Then his attention drifted to Galen, and his expression turned dark in the blink of an eye. “What happened?”
    Crap! Was he really that easy to read? “Nothing.”
    “Bullshit. Did you fight with Bannon?”
    “Not exactly.” Galen didn’t want to bring up depressing shit while they should enjoy spending time with their friend. “Just drop it.”
    “Nope.” Willow bounced around until he faced Galen with Jory leaning right over his shoulder to glare. “Spill it. What happened?”
    “He wants to claim me.”
    “So?” they both asked in unison.
    “He’s a shifter!”
    “And?” they asked again.
    Galen huffed and threw his hands in the air. “I don’t want to die!”
    “Huh?” Jory asked.
    Willow, on the other hand, sighed and slumped back on the sofa.
    “You know there’s so much more to it than that, right?”
    “Well, he said that I’ll be able to feel his emotions. There was all the great stuff about him always loving me and taking care of me.
    Then he drops the bomb that if he dies, so do I, and vice versa.”
    “Whoa.” Jory looked like he’d been slapped upside the head. “Are you for real?”
    Galen nodded sadly. “It’s a lot to ask. I mean, would you die for someone else?”
    “For Cole or Blaise? Absolutely.”
    “I’d do anything for Stavion,” Jory answered seriously, “even die.
    That’s not saying it would be my first option, but I’d do it.” If nothing else, that answered one question. “Then I guess I don’t love Bannon, because I don’t want to die, not even for him. Fate must really hate him to give him someone like me.”
    “Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s a scary concept. Shifters are pretty damn durable, though. We can heal ourselves, but with a little drop of our mate’s blood, it’s like super healing. We’re not prone to diseases, so you don’t have to worry about that. If he claims you, you’ll still be mostly human, but enhanced. So, it’s not all doom and gloom.”
    Galen sat up a little straighter when Willow had finished speaking.
    “I think that’s the problem. Jory’s a demon. He knew Stavion was his mate immediately. You’re an elf, so you knew Blaise and Cole were your mates. Plus, you’re part shifter. You can actually freakin’ shift.”
    “Wait.” Jory waved a hand around and frowned. “I think I missed the problem.”
    “I am human. If I have any shifter blood, it’s almost nonexistent. I have no idea if Bannon is telling the truth. I have no clue if I’m really his mate. I can’t feel it like you do. It wasn’t as if he walked into the room and I immediately knew he was the one.” His friends stared at him for a long time before Willow reached out and took his hands. “Don’t humans have soul mates?”
    “I guess. It seems to be a popular theme at weddings.” Yes, Galen was being sarcastic, but he was tired of being confused, and tired of letting that confusion fuel his fear. He just wanted to be happy for once in his goddamn life. Was that really too much to ask?
    “Then stop worrying about all of the other shit, and just do it the old-fashioned way,” Jory interjected. “Fall in love at your pace.”
    “Even we mere humans like to say that when we meet the right one, we’ll just know. Maybe Bannon isn’t the right one.”
    “I can’t answer that.”
    There was another thing Galen was tired of hearing. He had questions, but apparently no one had the answers. He had to search within himself or some crap like that, because that was so helpful. If he had the answers inside, he wouldn’t need to ask