The three of us stand to greet them.

Our chieftain arrives in a cloud of dust, leaping from his mount with the energy of a youngling. “There’s no need to stand on my behalf. I only came to speak to my new son.”

He has a daughter, not a son.

Perhaps his mind is not as keen as it once was.

He stalks over to where I stand, grips both sides of my face, and presses a dry kiss to my cheek. “Leah told me the good news, and I was waiting for you to return from the hunt to congratulate you.”

Now I know he is confused. “Congratulate me for what?” I have done nothing of note that I can recall.

“Accepting my daughter’s proposal of course! She showed me the skillet you gave her. Why did you not tell me when we last spoke?”

Accept her proposal? Skillet?

“I…” I do not have a fucking clue what he is talking about.

He claps me on the back once more, sending me stumbling a step forward. “Tell me, how was the hunt?”

How does he expect me to speak about the hunt when I am still trying to figure out why he thinks Leah and I are to be mated.

“We took down two bears, five elk, and a handful of foxes,” Gryffin clips. I can feel his glower but cannot bring myself to face him.

Our chieftain beams with pride. “Well done. That should feed our people for weeks. Any sign of the wolves?”

“No.” Not so much as a track.

“Excellent. After you have rested, I expect you to come to my home for a celebratory drink.”

All I can do is stare as he slaps my shoulder once more and then stomps back to his mount and rides away.

Maddox and Gryffin turn toward me, their jaws hanging open.

Gryffin’s eyes blaze when he shakes his head. “Tell me you did not accept Leah’s proposal.”

Maddox’s hands flex at his sides. “What the fuck, Ever? You cannot have a mate at home and court another across the canyon.”

I do not have a mate. “I never accepted Leah’s proposal. I swear it.” The chieftain said she showed everyone my skillet, but all my cookware is locked in my barrel-top. Unless she broke in there is no way⁠—

Wait. There is one skillet that was not in my house. “Gryffin? What did you do with the skillet I gave you?”

His faces twists into a grimace. “Shit.”

“Did you give it to Leah?”

A nod. “She asked if she could use it while I was gone. We were not going to be here, so I thought nothing of it.”

I drag my hands through my hair. We were supposed to be friends. How could she do this to me? “I must set the record straight.”