Almost Three Months Later
I SIGHED and stretched on David’s sectional in the posh Uptown apartment, staring out massive sliding windows into the glittering mirror of the city skyline. “I always liked this view.” I twisted to face Lola.
She was curled up under a velvet throw blanket, even though it was nearly summer now and the windows were cracked to let a warm breeze cut through the open apartment. She glanced briefly at me, lips curling in a smile, but as soon as her eyes turned back to the window the smile dropped as if she couldn’t keep it pasted on. My friend was looking…not herself, like she’d run out of batteries and hadn’t bothered trying to recharge in months.
“You’re letting the purple grow out,” I noted, nodding at her blonde roots.
“Hmm, yeah. I need to find a better job, and I… I think I’m just over, like, trying to get people to notice me,” she said, shrugging.
“I notice you, Lo,” I said, watching her flinch.
But she forced that smile back on for me. “I know you do.”
I took a deep breath and scooted over to where Lola sat on the other side of the couch. She grew tense but waited for me to reach her, and I wondered if it was my scent or my alphas that was spooking her.
“They’re gone,” I said, holding her gaze.
“Indy is—“ “The feds put out a massive hunt for any remaining Hangmen,” I said. “Indy’s probably five states away by now, and even then, they could catch him anytime.”
“I could’ve been one of those women,” Lola whispered, and then took a deep breath.
“I know,” I said, nodding and trying to blink back tears. “We were dumb.”
“I think I’ve been being dumb for a really long time, babe,” Lola muttered, sweeping her hair over her shoulder, picking at frayed purple ends.
“I really can vouch for the existence of quality alphas, though,” I said, trying to tease a smile out of her.
“That’s because you’re an omega,” she whispered.
I stamped down the temper that was rising in me. Lola didn’t need to be yelled at, she just needed… she needed time to heal. “Maybe. Maybe my pack is weird, but we have bonded betas, so who knows.”
“I’m over it, Baby,” she snapped, and this time her smile was more of a grimace. “I just want to
get a job, get a place where I’m not taking up a spot in David’s guest room, and move on with my
life.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
The silence that followed was tense, and I let myself slide away from her, offering her more space and trying not to look for the clock to see how much longer until I was picked up. Whatever Lola had been through with Buzz and Indy, she was keeping some of it secret from me. Which only left room for me to imagine the worst and leave myself feeling sick. Maybe it had been that bad. Maybe I was being shitty to press her to open herself up again.
“I love you,” she whispered.
I laughed, a sniffling sound, and nodded. “I love you too, Lo.”
“Thanks for… for visiting me here instead of…”
I shrugged. “Totally fine. Don’t tell my guys, but I do kind of like how posh this place is.”
Not that Lola would tell my guys anything. They brought me to visit her and picked me up, but they never came inside. I don’t know where Lola was going to look for a job and not have an alpha to report to, but I hope she found it for her sake.
“So… looking forward to your second heat?” she asked.
I blushed and tried to restrain my grin. It seemed kind of unfair to be deliriously happy when one of my best friends was clearly miserable. Lola laughed at my face, and it was a sincere sound. I really did love her. Her heart was too big for the world.
“I’m excited but not like, half as excited as the guys are, I think,” I said, and then tipped my head in thought. “Nah. I’m that excited too.”
“You’re gonna be pregnant the second that birth control wears out,” Lola said with a sigh and a wry smile.
“Shhh,” I hissed, waving my hand at her. She was probably right though. Jonah was already planning a nursery and a fourth floor to the Plaza.
“I’m happy for you,” she said, softly. Her eyes were starting to shine, words growing tight.
“I know you are, Lolo,” I said. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I sighed.
“Times up,” Lola said, nodding and rising.
“One hug?” I asked, following her.
She tried to hide her wince, but Lola was too expressive. Six months ago, those expressions had been humor and joy and flirtatious glances.
“Sure,” she said.
She held herself still as I stepped into her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. I almost pulled away when she remained stiff but a moment later, she clasped tight around my waist, squeezing
me to her and sighing over my shoulder.
“Love you, babe.”
“Love you, Lo.”
I let myself out, bouncing on the balls of my feet as I rode the elevator down to the first floor.
Lola’s shuttered expression hung in my mind as I waited. Someday, we would talk about what happened. I’d never told her that I was the one who killed Buzz, mainly because the police seemed willing to remain foggy on those details. And partly because it was still a wound in me most days.
The elevator dinged and the doors opened and through the lobby, I could see gleaming chrome and copper hair waiting for me at the curb. I grinned, worries shedding, and jogged out of the apartment building to where Mackenzie waited for me.
“Hey, angel. How was the visit?” he asked.
“Good,” I said, and his eyebrow shot up in question. I shrugged, knowing he and the others had probably felt my unease. “It was fine.”
He nodded, and reached behind him, pulling out my helmet. I took it, but let it hang at my side as I dipped my head to his for a lingering kiss. His hand found mine, reaching for his mark, and I ‘tsk’ed
at him.
“Don’t start that here,” I whispered.
“Baby, I plan on edging you most of the ride north,” my wicked alpha whispered, grinning.
“Might as well start now.”
With my arms wrapped around his waist as we rode, he’d certainly have plenty of time to torture me by teasing the bonding mark.
“I want my own bike,” I said, popping the helmet on my head and slinging myself onto the seat behind Mackenzie.
“Not sure you can come up with a bribe for Dusty big enough to top the ones we’ve got to keep him from building you one. You just feel too damn good hanging onto me as I ride, angel.”
“Bet Candy can help me think of something.”
Mackenzie’s laugh was buried under the roar of the engine starting. His hand caught mine on his waist, and I shivered as he stroked his mark, cheeks stretching with his grin.
“Come on, Baby. Let’s go catch up with the others. Wanna get you back into your pretty nest.”
I squeezed him as we took off into traffic, sliding through the city. This time we were taking the whole pack with us to Bullet’s estate for a two-week vacation. I planned on eating barbecue, watching fireworks, playing chase in the woods, and getting treated like a princess by my alphas.
I was one lucky fucking unicorn.
