“So what’s the story with you and the . . . Alpha,” she snorted. “It’s so weird not using that ironically.”
“Moon, it’s such a long story.”
“Well, we have time,” she quipped and crossed her legs, raising an eyebrow.
“We’re fated mates. In all ways, we’re perfect for each other; the Moon only provides what will be a perfect match.” I pursed my lips, shaking my head. “IthoughtI’d met him on my first day of my new job.”
“Thought?”
“I met him four years ago.”
Her eyes widened, and a few seconds later, her lips parted. The cogs were turning. She was connecting the dots.
“You got your memory back.” It wasn’t a question, but I still nodded. “Did you take him back? Last we talked, you were trying to get away from him.”
“I don’t know yet, I’m not really thinking about anything other than him recovering.” I licked my lips. “Once he’s okay, I’ll probably leave.” The words flowed without thought. It was what I’d been chanting to myself repeatedly, but I no longer knew if I had the strength.
“Leave him?” She was wide-eyed and gawking. “Back to my prior comment. There is no way that man in there, who would kill for you, would ever let you leave.”
“I wasn’t going to ask his permission,” I drawled, lying back and propping my head on my hand while she turned, crossed her legs, and faced me.
“Oof, have fun spending your life running. He has stalker written all over him.”
I considered that. How I’d never truly be able to move on, how he would always haunt me. Even more than that was Heat Season and the pain of enduring that without him. Undoubtedly, I would fall into his arms in a night of comfort. Our lives would become a roulette of toxic obsession?—
I shook my head. Whoa there. I needed to chill the fuck out. His tenderness in the last few hours had wrecked me, and I hadn’t had time to process it.
“You have a point?—”
A loud ring interrupted me, and she fished her cell phone out. Her eyes widened, and she answered, a grin spreading across her lips.
“Accept call,” she said, pulling the phone away from her ear and putting it on speaker.
“Who is it?” I whispered.
“Verity?”
Tate’s familiar voice came through from the other end. “Tate?” I gasped.
There was silence, and then she said, “No fucking way, you guys are together right now. And you, Joey, how dare you not fucking call?” Verity and I grinned at each other. “I miss you, kid.”
“I miss you.” I grinned so wide it hurt.
“Tell me everything.”
“Before I fill you in, don’t freak out: I told Veritythesecret.” There was a sharp inhale and then silence on the other end.
“What are you thinking! You put both of your lives in danger. For fuck’s sake, if any of them get wind of it, they’ll kill both of you. Verity you can’t breathe a word of this.” Her urgent words speared through the room.
“I said don’t freak out.” I frowned.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don’t be worrying, Tate, you know my mouth is a vault. That’s the last thing we should be talking about. You’re missing the best part,” Verity interrupted me. "Josephine has a man.”
Tate gasped.
“Tell. Me. Everything.” It was poignant to hear Tate’s voice. It sucked that she’d never see the outside of those bars. She’d been sentenced for the crime I would have also committed. If someone raped my sister, I’d kill them, too.
Verity and I grinned at each other. This would take a while.
