"Ineedyou to believe me," she said, her voice breaking with emotion."I know it sounds nuts.I know.But I can't deal with this on my own.I've only been keepingthissecret for twenty-four hours and it's eating a hole inside me.You guys have known me all my life, dammit.I realize that I like to escape into fantasy worlds, but I'm telling you this is real.Callonisa lion, like an honest-to-goodness lion, and he needs a mate.Well," she pulled her head away from the door so she wouldn't be tempted to start banging it against it."The males all need mates because it's the only way they will ever be able to fully shift."
Katy held up a hand, "Okay, we're going to get to that last part in a minute, but let's rewind to the part where you saidthissecret, and put the emphasis onthismeaning there's more you've been keeping from us."
"Yeah," Maddie nodded and crossed her arms in front of her."Let's start withthat."
Lola slid down the door until her butt hit the floor.She bent her legs, wrapping her arms around them and pulled them tightly to her chest.
"Callon stalked me for three weeks before he finally introduced himself to me," she said quickly.
When she looked over at each of her friends she cringed at the horrified looks on their faces.
"Okay," Maddie took a deep breath.“Let's start with, ‘stalkers do notintroducethemselves to you because, well, because—"
"They're stalkers," Katy finished."Not someone a friend, like myself or Mads, introduced you to.Stalkers are people with unhealthy obsessions or serial killers."
"I should have told you guys that I felt someone watching me," she shrugged."I mean, I could feel his eyes, you know how the hairs on the back of your neck go up when someone is staring?"
Both girls nodded looking a tad like disturbing human bobbleheads.
"That's your body's natural way of telling you to get the hell away from someone," Katy pointed out.
"And you're telling us that you got in a car with this guy and hung out with him?"Maddie asked, her voice rising an octave with each word.
"He knows where you work?"Katy asked."And he knows where you live?"
"That's sort of part of the M.O.of stalkers," Lola said.
"Do not get smart with me," Katy snapped, pointing a finger at her.
Lola pressed her palms against her eyes and pushed, hoping the pressure would help the headache that was building."I know you guys think I'm crazy."
Arms came around her and she was squeezed tightly."We’re a little freaked out, but we don't think you're crazy," Maddie said gently, as if not to spook a wild animal.
"I never jumped on that bandwagon.I'm still up in the air on my diagnosis," Katy declared.
"It's a good thing we don't care what you think," Maddie snipped.She released Lola and sat down beside her.
Lola looked at Katy.Her lips pursed as she stared back.
"Quit trying to be the alpha female," Maddie said then she looked at Lola."Sorry, I just thought the reference was appropriate.Getting into the spirit of things.”
Lola groaned.“Good grief.”
Maddie turned back to Katy, ignoring Lola’s reaction.“As the BFFs it's our job to be here when one of us needs the others.So, here we will be.We will listenwithoutjudgment."
After a minute, Katy's face relaxed with a sigh.She rolled off the bed and walked over, taking a seat directly in front of Lola.She reached out and patted Lola's hand."I hate it when she acts like the better friend.You know I will listen and not judge."
"Liar," Maddie muttered.
Katy rolled her eyes."Fine, I will judge a little bit silently.But, I will also try to keep an open mind.Besides, someone has to play the Devil's Advocate."
"Well, since you're most likely Satan's sister, it works for you," Maddie said sweetly.
Katy narrowed her eyes on their blonde BFF," You're lucky I like you."She turned back to look at Lola."Now, spill it.Start from the other night when we called you and you were with Callon."
Lola cringed as she admitted how long she’d been keeping things from them."Um, actually, we need to start with the hot guys and the weird tattoos."
"Let me guess," Katy's head tilted to the side as she lifted a brow."They're also shifters like Callon.And I want it known that for the moment, I will accept thatyoubelieve shifters are a thing so I will refer to them as such.However, it will most likely take me seeing all of this with my own eyes."
