“Lola!” Katy shouted joyously, throwing her arms open.
Her best friend let out a delighted squeal, sprang up from the bench she’d been sprawled on, and sprinted to meet her. They collided in a fierce hug that nearly sent them both toppling over.Katy clung tightly, laughter mixing with relieved tears. It felt like forever since she had seen Lola, though barely a week had passed. So much had changed, but the comfort of her friend’s embrace remained the same.
When they finally detached, Lola’s excited babbling washed over Katy. “You’re here! I can’t believe my period trick actually worked. I mean, I was running out of ideas?—”
“I find that hard to believe,” Katy challenged. “You are never one short on ideas.”
They finally settled down, and Katy glanced around. “Where’s Maddie?”
Lola scrunched up her face. “She may or may not be on a field trip with Roan.”
Katy’s eyes widened. “Is he still alive?”
“Don’t know.” Lola shrugged. “But since we haven’t heard from her, I’m going with yes. He probably confiscated her phone. He’s a little bit of a —”
“Tyrant?” Katy cut in.
Lola nodded. “I was going to say control freak, but we can go with tyrant.” Then her eyes widened.
Katy started to ask what was wrong when she felt an arm come around her waist and pull her firmly against a hard chest.
“Could you please refrain from jumping from a moving vehicle and running across open areas before I’ve deemed them safe?” Gage’s voice was gruff in her ear.
“So it’s not just Callon?”
Katy shook her head, still held by the steel band that was her mate’s arm. “If you’re talking about the need to stick you in a bubble and treat you like you’re a crystal glass, then no, it’s not just Callon.” Katy frowned. “Speaking of Callon… Where is the big lion?”
Lola’s phone rang before she could answer. She grinned mischievously as she hit the answer key and then put it on speakerphone. “Hey.” She sounded breathless.
“Why do you sound like you’ve been running?” Callon’s deep voice came through the speaker. “Where have you been running? Are you safe? Where are my parents?”
“If you’d chill your ass out and give her a second to answer one of your questions, you might not destroy any more boxes of feminine products.” Nico’s voice came through the speaker as well.
Katy’s brow rose as she looked at her best friend. “You really do have two guys buying you products for Aunt Flow?”
Lola grinned. “I’m a genius, I know.”
“You can’t put that box back on the shelf, you Neanderthal,” Nico said. “You bust it, you buy it. Don’t you know about shopping etiquette?”
Katy smirked. “Shopping etiquette? I don’t even think I know shopping etiquette.”
“Is that Katy?” Callon completely ignored his shopping partner. “Is Gage with her?”
“No,” Katy answered. “I left him behind.”
“Really?” Callon sounded confused.
“No, again.” Katy snorted. “Do you really think he would let me leave him behind anywhere?”
“Fair enough.” Callon sounded a little less alarmed than he had initially. There was a sound of something hitting the ground.
“You can’t just throw those on the floor,” Nico snapped. “And we agreed to get her one of everything since they don’t have her usual brand.”
Lola covered her mouth as she burst out laughing.
Katy held up her hand and gave her a high five. “You’re my hero.”
“She doesn’t need the damn pads,” Callon told the shaman.
