“Yes,” Kate said. “But thankfully not as long. Vaxa chose me my very first time in the Pit. I can’t imagine what you had to go through.”
Lainey didn’t respond to that immediately. She’d come to terms with her abduction and imprisonment. It would always be lurking in the back of her mind, but it had happened and she couldn’t change it. And she refused to let it break her down again.
“But I don’t want to ruin our time together talking about that place,” Kate added softly, reading her expression well. Kate reminded her of Erin, calm and kind and perceptive. “I had fun this afternoon with you and Crystal. I’m glad she finally warmed up to me.”
Lainey laughed, “She’s a little shy at first, but shy is not how I’d describe that woman once you get to know her.” She smiled. “I had fun this afternoon too. I’m glad you could come.”
All three of them had simply talked for a few hours straight, which probably bored Vixron out of his mind. They’d had him order some snacks for them too—Kate had ordered all her favorite things and Lainey had to admit that everything she tasted that afternoon was much, much better than the smoked meat they’d been eating.
So they’d eaten and gossiped all afternoon, talking about their lives back on Earth—they’d learned Kate had worked in publishing back in Chicago—and their atrocious ex-boyfriends and their college days and the foods they missed the most—an In-N-Out burger for Crystal, chicken tikka masala for Kate, and a dragon sushi roll for Lainey.
It felt nice, just talking and laughing with friends, Lainey realized. Lainey had cut a lot of people out of life since Nadine died. She’d folded in on herself and isolated herself.
It had been a long time since she’d simply enjoyed the company of other women and Lainey hadn’t realized how much she missed it.
“Can I ask you something?” Lainey murmured, looking over her shoulder to see Vixron still watching them, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Anything,” Kate responded.
Lowering her voice, Lainey asked the one question that had been plaguing her. “How did you know that Vaxa’an was the one?”
Kate looked her in surprise.
“I mean, how were you so certain about him, that you gave up your life on Earth, your friends and family, to stay here with him?” Lainey asked, her brow furrowing. “Sorry if that seems rude to ask, I’m just…curious.”
“I said you could ask me anything and I meant it,” Kate responded, brushing off Lainey’s concern. She pregnant woman sighed, shifting on her feet, looking out over Luxiria. “I honestly can’t give you a definitive answer. And trust me, at the time, I thought I was being crazy. I second guessed myself every moment, wondering if I was making the right decision or not.”
“So what made you stay?”
“I stayed for a lot of reasons, but the one that sticks out the most is that I simply couldn’t imagine saying goodbye to him.”
Lainey swallowed hard.
“I played every scenario in my mind of how to say goodbye and every single one left me completely heartbroken, every single one destroyedhim,” Kate answered, frowning, as if the memory of it still hurt. “And I ask myself every single day how he made me fall in love with him so quickly, but it’s just…it’s him. It’s like we were truly meant to find each other, in this weird, big, strange universe. It really wasfate.”
“So, you believe in the whole Instinct thing?” Lainey asked quietly, processing her words.
Kate laughed, turning wide eyes on her. “Oh yeah. Definitely. I guess you must think I’m crazy, but I can’t explain to you what it feels like. It’s something that can only be experienced for someone to fully understand.”
“But how would you describe it?” Lainey asked, clearing her throat. “If you had to.”
She hoped she didn’t seemtoointerested or else Kate might get suspicious about her line of questioning.
Thankfully, she pregnant woman simply smiled at her curiosity and said, “I would describe it like…a magnetic pull, I guess. But with a little ‘love at first sight’ mixed in. Now multiply those things by ten and you have one awakened Instinct. Both of those things combined…it’s an intense thing to experience. I didn’t even know what I was experiencing and I refused to believe Vaxa because I thought he was out of his mind at the time.”
That sounded familiar, she couldn’t help but think, goosebumps breaking out over her skin as she shivered with awareness.
Kate smiled over at her and asked, “Cold? Maybe we should go back inside.”
“No,” Lainey said, blowing out a breath. “I’m just so curious about it all. It seems unreal. So…alien.”
Kate smiled, her expression kind. “I know the feeling.”
They lapsed into silence for a moment as Lainey thought over her words.
Then Kate said softly, “I’ve felt them, you know.”
“Who?” Lainey asked, frowning.
