“Love you, too.” She squeezed my hand and I jumped, stillnot used to the strange sensations when someone touched my bond mark.
Lala’s mouth gaped when she flipped my hand over. “Lucy Bluebell Andersson-Spring!”
“Ahh, yeah, surprise! There have been some recent developments.”
“You’re the reason for my gray hairs.” She scowled, but I just laughed.
“You don’t have gray hair.”
“Well, if I did, it would be all your fault.” She huffed. “Come inside so you can tell everyone else.”
I dug my heels in. “Or you can just deliver the news. That sounds good to me.Okaybye!”
She rolled her eyes, keeping a surprisingly firm grip on my arm as she half dragged me across the yard. “Nice try.”
I gave up the struggle once we were inside and followed Lala into the kitchen. Jojo and Mamma were on their laptops at the counter, and Mom was making cardamom buns that smelled just like Leo. My cheeks heated as I almost perfumed at the smell of baked goods.
“Hey, honey.” Mamma held out her arm to me without looking up from her computer screen.
I shook my head but walked over and gave her a hug. Her nose crinkled as she sniffed me. That was enough for her to peel her eyes away from the computer screen.
“Why do you smell like alphas?”
“I don’t think you want me to answer that,” I said dryly.
Jojo and Mom burst out laughing, and Mamma shook her head, lips pursed against a smile. “Is it getting serious?”
“Umm, well—”
Lala poked me in the back.
“I bonded Wilder yesterday.”
Jojo gasped and moved my hair to the side to expose the bond mark there. “Congratulations, baby. Although it would have been nice for us to actually meet him first.”
“Wait,” Lala said. “Did you bond King, too?”
“Not yet.”
She lifted my hand, showing my second mark to the room. “Then what is this?”
I shrugged, but I couldn’t stop my huge smile. “He was feeling a bit possessive.”
Mamma’s jaw dropped, but before she could make a comment that would inevitably set me on edge, I forged ahead. “I also found out I got offered the fashion internship, but—”
“Wait, really? Congratulations!” Lala said.
“Of course you did,” Mamma said. “That’s incredible.”
“Well, the thing is, I think I might—”
Fuck. No. Be confident, Lucy.
“I mean, I’ve turned it down.”
“Oh.” Mamma tucked her white-blond hair behind her ear. “Why’s that?”
“The internship is more focused on design and large-scale manufacturing, which isn’t necessarily my interest. I don’t want to take the spot away from someone who would use the internship as a stepping stone to their dreams.”
