Kaja pulled back to look at me. “Can I hug you? I mean … aren’t you our queen now?”
Fiona waved her hand. “Queen-schmeen, she’ll always be our Nai.”
I grinned, stepping into the foyer and giving each and every one of them a tight squeeze. “What have you guys been up to? Tell me everything,” I said, practically begging for a distraction.
Kaja laughed. “Us tell you? No way,youtelluseverything. Rage said you had to run off to save your grandfather on High Mage Island!”
I chewed my lip, shuffling awkwardly in the hallway. “I’d rather hear about you.”
Understanding lit up Kaja’s face, and she nodded. “Come sit.”
I followed them into the living room, and we all sat around the coffee table.
“So,” Kaja said, “Rage invited all of the shifters back to the island and put the hawks bordering Daybreak land.”
Fiona snickered as if she knew where this story was going, I leaned in, desperate to have my mind off of my argument with Rage.
“So, day one, Mallory starts to complain that when the hawks are in bird form, they fly nearby and spy on her when she’s taking a bath.”
I burst out in laughter. “What? That’s crazy.”
Kaja nodded, grinning. “She’s accusing them of being Peeping Toms.”
Nell rolled her eyes. “As ifanyonewants to see Mallory naked.”
I knew there had to be more to this, and I wanted the juicy part. “What happened?” I asked.
“Mallory complained to John, the new alpha of Daybreak, but he told her it wasn’t a real problem. So then she brought the issue to Rage. She wanted the hawks moved and a land animal in their place.”
I groaned. What a headache. Mallory wassoannoying!
Fiona was having a hard time keeping her laughter in, and Mele was bright red, so I knew the story got better.
“And?” I asked.
“Rage—” Kaja burst out laughing like she couldn’t keep it in any longer.
Even though nothing funny had been said yet, I started to snicker.
“Tell me!” I playfully punched her arm. This was exactly what I needed, some carefree time with my girls.
Nell grabbed her face as if that could keep her from smiling. “Rage backed John and denied Mallory’s request. He told her she needed to respect her alpha, andifit really was an issue, the two packs would need to work it out on their own. So Mallory put up ‘privacy screens’”—Nell did air quotes—“all around her house.”
“And now the hawks poop on her head whenever she’s outside!” Kaja blurted.
We all burst into laughter then. I laughed so hard I tipped back onto the living room rug, shaking with amusement. Kaja fell back next to me, eyes leaking tears. When we finally calmed down, I pulled up a vision of Mallory walking across her land, white bird poop falling on her head, and rolled with laughter again, setting the girls off into fits of giggles once more.
I hadn’t realized how much I needed this, I hadn’t realized how stressed I’d been the past few days. I finally sat up, wiping my eyes, and when my thoughts drifted back to Rage, the amusement faded like the sun in a storm.
Kaja must’ve noticed. Clearing her throat, she pulled me up into a standing position. “We’re going to hang in my room,” she told everyone.
The girls nodded. “Good to see you, Nai,” Fiona said.
“Come back more often!” Nell agreed.
I told them I would and then stepped into Kaja’s room. The second the door closed behind her, she turned to face me. “Spill it. I know something is wrong.”
I sighed, glancing at the clock on her bedside table. It was late, and I was hungry and tired. “This is a long story, Kaj.”
