“Oh, Delilah!” Faye squeals, bouncing over and pulling me into a tight hug. “Congratulations!”
“I…” Kady’s mouth opens and closes. “I thought you were taking it slow.”
“So did I,” I shrug, “but there was a special moment, then I just figured, why wait? I’ve spent the last year wondering about the what-ifs. I don’t want to waste any more time when I know they’re my matches.”
“Okay!” Sabs drags me into the living room to sit down, dropping next to me and pulling her legs up underneath her. “I’m going to need you to tell me every last detail.”
Kady peers out the window through a crack in the blinds. “So I assume by the fact that it’s Nash outside?—”
“You bonded Nash first!” Sabs claps excitedly. “It was the giant hands. I knew it! Those monster hands must be really skilled at?—”
“Give her a chance to breathe, Sabs.” Faye curls up on the chair. “Though I would love to hear the full story.”
I give them a quick rundown of what happened in the workshop, minus all the sexy details, despite Sabs wanting to know the ins and outs.
“A handmade special edition.” Kady nods, clearly impressed. “I wonder if he could do something special forThe Valley Voice.I’ve been thinking of putting together a special historical volume with all of our most popular issues.”
“You’re seriously thinking aboutThe Valley Voiceat a time like this?” Sabs shakes her head. “Delilah just bonded!”
“Sorry, Del. I have work on the brain.” Kady smiles apologetically. “It sounds like you made the right choice for you. I know how much you’ve always wanted to find a pack, so I’m happy for you. Truly.”
I beam, collapsing against Sabs’s shoulder.
From the car, I can sense Nash’s emotions. They’re a thrumming vibration in the back of my head. He’s impatient but otherwise fine, and being able to feel his presence puts me at ease. He’s not going anywhere.
“The whole sensation will take some getting used to,” I admit. “But I know he’s my match. All of them are. It’s so hard to describe, but it’s like…”
“You’ll never be complete without them?” Faye wipes at her eyes. “That they make you whole?”
“Exactly!”
“How are things with you and Jagger?” Kady arches a blonde eyebrow. “Have you guys discussed bonding too?”
“I know that he’s my match, but the timing has to be right…” I sigh. “Now thatPack Firehas split?—”
“What?” Sabs almost falls off the sofa. “Since when?!”
Kady rolls her eyes. “Since when do you fall behind on the latest gossip?”
“I’ve been busy kicking ass on the volleyball court all morning,” Sabs tells her.
After I briefly fill Sabs in on what happened, she grips her forehead, stunned. “Whoa.”
“It shows how serious he is about you and your future,” Faye states solemnly.
We all turn toward Kady when her cell phone starts ringing. She sends it to voicemail, but then it starts up again.
“Sorry.” She huffs. “It’s Calder. If he’s calling twice, there must be an emergency. This better be good, Cal. I’m kinda in the middle of—” She stops talking, listening intently. “But how?” Her cheeks flush in as she angrily bangs her fist on the coffee table. “We got rid of them all!”
As I watch Kady’s nostrils flare, a rush of something ice-cold creeps underneath my skin, flooding my senses. What the hell is that? It’s a physical jolt to my system, making my fists clench and giving me the sudden urge to punch a wall.
“It’s okay, Del.” Faye puts her hand over mine, instantly sensing my change of mood. “Feeling their emotions takes some getting used to. It’s always the most intense at the start.”
I gulp, realization sweeping in that it must be Nash I’m feeling. But why is he so angry?
Seconds later, heavy pounding on the door sounds like a beast is trying to break its way inside.
“Stay here,” Kady barks as she stomps to let Nash in while staying on the line with Calder.
