Page 80 of Freed

I nod, running off to my bathroom to change and put my hair up in a ponytail so it’s off my face. I make sure my necklace is still secured around my neck then search my closet finding a pair of matching flip flop sandals that I slide on before checking myself out in my full length mirror.

I smile, liking the way I look. No longer all skin and bones, I’m now showing curves on my hips and chest. It makes me happy to know I’m thriving here, to know down to my core that this is where I belong.

“Have you managed to take all five of them at once yet?” My eyes widen at Erica’s question. “What? That’s a totally normal question,” Erica insists as I stare at her with my mouth open.

I glance at Lexi who’s trying to hide her laugh behind her hand as she glances between us. When she sees my wide eyed expression isn’t going away, she interjects. “Uh, Erica? I don’t think Cherry is comfortable talking about her sex life.”

Now Erica’s the one who looks surprised. “Seriously? You have five mates. You must have incredible stamina, I’m surprised you’re not riding one of them right now.”

“Oh my Goddess!” I explain, dropping my face to my hands to hide my heated cheeks.

“Why don’t we change the subject,” Lexi says. “Erica, did you help with the wards setup around Cherry’s house?”

I peek up between my fingers, mouthing thank you to Lexi.

“Yeah, her house is a fortress now.”

“What about out here?” Lexi says, glancing around our backyard.

“No, outdoor protection spells have too many weaknesses. Magic is always better when it’s tied to something.” She glances around at all of the men scattered throughout the yard, with us in the center then she snorts. “Why do you think they’re all surrounding us right now?”

“We shouldn’t have had this party while Blaze is still out there,” I say in worry, my eyes moving to the forest beyond our yard as my fingers find the small crossbody purse I’m wearing with the B-Serum pen in it.

“You can’t let him control your life,” Lexi says softly.

When I look at her, I see understanding in her eyes. It reminds me that she was held by a facility before too. I lick my lips, hoping she won’t mind me asking her about it.

“After you escaped the facility, how long did it take you to stop looking over your shoulder?”

The look she gives me says she knows exactly what I’m feeling, having been there herself once. I also can’t help but notice how the conversations around us have died down, as if the guys are all listening.

Erica laughs, shaking her head. “Could they be any more obvious?” She turns her head toward some of them as she yells, “Nothing to hear here, just a private girl talk!”

The guy’s head’s all quickly turn away as they make an effort to pick their conversations back up, but I can sense my mates' eyes on me.

“I’m not sure, exactly,” Lexi says, answering my question and ignoring them. “It was different for me, I didn’t have a⁠—”

“Stalker?” Erica interjects and Lexi nods.

“Yeah. That. And I hadn’t known my mates very long so I was preoccupied with getting to know them more. They helped. A lot. Someone was always with me, for months, if not years after.”

“You met them in the facility, right?” I ask, not having actually heard her story before.

She gives a small unamused laugh as she nods. “Yeah, sort of.”

“That couldn’t have been easy, meeting them in a place like that. Were you in your lion form?”

She nods. “Most of the time. It was warmer, and I didn’t like them looking at me.”

“Same,” I say, feeling a stronger sort of camaraderie for her having shared a similar experience to me. It makes me feel less alone.

“And your mates were prisoners, like you?” I ask.

“Not exactly. Finn was actually supposed to be my dinner. Thank Goddess I didn’t eat him.”

“Your dinner?” I ask in horror.

“Hey girls, you going to join us for a swim?” Chase asks as he jogs up to my side, his hand finding the back of my head and stroking down it gently.