Page 7 of Vampire Pack

The sun had gone down during the game, but the moon was shining brightly over our heads, lighting up our view of the roads, homes, and scattered trees around us.

My best friends, Mallory and Paige, had waited in the car for me, like I knew they would.

Paige was sprawled out on the back seat, stretching her long legs. Her pastel pink hair was tied in a loose bun at the base of her neck, a bit of her dark roots showing at the top. Her cream-colored off-the-shoulder sweater put the constellation tattoo on her shoulder on display, and left a small strip of tan skin showing above her dark brown leggings.

Mallory had one knee pressed up against the steering wheel, and a sketchbook propped up against her thigh. Her pale skin was freckled with black and navy-blue paint, particularly on her hands, and her red hair was tied up in two loose space buns.

Her cropped concert tee almost skimmed the waistband of her jean shorts, and both were also spotted with paint.

Paige and Mal always waited for me after my games, no matter how many times I told them they didn't need to.

They knew I needed an excuse to leave immediately afterward, so I didn't end up tangled up on the floor with King for hours. The three of us were a wolf pack, connected by a mental bond, and they knew me better than anyone else ever had.

"You were amazing," Paige said, with a small smile. "But that fall looked brutal."

"Thanks. It probably looked worse than it was." I sagged against my seat, exhausted. My heart was still beating a little fast, but my rage was gone thanks to King's particular brand of help.

"How did it go afterward?" she asked.

"The same way it always goes. I'm pissed. He's hot. We fuck. I try to convince myself to regret it, and leave. He says he's coming by to deal with my injuries, whether I like it or not."

"Was it good?" Mallory checked.

I sighed. "It's always good."

"Then it's not the end of the world." She set her sketchbook on my lap, so she could drive safely. "Your shoulder looks pretty bad, though."

"It hurts like hell."

"How did he react to it?"

"I haven't seen him that angry in months," I admitted, slouching further against the seat. "I need to end things between us. It's not healthy."

"It could be less healthy," Paige said.

"How?" Mallory wondered.

Paige cut her a look.

Mal lifted an eyebrow in response, through the rearview mirror.

"Regularly fucking and being bitten by someone I hate is pure stupidity," I said instead.

"He's never been cruel to you," Paige pointed out.

No.

He definitely hadn't.

"And he always insists on showing up to take care of your injuries," she added.

"He bites her at least half of the times he does that," Mal countered.

"She asks him to bite her, and vampire venom is good for healing," Paige said. "I agree that the situation isn't ideal, but it's not toxic. You guys are just two people who work together and have casual sex on the side. No one is getting hurt."

"Except Carmen, when the other teams attack her because of him," Mal argued.

"Can we not talk about this?" I asked them, wrapping my arms around my middle. "I have enough of King in my life as it is, and he's showing up at our apartment in…" I looked at the clock. "Twenty minutes."