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They weren’t the best of friends by any means—Analise had told Evan far too many times just what she thought of him—but I hoped they could at least be civil. I was pleasantly surprised when he came up and enveloped her in a quick one-arm hug.
“I’m glad you could come. Mariah’s missed you terribly.”
“I can only imagine,” she said, bouncing Sofia in her arms. “She hasn’t had anyone to gossip with. We have so much to talk about.”
Mason cleared his throat. “Is anyone hungry? I can order some food.”
“Ooh, yes. How about that Chinese place around the corner?” Analise suggested.
“Perfect.”
“That will give us some time to catch up.” Analise handed Sofia to Evan, then grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the stairs. “Girl talk time.”
We retreated to a small sitting room at the top of the stairs, and Analise shut the door behind us. The minute we were alone, she whirled on me, her hands on her hips.
“Okay, spill it.” Analise ran her gaze over me, her eyes searching mine. “What's going on? Why the sudden visit? I know you didn’t just decide to take a quick random trip.”
“No, not exactly,” I said. Taking a deep breath, I launched into the story of everything that happened since I saw her last. Things I hadn’t been able to tell her over the phone. Things she needed to see me to believe. Starting with the kidnapping, I told her the real story of what had happened, how Tomas had been conducting experiments, and how he’d finally found a way to create dragon shifters. How there was shifter DNA in my bloodline.
“Mariah,” Analise murmured when I finished telling her about what I was dealing with now: the dragon puberty, the wings, all of it. For the first time perhaps ever, Analise was at a loss for words. Her mouth opened and closed, she shook her head, and when she finally spoke again, her voice trembled. “Are you okay, though?”
Analise knew how to get straight to the heart of the matter. “Yes. And no. It’s a huge adjustment. I’m a mess of emotions, and half the time I don’t know whether I should scream, cry, or laugh. Even though I have Evan, I feel alone, confused, and then with…” I rested my hand on my belly, my voice trailing off.
Analise’s gaze dropped to my stomach, jerked back up to mine, then back down. She narrowed her eyes when she looked at me again. “What’s that now?”
I slowly breathed out. “I’m pregnant.”
“What?” Her squeal was so loud, I had no doubt everyone downstairs heard it. “How is that possible?”
I’d told her before that I couldn’t have children with Evan—something that’d been a big deal breaker for her when it came to our relationship. She knew how much I’d always wanted children.
“Yeah,” I whispered. “I was shocked, too. Apparently, since I’m a shifter now…” I shrugged.
“Wow.” She just stared at me for a minute, and then she flung her arms around me, her body shaking as she cried, “Oh, Mariah. I’m so happy for you. It’s what you’ve always wanted.”
The tears I’d been fighting overflowed now, but these were happy ones. No matter what happened, no matter how much time and distance there was between us, Analise had my back. She would support me through thick and thin, and she was exactly what I needed—someone to take joy in this news for once. To really know just how monumental it was.
We talked a bit more about how things had been over the past few months, how I was adjusting to it all, but I knew I had to let her know the real reason we were here.
“While I’m so thrilled to see you, Ana, it’s not the only reason we’re in town.”
“Figured as much,” she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “But thanks for letting me believe it was all about me for a bit.”
I laughed. God, I’d missed her. But then I took a deep breath and dove right in. “I’m attempting to find answers about my mother. Jax uncovered some information about her recently. She was apparently killed by a shifter, and her murderer is in a prison about four hours from here. We're going to visit tomorrow.”
Her mouth gaped. “You’re kidding me. But…why?”
I told her the rest of the story about what Jax had found. “It’s about more than just the problems with Tomas, though. I need answers, Ana. I need to know about my past. If this is a way for me to learn about it, then I need to do it.”
She slowly exhaled. “I can’t say I like the idea. What if you find out something you wish you hadn’t?”
“I thought of that, but it’s worth it to me. It’s just something I need to do.”
She took my hands, squeezing them tightly. “Then, I’ll support you. You know that. I'm here for you, Mariah. Always. Whatever you need, just say the word.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, my throat tight with gratitude. Our friendship had always been forged in steel, and even now, it didn't waver. “I love you, Ana.”
“I love you, too, girl.” She gave me a hug. “Now, what do you say we go get some food? I can smell the egg rolls from here.”
