“Our mates work with Knox.They heard he’d found his fated mate, and we wanted to stop by and welcome you to the pack,” Vivian says.
“Oh, thanks,” I reply.“Does that mean you’re shifters too?”
“Nope, we’re human like you,” Roxie says with a wide smile.
“Which means we also know how confusing all this is to outsiders,” Quinn adds.“So, we’re here to welcome you to town and see how you’re holding up.”
“Uh, it’s been… a lot.”
I’m not sure what Knox has said about me.Do they know I’m a fugitive?
“I bet!It can be overwhelming and confusing learning about all of this,” Fern says.
Quinn laughs.“You haven’t run screaming from his place, so you’re already handling it better than I did.”
“You ran?”I ask.
She nods.“Yeah!I mean, I was shot, and when I woke up in the hospital, a stranger was sitting beside me.He told me he was a shifter, and I was his fated mate.It was a lot.”
“Wow.”
Fern clears her throat.
I blink.“Oh, sorry.Do you guys want to come in?Can I get you anything?Sorry, I don’t usually have visitors.”
“No worries.We don’t want to overwhelm you,” Roxie says gently.
“No, it’s fine.It would be good to have company.”I open the door wider.
They all smile as they walk inside and sit down in the living room.
“Can I get you anything?”I ask
“We’re good,” Vivian says with a soft smile.
Sitting in the armchair, I clear my throat nervously and wonderwhat now?I’m not great at small talk.I’ve never had to do it much.I wish I were good at this, at making friends, because I desperately want these girls to like me.
“What brings you to Night Grove Falls?”Fern asks.
“You weren’t kidnapped by the cult, were you?”Roxie asks anxiously.
“Uh, what?”I ask in alarm.
“The cult north of us has been causing trouble for a while,” Quinn explains.
“Yeah.My dad sold me to their leader.Roxie was kidnapped when I escaped, Quinn was shot by one of their members, and Vivian escaped after they took her too,” Fern says.
I gasp.“Oh, shit!”
“Yeah.Scary stuff,” Roxie says quietly.
“I’m glad you’re all okay.”I shake my head.“I can’t even imagine.”
“Enough about us,” Vivian says.“Tell us about you.”
“Well, I used to live in Denver, but I left recently.My car broke down near here, and Knox found me.He’s been helping me out.”
Quinn nods.“Knox is a good guy.”
