Kady nods furiously. “That’s what Stellas do.”
None of us speak, sitting in silence until Faye puts a caring hand on my knee, daring to say what I’m sure they’re all thinking. “Are you ready to tell us what happened?”
I sniffle, trembling in Delilah’s embrace as I begin to recount what happened last night. I go from my argument with Drax to the volleyball game to having the best sex of my life that ended in the worst mistake.
When I’m done, a stilted silence stretches out. Kady, on my other side, absentmindedly strokes the top of my arm while Faye traces slow, supportive circles on my knee. Their touch is soothing, helping regulate my breathing.
“I’m so sorry this happened, Sabs,” Kady eventually murmurs.
“There must be some way to reverse it, right?” I look at her, hope coursing through my bloodstream. If anyone has the answers, it’s Kady. Unfortunately, her downturned mouth and the way she hangs her head don’t give me the answer I want.
“What about some plants, Faye?” Desperation creeps into my voice. “Surely, there must be something in that greenhouse you can whip up?”
“I wish there was.” Faye frowns sadly. “Bonding is one of the few conditions that even botany doesn’t have an answer to yet.”
“Bonding with a hockey player.” I laugh hollowly. “Could I be any more cliché?”
“Not just any hockey player. Adler Ace,” Kady points out. “The SVU Foxes star player.”
I manage to free my hands from Kady’s blanket burrito to cover my face with them. “What is it about us Stellas and our bonding having to be front-page newsworthy?”
“Everything will be okay.” Delilah always looks on the bright side. “I have a good feeling about this.”
I look at her through the gaps in my fingers. “You do?”
She nods sincerely. “My horoscope today said that a big change was coming, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
“Great. Sabs’s future is now in the hands of your daily horoscope,” Kady mutters sarcastically. Obviously noticing Delilah’s stern look, she adds, “At least the stars are on your side.”
“From what you’ve told us,” Faye takes over before Kady can put her foot in her mouth anymore, “Adler sounds like he wants to do the right thing. He said he’d be there for you.”
“I know.” I sigh, dropping my hands from my face. “And I know that running away was stupid, but I was so… afraid. I thought if I ran, it’d just go away. But it didn’t.” I collapse back onto the cushions. “He may be able to give me amazing orgasms for life, but what if he’s a total alpha-hole? It was only supposed to be one night of fun.”
“You can’t run from him forever.” Kady shrugs.
“I know, but I need time to process all this, and…” Panic suddenly strikes me, thinking again of my family. “You can’t tell Laz about this, Faye. He’ll kill Adler if he finds out. You have to promise me you won’t say anything.”
“I…” She chews on her lip, fiddling with the hem of her dress. Asking her to keep a secret this huge from her alphas is probably the biggest favor I’ve ever asked of my friend. “I can’t lie to him if he asks, but I promise that I won’t volunteer the information. Not until you’ve had more time to figure this out. Laz weighing in on this situation right now won’t help, but you know you’re going to have to tell him sooner or later.”
“I know.” My panic ebbs a little, but I can’t shake my unease. “Thank you.”
With a grave expression, Kady checks her watch. “How long have you been away from him now?”
“I don’t know.” I scrunch my nose. “Maybe an hour or so?”
“Good, you’re still in the early stages of bond sickness. Spending the night together will have helped a little, but we don’t have long…” She chews her inner cheek. I recognize that look—the look of when she’s concentrating hard and doing mental math. “We need to get you back to Adler, Sabs.”
“Already?”
“Even though the Stella balm is helping, it won’t last. There’s only one person who can make you better,” Kady states. “I wish there were another way, but you know all about bond sickness and what can happen.”
“You shouldn’t be apart from your alpha right now,” Delilah agrees. “The longer you’re apart, the more dangerous it is.”
“What if…” Anxiety causes my pulse to spike. “What if he doesn’t want to see me? What if he regrets it?”
“Any alpha would be lucky to have you.” Faye speaks with a confidence that I don’t feel.
At that moment, a violent thumping coming from upstairs practically makes the walls of the house vibrate. The incessant hammering sounds like someone is trying to pound a hole straight through the wood. Kady tears back the curtain around the bed then dashes over to the tiny window. Looking up, her shoulders sag in relief. “He’s here.”
