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Nash dropped his coat on a bar stool, rolled up his sleeves, and washed his hands. He dove right in after I gave him a rundown of what I was making. He took over the fries, slicing potatoes with far better knife skills than I possessed.
The conversation flowed easily. I might have appreciated the quiet earlier, but it was nice to have noise back in the house.
I was finally realizing what being in a pack meant and embracing it, something I never really thought would happen for me.
Talking about my past used to be painful, but since finding Sienna, I had never been more grateful for leaving them all behind. Everything we’d struggled with, everything we’d fought for, it had led us here.
To them, and more importantly, to Sienna.
ChapterTwenty-Seven
Sienna
After days of feeling nauseous and more exhausted than I’d ever felt in my life, I was hoping that pole dancing class would be the boost that I needed. I’d danced at the club, but there was something much more healing about spending the afternoon with your besties, dancing away.
Valentina strutted in wearing a neon pink leopard print leotard and tights. She looked like she’d walked straight out of an eighties magazine cover. Every week, I looked forward to seeing what outfit she’d picked out. Last week, she wore a black sparkly tutu. I didn’t know how she was going to manage the pole, but of course Valentina did just fine.
“I give this one a solid ten out of ten,” Hazel announced.
“No, I don’t think so,” Eliza disagreed. “That unicorn outfit was probably my favorite. I mean, shiny rainbow pants, come on!”
When I opened my mouth to add my take, a yawn took over. My besties turned and put all of their attention on me.
“What’s going on? Is your pack keeping you from sleeping, or is this a residual effect from the heat?” she asked. Her voice was low enough that the rest of the class couldn’t hear, and the two of them had moved close enough that I wouldn’t be able to escape. If Teagan were here, the conversation likely would have been even more intense, but she was on another adventure. And wasn’t I goddamn grateful for that.
“I guess?” I answered with a shrug. “Ever since the heat, I’ve been nauseous and tired, and no,” I cut them off with a sharp look when their eyebrows raised, “I amnotpregnant.”
“You never know,” Hazel sang out.
“Actually, I do,” I sang back mockingly. “I tested myself already.” It felt stupid to take a test, knowing damn well I was on birth control, but I took it anyway. It seemed like the logical, albeit silly, option when pregnancy was at the top of Google’s suggested causes.
“Is exhaustion something that usually happens because of the Rapture?” Eliza directed the question at Hazel instead of me since she was the one with more experience.
“Honestly, I wish I could tell you. That shit was no joke. This could be something you have to deal with just this once, or it could be something that reoccurs.”
Eliza immediately looked worried, and her voice dropped into her soothing tone. “I know that you have a pack now, but it might not hurt to take suppressors again. They might help.”
“I’ve got an appointment set up,” I said absently as the instructor stepped up to her pole.
“I trust everybody warmed up already?” There was a murmur of agreement from around the room.
Eliza, Hazel, and I immediately started stretching when the instructor zoned in on us. At least she looked amused. We were always the last to do this part because we usually got caught up in some kind of conversation.
When she was satisfied, she clicked on the music, and I felt the familiar anticipation buzz through my system. Dancing could take my mind off pretty much anything, and I had plenty on my mind to forget about. I was ready for an escape.
In truth, I could use a vacation from my life, but that was obviously out of the question.
We always started the class with basic moves, which were practically a mindless task for me, but instead helping me ease into the workout, I started feeling worse and worse. My hands shook when I tried to grip the pole, and they quickly became too clammy for me to hold my weight up as easily as I should have been able to. More than once, I had to take a break to shake out my arms and legs.
Part of me wished that I could find the bastard who’d drugged me just so I could beat his ass, and now that I had a pack, I knew I’d have to race them to it. Hell, Hazel would kill him with some shibari rope and her bare hands.
The song transitioned to a faster paced one, and I groaned under my breath, knowing things were about to amp up. My legs shook at even the thought of trying to support my weight for another routine. Taking a deep breath, I made a mental note to grab a snack right after class was over—no way did I need to have my pack scold me for not eating—but when I grabbed for the pole, I stumbled, and my shoulder slammed into the metal.
Not wanting anyone to worry, I waved off the concerned questions and looks from the teacher and my friends. I shook my head, trying to get the world back into focus, but black spots started to appear in my field of vision. No matter how many times I blinked, I couldn’t get them to go away. In fact, my vision just kept getting more blurry.
What was going on?
I didn’t want anyone to think something was wrong, so I got on the pole, ignoring my inner voice telling me it was a terrible idea.
