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Maia barrelled into me, almost knocking me off my feet. She had quickly taken to the whole hugging thing since she arrived here, and embraced our whole community like she’d been born here. She had really opened up too, and was letting the bright, bubbly personality that was under all those layers, shine through.
“We missed girl chat time the other day, then the whole thing happened at my gramps farm and when we got back, the guys had me on lockdown and there was so much freaking sex it was like I was in heat again. Then we heard roaring and Max radioed to say it was just you and Sam and everything was fine, but it didn’t sound fine. Then Ava told me you were in heat and it’s been days. Oh my freaking god, are you okay?”
Maia gasped as she came to a rambling halt. She was talking fast and waving her arms around everywhere. I think she only stopped to breathe. She wasn’t usually much of a talker.
I quirked my eyebrow at her. “How much coffee have you had this morning?”
“Oh, don’t you think you can put me off again. I demand a girl chat now.” She pointed her finger at me and tried to look menacing. She just looked adorable, with all that gorgeous gold hair in a high, messy bun and those big blue eyes. Like a kitten hissing at you.
She started hunting around, pulling out drawers. “We need to tie her down and make her talk. Do we have any zip ties in here, or even some string?”
I shot a look at Isabella. She was usually the sensible, steadfast one around here. “We’re almost out of coffee. I found some espresso. I was trying to filter it down to eke it out more. Maia insisted on trying the first batch. She said she needed her happy juice.”
Ava rolled her eyes. “I told her that omegas should never drink espresso. They taught us that at the Palace. It doesn’t sit well with our biology. Weak, milky coffee is okay, but strong coffee like espresso over stimulates us. She’s going to crash later.”
Shit. I really needed Maia today. And a coffee. I didn’t want to know what the world looked like without coffee. Taking away our electricity was bad enough, but we would all become savages if there was no coffee.
I walked over to Maia and pulled her into a big hug. “Are you okay, girl? After what happened with your brother and your gramps’ farm burning down? That was a lot.”
She tensed a little, then relaxed, giving me a big squeeze. “I’m fine. It wasn’t pleasant, but I let Ben go a long time ago in a way I never did with Sam. I had to, so I could focus on surviving. I was more worried about Sam going back. Leif rescued my gramps’ army medals and uniform for me, and I got my great granny’s cookbook. There was nothing else left for me back there. My home is here now. I’m just glad we all made it out safely.”
Maia was one tough chick. She had already suffered more heartache and abuse than anyone should have to in a lifetime, yet she had so much grace and an innate kindness within her. I kinda wanted to be her when I grew up.
“Don’t distract me.” She pulled away and looked at me accusingly. “We’re talking about you. It’s girl chat time. I will tie you to a chair if I have to. I need to know you’re okay.”
I’d never really been a fan of group girl chats, and girly bonding activities, preferring to train in my spare time, but Maia clearly was and I was a fan of Maia’s.
“Oh, we’re going to have a girl chat. Just not in the way you think.” I rubbed my hands together. “I promise, I’m fine, and I’ll give you all the sexy details later. Right now, are you girls up for some anarchy and a little ass kicking?”
Maia jumped up and down with her hand in the air. “Oh, me. Me. I’m up for ass kicking.” Ava smiled at her affectionately then shot me a cryptic look that made me think the girl had hidden layers. “Sounds like we’re in. Whose ass are we kicking?”
“I have a plan to help the town and clear it of Palace alphas, but we don’t have much time.”
Maia’s face lit up. “Oh, hell yeah. I’m in.”
I looked at Sirena and Isabella. They both looked skeptical. “Won’t the guys come up with a plan?” Sirena asked.
“Oh, you did not just say that to me, Sirena. I heard what you did when we were under attack. Did you sit back and wait for the guys to figure out a plan, then?”
Sirena shook her head tentatively, and I powered on.
“I don’t know what Max has found and if it will change our plan to clean out the town at all.” I shot a look at Maia and she shrugged.
“I don’t know. I don’t think it’s anything urgent or he would have told Damon straight away. It’s more like he only wants to say it once. He seems sad, and angry, but not anxious.”
“Okay. I know Damon listens to you, Maia, but I have a feeling they’re going to try to keep us out of this one. Especially Damon. After your gramps’ farm, his protective instincts are in overdrive. He forgets sometimes that we’re a community and they don’t have to take all the risk on themselves. They do so much to protect us all, but this time, I truly believe we can help make this less risky for them, as well as our friends and family in town.”
Isabella straightened her spine and seemed to mentally shake herself. “What’s your plan? I’ll follow you anywhere, Lex.”
My heart almost exploded on the spot at her complete trust in me, even after I’d kept her at arm’s length for years. I reached over to Isabella and pulled her into a hug, too. My need for touch seemed to be heightened, maybe for good, and I wasn’t holding back anymore.
“Have I ever thanked you for all the ways you’ve stepped up to help since you got here?”
“You don’t have to thank me, Lex. I owe you my life twice. You saved my life, then you gave me an even better one.”
“You owe me nothing, babe. I just helped show you a way out. You took it and did all the hard work. You saved yourself.”
Maia jumped in and threw her arms around us, followed by Ava and Sirena. “You guys rock,” she mumbled into Isabella’s back. We all stood in solidarity for a moment, remembering our own strength, before I disentangled us.
