Page 14 of Alpha Reid

I nod slowly in understanding, still a little overwhelmed. “Gotcha. So you’re all Lunas, then.”

“Or future Lunas,” Quinn winks, striding over to the bed and peering curiously at the array of shopping bags spread upon it. “What’s all this?”

“Uh… clothes, I guess?” I chuckle uncomfortably, glancing from the pile of bags back to the girls. “I just found all this a few minutes ago. Reid…”

“Aww, Reid got all of this for you?” Brooke interrupts, rushing over to join Quinn and peeking into the closest bag. “What a sweetheart, he’s the best.”

“He really is,” Astrid smiles, advancing toward me. “You’re a lucky girl.”

“So I hear,” I mutter under my breath, thinking back to how Taylor expressed similar sentiments this morning. Everyone seems to have something nice to say about what a great guy Reid is, which only makes me feel horribly inadequate. Fate really screwed this one up; he deserves a better mate than me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice that Astrid is studying me, gauging my reaction, so I flash her a forced smile and shrug. “We’re still getting to know each other.”

Not a lie.

“So what’d he get you?” Fallon asks, eyeing the mess of shopping bags with interest. She steps forward between Quinn and Brooke and pulls at the edge of one with a finger, glancing down into it.

“No idea, actually,” I laugh softly, still smoothing my hair compulsively as if my efforts will make it suddenly look shiny and beautiful like theirs. “I was just starting to go through it.”

“Want some help?” Fallon offers, already reaching into the bag she was snooping in.

I shrug. “Sure, have at it.”

All four of them waste no time getting comfortable on the bed and digging in, pulling items of clothing out of the bags and examining them, sorting them into piles.

“So, Serena…” Quinn starts, making conversation. “Where are you from?”

I scooch back onto the edge of the bed where I was sitting before, lifting a bag onto my lap. “Wyoming, actually.” I reach into the bag, pulling out pair of leggings. “What about you, are you all from here?”

“We are,” she replies, gesturing to herself and the twins. “Astrid’s from Denver.”

My brows shoot up. “Oh yeah?”

The puzzle pieces click together in my mind. Now I know why her name sounded familiar- she’s from Denver. She’s the sister of the alpha there, the seer that Xavier was after. I glance up at her nervously, wondering how much she already knows about me from her abilities. I make a mental note to keep my distance.

“Yeah, I just moved here recently,” Astrid smiles. “You’ll settle in here in no time.”

“I’m sure I will,” I say, and I wonder if she knows how fake my smile is that I force in return. The truth is, I’m not sure of anything.

She reaches out to touch my arm and her eyes go funny, like she’s far away. I snatch my arm back instinctively, and Astrid shakes her head as if to scatter her thoughts, her expression immediately shifting to one of sympathy.

She leans in, dropping her voice low so the others don’t hear. “Hey, I’ve been there. They took me as a prisoner too. It was only for a few days, so I know it probably doesn’t compare, but if you ever need to talk…”

“No,” I blurt, flustered by this interaction.She totally just had a vision about me, didn’t she?Thethought of what she could’ve seen is humiliating. My face goes hot; I’d bet it’s beet red right about now. Astrid looks a bit taken aback and I quickly try to regain my composure. I don’t want to make an enemy of this girl. “I mean, thank you, but maybe some other time…” I mumble softly.

Astrid holds up a hand, her eyes kind. “Absolutely. I don’t want to pressure you. Just wanted to let you know I’m here if you need me.”

Damn, she really is nice. What’s with all these super nice people around here? Reid, Taylor, Astrid…

Okay, maybe noteveryone. I glance over at the other girls to find that Fallon’s eyeing me with suspicion.

“So Serena,” she clucks, plopping down on the end of the bed beside her sister and making herself comfortable. “Do you fight?”

“What do you mean?” I ask cautiously.

She chuckles, rolling her eyes. “Like physically. Do you have any training? All of us are involved with the squad, and Reid’s a leader so I’m sure he’ll wanna get you involved, too…”

I squint my eyes, tilting my head. “The squad?”

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