Page 91 of Aine

He chats about anything and everything in a clear attempt to keep my mind off the hunt, his hand rubbing soft circles into my shoulder as he leads me to the dining hall. I pause just before we enter and turn to pull him into a tight hug.

“Thank you for being such a good friend,” I whisper.

His body vibrates as he chuckles and returns the hold. His arms squeeze me tightly against him before he pulls away and presses a kiss to my scalp.

“I missed having a sister,” he admits, grabbing my hand and pulling open the doors.

The moment they’re opened, I’m bombarded with loud laughter and slurred words, and I pause to collect myself before entering. The place is packed, and I search for a familiar face as Alex leads me deeper inside.

Jenna and Avia stand in the center of the room, and I wave to them both as they turn in my direction. Despite the volume in the room, I hear Jenna squeal just seconds before she grabs Avia’s hand and rips her away from the beasts she’s chatting with. She stumbles over her feet as she runs toward us, but every time I think she’s going to fall, Avia notices and hoists her back up.

“Aine!” Jenna shouts as she barrels into me.

I’m caught off guard by her body slamming into mine, but Alex catches us mid-tumble. Avia laughs as she gently pulls Jenna away.

“She forgets after one too many drinks that she can’t launch herself at other humans the way she can beasts,” Avia explains, wrapping her arms around Jenna’s midsection to hold her steady.

Jenna laughs and presses a sloppy kiss to Avia’s lips before getting distracted by a beast entering behind us. I watch as she repeats the same actions she did to me. Thankfully, though, he’s able to easily manage the sudden onslaught of Jenna’s body crashing into him.

The man laughs and pats her head, his own human mate latching on to his waist.

Alex mumbles something about getting us a drink before disappearing into the crowd. I feel uncomfortable as I look at all the unfamiliar faces, but Avia seems to understand as she leads Jenna and me to a quieter corner in the room.

“I know it’s a lot,” she says. “The humans have a tough time with the hunts and tend to go overboard with the drinking. Jenna especially.”

I frown, unsure how the beasts can continue to support this when they know how it affects us. Tears fill my eyes as I look around, taking in the sight of the stumbling humans. I thought both the humans and beasts were drunk when I first arrived, but now I notice it’s only the humans. The beasts hold no drinks, or sip slowly on the ones they do have, completely sober as they watch over us with worry.

Alex approaches with drinks in hand, and I don’t hesitate to snatch one and down it. His eyes widen in surprise, but he quickly hides the emotion and hands me the one meant for him. I throw that one back too.

“I’ll get more,” he grumbles, returning to the bar.

Feeling slightly more relaxed with two drinks in me, I turn and chat with Avia until Alex returns.

He doesn’t try to police my intake like Damien, and before I know it, both Olivia and Jenna are grabbing my hands and pulling me into the food pantry. I stumble behind them, laughing as Olivia slams her hip into a counter on the way there.

Chapter Twenty-Three

AINE

Jenna snorts asshe chucks the large onion at my head. I scramble to catch it, but my hands refuse to move fast enough and the vegetable hits me in the center of my forehead before falling to the floor.

I choke on my laughter and drop to the floor to grab it, my knees smacking painfully against the cement as I land with little to no grace. Olivia follows suit, plopping on the ground with a huff.

“Bite it!” Jenna orders. “You absolutely have to.”

Olivia giggles, eager to chime in with her own peer pressure.

“Jenna made me eat one during my first hunt,” she shouts in my face. “Don’t make me be the only sad onion eater.”

I tip onto Olivia’s lap as I bring the onion to my lips. It’s covered in dirt, but figuring I’ve got nothing better to do, I shrug and open my mouth.

Alex swipes the food out of my hand just moments before it makes contact with my teeth, the action prompting all three of us to boo. Avia stands by the door looking exhausted, but it’s hard to tell when there are three of her overlapping one another.

Olivia’s thighs are soft underneath my head, and I close my eyes to relax before realizing it makes the room spin. A loud groan slips from my lips as that feeling travels to my stomach and throat. That’s not good. Alex, who’s been waiting for this for hours now, pulls me from Olivia’s lap and sticks my face into a trash can.

I heave as Jenna turns and begs Avia to let her stay. The deal is we can stay out and drink as long as we want, but we have to agree to go home without complaint the second one of us starts to get sick. It seems I’m the one ruining the fun.

Alex rubs my back as I press my face into the plastic container and cry, his presence momentarily leaving as he turns to help Olivia to her feet. She whines but accepts his help before reaching for my sweaty face and pulling my hair back.

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