Page 112 of Love Bites Extra Hard

“I don’t know. They just work. Maybe in this scenario, they would’ve been the last unmated ones instead of me and Talon.”

“Good point.” The wind tossed Blair’s hair over her face, and she dragged it back with a hand through the top of it. “Are you happy with him, Avery?”

“I am. We understand each other.”

“Do you talk to him? I know you don’t talk to us, about the Wendell stuff. And you don’t have to—but you should talk to someone. You can’t heal if everything’s still trapped inside the wound.”

My throat swelled. “I talk to him about it,” I said softly.

“Good.” She captured my hand, lacing her fingers through mine and squeezing. “You deserve that.”

Maybe I did.

And maybe she deserved the truth, too.

Maybe all of my sisters did. Because I might not have talked to them about it, but they were all there for me in their own way. Zora had taught me to be stronger, with her take-no-shit attitude. Clem had taught me to be happier, with her constantcheer. Izzy had taught me how not to take myself too seriously with her sarcasm, even when things got dark.

And Blair… she had taught me to embrace who I was and what I felt, even when those things didn’t necessarily make sense.

So, I told her.

Sitting on the roof of Vamp Manor, my old happy place.

We cried together, and held each other close.

And when the story was over, I felt lighter.

Freer.

Happier, too.

When Talon and Hale finally made it up to the roof and found us hugging on the ledge, we were quickly whisked backward, to safety.

Our gazes met, and our tears turned to laughter again.

She mouthed, “Overprotective assholes,”

And I mouthed back, “We love them anyway.”

A few tripsto the castle later, the rest of my things were put away, and we were back in Mistwood for a shopping trip.

We had all decided to go shopping for food and decorations for the party together, and when Zora had mentioned it to Clementine, she insisted on coming along too.

Our mates weren’t thrilled to let us go without protection, so we made them playrock paper scissorsto decide which of them could tag along.

They refused, of course.

And reluctantly elected Talon and Bane. They were the newest mated men, and therefore the most overprotective at the moment.

Blair, Izzy, and Clementine were all warned to text frequently while we were gone, of course.

There was no way to avoid the protectiveness, but considering the way most of our lives had gone, none of us really had a problem with it.

The shopping trip was a blast,and we were all still grinning when we eventually made it back to Vamp Manor with everything we needed for the party. Zora, Izzy, and I put up the decorations while Blair and Clem added Chlorine to the pool.

We were fairly certain we heard evil laughter from their side of the room, and exchanged grimaces, but it was Clementine’s birthday. If she wanted us to be disco balls, we’d survive.

The guys wrestled Vamp Manor’s soft serve ice cream machine into an elevator and up to the pool’s deck. Afterward, they went back down to grab more food. They actually seemed to be having a good time, too.

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