Page 103 of Pack Scratch Fever
“Nope.” She types at the computer while Alvin rolls onto his back and exposes his belly to me. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. You’re not the only workaholic here, my friend. Besides, I was off at the bar last night, so I went to bed early and woke up at four in the morning. What else was I going to do?”
But there’s something off about her tone.
Something is bugging my best friend, and I don’t figure it out until I glance at the schedule again, drumming my fingers on the counter.
I pause at the date.
“Oh, shit.”
Blair stops typing and looks at me, a sad smile on her face. “Yeah.”
It’s the anniversary of the car crash of her ex-pack.
“I’m an idiot,” I grumble. “I should have come in last week; you should have taken it easy?—”
“You were going to come into the rescue during your Heat?” Blair cocks an eyebrow. “I’ll be okay. I’d rather be here than at home wallowing in it, you know?”
I nod. “I understand.”
I do the same thing. Instead of experiencing my negative emotions, it’s much easier to distract myself with productivity.
Also, the broken part of my brain thinks Imustbe productive to have any worth, so feeling sorry for myself isn’t an option.
“And then, tonight, I’d like us to get a drink together,” Blair adds.
I laugh. “Absolutely.”
“Even Mister Whiskers was nice to me today.” She motions to the new flesh-colored bandage on my hand. “Has that scratch healed up yet?”
I frown. “I think it’s getting better, but it’s still itchy. It’s healing slowly, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“Yuck. Just make sure it doesn’t get infected.”
“I’m not going to get infected from a scratch. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s clawed at me. I’m perfectly fine. Besides, we’ve got better things to talk about.”
Blair swivels her chair toward me, resting her hands on her thighs and leaning forward. “Oh yes we do,” she purrs. “You'd better tell meeverythingright now.”
“Are you sure?” I ask as I plop down in the desk chair next to her. Alvin settles on my lap, his purr as loud as a car engine. “I mean, with the anniversary, we don’t have to talk?—”
“Shut up,” Blair says. “I want all the details. Like I said before, let me live vicariously through you.”
A huff escapes me. “Fine.”
Then, I let everything out.
I can’t stop smiling as I recount the week before. I don’t go into as much detail on the…inappropriateevents, but I try to tell Blair as much as I can about Poe, Maddox, and Avery.
“They sound amazing,” she says wistfully. “So different from your past Alphas.”
I nod. “I mean, the bar was in hell, so it didn’t take much for them to be above it,” I joke.
“Do they know about your last Heat?”
I stop stroking Alvin’s fur. “No. But I think they have an idea, especially when they saw how surprised I was at the nesting room.”
“The nest is the bare minimum,” Blair says, narrowing her green eyes. “Keeping youfedis the bare minimum.”
“I know.”
