"36"

“Welcome home, beastie.”

I was taken by surprise when Dane appeared in front of me, all smiles on her face. “Dane?” If not for my tight grip on Ahbaya’s gift, it would’ve slipped and fell to the floor. “What the — what are you doing here? How did you get in here?!”

“Why do I feel like you’re not happy to see me, beastie?”

There she was, standing with that unamused look on her face. Her foot tapping against the floor. Her arms crossed against her chest as her fingers moved in a rhythm. It was as if a spotlight shined down on her.

Something was different about Dane. I could feel it. The intensity of her stare was enough to drive thugs and ruffians away, yet there was a smirk on that lips of hers. "So you finally decided to come home. Where have you been, Yael?"

‘You’re not answering my question, Daniella.”

Dane frowned. She always hated it whenever I called her by her first name. “You gave me a spare key. Forgot about it?”

"Dumb question, Dane. And that’s not what I’m talking about."