“How about this? Let me mindlink Ashley. Maybe I can wake her up and ask her to come out to the hall without waking the other two up.” He looks at the door with a shrug. “Unless you have a better idea?”“Uhh… no. I’ve only mindlinked Leni a few times. If I mindlink her out of a dead sleep, she might freak out.”He puts his hands on his hips and taps his foot while he thinks. “Alright. I’ll tell Ashley I have a surprise for her and to meet me in the hall.” “Cool. Let’s go stand by the front door so we don’t look like creepers outside the bedroom door.” I wave him back to the foyer.A minute later, Ashley peeks her head out from the bedroom hallway. When she sees Reggie, her face brightens up. She runs down the hall with a blanket wrapped around her and throws herself at him. I feel like I should look away when he gives her a deep kiss. Especially after what we just saw.“Awww Reggie, what are you doing here?” She squeals between kisses.“We wanted to surprise you, Honey, but um, we we

Lenora’s POV 3 MONTHS LATER “Hey, Lenora.” Ashley’s voice rings in my mind. “Hey, what’s up?” “Just checking to see if you are still on the phone.” “Nope. Signing invoices.” “Good.” She says as she opens the door. Carly is behind her holding a plate of cupcakes. There are lit candles on each one. “Happy birthday tooooooo yooouuuu….” They sing with shit-eating grins on their faces. “Oh, you bitches.” I roll my eyes. Ashley grabs my chair and rolls it to the sitting area with me still in it, as my best friends continue to serenade me. They sit on the floor, watching me expectantly when they finish. “Make a wiiiiiiiish, neeerrrd.” Ashley says in her sing-song voice. “I wish something to go right. Just one thing, because a couple hours to relax would be sublime.” I close my eyes and blow out the candles. I leave my eyes closed for a moment. What if I open them and the world goes to shit? It wouldn’t surprise me, actually. “Is it your birthday too, Justice?” “No. Time was d

“Hi Milo, can I help you with something?” I step around and lean on the desk in front of him. 'I just saw Ashley in the hall. She mentioned you updated your Friday schedule.” “Oh yeah. She’s taking tonight’s shift so you and I can spend time together.” I feel my cheeks flush. “Well thennnn, I was wondering if I could take you on a date? Like, a real one. In town. Not the dining room with hundreds of our pack mates. Rogue activity is basically non-existent. So, you know, it’s safe.” “I guess that’s true.” “You better say yes,” Justice hisses at me. “Pizza and a movie? Casual. I mean, if you want.” Milo’s face is beat red. He’s embarrassed? He’s certainly flustered. “Um, sure.” I look down at my desk. Ashley scribbled a little heart on the blotter paper with an L+M in the middle. This could really work, right? He is my mate, after all. Ashley and Marco are right. I need to at least give him a chance. “I… I’d like that.” “Sick.” He mumbles under his breath, then gives me a lopsid

My eyes snap open, startled by the backfire of a passing car. Milo’s eyes turn black and Ghost pulls me to the ground, completely covering me with a deep growl. “My gun?” Milo hulks over me. He pats his body down with one hand while he holds me with the other. “They took my gun.” “What? Milo, your gun is in the armory.” I press against him. “It was just a car backfiring. Come on, let me up.” “They took my knife. Shit. They took my fucking knife.” He becomes more panicked. “Hold on, Bronx. They took my knife, too. I’ve got you.” “What knife are you talking about?” I feel confused. “Bronx? No. Wait, Milo!” “There’s a foxhole twenty yards to the west. We’ll be safe there.” He secures his arm around me, hooking his thumb in my armpit. “Hang in there, bro.” Foxhole? Oh shit. I ignored all the signs that there could be a problem. The fidgeting, the distracted blank stare, being startled by a glass on the table. “Milo, I’m Lenora, not Bronx. There’s no foxhole, Babe. We’re downtown.”

Lenora’s POV When Justice and Ghost got home, Milo was still disoriented. He tried to fight Bronx and Reggie. Thank the Goddess they were able to subdue him with no one getting hurt. When Milo was finally lucid, he begged to come home. Staying in the hospital wing seemed like a fate worse than death. The doctors left the decision up to me. I couldn’t bear the thought of my mate being confined to the hospital wing again. Yeah, he still has nightmares, but I’ve always been able to talk him through that. What happened downtown was because of a specific trigger. Ghost was trying to protect Milo. Justice calmed her wolf mate down and convince him to come home, just like Doctor Stanton said. A nurse came to our apartment. Milo tried to protest taking the pill, but she explained the other option was a night in the hospital wing. They compromised and gave him half a pill to help him sleep. She left the other half to give him if he needed it. I tiptoe into the bathroom, leaving the door op