I didn't know what to say to Xavier.

He didn't stop by at all the week I was out of school. Ivy and Audrey brought me all my homework and kept me updated on everything happening at school.

"And Mrs. Jacobson is just so boring," Ivy groaned. "Like, all she does is stand upfront and go on and on about something old and boring, and that I don't care about."

"It's history class," Audrey reminded her. "It's not meant to be exciting. It's meant to be all about history, hence the name."

Right now the three of us were sprawled out all across my bedroom. Ivy was sitting at my desk, painting her nails a light pink shade that went well with her fair complexion. Audrey was sitting criss-cross at the door of my bed scrolling through her phone, and I was at the top of my bed. My back proper up against the headboard, and my feet stretched out in front of me.

They had come by to drop off my homework and of course, my mom invited them in for dinner. Tonight it was tacos.

"Yeah, but why does it have to put me to sleep?" Ivy whined.

"Because everything bores you," I laughed.

"Yeah!" Audrey spoke up agreeing with me. "You have an awful attention span. Which is very surprising since your the soon-to-be beta female of the pack."

"Just because I don't like learning about some guy that invited some things and then died at like 28, doesn't mean that I'm a bad female beta," Ivy pointed out.

"How are you passing history?" I asked her amazed.

"It helps that the new teacher is part of the pack and she knows how busy I am."

"Ivy you told Mrs. Jacobson on Wednesday that Xavier mind linked you to meet him ASAP just so you could go home and watch the new episode of 'Criminal Minds,'" Audrey said through laughter.

"It was important," Ivy shrugged. "And it was worth it."

I laughed along with them.

Everything has been so crazy lately that it's nice to feel like a normal teenager. This past week on bed rest had been the best and worst week. The worst because I can't do anything, but the best because it feels normal. Life feels normal again, back when I lived in Arizona and all I had to worry about was getting a sunburn.

"Speaking of Xavier," Audrey said causally. "Have you thought about reaching out?"

Xavier was the one subject none of us had touched. I didn't know what to say to them or to him, I was still processing what my mom told me.

"Why do you ask?" I glanced down at my fingers and absentmindedly started picking away at the faded nail polish I had on.

"Because he's been insufferable this past week!" Ivy exclaimed capping the nail polish and throwing herself onto my bed. "All he's doing is mopping and being annoying and going out for runs just so he can run past your house and check on you.

I could feel my cheeks heat up at the mention that he's been checking up on me. "He's been what?"

"It's not a secret," Audrey added on. "I'm surprised that you haven't brought it up or at least told him to go away. He says out there every night just so he can see you," she pointed at the woods outside my windows.

"And then he gets back home just as we're all waking up and tries to act like he didn't just sleep in the dirt all night, like hello!" Ivy went on waving her arms in the air. "I can smell you. We can all smell you. We're werewolves with super smell and you smell awful. But he never admits it, ur drives me crazy."

"And don't even get me started on when the guys try and talk to him. It's all business and no play. Like Brad and Grayson tried to convince him to go for a guys night but he said he had paperwork," Audrey went on. "But he has no paperwork. We know that because his dad has been taking care of it."

I could feel my heart slowly breaking all over again in my chest.

"How's Cecelia?" I missed her. She was like the little sister I never had.

Ivy and Audrey exchange a look.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" Ivy said avoiding eye contact with me.

"That look," I pointed I gestured between them. "You two just shared a look when I asked about Cecelia."

"You tell her!" Audrey blurted out.

"No way!" Ivy yelled back. "You tell her."

"You're the beta female, it's your job to tell people things."

Ivy bit her lip and let out a big sign. "Cecelia hasn't been doing that well either."

"What?" I asked confused. "Why not? Did something happen with her and Hunter?"

"It's you," Ivy said simply. "She misses you. You became like an older sister to her. I mean, sure she has me and Audrey, but we aren't her family."

"But I'm not family either."

"You're Xavier's mate. She felt the sister bond with you when he felt the mate bond. In that moment you became family, and now to Cecelia, it's like her sister left."

"I'd never leave her," I told both girls honestly. "No matter what happens with Xavier and me, she'll always be my sister."

"What is going to happen?" Audrey whispered so quietly I almost didn't hear her.

"Are you going to leave?"

At that moment I didn't need to think about my answer anymore.

I had been going over everything in my head for the past week, but seeing Ivy and Audrey and hearing about how heartbroken Cecelia and Xavier were — I didn't need more time. It was just like my mom said in the car when she drove me home from the hospital, you just know.

"No," I said. "I'm not. And I don't need to think about it anymore. He loves me and I love him. And that's all I need. I know that he'll away be there for me."

"He always will be, Addie," Audrey smiled softly at me placing her hand on my knee in a sweet gesture. "And he does really love you. If making you happy me at letting you go then he'd help you pack."

"Just don't ask him to drive you to the airports," Ivy teaser trying to lighten the mood. "Because you'll either be there eight hours early, or either eight hours too late. No in-between. And if it counts, Xavier really does love you and so do we."

"I love you guys too," I said getting teary-eyed. "You're like my sisters."

"Not like sisters, we are sisters," Audrey said.

"As long as you don't steal my clothes without asking." Ivy laughed.

I leaned forward, my arms outstretched and half fell, half lunged to wrap my arms around the two girls that were family.

"I'll come by the pack house tomorrow," I promised. "Tonight I just need to sleep and think about what I'm going to say to him."

"We'll make sure that he's there," Audrey said still clinging onto me in our awkward hug.

"And Cecelia too."

"And just so you know, Addy," Ivy said pulling away from the hug, the smile still on her face. "Andrew is still in the pack dungeon. Neither Xavier or any of the guards have touched him."

That made me even more sure. Even though we were fighting and in a weird spot, he still made sure not to hurt me.

"We love you, Addison," both girls told me.

—

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