We fought playfully until we’d both had enough. A wolf play-fight still left real cuts and bruises. We lay in the soft grass for a while, watching the sky change color as dawn drew closer. I caught myself drifting off and decided it was time to head back. As much as I loved the forest, when I fell asleep for the day I wanted to be in my own comfy bed.
Shaz and I trotted back at a leisurely pace. The sun was just barely glowing on the horizon when we crossed the small stretch of field that separated the tree line from Kylarai’s backyard. The forest was the one thing I missed the most since I moved out of Ky’s and into Raoul’s house. Living in a small-town suburb outside the big city made it easy enough to get back to Ky’s for a run, but it just wasn’t the same as having this lovely forest outside my own door.
Kylarai was standing on the back deck when we approached. She was wrapped tightly in a long, fuzzy robe, and I envied her coziness.
“You two are out pretty late.” She greeted us with a wave. “It’s four o’clock. Want to come in for coffee since you’re here anyway? I put a pot on when I first noticed you out there.”
To shift, I disappeared beneath the upraised deck where I’d left my clothes. Shaz followed suit, and within minutes we were sipping from steaming mugs of coffee in Kylarai’s kitchen.
“Are you just going to bed or just getting up?” I asked, giving her a serious once over. Her hair was a mess, and she looked as if she hadn’t slept in days. “If we’d known you were up, we would have asked you to join us.”
She shrugged and stared into her coffee cup. “I’ve been buried in work lately. Took on a new case that is pretty sticky. They have a lot of assets to split up, and of course they want to fight over every single one of them.”
Shaz and I exchanged a glance. Kylarai was a known workaholic. She liked to stay busy with her career as a divorce lawyer, but this was more than that. She was working to escape from her break up with Julian.
“You need more time off, Ky. Regular time off.” I didn’t mean to scold. She was a grown woman, but she never hesitated to tell me what I needed to hear. I was willing to do the same. Her energy was low, and if I focused, I could feel the distress of her wolf. “Time as wolf.”
“I know. Zoey has been saying the same thing.” Ky glanced down the hall. The door to Zoey’s room, my old room, was closed. “So I was thinking maybe we could do a girl’s night out tonight. If you’re not busy.”
I looked into her grey eyes and saw the pain that she tried to hide. This Julian incident wasn’t something she was going to get over easily. I wouldn’t have either.
“Yes, definitely. Let’s do a girl’s night. I could use one, too.”
Shaz looked back and forth between us. “What does a girl’s night out consist of exactly?”
“If we told you, we’d have to kill you.” I smiled and winked.
Kylarai laughed and smoothed down her wild hair. “I promise to sleep and shower first though. I won’t make you take me out looking like this.”
“Are you kidding?” Shaz let his gaze slowly sweep over her. “You’re a knockout, Ky. Never doubt it.”
“Nice try, kid. You’re not that good of a liar.” Kylarai threw a sugar cube across the table at him. “So what’s new with you guys? Fill me in on all the latest. Arys worried me with his mysterious danger talk.”
Shaz leaned down to retrieve the sugar cube from the floor. “Arys thrives on drama and trouble. I don’t think he’s happy if there isn’t something going on.”
“It’s nothing we can’t handle. I told you about the blood ring Harley was involved in. Seems there are a few people affiliated with him that are looking for a little restitution.” I shrugged, hoping I came across as unaffected. I didn’t want her to worry.
Kylarai’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. “You’ve got balls, Alexa, more than most men I know. I don’t know how you can deal with this stuff and stay so grounded. I’d be a basket case.”
“Well thanks, but I’m hardly as well put together as it might appear. This is the perfect time for a night out. I’ll have to do laundry when I get home so I have something decent to wear.” By that I meant something without bloodstains.
We chatted over another cup of coffee, until the sun was high in the eastern sky. I was stifling yawns like crazy when at last Ky shoved us out the door so she could sleep through the day. I longed for my own bed and my white wolf curled up next to me.
“I’ll pick you up tonight at eight,” Ky called as we made our way down the front walk. “I can’t wait!”
Though I was too tired to show it, I shared her enthusiasm. We didn’t spend as much time together since I’d moved out, and I really missed her. As long as I knew Lena was still safe, I’d be able to let myself go and have a good time. Good times were becoming fewer and farther in between. A relaxing night out with the girls was just what I needed.