Page 115 of Love Bites Hard

We headed over to Vamp Manor on the actual holiday, and Izzy held my hand tighter than she usually did.

“I used to think I wouldn’t like holding someone’s hand,” she admitted to me, as we made our way through the vampires’ security checkpoint.

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I guess it seemed silly. Now I hold your hand all the time.” She shrugged.

I could tell she was nervous, and trying to distract herself.

“What are you worrying about?” I asked, pulling her a little closer.

She sighed. “Without Clem there, everything will be different. Blair’s sort of the leader, and I’m like, the sarcastic, independent one, but Clementine holds us together. We were all quiet and sad when she was stuck in Vamp Manor before the rest of us were allowed in. I’m worried it will be like that again.”

“We’ll try to make the best of it,” I said, squeezing her hand.

“And if it’s awkward?”

“Then we feign being tired from the pack’s holiday, and call it a night early.”

She smiled, though she still looked worried. “I guess that’s as good a plan as any.”

“It’ll be fine, baby.” I kissed her as the elevator closed behind us.

We met everyone else in a large meeting room close to Hale’s office. Though Zora still looked angry and was keeping to herself, everyone else was chatting. We greeted Hale’s sister and her mate, along with a few other vampires I vaguely recognized as people who were close with Hale. One of them was a doctor. Kara, maybe?

Despite Izzy’s worries, she settled into a conversation about the pack easily enough.

When the doors flew open a few minutes later, all of us turned our heads.

Izzy sucked in a breath beside me when an irritated-looking Clementine strode into the room with a blond fae man behind her.

“Tell me she didn’t mate with the fae king,” Avery whispered to Zora, behind us.

“I don’t think I can,” Zora groaned.

Something told me there was a pretty good story behind that—and I looked forward to hearing it.

Tucking my mate against my side, I flashed Kai a small grin. “Welcome to the family.”

epilogue

PORTER—AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE

“Stop stalling,Iz. Just pee on the stick.”

“I told you, I’m not peeing in front of you,” she tossed back, waving the stick with her as she gestured toward the door. “Get out.”

“I’m a wolf, baby. We pee on things to mark them as our territory. It’s a miracle I haven’t peed onyouyet. Let’s get this over with.” I waved her toward the toilet.

Her face was red. “What if it’s negative again? I could just be losing my mind. I’ve already had a dozen negative tests, and I think I’m going to lose it if this one’s negative too. People lose their minds when they try for babies. It’s a thing, okay? I don’t want to be crazy. I?—”

I kissed her hard, then pulled away. “If you’re crazy, we’ll deal with it. If you’re not pregnant, we’ll keep screwing until you are, the same way we always do. We can’t control what the test says, but it’ll happen when the time is right. Either way, it’s time to learn the answer.”

She sighed dramatically. “If you leave me because I’m crazy, Iwillkill you.”

“I like you crazy. Stop stalling.”

“Fine. At least look away.”

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