Page 46 of Love Bites Hard

And that meant I needed to start showing him a little more compassion, even though I still had to hold to my boundaries.

The next week passed quickly.

I only saw Porter in passing, other than the next time he fed me as briefly as possible. He spoke to me through the mate bond to let me know where he was and what he was doing from time to time. I told him I was swimming, and sent him mental images of myself in my swimsuit.

I hoped the images would push him to act again, but no dice.

Eight days had gone by when my sisters finally managed a visit. The lake was already a little less murky than it had been when I arrived, but after I spent all day swimming with my sisters, it would get much better.

I waited for them in the hallway where Wolf Manor met the neutral territory, leaning up against the wall. Porter joined me around the time I got Clementine’s text that they were on their way, and I couldn’t stop myself from tapping my foot as the minutes passed.

“You’re excited,” Porter said, watching me closely.

“Of course I’m excited. This is the longest I’ve been away from all of my sisters in more than a decade. They’re all I have at this point.”

“You have me.”

“Do I?” I lifted an eyebrow.

His expression changed, but the security doors opened before I could decide what he might’ve felt in response to the question.

My attention snapped back to them in time to see two large vampire guards come through. Clementine stepped around them, her whole face lighting up when she saw me.

I couldn’t help but grin as I caught her, hugging her fiercely.

“Vamp Manor isn’t the same without you,” she said into my hair. “Can we break you out of here?”

I laughed, though I heard Porter’s mostly suppressed growl. “No, but I miss you too.”

I wouldn’t offer to let my sisters move to the wolves’ land unless they asked. And in that case, I’d have to talk to Porter to make sure there was a way to keep them safe. But honestly, Vamp Manor seemed like the safest place for them, and I wanted them safe more than I wanted to keep them with me.

Plus, Blair would be alone if they left.

Granted, she did have friends in Vamp Manor. And Hale. She was ridiculously in love with him, and he was even crazier about her.

So maybe she’d be fine just seeing our sisters when we all met up.

But Wolf Manor still wasn’t safe for an unmated siren. Which meant it didn’t particularly matter where they wanted to be. The vampires were the only real option.

“Did she turn down the break-out?” Zora asked Clem, as she threw her arms around me next.

“She did,” I confirmed.

Zora gave a dramatic sigh. “Bitch.”

“I know. You love me anyway.”

“You know I do.”

Avery stepped into my arms after Zora moved, hugging me just as tightly as the others had. “The roof misses you,” she murmured.

“You shouldnotbe up there alone.”

“Blair’s turning it into a mini-golf course, so the construction stuff keeps me hidden.”

“It does not.”

She pulled away, a little mischief on her face as she lifted her finger to her lips in the universal sign for “shh”.

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