Half an hourafter I return home, Ava’s car comes to a screeching halt in the driveway and both she and Bea are bundling me upstairs into my bedroom, locking the door behind us.
Ava pushes me down to sit on the bed and stands with her hands on her hips.
“Spill it,” she says.
“Jeez guys, I thought I was going to receive the interrogation from Axel and Angel. Not you two.”
“We have way more invested in this,” Bea says, nibbling raw cauliflower today. “What happened?”
“I had my heat,” I say, giving them both my most innocent of smiles.
“We know that much, Moll. Give us the deets.”
“Yes,” Bea says, “I’m a happily bonded woman with a baby pressing down on my bladder and a stomach the size of a watermelon. I’m living vicariously through you now.”
“You’re probably going to be disappointed then.”
Ava snorts. “Bea says Mr. Military was involved.”
“Uh huh.”
“Stop teasing us,” Bea says, flopping down on my right side as Ava comes to sit on my left.
I giggle. “You really want to know?”
They both stare at me like they might strangle me and I decide it’s time to dish the tea.
“Okay, okay. My heat came on early.”
“You weren’t due it for another week, right?”
“Yep, but I guess hanging out with three hot alphas messed with my system.”
“It happens,” Bea says wisely.
“Well, it’s never happened to me like that before. It sort of hit me out of nowhere – right in the office.”
“Oh God,” Ava says, hands flying to her mouth, “in front of everyone?”
I cringe in horror. “No, no, before everyone else arrived.”
“And …” Bea prompts, the floret of cauliflower hovering by her mouth.
“I sort of got hot and bothered with both Mr. Military and Mr. Red Flag.”
“At the same time?” Ava asks.
“In the office?” Bea adds.
“Yes and yes.” Ava goes to squeal, but I cut her off. “But then they both got all noble and self-righteous and there was talk of bringing me home.”
“Urgh,” Bea says, “that’s no fun.”
“No, anyway, it was coming on too fast so I ended up at River Caspian’s apartment around the corner.”
Ava’s jaw goes slack and she stares at me.
“Are you telling me?”