Chapter Eighteen

The cafe was fairly crowded, but a table right at the outside, by the sidewalk opened as we approached, and Minx plopped down and dragged me to sit beside her. "We'll hold the table, Ava, if you don't mind getting our drink order in?" As our sister made her way toward the register, Minx said, "They will deliver it to us, but we have to go up and order and pay first."

We had the best people-watching spot, and as someone who had always felt a little out of step with those around me, I was used to sitting by myself and observing. But my sisters were not about to let me drift off into my own head, and when Ava returned to sit with us, she reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. "No wind, right?"

I shook my head.

Minx patted my other hand and arched a brow.

"Nothing, except it's kind of a nice feeling. Warm and friendly."

"I don't think it's that you can't be touched," she said. "I think it's when something scares you or violates your walls. They may be higher than average due to your experiences, but you can learn to use those defenses to your benefit or even to help others. I had to learn to control mine."

"Really?"

"Our mates made all the difference for both of us."

The server brought our drinks and I gasped at the fat straws. "The bubbles come right up those?"

"Enjoy." Ava sucked on her straw then smiled. "It's fun."

I spent a moment learning the ins and outs of boba before we returned to the topic at hand. "I was feeling really out of control. And scared that if I caused damage, I would end up thrown out on the street."

"You were aging out of foster care, right?"

"Yes, and the scholarship to the Werewolf Academy saved me." I sucked on the straw again and chewed the tapioca balls. It was kind of weird, but the drinks were such vivid colors and mine was delicious mango. "If I can't stay here, I don't know what I would do. I've already been rejected by my parents. And I've never felt like I belonged anywhere until now. Not really."

"You do belong here." Ava's fierce tone made me smile despite myself. "With us and our mates and Neo, Artemis, and Ian."

"Your mates," Minx put in helpfully.

I was entirely unsure of that as a fact, them being my mates, but somehow, I was unable to deny it. I went another way instead. "I know you two can't know who my mother is or was, but we share a father. Do you have any idea where we might find him?"

"No." Ava leaned back in her seat. "We tried but other than some cryptic stuff like him being an original shifter, we were getting nowhere, so we finally gave up and decided to make peace with the whole absentee father thing. Our gifts come from him, we are fairly sure, and they make us stand out from the rest of the shifters, but other than that, he's just a sperm donor who chose not to get involved."

"I kind of hate that." More than kind of. "Maybe one day we will learn more. But for right now, I am very grateful to have all of you, and at least you want me, even if he doesn't."

"He doesn't want any of us," Minx said. "So why should we want him? I think we do pretty good ourselves, especially now that we have you with us." She stood up. "We need to get going though. I have an exam in my last class before lunch, and I'm not doing that well in there, so I don't dare miss it."

I hopped up too. "Oh no. Did I keep you from studying?"

"No, you're fine."

The three of us hustled back, though, and we parted in the front hallway to go to our classes. I was worried about getting in trouble for leaving campus when I was supposed to be in class, but nobody said anything, and soon it was time for lunch.

I was so hungry after my run that I was ready to eat anything and everything and piled my tray high with everything at the taco bar then found my guys and Dahlia at the table that was quickly becoming our spot. Sitting down between Neo and Ian, I allowed their scent to wash over me and sighed. They were big guys and their legs pressed into mine and it was not scary at all. No winds rose to scatter napkins. I felt calm, soothed, and horny.

What a weird combo.