Best Friends (New Species #15)(105)

“It’s too dangerous.”

“What Snow just said,” Mel added.

Mary frowned at her. “No one knows where I’ve been, and the guy who broke into our apartments was arrested. Snow and you can meet me at the gate like before, to bring me back here. I’ll deal with Lash if he’s mad.”

“He’ll be furious,” Snow warned.

“I can handle him.” She felt certain Lash wouldn’t hurt her. He might roar, but she wasn’t afraid of him anymore. She was his mate. He’d said it countless times himself.

“I won’t help you leave Reservation.” Snow shook his head.

Mary felt her anger rising. “You also said you’d keep me safe. Then I ended up being chased into that vent. Why were those guys looking for me, huh?”

Snow paled.

“Mary—”

She turned on her friend. “Look, I want my clothes, Mel. No one is after either of us anymore. At least not me. Everyone knows I’m terrified of animals. It’s a huge joke around town. I’ll be gone for one hour. I can drive there in fifteen minutes, shove my stuff in a few suitcases so I have enough to wear for a while, and that will maybe take twenty minutes at most. Then I’ll drive back.”

“Lash would kill me for letting you leave.” Snow stood.

Mel got in Mary’s face. “Those New Species men weren’t looking for you. You flipped out thinking they were, but they weren’t.”

“I heard them. They were looking for me,” Mary argued.

“No! They were looking for Chimes. She was the female New Species at our wedding who waved a few times at you, trying to be nice, but you were afraid of her. She’s a nurse. One of the guys asked Snow if he was going to take off my garter and throw it like women do with the bouquet. They’d watched some videos of weddings to prepare for ours. We forgot about that part. Chimes said they kept some medical supplies stored in one of the rooms at the hotel, and she went to find it so she could make me a garter from those stretchy bandage wrap things. She was gone for a while, so a few of the guys she’d promised to dance with went to find her. That’s who they were looking for.”

“They said they smelled me.”

“Chimes. Not you. The storage rooms are right by the bathroom.”

Mary looked at Snow.

He nodded. “Once we learned how you ended up in the vents, everyone at our wedding was asked questions to see who might have frightened you. The two males admitted to going down that corridor, and why. They didn’t know you were in the bathroom. They found Chimes, helped her locate the box she needed, and then returned to the cafeteria with her. Soon after, Mel tried to call you but you didn’t answer. Then we realized you were missing, and I tracked your scent to the vent. The search was on.”

Mary took a seat on the couch, stunned. “It sounded like they were fighting or about to. I thought they were hunting me like a sport.”

“They were playing. Species are competitive.”

She’d never been in danger. Those two New Species hadn’t been coming after her.

She lifted her head, staring at Mel.

“I didn’t want to tell you, but I also didn’t expect you to blame Snow. You flipped out for no reason, Mary. Sorry.”

“Shit.” Mary lowered her head into her hands.

“Don’t feel bad, best friend. You got to meet Lash. That was good, right?”

She couldn’t help but smile, and she dropped her hands, lifting her head. “Leave it to you to see an upside to this. You crazy hillbilly.”

Mel pushed the bag off the couch and sat next to her. “That’s right. With a paranoid bestie. No New Species wanted to hurt you. See? You just thought so.”

“I feel like an idiot now.”

“That’s why I didn’t want to tell you. Those two guys felt real bad once it was figured out how they must have scared you, and still do.”

That made Mary feel worse.

Mel put her arm around her and gave her a side hug. “They wanted to apologize to you but I told them not to. I hope that’s okay. And Lash is in your life because of you flipping out. That turned out great. Right?”

“Yes. It did.” Mary glanced at the bag. “I still want my clothes, though. I’ve given up everything to stay here. Joel is pissed at me. I’d also like to give my landlord notice while I’m there.” She stared at Mel. “I feel like I’m screwing people over who count on me. First, I quit my job and left Joel in a lurch. Now I’m moving out of my apartment, and Paul depends on the units being rented in his building. He deserves as much time as possible to find someone to replace me when I leave. I need one hour. I can pack up my clothes and inform Paul as I leave that I’m moving out as soon as the NSO can arrange for my stuff to be picked up.”

“Don’t mention the NSO,” Snow ordered.

Mary smiled at him. “You’re going to let me go?”

His features tensed. “No. Lash would kill me.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ll be back before he even knows I’m gone. I can handle Lash.”

Snow shook his head. “Ask Lash to escort you there with a security team. I can’t see him letting you go anywhere outside of Reservation without him.”

Mary turned to Mel. “No way do I want Lash escorting me home to get clothes. Your husband is friendly and reasonable. Lash…isn’t. One hour, Mel. You know I’ll come back. Best friend pinkie swear. This isn’t a ruse for me to run away from him. He’s convinced me to stay with him. I’m committed. Even if it is crazy.”