Tangle of Need (Psy-Changeling #11)(20)

“I know all about that.”

Evie’s laughter wrapped around them before her best friend linked her arm through Sienna’s. “How about—” She bit off her words. “I was going to say how about we grab some food from the kitchen and go to your quarters, but you have a mate now.” A look of pure delight.

“Hawke’s not in the den.” He was in a meeting with Lucas, Nikita, Anthony, and Nikita’s security chief, Max. She knew that because he’d detoured on his way out of den territory to kiss her, their bodies pressing chest to toe in that affectionate changeling way she’d once envied in other couples. It was utterly as wonderful as she’d thought it would be.

“Meeting was meant to be tomorrow,” he’d told her, his breath a hot caress against her lips. “But Nikita”—a growling tone—“has to head urgently out of the city to sort out a business situation, so it’s been brought forward. Normally, I wouldn’t care if she lost some of her billions, but it might affect a workforce of a thousand-plus.”

“Are you getting together to do a security review?” Everyone in the region had worked together to repel Pure Psy, and that cooperation continued in the aftermath.

“Yes. The present calm’s no excuse to let down our guard. Especially with what’s apparently happening in the PsyNet.”

Putting aside—for tonight at least—the solemn knowledge that what was coming would likely be far worse than what had already gone, Sienna glanced at Evie. “Come on, there’s food in the galley in our quarters.”

“Tell me you have snacks,” Evie said after they’d entered. “We’ll be healthy and have vegetables later.”

“I’m Psy. I don’t eat snacks.” It was something she’d once said to Evie, bewildered by the other woman’s overtures of friendship. Evie hadn’t backed off, her stubbornness sweet, gentle—and relentless.

Now, the two of them laughed as she grabbed a bag of potato chips for Evie, as well as a toffee apple for herself. Her additions to the galley had made Hawke shake his head … then bring her a sugar-laden treat every Friday. Biting into the apple with a smile, she dropped into the sofa beside Evie and toed off her boots and socks, propping her feet on the coffee table.

“That’ll rot your teeth,” Evie said, crunching on a potato chip, the lustrous ebony of her hair curling over the shoulders of her white cashmere cardigan.

“Pot. Kettle. Black.”

“God I love salt.” Another crunch. “Since I have no shame, I’m going to ask you what’s it like being mated.”

“Wonderful.” Breathtaking enough that it scared her at times. “It’s the other things that shake me up now and then.”

“Such as?”

Sienna had to finagle toffee from her teeth before she could speak. “Such as knowing I’ve become part of the center of the pack when my natural inclination is to be on the periphery.” She was an X, a cardinal, had been trained to be a covert operative. “I feel so exposed sometimes.” As if everyone was watching her.

Evie got up to grab them bottles of fruit juice. “That’s normal, Sin. Any woman who mates an alpha—forget about mating the alpha of the biggest changeling pack in the country—is going to stress a little at the sudden change in status and responsibility. If you didn’t, you’d be a robot.”

Sienna knew that tone. “You think I need to cut myself some slack.”

“I knew constant sex with Hawke hadn’t rotted your brains.”

Sienna almost choked on the bite of apple in her mouth. Gulping the juice to wash it down, she pointed a finger at Evie. “I should be used to the things that come out of your mouth by now.”

Evie smiled, beatific.

Shaking her head, Sienna said, “Thanks for the advice.” Evie had a way of cutting right to the heart of a matter, and doing so with a kindness that was innate.

“You’re welcome, Ms. Type A Personality.” A gentle nudge followed by a glimpse of open vulnerability. “To be honest, I was a little worried our relationship would change with you being mated. It’s nice to know you still want to talk like we used to.”

“I’ll always need to talk to you, Evie.” Friendship was a cherished gift to Sienna, the one she shared with Evie her first and deepest. “I was scared, too,” she confessed, “that maybe you wouldn’t feel comfortable with me anymore, would censor yourself.”

Evie rolled her eyes. “Idiot.”

A knot Sienna hadn’t even been aware of unraveled in her chest. “Talking of mating—you and Tai?”

“There’s no bond,” Evie said, following Sienna to the galley as she hunted out the ingredients for a salad. “That’s not unusual at our age. But he’s mine.” She began to wash the lettuce. “I’m going to make him get an ‘I belong to Evie’ tattoo.”

Sienna laughed. “Possessive much?”

“Tai’s oblivious”—a satisfied smile—“but some of the older women have been giving him the eye since he filled out.” Evie’s own eyes shifted from gray to a vivid yellow-gold. “Just because I’m submissive doesn’t mean I won’t find creative and nasty ways to make them sorry if they dare come on to my man.”