Blind & Broken

Chapter Fifteen

When we make it down to the kitchen, Kallie leaves me with Bryn before I hear her footsteps trail away.

"Hey, where you been?" Bryn says. I hear her set a glass down on the counter.

"The Queen wanted to chat with me," I shrug, "no big deal."

A puff of air comes out of her mouth. "Well that doesn't sound like 'no big deal.' You okay?"

I give her a small smile. "I'm good. She just wanted to get to know me. Seems we have some things in common."

She sucks in a breath — I assume to ask questions on that response — but she's cut off when a new voice joins the room. Or I should say two new voices.

"Good morning you two! Seems you slept well, didn't see you before I left." I recognize Kaitlyn.

"Well maybe you should make sure your guests are taken care of before you run off to your friend's house?" Cameron teases her.

I raise my hand to brush it off, not really sure if they're looking my way. "It's fine, she's done plenty for us already." Addressing Kate, I add, "don't ever feel like you can't go hang out with your friends in town, I don't want to be an extra headache."

I feel her footsteps on the floor as she makes her way over to me before her arms wrap around my shoulders. "Will you stop? Indie, you aren't a headache, okay?"

"Okay," I whisper, even though that didn't really help my insecurities about staying here.

She pulls back, "well I assume you guys ate?"

Cameron speaks up before I can say anything. "Indie said she wasn't hungry earlier. She completely turned down my very hospitable offer, Kate!"

I roll my eyes at his fake hurt. "If you're still feeling hospitable, I'll take a piece of toast?" Ugh why'd it come out like a question?

"Coming right up!" I hold back a giggle at how excited he sounds to toast me a piece of bread.

Bryn pipes up, "I ate earlier, so I'm all good."

Kate claps her hands together, making me jump a little. "Oh! Why don't we go for a run? We have an amazing area of land around us, and it's absolutely beautiful this time of year!"

Bryn's feet hit the floor, I hadn't realized she was sitting at the counter this whole time. "A run sounds nice! But weren't you just out with your friend? You want to go again?"

The princess sucks in a breath, "Alexis isn't a wolf, actually. She doesn't even know about us. So no, I wasn't just on a run."

I raise my eyebrows. The princess of werewolves's best friend is a human? On top of that: a human they still hide from. For some reason, that baffles me. How do they ever hang out? What if the wolf wants to come out unexpectedly?

Maybe that's not how it works. Being stunted, I wouldn't know what goes on in the brain when you shift.

"Great!" My attention is turned back to Bryn and Kate. "Wanna go right now?"

"I'm down." Cameron speaks up. I hear the toaster pop and he starts buttering the bread. I point my head down, the impression of looking at my feet, as it sinks in that they'll all go for a run while I get to sit here, probably eating my piece of toast. I remind myself I don't want to be a headache, so it'll be fine. I can find something for myself to do, even if it's just being alone with my thoughts.