Page 118 of Knot a Bad Idea
“A mating bitedoesn’t fix everything, but it seems like it’s helping you.”
I’m in Sandy’s office, catching up on my therapy sessions that I kept postponing.
I almost didn’t want to tell her about the mating bites—it wasn’t the most rational decision, and I was scared that she would judge me.
I should have known better than that.
My therapist ishappyfor me.
I shift in my chair, unable to keep the smile off my face. “It feels…” I pause, attempting to find the correct words. “It feels…right.Like I’m where I’m supposed to be.”
Sandy puts her notebook down and smiles. “That’s all I want for you,” she says. “April, you’re a survivor, first of all. Andwatching you make your own decisions and take autonomy for your future tells me you’re doing something right.”
I nod. “I think so, too.”
I’ve been grinning like an idiot for the past month. The moment my Heat on the yacht ended, Donovanboughtit from Tom and Sophie. I didn’t realize it until later, but we basically desecrated the thing.
And when we arrived back at the packhouse, our mating bond still fresh, we destroyed every room in that place, too.
Without locking any doors, of course, since Donovan ripped all the doorknobs off.
Sandy’s eyebrows shot up into her skull when I told her what he did, but she played it off quickly, being the therapist she is.
She’s got a pretty good poker face, but Donovan’s actions still managed to shock her, just like they did me.
“And the housewarming party is later today, right?” Sandy asks, a soft smile still on her face. “How do you feel about that?”
“I mean, there’s a reason we’re having the session today,” I laugh, absentmindedly picking at the seat cushion. “Everyone’s going to be in the same place at once. Skylar’s pack, my pack, my mom, and Devyn and Ben. They’ve never all really met each other, and I’m worried it could go wrong.”
“How so?”
“Well…” I trail off and clear my throat, looking away from Sandy. “I don’t know. I’m worried they’re going to judge me for moving in so quickly with them. Or think it’s weird that they bought a new house in Isleton just so I could be closer to my café and family. And that they built a helipad for it, too. It will be the only helicopter in Isleton, I think.”
“But Skylar and Devyn don’t judge you,” my therapist adds. “They’re happy for you.”
“I know. Still…if you asked me a year ago, I would never do something like this. I would say it’s irrational, and I didn’t put enough thought into it. Who moves in with a pack that quickly?”
“April, it sounds likeyou’rejudging you. I don’t think anyone else is.”
I bite my lip. “Hmm.”
“Based on what you’ve told me about the people in your life, they just want what’s best for you. They want you happy.”
I know Sandy’s right, but I can’t stop the anxiety that creeps through my system.
“I still feel like I came back wrong, sometimes,” I admit. “I mean, the issue with the doors, the way I act…”
“Those things don’t change overnight,” Sandy says gently. “No one experiences trauma and comes back ‘wrong.’ Everyone responds in different ways.”
I nod, still unsure.
“Just keep doing what you’re doing, April. Keep taking those baby steps.”
“I wouldn’t call moving into a brand new home with my mates a baby step,” I mutter.
Sandy chuckles. “Neither would I. I would call it a leap of faith.”
The house is lovely.