Even though she’d slept half the afternoon away, she still felt tired. Lying on the sofa, watching back-to-back Grey’s Anatomy episodes would do that to a person. It was exhausting watching all of that drama.

A sharp rap interrupted her reverie. She yawned, heading for the door. Who could be knocking on her door? It was Sunday evening. Family time. That, or chill time.

They knocked again.

“Yeah, yeah. On my way.” She looked through the keyhole and chuckled as she caught Meredith’s broad smile.

Alice unlocked and opened the door. “I come bearing gifts.” Meredith held up a bottle of wine and a bag of what looked like Chinese take-out.

“Egg rolls and that noodle dish you love.”

Her stomach seemed to have forgotten the pizza she’d had for lunch because it made a growling noise.

“Just in time.” Meredith laughed, looking at her mid-section. “Are you still in your pajamas?” Her friend pulled a face.

“No, these are my comfy clothes.” She wasn’t about to admit that she had, in fact, slept in them last night.

Alice grabbed some plates, cutlery, and wine glasses and they sat down at the table. The one, she and Ash, had used and abused last month.

Not going there! She handed the opener to Meredith, while she unpacked the bag, opening the boxes inside. “This looks amazing.”

Meredith was turning the corkscrew. “I want to hear all about it.” Then her eyes widened. “Is that a bite mark on your neck?”

Oh shit! Alice had forgotten about that. “Um … yeah. Can I dish for you or …?”

Meredith bounced up and down on the spot. The half-opened bottle in her hands forgotten.

“What’s wrong?”

“You do know what a bite means don’t you?”

Alice shook her head. “It wasn’t a big deal. I mean the sex was even better. I didn’t think it could get better, but it has. Other than that …” She narrowed her eyes. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Did Ash tell you anything about the bite?”

Her mind was a little fuzzy about what Ash had said directly after that mind-blowing orgasm. She’d been in a state of complete euphoria. Her endorphin levels must have been through the roof. “Um … he apologized profusely. No biggie. It didn’t hurt … the opposite was true.” Understatement of note. Sheesh! She’d felt that orgasm from the perfectly trimmed ends on her hair to her manicured toes.

“He didn’t tell you that biting is mating behavior?” Meredith pulled the cork out of the bottle with a pop.

“I guess, but it’s not like that—”

“Or that the shifters never bite unless they’re serious about someone?”

“Look,” Alice held up a hand, “it really isn’t anything like that. We’re just having sex. Nothing more and nothing less. Neither of us is interested in the whole relationship thing. You know why. I’ve cried on your shoulder plenty of times.”

“I think he might just have feelings for you. These shifters don’t normally spend more than one Shifter Night with someone. Two at the most. Three is unheard of. He’s into you. I know it. I can just feel it.”

Meredith still hadn’t managed to snag herself a shifter. They’d become somewhat of an obsession to her.

“No, you’re wrong.” Alice shook her head. Something tightened inside her. “I don’t think we’re going to see each other again.” She felt sad at the thought. Make that, her lady bits felt sad. They would never get that kind of attention again. Not ever. Her eyes pricked a little. She was still so young and destined to have lousy sex because nothing was topping what she and Ash had. Sexually. Of course.

Meredith frowned. “Why do you say that?” She poured them each a glass of wine.

“He gave me the classic ‘I’ll call you’ line. No, he said he’d text me.”

“Oh shit!” Meredith handed her a glass. “Are you serious?”

“Yup.” Alice took a sip. “It was weird between us. I can’t put my finger on it. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him I’d see him next month.”

“How did he look?” Meredith took a big glug of her wine.

“Like he was panicking. I don’t know, shock. He wasn’t happy about it.”

“What did you do?”

“I don’t know why I even said it. I’ve just grown used to seeing him when he’s here. It slipped out.”

“Oh, you poor thing. I’m so glad I came around.”

Alice made a face. “I’m fine … really. I mean, I’ll miss the sex. I’ll really, really miss the sex, but otherwise,” she snorted and waved a hand, “it’s not like Ash and I talked much or anything. I only saw him a handful of times. How can you miss someone you don’t even know, right?” She laughed. “I realized today that I don’t know anything about him. Other than he has a twin brother he hates ‒ and I found that out by accident. Oh, and he was hurt badly by someone called Savannah. That’s it, the sum total of the things I know about Ash.”

“Twin brother, huh?”

“Trust me, you don’t want to go there. Gage is a rude pig. Although …” she sighed, “I get the distinct impression he was being an asshole just to get at Ash. He may not actually be an asshole.”

“Right.” Meredith put an egg roll on her plate. “So, you’re fine with this? You’re sure?”

“More than sure.” Oh flip! How could she have forgotten?

“What’s wrong? You suddenly look like you just saw a ghost.”

“We didn’t use a condom last night,” Alice blurted. “Just the once. It was an accident.”

“Yeah, but you’re on the pill right?”

Alice shook her head. “No.”

“Oh shit.”

“Exactly.” Her heart beat like mad. “I was supposed to go and get a morning after pill and I forgot about it. I completely forgot about it. What’s wrong with me?”

“Selective amnesia. Maybe you want to have Ash’s baby.”

“That’s the craziest thing I have ever heard.” Her voice was a tad shrill. “Ever! I’m not ready to be a mom.” Alice forced herself to breathe slower. To calm down. “I’m not ovulating. It’s going to be fine.” Her little pep talk wasn’t working. “Would the pill still work if I took it first thing tomorrow?”

“I’m not sure.” Meredith shook her head. She grabbed her purse and after digging in it for a few seconds, she pulled out her phone. With a minute of typing, she looked up. “It says the sooner the better but as long as you take it within seventy-two hours you’re golden.”

“Okay, so,” Alice’s mind raced, “if I take the pill at nine tomorrow …” she did the calculations in her head, “it will make it around thirty-seven hours.” She sighed heavily. “Well, within the window specified.”

“Exactly.” Meredith continued to dish for herself. “There we go. All sorted.”

“All sorted.” Although Alice felt ten times better, she would only breathe easy when she got her period. Bring it on!