~Amber's POV~
"So, you're really feeling better, huh?" I asked Avery with a hint of uncertainty. I didn't want her to pretend like she was fine just to please me or others. However, I could smell my brother on her so I'm guessing something perked up her mood.
"I'm fine, Amber I promise. Seriously, I haven't felt this good in a long time. I would really love to hang out with you tho, outside these bars, maybe a spa day and then some shopping?" She looked at me with puppy eyes and a big pout.
That did sound really nice, so much so that I was actually considering it.
"We'll have to ask James first." I said and she bobbed her head up and down. Some fresh air and a shopping mall couldn't possibly do any damage.
'Hey, Avery wants to go shopping and have lunch. Is it okay if we leave?' I mind-linked my brother.
'Amber, the rogues were after her'
'What?'
' We'll talk about it later but...' He stopped talking and then I heard a loud sigh.
'I don't want her to feel locked up and something normal like shopping might help her. Just keep her safe'
"Uhh, Amber..." I heard Avery's voice and broke the mind link. Her eyes were wide open and her finger was pointed towards my face and that's when I felt that my canines were out and my claws were extended. I calmed Stella down and retracted my canines and my claws. I looked back at Avery. She smiled nervously at me. I stood up and reached out my hand for her to grab.
"They're not gonna pop out again right?'' She asked and I just rolled my eyes and took a hold of her hand, pulling her up to her feet.
"Let's get you changed and cleaned and then we're leaving." I told her.
"Yay!" She said, jumping up and down like a little girl. I sometimes forgot that she was only eighteen years old with everything going on. However, given the circumstances of her upbringing, I think she had raised herself for a long time.
"Amber!" Avery whined from behind me as we walked through the mall.
"I know that this was my idea but my legs hurt. My stomach is growling at me and I'm tired." She said as she pouted. We had been in three different stores and spent around one hour in each one. I guess it was time for lunch. I stopped beside a bench so that Avery could rest her legs.
"Fine, let's eat, and then we hit the spa." Her face lit up. After she had rested and massaged her legs for a few minutes, we walked out of the mall and headed to a sushi shop not too far away. It was right beside the spa so it was perfect.
What Avery didn't know was that Kaden, a warrior, was sitting in a car that was following us, in case something were to happen. After my brother told me that the rogues were after Avery my eyes and ears had been on high alert the entire time.
We sat down at a round table in the corner. Kaden came in not too long after and sat on the other side of the restaurant. Kaden and Avery hadn't met so she wouldn't recognize him. Even if she knew that we had warriors with us whenever we left, I wanted her to believe that it was only the two of us.
Our food came out ten minutes after we had ordered. There weren't a lot of customers in the restaurant which was great for privacy.
"This is so good!" Avery moaned as she put a piece of sashimi in her mouth. I giggled and ate my California rolls. We sat there talking for a long time. It was lovely. I had girlfriends but I've never had a sister, and that's exactly what Avery was. She was my sister, my family, and I'll be damned if anything ever happens to her.
"How come you're feeling so well all of a sudden?" I asked her, genuinely curious as to what had changed. Avery tensed a bit upon hearing my question but quickly relaxed and a smile grew on her face. I can't say it was honest, though.
"I honestly don't know. I just feel amazing. Whatever happens, whatever goes down and however things turn out, I am so grateful for you, and for Alex and James. You guys gave me a family." She answered as she took my hand. I found her response a bit weird, almost like she was planning something or like she knew something that I didn't. I shook that feeling away, wanting to focus on Avery.
"You ready for a massage?" I asked as we were heading out of the restaurant.
"You have no idea." Avery groaned.
We were walking towards the car. Avery was talking about how rejuvenated she felt and I made a mental note to book a spa day for the two of us at least once a month.
"Anything else you wanna do before we head home?" I asked her as I started up the car.
"No, I would really like to go home, maybe spend some time with Alex, now that I feel better he might actually be able to teach me how to fight." She said with a smirk on her face.
And so we drove home.
As I parked the car I saw Sofia outside talking to Amanda, so I decided to listen in on their conversation.
"You're going to get caught if you continue this." Amanda whispered to Sofia. Her phone rang and Sofia walked away. What the hell was that girl up to?
"Amber?"
"Hey, Amber?" I snapped my focus back to the car and saw Avery was trying to say something.
"Are you okay?" she asked me.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just have a thing that I need to sort out. Why don't you go find Alex?" I told her with a smile as we exited the car.
"Alright, and hey thank you so much for today. You have no idea what this means to me." She said as she hugged me. "Anytime, Aves, I love you."
"I love you too." And with that, we pulled back and Avery went into the house and I went to see what the bitchy she-wolf was up to. But I couldn't help but feel the sickening feeling that something was up. I saw the look on Avery's face and the display of her gratitude and love. As if she was thanking me for something that wouldn't happen again. It would, I would make sure to have these little dates with her every now and then. I probably enjoyed it more than she did.