CHECKING IN

Freya and Lucille lounged in Freya's room, the remnants of their training session evident in their relaxed yet slightly weary postures.

They huddled together, glancing at Freya's phone with hesitant expressions, silently debating whether to disobey their mother's order to call their sister Emma first.

Lucille had been the one to see the message at first. Due to Derek’s comatose state and her role in it, she had been unable to sleep—she had kept turning and tossing on her own bed. And unable to take it anymore, and not wanting to disturb her mate whose sleep was to too necessity to be ignored, she had crept into Freya’s room, to sleep with her sister.

Freya had awoken once Lucille’s foot had gone past the doorpost of the unlocked door. And though Freya was shocked to see Lucille in her room by that hour, she had welcomed the latter with open arms. They had cuddled themselves, about to return to sleep, when the phone had dinged. Freya hadn’t cared for it, wanting to return to sleep, bu