Free Safety by Viola Rivard

her fingers, searching for the blemish. “Where?”
    Holly waved her index finger at a vague area of the egg. “Right there. Are you blind?”
    Taylor leaned against the fence and took a deep breath so as not to freak the hell out.
    It had been three days since the incident with Tulip, who was still at large. Thanks to shifter healing, Holly had made a speedy recovery, though there were still angry pink scars on her throat. From the moment she could get up and walk, Holly had taken to hanging around the cabin. She claimed that she was hoping Tulip would return to the area, but Taylor believed it was because most of the shifters in the den were openly mocking her.
    Feeling bad for Holly, Taylor was really making an effort to be friendly, not that Holly appreciated it.
    Placing the egg back in the basket, Taylor said, “Look, do you want it, or don’t you?”
    “You’re really being a bitch today,” Holly said.
    I’m being a bitch?
    Taylor grit her teeth as Holly took another egg from the basket.
    “This one’s cracked, too. Look.”
    Holly proceeded to crack the egg against the fencepost.
    “You just cracked it open!” Taylor said, staring at Holly in disbelief.
    “No, I didn’t. It had a fissure. I exposed its weakness for you. You’re welcome. Also, there must be something wrong with your quail. Their eggshells are terrible. What are you feeding them?”
    Shaking with anger, Taylor picked up the basket and threw it onto the ground. The eggs splattered onto Holly’s feet.
    “Now they’re all broken. Are you happy?”
    Taylor tried to step past her, but Holly grabbed her, clamping a hand on each of Taylor’s shoulders.
    “Whoa,” Holly said, blinking in surprise. “Are you okay?”
    It was the first time anyone had asked her that in days, and even though Holly was the last person she wanted to break down in front of, Taylor realized that Holly literally was the only person she could break down in front of.
    Lark had been distant for days. She said she was busy with the baby raccoons—which Alder had allowed her to keep at the den—but Taylor knew Lark was upset with her for taking Glenn’s side the day that Holly was attacked.
    Glenn was part of the guards that were now posted at the perimeter of Taylor’s piece of land. By Alder’s orders, they weren’t allowed to intrude on Taylor’s privacy, and Glenn took the command very seriously. She’d only seen him in passing and hanging out with him without Lark didn’t feel the same, anyway.
    Hale had been nowhere to be seen since the night of the fight. Literally nowhere. Taylor had even pretended like she wanted to help with cleaning duty yesterday just to get a glimpse of him, but he hadn’t been with the hunters. She wanted to ask Alder about him, but she couldn’t bear for Alder to know how much she wanted to see his brother.
    At this point, Alder was the only person left that she could turn to, and she had the feeling that was going to change soon.
    Unable to articulate all of this through the ensuing onslaught of tears, Taylor said, “Every…body— hic —hates me.”
    Holly took her by the arm and guided her towards the porch. “That’s ridiculous. A lot of people dislike you, sure, but ‘hate’? That’s a very strong word.”
    Taylor allowed Holly to sit her down on the front steps.
    “I never even used to care about having friends or socializing or any of that sort of stuff,” Taylor said, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “But there’s nothing to do out here in the woods and I’m so lonely.”
    Holly patted her on the shoulder in an awkward gesture of comfort. “You have Alder. Want me to go get him for you?”
    “No,” Taylor said emphatically. “He’s the last person I want to see right now.”
    “Did you have a fight?”
    Taylor sniffled. “I’m starting my period. He’s so sure that I’m pregnant, he’s going to be so disappointed.”
    “What makes you think you’re starting your period?” Holly asked, her brow