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“It was a brownie,” Nix says perversely. “But I have since had tea and cookies, and I amfine.Fine.See?” Nix dramatically flings his arms out, letting one smack Jamie in the chest. “But do you know whatisn’tfine? High-handed, bossy ultimatums.”

He’s thinking about letting himself work up to a full head of steam when he spots Jamie tighten his jaw, and Nix narrows his eyes.

His Pack Alpha rolls his eyes and shakes his head in exasperation. “Nix,” Jamie tries again; he’s removed his scent patch so his smoky pine scent fills the space in hopes Nix will succumb to his authority. He has even got the nerve to lookhotin his jeans and leather jacket.

Howdarehe be sexy when Nix is mad? Doesn’t he know Nix is tryingnot to throw a tantrum at being treated like a child?

Yes, he sees the irony. Hormones are a beast.If only his mates would remember that he deserves to be treated like an adult.He’s not a prized museum exhibit to be admired and never see the light of day. He’d fought hard for his freedom, and he won’t let them forget it. It’s like every conversation they’d ever had before has slipped their mind.

They’ve not slipped Nix’s, though.

Fresh anger burns through his chest, and if Nix looks inwards, he can see that his bond with Jamie is adding fuel to his own emotions. He’s got both of their angers simmering there, and he’s learned that shutting the bond down never ends well. It only makes Jamie more likely to be…anxious, angry, and unreasonable.

Maybe that applies to him, too.

Instead, he lets his burnt vanilla scent out, and it’s satisfying to see the way his alpha flinches.

Nix can’t back down about this, even if it makes him so anxious he breaks into a sweat.

Is it hot in here? Whew.

Nix yanks his bag off over his head and lets it fall to the floor so he can pull his coat off, too, handing it unceremoniously to Leo.

“That’s better.” He offers Leo his sweetest smile and most beguiling doe-eyes, which leave his beta’s mouth opening and closing like a fish, whatever he was going to say completely forgotten.

It’s exactly like Artem had suggested; if he focuses on his betas, then things will go much smoother.

“I’m here now, as demanded. Are we waiting on anyone else?” He stoops to pick up his bag…there are those blasted spots againand then…nothing.

When he comes to, he is being carried bridal-style through the ER in Jamie’s arms. Leo is oddly absent, so Nix takes a minute to ground himself with a nose to Jamie’s neck and a quiet rumble before squirming to be let down.

Grayson is trailing behind them, carrying Nix’s coat and bag…and boots.

Did they think he’d run?

“I can walk, James. Give me my boots and put me down.”

“No.Be mad.Don’t care.” Jamie doesn’t sound angry, just worried, and for a moment, Nix really sees Jamie. He sees the furrow between his brows and the dark circles under his eyes. It melts some of his annoyance away.

“In here.” Finn offers a med-bay as far fromtheirusual med-bay as possible, and Jamie doesn’t put him down so much as try to climb on with him in his arms.

“You’ll have to put him down.” There’s a low-pitched growl of denial, but Finn stands firm. “I can’t examine him with you in the way.”

“Nix…” Jamie says, but he’s interrupted by the pounding footsteps in the hall moving their way and—if Nix had to guess—he’d bet it’s Rowan.

“Later, okay?” Nix whispers. “I’m still mad, but…we’re adults, yeah? We talk shit out.”

Jamie looks like he’d like to hash it outnow, but he eventually nods. “Yeah, okay.”

Rowan bursts through the door, hardly winded. The same can’t be said about the pissed-off administrator and the security guard chasing him down the hall.

“See?” Rowan says, pointing at them. “I told you they were down here.”

“Sir, you can’t run through the hospitalwilly-nilly,following your nose. There are other patients’ privacy to consider,” the administrator says, with a disapproving frown.

She turns to Finn and mutters, “Dr. Merritt, please control your mates,” as she and the guard depart the ER with much less chaos than they had arrived.

The guard looks disappointed that he won’t be tranquilizing anyone today.