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Nate throws up his hands. “Oh my god. What now?”

“Do you have somewhere else you’d like to be?” I ask, brow raised.

“Yes, in the nest with my omega.”

There’s that roaring jealousy again. Not that I think I deserve access to Daphne, but knowing Nate’s crawling in beside her every night has my teeth on edge becauseIwant to be there.

My only saving grace is that Dez is in hell with me. Then again, that’s not really a good thing either.

“Relax, this won’t take long.” I walk them through my plan—which Winter absolutelyhates—but my packmates love. “Any luck on courting gifts?”

“Got mine squared away,” Nate says. “Can’t tell you what the big one is, but I’ve been doing nesting supplies too.”

Since she destroyed her nest. We haven’t discussed it, but it hangs like a cloud over me. Another thing to atone for.

“Dez?”

“She fucking loves his drawings,” Nate interrupts, face bright. “Keeps hoarding them. The second I try to peek, she snarls like she’s going to tear a bite out of me.”

Dez grins down at his hands, obviously pleased. “I’m glad. Have a few paintings I’m working on, too. Things I hope will become keepsakes for the family. What about you, Connor?”

“I have no fucking clue,” I admit. That’s the problem.

Dez shifts uncomfortably in his chair. “I love you, but I think this is something you have to figure out yourself.”

Nate nods. “Daph needs to know you thought of her while picking it out.”

They’re so concerned, I have to laugh. “Wasn’t asking for your help. Just wanted to make sure she was taken care of.”

Dez looks relieved. “We should make plans for a pack date soon. Need to make sure we’re spending time with her alone and together.”

My jaw clenches at the clear desire there. He misses her, wants her, and is too afraid to say so.

Fucking Shelby.

“I think I can help with that.” Nate stands, stretching and not so subtly looking over at Daphne’s place. “For now, I’m gonna go. My skin’s crawling.”

I know exactly how he feels and for once, it’s not terrifying. It’s nice to want to spend every second with someone again. “Don’t be late tomorrow anddon’tscare her off.”

“Pretty sure that’s impossible,” he replies, rushing for the fence that separates our yards and vaulting over it. Dez and I stare in wonder as he scales the fucking siding.

“Is that normal for him?”

He grunts. “I don’t think you want to know.”

Probably not.

Nate disappears inside a window, and I turn away, noting Dez hasn’t taken his eyes off the house. Yearning, desire, worry. All wrapped up in the man in front of me.

“You good?”

“Fine.” We head inside together, with Dez veering sharply for the stairs. “I’m gonna crash.”

“See you in the morning.” Ignoring the low-grade concern bubbling in the back of my mind, I head straight for my home office. Now that we’re on better terms, I need to find the perfect courting gift for our omega.

CONCERNS

DEZ