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“Hayden—”

“No, Bodhi, I don’t want to hear your lecture. Is he in there?” She crossed her arms.

“Look, if you’re going in there, you need to be prepared to mate him.” Her brother grabbed her arm. “He’s doing this for you. All of this. Don’t let the pains of a teen dictate the agony of an adult.”

“It’s not like that, Bodhi,” she muttered as she squirmed under his gaze, hating the fact he could see right through her.

“It’s not?” He chuckled. “Sis, you have been acting like you’ve lost your best friend from the moment you found him at his apartment. It’s become worse since we left for college and more so over the last few weeks.”

“Why do you care? Why are you on his side?” She wouldn’t give any credence to what he said.

“No one else is,” he murmured. “He’s a guy. He did something stupid. Plus, you don’t know the whole story. Until you do, you can’t keep hurting yourself or Nico.”

“So, I should just forgive him and act like it never happened?” She couldn’t believe what her brother had said.

“No. Not at all. I believe he deserves to pay for his mistakes. But, how long does he pay? How long do you go on hurting yourself and denying the one person who can complete you?”

“I don’t have time for this conversation. Is he in there or not?” Her hands went to her hips.

“Yes, he is.”

She pushed past him, but he grabbed her arm. “Think about what I’ve told you. Don’t be stupid about this.”

“Your concerns are noted.” She wrenched free then shoved through the door into the locker room where Reagan pawed at her mate, who lay on a bench.

“Get your hands off him,” Hayden snarled.

Reagan laughed. “If it isn’t the stuck-up bitch. Why don’t you go back to your little group of losers and let the real women tend to the men.”

“I’m not going to tell you to get your hands off of him again.” She growled, advancing on the little slut touching her mate.

“Get out of here, Reagan. I already told you no. I don’t want you here.” Nico’s gaze locked with Hayden’s. His skin was pale, paler than it should be. A tinge of green crept along his jaw. Even his eyes were glassy. He didn’t look good.

Hayden popped her head out the door to where Bodhi still stood. “Get the healer. Now.”

Her brother grunted. “On it.”

“I said don’t touch me.” Hayden popped her head back into the locker room as Nico tried to shove Reagan away.

“Excuse me?” she huffed. “No one turns me down!”

“There’s a first time for everything,” he quipped. “Now see yourself out and don’t come back.”

Stomping her foot, Reagan squealed and left. Hayden shook her head before going in search of a first aid kit to clean up Nico. When she found it, she returned and sat on the end of the bench. “Not a word.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything.” He held up his hands. Not only did he look like he had the shit beat out of him, but he also appeared sick. Was there more wrong with him?

"Good." She opened the box and pulled out the saline solution and some gauze. Grabbing a towel off a cart beside her, she laid it on her lap. “Put your head there.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. The pinch in his features relaxed. His coloring began to return albeit slowly. Some of the worry eased from Hayden.

She poured some of the solution on the gauze and dabbed the cut over his eye. “I don’t understand why the fuck you’d want to do this to yourself.”

“I guess I’m trying to win my mate back, and I’ll do whatever it takes for that to happen.”

She hesitated for a second then returned to cleaning his wounds. “That’s stupid. You should have said no to this barbaric show of machismo.” She grabbed a fresh piece of cotton and went back to work. He hissed, stilling her hand. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. You’re allowed your pound of flesh. I deserved it.” He let her wrist go.