Page 179 of Broken Bonds

I don’t miss that he squeezes Shawn’s hand.

Something just happened, but I don’t know what. If they want us to know, I guess they’ll tell us.

“Want to join us for breakfast?” Todd asks.

“Yes, please,” Shawn says before Jax can weigh in.

“I guess he has spoken,” Jax teases, his tone light. Whatever’s going on between them, it’s likely not…bad? I don’t sense it’s bad.

I hope it’s not. I mean, I know Shawn and Jax wanted pups, but I can’t help feeling guilty about this. They were helping me. Despite them fully consenting to doing it—and orchestrating it—if something bad happens as a result of what they did for me, I’ll never forgive myself.

I’m not used to people doing minor things for me, much less upending their entire lives over me.

We’re the only ones in the waiting room when Dr. Williams walks in to call us back. “Do you want to go one at a time, or together?” she asks. “Just bloodwork today, and vital signs.” She smiles. “Clothes stay on.”

I look at Shawn. “Can we go together? I really hate needles.”

“Sure.”

The four of us traipse behind the doctor to one of the exam rooms. A nurse comes in to help get our info and take what feels like a gallon of blood from the two of us. I sit on the exam table with Todd standing beside me, keeping his arm draped around me, while Shawn and Jax sit in the two chairs.

I don’t faint, but I am a little woozy. It’s one thing to get hurt working, which never bothers me. Blood—mine or other people’s—doesn’t faze me.

But I haaaaate needles and always have.

It’ll take a couple of days for all the test results to come in. “If there’s anything abnormal, I promise I’ll contact you immediately,” she assures us. “But if I don’t, I want to see you both back here in four weeks for a check-up. If everything looks okay, I’ll probably loosen the activity restrictions on you both. I’ll want fasting bloodwork then, too, so make sure to make the appointment for first thing in the morning.”

Twenty minutes later, we’re heading to breakfast, following Jax and Shawn. I decided as woozy as the bloodwork made me—and the doc reminded me part of that might be my blood sugar dipping because of not eating—I didn’t want to ask questions this morning. She said I could call her day or night, and I think she honestly means it because she gave us her personal cell number. So I’ll probably send her a text asking for a time to call to have the discussion with her.

Might be better if I’m lying down on my own couch or bed while I have that discussion, just in case I get…woozy.

We grab a corner booth, Shawn and I sitting on the inside.

“Breakfast is on me,” Jax says. “And thanks for not hating me for being an asshole during the hunt.”

Todd snorts. “No apologies needed. I hope we never have to re-enact those circumstances, but I have no complaints about the outcome.” His smile wraps a sweet, warm ribbon of love around my heart. “Guess sometimes the things we don’t expect are the best surprises, huh?”

Wait…am I …happy?

Yep, it would seem I am. It’s hard to identify at first because I am not used to feeling happy.

As nervous as I am about all of this, I agree with Todd. “I wouldn’t trade you or us for anything,” I tell Todd.

Shawn looks at Jax and pokes him in the shoulder and fake sniffs. “You never say romantic shit like that to me anymore.”

Jax laughs and kisses him. “I guess I’d better suck up, huh?”

“Fuckin’ A, you’d better. Overachieving asshole.”

“What?” Todd asks.

The men freeze, staring at each other.

That feeling washes through me again. I suspect they’re silently talking to each other.

Then Jax nods and looks at us. “We need secrecy, please? Not asking you as the pack Alpha, but as your friend.”

We both nod. “Of course,” Todd says. “What’s wrong?”