Page 6

Artem drives his compact car carefully into the familiar ER drop-off area and leaves it running.

If the third time’s a charm, then maybe four times is a habit? Nix certainly hopes not—he’s already been here three times too many.

Nix sighs, not ready to get out and face what’s coming. Artem stays put, and he’s grateful for the older man’s calm support.

“Thank you again for today. I’m sorry you were called away from your errands unnecessarily ,” Nix says with obvious emphasis, unable to resist the subtle dig at Luca, and reflecting his frustration with the entire situation.

“Not at all, Nix. Are you feeling better?”

Nix’s eyes go wide at the subtle jab, as well as Artem’s friendly betrayal.

Luca giggles and offers the older man a fist bump in solidarity.

“You two aren’t funny,” Nix huffs. “Yes, much better.”

The cookies from Matteo had been the perfect thing to settle his nausea, and the mint tea would have been too, if he’d been able to drink more than the last mouthful out of the semi-crushed cup.

Artem chuckles and pats Nix’s arm. “I am glad you’re better now, but it might not hurt for you to have your Dr. Merritt take a look, no? You wouldn’t want to ignore anything that could turn serious.”

He’s right, and just being kind, but Nix isn’t ready to let go of his anger about the high-handed, possessive, overly protective behavior of his mates.

“No. You’re right. But I don’t have to like how they’re going about it.”

Luca mutters under his breath, fooling no one, “I said I was sorry , jeez.”

“I’m not really mad at you, Luc. Except for that completely unnecessary text, you only had Gideon on your mind.

It’s the rest of them. I bet they’re all gathered in there, pretending they’re not watching for me to roll up and suddenly faint at their feet.

How am I going to get through the next twenty-five weeks? I’m going to go crazy, Artem. Crazy .”

He sighs and leans his head onto his friend’s shoulder.

Artem’s sandalwood scent soothes him, and Nix finds the edges of his anger smoothed away. His friend stills at the physical contact, but eventually, there is a tentative hand patting his head gently.

Pat, pat, pat .

It is unbelievably sweet and kind, and so needed.

“They want you to be safe, no? And the baby is ramping up all those alpha pheromones. Instincts are strong. Stick with your betas when you can.”

“Yeah, stick with us…we’re less annoying, and are where we say we are when we’re not where you are.”

Artem smiles, obviously unsure about the last bit, which Nix knows was aimed at the ever-mysterious and often-absent Gideon.

“You will go home with your alpha?” he asks. “Or would you like me to stay so I can take you home afterward?”

“I wish you could come in.” Nix really does. Thinking about Artem leaving gives him a flutter of anxiety. “A friendly face, you know?”

Not that his family won’t be happy to see him, or make him feel loved, but…having Artem stay would mean someone was there 100% just for him, for once. Like his mom or dad would have been. The thought makes his eyes prick with unshed tears—he misses them so suddenly it hurts to breathe.

It’s been happening more and more lately thoughts of his mom leaking through when he’s washing dishes, or when Jamie and Leo had hauled in a Christmas tree last month; or when he thought he heard Ivy’s squeal when Luca had run naked from the house to the hot tub in the middle of a surprise snowstorm just last week.

His memories of his family had been a treasure he’d buried deep, and now that he was happy, he was inadvertently digging at the place in his mind where “X” marks the spot.

“I will come in if you need me to, Nix,” Artem says, gently .

The offer is so sincere, and Nix badly wants to take him up on it. But this is no way to spend a day off, and who knows how long it will take for Finn to do his check-up or how many delays the five alphas will invent.

“No, it’s okay. But maybe you could come for dinner soon?”

His friend’s eyes get comically wide at the invitation to an alpha’s den.

Nix knows it’s against Were social practices, but they keep telling him it’s his home, too. Just asking makes Nix’s wolf settle that much more.

“If you would like. Ah, I think they are waiting on you.”

Artem nods toward the glass doors and—sure enough—Jamie, Leo, and Grayson have their metaphorical noses pressed to the glass.

At Nix’s sigh, Artem pats his head once more. “Don’t be too hard on them. You are very special.”

Squeezing his friend’s calloused hand, he sighs. “Thanks for everything. Come on, guys, let’s go.”

Nix opens the car door and then the back door for Luca and Tsuki, leaning back inside the car for a moment. “Drive safely. I’ll text you tomorrow about dinner.”

Watching until his friend drives away, he smiles and waves until Artem is out of sight for the second time that day. His smile immediately falls when he turns and sees his mates inside scrambling away from the door.

“What am I going to do with them, Luca?”

But Luca is checking his phone, lost in thought, and Nix can’t tell if he’s happy or sad.

“Damned if I know. Hey. I’m going to wait out here. I think Gideon might show. Don’t start without us.”

Nix heads for the door, and when he looks back, Luca is looking around the unloading area like he’s searching for a place to hide.

Start what, though; that’s the real question.

The doors to the ER slide open, and Nix spots his mates immediately, though they’re all doing their best to pretend they haven’t been waiting for him.

Leo is perched on the corner of a chair, staring at a hospital infomercial on the wall-mounted television with exaggerated interest .

Jamie is beside him, flipping through a tabloid magazine that looks older than Nix and—it’s upside down.

Grayson, seated next to Jamie, is holding his own magazine, but he’s not even bothering to fake it.

The moment Nix’s eyes meet his, Grayson is on his feet, moving toward him with purpose. Nix instinctively puts out a hand, stopping the alpha’s approach. He’s not quite ready for the physical reassurance he knows Grayson wants to offer.

Grayson halts immediately, his face carefully neutral, his posture relaxed—but his eyes betray him. He’s worried Nix is angry enough to withhold affection.

He’s not punishing Grayson; how could he?

No single person is to blame for this situation spiraling out of control, it’s just…well…Nix is feeling prickly, and he doesn’t want to take it out on the wrong person.

It’s Finn—who wasn’t watching at the window and is now leaning nonchalantly against the desk at the empty admitting station with his ankles crossed—that catches Nix’s attention.

Handsome. He’s wearing his white lab coat over his blue cardigan with the tiny white flecks in it, and his button-down shirt is open far enough that Nix’s mating bite is visible, high on his neck.

The sight of it sends a zing of desire down his spine. Mine, Nix’s wolf purrs.

Nix isn’t ashamed to say that seeing his Dr. Merritt looking professional in his workplace is a temptation.

Finn is in his element when he adjusts his glasses and pages through a tablet like he’s not worried, and that goes a long way to making Nix feel like he shouldn’t be worried, either.

Tsuki noses at Finn’s elbow, and he stops long enough to run an unseeing hand over her head in welcome.

“Nix,” Finn says, lifting his nose to catch Nix’s aroused scent, and nearly fumbles his tablet to the floor. He clears his throat. “Uh, hey.”

“Hi, Dr. Merritt . ”

Jamie and Leo give up on their subterfuge, and at least Leo is cautious enough not to be sure of his welcome.

“I’m mad at you,” Nix says after all, and to no one in particular, but it doesn’t stop him from going into Jamie’s arms.

Nix hates disharmony, and it’s good knowing he can be frustrated, even bordering on rude, and Jamie will still welcome him with open arms.

Grayson can’t resist the lure of a Nix-sandwich and comes from behind so he can kiss Nix’s ear before heading back to his seat, most likely to not be collateral damage in the impending dispute.

That single kiss settles his Grayson-bond, and it’s one less jangling, electrified bond swirling in his chest.

There’s a nose pressed to the top of his head as Jamie scents him, and then he sighs. “Nix, be reasonable.”

Reasonable? Is he kidding?

The look on Jamie’s face says he is 100% not joking.

Nix is tired of the emotional pendulum; he wants their comfort and affection, and he needs them to respect his autonomy.

Is it too much to ask?

Leo groans and covers his face with his hand at Jamie’s deliberate poking of the bear.

“Hey. Don’t be mad. We are just worried, right? You aren’t usually throwing up your cookies—”

“It was a brownie,” Nix says perversely. “But I have since had tea and cookies, and I am fine. Fine . See?” Nix dramatically flings his arms out, letting one smack Jamie in the chest. “But do you know what isn’t fine? 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 look hot in his jeans and leather jacket.

How dare he be sexy when Nix is mad? Doesn’t he know Nix is trying not 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.