Page 9

Beth

C ullen Noble was an ass.

What gave him the right to treat me like that, to tell me that I was behaving inappropriately and then drag me against a wall and kiss me in a way that I’d never been kissed before? That left me weak in the knees and still dreaming about it several days later?

I hadn’t even bothered to return to my date. It would have been embarrassing, seeing as I stank of Cullen and my own traitorous arousal. I was pissed at Cullen, but my body was another story.

I had quietly dreaded Wednesday, when Joey would come for her lesson.

Cullen usually dropped her off—from what I understood, his schedule was the most flexible.

I could have pretended I was sick and avoided work this week, but I desperately needed the cash.

The price of my dorm room was going up next semester, and I couldn’t risk not having the money for it.

So, putting on my big girl panties, I headed to the rink on Wednesday. As I warmed up, I did my best to push Cullen Noble out of my mind. I was going to teach Joey and pointedly ignore him—that was my plan.

“Bethany!” Joey’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

Skidding to a halt, I turned and saw her standing at the edge of the rink excitedly as she took off her skate guards. Behind her stood Jensen, already wearing his scrubs.

“Hi,” I greeted her warmly, keeping my focus on the child rather than looking at her incredibly hot father and thinking about what his pack mate had done to me mere nights ago.

“Hey,” Jensen greeted me. “Mrs. Green is picking Joey up today—the girls are having a sleepover. I’ve been called into the ER because there’s been a few emergencies.”

“Okay, I’ll make sure Mrs. Green shows up.” I smiled warmly. “That sounds like a lot of fun!” I said, addressing Joey.

“It will be!” Joey said. “We are going to bake cookies.”

I gasped. “That sounds like a perfect night.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind? I know one of us usually picks her up…” Jensen bit his lip, and for a second, my mind wandered, considering just how that lip tasted. Would he have a musky flavor, like his scent?

Mentally shaking myself, I smiled brightly at him. “Of course that’s okay. I know Mrs. Green. I taught her daughter last year. As long as I know who is picking her up, I’m happy. The last thing I want to do is send a child home with a stranger!”

Jensen grimaced. “Yeah, that would be bad. Thank you, Bethany. We’ve been swamped lately, and you’ve been a lifesaver.”

“Go! It’s my pleasure,” I said, gently shooing him away before turning to Joey. “So, what are we working on today?”

Twenty minutes later, Joey was smiling lightly as she skated around the rink.

She had been practicing toe pick turns and was doing rather amazingly, if I said so myself.

As the lesson progressed, I noticed more and more that she wasn’t quite her usual self.

Joey was a very exuberant child, especially when she was on the ice.

Usually, as soon as she stepped foot in the rink, she was skidding around like there were firecrackers on her feet.

Sighing to myself, I skated over to Joey. Her face was flushed, but I didn’t know if it was because of the exercise or something else.

“Hey, come here,” I instructed, lightly tugging Joey toward me. Her eyes were hazy, like she wasn’t seeing me clearly. Taking my glove off, I touched her face, almost hissing at how hot she felt.

“What’s wrong?” she mumbled.

“Sweetheart, you’re really warm. Are you feeling okay?” I asked, crouching down to get a better look at her.

Joey looked at me, but she swayed slightly. “I suppose. My tummy does hurt a little.”

Ah. She was sick.

That wasn’t good.

Everything in me wanted to make her better. Glancing around the rink, I made the decision. I couldn’t let her go through the lesson if she was sick; that would only make her feel worse.

“Let’s get off the ice. I’ll call your dads, okay?” Even though I knew she wasn’t being picked up by any of her fathers, they would be the first people I called when their child was unwell.

“Will you sit with me?” Joey asked in a small voice. Her posture was hunched and she was hugging herself.

“Of course I will,” I assured her as I guided her off the ice, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and keeping her close.

As we stopped at the nearest bench, I pulled my phone out of my back pocket.

“Did you tell your dads that you weren’t feeling great this morning?” I asked as I searched for their numbers.

Joey shrugged, but the movement was lethargic.

I called Jensen first. No answer.

So I tried Cullen and Gideon. Also no answer.

After trying each one of Joey’s dads again and receiving no answer, I cursed mentally. Joey really wasn’t looking good. Her skin was sallow, her eyes unfocused, and she was starting to sway slightly.

The cold rink wasn’t the best place for her to be.

She needed to be somewhere warm and comfortable.

Thankfully, Mrs. Green’s number was still saved in my phone.

A side effect of my job was that I had a lot of parents’ numbers in my contacts list. Mrs. Green picked up on the first ring, and I quickly updated her on the situation.

“Are you able to pick up Joey early?” I asked hopefully.

“She’s not feeling well and can’t complete her lesson. ”

“Uh…”

Shit, that wasn’t promising. “I tried her dads first, but they’re not answering.”

“I appreciate that, but I have several girls at my house today. If Joey’s sick, I can’t risk her spreading germs. You’re going to have to stay with her until her dads come. I’m so sorry.”

She hung up.

I was looking after the sick kid she was supposed to pick up and she’d had the audacity to hang up on me?

Livid, I took a few deep breaths before turning back to Joey. She was miserable. Hunched over, her face red.

“Are we going to have to wait for my dads?” Joey asked in a small voice. She must have overheard the call.

“Yes, but there’s no way we’re waiting here. How do you feel about going back to my place, just until we can get in touch with your dads? I’ve got loads of blankets and comfy pillows, and even some chicken noodle soup.”

“Am I allowed to do that?” she asked in a small voice.

“Well, I’m not going to let you stay here while you’re feeling unwell. Come on.”

Although we could take a cab back to her house, I knew for a fact that Joey didn’t carry a house key, and if her fathers were all out, then I would be dragging a sick child across town for no reason.

My place was closest, and while it wasn’t ideal, it was the best option. Unwilling to make her walk the fifteen minutes to my building or wait for the bus, I happily swallowed the cost of a cab.

Gently guiding Joey into my apartment, I asked, “Do you want to lie down? I don’t have a guest bedroom, so my nest is your only option. But it’s going to smell a lot like me.”

Joey looked up at me. “You have a nest? A real nest?”

I nodded. “I do. It’s not very fancy, but it’s comfortable.”

“I like the sound of that.”

There was a good chance that Joey was an omega. Her designation would become apparent when she went through puberty, but sometimes there were signs.

Without another word, I led her through the tiny apartment to the alcove I used as my nest. I basically draped a ton of blankets around my king-size bed and stuffed it full of pillows. It was shabby and handmade, but it served its purpose.

“This is so cool,” Joey muttered as she kicked off her shoes and climbed into the bed.

“Get comfortable, and I’m going to go find the thermometer to check your temperature, okay? Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

“Could I have some water?” she asked, clearly trying her best to be polite.

“I’ll get you a bottle. Do you like strawberry?” I asked.

Joey nodded, her little face furrowed in confusion.

“I have some flavored water that’s good for you—I’ll grab you one of those as well.”

Joey didn’t reply. Instead, she rested her head on the pillow and snuggled down into the blankets.

Going to the small kitchen area, I pulled out a bottle of water and searched in my cabinet for the electrolyte packets I kept for when I was sick.

I didn’t know what exactly was wrong with Joey, but I assumed some vitamins and minerals wouldn’t hurt.

Plus, what kid didn’t like flavored water over boring regular water?

With that in hand, I made a pit stop in the bathroom, rummaging through the cabinet, trying to find the old relic that counted as a thermometer.

I couldn’t even remember when I’d used the thing last, if I had ever used it.

It came with the first aid kit I had purchased when I first moved to California.

“Okay, Joey, can you sit up for me for a moment?” I asked kindly, sitting at the edge of the nest.

The poor kid looked exhausted and ready to pass out. With a grumble, she sat up and opened her mouth so I could place the thermometer under her tongue.

“I know this isn’t pleasant, but soon you can have the strawberry water and rest while I make some soup. I’m sure, by the time you’ve had a nap and some food, one of your dads will be here.”

Joey nodded. “Thank you, Beth,” she mumbled around the thermometer in her mouth.

“I’m more than happy to help. I just hate that you’re not feeling good. Being sick sucks, doesn’t it?”

The moment the thermometer beeped, I checked the small LED display.

101. She wasn’t in the danger zone, where I would need to take her to a hospital or get urgent medical attention, thankfully.

Having worked with children a lot over the last few years, I knew that they frequently got fevers that usually weren’t severe. They just took a bit of TLC.

“Oh, you are a little warm,” I mused.

Normally, I would take Tylenol if I had a fever, but I had no idea if Joey could take that.

The only thing I could really give her without talking to her dads was chicken soup, and while that worked wonders, it didn’t replace modern medicine.

Handing Joey the bottle of water, I hovered over her as she took a few sips, helping her put it on the small nest side table before she snuggled down to sleep again. Once I was sure she was asleep, I padded into the kitchen. The sooner I got the soup simmering, the better.