“Ew, Ro. What the fuck,” Finn groans, and pushes him back. “How can you smell like a dogandspiced rum?”
“Down, Ro,” Gideon says firmly as he points to the ground.
Even when they play, Gideon never points—but there’s a glint in his exhausted eyes and a smirk on his lips. He’s enjoying this far too much.
Bastard.
Winnie laughs as he goes down. “He’s a handful.”
“He is, at that.” Gideon smiles with a nod. “I’m Gideon, and this is my mate, Finn. Thank you for returning him to us. He’s not very bright, so it’s good he found someone kind to help him.”
Rowan’s wolf growls again at the offense, and he thinks about peeing on his mate’s leg to show him who is boss.
Oh, hell, no. We are not going back there, dumbass. Jay is the boss. Gideon is the boss. You are NOT the boss.
Finn laughs and shakes her hand. “Thank you, Winnie Chappelle. Our Ro is definitely a dog with a mind of his own—but we love him.”
The wolf wags their tail at hearing they’re loved.
Pick an emotion and stick with it for five fucking seconds, please.
“My pleasure. I needed a friend, and there he was. My brother would love him. He’s a real animal lover,” she says, tilting her head toward the hospital.
“Your brother?” Finn inquires, and Rowan bumps his mate’s hand with his nose to encourage their Dr. Merritt to ask more questions. Maybe they can help this very kind, good-smelling, ear-rubbing new friend.
Gideon comes up behind him, and he feels his soft hands in the fur on the back of his neck.
“Yeah, Ansel, he’s twelve. He’s in there with something they can’t figure out, and it’s not the first time. This time, though…” She breaks off, and her lemon scent turns sour with anticipatory grief.
Gideon sighs. “We’re sorry about your brother.”
“Thanks,” she says. “Nothing short of a miracle can fix it now, they said. I’m headed to work, but I’ll be back tonight. Shit, I’m so late. I gotta get to work.”
She hardly has to bend at all to kiss Rowan on the nose before rubbing his ears one final time. “You be good, Ro. Bye!”
The bus pulls up, and she grabs her book and bag before climbing on with a last wave.
Rowan is sad to see her go. He wants to help her—not just because she helped him but because…well, he’s not sure why, but he is sad to see her go.
He whines softly, and his tail drops for the first time that day.
“Rowan Foster.” Gideon’s tone is disbelieving.
Oh. He’d forgotten for a minute that Gideon was there.
Turning, Rowan finds him with his arms crossed, his smile replaced with a frown.
Rowan wants to tell them he doesn’t know what happened or why he’s stuck like this. Or even what happened to Nix and Luca.
Instead, he noses at Gideon’s hand for another rub behind his ears.
Gideon sighs but doesn’t deny him. “Okay, Ro. Can you change back?”
He shakes his head and whines.
“Shit. Maybe Jay can Alpha-Voice him back?” Finn ponders. He’s got his clinical expression going, and while it’s normally hot, right now, Rowan has bigger things on his mind than playing doctor.
“I don’t know…I kind of like him like this.”
