Artem pats his arm, interpreting his stress correctly. “He may be frightened, but he’s also strong, and he’s not alone.”
“He’s not alone,” Grayson whispers.
“Right, Luca is with him, and Gideon is at home, too. I think you and Leo might even be the last to arrive.”
“Fuck, Leo!” Grayson brings the phone to his ear. “Leo?”
“How nice it is that you remember me,” Leo growls over the line, and there’s a door slamming. “Is that Artem?”
“Sorry. Fuck, I didn’t think. Yeah, I popped up behind that ramen place Gideon tolerates and was looking for a car, and there he was.” Grayson smiles at their friend.
“Huh. How does that feel?”
“Weird, but appreciated. Did you find the car?”
“Yes,” Leo says, lowering his voice so the human driver doesn’t overhear him. “Although she didn’t know why she was waiting outside a port-a-potty.”
Grayson shifts uncomfortably in his seat through another twinge of pain.
“Almost there,” Artem murmurs, accelerating through a yellow light.
“Did you hear all that from before?”
“Sure did. I’ll be another twenty, though, since I can’t fucking teleport,” Leo whispers again.
“Yeah, but you’re magical in other ways, baby,” Grayson teases his disgruntled mate. But he blushes when Artem coughs. “I’m sorry I left like that.”
“Nah, I get it. Just…tell him I’m coming, yeah?”
“Yeah.” Grayson hangs up, and the phone rings immediately afterward. “Gideon?”
“Well, you’d better say goodbye to Professor Dirt and get your perfect ass home.” He sounds strained, and there’s water running inthe background, as if Gideon is washing dishes or cleaning.
“I’m almost there. Artem picked me up.”
His revelation is met with silence as Gideon turns the water off. “Hmmm. Tell Artem that he and I need to have a conversation about aiding and abetting naughty kittens.”
Artem’s eyes widen, his hands clenching on the steering wheel, but he just gives Grayson a short nod.
“I’m almost there, tell Nix to wait, okay?”
Gideon barks out a laugh. “No, I will not tell him to fucking wait on you, you dumbass. And I suggest you don’t tell him either. Just get here. And…tell Artem: thanks.” He disconnects, leaving Grayson staring at his lock screen. It’s a family photo they took on the beach in Florida. They’re happy and free. It hits him that they’ll be ten at the table soon, and it shoots an excited thrill down his spine.
When they pull up to the compound’s gate, Artem enters the code with a face scan. He passes through the gate, coming to a stop in front of the house. He keeps the car running but puts it in park.
For as much of a rush as Grayson had been to get home, now that he’s here and now that he knows Nix is in early labor, he’s suddenly reluctant to get out of the car.
“It’ll be okay,” Artem says.
When Grayson looks at the older man, his eyes are unfocused, and there’s a small smile on his face.
“Yeah. Thanks for driving me.”
“Of course. I’ll see you all soon.”
Grayson exits the car, waving as Artem drives out of the gate. It doesn’t have time to close before Rowan-wolf is slipping through the narrowing gap at top speed and loping up the drive. He shifts in mid gallop, landing in the classic “superhero” crouch on the drive, sweating and pale.
“He’s in labor, Gray.”
