“Just that I didn’t give you and Pitt more warning.” Patch makes another grumpy sound and I sigh. “And Ark. I owed you all an explanation. But I don’t think Bluff planned for it to happen like this, either. He said he tried to keep away.” I climb off the bed and glance around the room. All the stark white is suddenly too much for my raw nerves, and I cross my arms protectively over my chest. “What now? Am I cleared to go and see him?”
“That depends on what I find when I examine him,” Patch says, packing some things into a mobile med kit.
“Which means what exactly?”
“You don’t know his history, Abbie.” I open my mouth to protest, but he shuts me down with a stern look. “I’m not talking about hormones or bonds. Bluff has had some traumatic injuries, and I’ll need to assess if he’s stable enough to re-enter the club, assuming Ark even allows that.”
I want to grind my teeth, but I don’t see any point in antagonizing Patch or Ark any more than I already have. Right now, they hold all the cards, and I’m not so stubborn that I’ll putBluff’s safety at risk. “So, you’re going to check him now? Can I come?” I glance at his med kit. “I can be your medical assistant.”
He gives me another chiding look, but there’s a hint of a smile beneath his beard. “For now, you need to go to bed and rest. If you really did have bond sickness, a claiming could make it better or trigger some new symptoms.” He looks at Wings. “Can you keep a close eye on her and call me the moment anything changes?”
Wings nods and Patch hands me a couple of hormone wipes. “Normally, your alpha would tend the wound himself, but in this case, you’ll need to make do. At least until we sort things out with Ark.”
I take the wipes, even though I have no intention of using them. I’m glad Patch seems to be coming around, but if talking to Ark doesn’t work, I’ll find another way to get to Bluff. Then he can damn well tend his bite himself.
But I keep my thoughts to myself as Patch shows us to the door. “Sorry I ruined your birthday party, Patch.”
“It wasn’t ruined. And I think this qualifies as an emergency, don’t you?” I have the grace to look a little sheepish and he pats my shoulder. “Just make sure you stop by for birthday cake at breakfast tomorrow, or Glory will have words.”
I cringe at the thought of Patch missing out on cutting his cake, but it’s a small regret next to the fact that Bluff is locked up and I didn’t do enough to stop it. I’m quiet as we walk back to the main building, and Wings squeezes my hand. “You look beat. Want to go straight up to bed and I’ll see if I can find Pitt?”
“I want to come, too.” There’s no way I can sleep without knowing what’s going on. “Do you know where they’d be holding Bluff?”
The quad is mostly empty, but one of the last party guests peels himself off the wall and strolls over to us, a beer bottle dangling from his hand. Jackpot reeks of weed and alpha musk,and I feel anger lick down my spine that he’s out here, doing as he pleases, while Bluff is locked up.
“Trouble with a capital T,” he drawls, tipping his beer at me. “Only here for five minutes and your pussy is already screwing up the management structure.”
“Fuck off, Jackpot!” Wings’ snarls, but instead of biting back at his anger, the alpha smiles. I really don’t like the slow, hungry way his gaze crawls over Wings, and I step between them, throwing all of my disgust and contempt in Jackpot’s face. “We both know who’s the real trouble here,” I tell him, my voice low and lethal. “If you ever bring it our way, I promise I’ll make you regret it.”
His smirk twists into something darker, but as he glances over my head, he takes a step back. “You’ll keep, Trouble.”
I turn to find Pitt striding towards us, his gaze following Jackpot like a laser beam. “What didhewant?”
“Just stirring the pot,” I tell him, grabbing his cut. “Where’s Bluff? Is he okay? Can I go see him?”
He raises both his hands, and I can almost smell his weariness as he takes a step back. “Ark’s got him on lockdown. You won’t be able to see him until morning, at the earliest.”
“Why?” I can feel my pulse thumping hotly against my scent gland, demanding attention. “He’s my mate, Pitt. I need to see him.”
“You need to have a shower and calm down. Your scent is all over the place, and it’s gonna take us hours to close down the club.”
“The Flaming Chains are still here?” Wings asks, and I bite my lip, my anger wilting. Shit. I forgot Ark was supposed to be having a sit-down with Sinner, the Chains’ president. God knows if he was in the crowd watching the aftermath of Bluff’s bite, but I’m pretty sure Ark will now be in damage control. A presidentwho can’t control his members in his own clubhouse quickly loses the respect of other MCs.
“They’re still here. Ark is talking to them in his office, but I think they’re rescheduling their sit-down.”
“Crap,” I mutter, rubbing my hands over my arms. They’re covered in goosebumps despite the warm night, and I look despondently at the pool, which is still decorated with floating flowers and candles. “We really fucked up the timing, didn’t we?”
Pitt grunts a laugh. “Yeah, but that’s your primal instincts for you. They kinda have a mind of their own.”
His throaty laugh soothes my raw nerves and I bite my lip, stepping close enough to hook a finger under his cut. “Are you still on duty, or can you come back to our room with us?”
Pitt’s brows shoot up, his weariness dissolving in the blink of the eye. “You trying to put the final nail in Ark’s coffin, butterfly?” Despite the amusement in his tone, he steps closer, his scent thickening. “He smells you on me when you’re perfuming like this, and it might just tip him over the edge.”
“I’m not trying to push anyone anywhere,” I mutter, but Wings presses up against my other side, his arm looping around my waist as he smiles against my temple. “I think she’s feeling needy, Alpha. She got the bite, but none of the stuffed full feeling.”
I shove my elbow into his ribs. “It’s calledaftercare, Omega.”
“Mmm.” He leans down to nuzzle the edge of my bite, and Pitts’ scent blooms, lush and potent in the night air. “Talk about killer timing,” he groans. “I’ve got to get back to the Chains, but I’ll be up as soon as Ark kicks them out.”
