We hurry downstairs and across the quad, my steps only faltering for a second as we pass the kitchen. I can hear Glory and her team still clearing things away inside, and hope that someone took care of Mimi’s blood before their shift. The kitchen was always a safe haven in the club, and I don’t want my attack to ruin that.
“It’s okay,” Abbie says, winding her fingers through mine as we cross the quad. “No one suspects anything about Mimi. The other Vipers are gone, and I think for most people, it’s a case of good riddance.”
I nod, because in the last couple of years, every bit of friction in the clubhouse circled back to either Booker’s crew or the Vipers. Most of the club are just people trying to get by, and the tolerance for the snakes in the grass disappeared a long time ago.
“Hey!” I look up suddenly as Pitt jogs towards us, black cargo pants and his Kevlar vest softened by the huge smile on his face.Okay, that’s a good look on him.“I was just coming to check in.”
“We’re dropping by the med center.” Abbie bites her cheek, her hand squeezing mine. “But if I had my way, we’d be going back to bed to tend your mate a little more.”
I feel my face go hot, but the next moment Pitt’s arms are around us both, his pine forest scent sweeter than I’ve ever smelled it.That’s because I’m in the mix now, I think dazedly, my flaming cheek pressed to the hard curve of his bicep. It’s a grounding moment, the Pop Rocks jitters in my chest finallyleveling out.This is my Alpha, even though I never thought those words would apply to me.
Abbie makes a happy sound as Pitt nuzzles his claiming bite, licking and kissing the sensitive skin. I only catch a glimpse of his bright green eyes before he turns his head to do the same to me.
“Fuck,” I groan, having to grab his cut and brace my knees so I don’t end up on my ass. “Lying down does sound pretty good right now.”
“Tending,” Abbie says in a dreamy voice. “This is my new favorite part, fyi.”
“I won’t be long,” Pitt says in a gravelly rasp as he stares down at us, his thumbs swiping over our cheeks. “Stay close. Look after each other.”
Abbie balls his tee in her hand. “Right back at you, hotshot. Now can you go and get our other mates so we can tell them the same thing?”
“No need,” I say, nodding to where Ark and Bluff are walking over to join us. They head straight to Abbie, kissing her blind before looking at me with matching grins. Bluff’s is more wolfish, but Ark steps forward and pulls me into a smothering embrace. Not a backslap, like he’d give anyone else in the clubhouse, but a whole-body hug that I feel down to my toes. The scent of pack alpha wafts over me and my limbs instantly relax. “This is a good thing,” he says quietly, a hand on the back of my neck. “You’re ours now, and our pack is stronger because of your bond.”
I nod, grinning as Abbie ducks under Ark’s arm and squeezes between us. Instead of stepping back to give her room, he crowds closer, the scent of dominant alpha filling my lungs. The look on his face is one I’ve never seen before on him – not just protective, but full of so much contentment I nearly touch his cheek to see if it’s real. “Happy, butterfly?”
“Just as long as we get a lot more of this,” she replies, reaching out to pull Bluff into the huddle. Pitt doesn’t hesitate to join us, and I shut my eyes for a moment, breathing them all in. Next to the warm glow of my bond is a tiny, niggling worry. We’re stronger together, just like Ark said, but now there’s more to lose if things go wrong.
No doubt, Abbie is thinking the same thing as they leave, and she’s unusually quiet as we unpack medical supplies and restock the treatment rooms. Patch went with the guys to provide any urgent care required at the scene, and I can tell Abbie is itching to have gone with them. “You miss it, don’t you?” I ask as we slowly head back to the clubhouse. “The omega clinic, I mean.”
She tilts her head, the compound lights catching the golden strands in her hair and making them gleam. “Parts of it. Not so much the hustle and stress of the place, but I like helping people find a way through their trauma.”
“Maybe you could do that here. If there really are so many omegas to save, some of them are going to need long-term care.”
She nods, but then pauses to pull her phone from her pocket. Her eyes go wide as she checks the screen. “Speak of the devil… It’s Emma, the charge nurse at the clinic.”
She answers the phone and I hold the door open as she heads inside and over towards the stairs. She pauses on the bottom step, one hand tight on the banister. “How bad? And he’s coming in now?” She glances at me, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. “Yes, I understand. Thanks for calling, Emma. I’ll see you as soon as I can.”
“What is it?” I ask as she ends the call and starts jogging upstairs.
“One of my patients is in distress,” she tells me over her shoulder as we hurry into our suite. “I thought he was doing so much better, but his father had to call an ambulance. He’s heading to the clinic now and asked me to meet him there.”
“Shit.” I feel for the guy, of course, but his timing is shit. We’d planned to snuggle with Jedi in bed and watch a movie to take our minds off things. “And someone else can’t treat him?”
She glances at me as she pulls out her therapist uniform – navy trousers, a short-sleeve tee, and biker boots that can also pass for work attire. She keeps scrubs in her locker, but I don’t feel the usual thrill at the thought of peeling her out of them later. “I was rostered to start up a few days ago. I’ve been putting it off, but they’re badly short staffed.”
They’re always short-staffed, and I frown as she rushes to get dressed. “Can’t it wait until morning?” I sigh at the focused look on her face. “I get that you’re needed, but it’s really bad timing. Can’t we just wait until the guys get home? If he’s still in distress then, one of them can drive you to the clinic.”
“I would, but this is a tricky case.” She chews her lip as she pulls a rain jacket from the closet and slides it on. They’ve been forecasting a summer storm all day, the humidity high enough to make me itch, but now there’s a different pressure mounting under my skin. Abbie must read it on my face, because she comes over to me and cups my cheek. “I’ll just go calm them down and get them sedated. I won’t be long.”
“Does it really have to be you?”
She hesitates, and I can almost feel the tension vibrate through her. She wants tomove, not sit around and wait. “It should be me.”
I turn my face to kiss her palm. “Ark won’t like it. Not with that prank doctor still out there somewhere.” I don’t know all the details, but I’ve worked out enough to know that someone at work is possibly harassing her. “Maybe I should come with you. I can hang out in the staff lounge.”
Disquiet flashes in her eyes and her shoulders stiffen. It’s her stubborn face, and I sigh as she shakes her head. “You need to rest. And I won’t be more than an hour, I promise.” I bite my lip,and she rests her hands on my waist, her head tucked against my neck. “I’ll take a cab and check in with Goldie as soon as I get there. He might even be able to give me a lift home.”
I sigh, because even though it still feels wrong, she’s clearly made up her mind. “Not might. Hewill. I’ll text him to make sure.”
