Page 68

He slipped on the jacket first, then bent to put on the pants, eyeing his dirty feet with distaste.

“Is there something wrong with Lennon?”

“When I know, I’ll tell you.” He offered a smile that felt more like a grimace, but it was all he had then, with his need to get to Lennon and fix this. He didn’t want him thinking he was alone in this. He knew how that felt, even with his loving family.

Recalling what he’d left in his office, besides his shoes, he moved past Kari, his feet sinking into the plush carpet. At his office, Carol stood, looking between the two brothers.

“Is everything alright?” She wrung her hands together, and Kodi tapped on them.

“It’s fine. Kari is going to take my afternoon meetings. Can you send him everything he’ll need?” While talking, he walked into his office, not checking they followed behind when he could sense them. “The meeting at one, you’ll need to move. If Drake has an issue, tell him I’m sick.”

“O-okay.”

He caught her look of disbelief at Kari. He had never done this before, so he got it.

“I’m fine, I just need to be out of the office today because an emergency has cropped up.” He grabbed the box that sat on his desk and slipped it into his suit pocket, bending to tug the ripped socks out of his shoes and slip them on. He picked up his phone and found his car keys and wallet, pocketing them too. “Let Hollis know that Lennon won’t be in today, too. I’ll be back in the morning, if there is an issue that needs dealing with—”

“Then put them through to me, I’ll deal with whatever it is,” Kari finished for him and Kodi nodded his thanks, already heading back out of the office.

He was a man on a mission. All he needed now was Lennon to let him in and listen to him.

Easy.

We’ll see. Kodi was not as confident as his wolf, not by a long shot.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Lennon

Lennon hadn’t gotten any further than his couch, where he’d slumped when he got home. His eyes blurred while he read the group chat once more, just to make sure he was reading it right. Isley and grumpy Laken were dating, and Isley had gotten invited the day before to Lane and Derick’s home for dinner.

It had to be a meet the family kind of thing.

His lower lip wobbled as tears plopped onto his phone screen. Why did I have to fall for the brother who doesn’t want an actual relationship?

You’re over dramatizing again! He has spent weeks learning things about us, of course he wants a relationship.

Then why hasn’t he invited me around to meet his parents? The pitiful whine in his voice made a sob escape.

You know his parents and have spent loads of time with Lane.

It’s not the same. It wasn’t. His friends were spending time with Derick and Lane as family, not as friends or work colleagues.

It’s the pregnancy hormones. That’s all it is that’s making you like this.

It is not. You heard the doctor, our species can have protracted pregnancies for many reasons, from diet to environment if stressed. I’m stressed right now.

He had several blood forms tucked into his coat for more tests because the doctor couldn’t say exactly what Lennon’s due date was.

I’m not pregnant.

Why are you deluding yourself? If you took a second to shift, you’d feel the difference.

I don’t want to shift.

Petulant. He was being petulant and couldn’t stop it. Whatever his expectations were of the morning, it wasn’t this.

He sniffed and scrubbed at his wet cheeks, thinking about what he was going to say to Hollis about taking the day off. Would Kodi have mentioned it to someone?