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Marco nodded grimly and squeezed Nicky’s shoulders. “Let’s not indulge in any wild speculations over one stray track. Like I said, it could be anything. Most likely bear hunters, and we can eliminate that threat easily enough with extra patrols. ”
Zack turned away and headed back to the vehicles. “We’re an hour or so behind schedule, boys. Let’s make it to the site and set up our camp. Then two of us can go out scouting around while one of us guards the camp. ” He looked over at Cade. “That’ll probably be you, since you have Jax to worry about. ?
?
Cade nodded, but Jax felt his skin flushing. “I can take care of myself,” he reminded all of them. No one answered him, but he could literally feel the waves of disbelief rolling off the three wolves. He glanced over at Nicky and saw him shrug in sympathy. He stepped up beside Jax.
“Whether you can or not makes no difference to them. They’re all so alpha there ought to be special words to describe them. Arrogant and overbearing come close, but don’t quite capture the depth,” he said, with a sideways glance at the wolves. “Don’t even argue—it’s a waste of breath. ”
He walked off toward the ATVs and Jax saw Cade frowning after him. Marco was shaking his head as Nicky walked away.
“Cold tonight,” Nicky said, pulling his jacket more closely around his shoulders. “Is it?” Marco said distractedly, adding a few more sticks to the campfire as Nicky held put
his fingers toward it. Marco never seemed to suffer from the cold like Nicky did. They’d reached the building site in the afternoon and spend some time setting up the tents. Afterward, Zack and Marco went out ‘for a look around,’ but came back an hour or so later, saying things seemed quiet enough. No more sign of any intruders.
The others had retired for the night, leaving Nicky and Marco by the fire. Nicky scooted closer to Marco’s big body and leaned against him. He smiled down at Nicky and put a comfortingarm around him. “You’ve been brooding about something all day, baby. Tell me what’s on your mind. ”
“I’m not brooding. ”
“Okay, let me rephrase that. You’ve been a jerk all day. ”
Nicky turned a surprised face to him, and then felt a slow heat travel up to his cheeks. “Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s nothing. ”
“Shit, Nicky. Almost every word out of your mouth today has been a dig at the wolves.
You’re always a smart ass, but you’re moving it to a whole different level. ”
“Thanks,” Nicky said, drawing up his knees and hugging them. Marco was right, of course.
He’d been an asshole all day, and what was worse he knew it, but couldn’t seem to stop. He just
hadn’t realized Marco had noticed.
“Spill it. We’re not going to bed until you do. ”
Feeling moodyand out of sorts, Nicky looked around the little clearing where they’d
camped for the night. Everyone was inside their tents except for him and Marco, and the moon
cast a silver light on the trees around them. He knew Marco was tired, but was sitting up with
him because Nicky was so restless tonight. All day long Nicky had been watching Cade and the
way he looked at Jax, like Jax was some precious jewel that had just landed in his lap, and he
didn’t quite know what to do with him yet—proudly show him off or jealously hide him away.
Nicky didn’t think Cade or Jax were even aware of it, but Nicky recognized that look on Cade’s
face. It was the same one Marco used to give Nicky.
He knew Marco loved him, but not with the same intensity that he’d once sensed in him.
Marco said it was his imagination. Maybe it was. Of course, they’d been together going on three
years and things were bound to be more familiar and less exciting, but after all they’d been
through, Nicky wondered if Marco’s loving him hadn’t become a habit. What if deep inside,
