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“That’s one of the reasons I didn’t want to wait,” Alison said. “I don’t have anything else useful, though, Niko. I notified Boone but he’s still off grounds right now.” She shifted her weight restlessly. “Gwen and Joe came in—Aspen called them and asked for extra gear and they were dropping it off as everything started going down. They drafted themselves since we’re stretched thin with Shale and Boone... ” Alison bit her lip. “Shale’s going to be okay, right?”
Niko pulled her in for a hug without thinking. She was a packmate, hurting and scared. “Of course he will. He’s too fucking mean not to be okay.”
Her arms came around him after a moment and it wasn’t until she hugged him awkwardly then nudged him back that he wondered if maybe he’d done something that would hurt Zee. Alison swallowed and darted a nervous look at him before backing away.
“Stop it,” Zee said from behind him. “I don’t expect you to stop caring for your pack, Niko. If I see you trying to get in another woman’s bed, I’ll take issue. But that’s not what’s going on. Alison? Stop freaking out.”
Alison’s lips twitched as she shot Niko another look. “I think that’s one of the reasons I was always so jealous of her. She’s never worried about what others thought. She just says what she’s thinking and fuck everything else.”
Hearing the soft rustle of fabric behind him, Niko glanced back and saw Zee pulling a shirt on. He frowned when he realized it was one of his. When had she gotten a hold of it? Then he smiled, realizing that he liked the idea of her covered in his scent. She lifted a brow at him as the shirt fell down to cover her butt, the hem striking her mid-thigh.
“There’s a certain kind of freedom when you decide not to worry about what others think,” Zee said, joining him at the door.
Niko reached out, wanting the smooth, silken warmth of her skin under his hand. He encountered worn cotton and settled for that instead. “Thanks for bringing the news, Alison. Update me when you can.”
She nodded, then looked at Zee, giving her a respectful nod as well before turning.
Niko shut the door and pulled Zee into his arms, turning in the same motion so he could lean against the door, her body tucked against his.
Edgy tension pulsed between them.
“You want to try and pick up the trail?”
“No,” Niko murmured, eyes on the far wall.
Somehow, that answer didn’t surprise her. She picked up on the tension that had crept into Niko over the past few minutes, felt it in that odd awareness in the back of her mind, in the same place where she'd only now started sensing Niko again.
He slid his hands up her sides, then down. “Zee, I have to go.”
“I'm coming with you.”
