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“We know,” says Thane, squeezing my hand. “Now get some rest, Riley. We’ll be here when you wake up. We aren’t leaving you ever again.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
—
M I L E S
The grandfather clockin the den chimes nine p.m. as we all stare at Thane with bated breath. Every once in a while, he looks up from his reading and rolls his eyes, then resumes his book, taking copious notes all the while. Riley is on the couch, snuggled between Levi and Fox, watching him while chewing at her nails.
The bastard knows exactly what he’s doing, making us all crazy. I’d be annoyed if I weren’t so happy that he’s being playful. It’s a welcome change from the past few weeks.
Riley’s recovery is going well. We brought her home three weeks ago, and although it has been challenging, anything is better than being in the hospital. We kept up the same schedule as we had in the hospital, and many mornings I worked by her side, snuggled into her warm body in her nest as I tapped away at my laptop.
At first, she slept most of the time, her body still recharging and healing. Her appetite was poor, and it was a full week before she progressed from chicken broth to anything more substantial. She still hasn’t gained back all the weight she lost in the hospital, but she eats with us at the dining table now, and is able to enjoy a full meal.
We still haven’t heard back from Thane’s parents regarding the trial, but I know they’re doing all they can to get Riley enrolled. They’ve even come over for dinner a few times, and although faint tension still exists between all of us Alphas, all three of his parents dote upon Riley as if she were their own daughter. Who ever thought a rebellious Omega would be the one to fix the rift in Thane’s family?
And then, there’s Thane himself. He smiles more, showing affection openly, often through touch. He stopped taking the rut blockers as soon as we agreed to make Riley our Omega. He almost immediately went into rut, his body on a rampage after being denied for so long. Fox ended up taking him to a hotel, and it was a full day before they returned, exhausted, sated, and grinning from ear to ear. Ever since then, he’s been back to the old Thane, the way he was back in school when we first met.
Finally, after another excruciating fifteen minutes, Thane puts the book down, jotting down a few last notes. He gives us all a bemused smile but says nothing.
“Well?” asks Levi, tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair.
“Well, what?” asks Thane, a glimmer of amusement in his eye, the teasing bastard. It’s good to see him teasing though, to see the sense of humor he had back in college return at last.
“Fucking hell, Thane,” groans Fox, throwing his head back. “Just tell us what you think of the damn book.”
Thane turns to Riley and gives her a wide smile. “I loved it.”
Fox whoops, and Miles and I clap like crazy. Riley blushes like a spring rose. Thane was the last of us to read the final draft of her manuscript, and he took his damn time with it.
“However,” he continues. “I have a few notes. Ready?”
“Ready.” Riley nods, picking up her own notebook and pen.
“First off, in chapter three, the character of Taylor—the blond carpenter Alpha—breaks his arm, and you describe it as breaking in two places. However, you have the cast coming off in less than six weeks. An injury like that is generally what is called a segmental fracture, and would require a longer healing period for it to fully heal.”
Riley, bless her adorable Omega soul, is scribbling down every word. “Segmental fracture, got it,” she says, finishing up her note. “What else?”
“Now, in chapter thirteen, Finn—the barista with the sexy ass—comes down with bronchitis. However, his symptoms match that of pleurisy, not bronchitis, and would be treated differently. He should—”
“Dammit, Thane,” groans Fox. “It’s a novel, not a medical journal.”
“Oh.” Thane blinks and looks down at his notes. “Too much?”
I pinch my index and thumb together. “Just a bit.”
“Well then,” he says, tossing the notebook aside. “Other than that, I loved it. You did a fantastic job, Riley.”
Riley squeals and lunges off the couch and onto Thane’s lap, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him multiple times on the cheek. “Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Thane looks startled by the burst of affection, and pink flags appear on his cheek. He pecks her on the nose but doesn’t go any further.
“Careful,” he warns. “You need to conserve your energy. Don’t get so excited.”
“I’m fine,” Riley says. “I’m back at my normal activity levels. My temperature has stayed normal. I haven’t had a flare-up in three days.”
“Fine,” Thane sighs, tugging her closer to his chest. She happily snuggles into his neck. “It really is an incredible book,” I overhear him whisper to her. “You should send it to an agent.”
