Chapter 9 #2
“Are you sure?” Griffin asked.
“As sure as I can be,” Niko answered truthfully.
“Are we going to stay here even if she’s really sick?” Griffin asked.
“You are. And you’re safe, and your mom is safe and I don’t want you to worry about it. You know why?”
“Why?” Griffin asked, grinning at Niko.
“Because I promised you’d both be okay, and you will be. I’ll make sure. I came out here to make sure you’re okay the minute I heard about your Reigna.”
“What took you so long?” Griffin asked.
“What? I came as soon as I heard!”
“It happened a while ago,” Griffin said.
“I was taking a nap! I gotta go to work tonight! And I still came out here to look for you when I heard.”
Griffin grinned. “Want to come play?”
“On the splash pad?” Niko asked.
“Yes, with me!”
“I would really, really, really like that!” Niko said, grabbing him up and tickling him as he carried him toward the splash pad.
“Oh, my goodness! What does he have you doing now?” Maeve asked, when she saw Niko carrying her son toward her.
“Playing on the splash pad,” Niko said.
“I’m going to climb up there,” Griffin said, as Niko put him down and he started climbing up the thick ropes that were woven into nets. The buckets above the nets tipped over and splashed water all over Griffin and the other kids climbing the nets, making them scream in delight.
Niko grinned as he watched the boy climb up the net on his way to the water guns that were mounted along the walkway above them.
“I’m sorry you keep getting rooked into taking care of him. He’s just a little worried about what’s going to happen to us next. I keep telling him it’s okay, but he doesn’t seem to believe me.”
“It’s okay. I like him. He makes me feel important.”
“Griffin does?” Maeve asked.
Niko nodded as he looked up at Griffin, who’d made it to the top and was shooting his water gun at some kids on the opposite deck.
“I’m usually the comic relief. The one that parties longer and later than anyone else.
I even run the bar the Pride owns. It’s probably because I don’t have a mate; I’m not looking, and tease everybody else as they find theirs. ”
“Ah, I see,” Maeve said. “Well, it sounds like you’ve got a fun life.”
“I do. But, it’s nice to have Griffin take one look at me and decide that I’m the best one to protect him and his mother. Kid doesn’t even know me and took one look and said, that’s him. That’s the guy that I’m going to get to protect me and my mom.”
“Does something to your heart when someone you least expect thinks the world of you, doesn’t it?” she asked, her own focus on her child having the time of his life.
Niko didn’t answer.
She turned to find Niko standing there, blatantly staring at her. “You alright?”
He just kept staring.
“Niko?” she asked.
Niko snapped out of it and blinked a few times. “What was that?”
“I just said it’s nice to have someone believe in you.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Would you happen to know anything about Gwen? Is she okay?”
“They’re working on her right now. She’s getting an IV and they’re monitoring her. There’s a lot of people gathered around her that know more than I ever could about medical treatment, so I’m pretty sure she’ll be okay. We were lucky the Variant arrived when they did.”
“That was a little unsettling, to be honest,” Maeve said.
“The Variant? They’re alright. We’ve met them and built up a friendship with them. There’s nothing to worry about. They’re good people, just been fucked coming and going and slow to trust.”
“Normally, I wouldn’t have thought twice, but some of them were with the Falwells when they attacked us.”
“I can promise you that it was not any of the ones that are here today. They’ve been freed and are rebuilding their lives. My guess is the ones that attacked you are still captive and have no idea that freedom is even a possibility. Those still in captivity have to follow orders or they’re killed.”
“That’s horrible.”
“It is. But regardless of who and why, I meant what I said to Griffin. You and he are safe here and you won’t have to leave. You are welcome here for as long as you want to be here, even longer,” Niko said.
Maeve reached out and laid her hand on Niko’s forearm. “Thank you, Niko. That really means a lot.”
Niko stared at her hand as he took a step back.
“I, uh, I gotta go. The bar’s waiting,” he said.
Maeve slowly removed her hand and watched him without a word.
“You’re safe, he’s safe, Gwen is getting looked after, so I’m going to go to work.”
“Have a good night,” she said quietly.
“I will! Bye,” he said, as he turned around and rushed back toward the house.
“Niko!” Bonnie called out.
“Sonofabitch,” Niko whispered under his breath as he plastered a smile on his face and turned to see what Bonnie wanted.
“Can you send some males out here? We had Vance and Three, but they’ve gone in. I could use the presence of a few more,” Bonnie said.
“I’ll tell ‘em,” he said, turning his back and going quickly through the sliding glass door before Bonnie had a chance to say anything else.
The moment he got into the family room he started wiping at his forearm furiously.
“No! Nooooo!” he said, dragging his arm across his stomach in an effort to wipe away Maeve’s touch.
When that didn’t work, he spit on his arm and rubbed at it with his other hand.
“What is wrong with you?” Jack demanded from the formal living room.
“She touched me! And I felt it! I can’t feel it! I said never, I meant never! Why did I feel it?!” Niko screeched.
Jack just raised his eyebrows and waited for more information.
“Don’t look at me like that. It might be okay for you, and for…
” he looked around for somebody else that was mated and his eyes landed on Rance still lying beside Gwen on the table, “or him! But not me! I don’t want it, I don’t want that at all!
I’ve always said that! And I felt her!” Niko said, fisting his hands.
“Did it feel good, Niko?” Jack asked.
Niko stopped and thought about it. “Yeah?” he asked, more than stated. “And she’s sweet, and so pretty, and just… No!” he shouted, then stomped from the family room back toward the stairs. “There’s still blood here!” he announced, pointing at the stairs as he went up two or three of them.
“Where are you going now?” Jack called after him.
“I gotta go to work. I might even sleep there!” Niko yelled back. “And Bonnie wants some more males outside. I’m guessing so the females feel safe.”
“Draven’s out there,” Jack said.
“He’s watching Brinnley,” Niko said. “I gotta go!”
“What is his deal?” Fierce asked.
“That, my friends, is what happens when a male who’s always preached ‘no mates, no way in hell am I ever claiming a mate, if they want to even know my name they’re too attached’, has fate slap him in the face with a female that makes you question your very philosophy of life.”
Fierce laughed, as did some of the others.
Feral was quietly picking up the wrappers and packages from the supplies they’d used on Gwen.
He watched Jack and Niko, then smiled slightly as he reached for the last piece of packaging from the IV bags.
“Doesn’t know how fortunate he is, does he?
” Feral asked, his gaze falling momentarily on Alison, who met his gaze boldly and returned it.
“No, he certainly does not. But I have a feeling it won’t be long until he figures it out, or moves to another place altogether,” Jack said.
“Some males just have a hard time letting their walls down. Me? I’m pretty sure when the right one walks past I won’t waste much time before letting her know I’m interested,” Feral said.
“You’re not mated?” Jack asked.
“Nope. I was married once, back when I was human. She and I were oil and water, but thankfully fate stepped in and found the male she was supposed to be with.”
“Is that a good thing?” Jack asked.
“Oh, yeah. I had all kinds of mixed up emotions about her being rescued and still wanting no part of her, but feeling the duty to make sure she was safe because she was really messed up. She has no memory of me at all. Then when I saw the male she was meant for and the way she responded to him, there was no more worry. I was free, and she was happy and safer than any female ever could be. Adored, too.”
“Hold on, she was rescued? Like a reward, rescued?” Savage asked.
Feral nodded.
“Okay, maybe it’s just me, but I’m a little confused here,” Jack said. “How do you remember that you and she were married when you were human if the doctors made you forget everything when they changed you?”
“Some of us, a very few, remember everything. I’m thinking those of us who don’t are blessed,” Frenzy said.
“This is the first I’m hearing of this bit of tea. Who is your ex’s mate?” Savage asked.
Feral smirked as he walked past Savage on his way to the kitchen and the garbage can. “Ice.”
“Ice?!! Holy fuck! Phoenix was your wife?” Savage exclaimed.
“Yep.”
“And she’s happy?!” Savage asked.
Feral laughed. “Deliriously so. And I’m happy for them,” he said, smiling at Alison as he slid past her on his way into the kitchen. “Excuse me.”
“Sure,” Alison said, her eyes focused on him as he moved past her.
She inhaled deeply after he got by her and started putting all the torn packages he held into the garbage can.
She closed her eyes, savoring his scent.
When she opened her eyes again, he was standing directly in front of her looking down at her. She raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Feral gave just a hint of a smile before he spoke. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Alison said, her voice a little higher than usual.
“Who’s going outside to be seen so the ladies know they’re secure and there’s nothing to worry about?” Jack asked.
“I’ll go,” Steve said.
“A couple of us can go, too,” Savage said.
“I’ll go,” Hail said. “Storm’s got it, she’s always wanted to know medic stuff. I’m just overkill in here.”
“I’ll go with you,” Alison said. “Want to swim? Alpha keeps extra suits in the pool house.”
Hail looked over at Frenzy, asking if he was okay with her going outside.
“Get your swim on, girl! We’re not going anywhere today,” Frenzy said.
Hail smiled at him, then looked at Alison. “What’s your name?” Hail asked.
“I’m Alison. What’s your name?”
“Hail.”
“Y’all have the best names. I’m plain old Alison!”
Feral watched as Alison and Hail went outside. “There’s nothing plain about that female.”
Frenzy made an exaggerated expression at Jack, forming an O with his mouth and pulling his chin down as he forced his brows up. “Nothing plain!” he whispered.