Chapter 23 #2
“It’s not livable,” Niko said flatly, his voice having lost some of it’s irritation.
“I think it is. You just have to clear all the overgrowth from around it and replace any wood that needs replacing. Do a quick inspection and we’ll help you get it whole and strong again.”
“No,” Niko said, starting across the yard toward the porch again.
Rance watched him go, shaking his head as he watched one of his best friends grapple with not only a new adversary in the form of his unwanted, unplanned for mate, but some very old demons as well.
“You sure you got room for me in your room upstairs?” Frenzy asked.
“Yeah, it’s a suite, and I’ll be spending most of my time with Gwen until she’s a little stronger anyway. Or runs me off.” Then he looked at Jack. “Give Niko back his room before he gets his ass whipped by his mate.”
“Nobody’s whipping my ass!” Niko snapped. “I’m going to bed,” he said, walking through the front door of Jack’s house and slamming the door behind himself.
Jack winced as he thought about the few females still sleeping in the living room of his house.
Males that hadn’t left already, started meandering off in the directions of their homes.
Jack shook his head. “Maybe I’ll make him go see a therapist.”
“Or you could just let his mate whip his ass,” Frenzy mock whispered.
“That’s the thing… he comes across all froufrou with the perfect hair and the fancy clothes, and makes you think he’d be easy to take.
But he’s one of my most dangerous males.
He seems all bark, but when he’s pushed to the limit, he loses his shit and everybody that ever irritated him for even a second in his entire life, better watch out,” Jack said.
Frenzy grinned.
“Do not even play with that,” Jack said.
“You completely misunderstand. I’m just thinking he sounds a lot like me. Maybe he’ll be my number two best buddy,” Frenzy said.
Jack grinned and shook his head. Having Frenzy join their Pride was going to be entertaining at the very least. “Y’all come on in. Give me the rundown of what happened and tell me what information you gained,” Jack said.
“And the questions it raised,” Rance quipped.
“Is that what that look from Steve was about?” Jack asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Rance said.
“Let’s get it out of the way before you go up to check on Gwen. It’s really early anyway.”
“How is she?”
“Healing. Got up and sat in her chair for a while, then went back to bed. Asked if I’d heard anything from you.”
“And the boys?” Rance asked as he walked toward Jack, planning to walk into the house.
“They’re going to be real sorry when their momma feels better and they don’t get all the spoiling from Findley and Brinnley. They spent the night with them last night at Findley’s. Swam all day yesterday, played on the splash pad, and are practically running this whole damn place.”
Rance grinned at him.
“Y’all hungry? I’m starving. Looks like I’m going to have to cook my own breakfast again,” he teased as he opened the door and ushered Rance and Frenzy inside the house.
“You make your own breakfast every day. You wake up too damn early for anybody else to beat you to it.”
“That’s beside the point.”
Movement near the path Niko stomped up caught Jack’s attention before he closed the door.
He looked closer and recognized Alison standing just out of clear sight, looking at the vehicles.
She realized she was being watched and quickly ducked completely out of sight.
Jack stood there, watching for a second to be sure she wasn’t coming back, then joined Frenzy and Rance inside.
“Hey, you know if Feral may show up?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I tried to plant the seed in his mind that he should consider it, but I don’t know for sure,” Frenzy said.
“Why?”
“Just wondering,” Jack said. “I’m about over the eggs and bacon shit. How about some French toast this morning? Bonnie's got a shit ton of leftover banana bread.”
“Banana bread French toast? Is that even a thing?” Rance asked.
“It can be.”
“Add the bacon back in to dredge through the syrup and I’m in,” Frenzy said.
“Consider it done,” Jack said, taking two loaves of banana bread out of the fridge and setting them out on the cutting board while he got out everything else he’d need. “So, have a seat, have some coffee, and start talking to me.”
~~~
Alison returned to her house and quietly let herself in.
She stood there for a minute with her head leaning against the door, her eyes closed as she relived anxiously scanning Jack’s yard, searching for any trace of Feral, and the crestfallen feeling that had overtaken her when she realized he wasn’t there.
“So, was he there? Did he come back?” Maeve asked excitedly.
Alison turned to her, gave her a sad smile and shook her head. “No. Frenzy came back, but he’s the only one.”
“I’m sorry. Oh! Maybe he’s got to get permission or something and can’t just decide without the input of the others like him,” Maeve said, trying not to dash all Alison’s dreams.
Alison shook her head. “I heard them talking. I think Frenzy’s joining the Pride. So, I’m sure if Feral wanted to, he could have.”
Maeve walked over and hugged Alison like a mother would, though they were about the same age, not allowing her to deal with it all on her on. “It’ll be okay either way.”
“Yeah, I’m just mad at myself. I shouldn’t have believed him,” Alison said.
“I think he was sincere,” Maeve said.
“Then where is he? If Frenzy’s here, I’m pretty sure Feral could have been here if he’d wanted to be.” Alison hugged Maeve again, then walked around her and toward the living room. “I’m going to throw these blankets and pillow covers into the washing machine.”
“Washing away his scent isn’t going to get rid of the memories. I still think there’s a chance he’ll show up,” Maeve said.
“I thought so, too. That’s why I rushed over there when Niko left saying that the guys were back from looking into what happened to your Pride.”
A shadow of emotion crossed Maeve’s face.
“I’m sorry. I’m whining about a male that didn’t even care enough to come back, and you’re dealing with so very much more. I’m so sorry, Maeve.”
“It’s fine. Really. The world doesn’t stop turning because something awful happened.
We’ve all got little individual universes in this world, and we aren’t all focused on or dealing with the same things at the same time.
I know you care. But I also know you’ve got your own priorities, just like I do. ”
“That’s true, but just because my universe isn’t turning out like I’d hoped, doesn’t mean I can be less than caring about yours.”
“Seriously? You’ve put a roof over my head. Helped me run Niko off when he gets too insistent. Took my son and me shopping and basically become my best friend in the few days that I’ve been here. You’ve done so much more than you or anybody else needed to. And I appreciate you.”
Alison smiled at Maeve. “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want to. But be forewarned… Niko most likely won’t give up that easily.”
Maeve rolled her eyes.
“And like you said about Feral, I think Niko is sincere, too. I just don’t think he’s sure of what he’s sincere about. This whole thing has him all turned around — at least in my opinion. But he obviously cares.”
“I’m already a single mother of one. I do not need to take on another child.”
Alison laughed, causing Maeve to laugh, too.
“He’s a good male. Strong. A leader of the Pride, and assists Jack whenever needed. Popular. Funny.”
“A ladies man. Player, if you will,” Maeve added.
“No, now. To be fair, he’s not a player.
Players will mislead a female, say anything necessary to achieve their end target.
Niko never does that. He’s very clear up front about whatever happens being nothing more than an encounter and not to come back the next night looking for anything, because he might not even remember them. ”
“And that’s not a player?”
“Nope. He’s a ladies man. A confirmed bachelor, but not a player. He doesn’t lie. I think he’s just been gobsmacked. He’ll figure it out.”
“Gobsmacked… now there’s a word I haven’t heard in a long time.”
“Sorry. Only child, older parents, not a lot of social life. I find myself saying things they used to.”
“Gobsmacked,” Maeve said. “It does explain his behavior very clearly.”
“It really does. And don’t be surprised if he shows up later wanting to be let in again. He was not happy that I sent him away for you.”
“He’s persistent, I’ll give him that.”
Alison nodded as she rolled the blanket and the throw pillow covers up in her arms, in preparation of washing them.
“You may not know it now, but you’re lucky.
At least you have a male that can’t stop thinking of you, and is begging for more time with you, and your son.
Some females would pay for that kind of devotion. ”
“I’m sorry, Alison. I didn’t mean to seem ungrateful.
It’s just that I find Niko’s behavior very contradictory.
I’m not honestly sure he even knows if it’s devotion he’s feeling, or if he’s just trying to figure out how to make peace with his instincts so he can make a clean getaway as soon as possible.
I can’t have him bonding with Griffin and then disappearing.
I won’t let him be rejected by a male he looks up to so obviously. ”
“Niko is a lot of things, and I’m not defending his life choices or his past, but he’s not a careless male. He’s not cold, or callous. He’s just… Niko. And this is new for him, too.”
“I’ll try to remember that, if you try to remember that just because Feral isn’t here at the moment, doesn’t mean anything he said is false. He could turn up any day, you never know.”
Alison smiled and nodded. “Deal.” She walked away, making her way into the washer and dryer that were in the mudroom.
She put everything in the washer, added more detergent than was necessary and turned it on.
She leaned against the washer as it began to fill and thought about what Maeve had said.
There was a vast difference between Niko and Feral.
Niko was terrified. But Feral had seemed interested in her, and perfectly at ease with it.
And therein lay all Alison needed to know.
No one ever showed more than a passing interest in her — why should it change now?
Her own Pride didn’t take much notice of her.
She sighed and headed back into the house.
It was all out of her control. All she could do now, was put it out of her mind and hope that no one else had noticed her preoccupation with him.
It would be embarrassing to admit to anyone other than herself that she’d fallen for his sweet words.
She stepped inside as the memory of Niko trying to beat her door down after he saw her and Feral because he thought it was Feral and Maeve popped into her head. “Crap. Niko knows. Now I’m going to have to talk to Niko to ask him to keep it to himself.”