Chapter 8 Nico
Nico
My apology tour, as Emilio called it, went better than I’d thought it would. Especially with Carter. I felt like fucking shit that I’d lied to him, but he was extremely understanding.
“I was a young pup once. It did hurt, and not just because of the awkward position you put me in with your brother, but because I think of you like my son. But I also understand why and I forgive you.” He squeezed my shoulder affectionately. “I think you paid for your mistakes enough, don’t you?”
My eyes stung with tears as I practically launched myself into his arms. “T-thank you. Fuck, I’m so sorry. I think of you like a father too. Way more than I ever did my actual dad. I—”
“Shh.” He kissed the top of my head, and I had to stifle a laugh, knowing that Carter was one of the only wolves that could get away with touching me like this now that Lio and I were .
. . well, whatever we were. We still needed to figure out all the logistics.
My neck felt unbearably empty without his mark, but I understood why he hadn’t bitten me yet.
I had to be coherent, and both of us needed to speak to Santino before that.
I knew that Lio had talked to my brother briefly and things would be okay, but still, there were some formalities we had to adhere to. “I love you, kid. We’ll be okay.”
I pulled away from the older wolf enough to look him in the eyes. “And Santino, he— Do I need to speak to him? I won’t let you get in trouble.”
He shook his head. “No, everything is fine there. I went to apologize to him and accept my fate, but he just huffed and told me, ‘Nothing short of a wolfsbane-laced cage would keep Nico put if he didn’t want to be here. I still trust you with my life and, more importantly, Nico’s.’”
Relief filled me. My brother was a fair man, but he was sometimes blind when it came to me, and I was glad he’d seen reason enough to not punish first and ask questions later.
Carter’s eyes narrowed a little. “Have you spoken to him yet?”
My cheeks heated with embarrassment. “No.” Because I took the coward’s way out and came to you first. I kept that to myself.
Carter shook his head, but he was smiling. “Probably better to get that over with, no? Things are about to get crazy around here. The sooner you have that conversation, the sooner you and Patri can get to work.”
I swallowed down my guilt, trying to remember Lio’s insistence that it wasn’t my fault that we were likely about to go to war with the Grizzlies, but it wasn’t easy.
Our district had known relative peace since Santino had taken over.
I couldn’t help but feel shame that my actions would be what likely changed that.
Carter ruffled my hair. “It’ll be okay, kiddo. From what it sounds like, this would’ve happened one way or the other. We’re the White Wolves—challenges are inevitable.”
I grunted, knowing it was true even if I didn’t like it.
Listen, I wasn’t against violence. I had my fair share of bodies I was responsible for.
I might have mostly stayed out of that side of the business, but it didn’t mean I was incapable of protecting my family in any way I had to.
I felt no guilt for that. I felt no shame for being a Diangi or a White Wolf.
It was my legacy and I was proud of it. But wars were nasty and brutal and left too many innocents in their wake.
I would love a lifetime of peace, even if I knew it was impossible.
“Yeah, yeah,” I mumbled.
After one last hug, I finally dragged myself away from Carter to face my brother.
I had been avoiding him for so many reasons.
The largest, of course, was that I hated disappointing him.
I’d fucked up, and I didn’t want to see the look on his face when I finally fessed up to him.
Another part, one that I couldn’t bury no matter how much I wished I could, was the mortification I felt knowing damn well Santino knew what I’d spent the last three days doing.
Realistically, I was aware this would’ve happened eventually.
I was always going to get my heat at some point, and Santino would obviously know what was going on, no matter who I was with.
But in a normal situation, I would’ve locked myself away long before it started and not look at my brother for at least a week afterward.
And I never imagined I’d have been riding his best friend’s knot the whole fucking time.
Now, there was no way around this conversation. No way of not facing it head-on. The “Hey, your second is my mate and fucked me within an inch of my life and I really, really want to wear his mark on my neck” talk was gonna happen no matter how much both of us probably would want to die afterwards.
I found Santino in his office. No shocker there.
It was even less surprising that Lio was with him.
My brother was sitting behind his desk, but his chair was pushed back, angled toward Lio, his legs crossed on his expensive desk.
Lio was sitting to his side in another chair, legs also propped up on the desk and a glass of whiskey in his hand.
He was wearing dark jeans and a navy-blue Henley, and he looked hot as hell. I licked my lips.
Both men clocked me before I even crossed the doorway. They’d probably scented me down the hallway.
“Um, hey.” I shoved my hands in my pockets, suddenly feeling very awkward.
“Hey,” Santino responded neutrally. “How are you feeling?” I could feel his eyes assessing every inch of me.
“Good. Tired, but I guess that’s to be expected.”
“I think so, yeah.” I had no idea how much Santino even knew about heats. As far as I knew, he’d never taken an omega through one before, and his mother had died when he’d been young.
Silence lapsed. My eyes flashed from Lio to Santino, and I was unsure where to even begin.
“Um . . .”
Lio sighed and sat up. “Come here, baby.”
My gaze immediately flashed to Santino at the term of endearment, but he kept his neutral expression and his scent remained the same.
Emilio opened his arms and I gave in, gratefully bounding over to him and sinking into his hold. He buried his nose in my scent gland before hauling me onto his lap and arranging me in a way we were both comfortable.
For a second, I forgot all about where we were. It was just Lio and me. I was breathing easier now that I was engulfed in my alpha’s scent.
Santino cleared his throat. I turned to him, embarrassed, but was shocked to see he seemed mostly amused.
“So, I guess that answers if you want this too?” he asked me.
I nodded my head. “Yeah, um. I didn’t know Lio was my mate before this, but he is, and I’m glad he is. I want his mark.”
Lio sucked in a breath. My brother just tilted his head in agreement.
“For the record, I’m glad too.” I was shocked, and by the way Lio stiffened, I thought he might be thinking the same.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s weird as fuck, and there might be times I want to murder you, Lio.
But if this past week proved anything, it’s that I can’t keep treating you like a baby.
And if someone has to be your mate, I’m glad it’s Emilio. ”
“Thanks, man. That means a lot to me. You know I’ll take care of him.”
“I know.” Santino fixed me with a look. “And you take care of Lio as well. He deserves it.”
I smiled softly. Everyone thought my brother was a hard ass, but they didn’t know the softy underneath the tough exterior. “I will.” I looked down. As happy as I was that one part had gone smoothly, I wasn’t done.
“I’m sorry, Tino. I should’ve never snuck out like that. I fucked up.”
Santino’s jaw ticked. “I might not like it, but it was partially my fault. I can be a bit . . . overprotective.”
I snorted. “A bit?”
He waved a hand at me, “Yeah, well, I have good reason, don’t I?”
I sobered at that. He was right. The one time I’d tried to leave the protection of our pack and that had happened.
“Yeah, I guess. I really am sorry. I-I never wanted . . . that.”
Growls filled the room, and Emilio squeezed me tighter.
I could feel his canines against my skin.
He wasn’t biting down, just letting me know he was there.
“The fuck? Of course you didn’t want that,” Santino snapped.
“What kind of fucking alphahole do you think I am? The Grizzlies will pay for their actions.”
I didn’t really know how to respond to that, so I pushed it aside for now.
My feelings were still too sharp, too fresh, to really process it.
Logically, I knew that it wasn’t my fault that they’d attacked me and forced my heat.
Even if I’d made a mistake, I wasn’t responsible for their actions.
Still, it was a little hard for me to believe that right now.
I ignored all that and focused on the rest of what Santino had said. “What’s the plan?”
Santino’s nostrils flared. “I have a meeting with the head of the Grizzlies, Josef Petrov, today. Now that you’re feeling better, do you want to come with us?”
I straighten up in Lio’s lap, surprised. “Seriously?” It wasn’t that I never came along during these meetings, because I did often enough, but I expected Santino tighten security to the point of insanity. I didn’t think he’d allow me outside of the packhouse for a long time.
“Yeah. You’re good at reading people. You were also affected by them the most. You deserve to be there while options and consequences are discussed.
You deserve to have an opinion on those things.
” My brother’s face scrunched in discomfort.
“Plus, until you and Lio complete your bond, you won’t be able to tolerate being apart for long, and I’m not having my second go feral because he can’t feel his mate. ”
Lio laughed. “Is that your way of giving me your blessing to mark him?”
Santino blew out a breath and then took a sip of his own whiskey that was sitting on a coaster on his desk. “Yeah. You fucking better. Make an honest man out of my brother, second.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Yes, alpha,” Lio responded seriously. Then he grinned. “With pleasure.” I could feel his canine on the back of my neck.
“For fuck’s sake, not in fucking here,” Santino practically cried, disgusted, even though Lio didn’t do anything inappropriate. “And after our fucking meeting. We don’t have time now.”