Chapter Twenty-One Jay
Jay
The pack had spent the afternoon after calling Leo’s Dad in Nix’s room. Jay and Leo try to work on a track after Leo retrieves his laptop from Long Road Home’s recording studio. They keep it quiet, but it’s still slow going, as there’s too much noise from the hall; parents and pediatric patients keep popping their heads in, curious about celebrities on the floor. But by dinner, Jay is still happy with the beginnings of what sounds an awful lot like a love song.
Finn has gone back on shift, and thanks to some scheduling, he could have his meals with his mates when time allows, between rounds and clinic hours. When it’s almost time to order something for dinner, Jay heads off out onto the floor to find his hard-working mate.
Jay tracks Finn and Rowan to the infant unit, where the latter sings a Long Road Home ballad to the smallest baby Jay has ever seen. The child’s mother is equally smitten if her dazed smile is anything to go by. The young alpha will make a good father someday, and Jay can’t think too much about it right now, or dinner will never get ordered.
He reluctantly pulls Finn away so as not to wake the baby, whose eyes have just slipped closed; Rowan is proud-as-punch at getting the cranky baby to sleep. “Are you guys okay with Umberto’s?”
“Perfect. Rowan and I were just talking about their ravioli. Thank you.”
“It’ll be here in an hour. Will that work for you?”
“I’m done in forty-five anyway, so that works great.” He pries Rowan away from the babies, steering him down the hall toward the nursing station. It’s odd for Finn to need Rowan’s security at work, but Jay’s not going to unsettle his already stressed pack by asking about the doctor’s uncharacteristic clinginess.
Gideon and Grayson are still reading the books from Dr. Spencer when he gets back. Deciding not to disturb them, he quietly places the order with Umberto’s, eavesdropping on their conversation while he waits.
Grayson’s scent lingers in the air, subtly aroused despite his suppressants. Gideon easily keeps him on track with practiced techniques he often uses with Rowan: a grounding hand on the back of his neck, a sharp pinch to the inside of his thigh, and, occasionally, the calm offering of his wrist for scenting. It’s a controlled choreography, and the most startling part is that Grayson needs it at all. He’d never required such guidance before, not even as a younger enigma.
It’s entirely new.
Jay thinks maybe doing it at the bedside of the vanilla-sex-bakery-scented source of Grayson’s frustration isn’t the best idea, but knowing Gideon, that’s exactly his tactic. Desensitization, coupled with the knowledge about how to understand and care for his mate, might help Grayson keep control of whatever is driving his hormones through the roof. Practice makes perfect, after all.
His labs from the day before had been so high that it had caused the doctor to hunt Grayson down in Nix’s room to be sure he was still standing. The doctor had been insistent this had to be a short-term answer if no one wanted to risk Grayson’s long-term physical well-being. Unanimously, no one does.
For now, Jay hears words like heat and slick , and that’s when he realizes he’s going to need a crash course—they all are—in caring for their omega or helping him care for himself if even half of what’s in those books is fact instead of fiction.
He only hopes they can learn enough in time for him to wake up. Soon , he tells himself. Soon.
He heads down to the lobby to pick up dinner, and when he gets back, Leo has cleared the mixing equipment away. He looks over to where Nix is still sleeping, with Luca’s head on his shoulder for his late afternoon nap. Jay stands watching his sleeping mates while he lets the worry over tomorrow’s meeting creep up on him. He feels big arms come around his waist and a chin poke into the side of his shoulder; a sleepy Leo gives the best hugs.
“What’s got you worked up?”
Jay holds his beta’s hands against his belly and feels his nose rub behind his ear. The scent of cinnamon helps Jay’s anxiety ebb a bit.
“Just worried about tomorrow…and the next day…and the next. How are we going to keep him safe? Tell him about us? I need him to wake up, Leo. I miss him so much, and I know he’s here, which is closer than he’s been in more than nine years, but it’s only going to get harder for him, ya know?” Jay trails off and presses on the hands holding him to remind himself he’s there.
“He’ll wake up. He will, and you can hold him and tell him you love him to his face for real. Tell him the stories of how we all met, how we’ve all been waiting. We’ll all help him adjust, and when he’s ready, we’ll get him some counseling for the rest. We’ll keep him safe.” Leo pumps out more of his comforting cinnamon scent, and it mixes so well with Luca’s sleepy mocha and Nix’s vanilla; it’s like a slice of Heaven right here. He lets it ground him because his pack is together, and he can finally breathe.
After they’ve finished the second order of takeout that day and Finn’s short shift is over, Jay convinces them all to go home. Taking a seat beside Nix’s bed, he watches them all say goodnight to their Sunshine.
He watches Gray push his nose into Nix’s hair and inhale, once, twice, as if Nix’s scent eludes him. The effort is hard to watch, sending a pang through Jay’s chest. Finally, Gray kisses Nix’s forehead before placing one on top of Jay’s head, too.
Jay catches his hand as he moves away. “You okay, pretty?”
Gray gives him a small, sad smile and shakes his head. “Yeah.” But the contradiction between his gestures and his words leaves Jay wondering which is true. Probably both.
Leo is next, taking Nix’s hand in his own and whispering a soft goodbye before turning to Jay. He kisses his cheek and crosses the room to wrap Gray in a comforting hug. Rowan follows, huffing Nix’s wrist and breaking away with a dopey grin that softens the edges of the moment.
“Night, Alpha,” he chirps at Jay, his mischievous green eyes crinkling around his dimples. Without missing a beat, he leaps onto Leo’s back with a sassy, “Carry me.” It makes Jay chuckle because Rowan has nine inches and forty pounds on his smaller mate, but Leo bears it easily, even if he gives an exaggerated grunt.
The others wave their goodbyes one last time, their footsteps fading into the hallway, but Gideon pauses at the doorway, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the dim light. He turns back, his expression unreadable, and strides purposefully across the room.
With quiet authority, he settles onto Jay’s lap, his presence grounding and heavy. His hand cups Jay’s jaw, tilting his face upward as their gazes meet. Gideon’s lips brush against Jay’s with practiced familiarity, slow and deliberate, as if savoring the moment.
“Wish you were coming home. Both of you,” Gideon murmurs, his voice rough yet tinged with something softer—longing, maybe. He glances toward Nix, still silent and unmoving, before rising to his feet.
With one final touch, he leans over and presses his nose to Jay’s neck, inhaling deeply before placing a kiss on Nix’s small hand. The tenderness lingers for a moment longer, and then Gideon straightens and strides to the door, disappearing into the hall without a backward glance.
Loneliness is a foreign emotion for Jay in his pack of seven—now eight. Seeing his mates walk out the door without him makes his heart hurt. He’s not quite used to the feeling of divided desires: to be with his mates in their pack bed or here with his sweet Sunshine, who needs him, too.
It’s not late by anyone’s standards, so Jay grabs one of Dr. Spencer’s books and falls back into “his” chair, with only the bedside lamp for illumination. Losing time just looking at Nix, he’s asleep in an instant, only to wake a few hours later with a crick in his neck when the book falls to the floor. The desire to hold his mate is suddenly almost overwhelming.
Nix’s sweet scent flows out as he lifts the blanket, and Jay slides in beside him. It’s still just as alluring as it had been in the beginning, but now it’s tempered by the scents of his family, each man has taken the time to be sure that when Nix wakes up he’ll know with whom he belongs without question, and by proxy Jay feels that too.
Pressing his nose into Nix’s small shoulder, his eyes slip closed.
***
The soft thud of bags hitting the floor near the foot of the bed stirs him awake, followed by the comforting aroma of green tea wafting from the bedside table.
A full nine hours of sleep has made him groggy. It might be the best night’s sleep he’s had since he’d come to Nashville years ago. Even the nurses handling Nix’s vitals had gone unnoticed. Maybe Jay’s wolf has finally been able to rest.
Stretching his arms over his head, Jay sits stiffly on the side of the bed. He lets the cold tile floor work its magic in waking him up. “Hey, baby, you look nice.”
Luca appears, cozy and fresh from bed, bunny slippers soft against the tile. Jay catches him around the waist for a quick kiss, groaning when Luca tries to climb him. “Not now, baby. We’ve got somewhere to be.”
He’s surprised to see Luca has brought two bags of nesting materials, looking like he’s prepared to stay for the long haul. It’s not that Luca isn’t capable of staying with Nix; it’s that he’ll be here alone, fielding questions from medical staff who still come around for regular vitals checks or to change Nix’s IV and urine output bag. The added responsibility, interactions with others, and non-fun bodily fluids are things Luca has previously identified for himself as anxiety triggers. To say Jay is surprised it’s Luca instead of Grayson or Rowan is an understatement.
“Luc, are you here by yourself?” Jay treads carefully because he can tell Luca is gearing up for a defensive argument.
“Gideon says I can take care of Nix while you’re all with Leo’s dad. I brought my stuff, and I’m going to build Nix a nest so we’re comfy. I brought snacks and my tablet so we can watch some shows.” He’s shifting from foot to foot, and it’s a dead giveaway that he’s hiding something. “Here’s your suit, you better hurry.”
Gideon steps into the room behind Luca, having been delayed by parking the car. He’s clad in a sleek black suit paired with a matte black shirt beneath. There’s no tie—there never is. Gideon had once told Jay, with his signature bluntness, that he wouldn’t put a potential weapon around his neck just to make it easier for an adversary.
Not that it matters. Tie or not, Gideon in a suit is a vision that makes Jay’s train of thought derail spectacularly mid-conversation with Luca.
Gideon smirks at his alpha’s glazed-over expression. “Alpha, you better get going. We’re going to be late. Leo and the others are meeting us there. Luca.” The beta, who had been sneaking toward the bed, freezes. “You’re going to be okay?”
Luca smiles and jumps into Gideon’s arms. “Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ll be so good.”
Gideon slides his hands under Luca’s skirt, only to sigh in exasperation.
“Luca Wilde, where is your underwear? You can’t walk around with your ass hanging out.” He pulls up the back of the skirt so Jay can see that perfect ass for himself.
It is bright red.
Jay raises an eyebrow, and Gideon rolls his eyes. “Luca decided the best way to get his way was by calling names and throwing things this mor—” The words cut off as Luca presses a hand over Gideon’s mouth, and it’s obvious he hadn’t thought about the consequences of the action at all. Jay can see his eyes go wide in a classic oh shit look that he wears far too often for his own good.
“Ten more, Luca. I’m not going to forget. What do you say?” Luca rubs his face against Gideon’s cheek. “You were asked nicely to put your underwear on.”
“Sorry.” Gideon isn’t easily appeased by a very cute pout, and he surely has a long enough memory.
“Jay, we’re late if we aren’t out of here in fifteen minutes, and you smell like you ate a whole vanilla bean cake last night. I don’t think we want to show our hand too soon, no?”
The very mention of a vanilla bean cake has Jay’s mouth-watering.
“Can you make that?” he asks, and Luca also looks very interested in the answer too.
Gideon laughs, shooing Jay away for the quickest shower ever.
His suit is also black, but his shirt is white, and he’s chosen to wear a tie. It’s an iridescent shimmer woven with eight different threads, one for each mate. Even Nix is represented in the bright sunshine yellow that Grayson picked out when he had the tie commissioned a few years ago. It means he carries them all with him whenever he wears it. That he’s wearing it to this meeting gives him a boost of confidence.
He hands it to Gideon, who efficiently ties a classic Windsor knot in seconds, planting a kiss on his lips with a whispered, “Morning, hot-stuff.”
There is a bit of commotion by Nix’s bed as Luca moves Jay’s chair out of the way so he can haphazardly unpack the bag of nesting supplies. Jay rushes to grab his tea before Luca can knock it over, giving his bare butt a pinch under his skirt. His squeak is music to Jay’s wolf’s ears. “Luca, you text me, okay? Just so I know, you’re both okay? It’ll be a few hours, and then we’ll be right back—”
“You’re going home afterward, Jay. Our nest is sorely lacking in our pack alpha’s scent, and it’s unsettling the masses.” Jay knows he means himself but won’t say so. “Let’s go. Honey, you call us if there’s anything you need, yes? We’ll be back before dinner.”
Luca’s busy putting Gray’s t-shirt by Nix’s head and Finn’s white sweater right beside it, so careful of Nix; there’s just enough room for him to squeeze in.
“Mmhmm…bye-bye, Jaybird. Bye, Sugar.”
Rubbing a hand over his eyes, Jay leans down to press a kiss to both Nix’s and Luca’s cheeks. He then places a firm hand on Gideon’s waist, steering him toward the door before he can find something else to take issue with, inevitably making them late—and, of course, blame Jay for it later.
It’s weird to be outside under the blue sky for the first time in a while. Gideon insists on driving, but the drive to Antonio Costas’s office is thankfully uneventful, and the valet parking is convenient enough that they’re entering the luxuriously chrome and steel highrise with seven minutes to spare.
Finn, Gray, and Rowan are waiting just inside the second set of doors while Leo chats with the receptionist. The entire ten floors house legal teams in all specialty areas, from real estate and contract law to criminal and Alliance law. Even Kennedy Pack’s Henry is in this building somewhere.
Rowan greets them with an absentminded “ dudes. ” The other alpha’s intense gaze is on Leo, where the beta is laughing at something the receptionist has said. The young alpha has his hands shoved deep into his gray suit pockets, and together with the mauve tie, he looks handsome and mature.
In fact, Jay is so proud to see all five of his mates dressed to impress. None of them are in their element in suits and ties, except maybe Leo, who has been raised with this level of luxury, and maybe Gideon, who is just Gideon and always reeks of physical confidence.
Finn takes Gideon’s hand while Grayson follows behind, hands in his pockets, looking like he stepped off the runway.
“Looking good, Gray.”
Despite his disdain for PDA and the seriousness of the situation, the blushing Gray places a chaste kiss on his lips. “You too, alpha.” He pauses like he’s got more to say, and Jay wishes Grayson wasn’t wearing a scent blocker patch so he could get a read on what his mate is so hesitant to talk to him about.
It reminds him that he and Gideon are committing a professional faux pas.
“Hey, Gid, do you have patches for us?” It’s Finn who digs around in his pockets and passes over hospital-grade scent blocker patches. Immediately after he puts it in place, Jay suppresses the instinct to rip it off again, as if his wolf doesn’t like his mates out in the world without Jay’s smoky pine telling other Weres to back off.
He distracts himself by checking on the others. Rowan is still shooting daggers at the tiny beta behind the reception desk. Her smile is just friendly—not predatory, although Jay wouldn’t blame her. Leo is gorgeous in his royal blue suit and baby pink shirt and tie. He’s even more handsome with one hand in his pants pocket and an elbow on the counter as he laughs.
He remembers that Rowan’s rut is scheduled in less than a week, and already, his proprietary instincts toward his betas are making things…difficult.
Jay sighs and prays no one loses a limb today.
Seeing his alphas waiting, Leo bids the receptionist goodbye and joins them, Finn’s briefcase in hand. Rowan growls a bit and puts his arm around the beta’s shoulders while keeping eye contact with the receptionist, making Leo preen at the alpha posturing display and the receptionist rolls her eyes.
The young alpha keeps it up all the way to the penthouse office elevator until Grayson bumps Rowan’s shoulder. “Ro, I’m not sure you could take her in a fight. She looks tough.”
Rowan snaps his teeth, almost picking Leo up right off his feet.
“Down, boy! I’m only joking. She doesn’t want your man.”
Jay wonders if Grayson’s suppressants have made him stupid.
Leo protests with a “Hey, I’m a catch!”
Finn sighs at Rowan’s escalating growls. “Are you trying to get him worked up?” Leo had already put his patch on at home, familiar with the workings of his father’s firm, but now the young enigma can’t smell Leo, and it’s aggravating his wolf.
Quickly, before the elevator can come to a stop on the top floor, Finn pulls the beta’s patch off so the young alpha can get a whiff of cinnamon.
“Oops, my bad.” Leo chuckles before smoothing the patch back in place.
“Can we not do this right now?” It’s always Gideon’s job to rein them in and not for the first time today, Jay is grateful for his right-hand man.
“Like herding cats with a wet noodle. I am not paid enough for this.”
To be fair: he isn’t paid at all except maybe in kisses and orgasms.
When they finally arrive on the top floor, Leo exits first, speeding up when he sees his father in front of his assistant’s desk. Rowan loses hold of him, his growls barely contained in the somber space.
“Rowan Foster.” Jay’s firm hand on the young man’s neck stops him in his tracks. Rowan looks down so as not to inadvertently issue a challenge, baring his neck. “Okay, there, Alpha? I need your head in the game. We are a family, and we need to act like it. Can you do this? Or do you need to head back to the hospital with Luca and Nix?”
He’s obviously embarrassed about being called out, but Jay can’t afford to cut him any slack; this is as serious as anything in life will ever be.
“I can do it, Alpha. Sorry.” He meets Jay’s eyes with a sincere apology.
“Don’t be sorry—be the man I know you are.” He turns to find the Costas men chatting quietly, kindly giving him a chance to get his pack mate back in line.