“Never said I was staying,” Grayson comments.
“Yet here you are. And I’m sure that has nothing to do with the fact that my place has the best generator, the most comfortable couches, and a fully stocked bar.” Kai grins, snowflakes catching in his dark hair. “Plus, I’m the only person in town with empty garage space, so you won’t have to dig thispile of junk out of a snowdrift tomorrow. You can park next to my Maserati.”
“I still cannot believe you bought that thing,” I tell him. “Because what you really need around here is a sports car. Completely practical for mountain roads covered in snow and ice most of the year.”
“La Dolce Vita doesn’t need to be practical,” Kai says, patting my shoulder as he passes with another box. “She just needs to sit there looking pretty and purr like a kitten. Just like me.”
Grayson slams the truck bed closed. “If only we could shut you up as easily as taking the keys out of your ignition.”
There’s a beat of silence before Kai’s face morphs with exaggerated outrage. “Did you just—was that a joke? At my expense?” He turns to me. “Noah, did Ghost just make a joke?”
I can’t help the chuckle that escapes me. “I believe he did. And it was actually a little funny.”
“Betrayal!” Kai clutches his chest. “After all I’ve done for you two ingrates. Providing shelter from the storm. Opening my home. My heart.”
“Your liquor cabinet,” I correct.
“That too!” Kai huffs dramatically, doing a half-decent job of hiding his grin. “I’m going to check the firewood supply. When I return, I expect you two to think of a better way to show your gratitude.”
As soon as Kai is out of earshot, I notice a shift in Grayson’s demeanor. His shoulders tense slightly, and his movements become more deliberate as he arranges supplies on the porch. I’ve known him long enough to recognize when he’s building up to something.
His mouth settles in a grim line, gaze flicking to where Kai disappeared around the corner of the house.
“Just spit it out, Ghost,” I say, setting down the last bag from his truck.
Grayson’s eyes meet mine, calculating. “Is there any medical disorder that would make a beta take omega heat suppressants?”
That is not at all what I expect him to say. “What?”
“You heard me.” His gaze is steady, challenging. “Can you think of any reason a beta would need to take a heat suppressant, like Omegablock?”
I lean against the porch railing, giving him the courtesy of considering the question even if it’s completely out of left field. “No, not that I’m aware of. Omegablock specifically targets omega hormonal pathways. It would be useless for a beta and potentially harmful.”
“What about endocrine diseases?” Grayson presses. “Anything obscure that would make a beta need suppressants?”
I shake my head, professional curiosity now fully engaged. “Unless there’s some case study published in the last six months that I’ve missed, no. A physician would only prescribe heat suppressants to an omega. Period.” I narrow my eyes at him. Grayson has never expressed even an iota of interest in medicine. “Why are you asking?”
Grayson reaches into his jacket pocket and produces a folded piece of paper. He holds it out to me, a barely perceptible glint of triumph in his eyes.
I take the paper, unfolding it carefully. It’s a prescription for the generic version of Omegablock.
Written out to Holly Chang.
“Where did you get this?” I demand, a strange mix of anger and vindication washing over me.
“Found it,” Grayson says with a shrug. “At Caro’s.”
“You mean you stole it.”
“Not theft.” His expression remains impassive, but I can sense the satisfaction radiating from him. “She dropped it. I retrieved it.”
“At didn’t bother giving it back,” I add, sardonically. “I guess I don’t need to ask what you were doing at Caro’s in the first place.”
Grayson has always been odd. He was intense as a kid and whatever happened to him in the years he spent serving in the military just made him quieter and more likely to keep to himself.
But when he fixates on something, there’s no distracting him and Holly Chang has captured his attention.
Now, I might have some idea of why that is.
