Colby laughed aloud. "I think I should be going." He wrapped his strong arms around me in a hug and touseled both the boys' hair with one big hand. "Let me know if you need anything, okay?"
"Thanks." I caught Adrian in one arm and stripped his jeans off, flipping them around and redressing him with the other hand. "I will."
~*~
I had just gotten back from dropping the boys at school when a hesitant knock came at the back door. I pulled it open to find Clint leaning against the porch railing, a large hare dangling by the ears from his hand.
"You don't have to knock, you know," I said. "It's your house."
He just shrugged, his deep brown eyes traveling over me in an assessing glance. "You're well? Everything is okay?"
"All things considered," I said slowly. "I really think I should be the one to move out."
Another shrug. "It doesn't matter. Unless you want me to take care of the kids?" His voice lilting up in a question. "I..I guess I just assumed… I didn't ask if they were one of the things you felt forced into."
"No, Clint," I said with a sigh. "I'm not trying to abandon the kids. It's just not fair for you to be kicked out of the house you had before you..met me. I feel like I've harmed you enough."
"If you need me to take them, just tell me." Clint continued as if I hadn't spoken. "If you don't want to talk to me, you can text or send one of the Betas over with a message." He thrust the hare toward me. "I came across this while I was in the woods and thought the boys might enjoy it."
Hare stew was both Adrian and Eric's favorite dish. I was about to accept it with thanks when Clint pulled it back hesitantly. "I'm sorry. I should have dressed it. I can bring it back later. Or have someone else deliver it."
"Clint." I waited until the big Alpha looked at me. "It's fine. I can skin the rabbit. The boys will be thrilled. Thank you."
He gave a jerky nod and handed it to me, pulling his hand back so fast it was nearly comical.
"I was going to work on the addition later." Clint waved unnecessarily to the plastic covered plywood. "Is there a time that would be convenient?"
"Pretty much any time. I can always leave for a while, if you'll be more comfortable."
I don't know what I was expecting - I mean, I know I wished our interactions were less stilted, but other than that? I don't know – but whatever it was, it wasn't him just nodding and walking away, leaving me on the porch staring after him in the evening light.
Chapter Two
Clint
"This is different," Rafe observed, taking a pull from his beer bottle and looking around the tiny guest cabin. "I mean, it’s the same as when Colby and I stayed here but…"
"Yeah, I get it." I tossed my empty bottle in the trash and grabbed another, swallowing half of it in one long drink. "What the fuck am I supposed to do about this, Rafe?"
"I wish I knew, man." He stared out the window to where our Omegas were saying their goodbyes on the back porch of the house Ishouldbe sharing with my family. "Can you think of anything that could have triggered this?"
I huffed out a breath. "I can't. I mean, obviously, Trevor's right. Ididbuy him at the auction, but I never realized he felt like Isettledfor him. I thought he knew how I felt about forced claims." I drained the bottle and tossed it, grabbing another before sitting back down. "I always thought he loved me the way I love him."
"Ya know, unless Trevor finds alcoholism attractive, maybe you should slow down?"
"Not like he's here to see," I grumbled but set the beer in front of Rafe.
Rafe snorted and shoved the unopened bottle away. "Let's leave this one for Colby."
While we waited for Colby to make the short trek across the compound, Rafe and I sat in silence, the same way we had for the first half hour of our visit. We'd been friends a long time, and there was no need to fill perfectly good silence with useless words when we could both be thinking.
Colby announced his arrival with a single tap at the kitchen door before letting himself in. "Hey." He spun a chair around to straddle it and accepted the bottle that Rafe popped open with an appreciative grin. "Thanks." One long swallow and he set the beer down on the table in front of him, adjusting it a few times so that the condensation ring made a pattern on the red Formica tabletop.
"Anything?" Rafe finally asked when Colby continued to play with his bottle.
"No." Colby frowned at me apologetically. "If it helps at all, I don't think evenheknows what's wrong."
"It doesn't," I muttered without thinking. "Sorry. Thanks for trying."
