“Guess we’re about to find out,” I said.
THIRTY-NINE
Knox
I WAS DRAGGING THISmorning, just like I’d been draggingeverymorning since I was released from the hospital. It didn’t help that I could hear other people moving around, interspersed with voices talking and arguing.
I couldn’t make out the words, but the rise and fall of it kindled a fresh sense of unease in my gut. Maybe I’d been deluding myself—Heath and Jez needed to work out their shit, and I’d believed it would be better if they did that without me breathing down their necks. Now, though, I was struck with the inexplicable certainty that something else had happened while I’d been asleep.
Grimly, I slogged through my morning routine. Shower, shave, dress for a day of dealing with nervous investors and business partners who still seemed to think I had one foot in the grave. I’d just draped a sober dove-gray tie around my neck when a purposeful knock sounded at the bedroom door.
Well.
At least they were coming to me, instead of making me chase them down later.
“Come in,” I called, turning from the oval mirror just in time to see Gage open the door.
“Hey, boss,” he greeted. “How ya feeling this morning?”
“Fine,” I said cautiously, sensing a slightly more veiled version of the ‘how’s your heart?’ conversation that seemed to be plaguing me since Jez’s attack. “What can I do for you all?”
Three other figures hovered behind Gage’s broad shoulders. I’d thought I’d heard Tony’s voice in the mix earlier, and I’d wondered if he and Heath had successfully hashed things out. On the one hand, they had a pretty big age gap, and any relationship between the pair was likely to make things complicated as hell while Heath remained mated to Jez. On the other hand, Tony was a good kid, and both he and Heath deserved some joy in their lives.
Gage cleared his throat and came inside. Heath followed, looking like death warmed over. Jez and Tony stayed close to the doorway, either for ease of escape or because they weren’t comfortable taking up space in my room. Although, to be fair, the presence of three alphas arrayed in a tense triangle made the generous bedroom feel smaller than it actually was.
The scent of caramel coffee wafted around us, making my spine tingle.
“So...” Gage began, rubbing at the back of his neck in a habitual nervous gesture. “Jez and me mated each other last night.”
The tight ball of misgivings that had been gathering in my stomach abruptly turned to lead.
“Because, y’know, if she was going to get a glandectomy, it wouldn’t be permanent anyway, right?” he hurried on.
Which... was admittedly true. My shoulders relaxed a bit.
“Except, it turns out she doesn’t really want the surgery,” Gage said. “She just thought she didn’t have a choice.”
My eyes flew to the wide-eyed omega waif poised by the doorway as though ready to flee at the first sign of trouble. “Is that true, Jez?”
She rolled her lower lip between her teeth, but I could read the truth behind her huge gray eyes. The weight in my stomach turned to queasiness. Had my pack and I unwittingly steamrolled this woman into agreeing to a life-altering surgery against her will? I tried to think back, seeking any hint that she’d been under duress.
I’d assumed from the beginning that it was what she would want... because it’s whatIwould want, if I was an omega who’d been mated without proper consent. Every time we’d talked about it, she’d agreed with me immediately.
My queasiness grew worse.
