“That’s why you started hunting traffickers and saving omegas, isn’t it,” Gage said, not phrasing it as a question.
“It is, yes,” Knox confirmed. “But... if we bring pups into the world, I’m going to beferalabout protecting them. And I do mean,completely batshitabout it.”
“Join the club,” Heath said.
Knox shook his head in frustration. “No, I’m serious—if we’re going to do this, I’m chucking it all in. The business, the omega rescues, Chicago...all of it. We’re taking my money, and we’removing somewheresafe. Somewhere no one’s ever heard of me, or of this pack.”
Heath and Gage exchanged a look.
“Might be safer that way for Jez, too,” Gage said. “I know you got her a shiny new identity an’ all. But she’s still someone with a body count. Not that they didn’t all deserve it,” he added quickly.
God, Ihopedthey’d all deserved it. The idea that I might have been wrong about any of my other targets the way I’d been wrong about Knox still haunted my nightmares.
Knox ran a hand over his scalp, rubbing at it. “We seem to be making all the life-changing decisions at once, today. So, is anyoneagainstuprooting the pack and living quietly somewhere off the radar?”
“I’ve got no blood relatives that are worth a damn,” Tony said. “As long as I could still visit the Price pack in St. Louis occasionally, I’m okay with it.”
“I’d miss the hot dogs here,” Gage said. “That’s about it.”
“As long as it’s warm, I’m in,” Heath said. “The winters in Chicago fuckingsuck.”
Knox met my eyes, his whole face a question.
“There’s nothing to keep me here,” I said. “I’ve been a ghost since I was thirteen years old.”
Knox let out a huge breath, his shoulders dropping. “We’re doing this, then?”
Tony looked a bit shell-shocked, and I couldn’t really blame him.
“I think we’re doing this,” he said.
Unfortunately, even life-altering decisions didn’t do much to make the run-up to heat any less awful. By that evening, I’d reassembled my nest in a way that felt a little less wrongthan before, although I was still fretfully moving cushions and beanbags around every few minutes.
I wavered back and forth wildly between wanting the alphas here and wanting to beleft the fuck alone. Tony came and went to suit my mood, giving platonic hugs when I wanted them, and avoiding physical contact when my nerves were too badly shot to handle it. He also pushed food and sports drinks on me until I felt like I might burst, since I wouldn’t be eating or drinking for several days once things started.
“What if he changes his mind?” I bleated out of nowhere, shoving the latest plate of toasted cheese sandwiches aside.
“What if who changes his mind about what?” Tony asked patiently.
“What if Knox realizes that he’d have to be nuts to mate me after I tried to kill him?” I nearly wailed.
Tony calmly picked up the plate and nudged the bottle of blue sports drink closer to me. “I think we’re pretty far past that point, to be honest. He nearly put toothmarks in your neck that night we all had sex together, and you weren’t even in heat then.”
I pushed the blue drink back toward him. “I guess.”
“If you can’t eat or drink anything more, maybe you should try taking a warm bath,” he suggested. “I read that can help sometimes.”
“Help with what?” I asked sourly. “I already feel like I’m in a sauna.”
It was true. I knew, logically, that the nest was the same cozy, comfortable temperature as always. But my scalp was sticky with sweat, my stomach felt like someone had dropped hot coals in it, and my heart was beating double-time against my ribs.
Tony’s expression turned sheepish. “Right. Maybe a lukewarm bath, then?”
I drew breath to agree, figuring it couldn’t possibly be worse than sitting here in a puddle of my own sweat. Before I could, though, a vicious cramp nearly doubled me over.
I whimpered, clutching at my belly with clawed hands.
Tony shot bolt upright. “Was that a cramp? Is it time? Should I go get—”
