"Thank you," I say, accepting the form with a nod. "May we go in now? I want to make sure she is comfortable before we transport her."
"Yes, absolutely. She is asleep, by the way." The nurse's expression softens with maternal concern. "Putting the Omegas out during examinations is usually the safer route. If they start whimpering from discomfort, the Alphas in the vicinity tend to lose their composure, and that gets messy very quickly. Better to let them rest through the process and wake naturally when the stress hormones have settled."
I nod, understanding the logic even as something in my chest tightens at the idea of Mae being sedated without me present to ensure she was safe.
Not your mate yet, I remind myself. But the instinct does not listen to logic.
I look at Knox and Laurent, who have finally separated, Knox rubbing his jaw where Laurent's hand had pressed. His expression carries a complicated mixture of indignation at being silenced and grudging acceptance that the outcome was probably the right one.
"Shall we?" I gesture toward the office door.
They file in ahead of me, and I follow, steeling myself for the visual confirmation of what my hindbrain has been demanding since I stepped into this hallway.
Mae is asleep on the examination bed.
The tension I have been carrying since the nurse closed the door behind us dissolves the moment I see her. She is peaceful.Curled slightly on her side, Cal's oversized jersey bunched around her frame, her dark hair fanned across the pillow in messy waves. Her face is relaxed in sleep, the sharp edges of her waking personality softened into a vulnerability that makes my chest ache with a protectiveness I was not prepared to feel this intensely.
She looks young.
Younger than twenty-four. Younger than the fierce, defiant Omega who lectured my brother before a race and then beat him across the ice. The furrow between her brows has smoothed, the tension in her jaw has released, and what remains is simply a woman at rest, trusting that the people around her will keep her safe while she cannot keep herself.
That trust was given under false pretenses. She does not know I will be living with her now. Does not know that the pack arrangement extends beyond this office. Does not know that she will wake up to find a fourth Alpha has been added to her already complicated living situation.
But she will learn to trust it was the right choice. I will make sure of that.
I look at Laurent and Knox, both of whom are watching Mae with expressions that confirm everything I suspected about their feelings.
"What is the plan?" I ask quietly, keeping my voice low to avoid disturbing her sleep.
Knox blinks, refocusing on the practical. "Plan? You just took Rafe's spot in the apartment. The plan is to figure out where he is going to sleep now that his older brother has commandeered his housing assignment."
I shrug.
"Not important. I am referring to Mae Rose. What is the plan for her?"
Laurent answers, his storm-blue eyes still fixed on her sleeping form.
"Let us take her back while the hockey team is still distracted. Coach Mercer will keep them occupied for at least another hour. If we leave now, we can get her settled before anyone has a chance to intercept us with questions or create more chaos around her recovery."
Knox nods in agreement.
"The last thing she needs is Rafe and his ego showing up to make her first day worse than it already was. Let her rest in peace. We can deal with the fallout when she is conscious and has the energy to face it."
Reasonable. Both of them are more reasonable than my brother ever was.
I move to the bed, positioning myself to lift her without jostling her injured knee. My arms slide beneath her shoulders and knees with practiced care, the weight of her settling against my chest as I straighten.
She murmurs in her sleep.
A small sound, barely audible, that makes all three of us freeze for a heartbeat. But her eyes do not open. Her body simply adjusts, her head turning to nestle against my shoulder, her fists curling into the fabric of my jersey the way they did when I carried her from the ice.
The first Omega to tickle my senses. Intriguing indeed.
Laurent moves toward the door, opening it and checking the hallway before nodding that the path is clear.
I pause at his side.
He notices. His storm-blue eyes meet mine, and there is a guarded quality to his expression that tells me he has not fully decided whether I am an ally or a competitor. Whether my presence in the pack will help or harm the fragile equilibrium hehas been trying to maintain with an absent brother's ghost and a captain who treats him like a convenience.
