He nodded, swallowing hard. “That’s why it hurt my feelings when I thought we weren’t going to be friends. We’re more alike than different.”
Kami nodded. “You have that right. We’re outliers, you and me. I love that for us. We don’t have to follow the rules.”
“I guess they don’t follow any rules either; they just are who they are.” Mercury shrugged, trying to find the words for what he really meant. “But you and I, we have these weird talents, and we’re both a little socially awkward.”
After grabbing another cupcake, he turned it inside out, pulling the bottom off, and putting it on top of the frosting, so it was like a cookie sandwich or something. “A little? We’re more than a little socially awkward, honey.”
“I guess we are, but that’s okay. As long as you don’t poke me like that again.” Mercury deadpanned the last sentence, staring at Kami with what he hoped was a dead expression.
Kami cracked up, laughing so hard that he almost dropped his cupcake. “That was perfect. That was absolutely perfect, Mercury. You just tell me all about it when you think I’m out of line.”
Mercury beamed, feeling so much better than when he’d walked through the door to begin with. “I will. I promise. And you can teach me about teasing, but only if it’s not in an awful way.”
Held out a hand to shake. “Deal.”
Mercury took that hand, and a flash of golden light surrounded their clasped fingers. It felt like it burned with a cold sort of fire, and he grunted, his eyes widening.
“Now see, that was a friendship pact.” Kami let go of his hand, shaking his out. “We should totally order more cupcakes. Six isn’t going to be enough.”
Mercury grabbed the house phone because he thought Kami was absolutely right. Friendship pacts required at least an even dozen.
Chapter
Seventeen
Talon hummed as he went through the motions of working out with the heavy bag, punching it and kicking it, keeping his feet and hands toughened in his human form. He wasn’t angry or upset. He was just working out. He was going to go have a swim after this, and then he was going to get in the hot tub.
Cautiously, in fact, Talon felt optimistic.
His mate was getting healthier every day. His best friend and his mate were getting along better every day. And, knock on wood, there had not been a rescue that he’d had to leave the keep for in several weeks.
Kami had heard the call of a couple of stones, but they’d all been relatively local, so no question of whether Mercury was going to slide them to wherever the stone was had come up. That worked for him.
He didn’t want Mercury sliding while he was pregnant. He wasn’t particularly sure he wanted Mercury sliding at all right now, even if he wasn’t pregnant. It just seemed super dangerous to pop up someplace, especially when they knew now that there was a whole keep which had been destroyed.
Cerran had made up with Triton and Elowyn as well and was spending more time at home. He was still working the diplomat angle, but it was as if he’d found his balance again.
Talon punched the bag a few more times before backing off and giving it a massive kick. Watching it swing way too far out. He caught it with his hands, not wanting it to go flying.
“Are we having a little bit of a temper?” Reno came in, pulling off his sweater and leaving himself in a pair of loose workout pants and a tank top.
Talon raised an eyebrow. “Believe it or not, I was actually in a good mood. I still am, although thinking about that keep that got attacked is enough to creep in and make my thoughts sour a tad.”
“Wanna spar?” Reno rocked his head from side to side, then jumped up and down, swinging his arms, loosening everything up.
“Sure, why not?” He could wait to go for that swim. Maybe he would go directly from the training salle to the hot tub. Talon liked actually working out with a partner, simulating hand-to-hand combat. It kept him much sharper.
“So I gotta tell you it’s been nice that Kami and Mercury are making friends.”
“I think so too. And I know the other omegas have been very kind to both of them, but they’re kind of odd ducks, and I’m not sure how much the others actuallygetthem, if you know what I mean.”
“I know exactly what you mean. Sort of like you and Triton. Odd ducks.”
That had him snorting, because he and Triton were odd even by warrior standards. And some of the keeps had produced some stunningly strange alphas. “We have our moments,” he admitted.
“Dude, I’m a little strange myself, I was banished to Reno, for God’s sake. To the desert. And then I hooked up with a stone singer.”
“You remember that Christmas special that we watched last year? We are the Island of Misfit Toys.”
