“I’m healing,” Koios clarified.
“But you’re getting weaker.”
He couldn’t deny the truth of her words, so he dodged them instead.
“Dr. Vaughn says it’ll take time. As you so delightfully pointed out, it’s only been a hundred days. Considering I was stabbed and poisoned by a manticore, it doesn’t seem like long enough to be at a hundred percent.”
“You’ve never been at a hundred percent,” Iris said, dropping her head onto his shoulder. “Will you please reconsider letting the hellhounds help? Dr. Vaughn said?—”
“No, Iris. I know you all think I should allow the hell prince to work his magic, but I know it’s not the right thing to do.”
“Just because you’re named after the god of knowledge doesn’t mean you know everything. How do youknow, Koios? There’sno wayto know for sure and…I’mscared. You almost died. What…what would we do without you?”
Iris shuddered and squeezed him a little tighter. Koios ignored the twinges of pain and hugged her against him. They stayed that way long after the microwave dinged. Only the sound of the pack returning from their grocery run drew Iris’s attention away from her fears and onto something new.
“Hey, Iris!” Bailey beamed a smile at her as he carried in several bags of groceries. Aleron and Taj followed behind him, each of them laden down with the mountain of food it took to feed their ever-expanding pack.
“Hey, Bailey. Aleron and Taj, it’s good to see you.”
After more small talk, during which Bailey continuously snuck glances Koios’s way, Bailey shooed everyone out of the kitchen. “Special K, wait.”
Iris smirked over her shoulder as she followed the others out the door. He’d been so close to escaping.So close.
“I have a list of questions for Dr. Vaughn.” Bailey didn’t add anything to his statement. Koios waited for a long, uncomfortable minute. He wasn’t accustomed to pack structures. He definitely didn’t know what to do with a caring and attentive alpha-mate.
“And?” Koios asked when the silence continued.
“And nothing,” Bailey said. “I’m just telling you so you don’t think I’m going behind your back when I send them to him. It’s a pack thing.”
Koios shot a glance at the microwave where his lunch waited before turning back to Bailey. “You use that as an excuse a lot.”
“Not an excuse,” Bailey quipped. “An explanation. Besides, how am I supposed to take care of you effectively if I don’t know the status of your condition?”
“I don’t know, maybe ask me?”
Bailey scoffed. “I might as well ask the stove here why it won’t cook soup for me. I’d have better luck getting an answer.”
Koios lifted his hand, catching himself a split second before rubbing his chest. “I don’t lie to you.”
“No, you don’t,” Bailey said.
The silence stretched for several long, uncomfortable seconds. Koios didn’t like it at all. Bailey had to have some sort of magical power, because everyone agreed that Koios wasn’t a talker. He couldn’t seem to stop himself from revealing too much to Bailey, though.
“But I’m not completely honest either.”
“And there it is,” Bailey said. “So, I’m going to email Doc Vaughn and ask him to send me details, especially on what we need to be doing to help you get better. I know you want to throw the green smoothies at me, but hopefully I’ll get the all-clear to ease up on them.”
Koios hoped so too. He hated the damn things. Bailey didn’t let him get away with not drinking them, though. Koios hadn’t figured out that bit of magic either. Bailey seemed to be able to get him to do things no one else had ever managed. He’d taken care of himself for years. Hell, he’d taken care of himselfandhis siblings. Now he had someone making special meals and counting his macros.
Koios gestured toward the microwave. “Can I get my lunch? I warmed up something for Iris, too.”
“Go ahead. Pack dinner tonight, by the way.”
Another less than subtle hint. “I’ll make an appearance.”
Bailey nodded before putting together a tray with their lunches and handing it over with another stern look. How had he become surrounded by so many bossy people? Wasn’t six siblings enough?
Iris stood outside the door to his apartment, typing rapidly into her phone. She looked up with a grin when he approached. “Bailey food for the win.”
