“Yes, dear,” Doc purred.
23
THE PACK WILL (NOT?) KILL YOU
Fifteen minutesbefore they were due to meet Ottis’ pack, Doc landed in a nearby clearing.
He set Ottis gently on his feet, Marcie in his arms. Ottis averted his gaze while Doc shifted back into a man and put on his mask. Then he looked over. “How are you doing?”
Doc huffed, his heart swelling with fondness. “I should be asking you that. You don’t like flying.”
“And my pack is about to eat you,” Ottis grumbled. “They’ll rend you limb from limb and spit out your bones.”
“Let’s try our best to avoid that.” Doc retrieved his clothes from Marcie’s lump of blanket; they had wrapped her up so she wouldn’t see Doc as a dragon. This way, she wouldn’t be tempted to shift into her own dragon shape. That reveal was for another time.
When Doc was dressed, he picked up Ottis and Marcie in a bridal carry, making his way toward the cluster of cabins he’d seen from the air.
“Welcome to pack territory,” Ottis said quietly. “This is close to where you k-worded me.”
Doc laughed. “K-worded?”
“You know.The k-word contract. The trees have ears.”
“Ah.” Doc had fond memories of the kidnap contract.
“That totally doesn’t sound suspicious,” Crush said, stepping out from the shadowy trees.
Doc turned, eyeing Ottis’ brother.
“It’s a kink thing,” Ottis said flippantly. “That’s also a k-word.”
Crush looked like he had sucked on a lemon. “I don’t want to know.”
Ottis snickered. “We would have a totally different kind of relationship if you did.”
“No, thank you,” Crush said.
When Doc set Ottis on his feet, Crush came over, wrapping his arm around Ottis’ shoulders to pull him into a hug. He ruffled Ottis’ hair too, flaring his nostrils. “Oh good. You spared our noses.”
Ottis rolled his eyes. “You say that as thoughyoudon’t smell like sex.”
“Definitely a double standard.” Crush grinned, and didn’t dodge far enough when Ottis punched him in the side. He eyed Doc, though. “Really, Doc?”
Doc had the grace to blush. “It was a... lapse in judgment. I’m taking full responsibility for my actions.”
“Whatever it takes to get yourself an omega, huh?”
Ordinarily, Doc would’ve bristled. He wasn’t that kind of person.
But.
But Ottis.
“Not any omega,” Doc admitted. “Ottis is the first who hasn’t minded my...” He gestured vaguely at his face. “But he’s always free to leave, if I’m not to his satisfaction.”
That hurt to say, but Doc wanted Ottis to be aware of his options.
Ottis whirled around with his eyes narrowed. “I’m not gonna mind it.”
