“I don’t know what to do.” Nolan frowned down at his brother. “I know this is my fault, and?—”
“Pbbt.” Race blew out a frustrated breath. “Stop it. You’ve been raised to believe that everything is your fault. It’s not your fault. It’s not anybody’s fault but those assholes’. This is just bullshit. That’s all it is. Simply shit of bull, and also I don’t like it.” Race sat up, eyes flashing. “This asshole decides that he’s going to be your mate, and you don’t get a choice in it? Fuck me, it’s not like we’re wolves, okay?”
Ryder chuckled, because they’d all been on the pointed end of this particular rant of Race’s. “What? You don’t believe in fated mates?”
Better to have Race snarling at him than Nolan.
“I believe in chemical pheromones, and that some people smell better than others. Don’t get me wrong; I’m tickled that you two found each other and like each other—even though itI’m not a hundred percent sure that this isn’t just the response to simply getting out from under Herschel.”
Ryder rumbled softly, his lip curling, and Nolan leaned toward him, touching his leg. “I wouldn’t take advantage of him.”
Race rolled his eyes. “I know that. In fact, this is maybe one of the reasons that he’s so into you, but again both of you are adults. You can make your own decisions. You can do whatever the fuck you want, and guess what? No one’s going to force you to do it.”
Race started waving his hands. “You don’t have to mate with him. He doesn’t have to mate with you. You two don’t have to mate at all. You can just fuck, or you don’t even have to do that. In fact, I don’t care. What I do care about is the relationship between you. You’re both adults, and if there’s a relationship between you, yay. If there’s not. Okay. What matters is that you have free will. Omegas and alphas both deserve free fucking will!”
Ryder was fairly sure Race was babbling and Con was sporting a hard-on.
Gross.
Nolan blinked at Race, then he tilted his head. “Are you done?”
Race pondered for a second. “Yeah.”
“Oh good. Because you were giving me a headache. I can only imagine what your head feels like right now.”
“I think the term is ‘like an overripe melon’.” Race sighed softly. “Someone tell me the drone didn’t get away. It was expensive and someone’s going to be pissed if they lost it.”
Connal’s grin was triumphant. “It’s never flying again.”
“Oh, fuck yeah.” Race grinned at that, his expression finally loosening up. “Once I’ve slept off this headache, I’d like to look at the pieces. I’m assuming you gathered them all up.”
“Yeah, when I did the perimeter search to make sure everything was locked down, I got everything gathered up and brought it back in.”
“Thanks.” Race fist-bumped Warrick. Ryan noticed he didn’t really even glance at Con. Interesting.
“I can take you to one of the bedrooms if you want to actually get comfortable and sleep,” Ryder told him.
Race wrapped the blanket that War handed over around him and stood, his legs wobbling. “Yeah, I would love that, and if I could get a water bottle as big as most of my body, that would be awesome.”
“You got it, man. I’m on it.” Connal fled.
Rye had to bite back a grin at that, because he knew Connal was totally into Race. He didn’t know if that was new, but he really felt it was. He’d never noticed it before.
He and Nolan led Race upstairs where he put Race into a guest room with a big fluffy bed and some great pillows. It also had an en-suite bathroom.
“Sleep it off, man,” Ryder told him. “We’ll have a war meeting once you get back on your feet. I have a feeling Con will bring you all sorts of food and drink.”
A faint blush spread over Race’s cheeks, and he dipped his head, not quite looking at him or Nolan. “Yeah, that’s cool. Don’t forget, I want to see the pieces of that drone.”
“We won’t forget.” Nolan gave Race a hug. “I love you, brother.”
“Love you too.” Race reached up and pushed a lock of hair off Nolan’s forehead. “This isn’t your fault, okay?”
Nolan glanced at him sideways but then nodded at Race. “Okay. Get some rest.”
Race fell over onto the bed, wrapping himself up in the blanket he still wore. “I absolutely will do that.”
Ryder took Nolan’s hand, and then pulled him out of the room because Race really did seem like he was just going to pass out from exhaustion. Con would take care of him.
