Page 196 of All Packed Up

“Niles wrinkled his nose at the name, so I’d say he’s not savory people. Why?”

Nic shared a look with Wendy before sliding to Grif and returning to his own fingers. “I’m pretty sure he had something to do with my gym.”

It was so silent a cricket could have chirped. He tapped the phone screen just to make sure the call hadn’t disconnected just as Stella spoke again.

“Niles said he can help. When do you get back in town?”

Nic swallowed nervously, meeting Wendy’s gaze. She seemed to be searching his expression for the same thing he sought in hers. “Tonight,” Wendy answered, wetting her lips. “We’re on our way with Nic now, and we’re only about an hour out. If your help doesn’t involve a pair of boxing gloves, we’d love all the help we can get.”

“We’ll meet you guys there. Oh, and Nic?” Stellan asked.

“Yeah?” Nic asked, voice a little rough.

“Can’t wait to meet your pack,” the cheeky little shit said before hanging up.

An honest to god wheeze squeezed out of him, and if his cheeks were hot before, they were molten now.

Especially as Griffith arched a brow and tilted his head in Nic’s direction.

But Grif cleared his throat and changed the subject. Maybe the alpha did care for him after all.

“When were you gonna tell me you trained Stellan MacKey? I’ve been following him all year, he’s kicking ass out there.”

Nic couldn’t help the smug smile that curled his lips. “I can only take credit for the underground wins.”

A flutter tickled his stomach at the alpha’s proud grin. “Nice,” he said, at the same time Wendy smacked his arm. He jolted and turned toward the omega, absolutely offended at the attack.

“Nic!” Wendy dragged his name out conspiratorially. “How long ago was this? You told me—”

Lifting his arms innocently, he responded, “That I left it all in the past a little over a year ago. Stellan got mixed up in something, and Niles helped him out of it. They ended up bonded and mated and all that with his childhood omega. He left the scene to go professional, and I left the scene too.”

“Oh,” she said, leaning back in the seat. “It’s really kind of them to want to help.”

Nic nodded, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side. “I hope they can help,” he responded.

The soft rumble of the road and the passing lamp lights all blurred together into a comfortable roar. It didn’t take long for Wendy’s blinks to lengthen. Nic was too wired to attempt sleep, so he ran his fingers through Wendy’s hair and stared out the window.

He didn’t know exactly what Niles would be able to do for them, but he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Nic didn’t have any power, he was just a gym owner.

With no gym.

A pair of stoners, an ex-convict alpha, and an omega on the run. Nic would chuckle, but he didn’t want to wake Wendy up.

The omega in question shifted against him, and Nic turned to stare down at her. Maybe that was what people would see them as on the outside, but Nic knew there was a whole lot more to this… group.

Just say it.

Pack.

His heart leapt against his chest at just the thought of the word.

Wendy’s nose twitched in her sleep, and Nic was suddenly overwhelmed with affection. This omega was so damned precious, so much more than she wanted them to see at first. The attitude, the brazenness, it was part of her, but Wendy wielded it as a shield, a wall to keep them from seeing the soft, sweet omega at her center.

Nic knew he was damned lucky to have met that part of her, to be someone she trusted. And so were the others.

His gaze drifted to the alpha up front, startled to find him already staring back. “So you are awake,” he murmured.

“I couldn’t sleep if I tried,” Nic admitted, his voice a low rumble so as not to wake Wendy.