Finn squeezes his thigh again but pulls his hand out.
“He smells different? Like what—the enigmas?”
It’s not unusual for mates to take on a bit of scent post-rut. After all, a lot of bodily fluids are exchanged, and alphas are only ever content when their pack smells like them. However, scent can also indicate several illnesses—or, in Grayson’s case, a special bond.
“He doesn’t smell sick. It’s sweeter, you know?” Leo says, sticking his nose into Finn’s neck and inhaling.
Luca tilts his head and squints at some invisible point in the middle distance. “Yeah, it’s good. I can feel it on the tip of my brain—whatever it is, it’s not freaking me out.”
No one has instincts like Luca about danger—he’s like a small woodland creature in that way.
Finn makes a note to check in with Nix and do a cursory exam—if he’s up for it. Especially if he’s willing to share some of his Heat experiences. He’s opening his phone’s notes app with a few questions in mind when his phone rings—that feeling of anxious dread rears its ugly head.
“Erin, hello,” he says in his most professional tone.
“Finn. I am calling with news. I tried Jay and Nix yesterday, but theyhaven’t returned my calls, and this is urgent. I’m sorry.”
The attorney is Were, and she must have determined there’s only one reason an alpha with Jay’s sense of honor and care for his pack would fail to return her calls—so for her to interrupt, it must be serious.
“You have news?” he asks, as Leo scoots to the other end of the couch, pulling Luca under his arm. Finn is grateful he’s not alone in hearing what is sure to be less-than-ideal news.
The lawyer clears her throat. “Yes. Judge Patel’s office has confirmed a date and location for the combat.” She hesitates—then adds, “It’s in three days.”
Finn’s stomach drops—like the first plunge of a rollercoaster—and he knows there’s no getting off now.
She sighs, further confirming she knows the news is less than ideal. “I agree this is sooner than we’d expected. They thought it would be difficult to locate a suitable location. As luck would have it, there’s a historical site in the mountains, and the local historian verifies it has likely been used in this way for millennia.”
She sounds a bit awed that such a thing can still exist.
“Can you be there in three days? Not that you have many options, I’m afraid—the prisoner’s counsel insists. And Hayes is adamant that he has his day, sooner rather than later.”
“Fuck him,” Luca growls, throwing up a double bird.
Isn’t that the question? Can they be ready?
“My alpha is indisposed currently, but I’ll speak with him and Nix as soon as possible. May I call to confirm later today?”
Finn looks at his betas—they’re both pale, their scents thick with frustration and anxiety. They’ve always supported Nix’s plans, but now that it’s here, it feels more real than ever.
“That’s fine. Thank you.” She hangs up without further preamble, and Finn sighs into the heavy silence.
There’s a commotion on the stairs, and Nix appears in the doorway within seconds, hand pressed to the middle of his chest. He’s gloriously naked, covered in hickeys from his belly button to his pubic bone, with beard burnmarking his throat and trailing down his slender thighs. He glows in the weak morning light—beautiful and thoroughly loved.
“What is it?” Nix asks nervously.
Finn stands, wrapping him in the warm blanket he’d been using to ward off the morning chill before pulling him down onto his lap.
“I’ll get the others,” Leo says, but he doesn’t have to go far—the alphas are already halfway down the stairs.
Jay has Gideon over his shoulder, while Rowan and Grayson bring up the rear, bare-chested and in low-slung sweats, following their omega’s flight from the nest. They fall onto either side of him and Nix, their scents thick with satisfaction, while Jay and Gideon head into the kitchen—for food, drinks (Jay), and coffee (Gideon).
They return with a platter full of cheese and crackers, along with another half a roast chicken—Gideon guards it on his lap, ensuring Nix gets the choicest morsels.
Nix places his soft hands on Finn’s cheeks, gently turning his face to claim 100% of his attention. “What is it, Finn? The bonds were—ouch.”
“I’m sorry, Nixie.” Finn apologizes, both for the alarm along the bond and for what he’s about to say next.
“That’s okay,” Nix soothes. “Just tell me why you, Leo, and Luca are so…sad. Please.”
