His name again, on Teal’s lips. Jax couldn’t hear it enough, would never take it for granted again. And suddenly, he didn’t feel so wired. Suddenly, he felt like he could sleep for the first time in days.
Chapter Forty
Niall
Niall woke up the next morning before the boys. His first thought was of Teal. He slipped out of the office and headed upstairs to check on him, grateful to Jax for insisting he get some sleep.
In the upstairs hallway, Niall saw Ronan and Sorcha standing in the doorway to the guest room, wrapped in each other’s arms. They smiled, angling their heads to signal for him to look in the bedroom.
The sight that greeted Niall made his heart stutter, his senses flooded with what seemed like every emotion. Satisfaction, relief, happiness, peace. And heat. So much heat.
Jax and Teal lay twined together on the bed. They had kicked the sheets down until only their feet remained covered, exposing a tantalizing amount of skin. Jax played big spoon, his top leg slotted between the omega’s thighs. His tanned, colorfully-inked frame was a protective shield for Teal’s pale body. One of Jax’sarms circled under Teal’s neck, providing a pillow. His other hand twined tightly with Teal’s on the mattress.
Niall had never seen his boyfriend look so…pliant. He knew Jax had been worried about Teal, but the expression on Jax’s face as he comforted the big omega in his sleep was pure bliss. The two men breathed with the same cadence, Teal releasing sleepy little sighs that caused Jax to grunt lightly and pull him closer.
Ronan placed a hand on Niall’s back. “Beautiful sight, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Niall whispered.
“Almost a shame to wake them,” Sorcha concurred.
“Let’s not,” Ronan said. “We can get the boys going.”
“Absolutely,” Niall agreed. “Teal looks well taken care of.” With a softsnick, he closed the door.
***
After breakfast, Jax and Ronanwent outside with the boys to get some exercise while Niall cleaned up the dishes. His body went rigid when he heard a knock at the door, instantly on alert.
The pro-alpha forces had been subdued since Teal’s attack, attempted homicide clearly a bridge too far for most people. The family had declined Teal’s bosses’ offer of guards because of their desire to maintain privacy for their situation. They were comfortable with that decision, especially considering the duplex’s high-tech security system.
Still, Niall tip-toed to the front door with caution before looking out the peephole.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Dayson Bannon on the other side.
“Hello, Niall,” Dayson said as the door swung open. “I hope I’m not intruding. I just wanted to stop by and check in on Teal and also deliver a letter.”
“Letter?” Niall asked, taking the envelope Dayson held out to him.
“It’s from Brinn, an omega who works at Fontaine’s and considers Teal to be a friend. He’s horrified at what happened, blames himself, and wanted to write Teal a letter of apology.”
“He gave it to you?”
“I think he was afraid to give it to Ronan, and of course he doesn’t know anyone else connected to Teal. He handed it to me a few days ago in the hospital waiting room, but I figured I’d wait until Teal woke up to pass it on. I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s fine. I’ve heard Teal talk about Brinn. He wouldn’t want the guy blaming himself.”
“I imagine you’re right,” Dayson said. He glanced toward the stairs. “Is it too soon for visitors?”
“No. I’m sure Teal would love to see you. He’s just asleep right now. You’re welcome to wait until he wakes up.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to.”
“I don’t mind at all.” Niall turned his head from side to side, confirming they were still alone. “In fact, if you have a minute, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
Dayson cheek ticked at Niall’s hint of drama. “Okay.”
Niall stuck out his bottom lip and blew a breath upward, tousling the hair on his forehead. “Well, you’re a scientist, right? You study human biology?”
