Chapter 13

THIRTEEN

After a long, wonderful weekend that felt like a dream come true, Miko was not excited to return to his regular class schedule. He'd stayed up way too late completing an assignment, forgotten to read a chapter in another book, and had drank enough coffee throughout the day to upset his stomach by the time he managed to stop at the Higgs house to see Linus. Miko knew his parents missed seeing him in the evenings, but Omi also understood why Miko needed to be with his bondmate.

He had spoken with his parents briefly last night, though, and asked about hiring Emilio. Dad admitted Peyton had recommended him. The pair had encountered each other at the neurological center a few times and became casual friends. Apparently, Emilio had struggled to complete his university degree, his parents were having some financial trouble, and Emilio wanted to help out around the house, since he still lived with his family.

Omi had joked that Emilio wasn't the best judge of their food's taste, but he had a great personality and customers liked him.

Miko agreed he was a likable guy, and his parents definitely needed the help. Thankfully, Miko's own physical recovery had been reduced to persistent rib aches, and he expected that to last a few more weeks. They were annoying, but his injuries could have been so much worse—something he silently acknowledged every time he thought about Linus. His sweet, determined Linus, who was grumpy from his physical therapy but thrilled to see Miko that afternoon.

They didn't spend a lot of time talking about the future. After nearly dying, they both wanted to enjoy what they had in the present. To exist together, kiss each other, and plan for the Winter Solstice Gala in ten more days. Miko had final exams that week, so he spent a lot of time studying and worrying, until he'd taken his last test of the semester. He'd done his best with the makeup work and extra credit, but he still didn't expect his final grades to be great. He also didn't have to worry about them for a couple of weeks. All he had to do was juggle supporting Linus, spending time with his nephews, and making time for his parents and friends.

The one thing he was eager to do was spend the night with Linus again—preferably in a place with no intimacy restrictions. He loved the kisses they shared, and he loved all the on-top-of-clothes touching they'd managed to squeeze in this week, but Miko wanted more. He craved physical intimacy from his alpha, and he was desperate to show Linus he was a whole man, even without part of a limb.

Miko had wracked his brain to come up with a way for him and Linus to spend the night together someplace that wasn't a motel. His first thought was Aeron and Khory Danvers. They were the only couple in their extended friend group with a guest room in the apartment they shared with their son Asher. The couple had once lived with Layne and Peyton, and then briefly with Tarius and Hyatt Lee, at different times, so they were used to having friends in the spare room.

That idea was squashed when Aeron sent a mass text announcing that he and Khory had gotten pregnant in their last heat three months ago, and they were expecting their first biological child. Miko was insanely happy for them, and he didn't want to squash that happy bubble with a favor, so he crossed the option off his mental list.

The Higgs house was out, because three other adults lived there. Miko disliked the idea of his own house. He couldn't relax enough to have sex knowing his parents were down the hall. If he and Linus had talked about the mating bond before Dorian and Hyatt returned to Sansbury, they likely could have used their apartment, but that ship had definitely sailed. The only viable option was a motel room, even though that felt kind of cheap.

Miko was so confused he eventually called Emory to vent the whole thing. And Emory, the king of multitasking, listened to Miko ramble on about the issue while also (from what Miko could hear) wrangling at least two of the triplets through a diaper change. Miko heard Kell in the background, as well. Miko missed the days when he and his best friend could sit without interruption and vent to each other, but those days were long past them now. Everything changed when kids arrived.

"You should call Frey," Emory said when Miko ran out of steam.

"Frey? Why?" Miko knew Frey Freel, who was mated to Emory's honorary cousin Gaven, but Miko and Frey weren't exactly friends. Frey was six years older than Miko, and he'd just given birth to his and Gaven's first son less than six months ago.

"Because his sire owns that private cottage up in Ampshire Province. His sire let Eriq and me used it for a long weekend to celebrate our six-month-mating anniversary, so I'm sure he'd let you and Linus use it for a few days."

It wasn't a terrible idea. A brief vacation to another province that Miko had never seen? "But you guys went in the fall when it was still semi-warm. It's the middle of winter. The lake is probably frozen."

"Yeah, and you'll get to see some real snow! Not just pictures but to actually see it and roll around in it. Maybe even build a snowman."

"That could…be fun, actually. Do you think Linus's parents would let him go on a long trip, though?"

"Dude, Linus is twenty-one. He's way beyond a legal adult, so they can't really stop him. As long as his doctor and physical therapist say it's okay, why not?" A baby squawked, and Emory laughed. "See, even Ferran agrees with me. Ask Linus what he thinks first, and then call Frey. I doubt he'll say no."

"Okay." Miko grinned at nothing in particular. "Okay, I'll do that. Thank you. I knew calling you was a good idea."

"And don't ever forget it. Let me know what you guys end up doing. And congrats, again. This is a big step for you, but I can tell by the way you talk that you're ready. Just make sure Linus is ready, too."

"I will. Love you, brother."

"Love you back, Miko. Ack! Misha is trying to climb the dresser. Talk later!"

Miko chuckled as the call ended abruptly. He'd helped babysit the triplets a couple of times, and he'd barely survived those afternoons. He could not imagine how Emory, Eriq, and their collective parents wrangled those kids twenty-four-seven.

Armed with his new plan, Miko left the university campus lounge where he'd made the call after his final exam. He'd met an underclassman there to sell one of his textbooks that he no longer needed, and now the rest of his winter break was his. He took the bus to the Higgs house, and he was delighted to find Linus, Caden, and his mate Zaq in the living room playing a video game. Well, Linus and Zaq were playing the two-man game, while Caden watched and snacked on popcorn.

"Does no one have a job in this family?" Miko joked as he hung up his coat.

Caden blew a very mature raspberry at him. "Zaq and I are having dinner at my parents' house in a little while, but we figured we'd annoy this nutcase first." He pointed his foot at Linus, who quickly flipped him off without looking away from the game.

"Oh, that's cool. Annoy away."

Miko loved the mated pair, but he was also happy to see them bundle up and leave thirty minutes later, giving him and Linus privacy for…well, could be minutes, could be hours. Hard to tell with the comings and goings, and he'd noticed Isa had been out more recently. No idea what he was doing, but Miko loved that the older alpha was trying to be less of a homebody for their sake.

"So I have an unusual proposition for you," Miko said once he and Linus had snuggled up together on the couch. "I know it's a little last-minute and kind of bonkers, but hear me out."

"Of course." Linus played with the curly ends of Miko's hair. "What's up?"

"I know the Solstice Gala is coming up next weekend, and we've already decided to go together, because you owe me a first dance, but I also really want a chance for us to be alone and intimate before that, and I don't want to do it the night of the gala, because it's like copycatting Peyton and Layne's first time, and I have a wild idea if you wanna."

Linus chuckled. "Okay, I think I followed all that. And I agree. I'd love to spend some real time alone with you, just us for longer than two hours, with lots of privacy. I also completely get not wanting our first time to be after the gala. I mean, I'm cool with that if you want to, but I'm crazy curious about this wild idea of yours."

"It's actually Emory's idea. He suggested I call Frey and ask about using the Porter family cottage up in Ampshire for a day or two. We could play around in real snow, have a cottage all to ourselves, even if just for twenty-four hours."

"Wow, okay." Linus grinned at him, affection shining in his eyes. "What did Frey say?"

"I haven't asked. I wanted to make sure you were cool with the trip before I made any plans. I mean, you'd have to miss PT at least once, and your omegin will probably hate the idea of you going so far away this soon after the accident."

"He won't like it, but if my doctor says I'm fine to travel, he can't really stop me." Linus's expression went briefly distant, and then he nodded. "Okay, let's call Frey and ask. Worst-case scenario is he says no, and we figure out something else." He lightly touched Miko's cheek. "You're sure you're ready for this step? Us having sex?"

"Yes. I mean, we don't have to explicitly plan on intercourse for this trip, but if it happens, I am all for it happening, and I really want to just be with you. You know? No matter what ends up going where."

Linus laughed at the vague description. "I know. How about we bring supplies, and then we just…be together. I really want to make love to you, Miko, but there's also no rush."

"No rush." Miko gave the living room a pointed look. "But privacy and time is also a hell of a turn-on. I don't want quickie blow jobs while your parents are out, or parking under a bridge for a little privacy to rub off. All that sounds like thrilling fun later." He winked. "But not yet. Not when we've both waited so long to find each other."

Linus's cheeks had flushed, and he seemed turned-on by the idea of sex in a car under the bridge. He loved showing off on the soccer field. Did Linus Higgs have a hidden exhibitionist streak that Miko didn't know about? He kind of hoped so and wanted to know more. Soon.

Thirty minutes and several phone calls later, Miko and Linus had permission to stay at the Porter cottage for two nights this coming week. Frey's sire promised to have a local housekeeper freshen up the place and restock it with basic toiletries. Since it wasn't a heat-related trip, they didn't need any special supplies. The cottage had a full kitchen they could shop for, but Miko loved the idea of trying out new-to-them restaurants with food they'd probably never eaten before. Because of its proximity to the coast, real from-the-ocean seafood was available for sale there. It was expensive, but Miko hoped to indulge at least once.

They booked train tickets to leave in two days, early morning departure for an early afternoon arrival. They'd stay two nights and return two days before the gala. Everything was perfect.

To no one's surprise, when Liam and Isa came home from wherever they'd been all afternoon, they were less than thrilled about the trip. "You two want to travel to Ampshire Province alone?" Liam asked with an affronted squawk Miko hadn't heard since they were in middle school.

"Yes," Linus replied firmly. "We're both capable adults, and we have the credit to pay for the trip ourselves. We want to do something special, something unique to us as a couple, to celebrate being bondmates. To celebrate being alive."

Liam flinched.

"I'm not saying I'm against the idea," Isa said, "but I'm curious. Why don't you think you can do something special here in Sansbury?"

"Because Ampshire is someplace Peyton and Layne have never been."

Miko didn't startle nearly as badly as Isa and Liam, but he was still shocked at how bluntly Linus had said that. He was also impressed and proud of Linus for speaking his mind and saying what they both felt as the youngest in their respective family.

Isa eased into his favorite recliner; Liam perched on the arm, close to his mate. "Tell me why it's important to go somewhere your brothers haven't been," Isa said.

Linus squeezed Miko's forearm, and Miko nodded. "Because we don't want our relationship to be a rerun of Peyton and Layne's. We're brothers from the same two families, each from the same age group or generation or however you want to say it. We're best friends who are bondmates, and we found out through unique circumstances, just like them. We don't want to shack up in a motel after the gala like they did. We want to do something that's unique to our relationship. For it to be just ours."

Isa's eyebrows shot up, while Liam barely reacted to the motel comment. Liam and Layne had probably talked at length about Layne's feelings over having sex for the first time, and Liam had apparently kept Layne's confidence.

"I'm sorry you feel like you've lived in Layne's shadow," Liam said, his raspy voice thick with emotion. "You were always so outgoing and independent, Linus. I never thought I had to worry about you as much as I did Layne."

"Well, to be fair," Linus said, "Layne did have an emotional and mental breakdown over all the stuff he repressed after our kidnapping. Honestly, I'm glad I barely remember it. I hate that Layne carries those memories, and all I really remember is having to pee in a dirty toilet, and then later being in the car with Dent. You had good reasons to worry about Layne more. He was an introverted, suffering omega, and I was an outgoing, popular alpha."

"It's still no excuse on my part. You are my son, same as Layne. I love you both so much, baby boy. If I ever compared you two, or if you ever felt I treated you as less-than your brother, then I apologize."

"It's okay, Papa. I'm not mad at you or Dad. I'm just glad you're hearing me and understanding my point of view. I know you guys are worrying now, because of my leg, but you don't have to. I want to take this trip with Miko. So much. We can go somewhere and be ourselves. No expectations, no one who knows us. Just me and him and our feelings for each other."

"And I want that for you. I do."

"But you're going to worry every minute I'm gone?"

"For sure."

"I'm proud of you, Linus," Isa said. "You have faced your new circumstances with courage and determination. I'm not surprised that you want to do the same as you create your relationship with Miko. You deserve to move forward in whatever way makes you happiest."

Linus beamed at his sire. "Thank you. I want to take this trip, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, too. But I'm going to be nervous about doing a lot of things for a while, because I can't just walk out of the house and, you know, do them anymore. I have to think ahead and plan, especially until I'm more stable on the prosthetic and can walk with just a cane."

"And one day, hopefully, without one," Miko added. He knew his bondmate. Linus was determined not only to walk without assistance, but to run again, and he would. Miko had faith in his future mate.

Linus pressed a kiss to his temple. "One day definitely without one."

"Well, if you're going, you should both start planning what to pack," Liam said. "Are your winter coats going to be warm enough for snow?"

"They'll be fine," Miko replied. "We asked Frey, and he said that even though the temperature will be colder, it sometimes feels warmer with the snow. I'm not sure how that works, but I trust him. I've also gotta lay this plan on my own parents before I can pack anything." Not that they'd need much for such a short trip, and if he forgot his toothbrush, he could buy a new one when they arrived.

It was a new province, not the middle of the wilds.

"Do you want me to call Brogan?" Liam asked. "So he knows your trip has our support?"

"That would be very helpful, yes, thank you."

Liam put his mobile on speaker. Miko's stomach wobbled with nerves when Omi picked up, but calmed quickly when both Omi and Dad offered their full support for the trip. Miko knew his sire well enough to hear the slight hesitation in his voice, but that was because this was Miko's first overnight trip outside of Sansbury. And he was an unmated (although bonded!) omega. Any alpha parent would worry.

Miko's parents also now understood how important it was for Miko to stand apart from his big brother, to be his own person, and not just "the youngest." All six of them briefly discussed what Miko and Linus should pack for the trip, before Miko promised to be home by ten and they ended the call.

Liam and Isa went into the kitchen to start dinner. Miko snuggled up closer to Linus, mind whirring with all the possibilities now looming for their trip. "I'm so happy we're doing this," Miko said softly. "I can't think of the last time I was this excited for anything."

"Me too. Like I told my parents, I'm nervous but also crazy excited. I hope our brothers are jealous."

Miko chuckled. "Me too. Once word gets out, we'll probably start a trend of our friends asking Frey to borrow the cottage. I'm kind of surprised Frey and Gaven didn't go up there more before they had a baby."

"Gaven was pretty busy in nursing school, and now he's super busy working at the hospital. I'm sure they'd have gone more if he'd had the time."

"True. And look at us." He puffed his chest a little. "Doing something first and starting our own trend."

"Yeah. Maybe Frey will let us make it an annual trip."

"You know he will if his sire says yes. Frey is the most generous person I've ever met."

Frey had grown up the middle of five children, in a mansion in the best neighborhood in Sansbury, with a very strict alpha sire and a doting omegin. But despite all his privileges and opportunities and a bank account full of credit, Frey was sweet, down-to-earth, and would give you the shirt off his back without hesitation. Miko had so much respect for the older omegin.

"You know," Miko continued, "when we get back, we should invite Gaven and Frey over for dinner as a thank you."

"That's a good idea." Linus nuzzled the side of his neck. "Should we invite his sire, too? It's technically his cottage."

"Probably." It was the polite thing to do, even if Miko silently hoped the man turned them down. He'd formally met Monte Porter years ago, at Gaven and Frey's mating celebration, and seen him from a distance at other functions held at the Porter mansion. He struck Miko as uptight and old-fashioned, and not someone he really wanted to socialize with. "What do you cook for rich people?"

Linus laughed. "Who knows? Maybe he'd get a kick out of the novelty of peasant food."

"Peasant food?" He tickled Linus's ribs and got a hoot of laughter out of him. "Those are fighting words, Higgs. I do not cook peasant food."

"Figure of speech! Uncle!"

Miko stopped tickling his bondmate and pretended to huff. "Thought so."

"I'll text Caden or something. I'm sure he knows what Gaven's favorite food is. We'll plan from there."

"Okay. Yeah, let's worry about that when we get back. All I want to think about is our trip and how much fun we're going to have."

"Me too." Linus kissed him on the mouth. "Very much me too."