7. ASANI

7

ASANI

The clinic is quiet except for the soft shuffle of papers beneath my fingertips and the occasional creak of the old floorboards. I’m pouring over documents sprawled across the counter, my brow furrowed in concentration. The handwriting on these is awful—scrawled notes and half-legible symbols that make my head throb. Magic theory, biological studies, scraps of research left behind by Enzo—crazy scribbles that I can’t seem to make sense of.

All I know is that Enzo was doing shit years before we met up until the day he did. Some part of me wonders if he found me specifically because of who I was—none of which matters now.

A soft knock on the open door pulls me from my focus. In taking this small room, Mateo and I made sure to outfit a door toward the back so that pack members could enter the clinic without entering the house. As many times as Nepheline has mentioned that it’s okay, I know for a fact her territorial instincts are chaotic at best and while I love her aggression, there’s no need to turn it on anyone else.

The room has been sectioned into three parts, the main office that can be accessed from both entry doors, a small operating room for brief issues, and then storage—where Darius currently is, my trusty assistant for the morning after Victoria kicked everyone out of the council room.

A Beta is standing at the entrance, his face flushed from the cold and his arm wrapped awkwardly against his chest. I recognize him as one of the younger pack members, a loyal kid to his parents as he hands out handyman services to raise money for school.

“Xavi?” I ask as the Beta nods. “Accident fixing something around the house?” I already know the answer, the Beta having been in here more than once. I gesture for him to sit down on the chair beside me, the Beta shyly pushing forward.

“It was just an accident. I was fixing up the porch railing and it gave out. Decided to take me with it.” Xavi lets out a nervous chuckle, the Beta on the smaller side. He’s adorable, just beginning to explore what love is with one of the single Alphas, and even amongst the chaos, it’s exciting to see some normalcy in the pack.

I nod again, slowly unwrapping the cloth to reveal a nasty gash on his arm. Before my very eyes, the skin is slowly knitting itself back together, the dried blood now caked on a healed surface. “Lucky for you, I don’t even think you need me, Xavi.”

He frowns, turning his arm to see the wound, his eyes growing wide. “We’ve all felt the magic but I didn’t think… Alpha, that’s…”

“It’s a beautiful thing seeing nature repair itself. I’m glad that you weren’t more seriously hurt and while the wound is gone, I’d advise at least resting for a few hours to let your body regain its strength. That wasn’t just a small cut.” I inspect the wound again, in awe of what just happened. My mind is whirling with a thousand possibilities, the implications of this on science, and how it truly affects the body.

“Thanks, Doc. Man, I’m going to go show my Alpha! I mean, Ash.”

I hide my smile as he bounds out of the clinic, Darius peeking his head in from the back room. He’s been busying himself for the last half hour, trying to find something to steal his attention. And while he’s the perfect kind of assistant, precise and methodical, his eyes keep darting toward the front door like he’s waiting for someone.

Like a lost puppy.

It’s ridiculous how endearing it is. His devotion to Nepheline, his constant awareness of her emotions, is something I find both admirable and amusing. It’s not just love—it’s instinct, an unshakable bond that keeps him tethered to her no matter where she is. And it’s stronger than an Alpha’s bond because I’m not even that in tune with her.

“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep pacing like that,” I tease, leaning back in my seat.

Darius glances at me, his expression sheepish. “Just… making sure everything’s stocked.”

“Uh-huh.” I don’t press, though. We’re all on edge as it is, having the Sapphire wolves in our space and Nepheline stepping into her position. Add in the fact that her brother is still alive and it’s a whole mess.

A knock on the archway makes both of us turn and I look up to see Maverick standing there, a lopsided grin on his face and a tray in his hands. “Interrupting?” he asks, already stepping inside without waiting for an answer.

“Depends,” I say, raising an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

He holds up the tray, revealing an assortment of cheese and little meat rolls. “Snacks. Nepheline told me to make sure you’re not overworking yourself but I don’t cook and there wasn’t much prepared in the fridge.”

I roll my eyes, though I can’t help the small smile that tugs at my lips. Maverick is just as rough around the edges as we all are but he has a soft center at times. “I’m fine,” I mutter.

Maverick snorts, setting the tray down on my desk. “Yeah, well, try telling her that. She’s convinced you’re about to keel over from exhaustion.” His face twists up for a minute before returning to that hardened expression. Nepheline is worried about all of us, mostly Maverick but I can see it in the way she looks at us, trying to figure out whose lap to occupy.

I’m hoping for a world where she doesn’t have to worry about us at all. I glance at the tray again, realizing how perfectly symmetrical the meat rolls are and that there are little scoops of cream cheese and jelly on the crackers. “Did you make this?”

Maverick laughs as he slips into a chair on the other side of the desk. “Hell no. Remi made it. This is all you’re getting, so don’t complain.”

I chuckle, grabbing a piece of cheese and a meat roll. “Fair enough.”

Silence filters between us, a comfortable peace settling in the clinic. We pick at the snacks, even Darius gathering up a few rolls and crackers before disappearing back into the stock room. My mind drifts to all the work that still needs to be done and all of the files that I still need to decipher. With the anti-serum for the super wolves, we’re one step closer to ending this nightmare, and yet, it feels like there’s something else hanging in our future—something darker than any of us can imagine.

Slowly, my attention falls on Maverick, the Alpha Nepheline brought to us. The silver strands of hair showing through his full mane, worries etched into his features. I’ve seen him like this before, Maverick always the one watching—much the same way Remi does but today, it feels different.

My gaze lingers longer than it should. I tell myself it’s nothing, that I’m just studying him, cataloging his features out of habit. It’s what I do, after all—observe, analyze, dissect. But this isn’t just curiosity. My feelings for this Alpha have been growing and although every member in this pack has given their blessing… I just don’t know how to truly start. Which is why I admire instead.

The line of his nose. The way his lips press together when he’s lost in thought. The faint shadow of stubble along his jaw. And his eyes—deep, dark, endless. They meet mine and for a moment, everything else falls away.

His gaze sharpens, narrowing slightly as if he’s trying to figure out what I’m thinking. My nostrils flare involuntarily, my body betraying the calm facade I’m trying to maintain. The air between us thickens, heavy with unspoken words and unacknowledged feelings.

Neither of us moves. Neither of us speaks. We just stare, locked in a silent battle that feels more intimate than anything I’ve ever experienced.

Then Darius sighs. Loudly. Dramatically. I didn’t even know the Beta had resurfaced. “Why,” he muses, drawing the word out, “are you two fighting this?”

The spell breaks and I tear my eyes away from Maverick. “Fighting what?” I ask, trying for casual, but my voice comes out rougher than I’d like.

Darius rolls his eyes. “This,” he says, gesturing between me and Maverick. “This ridiculous game you’re playing. Nepheline’s fully on board, by the way. Hell, the entire house is. We all know something has already happened but neither one of you have gone further. So what’s the holdup?”

Well, he’s definitely blunt.

Maverick shifts in his seat, his jaw tightening. “It’s not that simple, Darius.”

“It is,” Darius shoots back, pointing a finger at him. Had any other Beta approached us like this, I would have found it disrespectful. “You want someone, Maverick. Someone who won’t judge you, someone who won’t use their authority against you. Someone who sees you for who you are, not just what you can do.”

Maverick doesn’t respond, but his silence speaks volumes.

Then Darius turns to me, his finger now aimed squarely at my chest. “And you. You want him. Don’t deny it.”

I open my mouth to argue, but the words die in my throat.

Darius smirks, his expression softening just a fraction. “You don’t want to push him. I get it. You’re trying to be careful, respectful, all that noble shit. But sometimes, Asani…” He steps closer, his voice dropping slightly. “Sometimes, it’s okay to push.” Darius picks up the nearly empty tray from the table, his smirk widening. “You’re welcome,” he says over his shoulder as he heads toward the door.

And then he’s gone, leaving the room in silence.

Maybe it is time to push.

Because Darius isn’t wrong. We have shared a few moments before but it hasn’t ever gone farther than that. To be honest, I’m not sure it ever will. I enjoy holding Maverick, watching him submit in my arms as I ravage his mouth but I don’t think either of our beasts would allow Maverick to completely submit to me.

And I’m not sure I would want that.

Maybe a younger version of me would but not today.

I stand and round my desk before pulling up a chair to sit across from him. His dark eyes meet mine and for a moment, neither of us speaks. I clear my throat, my voice quieter than usual. “Do you want this? Whatever this is. Do you truly want it? Because I do. I want it, Maverick, but I don’t want to push you into something you’re not ready for.”

“I didn’t think I’d want it,” he admits. “I don’t think I’m ready for… all of it. And I don’t know if I want it with the others. The other Alphas, I mean.”

I can’t help it—I laugh, the sound soft and warm as it escapes me. “I wasn’t talking about any other Alphas, Maverick.”

His eyes snap back to mine, the tension in his shoulders easing. There’s a flicker of something like relief, quickly replaced by a tentative smile. “Good,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper.

I lean forward, closing the distance between us. My hand comes up to cup his jaw, my thumb brushing lightly against the stubble along his cheek. He doesn’t flinch, doesn’t pull away. If anything, he leans into my touch, his eyes fluttering closed as I draw closer.

And then my lips are on his.

The kiss is soft at first, tentative, like we’re both testing the waters. But it deepens quickly, the weight of everything we’ve been holding back spilling over. His hands come up to grip my arms, firm but not forceful, and the warmth of his touch sends a shiver down my spine. When we finally pull apart, our foreheads rest against each other, our breaths mingling in the small space between us.

I pull back slightly, my gaze locking with his. “Whatever this is, Maverick, it’s just us. No one else. No expectations. No pressure. Whether it goes further or not.”

He nods, his lips curving into a small, genuine smile. “Just us,” he echoes.