6. Tommy/ Nitro

6

TOMMY/ NITRO

TOMMY

“So Nitro’s staying the night over again?” Dylan asked during our lunch break at the Three Hills Kindergarten.

Nearby, I could hear kids laughing at the playground. I watched two adorable girls by the swings.

The older one had offered to help push the younger one.

It made me think of Marc and me back when we were kids. Back then, we weren’t that close.

Marc had his group of friends, and so did I. Then everything changed after my abduction.

I pushed those awful memories aside and tried to think of more pleasant things.

Marc had suggested to me many times to try therapy again, but I still felt uncomfortable sharing my darkest thoughts with a complete stranger.

The only two people I could open up to right now were Nitro and Dylan.

“Hello, earth to Tommy.” Dylan’s voice sounded very far away.

My thoughts started to stray, and I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if Nitro and I had two girls in the future.

Scratch that, I thought, watching a shy boy approach the girls. Maybe a boy and a girl?

Then I remembered I couldn’t have children. Not anymore.

The brief burst of joy I initially felt soon faded, and I tasted ashes on my tongue.

I tentatively touched my flat stomach.

Omegas were the only shifter species capable of bearing shifter children, but Hicks took care of that little problem a few years ago.

Back then, after I had my first miscarriage, I thought being fixed was a blessing in disguise.

I didn’t want to bring a child into my hellish world, but now, things were different.

I was free, in a relationship with a man I loved, and I was learning how to live again.

It was downright unfair that I wouldn’t be able to give something so precious to Nitro in the future.

I mean, we haven’t talked that far yet, but I hated the fact that option had been robbed from us.

A tear slipped down my cheek, and Dylan grasped my arm. The pain brought me back to reality.

“Tommy, what’s wrong?” Dylan asked, concern in his voice.

“Nothing,” I blurted. “Just thinking of silly stuff.”

“It doesn’t look that way to me,” Dylan said softly.

I quickly picked up the paper napkin on the table and used it to rub at my eyes.

Dylan, Nitro, and the rest of my new circle of friends in Moon Burrow were beyond understanding.

They knew about my situation, but the last thing I wanted was to have a break-down at my workplace.

Besides, I loved teaching, and I couldn’t afford to lose this job. The kids didn’t deserve a mentally unstable teacher either.

“Nitro volunteered to stay the night or at least until I fell asleep,” I said, continuing our conversation from before.

Dylan looked at me for a long moment, then blew out a breath. My best friend knew when to press and when to withdraw.

What Hicks took from me was private. It wasn’t something I was willing to share with anyone just yet.

“Stay the night over. Is that a code word for anything?” Dylan asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at me.

A wave of relief filled me. Dylan was willing to play along, and I appreciated that.

“Not at all. We haven’t moved to that part yet,” I said. “Nitro said he’s willing to take things slow when it comes to us.”

“And what do you think?” Dylan asked me, taking a bite out of his BLT sandwich.

I stole a chip from his packet and slowly munched on it while I debated how to answer Dylan’s question.

“I appreciate his thoughtfulness, but I don’t want us to go too slow either,” I confessed.

I continued, “What if the fire between us goes out all of a sudden? I mean, I just found out Nitro had an ex, and although it was just one off-hand comment, it seemed they were serious.”

“Tommy, take deep breaths,” Dylan instructed.

I realized I had said those last words in a rush.

When Nitro mentioned Gin, I thought I wouldn’t be bothered by it.

It happened five years ago, after all, but it turned out I was just lying to myself.

I breathed in, then breathed out slowly. “I’m good,” I told him.

“You seriously have nothing to worry about, Tommy. Have you seen the way Nitro looks at you?” Dylan asked me.

I slowly nodded. I thought it was vain for me to think that when Nitro and I were together, he only saw me, like the rest of the world didn’t matter.

“He’s crazy about you,” Dylan confirmed. “So no worries there. Tommy, talk to him and tell him if the pace is too sluggish or too fast for you. Communication is key in any successful relationship.”

“Thanks for the advice, o great sage,” I said.

For that remark, Dylan punched me in the shoulder. Communication, huh? I could do that.

Nitro always encouraged me to say what was on my mind, but I always got shy when it came down to serious or sensitive issues.

That had to change.

“I mean it,” I added. “If I haven’t told you this before, thank you for continuing to be my friend despite everything that happened between us. I never had the chance to make adult friends.”

Dylan’s cheeks and neck turned red, and I thought maybe I was channeling too much of Nitro’s bluntness.

I decided to tone it down.

“So are you going to eat the rest of your chips, or can I have them?” I asked.

Dylan pushed the rest of his chips my way. For the rest of our lunch break, we moved to less serious conversation topics.

I asked him how his relationship with his mate Whizz was going. Dylan always lit up whenever he talked about Whizz.

Those two were my couple goals. Would Nitro and I be like that someday?

We’d get there eventually, I told myself, but there was still a lot of work to do.

NITRO

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves that were practically dancing beneath my skin.

Venom's office was never a place I enjoyed being, especially when there was a mess to clean up.

Olaf's refusal to answer my calls only added to the mounting tension.

Spike, well, he was great at having my back in fights, but delicate negotiations weren't exactly his forte.

So, once again, I found myself standing in front of Venom's door.

Venom had given me one simple job, but all I could think about was being somewhere else—somewhere with Tommy.

The image of Tommy at the kindergarten flashed in my mind. His warmth, his smile—the taste of his lips.

All I wanted to do was spend the rest of the evening relaxing with Tommy.

Lately, all I could think about was Tommy, making it hard to focus on the upcoming conversation.

I knocked on the door, and I took Venom’s growl of annoyance as an invitation to enter.

The office smelled of smoke and whisky. Venom glowered at me from behind his desk.

The big boss wasn’t in the best of moods today, I noticed. I had to tread carefully. I decided for my sake, that it was better to fess up.

“Olaf refused all my calls. I tried reaching out to his third, Amelia, but she told me Olaf needs more time to reconsider,” I blurted.

Venom sighed. “I contacted Olaf on your behalf. He’s willing to listen, but he wants Spike’s personal apology,” Venom said.

I stared at him for a few moments, wondering if this was some sort of prank. No, that couldn’t be it.

Venom didn’t play around when it came to matters of business.

“Yes, we could do that,” I said, realizing Venom was waiting for my response. “Thank you for intervening.”

“I’ve known Olaf for a long time. He has plenty of pride, but he also knows he won’t get a better deal anywhere else. Don’t jeopardize this meeting,” Venom warned.

“You can count on me,” I said, relieved Venom had intervened on our behalf.

“I know,” Venom said. “It’s Spike you have to watch out for.”

“Spike has his share of anger issues, just like everyone else,” I said, feeling the need to defend my best friend.

Sure, Spike could be obnoxious at times, and he thought with his claws rather than his head, but he was a decent guy deep down.

“I spoke to him earlier this morning. Did you know what he told me?” Venom asked.

His voice sounded pleasant enough, but I could detect something else underneath that.

Amusement? Irritation? Sometimes, it was hard to tell with Venom.

“Do I want to know?” I warily asked.

“He challenged me to a one-on-one fight. It’s happening this Saturday afternoon,” Venom said rather nonchalantly.

Saturday was tomorrow. I swore under my breath.

Although we were an MC, we also functioned as a typical but sometimes dysfunctional bear clan.

Any member had the right to challenge the lead alpha for his position. No one was insane enough to do it twice, like Spike.

The last time Spike fought Venom, it was two years ago. It took an entire month for Spike to fully recover. I swallowed.

“Please go easy on him,” I said. “I have no idea what he’s thinking.”

“Go easy?” Venom raised one scarred eyebrow. “Then there’s no point to it. Make sure you’re there to pick up the pieces once I’m done.”

That was a clear dismissal as any. Dang you, Spike, I thought. What possessed Spike to resort to such a reckless action?

Was Spike bored or perhaps restless?

Venom wasn’t the kind of lead alpha who provoked his bears without a valid reason.

Venom had a mate, a kid and the entire MC to think of.

Spike was going through a phase or something. I really did not need this right now.

As I stepped into the fresh air outside, I pulled out my phone to check the time. It was later than I hoped.

I needed to get to Tommy, to make up for the lost time. I decided I would have a serious conversation with Spike another time.

After locating my Harley, I sent Tommy a text. Then I mounted my motorcycle and headed to Three Hills.

Soon, I arrived at the kindergarten, and there he was—Tommy, waiting with that smile capable of making me forget my stressful day.

"Hey," I greeted. "Ready for some Mexican?"

His smile widened, and for a moment, the world outside ceased to exist. All that mattered was us.

Tommy gave our surroundings a quick look, but it was just us. At this time of the day, parents had taken their kids home.

It was probably just the staff inside the building.

Tommy approached me shyly, gripped my shoulders, then boldly rose on tiptoe to kiss me on the mouth.

I gripped the back of his neck and returned his kiss. I didn’t care who was watching. I plundered his mouth, all tongue and teeth.

By the time I pulled away, Tommy was panting a little.

The sight of his dilated pupils and swollen mouth made my pants feel a little tighter.

“I guess someone missed me,” I said.

“Terribly,” Tommy answered. “So, Mexican?”

“Guacamole Grove. They serve fresh, made-to-order guacamole and the best fish tacos in the area,” I said. “It’s my favorite spot in town.”

“Nitro?” Tommy ventured.

He stared at the ground for a few seconds before finally looking at me. I wondered if I had done anything wrong.

“What is it?” I asked, wondering if the kiss was too much.

Maybe I should have toned it down, considering we were at his place of work after all.

“This is considered a date, right? A real date?” Tommy asked.

I couldn’t help but laugh. Tommy furrowed his brows.

I didn’t mean to and I realized a moment later that Tommy might misinterpret my actions.

This wasn’t just our first official date, it was Tommy’s real first one, I reminded myself.

“Yes, it is,” I told him. “Let’s have some fun tonight.”

Tommy nodded, looking relieved and a little more excited now.