Chapter 14

Chapter

Fourteen

R ory hummed, rolling out cookie dough. He had decided to make decorated cookies for the equinox. He’d learned how to do the fancy flooded ones from YouTube videos.

He had delivered a bunch of baskets with Lucien this morning, played with the kids, had a wee nap, and now he was…cookie-ing.

“Man, I went full-on omega, didn’t I?” He snorted, thinking how he used to drive a snowcat to take supplies to dragons.

As if he’d conjured up the sound, a snowmobile roared up outside. He blinked, because no one had called up on the SAT phone to say they were coming.

A knock sounded minutes later, and he covered his dough before going to let…

“Liam. Hey! What’s up?”

“I just wanted to bring you some stuff.” Liam’s face was red from the cold, and he looked a little guilty, truth be told.

“Oh, okay. Come on in. Want coffee or hot chocolate?”

“Sure. I’ll take a coffee please. How you feeling? You’re all swollen.”

“Don’t make me hurt you, man. I will totally hurt you.” He looked like he’d swallowed a basketball, and the baby was wildly active. All the time. It was crazy. “Snows are lasting late this year, huh?”

“I know. April is right around the corner. It’s nuts. Cookies smell good.”

“They are good. What are you doing up here? I mean, I love to see you, and I’m not worried about that, but. It’s just usually not…you’re not usually up here this much.”

“Can I tell you something?”

“You can tell me anything.”

Liam’s cheeks went dark under the shaggy beard he wore in the winter. “I keep dreaming about going up the mountain. Seriously, I keep dreaming about going up to see the dragons. I mean, I really wanna go. I want to go up there and see what’s what.”

“Well, the snow is really deep, and it’s not real stable right now, but you know, I mean the melt’s gonna happen in a few weeks.”

Liam nodded. “I know, I know. I got up as far as Loyal and Niall’s last time. They stopped me from going any farther but….” He shook his head. “I just have this feeling.”

“Well, Niall of all people should understand that.”

“Yeah.” Liam sat with him, coffee in hand. “So, things are going good for you?”

“They are.” He grinned. “I love Fen. We’re having a baby. He finally stopped worrying I’m going to get shot. Now, once the run-off happens, and everyone is able to move about better, who knows what he’ll do…”

“How much longer can you possibly have? You’re the size of the house.”

Rory put up his dukes, playing. “I’m going to throw you out the house and put you down a well.”

Liam cracked up. “Okay, this is pretty fun. Can I see the nursery?”

“Sure.” Rory led him up the stairs to one of the guest rooms that they’d redone for the baby. “We painted it blue, which is so like…normal, but it was the color that we had.”

“It’s pretty. No one will care.” Liam wandered around, admiring the amazing crib, the cradle, the rocker that Fen had created. “Have you settled on Alexander for a name?”

“Yes, my Fen thought that was perfect. He heard me say it, and it hasn’t changed since.” He would be aggravated, but he was so charmed…

“Alexander is a fine name; it won’t hurt anything. I still think you should name him after me.” Liam fluttered those long eyelashes at him, and Rory could see real worry and exhaustion in his eyes.

“Would you like to stay here? Or I could have Jameson see if Niall needs help up there. But honestly, I mean—you can stay with me…”

“I don’t wanna stay with anybody, Rory. I mean, maybe I’ll try to go up and check on Loyal and Niall and see what they need. It’s just a thing. I can’t quite get around it. I want to…”

Rory understood, sort of, and he absolutely understood needing to come up here to the pack, but there weren’t any single wolves in Loyal’s pack.

Not any. They tended to take in couples that were leaving the bigger pack, looking for more space. All of the single wolves there were children.

Liam shrugged. “Thanks for the coffee, bro. I’ll holler on my way back down so you know I’m safe.”

“Okay.” He hugged Liam, the action impulsive but necessary. His brother needed to know he was loved.

“Thanks, Rory.” Liam hugged him back a little gingerly, he thought, in deference to his belly. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Okay. Be careful. And please don’t go all the way up until the thaw.”

“Niall and Loyal won’t let me. You know that seer has radar.”

“I do. He’s wild.” Rory chuckled. “I never thought anyone could be as scary as Adrienne…” He referred to Niall’s predecessor as the pack shaman. She had been so fierce and wonderful.

“But he’s making his own name, huh?”

“He and Loyal are becoming legend, man.” Liam let him walk him outside. “Thanks for letting me vent.”

“No problem.” He watched Liam hop back on the sled. “Be careful!”

“I will.” Liam waved and roared off.

Love? Are you okay? Fen always seemed to know when he was worried.

Liam just keeps looking up the mountain.

Ah. Fen seemed to understand exactly what he meant. He’s restless. Spring is almost here. Then Jameson and Keegan will take him up.

I hope so. I know it’s weighing on him. I just don’t know what it is he wants.

Neither does he, love. Do you want me to go keep an eye on him?

No. No, Niall will stop him if he tries to go too far. That much he believed.

Do you want me to come home?

Do you mind? I’m making cookies. You can help me ice them.

I’ll be there in half an hour.

I’ll see you soon.

Rory grinned. He loved that. He loved that Fen took the time to clean and store his tools before he came home. But that he was willing to just come home in the middle of the day to be with Rory. He was the most amazing mate.

Fen arrived just as he popped the first sheet of cut cookies into the oven, and Fen came up behind him as he stood in front of the stove, hand on his lower back. “Hello, love.”

“Mmm. Hello. Are you going to help me?”

“Put me to work.” Fen rubbed his back for him. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore. A little stressed about Liam.” He leaned into Fen’s hands.

“He’ll figure it out.”

“Mmmhmm. I just don’t want him to get shot.”

Fen rumbled, then kissed his neck. “Neither do I, love. It’s not fun.”

“So I hear. Can I sit on my stool while you cut the next batch? I’ll roll them.”

“Yes. I want you to rest a little.” Fen dropped a kiss on his mouth.

“Thank you, love.” He rolled out the second batch, then sat with his cocoa while Fen cut out cookies that looked like spring flowers and raindrops.

“These are cute,” Fen said.

“Thanks. I got the cutters from Laurie. Her mate makes them. He had a metal bender.”

“That is good to know.” Fen took the cookies out of the oven when the timer dinged, then put the next sheet in. He plowed through cookies for half an hour, then set them all up to cool. “Do we have a plan for supper today?”

“Not yet.” He hadn’t gone farther than the cookies.

“Well, we have an invitation, so no cooking for you. Should we go nap?”

“Timothy invited us?” At Fen’s nod, he smiled. “A nap sounds great. We’ll be up in plenty of time for supper.”

They turned off the oven, and arms wrapped around each other, they headed upstairs.

Rory would worry about Liam later. Right now, his mate was home, and he got to snuggle.

That was better than worrying.