6. Mai

Chapter six

Mai

T homas must have heard the car pull up, because he emerged onto the porch just as we were getting out, Garth and Liam trailing uncertainly behind us. Despite the bulging muscles clearly evident even beneath his loose-fitting shirt, Thomas was a gentle giant. People were often intimidated by his size—at six foot five he loomed over most of us—but after five minutes with Thomas, you were completely at ease. He had a way about him, perfect for his profession, that made you feel safe in his presence.

"Mai, Jase, good to see you both," Thomas nodded to me, his eyes lowered, and shook Jase's hand. I was struck again by how strange it felt to have people treat me like the Alpha. Before, I'm sure Thomas would have hugged me. Now, he couldn't look me in the eyes. I grieved the loss of that contact, of being able to physically express my friendship with others, and wondered if this was why we had Alpha pairs, so that one person didn't have to live the loneliness that being the head of a Pack created. Then Thomas turned to the two young men standing awkwardly behind us and said, "And who do we have here? "

I glanced back at Garth and Liam, who were hovering by the car as if debating making a run for it. "This is Garth and Liam. They work with Norman. They both took ripple."

"Man, it was one time!" Garth whined, but Liam shushed him.

"I was hoping you could examine them, make sure the drug hasn't caused any permanent damage."

Understanding lit Thomas's eyes. "Of course, bring them on in." He turned and headed into the house, calling over his shoulder, "Wally's just putting the finishing touches on his famous lasagne if you all want to stay for dinner."

Jase's eyes lit up at the prospect. We'd missed lunch and I had heard his stomach rumbling all the way here.

Garth and Liam hesitated at the door, shooting quick looks back at the driveway.

I stepped toward them. "You'll be safe here, I promise. Thomas is a great doctor, he'll take good care of you both." Garth gave a short nod and headed inside, Liam following.

You would never have known that just a few days ago Brock's enforcers had attacked the house and me and Jase had fought them off. Thomas and Wally had cleared all the debris and scrubbed the blood from the floors. It looked as immaculate as it had the first time I'd come here.

Thomas led Garth and Liam to the back room he had converted into a clinic for his patients, while Jase sprawled onto the overstuffed floral couch in the living room with a contented sigh. "Sofia's coming over too, you know. Her and Wally have been planning this dinner for the last couple of days. "

I smiled, sinking into the cushion beside him. It would be good to see Sofia. I'd been meaning to make some proper time for her and me, but since we'd been back and officially declared the Alphas, I'd been too busy with Pack business, the ripple situation, and Brock's ultimatum, to see my best friend.

As if summoned by my thoughts, Sofia breezed through the front door without knocking, arms laden with dishes piled precariously high.

"Mai, Jase!" she greeted brightly. "What are you guys doing here? Please tell me you're staying for dinner. Wally and I have made enough food to feed the entire Pack!"

Jase jumped up and took the dishes from her. "Smells amazing!"

He carried the dishes through to the kitchen as Sofia collapsed onto the couch next to me, kicking her feet up with the casual air of someone who has come to feel entirely at home. She and Jase had spent a lot of time hiding here after Brock took over.

"Rough day?" she asked sympathetically, no doubt scenting my weariness.

I shrugged, aiming for nonchalance. "Not the easiest. But we may have caught a break. At least enough to keep following the thread, see where it leads."

Sofia nodded, her gaze sharpening with interest. But whatever questions she had would have to wait, as Wally swept into the room, wearing a frilly pink apron and a grin.

"Dinner's in the oven, and the cocktails are ready!" he declared with theatrical exuberance. "Mai, Jase, so glad you're joining us. We could use some sane company around here for once." He winked at Sofia, who stuck out her tongue in response .

"Thank you for having us over," I began, but Wally immediately waved away my thanks.

"Nonsense, the more the merrier."

Thomas emerged from his clinic, looking pleased. "Garth and Liam are doing well, considering the circumstances," he reported. "There are some signs of dependancy. I'm going to keep them here under observation and run more tests. I'm hopeful that we have got to them in time, but the next few days will be vital."

I let out a breath I'd been holding. Not the best outcome, but not the worst either.

At that moment, my phone buzzed loudly on the coffee table, startling us all. An incoming call from Ryan flashed across the screen. I felt a swoop of nerves in my stomach. I was still angry with him, and I was suddenly hyper-aware of Sofia and Wally's gazes fixed on me.

"Ryan," I answered.

"Where are you? I swung by the house, but it's empty."

I knew he worried every time I wasn't with him. In the last month, I'd been kidnapped, held hostage, and taken by a cold-blooded killer. His words to me were tightly controlled, but I could feel the tinge of panic through our bond. It was going to take time for him to trust that I would be okay whenever he wasn't there.

"I'm at Thomas and Wally's with Jase and Sofia," I explained calmly. "Everything's fine."

He knew I was safe here with Thomas and Wally and the Miller siblings. Thomas might be a gentle giant, but he worked out daily. It was almost bordering on an obsession, but he had reason. He and Wally escaped another Pack, one that was none too happy that they were mated to each other. I knew Thomas was determined that no one hurt Wally again, even if he had to go against his firmly held belief that only fools resorted to violence. A throb of relief pulsed down my bond with Ryan. He was silent for a moment, and I imagined him running a hand through his perpetually tousled hair the way he did when gathering his thoughts.

"Look, I just wanted to say...I'm sorry about earlier. You were right, I need to stop trying to shove you into some box labeled ‘fragile, handle with care.' I know you can take care of yourself."

Okay, first he'd given in to my request to remove the walls around the Alpha compound. Now he was apologizing and admitting I was right. He was trying really hard to make this work. I appreciated it, I really did, but I wasn't sure it would be that easy. I didn't know if we'd be able to find a balance. Maybe it started with me meeting him halfway.

"We're still figuring this out."

I heard Ryan release a breath. "Yeah, we are. But we'll get there." The warmth in his voice sent a pleasant tingle through me.

"Invite him over for dinner!" Wally called. Werewolf hearing sucked sometimes.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Ryan.

"Does the invite extend to me?" I heard Derek say in the background.

"Of course!" Wally replied.

"You know, I don't think this is our conversation anymore," I whispered to Ryan, knowing full well everyone could hear me.

"No," Ryan agreed. "I'm pretty sure I can get them to clear out if I tell you exactly what I'm thinking of doing to you later on."

Mmm. I suddenly really wanted to know what he was thinking .

"Oh, fuck no!" Derek's voice came over the line, as I heard him get out of a car and slam the door.

I laughed. "Well, that seemed to work."

"We'll be over soon. I love you."

"I love you, too."

I hung up as Wally said, "Awww, you guys are so cute. I soooo would not have cleared out, though."