Page 105 of Starting a New Life

Gray

A day.

Just a single day and duty had come calling.

I sighed as I watched the road ahead of me, keenly aware of the fact that Nix wasn’t ready to go back. Oh, he was trying to hide it, was putting on a brave face, but I felt his inner resistance upon heading back to the packhouse. I could see the tightness finding its way back into his shoulders, could see the vigilance creeping back in. His eyes scanned the forest, darting left to right, fingers dancing over his thigh.

His breathing had changed too. There was an almost laboured trait to it, a slight hitch as he stared out the windshield.

Turn around, my wolf urged, his senses even stronger than mine. One more day.

I wanted to give in. I wanted nothing more than to set my mate at ease. Feeling his turmoil in my chest, having his emotions course through my body was the best thing ever, yet incredibly hard to bear because I hadn’t realized just how uncomfortable the packhouse made him.

“Three more minutes,” I said. It sounded like a warning, and maybe it was.

“It’ll be fine,” Nix said, but the tension around his mouth told a different story.

At least we were arriving late in the evening, which meant almost no one would be up—except for the wolves living in the packhouse and my inner circle.

“Can you get Connie and Nick?” I asked.

“Sure.” Nix nodded, his words quieter now, voice thinner.

Did he know what he was doing? Did he realize he was making himself smaller? “Where is your meeting? In the war room?”

I snorted. “I prefer conference room.”

Nix shrugged. “It feels more like a war room. Last time I was there, we planned how to defeat Bear and his cronies. Tonight, we’re planning your duel with Otto.”

I had nothing to say, because he wasn’t wrong, so I just looked ahead, focusing on the road and the way our headlights illuminated the night while I ignored the faint stench of fear Nix exuded.

More things to talk about eventually.

Tonight, though, our focus had to be on the pups.

Rhett and Paul were waiting for us in front of the packhouse, wearing matching expressions of worry and fury.

“I’m sorry for interrupting your time away, but…” Paul’s words trailed off, and his eyes widened. “Holy… congratulations.” He smirked at me, then turned to Nix, who rounded my pickup, the hood of his black pullover pulled deep over his face.

He’s hiding, I thought, and my wolf growled in agreement. It was so obvious. How had I not seen it before?

Because you were never away from the packhouse. Not alone.

I’d thought his nervousness stemmed from being on the run for so long, an ingrained behaviour. I hadn’t known he was able to turn it off.

“Thank you, Paul,” I said, realizing I was completely focused on my mate. I made an effort to look at him and squeezed his shoulder because I knew it’d ease his tension. Shifters were tactile creatures, and a simple touch conveyed so much more than anything I said. “And don’t be sorry. We want to be here.”

“Yes. That. Where are the pups?” Nix said, eyes already scanning the packhouse. He blinked a couple of times and let out a snort. “Why did I even ask? They’re camped out in my room.”

Affection washed through me, and I cast a curious glance at my mate. His lips were tilted into a small smile, his eyes glowing. Damn. He really liked them if he was happy they were holed up in his room.

Paul nodded. “They’ve been asking about you. Where you are and why you didn’t return to the packhouse. They appeared worried.”

“Levi talked to them,” Rhett interjected, giving me a smile. “Apparently, they prefer mages over wolves. Or rather, they trust Nix more than us, and since Nix disappeared, they trusted Levi because Nix trusts him.”

Nix pulled a face. “I’m trying to get them to open up to the pack more.”

I turned to him and gave him a smile. “No one’s angry with you. I’m glad they found someone to trust, and they couldn’t have chosen someone better than you. Want to go upstairs and talk to them?”