Page 77 of The Healer

“Rhys.” She folded her arms across her chest.

Instead of speaking, he leveled a pointed look on her.

She harumphed, her manner that of a teenager denied the chance to have fun. “Fine. I’ll behave.”

“Good, and kisses for George.” He chuckled as he made his escape.

With his destination the airport, he strode out the de Winter hold without a backward glance. Whatever he needed, toiletries, clothing, he could purchase in Fenneg.

Cupping and releasing the steering wheel, he navigated through the rush hour traffic, praying he didn’t miss the flight, whenever that was. Hell, he didn’t know how long he would be in the air, or whether he could call Lona at eight. What would she think if he didn’t? Would she think he gave up on her? Darkness settled over his soul like a moonless night. No, he couldn’t fail her.

After leaving his SUV in long-term parking, he loped over the pedestrian crossing and jerked to a halt.

“Thought you might need a few things.” Noah waited on the sidewalk outside the domestic terminal with Rhys’s duffel bag in hand. “Flight’s in forty minutes. Checked you in already, and you have time for a quick bite.”

Tears burned behind Rhys’s eyes. He yanked Noah into a bear hug, thumping him on the back. Smiling, he stepped back. “Eat with me?”

Noah grinned. “Sure.”

Over burgers, fries, and an ice-cold beer, they spoke of the upgrades Dimitri and Callie’s money was funding. Dimi had put Noah in touch with a suckblood investor. Things were progressing at a steady pace, except for Rhys’s love life.

“I suppose I have you to thank for bringing Aiden? Will’s been scarce since your return.” Noah winced, then ducked his head to hide it. “Not that I have anything against your brother, Rhys. It’s this whole she’s-my-sister thing and a wolf eager for the Lunar Fest. I’ve got to loosen the reins.” He shrugged. “I suppose Aiden is the lesser of the evils. He’s always had a thing for her.”

Aiden in bed for a few days highlighted what awaited Rhys if he didn’t make himself scarce. Women would be throwing themselves at him, and he wasn’t in a mood to fend them off nicely. Had he not fucked things up with Ilona, his future wouldn’t be so bleak.

“Who are you spending time with?” He was so up his own ass, he didn’t know who his beta was fucking.

“I’ll have to find someone. The Hideout’s the place to be, you know this.”

Rhys grinned, with fond memories of the brawls, the hook-ups, the beer on tap, and at half-price. As alpha though, he couldn’t show his face there. Drunken shifters were more volatile, acting like idiots and challenging their alphas without meaning to. It was a good thing he was off to Fenneg.

“I texted Colt, Fenneg’s alpha, letting him know you’ll be in and out. Oh.” Noah wiped his hand on his paper towel and dug in his suede jacket pocket. With one dirty forefinger, he slipped a ragged paper across the table. “Got you Ilona’s addresses.” He reached into his inside pocket for the boarding pass. “You’ll arrive somewhere past eight. Here is your rental vehicle’s waybill. I got the biggest they had available, so best of luck there.”

Rhys grunted around a mouthful. An abundance of height had its cons. He stared at the printed letters confirming the arrival time. His bear grumbled his displeasure. They would miss calling her. The moment he disembarked, he would phone. A few minutes were fine, right? He hated it though, as if he had lied to her. A man was nothing without his word.

The boarding call for his flight pierced his thoughts. He downed his beer and rose, swiping his boarding pass, waybill, and the ragged paper, shoving them into his denim jacket pocket.

“Go. I’ve got this.” Noah gestured to the table and grinned. “Best of luck, Rhys.”

After squeezing his friend’s shoulder, Rhys jogged to the gates with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. When he slid into his seat on the plane, he grinned. Noah had booked an emergency row, granting Rhys extra legroom. He would have to endure an evacuation lecture, but being able to stretch his legs made it worthwhile.

The kid next to him, as tall, had set his headphones to deafening. And with Rhys’s sensitive hearing, catching a nap wasn’t possible. Instead, with his phone on airplane mode, he watched the seconds tick by, the minutes flip over, as each hour passed. The inflight magazine offered a range of restaurants to try, available exotic destinations from sunset beaches to skiing resorts. He read every article, hoping to keep his nerves and bear calm. What his reception would be when he knocked on Ilona’s door was the main concern. Would this gallant gesture be foolhardy in her eyes?

Fuck, he hoped not. His fingers twitched with the need to hold her, to brush her hair off her temple, to breathe in the fragrance of her skin.

He was all kinds of a fool.

Yet, abandoning her wasn’t in his DNA. Everything within him, on a molecular level, wouldn’t walk away from her.

He nursed his soda, nibbled on the complimentary dried fruit, and listened to the bop-bop of the kid’s music. There had to be something he could say to Ilona to convince her to move.

Granting her the full use of his laboratory hadn’t made an impact.

Being close to Mona should have had her packing already.

Because he wanted to fuck her wouldn’t go down well.

He shifted in his seat trying to ease a growing hard-on. His jeans wouldn’t hide it, and his jacket wasn’t long enough. Think about Noah, Jase, Will, anything but Ilona and her soulful hazel eyes, her wide smile, the sweetness of her lips. Shit…Noah, Jase, Dimitri, Mike, Jo-jo… His erection eased. He released a slow breath, ran his palms along his thighs, and gripped his knees.

---