Page 24 of Free Me

“That was scary, yes, but it didn’t, and we’re all fine.” Jaysan lightly ruffled his hair. “Listen, I know things are awful right now, but do you know what we have that gets us through every challenge life throws at us?

“Sugar cookies from Perks?”

“That, too. Family, Miko, we have family. This whole room is full of our family.” He cocked his head at a pair of elderly men two seats down. “Except them, I don’t know who they are.”

Miko snorted. “Okay, I get your point. It’s just so hard to see the brighter side of things when you’re actively mired down in the shit. Linus is here because of me.”

“Now you know that’s not true. A lot of variables needed to line up for that accident to happen, and then more variables had to happen with the rescue workers, the ER staff, and the choices Liam and Isa made. You are not the sole cause of Linus losing his leg, Miko Tovey, so stop thinking that.”

Jaysan snapped the last sentence in a way that shut Miko up. He still didn’t agree but wasn’t going to argue the point, not now when all their energy needed to be directed toward Linus. Miko’s guilt, self-blame and huge bondmate secret could wait.

“And speaking of sugar cookies from Perks,” Jaysan said with a nudge in Miko’s ribs.

Miko winced at the slight twinge of pain then looked up. Omi stood a few feet inside the room and was scanning—their eyes met. “Omi said he’d be a few hours.”

“I texted him when I saw how upset Demir was. You’re welcome.”

Jaysan moved away, and Omi replaced him in the chair. He put a bakery box on the floor by their feet and tucked Miko close against him. Miko pressed his forehead against his omegin’s neck and breathed. These hugs were everything and always had been. Omi’s hugs were comfort and support and a promise that everything would be okay.

They sat quietly for a while, until Omi asked, “Why are you way over here?”

“I don’t feel welcome over there.”

“I bet you’re more welcome than you think. Remember, there’s only four people besides you who know what you felt yesterday, and none of us are going to say anything until you’re ready.”

“How do you know Liam won’t say anything to Linus, or even Layne, by accident? Honestly, I’m surprised no one has scented anything off about me after being around Linus yesterday.”

“You probably haven’t been close enough to him since your heat to really affect your scent. Yes, it does change after a first heat, but it won’t begin to mingle with Linus until you’re physical. Mine and Mikel’s didn’t until we spent a lot of time kissing.”

Miko grunted. “No more info, please. I get it. I just…I’ve never felt so outside of something that I’m squarely in the middle of, and I don’t know what to do. Staying away seems safest, but I couldn’tnotbe here knowing Linus is awake.”

“I think coming was the right thing, even if it feels wrong. I know feeling the bond can be a scary thing for an omega. I watched my friends struggle. You’ve watched your friends struggle. And what’s happened every single time?”

“They ended up happily mated.”

“So what makes you think you’ll have anything less?”

Because we’ve all been too lucky, too many times, and one day we’re bound to lose.

“I’m glad you came when Jaysan texted you,” Miko said instead. “Is Dad coming?”

“Later tonight, around suppertime. He volunteered to bring food for whoever was still here.”

“I guess that depends on what the doctors say about keeping Linus in ICU, and then what he wants in terms of visitors. Linus might not want to see anyone but his family tonight.”

“Hey, baby, come on. Maybe we aren’t blood, but we are all family.”

“Yeah.” Miko glanced across the room where Uncle Jaysan was talking to Yosef and Jax. As upset and uncertain as he was, Miko knew that single thing to be true. “Yeah, we’re family.”

Linus was really starting to hate this woozy, floating state of not being quite awake but also not so doped up he was asleep. After yelling for Miko, things had gotten hazy. He could hear people talking nearby. At first it was Dad and Papa. Then Papa and…Layne? Yeah, Layne. His sense of smell was still fucked all to hell and basically useless. Linus tried to focus his eyes but whatever the doctor had given him wasn’t letting him do much of anything except hover.

Hover and try to feel his right leg. The shin and foot heknewwere still there. They were there because they hurt, damn it. But his parents wouldn’t tell such a cruel lie. Maybe a doctor who didn’t know him, didn’t know all Linus’s soccer plans, would tell a savage lie meant to wound him. Not his parents.

He wanted to ask Layne why they’d lied but his lips were numb, tongue too thick to lift.

I need Miko, he’ll tell me the truth. Please, Miko.

He didn’t understand this constant, itching need to see Miko with his own eyes, to know for sure he hadn’t been horribly injured in the accident. Or worse, he was dead and no one would tell him, because of how badly Linus was hurt himself, and he hated this! He tried to shut his mind off, to relax and sleep so the damned sedative wore off faster.

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