Page 40 of Dodging Bullets

Twenty-Three

Llew

On the way back from the accountant who took care of all our business affairs, I asked Rio to stop at the VA. I wanted to see August. I thought that perhaps it was time we talked. Rio hadn’t argued; I was fairly sure he was just excited to see the handsome Omega. That made two of us.

As we walked in, shame washed over me. This place had been a second home to both Rio and Max since they’d returned from duty. I should have been here too, helping them, supporting them, but instead I’d been lost to my own madness.

The smell of anger and sadness permeated the walls of this building, which was little more than a converted church hall. “There are offices out the back that August works out of for private sessions. We’ll see if he’s in and has time,” Rio murmured softly. He hadn’t asked why I wanted to visit August yet, but I could see the burning questions in his eyes. He was probably worried he’d spook me.

I gripped his shoulder and squeezed, and my Packmate jolted. How long had it been since I’d physically touched him?

He looked at me with wounded eyes, and I pushed down the guilt once more. I hadn’t broken our bond to hurt him—I’d done it to save him. But the after-effects were the same, this distancebetween us that had seemed insurmountable, until one sweet little Omega had launched herself into my arms.

The door to August’s office was slightly ajar, and his name was on a piece of copy paper beside the frame. Rio looked at that piece of paper hard. “This branch of the VA hustles hard to provide as many services as they can. I know August does shit in his spare time without being paid.” Like visiting us at home.

“We’ll do what we can.” I’d talked to the accountant; I could absolutely do something. I had the money. I might have been out of it, our Pack might be a mess, but my accountants and finance guys were excellent. They’d taken my generational wealth and quadrupled it. I’d already been rich when we’d formed our Pack, but now, none of us had to work unless we wanted to.

We could fund something like this. I’d talk to August about it… if he still wanted anything to do with us after this.

I knocked gently on the door. “Come in,” August called, and when we pushed the door open and entered, his smiling face greeted us. “I thought it was you guys. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

It was impossible not to smile back at him. His energy was so light, his scent so sweet and comforting, it was like being embraced by the sun.

“I thought maybe we could take you out to lunch?” I asked him softly. Rio was looking at me from the side of his eye, but didn’t contradict me.

August grinned. “I’d like that. I’m starving. There’s a deli just around the corner.” He hesitated slightly. “Unless you want to go somewhere fancier?”

Stepping back, I shook my head. “I could ravage a Cuban sandwich right now.”

Grabbing his wallet—which he definitely wouldn’t need—and his jacket, he led us from the room. We followed along behind him like two faithful hounds. He really did smell fuckingamazing. If he came to Polly’s heat, the combination of their scents would be intoxicating.

I watched as he smiled and talked to every person we passed, his tone gentle at times, and teasing at others, depending on the person he was talking to. I watched the load on people’s shoulders lighten with only a few words.

As we emerged from the building, I smiled down at him. Not too far down, because for an Omega, he was very tall, probably around six feet. I was huge, though, so almost everyone was shorter than me. “You’re excellent at your job.”

August laughed. “I think there are quite a few damaged people who would disagree. I can’t tell you how many times someone’s told me I was a quack during a session.”

“Hurt people want to hurt people,” Rio added, and I wondered if my Packmate had been one of those people, but instantly disregarded the idea. Rio wouldn’t raise his voice to an Omega, even someone as large as August.

August reached out and squeezed Rio’s hand. “That’s true, but it’s never too late to heal.” He pointed down the street. “It’s just around the corner, and it’s a nice day to walk.”

Agreeing, I waved at him to lead the way.

It didn’t take too long for him to break the companionable silence. “Is everything okay with Polly?”

“Polly’s fine. She comes more and more into herself everyday and she’s…” It was hard for me to express everything Polly had become to me in such a short amount of time. It was how it happened for mates, I think, but even among mates, the connection we had was fast. Fated mates—that would have been the old name for it, and it certainly felt right. “She’s like the light at the end of the tunnel, you know? She makes the world brighter just by being in it.”

August gave me a small, sad smile. “I know what you mean.”

“Polly isn’t why I wanted to visit you today.” I pointed to a bench seat near a bus stop and indicated we should sit. The wood was rotting, and when I sat, it groaned ominously. “Well, not entirely the reason. I’m unsure if you know this, but my Pack is quite attracted to you.”

“Llew!” Rio hissed, but I waved a hand.

“It’s true. I have nostrils, Rio, and the smell of your desire makes me sneeze every time anyone even mentions August.” August’s cheeks pinkened with embarrassment, and it was oddly adorable. “It’s not just Rio. Max looks at you like you’re the last cookie in the jar, and he just wants a bite. And Polly… Well, Polly hasn’t been raised with the ideas that permeate our society about Omegas and what they’re supposed to do and be. Not that I agree at all with the way she lived before.” A growl rumbled up in my chest, and August rested a calming hand on my forearm, settling my Alpha. That one small gesture cemented what I was going to say.

“Sorry. The idea of what she went through riles the beast and the man.” I cleared my throat. “As I was saying, Polly wasn’t raised on the idea that a Pack only gets one Omega, that she’s meant to see other Omegas as competition. She wants you just as much as the rest of the Pack. At her heat, but also after, I believe. She misses you.”

August remained silent, and I worried I’d pushed too hard, but there was no going back now.

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