Page 38 of Pucking With My Head

Gideon:

She mentioned she has a few times, but she just wanted to go home and sleep it off. She said they last for a few days.

Cullen:

Did you take her home?

Gideon:

Of course not. She’s in the guest bedroom. There was no way I was going to leave her on her own while she was sick. Joey is already in bed.

Cullen:

Good.

Jensen:

I’m leaving the hospital now. I’ll be home in fifteen minutes. She can stay with us until she’s better. I’ll even grab a few things from the hospital in case she needs them. Has she spoken about this with her primary care doctor?

Cullen:

If she’s got a nasty migraine, I doubt she’s talking to Gideon about her primary care doctor, dumbass.

Gideon:

Actually, I told her she needed a doctor, and she laughed at me and said there’s no way she could afford a doctor when she’s working two jobs just to afford tuition.

Cullen:

Fuck. Take her to the doctor. Now.

Jensen:

I am a doctor, remember? I’ll be there soon, and I can check on her and I’ll decide if she needs to go to the hospital. I can even bring IV fluids with me, and she’ll be more comfortable at the house.

Gideon:

See you soon.

Bethany was dozing lightly, her brow furrowed even as she rested. I was a sucker when someone was sick—whenever Joey was sick, I would hover like a mother hen. Sickness made my inner control freak extra itchy because illness was so unpredictable. Bethany…Seeing her unwell tugged at a different emotion.

She came across as so collected and competent. Fiercely independent and able to do everything. Hell, she had gone toe-to-toe with Cullen and won. Seeing her vulnerable like this made me uneasy. An overwhelming desire to protect her was riding me hard.

Omegas were precious, Bethany even more so. By falling asleep in my house, she was trusting me, and I wouldn’t take that for granted. Gently brushing back a strand of hair that had fallen in her face, I watched her intently.

We all agreed that finding an omega wasn’t in the cards for us, but we were all tied in knots over this particular omega, and I didn’t think that was going to stop anytime soon.

Regardless, there was no way I would let her go home alone and suffer, especially after she had done so much for Joey when she’d been sick. At least, that was what I was telling myself as I scrolled through our group chat.

Bethany was younger than us by quite a bit, but somehow we fit into each other’s lives easily. There was no walking on eggshells around her, unlike with Joey’s mother. She had been an amazing influence on our daughter, and it was obvious we all had strong feelings for her.

Cullen had already slipped once, and despite his anger at his slip, I had never heard him say he regretted it.

“I’ve said it a million times. I’m fine!” Bethany whined as Jensen hovered over her.

My pack mate frowned down at her. “You’re dehydrated and can’t even look me in the eye without your vision swimming. Stop being so stubborn. I have some medication that may help…”

“I don’t need it,” Bethany grumbled, hiding her head under the covers.

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