Page 62 of Knot Fit For Love

"That you're so full," he replied, dragging out the words. "It's your go-to."

"It is not!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

The others got up and tag-teamed the dishes while they bickered back and forth. Elias shifted his head to the side, directing his gaze towards Ian with a cloying smile, while nudging his shoulder. The room was full of their scents twining together. He took a deep breath, shoulders relaxing.

"Are they going to stay for movie night?"

Ian glanced to where the others crowded around the sink, one drying the dishes while the other washed them. Elias stared too, a little taken aback by the domesticity of it all. When did this get so deep, or had it always been that way, effortlessly?

"I'm sure they will if you ask them to. To us, you walk on water."

Elias chuckled and pushed to his feet. "Sure I do."

The laughing didn't last long as a wave of dizziness overtook him. He had to grip the back of the chair like a vice to stay upright. Ian stood quick, auburn brows pulling together.

"Are you alright?"

In an instant, the other two came over and used their bodies to support Elias, as if it was an automatic response. His vision stopped spiraling, but it left him disoriented and a little unsettled. The answer he gave at the presentation a few weeks ago came back to haunt him.

It would take months of overdosing to cause problems, and warning signs would include but are not limited to swollen lymph nodes, vomiting, dizziness, stomach pain from liver damage, and frequent migraines.

He lifted his hand up to check his pulse, but stopped short when he noticed Ian was watching him like a hawk. It was just his luck to have a doctor in his pack when he wanted to hide everything having to do with his illegal suppressant use. They weren't even officially available yet. He was the only patient who'd been taking them for months now and in such large quantities.

Shit.

"I'm fine. I think I just stood up too fast. You guys don't have to worry so much."

Ian assessed Elias' pulse by placing his fingers on his wrist and glancing at his watch. The other two hovered over them both, their anxiety flushed out through their pheromones.

Decaying grass clippings and stale whiskey.

Elias cringed and wrenched away from Ian's touch, shaking his head. "I said I'm fine. Being dizzy is normal, sometimes."

"Your pulse is fine, no arrhythmia. Just be careful. Levi will get you some water. Sit on the couch and drink the whole thing, okay? I'll get your nesting blankets," Ian replied in a no-nonsense tone.

Chapter Sixteen

Elias knew better than to challenge Ian when he got this worked up, so he did as he was told. He tucked his legs beneath himself and curled against Dane's warm side, nuzzling the alpha's shoulder.

He sighed. "He didn't need to call them nesting blankets…"

"That's what you're worried about? There's nothing wrong with an omega having nesting blankets. I'd be honored to scent them."

Elias hit him across the chest, cheeks tingling pink. "Stop that. I don't need you of all people acting sweet."

Dane tickled his side, making Elias squeal and shy away.

"Oh, so you already have assumptions about which alpha provides which service? I'd like to know more about that."

Levi appeared in front of them with the glass of water, lips quirked up on one side. "I'd like to know as well."

Elias was unable to prevent himself from blushing as he quickly grabbed the glass and drank half of it all at once. He hadn't meant to give away such covert information, but now the cat was half out of the bag and yowling. There was no way it'd be fitting back in.

"Well, Dane is the hard ass that does what he wants, but I kind of like it. Ian is the sweetheart who won't stop worrying about me, and Levi is…uh, the kinky one."

Dane erupted in laughter, gesturing towards Levi's stunned face and slapping his own knee. The mirth drew Ian back into the room, eyes shining with interest as he lugged a mound of blankets over to Elias, dropping them in his lap.

---