Page 14 of Homecoming

“I don’t know. This text is pretty vague. You round up the rest of the team. Get the gear loaded and make your way back to base. I’ll say goodbye to Kat and head off. I have an intelligence briefing first. I’ll text you when I know anything more.”

Katsmiles,watchingasNoah stares at the leather-bound books stacked in neat rows on the half-empty bookcases. The varying titles reflect an eclectic mix of subjects from religion and philosophy to mathematics and science.

“And what? You’re going to fill all of these shelves with books?” he frowns, looking around the room.

“Uh-huh. I’ll have my own little library. Do you like it?” Kat smiles as she stuffs the last piece of pancake into her mouth and sips the mug of hot tea.

“That’s a lot of shelf space to fill. You’re going to need an awful lot more books.”

“I know, but you can help me find them, right?” She wraps her arms around Noah’s body and snugglesclosebut as she does, he takes a hesitant step away from her.

“Kat, I don’t think we should do that in here. I mean, anyone could walk in and—”

“Relax, it’s fine. The guys are cool about us being together. Besides, they’ve had more than enough time to adjust to the idea and if they don’t know about what we do by now… that’s their problem to deal with. I’m not going to keep sneaking around. I love you and I want to be with you. I know our relationship is a little unconventional, but we can make it work. Noah, I want to make it work because I don’t want to choose—I can’t.”

“I know, but still… This house is a little crowded with everyone: the pups, the guys, the housekeeper. I’ve been giving some thought to building my own place in the forest. Do you think Darius would mind?”

“You want to move out of the house? But Noah, we only just got back here and besides, we have the mountain retreat. We can go there whenever you want.”

“Yeah, but while we’re here, I’d like to have my own space. They might find it a little easier to accept what’s going on with us if we weren’t always in their faces. I still think Digby’s not overly comfortable with us being together. Andpersonally,I’d like a little more privacy—a space just for us to be ourselves. Plus, I have the room at the end of the corridor next to QT and Zak. Do you know how much their bed squeaks?”

“Uh yeah…” Kat laughs, “I guess that could be a little annoying.”

“I don’t feel like we have any space to get…jiggybut if I were to build a cabin, something small, it would also give me something to do. I can take the pups with me to the forest and they can play while I build. It means they don’t have to be cooped up in the house all day. Lukas is getting hooked on Zak’s game thing already, and I think he needs to run off some energy. They can be wolves out in the forest. Evelyn’s going to need that.”

“Okay, yeah.” Kat reaches up and kisses his lips. “Darius won’t mind, I’m sure, but I’ll talk to him, just to be certain. And now that I think about it, I think you’re right; it would be nice to have a place of our own to get away from all the bustle of the house. I mean, I love being here with everyone, but it does get a little chaotic at times.”

“Oh hey…” the door creaks and Digby gives a polite knock as he enters the room. Noah takes a step away fromKat,but grabbing his hand, she holds him to her. “Sorry to disturb you but…”

“Diggs, are you okay? Did you want something?” Kat frowns apprehensively.

“Uh, yeah… I mean I’m okay, but can I have a word? We've gotta go but I just… well, I just wanted to saysomethin’before we leave.”

“You’re getting spun up already? But I only just got back.”

“I don’t know. We just got recalled to base. Somethin’s going down so we gotta go check it out.”

“Okay, sure… Uh, Noah, could you give us a minute? We’ll go for a walk in a while. Luna needs to feed Evelyn again soon and we could take the boys with us.”

“Actually Kat… it’s Noah I wanna talk to, so could you give us a minute?”

“Oh okay—I guess. Digby, what’s going on?”

“Nothin’. No, I just wanna talk to him about some stuff.”

“Are you okay with that?” Kat frowns with a concerned hesitation.

“Yeah, of course. It’s fine, just go.” Noah smiles as Kat apprehensively leaves the pair alone.

“So uh…” Digby swallows nervously and coughs, “things with you and Kat, it’s allgoin’ okay, yeah?

“Yeah. It’s good. Actually, if I were to be honest, it’s a little strange being here in the house knowing that you and Darius are watching us together. I still have to get used to that but… it’s okay.”

“Yeah well, that’s kinda what I came to talk to you about… about this whole thing and how we have a relationship?” he coughs.

“Oh… oh, I’m sorry, but I’m not into that. What I meanis,I only want to get with Kat. I can’t… I don’t want to um…” Noah continues to stutter, “me… me and you. I don’t want that.”

“Hell no!” Digby gasps. “That’s afuckin’relief because trust me, I don’t want that either. A threesome with Darius is one thing, but you… No, no way. Especially not if you’re my…brother. Nope, no way that’s nothappenin’. Noah, don’t worry, you’re safe. Oh, but if you will take my advice, don’t goputtin’that idea in Kat’s head. I know what she’s like and well, I don’t want hergettin’ideas about that because like you said, it’s not gonna happen.”

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