Page 52 of Act of Brotherhood
“Okay, let’s not lose our shit, Viking. I’m sorry I asked. For now, how about we go with you needing to keep a handle on your wolf side. Nicolette doesn’t know about us.”
Garth paused, thinking about Nicolette asking if he could turn into a wolf. Had she been joking, then? “She doesn’t know about PSI and the I-Ops or supernaturals in general?”
“All of the above,” supplied Cody. “Clara does, but only because she stumbled into it all when she got mixed up with the Para-Regs without realizing as much. Been hip to it for about a year now. She’s convinced Nicolette will freak if she finds out. I’m inclined to agree with her.”
“Clara knows of us?” asked Garth, feeling like his brain was swimming in thick soup. Things were registering but far later than they should for him. “Does she know of your history?”
“You mean does she know I’m a reject?” asked Cody with a snort. “Yeah. She’s cool with it though. Made me shift back and forth a bunch when she first found out. She thought it was neat. I humored her, until she asked if my man parts changed size too. I stopped show-and-tell there. Seemed best. I was with her when she figured out that she and—”
Nicolette appeared at the end of the alley, causing Cody to stop in mid-sentence. “There you are. I thought I’d make sure everything was okay out here. There was testosterone leaking all over the place a bit ago.”
Cody grinned. “We’re good. Catching up. Haven’t talked in a bit.”
“Uh-huh,” she said, giving them a look that said she didn’t believe them. “Garth, would you like to come in too?”
“Can I?” he asked, sounding like a child requesting permission to do something he greatly wanted to do.
Cody snorted and mumbled the words “pussy whipped” under his breath.
Garth rammed his elbow into the man, making him grunt.
Nicolette blinked at them. “Boys?”
Cody motioned to her. “We’re fine. I swear. We go way back. He’s good people, Nicolette. We’ll be inside in a few minutes. I promise.”
She eyed them, and then touched her cheek. “Cody, do you know a man named Wheeler?”
“I do. He told me he bumped into you and encouraged you to head straight home. He was worried about you. He doesn’t know Garth, so I can see why he’d want to be sure you were okay.” Cody smiled.
“Nice of you to tell me you had someone spying on me,” she said, her gaze never leaving the shark-shifter.
Cody cleared his throat and tugged at the collar of his T-shirt. “Spying? What? No. It’s not like that. I just, uh, worry.”
“Sure. Don’t be out here too long, and if you start wrestling or anything, get me so I can take pictures to show Clara. She won’t want to miss out on hunky-guy wrestling.”
“You think he’s hunky?” demanded Garth, his wolf stirring once more.
Cody touched his forehead. “Viking, I’m close to tranqing you.”
“What?” Garth asked, swinging an annoyed look at Cody. “She said she thinks you’re a hunk. Don’t make me kill you.”
“No killing Cody,” said Nicolette sternly. “And yes, of course I think he’s attractive. You both are. Now stop acting like an idiot.”
Garth opened his mouth to protest, and then closed it quickly, making Cody laugh more.
Nicolette headed back in the direction of the preschool and Garth tossed an arm out, knocking Cody back and onto his ass. He then stared down at the man before extending a hand to help him up. “You’re to stop being a hunk this instant!”
Cody took his hand, yanked himself up and huffed. “I’ll see what I can do. Going to start shouting about her being yours again?”
Garth stared off in the direction Nicolette had gone. “I wish she was mine.”
“She might very well be,” supplied Cody.
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Let’s head inside before she comes out to check on us again,” said Cody, clasping a hand on Garth’s shoulder. “Besides, I’m dying to see you around preschoolers.”
Garth stiffened. “I’m not a fan of children.”
