Page 41 of Free Me

“Right. Milkshake? I’ll call Layne and see if he can pick one up for you from Milk & Cookies.”

“Their classic vanilla?”

“Of course. Miko, do you want anything?”

Miko stumbled for words momentarily, unsure why he was so surprised Liam was being gracious with him. “Um, no, I’m fine. Thank you.”

“Are you sure you aren’t hungry?” Linus asked. “You don’t eat when you worry. Don’t think I didn’t notice you lost weight back when Peyton was in a coma. Papa, have Layne bring him one of those walnut brownies with the caramel that they make for their sundaes. Miko loves those.”

“You’re ordering me a baked good from someplace other than Perks?” Miko grinned. “My parents would be appalled.”

Liam chuckled as he stood from Isa’s lap. “It’ll be our secret, boys. Isa, walk out with me while I call Layne?”

Miko turned away from Linus and mouthed, “Thank you,” to Liam as he and Isa left the room to make their call. They could have stayed and called from there, or even just texted Layne, but he adored the pair for giving him and Linus a few minutes alone. He also imagined Liam needed space to collect himself after watching Linus go through therapy.

“Your papa asked about pain meds a few minutes ago,” Miko said. “Do you need more?”

“I don’t think so. Please.” Linus patted the bed by his hip. “Come sit with me. The pain is dulling a little now that I’m sitting still again, and I’d really like to just…sit.”

“Of course.” Miko slid onto the thin mattress beside Linus’s left hip and twined his fingers with Linus’s. The contact helped calm his own racing pulse and return that wonderful sense of peace he only got with Linus. From the touch of his bondmate.

Some of the stress lines around Linus’s eyes disappeared and his shoulders relaxed. “I hated putting my parents through that, but I couldn’t ask them to leave, you know? They’ve been here from the start of this whole thing.”

“Hey. You need to do what is best for your recovery, even if it hurts their feelings. This is about you, not them and not me. If you need to do your PT without us, then say so and we’ll go. If it’s really what you want, we’ll give you space.” Miko squeezed his hand. “But if I think you’re full of shit and pushing us away because you feel sorry for yourself, I will absolutely plant my feet and refuse to move.”

“Spoken like a true Tovey.”

“Like a Dale-Tovey. My sire is stubborn, but you know I get most of it from my omegin.”

“That’s true. And you’re right.”

“About what this time?”

Linus wrinkled his nose. “About me wanting to push you guys away so you don’t see me struggling and weak. I’m alpha, I’m not supposed to cry over sliding down a board from the bed to a fucking chair.”

Miko waited until Linus met his gaze, and he tried to send every ounce of strength he had through his eyes and their joined hands. “You can cry over anything you want, especially now. And always in front of me. I’ll never think you’re weak because you’reshowing you have emotions. Isa never taught you to hide behind alphahole stoicism, so don’t think you have to start now just because of this…disability. Please, don’t become bitter, Linus.”

Linus didn’t speak for a long time, his dark eyes wet but showing no true hint of what he was thinking. “I’ll do my best.”

“Before, when Isa mentioned how Demir keeps up with everything even with lack of sleep, you looked…I don’t know, mad? Are you upset that Demir can’t come and see you as often as the rest of us?”

“No. I know how hard he works and why he does it. I can’t resent him for working sixty hours a week, not when he cured Peyton and gave him his life back.”

“Not for the good work he does, but you do resent Demir for something? I know you, Linus. Talk to me? Before your parents come back?”

Linus let out a long breath, then opened his mouth to speak.

“Uncle Linus!” The familiar, pipsqueak voice of little Caleb Tovey nearly startled Miko off the bed. The toddler raced across the linoleum floor and grabbed at Miko’s knees. “Uncle Miko, help me up. Need a hug.”

Miko swallowed a growl of annoyance because his little nephew didn’t deserve it, not for something as innocent as wanting a hug from his ill uncle. He bent and picked Caleb up under his armpits. The little omega squealed with delight and wrapped strong arms around Miko’s neck first. Miko hugged him back, his heart melting a tiny bit like it did with each of Caleb’s precious hugs. Caleb was the perfect mix of his parents, with Layne’s dark eyes and serious expressions but also Peyton’s exuberance for life.

As Caleb wiggled out of Miko’s arms to hug Linus, Miko glanced at the door. Layne and Liam stood just inside, conversing quietly. Layne met Miko’s gaze and smiled. “We werealready in the hospital when Papa called me,” Layne said. “So Dad went with Peyton for the milkshake and brownies.”

“Brownies!” Caleb repeated with gusto. “Want one for Asher.”

“We aren’t seeing Asher until this afternoon, remember? We’re meeting him and Uncle Khory at the park, so maybe you guys can split a soft pretzel if the cart vendor is there.”

“Yeah!”

---