Page 45 of Free Me

“Face it, I was always better at the racing games than you.”

“I will never concede that.” Peyton pulled up to the curb in front of their childhood home. “So are you gonna bring this up tonight?”

“I don’t know. Do me a favor? Don’t tell anyone else we talked about Perks, okay? Like you said, there are so many what-ifs still out there. Who knows what will happen when I meet my bondmate?”

I’ve met him, I just can’t claim him yet, damn it!

“Okay, I won’t tell anyone.” Peyton reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “Try and get some sleep, okay? You look like shit.”

“Thank you. Give Caleb a kiss for me.”

“Will do. And I mean it when I say you look like shit. I know you love Linus, but please take care of yourself. You’re the only little brother I’ve got.”

Warmth filled Miko’s chest. He covered Peyton’s hand with his. “Love you too.” He climbed out of the car without making his brother any promises, too mentally exhausted to commit to anything except crawling into bed for at least six hours.

The living room table lamp glowed behind closed curtains, a familiar sign that his parents were expecting him. His entire life, if someone was out after dark, that light was left on until the last person was home. The family car was in the driveway and his parents almost never went out after eight, considering the bakery’s early hours. He smiled at the window as he pulled out his key, grateful his parents were greeting his return, considering how rude he’d been last night.

He unlocked the front door and walked into the warm living room. Dad sat in his recliner facing the television, which was flickering with some program but already muted. Miko didn’t see Omi but he could easily be lurking in the kitchen or listening from upstairs. Miko shut and locked the front door, and then hung his coat and kicked off his sneakers.

“How was Linus tonight?” Dad asked.

“Determined.” He turned and took three steps toward his sire, uncertain. Dad was relaxed, though, his expression open rather than judgmental. “We talked a little about the Solstice Gala. I pretty much goaded him into getting well enough by then to dance with me.”

Dad grinned. “Goading your alpha, eh? You’re already learning the tricks to get what you want.”

Miko returned the smile and actually felt the mirth behind it. “I learned from the best, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did. You get that trait honestly from your omegin. He chased me, didn’t he?”

“He did. But I don’t think I’ll have to chase Linus much. I can tell he feels something, but his sense of smell is still out of whack, so he isn’t sure. Part of me wants to tell him what I smell and feel, but he has so much work ahead of him in rehab, and I don’t want to distract him.”

“I know. I accept and respect your decision on this, and so does Omi. But it does sound like you’re second-guessing yourself a little.”

Miko let out a frustrated breath as he eased onto the couch. “How can I not second guess this entire thing? I’m going on instinct, not some well-thought-out strategy.”

“Then trust your instincts, son. I know it’s easy to say when I’m on the outside of this, but sometimes our instincts are the only things we can truly rely on, especially when we’re facing things as life-altering as physical debilitation and the mating bond.”

“Lucky me, I get them all tangled up in one problem.”

“Yes, you have a huge challenge, but we trust you. And even if he doesn’t understand it yet, so does Linus. You know, the first big fight Omi and I ever had was because I didn’t trust him. But we got through it because we already cared about each other, and we were committed to making things work. Sometimes we fight, we go to separate corners to think, and then we come back together.”

Miko didn’t need Dad to draw him a map to the proper conclusion. “Kind of like our fight last night?”

“Exactly. I wish you hadn’t left the house, but we both understand why you did.”

“Then why isn’t Omi down here telling me himself?”

“Because he’s at Liam’s house.”

Miko startled. “He is?”

“Yes. Jaysan and Jax picked him up a little while ago. Liam’s having a really hard time with everything, and he needs his brothers around him.”

“They did the same thing for Omi when Peyton was sick.”

“Yes, they did, because it’s what family does. We squabble and we disagree, and sometimes we storm out, but we always draw back together out of love.” Dad moved to sit next to Miko, and Miko soaked in his sire’s presence. He always felt safe when Dad was around. “Miko, I am so sorry for making you feel as if you matter less than Peyton. I am sorry for anything I said or did that belittled you. I never meant to hurt you. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Dad. I’m sorry I said what I said the way I said it. It wasn’t fair to you and Omi. I should’ve brought it up a lot sooner so we could sit down and talk about how I’ve felt for, like, ever.”

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