Page 20 of Free Me

“Probably.” Liam practically grunted the word. Isa understood his grumpiness over the visit and Miko’s decision to stay away for the time being, even if they both disagreed.

Demir, naturally, caught onto it. He knew his stepfather well. “What’s up? I thought you guys didn’t blame Miko for the accident.”

“We don’t,” Isa replied. They’d both agreed not to spread the bondmate news to anyone Miko did not choose to tell himself, and Isa didn’t trust Liam to censor himself with the hurt so fresh. “I do think the visit helped Miko understand things a little better. Put the accident in perspective.”

“He’s lucky he walked away with bruises and contusions.” Demir winced. “Not that I wish any harm on Miko, I adore the guy. But…you know.”

“We know, son. We all wish Linus was awake and whole. Linus protected Miko at the cost of his own body.” Like any good alpha and bondmate would. He rested his chin on the top of Liam’s head, hoping his own mate understood the underlying meaning in his words.

Demir smiled at them and nodded. “He’ll make someone an amazing alpha and partner one day.”

“He doesn’t need to think about that right now,” Liam snapped. “First he needs to wake up. Then he needs to walk.”

Isa bit his own tongue, surprised by Liam’s quick turnaround when an hour ago he’d been all for Miko revealing he felt the mating bond. He kissed the top of Liam’s head then said, “We all need to take Linus’s recovery one step at a time.”

“Yeah,” Demir replied. His pager went off and he unsnapped it from his belt. Glanced at the screen. “I have to go, but I’ll check in later.”

“All right. We’ll text you if he wakes up.”

“Thanks, Dad. Liam.” Demir slipped out of the room.

Once they were alone, Isa gently turned Liam to face him, and then hunched a bit to meet his mate’s eyes. “You’re angry at Miko now, aren’t you? For walking away from this?”

“A little bit, yes.” Liam scowled. “I know it isn’t fair and that Miko has a lot to process, too, but…”

“He’s an easy target for your anger?”

“Yeah. And being mad at him here, in this room, is a safe space to feel those feelings so I don’t take them out on anyone else, especially you.” Liam rubbed at his tearing eyes and sniffled. “I’m so fucking angry, Isa. I need Linus to wake up.”

“I know. Me too. All of it. We’re both going to be angry a lot going forward, and I need you to know that you can always vent to me. I have the big, broad shoulders to carry your rage and fear, little one. Give it to me whenever you think you’re going to stumble and fall.”

“Thank you.” He turned and once again leaned his back to Isa’s chest. “What should we read next, Linus? Maybe I should pick a book you don’t like so you’ll wake up and tell me to stop. Or I could make up a really bad story of my own, full of clichés and misunderstandings and love feuds and all the things youcomplain about when I’m watchingBeta University.Or better yet, I’ll read the recaps of all the episodes I’ve missed this week out loud.”

Isa chuckled. “That should wake him up.”

“I hope so.”

So did Isa.

Waiting for Linus to wake up was going to give Miko his very first ulcer. His anxiety hadn’t been this awful during those forty-six days they’d spent waiting for Peyton to wake up from his coma. Those unending weeks of waiting and wondering had been torture for their entire family, especially their parents, but Miko had still believed Peyton would come back to them. He’d prayed every single day for his brother’s recovery, and he’d gotten his wish. Maybe not as quickly or as perfectly as he’d hoped, but Peyton was alive, cured of Donal Syndrome, and living his best life with his mate and son.

Linus deserved to wake up and find all those things, and even though he’d only been off sedation for twenty-four hours, Miko felt each of those hours like they had taken a year to pass. Twenty-four years of waiting, worrying and wondering. Twenty-four years of being separated from his bondmate and wishing he was by Linus’s side.

But separated was better than forgotten. He’d never forget the devastation in Layne’s eyes when Peyton woke from his coma and no longer recognized not just his family, but Layne as his mate and as the man carrying his unborn child. Layne had been completely broken by the loss of his mate and, compounded with other past traumas, had been briefly suicidal. They’d gotten through it and most of Peyton’s memories hadreturned, but what if Linus woke up and had forgotten his family? What if he forgot those amazing moments Miko and Linus had shared at the party before the world went sideways?

Miko didn’t think he could handle that sort of rejection, not when he’d only just discovered this incredible link to his lifelong friend.

Omi and Dad had been amazingly supportive of his decision to stay away from the hospital. They’d also kept his secret about the mating bond, which hadn’t been easy, especially last night. Peyton and little Caleb had come over for dinner and a visit, since Layne was at the hospital with his parents and Linus, and Peyton was not subtle when suspicious. He even pestered Miko into a video game tournament, until they figured out they were both trying to let the other person win and gave up.

Miko turned down lunch with Emory and Kell at the Cross house. The last thing he needed to be around was an empathic omega, even if said omega was his best friend. He didn’t want sympathy, he wanted to be with Linus, and that couldn’t happen right now. So he tried to catch up on the classwork he’d missed this week, for the class he should have been in at that very moment, and snacked on cold leftover pizza.

At exactly 1:07 pm (he knew the time because he’d been staring blankly at his alarm clock instead of his textbook) his phone buzzed. He checked, hoping it wasn’t another of his friends trying to get him out of the house today or make plans for the weekend. The last time he’d made plans, exactly one week ago tonight, he’d ended up in the worst accident of his entire life.

Group text from Tarius:Linus is waking up. They paged his doc. More when I know more!!!!

Miko burst into tears, unashamed of the great, wrenching sob that seemed to rattle his bedroom walls. He was home alone, thank goddess, so no one came running. This was the news he’d been waiting for and now he didn’t know what to do. Rushingover to the hospital didn’t make sense. He couldn’t see Linus until he was out of ICU, but he should be there to support the rest of the family who was stuck in the waiting room, especially Layne. Layne and Linus had always been so close, had survived a traumatic childhood kidnapping together, and Layne was a wreck like his parents.

Yes, damn it, he could get his shit together and go support his brother-in-law. Layne and the rest of the extended Higgs clan was his family. It was time to stop blaming his sore muscles from the accident; time to stop wallowing over the fact that he’d been unconscious for most of his first heat; time to put the bondmate thing aside for now and focus on the people he loved who needed him.

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