Page 78 of Lost
“How many drugs are you on, dear?”
“A lot,” Hollis says proudly.
“You really didn’t have to do that for me,” Nova sighs. “I would have dealt with it.”
“I’m in the dark again,” Kevin grumbles. “Someone fix it.”
“Nova feels my pain unless I’m really hopped up on drugs,” Hollis says, ripping off the bandage. “It only happens if she's within a certain distance from me, and it’s not an exact science. I’d rather not purposely hurt myself to figure it out.”
“Well that’s fun,” Kevin sighs. “Let’s have a visit, get to meet your pack, and hope you don’t overdose, Hollis.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t say that I’m strong like bull?” she ask, making me snort in amusement.
“Probably too late for that,” I chuckle.
Nova is hiding her smile, and I feel my phone buzz again as we all sit down again.
Tyde
What the fuck is going on? Her thoughts are all jumbled and she’s crying.
Me
We ran into her grandparents.
Feeling evil, I smirk. “Sir, Nova has another scent match. Would you like to meet him?”
Nova’s eyes grow wide as she glares at me, and I raise my phone up at her.
“He texted me to make sure you were okay. Your emotions were freaking him out,” I explain.
“A bonded mate,” Aine murmurs.
“You’re a jerk,” Hollis hisses at me, sitting next to me.
“I’m not going to sit in the hot seat alone,” I grunt at her. “I thought your grandfather was going to murder me when he heard she was my scent match.”
“He’d probably just shoot you full of holes,” she retorts. “You’d survive.”
“The two of you are worse than children,” Kevin says. “You know I’m not deaf, right?”
Nova covers her mouth as she hides her laugh, and her grandfather smirks at all of us. He’s a really good alpha, just scary as fuck. There’s a reason he’s in the Senior Mafia Family circle.
“Nova, is your other alpha able to come over?”
She’s quiet for a moment before she drops her hand and nods. “He says he’s headed to his car, he just needs the address sent to him.”
“Definitely bonded,” Kevin says, shaking his head. “Well, at least we know our granddaughters will be happy once their alphas get their shit together.”
“Sir!” Malcolm‘s jaw drops. Introductions have been made by this point, and I can tell the alpha is annoyed. “We have our shit together, thank you.”
“Well Caleb and Lars don’t,” Aine says, settling back. “Look at how far away Nova is sitting from the both of them. Get your heads out of your asses. I don’t think my granddaughter is someone who suffers fools easily, and I just met her.”
The only reason we’re spread away from her is because Hollis is stuck like a human barnacle to her. I can’t complain though. I won’t. At least not outside of my head.
“To be fair, we both met you when you were a day old,” Kevin amends, eyes soft as he remembers. “You’ve both done a lot of growing up since then. Hollis and I both agree that the time of families meddling in arranged marriages is past. I’m very proud of how she’s grown her match making career. Both of you work in the community in some way or another. Delivering babies isn’t for the faint of heart.”
I love how he made sure to give them both equal amounts of attention. Kevin Edwards is no slouch in the grandfather business. I wish his kid had gotten the same message. Hollis and Nova’s parents are both inattentive at best, and neglectful at their worst.
