Page 160 of Altius
The doors to Morgan’s suite flung open.
Kelsey stormed out, wearing silk pajamas and clutching a wad of used tissues. Her eyes were red. Splotches of color marred her freckled complexion. She stopped short at the sight of us.
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” she said, her voice shaking, “but kindly get the hell out of my kitchen.”
Owen ordered the mated pair to head back to their loft, while Wyatt and I gathered our things and made a beeline for Morgan’s bedroom.
She sat on the edge of the bed, elbows digging into her knees, wearing her fluffy bathrobe. The right sleeve was pulled back, revealing a foot of medical gauze and tape, spotted with fresh blood.
As she looked up, I was relieved by the embers burning in the depths of her gaze. Our girl still had some fight left in her.
Straightening her posture, Morgan adjusted her glasses and said in a firm voice, “I’m sorry for worrying you and for getting hurt. But I had to keep Amir safe. No matter what.”
“I get it.” Wyatt dropped onto the mattress and carefully wrapped his arms around her. “You were doing for him what you wished someone had done for you.”
Her brows knit together as she considered his words, and then she gave a stiff nod. “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but maybe you’re right. I don’t know. It was more…”
Morgan sighed, running her uninjured hand through her hair.
“I was operating on instinct, certain that I would be fine, no matter what. Fearless for the first time in…” She blinked hard and leaned against Wyatt’s chest. “Since the accident.”
Spooked blue eyes locked onto me. Wyatt had no idea what to say in response to such a vulnerable admission.
Easing down on her other side, I rubbed my hand along her thigh and asked, “Because you knew Garvey would suffer repercussions?”
“No. It was… I don’t know how to explain it.” Her eyes narrowed. “He was a threat to Amir but not to me. Garvey’s psychologically weak. Greedy and short-sighted. Not nearly as dominant as any of you.”
A brief look of smug satisfaction flickered across Wyatt’s face as he kissed her hair.
Morgan leaned forward. “You know how sometimes, when you’re in the zone competitively, you can just look at someone and know you’re going to get the better of them? It was like that—like I…” Trembling fingers gripped my hand. “It’s like I was myself again. But better, because I knew… Knew Alijah was filming, that you and Owen were monitoring everything, that…”
I ran my thumb along the edge of her bandages. “That we’d understand your motivations. Keeping Amir safe mattered more than your job or safety.”
“But I selfishly forgot about Kelsey—and the rest of my family.” Morgan sighed. “A few scratches and bruises are nothing in the grand scheme of things. I used to suffer worse every time I learned a new skill. I’ve already gone through hell once. Anything short of reliving the accident seemed worth it to protect another omega. But Kelsey doesn’t get it.”
“She kicked us out of the kitchen,” Wyatt said quietly.
Morgan buried her face in his chest for a long moment.
“I can’t say I blame her,” she murmured. “The last time she lost her temper like that was three years ago, when I collapsed from exhaustion during my residency. It took ages to get her to forgive me.”
“Then perhaps we ought to give Kelsey some space,” I suggested, “and reconvene across the hall after you get some sleep.”
“I slept on the plane.”
“Oh, we know.” Wyatt flashed a mischievous smile. “Your new boyfriend told usallabout your spicy snacks and cuddles.”
She pulled back, glancing between us with a hint of uncertainty. “I was going to tell you.”
Leaning forward, I brushed a few errant strands of hair out of her face and kissed her temple. “We saw it coming a mile away, sweetheart.”
“But that doesn’t mean you’re necessarily okay with it.”
“Of course we are,” Wyatt said. “And given the way things are heading… Maybe one day we’ll all be a part of Pack Redmond. Just throwing it out there.”
“It’s a possibility,” Morgan said, rubbing the side of my hand. Silent reassurance that she was in no rush to form a pack, especially with my grandfather still in the hospital.
Her consideration was why it was impossible to be mad at her.
