GAME ON - GoM 2

4

On her way to the living room, Alex wished all these proud alphas would give her a break.

"So you send a girl to fight your battles!?" Aidan yelled when she joined them. "You damn sissy! This is supposed to be your one mission! We trusted you'd lead us outta this one! But you're only a conman! One big nothing-burger!"

Thames kept calm at Aidan's angry accusations, hands in his pockets as he held the hunter's glare. Alex didn't bother trying to speak. She just grabbed Aidan's arm and dragged him to the kitchen. She made him sit at the breakfast bar and met his eyes, dead serious.

"Stay here," she commanded. She walked out and came back in a minute, bringing Old Bootter's letter. "Here," she said, giving it to Aidan. "Told you I'd explain, right? Well, this is it. Read it." She shot a warning look at him and left the kitchen again.

Thames managed a tight smile when she approached him.

"I should go, child. I'd like to swing by the hospital to check on your friends."

"Graham said they're fine."

"I know. But I can help them with their injuries."

Alex nodded. "Okay, then. See you tomorrow at eight."

"Get some rest."

She smiled at the way Thames observed her, as if making sure she was okay. When he left, she grabbed the first-aid kit from the bathroom and went back to the kitchen.

Aidan let her take care of his scratched knuckles and a couple of shallow cuts on his face. He didn't say a word, still reading the letter.

Claire and Mark found them like that, and smiled yet again at how familiar the other two behaved around each other. Alex made sure that Claire's worst injury was a bruised cheek and that the elastic dressing around Mark's ribs was tight. It was too late to check in at Betty's, so Claire and Mark decided to set the sofa and a camping mat for the brothers to sleep in the living room.

By then, Aidan was done reading and sulked in silence, staring at Alex. She waited for them to be alone in the kitchen and faced him.

"I don't give a shit what Old Bootter wrote, or what that Thames douche says, Princess. I don't..." He shrugged, upset.

Alex took his hands and waited for him to meet her eyes, flashing a warm smile at his stubborn concern. "Dare tell me you wouldn't do it, were you in my shoes."

Aidan looked away, letting out a frustrated sigh.

She just couldn't fight it anymore. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek, chuckling when he stiffened at such an open display of affection.

"I'm so happy that you're here, Aidan-Knight," she whispered in his ear. "Goodnight."

"Go, go," he grumbled, still taken aback. "You gotta take care of Sulky."

She stepped back and frowned at him. "Sulky. Really."

That helped Aidan get his cool back and he smirked. "What d'you expect me to call'im? Chuckles?"

Mark and Claire unfolded the sleeping bags when they heard Alex and Aidan laughing heartily. A moment later, Alex joined them to kiss their heads and wish them good night.

She went on to her room as the other two resumed their chattering in whispers, catching up about the last months since they'd last emailed each other. Alex smiled. Those two sounded like the best friends ever.

When she was finally able to get in bed, she noticed Tom wasn't asleep. He kept his eyes closed, though, and breathed deep and slow. She stuck to his side as she used to, letting out a contented sigh when his arm slipped under her head for her to rest it on his shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" she whispered.

"I'll be okay in the morning," he murmured.

They lay in silence for a while. But Alex was just wide awake and a while later she couldn't keep from caressing his chest. Tom's hand left her shoulder to run his fingers through her hair. She found his lips in the shadows and kissed him gently.

"I love you," she muttered. "Now try to sleep."

"If you let me..."

Alex swallowed a giggle.