you want to try to walk?”
He and Luis helped me to my feet, and I suddenly realized I was the center of the class’s attention. They all hovered around, feet shuffling and faces uncertain.
The gym’s floor was suddenly very interesting.
“Here’s your stuff.” Craig handed me my jacket and phone. He held on to it for a second too long, until I looked up at him. “It’ll be okay.”
Without another word, he turned away and left.
“He needs to work on his social skills,” Luis said, without any condemnation.
River took my jacket while I typed out a quick message to Jordan. “I don’t know. He seems like the kind of guy who doesn’t want to deal with emotions. I can understand that. Probably been through a lot, you know?”
Luis shook his head. “Trauma doesn’t excuse bad behavior. Coping mechanisms only get you so far in the outside world.”
His last sentence hung with me. Even without going into the world, my coping mechanisms weren’t getting me very far. Was I ever going to feel “normal?”
“Finish your juice, Wyatt.” River had accompanied me to the cafeteria while I waited for Jordan.
“I’m not a child.” I did my best to not pout. That would have undermined my words.
“No, you’re not. But you did just go through a traumatic response and there’s nothing wrong with letting someone help you for a minute.”
“Help is fine. But I can manage how fast I drink on my own.”
River leaned back in his chair with a grin. “You know, you’re feistier when your brain is a little scrambled.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“It’s good. You should be feistier more often. I think it’s good for you.”
There was a sudden clash of dropped dishes. Like everyone else in the room, I craned my head to see the damage, and my jaw dropped as half the Novak clan marched in. They were hulking, mean- mugged mafiosos, and they exuded “get the fuck out of my way” energy at their friendliest. There was a minor exodus as people side-eyed them, abandoned their food, and got the fuck outta Dodge.
I didn’t blame them. If I didn’t know the Novaks, I would be booking it too. As it was, I shrank in my seat, wondering what River had told them to make them look so angry.
Dante reached me first, taking the seat next to me. “How you doing, man? Heard you’ve had a crazy introduction. Not exactly what I was expecting when we dropped you off here, huh?”
Vasily spun a chair around next to River and straddled it. “So who is this alpha? Does he know you’ve got protection? We can’t let just anyone mess around with you, right, boys?”
Ivan dragged another chair over. “Don’t let Vasily fool you. We’re just here to pull the big brother, crazy uncle bit. We know what true mates are like. Doesn’t mean we’re not going to give them a bit of shit. Hey, where did Boris go?”
River nodded to the buffet. “Where do you think?”
“Oh, great idea. Be back in a flash.”
“Grab me a dessert or something,” Vasily shouted after him.
I wrapped my arms tightly around my chest as Dante and Vasily’s attention turned on me fully. It was less intense than all four of the newcomers at once, but still...
“So tell us about this mate of yours,” Vasily said. “Is he square? What’s he do for a living? How’d you meet? River didn’t give us the full story.”
“I haven’t had time to get the story myself, big guy. I was trying to give Wyatt a moment to recover.”
Vasily looked me up and down. “He looks pretty recovered to me. What do you think, Wyatt? How are you feeling?”
I shrugged. “Better?”
“See? He feels better. Now he just has to start talking.”
“Maybe he would if you’d give him a chance, mijo.” Dante patted my shoulder reassuringly.
Vasily grimaced. “It always weirds me out when you call me your kid, dude. How long were we working together before you met Pops?”
Dante’s grin was pure mischievousness. “I want you to know I treasure our relationship.”
“And you’re changing the subject. Okay, Wyatt. Spill.”
Again, the eyes on me. “Um. Well. His name is Jordan... and...”
A calming, homey scent filled my nose. I closed my eyes, and my muscles unlocked.
“And he’s here.”
I opened my eyes and my gaze locked on his, as if drawn by magnets. His smile stretched from ear to ear. He seemed completely unaware of the others at the table as he came right up to me, bent down, and kissed my lips.
“I