attacked? I didn't think he'd helped Olivia. He and Nik were on the other side..." She just let her sentence trail off. "Shit."
"Yeah," I agreed. "We're not sure yet, and Roman's trying to ask, but they're teenagers."
"And boys," she groaned. "No, I'm with you. Same reason I put Olivia on birth control last summer. I swear I was so much older than that when I was their age, you know? It's like being sixteen feels so grown up, but it sure doesn't look like it on the outside."
"I know," I groaned. "The problem is that Lev doesn't know about Nik."
"They told me," Heather admitted. "Nik's terrified that his dad will react like Theo's did. I mean, I can't even imagine kicking a kid out because of something like that. What difference does it make, you know?"
"Trust me, I know," I told her.
"But what if Lev does?" Heather went on, waving her hand upstairs. "I can't just let them share a room!"
"I'll take one," I told her, "and you can worry about the other. I was going to say I'd take the tiger since I live beside Ian and the betas, but..."
She just laughed. It was the dry and tired kind. "Shit. Kids! Well, Kim's offered to help too. Bridget and Ashley made it clear that they're willing to take the kids if we ever need a break, but we both know that Ashley's not exactly a good influence and Bridget's too busy."
"Yeah," I agreed. "But we can make this work. Henry will help too. He loves kids, and that man has a four-bedroom house. Worst case, there's that."
"He was a good father to the pack," Heather told me. "Cheryl didn't make the cookies and lemonade. Henry did. Granted, Kim's husband reminds me of him. The trick is going to be keeping these kids from living with the one they're trying to sleep with, and that's not going to be so easy."
"We'll worry about that when we get to it," I promised. "But, if this boy is - "
Gabby came thundering down the stairs, moving at her top speed. "Going to get Nik," she called as she made a rush for the door.
"Take someone!" I barked at her.
She stalled out just as her hand grabbed the doorknob. "Front yard, Mom. I texted him to get over here now." Then she rolled her eyes and kept going.
"I have no clue how you do it," Heather laughed. "She really is a true alpha. I thought Xander was bad, and since I'm not an alpha myself, he keeps pushing."
"But you're a mother," I countered. "I think that trumps all else."
"I'll make damned sure it does," Heather laughed. "I'm also about to put all of these kids to work, because if that boy is going to turn, my house is about to be packed full of people."
"Start making a list of what you'll need," I told her.
"Broth," she said without thinking. "That was my soup you drank when you were fevered. My mother's recipe. I think her grandmother's, but not sure. Mom taught it to me, at any rate, and we Stuarts have been making it for the converts for as long as I can remember. I made sure Bridget had the recipe, just in case, but it seems to be the only thing most of us will eat when we're that bad off."
"What's in it?" I asked.
She smiled. "Um, lots of salt and protein. Egg noodles. There's a cup of brown sugar, just for a little extra energy to fight off the change. The goal is to keep someone hydrated and nourished until they can finally shift, and everyone seems to drink it."
"I have a feeling we'll need a batch. Plus stuff for the crowd. Toilet paper? Paper plates?" I was trying to remember what I'd used most when Gabby had turned.
"We'll send Ashley," she said. "And once these kids stop long enough to talk, I'm calling Bridget."
"Call her anyway," I decided. "It sure won't hurt."
Heather pulled out her phone and dialed. A moment later, Gabby came back inside, dragging Nik with her. From the ashen color of the boy's face, I already knew the answer. Yes, Theo had been exposed, and no, Nik hadn't meant to.
"Talk to me," I ordered.
But it was Gabby who came over. "Mom, I'm sorry. I think I screwed up bad."
"Just talk to me, mija," I begged.
She nodded. "So, we told Theo about sex and condoms. And about blood. We also said that kissing was safe. I mean, I