He tolerated being at the hospital because Lacey was there and she crawled into bed with him. And he worried just a touch about Smith. Maybe the Betwixt reminded the old man of too many dark things. Nick knew perfectly well how dark things could get in your own mind, so if having Lacey and him stick around kept the darkness at bay for Smith, Nick didn’t mind.

But when they brought a tray of hospital food by that looked more like something one of the lions coughed up, he drew the line and got up. Lacey protested but Nick dragged her close for a kiss and whispered in her ear about going home to a real bed, and she turned red and stopped arguing.

Nick stopped by Smith’s side of the room to jostle the old man’s leg. “You going to be okay, old man?”

“I would if certain young pups would leave me a lone,” he said, his eyes slitted as he glared at Nick.

Nick grinned, not even the wolf reacting to the threat, and left the pudding cup from his lunch tray next to Smith’s hand. “Here. Chocolate. Your favorite.”

Smith pushed up on his elbows to peer at the pudding and then at Nick, and his voice went gruff and a little growly. “Thank you for getting me out, young man. You did not have to take the risks you did. I will not forget.”

Lacey sucked in a breath behind him, but Nick didn’t react. He nodded to the ErlKing, something closer to a bow, and squeezed Lacey’s hand. “Paying back the many debts I owe you, old man. Besides, I don’t leave teammates behind.”

“I will not forget,” Smith repeated, and it rang through the air like a vow.

It made Nick’s throat tighten, just a little. So he buried the hint of emotion in a joke, winking at the ErlKing. “Remember that when you write the check. Rest well, friend. We’ll check in on you tomorrow.”

Smith threw the pudding cup at him as he left, so Nick was laughing as they walked out.

Owen waited outside with one of the cars, flipping the keys around his finger as he leaned against the car and scanned the parking lot for threats. Nick made a mental note to talk to the kid about getting some therapy or anti-anxiety meds or something. According to everyone else, Kara had settled him down a lot, but Nick knew the jumpiness would never entirely leave the kid. But Owen smiled and actually looked relieved. “You’re actually alive and in one piece, hallelujah. I wasn’t sure if you’d managed to strong-arm everyone into tell us differently.”

“The rumors of my demise were greatly exaggerated,” Nick said, making a flourish with his hands.

Lacey rolled her eyes and shoved him gently toward the backseat of the car. “Go sit down, Twain.”

Owen opened the passenger side door for her, hiding a smile, though it slipped into a grin when he caught Nick’s eye. Nick snorted and lay back, closing his eyes. Whatever it was the djinn had done to save him, it felt like adrenaline highs and drunk-ass lows all mixed up at the same time. He didn’t know if his ass was coming or going.

As he started to drive, Owen cleared his throat and spoke to Lacey, voice low. “Savannah called up to the house and said they’d packed up your things, since she didn’t think you’d want to return to the pack house. They’ll send your stuff wherever you want it; we have plenty of room, so they’re going to deliver it to the warehouse later tonight. Kaiser thought that would be okay.”

Lacey nodded, a curious tension running through her, and Nick reached between the seats so he could catch her arm and squeeze. She chuckled, reaching back to pat his stomach, but her voice sounded odd when she finally spoke. “I guess I’m homeless now. I hadn’t quite thought that far ahead, to be honest. Where does a deposed queen live?”

“In my basement,” Nick grumbled. “Well, in my cell in the basement. You can give Kaiser a piece of your mind about not being in a fancier suite, since he never gave a shit about my complaints, but I’m not sure we want to occupy the guest room in his apartment. They’ve got soundproofing but those kids are loud.”

Owen laughed but didn’t look at either of them. “I’ll drop your ass at a hotel, Nick. Just say the word.”

“And miss the chance to keep an eye on you? No fucking way.” Nick grumbled to himself and watched the city roll by. “I haven’t forgotten that you knocked up my little sister, asshole.”

“Look, man, she wanted —“

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Lacey said, laughing.

God, Nick loved when she laughed. He loved the sound of it, the texture of it against his skin, the way her face relaxed and her eyes lit up and everything about her looked lighter. Nick exhaled and leaned forward to grip her shoulders, squeezing and massaging until her head fell back against the head-rest of the seat. “My little sister is above reproach. Pure as the driven snow until this asshole got his hands on her.”

And again Owen snorted, though he turned red and gripped the steering wheel tight enough the leather creaked. “Kara definitely wasn’t —“

“Really don’t finish that sentence,” Lacey interrupted again. She laughed more, shaking her head, and patted Owen’s shoulder. “Poor bear.”

Owen’s complexion went closer to purple and he pulled the car to a stop right outside the warehouse where the bears lived. He gathered some semblance of dignity and undid his seat belt. “I was going to say, Kara wasn’t interested in sharing that part of our life with her brother. Particularly when he’d been around the block a lot. A lot.”

Lacey opened her door and got out, and Nick waited in the backseat so he could get a good look at her ass. He wanted to grab her with both hands and drag her into his room, bite her ass and her thighs and her shoulder and everywhere else he could get a taste of her skin. He barely managed to get out of the car, and the second Lacey looked at him, her face flamed red and her eyes got all soft and sweet and welcoming.

Owen cleared his throat and stayed by the car, though he gestured at the door. “You all go on inside. I’m going to stay out here until the air, uh, clears a bit. I don’t want to see any more of you than I’ve already seen, Nick, so just —”

“Shut up,” Nick said. But he reached out to shake the kid’s hand before he stalked toward Lacey. “You’re a good kid, Owen. Thanks for looking after my sister. Just don’t ever sleep with her again.”

The bear snorted and rolled his eyes, leaning back against the car as he pulled out his phone and started texting someone. Nick couldn’t get the doors open fast enough, but then he and Lacey were inside his room and Nick could finally lock the door and really kiss her. Lacey pulled at his shirt, tossing aside the rags, and Nick broke the kiss long enough to rip off her clothes.

A wild hunger spiraled through him, desperate and wanting, and the wolf growled as he walked her back to the bed until her legs bumped into the mattress and she tumbled back into the sheets. He kicked off his shoes and stripped off his jeans and jumped on top of her, still growling, and squeezed her breasts until Lacey gasped and arched. Nick buried his face in her throat and hair, letting her feel his teeth, and barely managed to get the words out. “I want you so much I can’t fucking control myself.”

Her nails raked up his naked back, leaving stinging trails behind, and Nick groaned. He released her breasts long enough to rip at the button on her jeans, tearing the fabric, then plunged his hand under her panties so he could feel the slippery flesh that was just waiting for him.

Lacey sucked in a breath and wiggled her hips, trying to get rid of the jeans, but Nick kind of liked her being bound up. He chuckled and lowered his mouth to her breast so he could tease her nipple as his fingers pinched and circled her clit. The hyena queen cursed him and writhed against him, and Nick slowed down still more, taking his damn time to tease her entrance. She felt like silk and cream, warm and soft, and he fought the need to taste her again. The jeans still kept her knees together with just enough room for his arm to move and press against her.

Lacey dug her nails into his shoulders, moving her hips to encourage him to go faster, go deeper. To give her more. And Nick backed off, giving her softer brushes, until she growled in frustration and scowled up at him in pure fury. “You bastard, stop playing around and fuck me.”

Nick grinned as his cock jumped in anticipation, and leaned down so she could feel it against her hip. “Oh, I’m getting there. I just like to hear you beg me, Your Highness.”

Her back arched and she groaned, gripping his wrist with both hands so she could use him to please herself, and Nick almost unloaded in his drawers as he watched her. The flush rose from her breasts and up her throat to her face as she panted and arched and muttered curses at him. As she hovered on the edge, her body starting to tense and relax, he sucked her breast into his mouth and grabbed a handful of her hair to pull her head back so she would watch him. Their eyes met just as she came, her mouth open in a silent cry, and he held her gaze as the wolf surged to the surface and her hyena answered.

The world shifted and Nick felt everything fall into place as he pressed his fingers into her and bit her nipple and neither of them looked away.

Then she collapsed and panted, her legs falling open as far as the jeans would allow, and Nick chuckled. He freed her from the jeans and crawled on top if her, watching as her eyelashes fluttered and a small curved her lips. He leaned down to kiss her, murmuring in her ear, “Time to start trying everything. What should we try first?”

She bit her lower lip and he almost lost control completely. Then Lacey stretched and linked her arms around his neck, letting her head fall back on the pillow to expose her throat — and the deliberately submissive pose made his wolf howl in anticipation. God help him. She trusted him with her throat. No one had ever done that.

Nick leaned down to set his teeth against the smooth skin right over her pulse, closing his eyes, and Lacey sighed. “I trust you. Your pick, big guy.”

He chuckled and squeezed her ass, letting his fingers dig in. “You sure?”

Her eyes flickered open and found his in the half-light of the room. “Absolutely.”

Nick grinned and kissed her again. “Then get ready.”

Lacey stretched and relaxed, running her fingers through his hair. Nick had to stop for a second to revel in the way she looked at him, the feel of her body stretched against his, the quiet intimacy of being there with her. Every wild and crazy kink he’d ever experimented with ran through his thoughts, but none of them felt right. There would be time for that later. He wanted her, to connect with her. He buried his face against her chest and squeezed his eyes shut against a swell of emotion.

Perfect. It was all too perfect.