what Nicolas was talking about. Right, he and Liam were supposed to meet with Nicolas and Daniel to go bowling. Bowling, of all things. Well, Shiloh had the egg to worry about now. They couldn’t just leave it.
“Sorry, Nico,” he said. “We won’t be able to make it. Something came up.”
86
Scarlet Hyacinth
“Shiloh, what happened?” Nicolas sounded surprised and worried.
“Anything wrong with you and Liam?”
“No, of course not,” Shiloh answered. “Why would you say something like that?”
“You just sound a bit tense, that’s all,” Nicolas replied. “Do you want me to come over?”
Fuck, no. That was the last thing Shiloh wanted. Friend or not, Nicolas needed to stay away from Shiloh’s egg. “No,” he said with far too much vehemence. “No, don’t.”
“Sheesh, way to make a guy feel wanted,” Nicolas answered. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Shiloh hesitated. He couldn’t hide the existence of the egg, especially since he’d have to take time off to hatch it.
“We have to tell them,” Liam said through their bond. “They’re the only ones who can understand us.”
Shiloh agreed. “Thing is, something did happen,” he told Nicolas.
“I won’t be able to come to work for…the foreseeable future.”
Silence. “Okay, now you really got me worried,” Nicolas said.
Shiloh could sense his friend was frowning. “Look, I hate to ask this…Liam didn’t…you know?”
Shiloh wanted to be outraged, but he knew his odd behavior was making Nicolas concerned. “God, no. We…We sort of added a new member to our family.”
“What? Shiloh, what?”
“The other day, when we came back from a walk, we found a swan egg in front of our door,” Shiloh explained. “I’m going to have to stay home for a couple of weeks to hatch it.”
“Shiloh, I won’t tell you not to take time off, but honey, you have to realize what a chance you’re taking with this. What if that egg was stolen or something? You can really get into trouble.”
Shiloh bit his lip nervously. It was pretty much what Liam had told him the night before, but he didn’t want to hear it. He already felt a connection with the poor, helpless egg. He wanted it to be his.
The Wolf Who Hatched an Egg
87
“Shiloh, baby…I want that, too, but we also have to be realistic,”
Liam said in his mind.
Shiloh took a deep breath and ignored Liam’s comment. He turned his attention toward Nicolas once again. “Look, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay.” Nicolas sounded doubtful. “Just call me if you need anything.”
Shiloh promised that he would, even if he had no intention to. Not that he didn’t trust Nicolas. Hell, the man had been a faithful friend for many years. But Shiloh couldn’t endanger his egg. The only person he’d allow around it was Liam, his mate and partner.
“We’ll just deal with this one day at a time,” he sent to Liam as he ended the call with Nicolas. “I’m sure it will be all right.”
* * * *
The weekend passed with Liam and Shiloh going through the same routine. Then, Monday morning came, and they were forced to make the inevitable choice. Liam still needed to go to work, while Shiloh would stay home and care for the egg.
The day felt hellish. It was only Liam and Shiloh’s connection that kept him sane, when all he wanted was to run home and guard his mate and the baby. Hell, the egg hadn’t even hatched and he’d already become so attached. Fuck.
His coworkers steered clear of him, apparently noticing his ill temper, so Liam was not forced to make idle conversation. Half the time, he zoned out and focused on his bond with Shiloh, calming his mate and keeping Shiloh’s company in his mind, even if he couldn’t with a physical presence.
At last, halfway through the day, Liam cracked and went to see his boss. Thankfully, the lady liked him and agreed to give him a few days off. Perhaps it wouldn’t be enough to guard Shiloh all the way to the
“Sorry, Nico,” he said. “We won’t be able to make it. Something came up.”
86
Scarlet Hyacinth
“Shiloh, what happened?” Nicolas sounded surprised and worried.
“Anything wrong with you and Liam?”
“No, of course not,” Shiloh answered. “Why would you say something like that?”
“You just sound a bit tense, that’s all,” Nicolas replied. “Do you want me to come over?”
Fuck, no. That was the last thing Shiloh wanted. Friend or not, Nicolas needed to stay away from Shiloh’s egg. “No,” he said with far too much vehemence. “No, don’t.”
“Sheesh, way to make a guy feel wanted,” Nicolas answered. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Shiloh hesitated. He couldn’t hide the existence of the egg, especially since he’d have to take time off to hatch it.
“We have to tell them,” Liam said through their bond. “They’re the only ones who can understand us.”
Shiloh agreed. “Thing is, something did happen,” he told Nicolas.
“I won’t be able to come to work for…the foreseeable future.”
Silence. “Okay, now you really got me worried,” Nicolas said.
Shiloh could sense his friend was frowning. “Look, I hate to ask this…Liam didn’t…you know?”
Shiloh wanted to be outraged, but he knew his odd behavior was making Nicolas concerned. “God, no. We…We sort of added a new member to our family.”
“What? Shiloh, what?”
“The other day, when we came back from a walk, we found a swan egg in front of our door,” Shiloh explained. “I’m going to have to stay home for a couple of weeks to hatch it.”
“Shiloh, I won’t tell you not to take time off, but honey, you have to realize what a chance you’re taking with this. What if that egg was stolen or something? You can really get into trouble.”
Shiloh bit his lip nervously. It was pretty much what Liam had told him the night before, but he didn’t want to hear it. He already felt a connection with the poor, helpless egg. He wanted it to be his.
The Wolf Who Hatched an Egg
87
“Shiloh, baby…I want that, too, but we also have to be realistic,”
Liam said in his mind.
Shiloh took a deep breath and ignored Liam’s comment. He turned his attention toward Nicolas once again. “Look, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay.” Nicolas sounded doubtful. “Just call me if you need anything.”
Shiloh promised that he would, even if he had no intention to. Not that he didn’t trust Nicolas. Hell, the man had been a faithful friend for many years. But Shiloh couldn’t endanger his egg. The only person he’d allow around it was Liam, his mate and partner.
“We’ll just deal with this one day at a time,” he sent to Liam as he ended the call with Nicolas. “I’m sure it will be all right.”
* * * *
The weekend passed with Liam and Shiloh going through the same routine. Then, Monday morning came, and they were forced to make the inevitable choice. Liam still needed to go to work, while Shiloh would stay home and care for the egg.
The day felt hellish. It was only Liam and Shiloh’s connection that kept him sane, when all he wanted was to run home and guard his mate and the baby. Hell, the egg hadn’t even hatched and he’d already become so attached. Fuck.
His coworkers steered clear of him, apparently noticing his ill temper, so Liam was not forced to make idle conversation. Half the time, he zoned out and focused on his bond with Shiloh, calming his mate and keeping Shiloh’s company in his mind, even if he couldn’t with a physical presence.
At last, halfway through the day, Liam cracked and went to see his boss. Thankfully, the lady liked him and agreed to give him a few days off. Perhaps it wouldn’t be enough to guard Shiloh all the way to the
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