“And what am I supposed to do? I can’t risk him….” Seb looked exhausted, and not just from lack of sleep.
“He’s not going b
ack to England.”
Seb shook his head. “You don’t know him like I do. He’ll do it.”
“He can’t. It’s killing him being away from you now, and you both work in the same building. You think he’s going to move to another continent?”
“He told me—”
“He knows you, Seb. Why do you think he threatened you with that? He knew you’d never leave Ethan or your family behind to follow him to England, but he’s never going to do it, never intended to. He knew you’d never risk it. That you’d want to keep him close. You’d do what he asked without question. You can’t give up.”
“I won’t lose him across a fucking ocean!”
“Seb, he can’t. He physically can’t.”
“What are you talking about?” Seb pulled up outside a brownstone with a beautiful garden in bloom. He stopped the car and turned off the engine before turning to Dex with a frown. “What do you mean he physically can’t?”
“There was something else Hudson was counting on.”
“What?”
Dex thought about it. He didn’t want to betray Hudson’s confidence, but Hudson hadn’t asked him to not tell Seb. It could be he simply expected Dex not to say anything, but Hudson was smart, very smart. He also knew Dex really well. Sure, Dex was a gossip at work at times, but he knew when to keep his mouth shut about something important. Something in his gut told him this was the right thing to do.
“The fact that he’s the one bearing your mark. No one knows what he feels but him. Every mate that’s marked shares certain experiences, but some experiences are unique to that marked mate. Hudson physically can’t be away from you. His feral half will tear itself apart from the inside out from the need to be near you. He can move across town, hell, he can move to Florida or Canada, but across an ocean?” Dex shook his head sadly. “His body would never survive.”
Seb sat there in silence, staring ahead. He sat like that for so long, Dex was forced to interrupt whatever Seb was thinking about.
“Is this it?” Dex motioned to the brownstone behind him.
“Yeah. He’s home.”
“How do you know?”
“Curtains are open. He always has them open when he’s at home, closed when he goes out.” Seb didn’t bother looking at the house. The guy probably knew the place inside and out, along with the wolf Therian who lived there.
“Right. Let’s go, then.” Dex went to get out when Seb put a hand to his shoulder.
“Dex?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks. I’m not exactly sure what to do with everything you just told me, but thank you.”
He smiled, his green eyes reminding Dex of Hobbs’s. There was so much heartache and sadness in those eyes. Like his little brother did, Dex hoped Seb found happiness again. Dex nodded and got out of the truck. Sloane and Seb followed him up the stairs. The house was immaculately kept, the garden full of flowers in bloom. Dex rang the doorbell, and a stunned-looking Hudson quickly answered. The guy was adorable, standing there in a long open blue robe, wearing TARDIS-patterned boxer shorts, a Kiss T-shirt that was too big for him, and fuzzy slippers. His hair was sticking up at all angles.
“I didn’t know you liked Doctor Who,” Dex said with a chuckle.
Hudson looked down at himself before he swiftly tied his robe, his face flushed. “Of course I do. I’m British. It’s a crime not to.”
“Who was your favorite?”
“That’s like asking me who my favorite Bond was.”
“You don’t have one? Everyone has a favorite Bond.”
Hudson shook his head in amusement before he saw Dex’s arm. “Bloody hell, Dex. What on earth happened to you?”