“Yeah, I mean yes, thank you so much, Adrianna,” Lexy said politely, trying not to squeal from the excitement.
“Don’t thank me, girl. You are doing me a favor by taking them. Some are really new, but I’m waiting for the guys to spend some money,” Adrianna explained.
Lexy followed Adrianna as she pushed the swinging door open into a kitchen of her dreams. It was huge and had one of those fridges that looked like it came from a restaurant. Stainless steel appliances, dark cherry cabinets, and the biggest kitchen table she had ever seen.
“Wow,” Lexy muttered as Cade turned around and smiled at her.
“Hey, Lexy. How are you?” Cade came around the countertop and hugged Lexy. She noticed a good-looking man looking at her when she hugged Cade back.
“Sorry about my manners, Lexy. You see this wolf here, well, he is my Second, and a pain in my ass.” Cade gestured to Declan, who came around the counter with his hand out.
“Hey, Lexy, I’m Declan Maxwell and unfortunately this ass is my Alpha and my cousin. So I will go ahead and apologize now that you have to work around him, too. All I can say is that I feel your pain.” Cade pushed Declan in the shoulder playing around with him.
“I’m starving. Your babies are starving. When are we going to eat?” Adrianna asked as she held her hands protectively over her stomach.
Lexy smiled as she hoped one day that she too would find a mate and have some babies.
Cade grabbed Adrianna around the waist placing his hands over her hands then started kissing on her neck. “Well, we can’t have my babies starving now, can we,” Cade commented.
“Hey, you two can do that later, let’s eat,” Declan responded then picked up a big platter, toting it to the big table. Lexy picked up another platter of bacon and carried it to the table. The table was packed full of food. Eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and fruit were stacked in the middle of the table.
Jacob and Samson walked into the kitchen pushing each other, laughing. Damen, Antoine, and Sleepy walked in the back door.
“Perfect timing as always,” Declan yelled out.
“Shut up, like you’re any different,” Damen muttered as he looked down at Lexy.
“Hey, Lexy. Ready for your first day with all these scandalous people.” Lexy giggled as Damen teased her.
“Hey, Damen. Everyone has been great,” Lexy replied.
“Well, if they’re not, you just let me know. I will take care of everything.” Everybody in the room laughed at Damen’s comment.
“Okay, everyone sit down and let’s eat,” Adrianna said.
Lexy ate in silence listening to everyone talk. She loved the bantering among each other. But she noticed that Declan kept staring at her and winking. Lexy couldn’t help but blush every time she caught him staring. Damen also noticed it and frowned at Declan when he caught his eye.
“Hey, Damen, are you still going to see dad today for that paperwork?” Adrianna asked.
“Sure, you need me to pick up something for you?” Damen responded.
“Yeah, Selena has some stuff for me. If you don’t mind, can you take Lexy with you and introduce her to dad and Selena. Plus she needs to know where it is in case she needs to go there and meet with Felix,” Adrianna asked.
“Okay, Lexy, today it’s you and me then,” Damen replied as he took Lexy by the hand.
“And remember, it is your turn to fix lunch today so be back in time for that.” Adrianna laughed softly knowing that Damen would need all the help he could get in the kitchen.
“Yes, mistress of the world.” Damen smiled at Adrianna.
“And don’t you forget it,” Adrianna bellowed. Lexy loved how they horsed around with each other, but they all loved each other, too. That was obvious.
After breakfast was over, Damen grabbed some papers. “Hey, Lex, you ready?”
“I’m ready, Damen.” Lexy grabbed her coat and was about to put it on when Declan came up behind her, helping her. Declan pulled her hair out of her coat, letting it flow down her back. She smiled then blushed as Declan winked at her again.
"I'll see you both there. I need to deliver a couple of items there," said Declan.
Damen grabbed Lexy’s hand and dragged her out the door. Damen frowned at Declan as he came outside onto the porch and watched them leave.
***
Jacob sat at his desk typing in information when he heard Adrianna shouting his name. “Jacob, oh hot stuff.” Jacob smiled at Adrianna. "I can already see you are going to torture me with this." He loved her; she was the best boss ever. Jacob looked up as Adrianna walked into the office carrying a cake holder.
“What’s that?” Jacob pointed at the holder in her hand.
“Well this is a cake holder,” Adrianna teased as Jacob laughed.
“Yes I can see that. Why are you holding it? Have you been reduced to carrying snacks around with you already?”
Adrianna frowned at Jacob then placed her hand on her hip, glaring at Jacob. “No, smartass. I need you to take this by Reece Phillips and his sister, Star’s house. They just moved here, remember, so I wanted you to take a cake over to them from us. Explain that we will be over soon. I’ve got a money order also. It is for the grocery store so they don’t have to spend any money on packing their pantry,” Adrianna explained. She knew it would cost a lot of money for her new pack members to get started and she wanted to help them out.
“You are such a good person, Adrianna,” Jacob added.
“Just helping our pack, Jacob, just like you did with Lexy,” Adrianna responded.
Jacob smiled at the thought of his new friend. “Okay, I’ll take it now if that’s okay.”
“Sure is, hot stuff.” Adrianna sat the items down and walked off giggling.
Jacob stood, shaking his head, knowing that she would tease him forever. He looked at the gift certificate and it was for five hundred dollars. Jacob smiled knowing that Adrianna was the sweetest person and the most giving to her family. Jacob hoped these new pack members would be just as good. He didn’t do the background on them, but he had heard that Reece Phillips was a badass and he had a little sister who just turned seventeen years old. As he drove down the road, he thought about all the things he needed to do today when he realized that he was at the Phillipses’ house. Wow, the house needs some TLC, Jacob thought.
Jacob grabbed the items from his car then walked up to the front door. The screen door was open as he looked inside, smelling the fresh paint.
“Hello, can I help you?” a huge Alpha wolf asked him as he walked around the house. Jacob stood straight when he saw the man. “Hey, I’m Jacob Cord.”
Reece immediately recognized the man from the cottage as the wolf that was with his mate. Reece jumped onto the porch and walked up to the young wolf. “Hello, Jacob. I’m Reece Phillips.” Reece stuck his hand out and shook Jacob’s hand. He knew they were only friends from what Damen said last night about Jacob helping Lexy move in. Plus he knew something was up with Mace also watching her. “I came baring gifts from the Trinity. She couldn’t be here today so she asked if I could bring them over until she could stop by.” Reece frowned as he looked at the cake holder. “Is something wrong?” Jacob asked as he watched Reece frown.
“No, it’s just a lot to take in with all the gifts and help from everyone.”
Jacob smiled at Reece. “Yeah, it is I guess if you come from a different pack. This pack is great and even greater to its members. We are not just pack, we are family.” Then Jacob held up the cake holder and card.
Reece smiled as he opened the door. “Come on in, Jacob, and meet my sister, Star.” Jacob nodded then followed Reece into the door.
Star came around the corner wiping the paint off her hands. “Reece, who was at the door?” Star stopped dead in her tracks as she looked at the handsome man. He was simply gorgeous and built like a small mountain. He had muscles everywhere. Star stood and looked the man up and down. She couldn’t help notice that he was staring at her. Do I have paint on my f
ace? I know my hair looks bad. What is it about him? And what is that smell? He smells like the crisp mountain air.
Reece stopped and looked over at his sister who stood motionless. Reece frowned and stepped to his sister, putting his arm around her. “Star, this is Jacob Cord and he brought us some stuff from the Trinity.”
The mentioning of the Trinity brought Star out of her lustful haze. She cleared her throat as she tried to speak. “The Trinity?”
Jacob’s heart was beating so fast he thought it was going to burst out of his chest. She is beautiful and mine, Jacob thought.
Jacob knew immediately that she was his mate. He just knew it, but she was too young and innocent. Her brother would kill him. He needed to leave now before he did something stupid like kiss her and get the shit beat out of him by her big Alpha badass brother. “Umm… here.” Jacob handed the cake and card over to Star, trying not to touch her, which would allow the mating pull to start. “It was nice meeting you both and the Trinity will be by here soon.” Jacob didn’t wait for them to answer and ran out the door.
Reece and Star watched as Jacob ran out the door. “Wow, wonder what that was about?” Reece muttered under his breath as he walked to the door and watched as Jacob peeled out of the driveway.
Star stood beside the door watching the good-looking wolf run away from her. "Until next time, sweet wolf," Star whispered.
***
Damen looked over at Lexy as he drove down the road. “Hey, Lexy, look I know you don’t know Declan and he is my best friend, but he is also a flirt and never, and I mean never, stays with a woman.”
“I didn’t... I never even said anything to him, Damen.” Damen watched as Lexy became red and started to tear up.
“No, Lexy, I didn’t mean you did anything wrong. What I meant was Declan is a flirt and I didn’t want him to lead you on then drop you when he got what he wanted. Maybe I’m saying this wrong. Just forget what I said. I just know that Mace really likes you and—”
“What?” Lexy jerked her head around so she could look at him. Damen looked over at Lexy. She was mad now.
“What?” Damen looked confused.
“What do you mean Mace likes me?”
Damen smiled. That just touched a nerve. Adrianna was right, they do like each other, but they are fighting it.
“Look. Mace will probably kill me for telling you this, but he really likes you, Lexy. He just doesn’t know how to act around you. You’re different to him and he gets really clumsy around you.”
Lexy frowned as she listened to Damen talk about Mace. “I don’t think you know what you are talking about, Damen, but Mace doesn’t like me like that and I doubt he would act on it anyway. He is an Alpha for the Ashland Pack. Haven’t you looked at the chart? I’m last on the chart, Damen. There are plenty of women he would want before me. No, you have that wrong, but thanks for trying to make me feel good.” Lexy looked out her window, trying not to think too much about what Damen was saying.
“Okay, Lexy, keep thinking that if you want, but he does like you. I can prove it to you.”
That got Lexy’s attention. She looked back at Damen, waiting for him to explain.
“Okay, I will bite, Damen. How can you prove it?”
Damen smiled, knowing he had her interested. “Well, we will invite Mace to lunch. I will talk with Declan and have him ask you out for Friday to the Pub. Watch how Mace acts when he hears him ask you out. It will be obvious that he is jealous.”
Lexy narrowed her eyes at Damen. “Look, Damen, I don’t know if you’re playing games with me or not, but I don’t appreciate it. Mace is my Alpha and Declan is just flirting and I know that now, but Mace doesn’t have feelings for me nor will he get jealous. I really just want to be a normal girl here and make friends. I’m not ready to go out on dates with anyone. Not like anyone would ask, but I don’t want to piss anyone off, especially not my Alpha, who can throw my parents and myself out of the pack. Peter deserves this and he and my mom need a normal life, so please don’t do this, Damen. Please,” Lexy pleaded.
Damen couldn’t believe what he was hearing. From the look on her face, she really believed Mace would kick her and her family out of the pack. Damen reached out and grabbed Lexy’s hand, holding it as she shook from fear.
“Hey, hey, now calm down, Lexy, no one is going to throw you or your parents out of the pack. I’m not trying to get you upset, but I do want you to understand that Mace does like you, honey. Really, he does. I wish you would believe it, but I can tell by the way that you’re looking at me that actions speak louder than words. So hang in there.”
Lexy nodded at Damen then looked back out the window trying to understand what was going on.
Damen pulled up at the Supreme Alpha’s house. Well it wasn’t a house but a hotel converted into his residence and office for the packs. It was refurnished for him and his mate, Selena.
Before Damen got out of the vehicle, he turned to Lexy. “Hey, don’t be nervous, Lexy, you will be great here, and you do have friends already. Jacob and now me, so remember that and when I do something stupid, be a friend and slap me upside the head.” Before Damen knew it, Lexy slapped him on the back of the head. Her eyes got wide and she placed her hands up to her mouth and giggled. She was surprised she actually hit Damen in the back of the head.
Damen’s eyes got wide then smiled. “Now that deserves a tickling.” Damen grabbed Lexy and tickled her under her arm, making her laugh as she tried to push away from Damen. Lexy’s laughs got louder and louder. Declan jerked the door open, scaring Damen, which made Lexy laugh even harder.
“What the hell are you doing?” Declan asked.
Damen couldn’t say anything because he was laughing so hard. “We…well I was tickling her because she popped me in the back of the head.” Damen looked back over at Lexy and they both started laughing again.
“You two are crazy. People are staring now. They thought you were hurting her, Damen.” That comment stopped Damen as he stopped laughing and looked up at Declan. “You know I wouldn’t hurt a woman. I can’t believe...” Damen looked back up at Declan, who was now smiling and laughing.
“You are so easy to rile. Come on, get out of the car before rumors spread that you are trying to hit on my girlfriend.”
Lexy jerked her head around as she got out of the car. “I’m not your girlfriend, Declan.” Lexy was walking around the car to stand beside Damen.
“Not now but you will be.” Declan smiled and winked at Lexy. Before he knew it, Lexy hit him on the back of the head. Declan stood there staring at Lexy with his eyes wide and mouth open.
Damen started laughing at Declan’s reaction. “See why I started tickling her, man. She likes to hit.”
Lexy smiled and then reached up and hit Damen on the back of the head again. “Do not.” Declan and Damen started laughing. She couldn’t help it, these two just made her laugh. Damen draped his arm over her shoulder. “Come on, Tyson," making reference to the famous retired American professional boxer, "before you smack Declan again. We have business inside.” Lexy walked up the stairs to the hotel. Declan opened the door for them as they walked inside. Lexy looked around the hotel, but her eyes were drawn to the fireplace.
“Wow! That has to be the biggest fireplace I have ever seen,” Lexy sputtered.
Damen laughed softly. “If you like that one then you need to see the one outside.”
Lexy turned around and stared at a gorgeous older man. She had seen pictures of him before, but they didn’t do the man justice. He walked up to Lexy and stuck out his hand.
“You must be Lexy?”
Lexy shook Afton McKenzie’s hand and then blushed. “Yes, sir. I’m Lexy Redden.”
“My daughter called me earlier and said she was sending you here with some paperwork for me. I was able to meet your parents yesterday, and they are lovely people. I hope everyone has been good to you, Lexy. Except you don’t need to hang out with lowlife’s like these two.” Afton smiled and winked as he turne
d to look at Damen and Declan.
“I really have to agree with you, Alpha.” Lexy knew the Supreme Alpha was just joking as she played along with him.
“Now, Alpha, that’s not a fair assessment. We have been really good to our newest member. She just needs to be tickled every now and then to straighten her out,” Damen responded.
“Well then, they must really like you, Lexy, because it takes people months and sometimes years for these two wolves to warm up to people. They usually grunt at people.” Damen and Declan smiled, shaking their heads at the Supreme Alpha.
“Well come on you two, let’s go to the office and get this paperwork done,” Afton said. “Declan, thank-you for bringing this to me.”
***
Mace pulled up at Adrianna’s house looking for Damen when he spotted Lexy’s car sitting beside the garage along with Jacob’s truck. Get a grip, Mace. Just go and do your business and leave the girl alone. Mace parked in front of the house so he could leave quickly after he spoke with Damen.
Cade walked outside as Mace got out of his truck.
“What’s up, buddy?” Cade smiled.
Mace smiled at Cade as he walked up to the porch shaking his best friend’s hand. “Just looking for Damen. He left his phone at my house last night and I know he wants it so I’m here to bring it to him.”
“Well you just missed him. He took Lexy into town to meet Afton and drop off some paperwork.” Cade didn’t miss the look of longing on Mace’s face before he got control of his feelings and the veil of the fake smile appeared on his face. “They will be back in a few minutes. They are fixing lunch today so you know he will be back. Come on in and wait for them. You can eat lunch, can’t you?”
He should say no and just leave the phone, but he wanted to see Lexy, and he couldn’t stop himself from saying yes.
“Sure I can eat a free lunch. What is he cooking today?” Mace asked.
“Lasagna.” Mace groaned at Cade’s answer because Damen can’t cook Lasagna or really anything eatable.
“Yeah I know, that’s why we put Lexy on his team because Samson said Lexy was a good cook.” Mace was about to say something when Adrianna came out of the door.
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