by Lori King
“Miss Shea told us that we could bring a snack next week for the state assessment testing. Do you think we could get some of those chocolate cupcakes with the little white squiggle thing on top? I really like those because there’s frosting in the middle—”
“Sonny, did you put your homework in your bag yet?” Tavi asked without turning around as she transferred the eggs she was scrambling into a small skillet.
“Yep. I put it in there last night. So can I take the nail polish, Mom? Please?”
Two thin arms wrapped around Tavi’s midsection, and she smiled as her daughter pleaded prettily. “I’m not sure, Miss. Shea would be very happy with you if you did, sweetie. Why don’t you wait until you go to Jackie’s house Saturday night?”
Sonny let out a huff, and pouted. Tavi couldn’t help but snicker at the woeful expression in her daughter’s pale gray-blue eyes. “But then she won’t have time to ask her mom to get her some for her birthday.”
“She doesn’t have to see it to ask for it for her birthday.” Tavi transferred the eggs onto two plates, and then added a banana to each before taking a seat with her daughter at their tiny table. “Which day do you have your assessments next week?”
“Tuesday I think,” Sonny said, making a face before she shoved eggs into her mouth.
“Okay, I’ll switch shifts for Monday so that I’m sure to be home. You’ll have to be in bed at bedtime so that you get plenty of rest before the test.”
“It’s not that big of a deal, mom. It doesn’t count against my grade or anything,” Sonny mumbled, frowning.
“Don’t speak with your mouth full, sweetie, and yes it is a big deal. Don’t you want to prove to the state how super smart you are? You might score so high that their machine can’t even track it, and they have to call in the FBI to see what you did to it. Then they’ll have to call in the CIA because the President is certainly going to want a girl with your brains on his staff—”
“Whatever, Mom,” Sonny interrupted, rolling her eyes and giggling.
“You should always take things like that seriously. You never know.”
Sonny finished her breakfast and brushed her teeth before kissing Tavi goodbye. “Will you be home tonight?”
Tavi hated disappointing her daughter, but she had no choice. She needed to work. “Unfortunately not. I’m on the late shift again today, so I won’t be home until you’re asleep. Mrs. Codger will be here when you get home. Don’t give her any trouble, m’kay?”
“Better make sure you have the bail money ready,” Sonny teased.
Laughing at their regular joke, she stroked her daughter’s ponytail and kissed her forehead. “Got it. Just do me a favor and avoid any felony charges, deal?”
“Deal.” Sonny agreed to the joke. “Love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, Sonora Reid. Now, you better go or you’ll miss the bus.” Tavi stood in the doorway watching as her heart raced down the driveway and around the corner to her school bus stop. The moment her daughter was out of her sight it was like the clouds moved in and blanketed her world. She felt empty and cold without Sonny around, and right now ridiculously tired.
Taking the time to rinse both plates and put the dishes in the dishwasher, she changed the laundry and locked the house back up before crawling back under the blankets for another hour of sleep. Just as she was drifting off, her cell phone rang.
Fumbling for it on the bedside table, she groaned at the familiar number and kissed her extra sleep goodbye as she answered her boss’s call.
Chapter 3
Luke tried everything he could think of to get out of the party planning, but Liam wasn’t having it. So less than eighteen hours later, he was walking into a small diner a couple blocks away from the firehouse called Between the Buns. He couldn’t resist a snicker at the sexual innuendo racing through his brain as he read the sign. Seriously? Who would want their diner named after a sex act anyway?
Already seated at a massive conglomeration of tables were most of the Beta wolves in the Gray Pack. The list was long, and it had grown longer with all the new additions to the pack. He had to force himself to be pleasant when he greeted Thomas Jameson, the newest human turned werewolf as he took a seat across from him and his mate KJ. The third member of their triad, Bryson, was murmuring softly with Cash and Owen.
“I feel like the answers are in Alaska. If I don’t go I’ll never know what my grandfather was actually protecting,” KJ was saying.
“I wish I could help you, guys, but right now I’m swamped. It’s going to take everything I’ve got to push through the adoption for Rafe, Ry, and Shandi. Axle and Jordan were neither one in the system because their parents were off the grid, so the government wants to put their nose into where the biological parents are. Considering all that happened, it’s a hard pill for them to swallow that these kids appeared out of thin air on the Whetstone doorstep,” Owen said, shaking his head.
“I hate that those two boys have had to go through all of this trauma.” Thomas murmured, “And yet I’m astonished by how resilient they’ve been. Rafe said that Axle seems to be adjusting more easily than Jordy.”
Bryson laughed. “Um I would say so. Apparently Jordy still refuses to sleep in his own bed. He crawls in with Axle every night.”
“Isn’t that kinda normal for little kids?” Cash asked with a frown.
Bryson shrugged. “Hell I don’t know. I haven’t spent much time around them. As for going to Alaska I have some reservations about it. I’m not sure how my former pack will react to me being back in the area.”
“You’ve already been accepted into the Gray pack, what can they do about it?” Owen asked.
“Exactly what I keep telling him,” KJ said, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. “If there’s a fortune in gold hidden away that’s legally mine, then I should at least lay claim to it. If for no other reason than to put the rumors to rest.”
“So go. What’s stopping you?” Cash asked.
“Me.” Thomas looked broken, and Luke found himself leaning closer to hear the rest of his answer. He knew it was rude to listen in, but he couldn’t help it. With his werewolf hearing he would have heard every word without trying anyway. “I made a commitment to Devin and Damon that I would help build up the clinic for the den. If I leave they’re once again without a doctor.”
“Dev would understand…” Owen started to say, but then he stopped. The reality was that the pack truly did need the medical clinic, and it would be very difficult to get it running without a full-time doctor on staff. Being werewolves meant they healed quickly, but many times injuries occurred that required some sort of intervention before the healing process could begin. Last summer Cash had actually taken a bullet that prevented him from shifting into his wolf form. It was Thomas who pulled the slug from the other man and saved his life. If not for the human doctor Cash wouldn’t have survived.
Guilt coated Luke’s tongue as he swallowed back his own response to the threesome’s situation. From day one he’d made his opinions known about Thomas, KJ and Bryson mating, never once taking into account that Thomas had saved his cousin’s life. It wasn’t exactly the fair way to look at things, but he couldn’t forget that Thomas Jameson was a human by nature. He was only a werewolf because KJ mated him.
Shaking his head, he realized that the others had finished their conversation and continued to chatter without ever once realizing he was listening in. Oh well. He’d almost rather be invisible at this particular meeting anyway.
Before he could crack open the plastic menu in front of him his nose filled with the rich scent of coffee blended with soft jasmine. His eyes lifted and clashed with a pair of soft gray-blue ones. They were beautifully set into the face of a delicate pale-skinned woman with shocking red hair. To his amusement pink colored her cheeks before she jerked her attention back to Ryley who was currently trying to order a half a slab of beef as rare as he could get it.
“I’m sorry, but the health regulations require that
we cook meat before we serve it. I can put your order in as rare, but that’s the best I can do for you, hon.” The soft lilt of her voice carried an accent, but he couldn’t place it right away, and it was so mild he was certain that she’d lived in the Midwest for a long time no matter where she came from.
As the woman moved on to take other orders Luke continued to survey her directly. Even when she frowned back at him, clearly uncomfortable by the attention, he couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away. His wolf was reacting strongly to the slim beauty, but he was fighting it. Humans were fun for a night, but not for a commitment, and based on the intense ripple of desire coursing through him, his wolf had long-term plans for the redhead.
When she reached his side, he was once again overwhelmed by her fragrance, and he heard himself let out a low growl. She flinched and took a step backward as he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, ma’am. What was that?”
“Are you ready to order?” she tipped her head just slightly watching him with curiosity and reservation. Clearly she was an intelligent woman who didn’t jump at every man who showed her attention. For some reason he liked that about her already.
Realizing that she was still waiting for him to give her his order, he forced the words from his tight throat. “A burger and fries is fine by me. And iced tea with lemon.”
A small smile curled up her pretty pink lips and she reached across him to take his menu, brushing his arm with her apron. Before he could second guess himself, his hand wrapped around her delicate wrist, and she let out a quiet gasp.
“Are you wearing perfume?” he asked in a husky voice that sounded unfamiliar to his ears.
She stared back at him with wide eyes that showed just a hint of fear. “N—no. Are you okay? Your eyes are…”
Instantly he slammed his eyelids shut and released her wrist like she was poison to the touch. “I’m fine. There’s just something in the air making my eyes sting. Someone’s perfume or something.”
Nodding silently, she turned and walked away without a backward glance leaving him shaken and off balance. How was it possible that she created this sickening spinning feeling in his head just by pursing her lips, and frowning? And since when did he react to a human so strongly?
Slowly, he became aware that the table had gone silent around him, and more than a dozen pairs of eyes were centered on him.
“What?” he snapped.
Noah frowned darkly and shook his head. “You look sick, man. I don’t know what’s wrong, but maybe eating a greasy burger and fries isn’t the best idea today.”
“Thanks, Mom, but I’m fine. I didn’t sleep very well last night and I’m tired, that’s all. Can we get on with this so that I can go home, please?” Luke felt slightly guilty for being such an ass, but he was caught up in something much stronger than anything he’d ever experienced, and until it let him out of its clutches he wasn’t sure what he might do or say.
“All right, as Luke so poetically put it, we need to get this ball rolling,” Tina said, giving Luke the evil eye. “The idea is to throw a surprise baby shower aka welcome party for the Alpha family. I want it to be co-ed so that everyone is included, which is why you’re all here. I’ve got the guest list set up, and I’m working on coordinating the food with Victoria—”
“Are we going to have it at the Alpha cabin or the clearing?” KJ asked.
“The clearing will be easier to keep a secret, but much colder if we’re doing it any time before the spring thaw,” Rafe responded
Tina frowned and looked to KJ. “I hadn’t thought of that. We really don’t have a place big enough for the whole pack to be indoors at once.”
Justin coughed. “We could delay a little on that last cabin. If we have it framed up but not completely done it will be empty and plenty big enough.”
“Won’t Devin catch on if you’re not working on it?” Rafe asked.
“We’ll just have to rely on you guys to help us distract him,” Heath answered for his brother. “Leave the location to us, Tina. We’ll have the cabin ready enough to hold the party.”
“That’s perfect!” Tina exclaimed, her short dark hair fluttering as she nodded. “We might even be able to get in to decorate it early.”
“How are you planning on sneaking this past the Alphas?”
“That’s where y’all come in. I need you guys to figure out how to get Devin and Damon away from the den while we set up. I’m going to convince Caroline to go into town to buy her some new clothes that will fit her post-pregnancy body, Jim and Sienna have already volunteered to watch the babies,” Tina explained. “While we’re away, everyone else will set up the party, and we’ll try to time it so that all three of them arrive back at the den at the same time for the surprise.”
“Are we supposed to bring presents?” Noah asked. Luke crinkled his nose up at his brother’s thoughtfulness. Noah was too generous by miles. He’d always been the person to give up his chair for someone else, or hell, the man would probably give up the clothes on his back if asked by the right person. It was slightly disgusting how nice he was, and Luke wanted to be as far from his pushover brother’s personality as possible.
“Gifts would be great, but truly they have most of what they need for the twins. I would say diapers and wipes are going to be the best gift right now,” Tina answered.
Cash laughed, and shook his head. “Nope, they’re going to need beer and Xanax. Have you heard Caleb scream? Holy hell that baby has a set of powerful lungs on him. And we all know that any child that shares blood with Devin and Damon is going to be hell on all fours once they learn to crawl.”
“I’m thinking they might need a matching set of leashes…” Justin joked, nudging his brother Tate.
“Or straightjackets,” Tate said with a nod of agreement.
Everyone laughed before Tina shushed them. “In all seriousness, they don’t need gifts as much as the acceptance of the pack. Liam tells me that the fact that the twins were born male and female is extremely rare, and I get the vibe from Caroline that she and the guys are nervous about the pack’s reaction to it.”
“If anyone has a problem with it they can take it up with me.” Ryley snarled menacingly, and each man around the table added his own growl of agreement. “Those babies are the future of the Gray Pack, along with my own sons. Someday I hope to see Axel and Jordan at the Beta table next to Caleb supporting his claim on the pack.”
“Who says Caleb will be the one at the head of the pack? Maybe Noelle will be the first Alpha-Bitch to lead,” KJ said sharply, earning frowns of disapproval from several of the men seated at the table. “Seriously, guys? What is this, the 1950s? Women are just as capable as men, and you damn well know it. There’s not a woman in this pack who wouldn’t give her life for her family and her Alpha. That makes us equal members with equal rights.”
“Feel free to take on a few of the patrol shifts,” Tate said with a snort. He grunted when his brothers simultaneously jabbed him in the ribs with their elbows to shut him up.
“Enough. We can debate the male versus female equality issues another day. Today I need to figure out who’s getting what, and who’s doing what for this party,” Tina said, silencing them all with her authoritative tone.
Liam leaned over and murmured to Luke and Noah, “Damn I love it when she gets all bossy like that.”
Frowning, Luke shook his head in confusion. “Doesn’t that bug you? I mean, knowing that she has you by the nutsack?”
“Hell no. That’s not how it works, Little Gray. We’re a partnership not a dictatorship. Sometimes she’s in the lead, and I’m cool with that, because when a situation comes up that I need to handle, she willingly steps back and lets me take control. Besides, that girl looks fucking hot in leather riding my—”
“Are you listening, Hotshot?” Tina interrupted them, and Luke bit back a laugh at Liam’s guilty grin.
“Of course I am, Sweet Tina, and I’ll do whatever you need me to do. Just give me a list.”
He s
miled at his wife sweetly, and she seemed to melt under his heated gaze. For a moment Luke felt a spark of envy. His older cousin certainly had a deep relationship with his mate, possibly one of the deepest and the truest Luke had ever seen in person. In fact, recently he seemed to be surrounded by mate sets who’d found true love. It was slightly sickening.
Before they could proceed, the pretty redhead returned to the table with her arms weighted down by a heavy tray of drinks. She passed them out smiling and joking lightly with all of the men at the table until she got to Luke. A slight hesitation and the disappearance of her smile was the only giveaway that she was affected by him, too, but he took it as a good sign. Perhaps he needed to give this attraction a chance to see if the sparks between them burned as hot between the sheets.
Tavi was a mess. It wasn’t like she hadn’t had men flirt with her before. Hell, that was a daily occurrence, but something about the younger man with deep-set hazel eyes and dark bushy eyebrows caught her off guard and set her senses reeling. Black hair was brushed back from his forehead, longer on top and cropped shorter on the sides of his oval-shaped face. His skin was the color of cinnamon, too brown to be Caucasian, and too red to be Hispanic. His long narrow nose had a slight hook on the end that only added to the Native American look of his visage. A warrior hid behind the glint of desire in his eyes. He was a hardened, chip-on-his-shoulder young man, with some burden to bear that she wanted no part of.
Determined to ignore him until he was out the door, she set about handling the table as she would any other large party, grateful that Fawn had once again called in sick for the day. It meant she was back on the wait staff and hopefully going to reap the benefits of this large group of men. She did find it odd that there were only two women with the group, but it wasn’t her job to ask questions, so she politely kept her mouth shut and moved along.
