“You want sweet or salty?” a sloppily dressed Ravager asked from behind the counter. “I’m Rule. Jacinta’s my helper.” The tall woman next to him had brown skin, braids, and smiling eyes. Beautiful but definitely not Ravager. Something Nev would never have allowed in his clan.
Kellen watched the male Ravagers behind the counter grab their food and go. The guards with him took heaping bowls of pasta salad and a platter of meat from one of several large refrigerators and sat at a table in the kitchen.
Kellen’s stomach rumbled again. “Can I have both?” He sat with his guards, nothing on his mind but food. And Logan Savage, for some odd reason.
“Done.” Rule whipped up several plates and set them before Kellen, making him feel like a freaking king. “You know about not messing with the females—that’s rule number one. And yes, ha ha, how funny is it that my name is Rule?” That said for the guards at the table grinning at the grumbling Ravager. He continued, “Rule number two: this ismykitchen. HereIam in charge. Eat whatever you want, but do not fuck with my cookware.” He glared at the others near Kellen.
Their grins dropped and they nodded at the temperamental chef, despite appearing as if they could easily overtake him. Rule nodded and said over his shoulder before leaving the room, “Make sure you clean up after yourselves.”
One of the guards muttered to another, “He’s pissy, but man, can he cook.” Silence settled as everyone ate.
Kellen dug into his food, replacing calories he’d expended trying to get home. Now anewhome withnewrules.
And a response to Logan Savage that didn’t make sense.
Chapter Eighteen
Logan left the kitchen in search of Dom, his thoughts on the newest member to join the clan.
He didn’t know what to make of the giant. The guy was huge, no doubt. Full of muscle and bravado. He’d certainly stood up to Eric before being taken down a peg. And he’d submitted, so Kellen couldn’t be that stupid. So many of the Lawless Ravagers who’d been given the chance to join the clan or leave had instead tried to fight their way to freedom.
And died.
Logan didn’t understand it. Who would want to leave Cross Step and take chances with a hostile human government? The humans were bad enough in a city that accepted Voiders. He couldn’t imagine dealing with people intolerant of outsiders. At least here he knew where he stood, who to trust and who not to. Ravagers protected Ravagers. Now they were one clan and stronger for it.
He shook his head, passed a few arguing idiots who continued to question Diana’s choice about mates—and wasn’t that a headache forherpack—and used his nose to find Dom downstairs in a conference room.
Sometimes he studied his old packmates and felt a glimmer of regret, that his old family unit was no more. But then he’d think about Kate or Jesse, and his joy would return. He’d wanted to belong to Kate forever, and now, finally, they had each other.
But with the growing need to add to their pack, something he and the others felt daily, he worried. Would their next packmate disrupt their lives or add to it? Diana’s pack had added two more members, and they’d been having problems with their last addition. So much that Diana had been forced to take some extra time with the group away from the clan. Not something the prime would normally countenance, but he’d sensed her pack’s growing unrest and agreed she’d solve the problem better away from the chaos here.
Where every Ravager thought they knew best.
He snorted. As if anyone but the prime or Dom—or Kate—could ever tellhimwhat to do.
“Dom?” He joined the prime’s second at the table and enjoyed several pastries that must have just come out of the oven. Always hungry, always burning fuel, he loved eating. Jesse liked to joke that it had become Logan’s new hobby. But Kate, naked at the time, had disagreed, because yeah, Logan was a horny bastard. He’d much rather fuck Kate or Jesse than eat.Although, these pastries…
Dom sighed. “Did you hear anything I just said?”
Logan blinked. “Um, uh, no.”
Dom sighed again before smacking Logan in the back of the head.
“Ow. Cut that out.”
“Listen, dumbass. I was just telling you that I’m putting you and Jesse on watchguard duty. Keeping Kellen around with so many breeding females can only help. He’s a visible deterrent to outside threats.”
“True. But how do we know we can trust him around the clan?”
“Well, we do have some info on the guy. Eric and I spoke with a few of the old Lawless members. Apparently, Kellen arrived on Earth five and a half years ago, but he spent most of his time away from Cross Step. I don’t remember seeing much of him, do you?”
Logan shook his head.
Dom snorted. “Knowing Nev, he wanted to capitalize on Kellen’s obvious size to threaten enemies. But he didn’t want Kellen to possibly overthrow him for leadership. Remember, Nev was all about power crushing the weak, and Kellen’s damn strong.”
“He looks it, anyway.” Yet something about Kellen seemed off, as if the big Ravager had secrets and insecurities Logan could all but sense.
Dom eyed Logan with curiosity. “Why do you say that?”
