“Uh…” I pretended interest in the blank screen of my tablet. “Yeah. Yeah, of course.”
“I’ll ask him,” Garrak rumbled, pushing away from his place leaning against the wall. “We could do it here, where we heldKap’paral.”
“I’ll host,” I croaked, then forced myself to take a deep breath andfucking focus. “I mean, I have that big back patio, we can do the Solstice Circle and bonfire there.”
“And the Hunt in the woods behind,” Brakor added with a wicked smirk, unusual to see from the normally grumpy male. Who exactly did he have in mind to hunt that night?
Not Brooke. She’s mine.
I blinked. Where had that thought come from? I’d only just met the female—although Riven had spoken of her often over the last few months. Still, I couldn’t deny that I’d thought of little else since I’d met her. Since she’d knocked a tree on top of me and then fell into my arms. Since she’d touched me, and I touched her…
I forced myself to open my to-do list. “I’ll figure out what needs to be done to get permission. The Community Development Coordinator is Mated to an orc, the artist.”
“Karnak,” Garrak supplied, and I noted his name as well. I remembered that he was a bit reclusive, but surely I could contact his Mate and invite them both.
“She’ll approve.” Korrad’s grin was as feral as his brother’s as he pushed himself to his feet. “Once she hears what’s entailed. If she’s not interested, then Karnak isn’t doing his job as her Mate.”
Brakor chuckled darkly, a rare sound from the normally grumpy male, and slapped his brother on the shoulder as he passed. “Let’s go get dinner.”
Young Jay scampered after them. “It’s not even dark yet!”
“Early dinner, then,” his uncle grunted, throwing his arm around the boy’s shoulders. “Pizza? Then you can eat leftovers at ten, like you’ve been doing. Don’t think we haven’t noticed.”
“He’s a growing boy,” Korrad chided as he held out his son’s jacket. “Although if he doesn’t eat some fruits and vegetables with that pizza, he’s going to grow in a different direction than he wants.”
“Dad,” Jay sighed, grabbing the coat. “I’m not a baby.”
“You’remybaby,T’man,” his father announced, ruffling his hair.
Brakor snorted, then pulled the door open. “Let us know about the Solstice, Sylvik. It’s next week.”
I’d followed them to the door. “I know. It won’t be fancy?—”
“Doesn’t need to be,” he grunted as he watched his brother and nephew head to their SUV. “It’ll be good to celebrate again.”
True to form, the curt male didn’t say goodbye, but stalked off after his family, leaving me holding the door and watching them depart.Good to celebrate again. We’d made a home for ourselves in Bramblewood, but it had never felt…right. Was Eastshore our chance? Abydos and his brothers had found peace here.
Were Korrad and Brakor looking for that same peace?
Because in the last week, I’d realized I most definitely was.
“Are you expecting someone?”
At Garrak’s question, I realized he’d limped up to my side, and now I followed his gaze to the sedan, which was pulling into the spot in my drive that Brakor had just vacated. I frowned at the same time my pulse began throbbing in my temple.
“No,” I murmured thoughtfully, even as I recognized the shape behind the wheel. “Maybe she had a wedding question.”
“Maybe.” Garrak’s big hand clapped my shoulder. “Thank you,T’mak, for helping to make this place a home for all of us.”
Surprised, I dragged my gaze away from Brooke’s car to glance at him. “You’re the one we owe thanks to.”
His smile was a little sad as he squeezed my shoulder briefly, then dropped his hand. “Only doing what needs to be done,T’mak.”
Little brother. Garrak thought of all of us as his younger brothers, didn’t he? The gods of the ancestors knew he protected us, watched over us, that way. I inclined my head slightly. “Well, we owe you,D’malk.”
I knew he’d never set out to be ourchief; but it was in his nature to lead us, and after he’d saved so many of our brothers, how could we think of him any other way? Still, his snort was my only answer as he brushed past me out the door. I guess he’d walked here from the new condo building, where he had a place as he waited for his house to be finished. I would have offered to drive him, except…
Except Brooke Starr was unfolding her long legs out of the driver’s seat, her binder clutched to her chest and her grin hopeful, and there was no way I was bothering to payanyattention to my brother after that sight.
