She reached back and smacked him on the head.
“I’m actually gonna miss that,” he said ruefully, taking his seat again when the waitress set down a plate of fries in front of Melody.
Hendrix did the same. “So what about you?” he asked Tak. “Is Austin starting to grow on you?”
Tak grinned at him before finishing off his glass of lemonade.
While he hadn’t made his intentions clear in regards to future plans, Tak had gone home twice, and each time he’d returned with another bag of clothes or other personal items. Though we were in love, Tak refused to move in with me. He said he respected me too much to cheapen our relationship, wherever it was going and however long it took to get there. He’d been staying with Hendrix and Lennon, so I guessed he must have known about their plan.
It made me wonder if they knew about his.
I leaned against his shoulder and peered up at him. Tak smiled with his eyes the way he always did when he didn’t feel like saying anything. I wasn’t sure what our future held, but one day at a time was all I needed. He belonged to me, and I belonged to him.
An Aerosmith song playing on the jukebox hit a chorus that reminded me of something important I meant to share. I pulled away from Tak and patted the table excitedly. “I have some good news!”
With tears still staining her cheeks, Melody stopped pouring mustard on her fries and glared at me. “You waited this long in the evening to give us breaking news? Why is everyone doing this to me? Did you all plan this?” She suddenly let go of the mustard, her eyes widening as she looked between Tak and me. “Are you… pregnant?”
Tak threw back his head and howled with laughter. He had such an infectious laugh that it made nearby patrons look over with interest.
“It’s notthatkind of news,” I ground out. “Asia signed a long-term contract. It looks like the feather collection isn’t going to be a limited edition after all.”
“That’s awesome!” Mel exclaimed. “Those earrings have been selling like crazy. I’m so happy for you!”
After the fire, Asia called to tell me she’d changed her mind about the offer. She’d had no idea what had transpired and was horrified to learn that River had bribed her with money stolen from our safe.
I smiled gleefully. “This is a huge stepping-stone for Moonglow. I just hope my assistant can keep up with all my orders or I might have to hire a second one.”
Lakota scratched his chin. He had that look he always got whenever he was brimming with opinions. “If you were in a pack, finding help wouldn’t be a problem.” He glanced around at everyone and lifted his glass. “Just pointing out that labor would be a job for the pack. You throw away money hiring assistants.” He furrowed his brow at Tak and quickly stood up. “Who wants me to kick their ass at pool?”
Hendrix bolted out of his chair. “Only if you promise not to cry when I win.”
“Keep dreaming.”
When they swaggered off, I lowered my voice and asked Tak, “What was that about? Lakota’s acting strange all of a sudden.”
Tak touched his necklace and stared thoughtfully across the room. I was overjoyed to see him in the necklace I’d given him. It was too cumbersome to wear all the time, but the meaning behind it was more valuable to me than anything else in the world.
My heart warmed whenever he attentively tucked a lock of hair behind my ear or kissed my temple while at the table. Nothing about our relationship was a secret from my family, friends, or anyone else.
Tak dropped a lemon wedge into his empty glass of lemonade and looked at Lennon. “You and your brother will be a strong alliance when you become Packmasters. In my tribe, it’s rare to see two alpha brothers. They seem to run in your family. I bet you have a lot of young women lining up to warm your bed.”
Lennon grinned handsomely, stroking the light dusting of whiskers across his jaw. I’d lost track of their age, but they must have been twenty. You’d never know it to look at them. Lennon and Hendrix were no longer the scrawny little boys I remembered.
Melody scooted over and put her arm around his broad shoulders. “No woman is allowed near my baby brother withoutmypermission.”
He snorted. “And you’re saying this because you love me and not because you’re as drunk as a skunk?”
“That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it.”
“Coming from the sister who snuck behind my back and got mated. You’re lucky I didn’t lock Lakota’s wolf in a trunk and ship him to France.”
She lifted her glass and chortled. “Can you imagine Lakota in a beret?”
Lennon took her beer away. “You’re such a lightweight.”
“Don’t let her drive,” Tak warned.
Lennon held a solemn look. “We always have a designated driver. Our uncle works here, and we get dibs on the private room if anyone needs to crash. I’ve only had the one beer an hour ago.”
