Joy crossed the room to Hope. “Did you change your mind about coming?”
Hope stood and brushed crumbs off her shirt. “I’m still afraid I might have an episode. My wolf can’t come out anymore, and I never know what might trigger a panic attack.”
As soon as she hung her head, Tak wrapped her in a loving embrace and peppered kisses on her head. “I’m going to bathe my woman tonight in bubbles. Should I get the hedge clippers out and trim your toenails?”
Hope laughed brightly and shoved him away. “Don’t say such things.”
“That’s the smile I want to see. I’m going to pamper my mate and daughter tonight,” he promised.
“Is that what you’ve decided we’re having?” she asked with a sly smile. “Last week, it was a boy.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “How about both?”
She tapped her finger on her chin. “Hmm. Perhaps we’ll need more diapers.”
Hope’s pregnancy put her in a precarious position. Since she couldn’t shift to heal, that meant avoiding dangerous projects. She was also struggling with the hormonal changes in her body even though she was only a couple of months along.
A few weeks ago, Hope started feeling a panic attack coming on. Robyn sprang into action, and they worked on breathing techniques while everyone stayed clear. That day, they stopped hammering and kept the house quiet. If a woman shifted while pregnant, it could terminate the pregnancy. The wolf voluntarily goes into hibernation mode to protect the fetus, but if for any reason her wolf thought Hope was in mortal danger, she might come out. And the way Hope described a panic attack as like dying, nobody wanted that.
So Robyn had been holding more yoga and meditation classes, and some of the others joined in so they could know howto help Hope if it ever happened again. While she rarely had an episode, most of them occurred in public without warning. As a result, she was going out less these days.
“So, who all’s going?” Krys asked, scooting back his chair.
Joy leaned against the table. “So far it’s Robyn, Montana, Mel, Lakota, and Virgil.”
“I’m ready,” Virgil announced as he entered the room. “Ta-da! How do I look?”
Virgil going out shirtless wasn’t an unusual occurrence. His jeans were slung low enough that his V-lines were visible. The studded leather belt kept his pants up, and the leather shoes were a nice touch. The brown fedora seemed like overkill, but what was wrong with this situation were the shiny loops around his nipples.
Mercy’s eyes widened. “What on earth did you do to yourself?”
He flicked both nipple rings. “What do you think, Shortcake?”
“I think you’ve lost your mind.” She laughed and walked out of the room with Joy.
“What if you shift with those in?” Bear asked in his deep timbre. “That’ll rip you up.”
Virgil hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “I have no regrets. Piercings aren’t permanent anyhow, so why not have a little fun? Maybe next time, I’ll get them in the nether regions.”
Archer grinned. “What are those made of? Hey, Krys, grab one of the magnets off the fridge.”
When Krys got up, Virgil blocked him.
“The only thing I want stuck to my chest is a warm body.” Virgil tipped his hat. “Who’s driving, and when are we leaving?”
“They’re taking the SUV,” Archer informed him.
“Not me.” Krys pushed in his chair. “I might want to stay longer or come home early. I’m riding my bike.”
Bear stood and gave Virgil a peevish glance while collecting what was left of the dishes. “Just don’t puke in my car.”
“No need to worry. I’m riding with Krys,” Virgil announced before tossing his hat on the table. “I might want to stay later, too, since Joy and Robyn always run out of steam by midnight. The Virgil Express runs all night long.All aboard.”
Archer didn’t understand why anyone would want to ride along with Krys. That man loved his motorcycle, but he also loved scaring the shit out of his passengers. Virgil must have had a death wish.
Virgil waltzed around the table and then wrapped his arms around Archer from behind. “Are you coming?”
“Already told you I’m not in the mood for your crazy shit tonight, Taz. The last time we went out, you had us knocking back shots—withouttelling us they were spiked with sensory magic.”
