Gears rolled his eyes towards Dino like they were having their own side conversation. “With the rate that Duce and Rabid bring in strays, this group has always been bound to grow much bigger.”
Duce let out an accusatory, “Hey!” While I glared at Gears. He made it seem like we didn't think of the greater good for the Moon Raiders. There was strength in numbers, after all, and we didn't take in anyone who we didn't see potential in.
Gears dipped his head to Duce and me before continuing, “I don't mean to offend. I'm just stating facts. It is bound to happen someday, that you'll bring in some important person's rejected child, and we will have to deal with those consequences. Bringing in Celine would make it so thoseconsequenceswould think twice about messing with us, let alone us being able to handle it with minimal damage.”
While everything he said made sense, it also made the hair on my skin stand up. I stared at Gears, lowering my voice as I said, “It seems you have been thinking a lot about this scenario.”
He rested his hands on the table, looking me dead in the eye as he smiled, “Why wouldn't I when we're talking about my mate?”
All my muscles seized up at his confirmed confession. The whole room grew silent for a second before all hell broke loose.
“Cupcake is my mate, too! Just because you said it first doesn't mean you get to call first mate!”
“The little Killer is also my mate. What do you have to say about that?”
Bricks slammed his hand onto the table, and everyone looked at him as he signed quickly,I knew she was my mate before any of you. I will challenge any of you for first mate if I need to.
Gears was still looking at me with those calculating eyes, eyes that saw too much, as they all continued to bicker until he called out, “What about you, Rabid?”
I clenched my fist under the table when Duce yelled, “Of course, she’s his mate. His freaking wolf confirmed that our siren mate is the only one who could calm the beast inside.”
That may be true, but I wasn't ready to say it out loud just yet. I barely realized it, and now these guys wanted me to declare it to the world when we didn't even know if this was something that she wanted.
I didn't want to admit to them the depths of my doubts, so I gave them a distraction. “Look, I'm just trying to be realistic. Have any of you thought about her in this situation? What are her feelings and thoughts? What if this,” I lifted my hands to the whole area to emphasize my point, “Isn't the life she wants for herself? Are you all prepared to try and force her by declaring you’re mates?”
As I expected, the guys all looked down at the table, really thinking about what I was saying. All of them except for Gears, who was still smiling at me.
I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering what the hell he was thinking when he said calmly, “I see that you have been giving this a lot of thought, too. While I do think that your questions have some validity to them,” everyone's shoulders slumped just a tad more, “I think this barbeque gives us the perfect opportunity to observe and see if this life is something Celine could be a part of. See if she would be comfortable here.”
When I opened my mouth to argue, he sharply added, “Because that is what’s most important, right, Rabid? Our mate's comfortability. The rest can be figured out, compromised, or changed, but having her be a part of this club, and have her be happy, is of the utmost importance. The only thing that would make us good mates, no matter how it goes, is to think of her happiness first. Right, Rabid?”
My perspective and strategic Road Captain was too savvy for his own good and backed me into a corner. I was forced to concede at this point. “Of course,” I gruffed out as I crossed my arms.
“Then it's settled.” The smugness in Gears' voice made my wolf growl in my head, even though I could feel he agreed with him. My wolf didn't like his insolence to us as his alpha but ultimately agreed with the outcome. It was a strange situation for all of us. “We are going to introduce Celine to the things in our life here and see if this is a place that she would be happy living in. After dinner, if we all agree that she would like it here, then I think Rabid should ask her if she would like to stay, being our Alpha and all.”
I swear, if I didn't value Gears as much as I did, I would be ripping him a new one right now. Everyone around the table agreed. Bricks even signed yes and said he wanted to show Celine a good time. Bricks, Duce, and Dino all got up and started to make plans of all the things they wanted to talk about or show Celine before the night ended.
When it was just Gears and I left at the table, I glared at him. “What do you think you're doing?”
He got up lazily, lifting his hands like he didn't do anything at all. “I don't know what you mean?” He turned, walking like he was heading to follow the others, when he paused at the hallway entrance. “I know you're scared, Rabid. I would be lying if I said a piece of me wasn't scared as well, but she's good for us. All of us. If I'm going to fight for something, it's going to be for a happy beginning for once. If anyone deserves some happiness in this life, it's all of us. Including her.” Then he left, leaving me to stew with his words knocking around in my head. Both the encouraging ones as well as his warning.
For once, he was going to fight for something, even if it was against me.
The BBQ was in full swing. The kids played in the playground with a few mothers watching as they talked. Off to the side were the grills, all set up with different kinds of meats. Crank even brought his smoker because he wanted just the right taste. He’d been watching some cooking shows lately that had him dying to try out some of the things he’d learned.
In the center was a whole host of folding tables lined up with rows of members, pledges, and their old ladies, all chowing down and having a good time.
Dino bought out a whole DJ set up, playing a steady stream of upbeat tunes to get everyone in the mood for a good time. There were a few couples up and dancing around. Later in the night, after the kids are all put to bed, things will get turned up a notch, getting a little rowdy, but this was my favorite part.
Where families felt free and happy. Kids were able to have fun with their friends in a safe and love-filled environment. A place parents were able to relax, able to have a community of people to help them with the stresses of raising happy children. A spot where teens and young adults didn't need to steal to eat or fight to stay alive. A place where the broken and discarded could feel valued. Looking out at all the joyful, relaxed faces brought me more peace than any riches we could've accumulated by taking on dirtier jobs like running skin or drugs. Protection was at the core of our values. How we achieved that… that was up to me and the leadership of the Moon Raiders.
My hands were dirty from the day I got out of that cage, and I found they continued to get dirty the more I tried to protect those I cared for, but that was fine with me. In fact, that was okay with each and every Moon Raiders member because all we wanted was a good life. That's it, but a good life was only good if you knew what a shit life could provide.
I lifted the chilled bottle to my lips, letting the cool crisp beer slide down my throat as I thought about all of this. I heard a familiar laugh, one that had my ears bristling, and my wolf perked up. My eyes slid to the side, seeing that pretty little siren that had shaken up my carefully crafted world, and I wondered what kind of shit life she had to deal with to have chosen her profession.
She was currently stuck between Emma and Duce, both of them fighting over her like she was a bone, laughing as each of them literally tugged on her arms. I watched, entranced by her ethereal beauty as she closed her lids and laughed to the sky. Celine always had this magical aura swirling around her. When she walked, it was like she was walking on water, graceful and smooth. I remembered what the guys said about her using her water magic to slide into places fast, so I guess she really does walk on water.
When Emma won,surprise, surprise, I watched over my beer bottle I was drinking as Celine and Emma grabbed food. At each station, there was a member’s old lady, and at each and every station, they would stop and talk to Celine. She smiled, giggled, joked with the ladies, and they all seemed to look at her with appreciation or admiration. When she stopped at the end of the line for a slice of the chocolate cake Billy was tasked to serve everyone, she not only got the biggest slice, but poor Billy was bright red when she smiled her thanks at him. He kept sneaking glances at her when he thought no one was looking. Duce was right, that little boy was half in love. It was hard to blame him when I knew how he felt. Her natural aura would call any man to his knees.
