Zack squeezes me into his chest and purrs, body vibrating with affection.
Bloody oath, I missed him so much it hurts. How did this alpha steal so much of my heart?
“Easy, Ri-ckon,” Zack murmurs, hot breath flushing my ear. “Or you’ll make the sky weep with you.”
I choke on a wet laugh. Trust Zack to come up with something so outrageous. But at the same time, he sounds so polished now, compared to how he was. Full sentences and tonal modulation. He’s grown amazingly in such a brief span of time.
“I missed you, Zack. More than I can say.”
Zack cups one hand under my ass to hold me, then slips his other between our bodies. “Zack knows,” he says simply, pressing his thumb into the bond scar on my hip. “Feel White Mine.”
More tears overflow, and I bury my face in my alpha’s neck. His scent runs wild, so thick it settles on my skin. Zack tucks his head and nudges me until I shift. Then he drags his cheek along mine, marking me with his scent. His short beard tickles my bare skin, making me chuckle, and I twist my head to offer him my other cheek.
Red thumps into my back and locks her arms around us, sandwiching me between my pack members, and our bond thrums with our relief and joy. We don’t need words between us.
Callisto clears his throat. “Sorry to interrupt, but we need to clear the room for the next case.”
When I look up, Zack releases me so I can slide to the ground. Callisto passes me a handkerchief and I snort heavily into it, clearing away traces of my outburst. I feel lighter immediately. “Thank you, Calli,” I say.
He reaches out with a smile and ruffles my hair. “My pleasure. I’d say anytime, but I really hope to never do this for Zack again.”
I chuckle, knowing exactly what he means.
Zack rumbles warily. “No more prisons,” he says, grip tightening on my shoulder.
“Amen to that,” Red adds, clapping her hands together in supplication. “Now, let’s blow this joint.” She chuckles and tows us up the aisle while Zack and I trade amused looks. That’s our girl.
We come to an abrupt halt in the wide hall outside, where Hale waits with Aunt Lexi and Simon. “We heard the good news,” my aunt says, opening her arms. “And wanted to come down and say hello.”
I hug her tight, my heart swelling. She wipes away my tears with her thumbs, smiling and gazing into my eyes like she understands everything.
When I release her, Zack steps forward. “Hug,” he demands, opening his arms wide.
“My word!” she declares, stepping in with a giggle. “Aren’t you an absolute delight? I can’t believe I have such an amazing son-in-law.” Zack squeezes her so tight she wheezes for breath, and Simon steps forward. One touch on Zack’s arm and the bigger alpha releases her.
I rub my mouth to cover a smile. I really do have a wonderful family.
Simon pulls an envelope out of his inner jacket pocket. “After everything that’s happened, we thought you might want to get out of the city for a few days.” He passes the envelope to me with a wink.
I tear off the sticky fold, and a few documents fall out. The top one’s an itinerary.
“Is this . . . a flight schedule?” I rasp out.
“Yeah.” Aunt Lexi grins like a cat in cream. “I called Thomas Romdine, and he was happy to lend us his jet for the weekend. The Wren cabin’s all yours . . . but only if you want it, love. No pressure if you just want to go home and crash.” She leans in so only I can hear. “But if you don’t want to clean up your own mess, the cabin has housekeeping. It’s only two hours away by plane, if you can hold off the reunion that long.”
Heat roars up my neck, but I can’t help thinking she makes a good point. I glance at Zack as he drapes an arm over Red toprotect her from people walking past, and wonder if I can wait two hours.
“What do you say, family?” I ask, holding up the itinerary. “Can you handle waiting two hours? The trade-off is a stay at a luxury cabin.”
Red’s eyes light up. “Is it in a forest?”
“You betcha,” Aunt Lexi says. “And it has a swimming pool and spa. You’ll love it.”
Red raises one hand. “I volunteer as tribute.”
Chuckling, I swivel to our returned alpha, knowing the private plane trip and remote location won’t contravene the judge’s suggestion. “Zack, do you think you’ll be okay getting in an airplane?”
He shrugs in such a casual way, like he’s been easy-going all his life. “I go where my pack goes.”
