Hugh looked foreboding. He was standing above them on the top step, his muscular arms crossed over his broad chest. Boone didn’t know what kind of game his brother was playing, but he was scaring the hell out of Jackie.
“Hugh.”
“Have you claimed him?”
Boone pulled the edge of his collar to one side to show off the bite mark on his neck. “We’re double claimed.”
Hugh raised an eyebrow even as his gaze went to Jackie. “You claimed each other?”
Jackie swallowed so hard that Boone heard it. “Yes, sir.”
“Good.” A smile began to spread across Hugh’s lips. “I highly recommend it.”
“Hugh,” Boone said again.
Hugh rolled his eyes. It looked kind of like when Jackie did it, except Jackie seemed to do it with more flair, and a bit of eye makeup. “Jackie Lee, welcome to the Potter’s Creek Pride.”
About damn time. Boone was ready to strangle his brother. Jackie was nervous enough. He didn’t need Hugh intimidating him and dragging this out on top of everything else.
Boone winced when Kye squealed and rushed down the steps. He felt Jackie press into him. He knew it had to be fear. Kye was a quiet, demure man when they met. Since mating Hugh and Neumus, he’d allowed his inner diva out, and now he was hell on wheels…and eardrums.
“I’m so glad you joined the family,” Kye started. “Now we can do crafts together. Hugh has a shop out back, and oh, I have to show you the sewing room he made me. It has everything. I have so many projects I’m working on, Yuji, too. Kumiko still makes pottery, just not like he used to. He’s too busy being beta of Otto’s pride. You’ll like Kumiko.” Kye frowned as he took a breath. “Well, maybe not. He can be kinda scary. But Trevor, his mate, is nice. Quiet. He won’t go anywhere without Kumiko.”
Boone chuckled when Jackie glanced up at him with a dazed glint in his eyes. “Kye, why don’t we let the others meet Jackie? He can talk crafts later.”
“Oh.” Kye glanced over his shoulder. “I guess you want him to meet your mom and everything.”
“I do.”
“Okay.” Kye smiled widely. “I’ll go check on lunch.”
Jackie waited until Kye bounced up the steps before leaning back to whisper, “Is he always like that?”
“Yes!” came the reply from almost everyone standing on the porch.
“Kye feels safe here,” Hugh explained. “He’s free to be himself.”
Boone knew Hugh was trying to make a point. He wasn’t sure Jackie got it. It had taken Kye a while to open up. Boone suspected the same would be true for Jackie.
“Jackie finally shifted last night.” Boone couldn’t keep his chest from puffing up. “His lion might actually be bigger than Benji’s.”
Hugh lifted his eyebrow again. “You don’t say.”
Boone smiled down at Jackie. “He’s beautiful.”
Hugh chuckled. “I suspect we all think that about our mates. Kye is a Bengal tiger. I don’t think I’ve seen one prettier. And I’m kind of partial to Neumus’s lion.”
“Does that mean I can’t shift if he likes Neumus’s lion better?” Jackie whispered to Boone.
“No, it means Hugh thinks his mate is gorgeous, just like I think you are gorgeous.”
Hugh’s lips twitched at the corners, so Boone knew his brother had heard Jackie’s whisper. It kind of made sense. Shifters had great hearing, and Jackie wasn’t used to that yet.
“You’ll have to come out for one of our sunbathing parties,” Hugh said. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”
“I’m sorry,” Jackie said. “Did you say sunbathing parties?”
“I did,” Hugh affirmed.
