“They’re out on the patio preparing dinner,” Cora called as I followed them past two living areas and a pretty white kitchen to a set of double doors opening onto a large, paved patio.
Out here the sound of conversation and the scent of steak on the grill hit me, and I was filled with a desperate urge to escape before I grew accustomed to this life.
This is not yours to keep.It was a reminder I knew I’d have to keep delivering the longer I was here.
I focused on the trio sitting on a large outdoor couch, all squished together and wrapped around each other. A male who could pass as Warrick’s twin, just with longer hair, jumped to his feet. “Brother!” He greeted the alpha. “We were hoping you wouldn’t miss supper.”
I followed slowly behind, and Warrick whispered a few low words to him before they both turned to me. “This is Richard, my younger brother.”
Richard chuckled as he confirmed my previous assessment. “By two minutes, asshole.” His curious gaze shifted to me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Emme. We’re happy to have you here.” He turned and waved over the other two shifters. “These are my mates, Sierra and Marcus.”
Richard’s shifter energy didn’t pack the same punch as his brother’s, but he was still a strong beta. His mates were deltas through and through. Sierra stood no taller than five feet, a delicate female with bright red hair, skin much paler than mine, and startling hazel eyes. The green in them was biting, even as the brown pigments calmed the color.
She smiled as she grasped Richard’s hand, twining herself around his side. He dropped a kiss right on the scarred bite on the junction of her shoulder and neck. Marcus moved forward next; he was about my height with Mediterranean coloring. His skin was a nice brown, his dark hair perfectly coiffed, and when he wrapped himself around Richard’s other side, the beta dropped a kiss on his claiming bite also.
I wasn’t sure if they were testing how I’d handle the dynamics of this threesome, but my only thought was of how adorable theywere, along with a mild case of jealousy at the obvious bond and love they shared. “It’s really nice to meet you all,” I said, surprised to find I truly meant it. “Sorry to crash your pack life, but I promise not to stick around for too long, no matter how tempted I am by your beautiful home.”
They laughed and waved me off as the five of them assured me I was more than welcome. Cora led me to the outdoor lounge sectional and I ended up seated on thick blue cushions, a glass of wine placed in my hand, as she and Sierra perched on either side of me. The men wandered off to do the cooking, leaving me with their mates.
“Warrick warned us that we should keep male scents away from you,” Sierra said, her voice light and breathy. “And I’ve been dying to add another girl to our dynamics. We’re outnumbered here in Pack Annandale.”
Cora threw her head back and laughed. “Girl, you’ve never complained about being outnumbered in your little trio. I’d say you aremore than satisfiedwith the arrangement.”
A cough of laughter escaped me, and I almost choked on my sip of wine. Which set Cora and Sierra off again. I found myself strangely relaxed considering where I was and everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours.
The girls chatted about random gossip in their local friendship group and made me promise I’d be at their next book club. I didn’t have the heart to tell them I’d never read a book in my life, and due to reasons I wouldn’t be disclosing, couldn’t imagine ever reading for fun. But it was nice to be included.
After a while, Cora moved on to my scent match. “Is it true that Hunter Reeves claimed you in the council chambers today?”
I sensed that she’d been sitting on that question for a while, and due to my own innate need to sate my curiosity, I nodded. “Yes, and I’m not sure what to make of it. Everyone in the roomacted very deferential toward him, but no one forced me to go to his pack.”
Sierra jerked beside me. “Oh my goddess! That would never happen in Golden Claw. Some of the other cities are less liberal than us, but we don’t allow the forcing of mate bonds any longer.”
Cora chimed in with her own horrified expression. “It’s law here. About fifteen years ago there was an incident that brought about new laws carved into the shifter stones. No one will make you join their pack, Emme. You’re safe.”
I had no idea what shifter stones were, but I was relieved to hear about the laws.
Sierra propped herself up from where she’d been slouched, gulping more wine as she examined me closer. “Just for clarity’s sake, what is it you have against Alpha Hunter, and the Reeves pack as a whole? I mean, we are talking about the hottest, richest, most powerful quad of alphas this city has ever seen.”
“I heard that, mate,” Richard growled as he wandered over with a stack of plates and cutlery in his hands.
I tensed, wondering if we were about to see a shifter fight as Sierra shot him a cheeky smile. “No one compares to you and Marcus, my love, but I mean… I’ve got a point.”
Richard attempted to hold his annoyance, before exhaling loudly through his nose. “Yeah, you’ve got a point. If Hunter Reeves propositioned me, I’d be tempted.”
Everyone laughed then, and I had no fucking idea what to do with these dynamics. My experience was limited, of course, but the little I’d experienced in my earlier years had been packs filled with anger and destruction.
These five were downright domesticated. I found it hard to believe they were shifters.
“Sorry, mate. The Reeves pack doesn’t swing that way.” Marcus slapped Richard a nice love tap on his ass. “You’re stuck with us.”
Richard dropped a kiss on his lips and removed the large dish from his hands. “No shifters I’d rather be stuck with.”
Gah, they were delightfully non-toxic in their relationships, and I was reassessing everything I thought I knew about shifters and pack dynamics. The guys hurried off again, finishing preparations for dinner, and as Sierra refilled my wine, I had to ask, “Who else is in the Reeves pack?”
There was a flash of a smile from both ladies before I threw my hands in the air. “No, wait! Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know, I’m already too curious about them.”
Cora started to respond, but Warrick interrupted by popping over carrying a tray piled high with seared steak. The thick, juicy cuts distracted us all, and we spent the next hour eating and chatting about everythingexceptthe Reeves pack. I’d never had a night like it before, and by the time Cora showed me to the spare room, handing me a stack of clothes and toiletries, I was both confused anda littlesuspicious. This pack was far too good to be true.
