Talon hesitated beside us, and I barely managed not to laugh at his expression. Poor bastard looked like he’d rather be locked in the basement prison again than play happy families. “You don’t need to hang out with us,” I said, waving him off. “We’ll just find you before the game, since it appears we’re showing up there in full pack style.”
His scar twisted as his lips pulled into a grimace. “Yeah, I’m not the alpha to introduce to your family. But I am looking forward to hockey since I’ve heard it’s violent.”
Finley met my gaze, looking as pleased as a bear with his face buried in the honeypot, AKA Emmeline Anders. “There are times when it’s gloriously violent,” he said, and his smile was positively feral. Crazy fucker. “You’ll love it.”
Talon’s interest was definitely piqued as he nodded, his eyes brighter. It was the first time I’d seen him show an interest in anything other than Emme. He took off upstairs soon after, and I pulled out my phone to text Julien.
Within minutes, there was a knock on the door, and I opened it to find Mom front and center, Dad right behind her. Julien and Tyson followed them in as well, and when I spotted little Lochlan in my brother’s arms, my face split into a genuine smile. Julien’s son was adorable, and I was shocked at how much bigger he’d gotten since the last time I saw him.
He’d recently turned one and had just started walking and getting into everything.
I’d always wanted to be a dad, and staring into eyes that were eerily similar to mine had my wolf howling. It would be even sweeter to stare into arctic blue eyes.
Fuck. We couldn’t let Jewels win. We had to destroy her so that all the babies got to grow up, and I got to breed my mate for the rest of eternity.
“Kel, my baby,” Mom crooned, distracting me from what was really not an appropriate train of thought around my parents.
Her firm hug always transported me right back to my childhood, and the million times she’d been my comfort. Dad cocooned us both, his strength unwavering, just as it always had been.
“I’ve missed you both so much,” I said, my voice all raspy as I tried not to cry like a pup. But after finding my pack and Emme, I was more than ever appreciating the love I had growing up. “Thank you for making the effort to get here, but you know we would have sent the jet.”
My parents and their quintet were well off, but had nothing on my pack. I enjoyed being able to provide for them, and often sent care packages home with the most outrageous shit in them.
Case in point…
Mom’s hold loosened as she shot me a glare. “Kellan Jackson. Don’t think I’ve forgotten the new car that showed up in my driveway last week. A two-hundred-thousand-dollar sportscar is not an appropriate birthday present.”
Dad chuckled and patted me on the shoulder. “Now you’ve got her started.”
Mom’s little growl was adorable. “On top of that, you know we’re more than capable of booking commercial flights to visit you. Truth be told, if we waited for you, I doubt I’d see you for another twelve months.”
I couldn’t even argue that point, but in my defense, I’d been trying to protect them. “It hasn’t exactly been that safe around me lately,” I said, my amusement fading under our fucked-up reality. “I don’t want you all getting hurt in the crossfire.”
Mom’s glare deepened, and dad’s chest shook, reminding me that he was a highly trained enforcer who could probably take out everyone in this house. Even the dragons. “If our children are in danger, then we’re in danger,” he told me.
Julien pushed further into the room, since we’d left them half out in the cold. “We updated them on the fight with Fletcher and the witches,” he said, closing the door behind him. “You said there’s more going on, so we’re here to find out what that is. Considering the bad guy is dead, we’re all confused about what else is waiting in the wings.”
The need to keep my family out of this battle was an all-consuming desire inside me, but we all carried mom’s stubborn streak. They wouldn’t leave until I told them everything. Tyson was already heading for the living room, ruffling my hair as he passed. I reached out to tickle Lachlan when Julien followed.
Mom linked her arm through mine to drag me along, giving me zero chance to escape.
Dad was at our backs, always the protector. Even though I stood two inches taller than him now.
I ended up on the long couch, squished between my parents.
I was the baby and had spent my formative years protected, loved, and spoiled. My brothers were right to beat the crap out of me whenever my parents weren’t looking; otherwise I’d be in-fucking-sufferable.
Well, more insufferable.
When Finley entered the room, Mom jumped to her feet and hurried toward him. She launched herself at the bear, and Dad saved us from wearing a tray of drinks and sandwiches by grabbing it out of Finley’s hands.
Mom wrapped her arms around him, and I smirked at the soft expression our Care Bear wore. “You look amazing, Fin,” Mom said as she pulled away. “There’re less shadows on your face, and I’m so pleased by that. I need to meet this lovely Emme who is caring so well for my boys.”
The pink in Finley’s cheeks had me itching to switch all his chat names to Bashful Bear, but now wasn’t the time. That was a later fun.
Dad placed the tray on the table and got to work handing out beverages for everyone. Mom had tea, Julien and Dad coffee, Tyson had his usual energy drink, and baby Lachlan got milk. Finley and I had our pre-game protein smoothies, orglasses of sadnessas Emme would call them.
“Okay, spill everything that’s happening with your pack,” Mom commanded as she blew on her mint tea, made with only the freshest of herbs. The gardener in her would accept nothing less.
