But as I steeled myself and stepped into the room, my blood froze. I realized why Taylor said that.
Saffron was already seated at the table, waving at me with a bright smile.
But he wasn’t alone. All six of his alpha brothers were present, too. Their gazes pinned onto me like daggers.
My empty stomach—which had, admittedly, been eager to eat—turned inside out with anxiety.
“Rorik! Come sit with me,” Saffron called, gesturing to the empty chair beside him.
I ducked my head and swept across the room, trying not to make eye contact with anybody as I slipped into my seat. While my blood ran cold, my cheeks burned with embarrassment.
“Yo,” Aurum greeted. “You good, buddy?”
His voice startled me. I hadn’t noticed until now that he flanked my other side. My large size must’ve stuck out like a sore thumb as I sat between the twins.
I cleared my throat. “Yup. Just fine.”
Then, in the ensuing five seconds of silence, my stomach growled loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room. I sank into my seat as my cheeks flushed even hotter.
Saffron laughed. “Why don’t you eat something first? C’mon, let’s go together.”
When I met his gaze, it calmed me. Slightly. “All right.”
I picked up my wide ceramic plate and followed Saffron to the buffet. The rows of hot, delicious-smelling food made me salivate. I’d never seen so much food in one place—especially not when it was mine to partake in.
Saffron noticed me staring and winked. “Eat as much as you want. Don’t hold back.”
I swallowed, nodding. If I had to endure a round table get-together with his brothers, I could at least enjoy sating my appetite. I piled a bit of everything onto my plate—sizzling meat, grilled vegetables, fluffy rice, and a bunch of things I didn’t even recognize. Bears weren’t picky eaters. If it fit in our mouths, we’d eat it.
With a twinge of guilt, I noticed Saffron’s brothers sat in front of empty plates.
“Is, uh, everybody else going to eat, too?” I asked, praying the answer was yes.
Saffron quirked a brow. “They’d better. Hey, all of you! Eat something, okay?”
I flushed. I hadn’t expected him to put it so bluntly, but it worked—everybody got up from their seats to peruse the buffet. That gave me a breath of relief as I sat back down.
“Don’t wait,” Saffron urged, nudging my elbow with his.
I frowned. “Are you sure?”
He narrowed his gaze. “You’re not waiting because the alphas haven’t sat down to eat, are you?”
The sharp look in his eyes made me reconsider my answer. “Uh… no?”
“Great!” He beamed. “Then dig in.”
Overcoming years of ingrained behavior, I took a bite of flank steak.
It was fucking heavenly.
I closed my eyes, nearly moaning as the flavor exploded on my tongue. Damn, that was good.
The floodgates were opened. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I sampled everything on my plate in huge, greedy bites. Half the food was gone by the time Saffron’s brothers returned. By then, I had the mental awareness to slow down.
“Big eater, huh?” Aurum asked, grinning warmly.
At first I thought he was making fun of my weight, but then I remembered his mate, Mylo, was chubby, too. The words were fond, not teasing.
