James shrugged.“I’m human, baby.You’re better off asking your brothers.”
Hazel’s wide eyes turned to Ryan.“Why, bro?”
His lips quirked.“Because she has no taste.”
Hazel snorted, then pressed a hand to her mouth to cover her smile.
To Trip, he turned and caught his Triad brother’s eye.“Go get them.”
Trip nodded and stood.As he walked off, he spoke to the inner circle of his family.He had more brothers, some of them were even litter mates, but these were the ones he was closest to.
“Do you have a problem with El?”
Hazel’s eyes flared wide as she whipped her head from side to side.The exuberant response had him smiling.
“No, of course not.You know that already,” Adam retorted as he reached for a sparkling glass of wine and supped from it.
“How can I?I don’t understand most of the craziness from this world, Ryan, and I’ve lived in it longer than you.”James forked up some Piri-Piri prawns from his cast iron dish.With a prawn and a pepper segment on the tines, he poked them at Ryan.“Just make peace with your mother.She makes my life a misery when she’s unhappy.”
Ryan’s lips twitched because he was old enough, and wise enough, to realize what that meant.
When he was a kid, he’d always seen his father with cuts and bruises.Now, he didn’t particularly like to think what they meant.
There was nothing abusive in his parent’s relationship.He knew that.James was too strong, too forceful in himself to allow that to happen.But they were rough with one another and though they were mates, humans healed slower than Shifters.Even after the bonding protected them to some degree.
“I just don’t want El hurt anymore, do you understand me?”He flexed his jaw.“She’s had enough issues on her case, and I don’t want to add to them with my mother’s woes.”
His family nodded, and he sighed in relief.
They picked up their forks and with little haste, picked through their tepid dinners.
It was rude not to wait for the others to return, but knowing his Triad brothers and El, they were undoubtedly out there fucking somewhere.
She was a horny devil, his mate.Since the first transformation, it was like she’d started taking Viagra!
Now, with her emotions running high, it didn’t surprise him when ten minutes later, his brothers, and he included Shawn in that collective term, reappeared with his mate in tow.
They all looked wrecked, he was amused to see.Well, apart from Trip, that is.He was the only normal-looking one.
Marc’s hair was all over the place.The cowlick he loathed out in full force.And Shawn’s hair was equally as messy though Ryan saw how he’d tried to tidy it up—he’d failed.
They were rumpled too, and that was further evident in El’s dress.It had been cleanly pressed.The lines sharp and strong… Not anymore, and he could imagine how.
As she approached, he could scent the mingled essences of Marc and Shawn on her—further evidence.
Wondering if they’d worked her over at the same time, he caught El’s eye and smiled at her.
She smiled, but ducked her head, showing shame and mortification… and he hated that.
When she took a seat at his side again, he reached for her hand, squeezed it.“You okay?”he asked her softly, concerned for her.
“I’m fine.”She bit her lip.
“You’re perfect,” he told her as conversation started up between his family.Her head reared back at that and she stared up at him in astonishment.
Clearing her throat, she whispered, “You really mean that?”She bit her lip.“You know what just happened, don’t you?”
He smiled gently.“I do.”
