Smiling mischievously back at Slate, Dakota replied, “Amazing body, amazing chef, or amazing lover?”
Laughing, his mate answered, “All three, but right now I was noticing how efficient your movements are when cooking. My style is more puttering but shit, you would make one helluva short order cook.”
Chuckling, Dakota said, “I learned this out of self-preservation. When I began cooking for the pack full-time, I was so slow it took me all morning to get lunch made and my afternoon was spent doing dinner. Breakfast was a nightmare because if I didn’t get up at four in the morning, it wasn’t ready on time. Over the years, I either learned or devised short-cuts so I could prepare a meal reasonably fast. Now, with all the new members in the pack, I don’t panic when another mouth to feed comes along.”
“Did you experiment with recipes?”
Putting the cooked, scrambled eggs in the warming drawer, Dakota proceeded to start another batch. “Yeah, I did. When we were camping while building our first pack house, my brothers were expending so much energy I had to make steak for every meal. At the time, I only had a grill, a campfire, and a smoker. My mother’s recipes weren’t working out very well until I tweaked them, so they needed only a cast iron frying pan to make. After I got the hang of it, every steak I made was perfect.”
“Would you show me how to do it?”
“Sure, I’ve taught it to Lizzie and Theo already.”
Tasting a forkful of the scramble eggs Dakota was spooning onto a platter, Slate moaned. “Holy shit! Those are so good…what did you add to them?”
Batting away his mate’s hand, Dakota replied, “A blend of pepper and seasonings. How’re you doing on the bacon? If we don’t get this food out there soon, my brothers will be back in here…hey, go get Zane and Carson, tell them to set the table.”
“Will do,” Slate said. “I just have one more batch of bacon to cook and then I’m finished. Be right back.” Slate left the kitchen, and found everyone in the great room. “Food’s almost ready. Dakota sent me to ask Zane and Carson to set the table.”
Snorting, Zane replied, “Finally! I’m starved and if setting the table means I get to eat sooner, no problem. C’mon Carson.”
Slate laughed. “So food is the key for you. Good to know. I better return, I’m Dakota’s sous chef today,” he said, heading back to the kitchen with Zane and Carson trailing behind him.
After the bacon was fried, Slate plated it and set it on the island, along with his mate’s mountain of scrambled eggs, toast, jam, and four pitchers of juice. Dakota hustled in, grabbing a couple of platters and said, “Babe, can you get the rest?”
Everything was on the table when Slate sat down next to his mate, realizing he was now truly part of this unique pack and that his brother’s mate was his Alpha. He had seen how Dakota deferred to Jackson and this was something he needed to learn. Slate had been on his own for so long, even staying with his parents during his brief visits was always an exercise in restraint. But he meant it when he told Dakota yesterday, his traveling days were over.Oh shit, my Alpha is speaking.
“Welcome to the Blackwood Pack, Slate. You’ve already met Cody, Dylon, Colton and Ian, and this is Zane and Carson. My twin, Logan is in Scotland with his mate Kieran, along with Theo, Norman and Lizzie, Dylon’s mom. Fionn’s there too; he’s a young dragon Logan and Kieran rescued and was made a ward of Cody and Dylon by the High Council. He’ll be living here until his future is decided. The other pack news I have to share with you is Logan and Kieran are having a pup.”
“Which one is pregnant?” asked Dakota.
“Kieran.”
Shocked, Slate asked, “Kieran is pregnant? Are you sure?” When he saw Jackson’s frown, he added, “No offense, but I was there when Kieran was rescued…the way he behaved…I was sure he was an Alpha.”
“I don’t know the whole story yet, but Logan promises me he’ll explain everything when he gets home.”
“When you speak with Logan, can you send him my congratulations, Jackson?” asked Dakota.
“I’ll pass it along when I speak to him later this morning. Thanks for coming to the rescue this morning and…sorry about the mess.”
“Hey brother of mine, how comeyoudidn’t offer to cook breakfast?” asked Slate.
“Because my mate lost a bet, so he had to make breakfast,” Steel said, smirking.
Chuckling, Slate said, “Then you owe Dakota for making breakfast this morning otherwise you’d be eating raw eggs, burnt bacon and black toast.”
“He’s got you there, babe,” Jackson said. “Hey Slate, what do you think my mate should do to pay his debt to Dakota?”
“Make us dinner and serve it in our room tonight,” Slate responded, after a whispered consultation with Dakota who was now giggling. “We want steaks, rare please, baked potatoes with bacon crumbles on top, sour cream on the side, Caesar salad and red wine. You don’t have to worry about dessert.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? I haven’t even made that for my mate!” exclaimed Steel.
“So make it for me tonight, also, and I’ll forgive you for never making a romantic dinner for me until now,” Jackson smiled, innocently.
Maximus roared, his laughter filling the room, “Son, just nod. You just lost this one.”
“I agree with you, Dad, and while I’m enjoying a romantic dinner with Jackson, Daniel would love to be with his grandpa,” Steel grinned, thinking it was sounding better and better.
