“You live for social gatherings?”
“And for tradition. And for good food. It’s our turn to host—mine and Ember’s. Fair warning, she’ll pump you for stories about my young and stupid adolescence.”
Kelsey’s gaze bounced to the truck, which still hid Ezra from view. A cookout would surely include…everyone. Still she’d love to go, to see her dear friends. “Are you sure I’m invited? Cookouts are for the pack.”
Aaron seemed to catch himself somehow, a blink and a pause, as if he’d forgotten entirely that Kelseywasn’tpack. Then a smile spread over his face. “You’re invited. And don’t worry about Ezra. I’ll get to the bottom of it, whatever’s eating him.”
“Okay, I’ll come.”
If Aaron’s grin grew any more, his dimples would stretch to his ears.
“So is the entire wolf pack married by now? What about Malachi?”
“Solitary, says he prefers it that way. Doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Aaron’s smile turned quietly proud. “He’s our alpha now, Kels. Grew up to lead, just like Arlo always said he would.”
“Oh wow.”
The rightness of Malachi as alpha wolf was clear to her in an instant. Levelheaded, thoughtful, and constant. Yes, he would lead well. He would bear his authority with gravity, not swagger.
“I’d really like to see him again,” she said. “Him and Jeremy and…”
Her throat closed around the name. She swallowed hard. The time had come to ask. Aaron would wonder if she inquired after everyone except…
“How’s Trevor?” she said quietly.
Aaron’s hand settled on her shoulder and engulfed it. “He’s good, Kels.”
“I’m glad.” A whisper, but it was all she could force into the air.
“Look, he’s never talked much about it, so don’t think I have a lot of private details, okay? That stuff stayed between you two.”
“Okay.”
It was good, right? Good that Trevor hadn’t spilled their business to every young wolf in the pack. Good that he’d moved on from her.
“Kelsey?”
She blinked hard. Nine years later, she could still cry over her first love, her blue-eyed kindergarten buddy who happily shared his horses and cowboys. That probably wasn’t normal.
“Hey,” Aaron said. “What about you? How’s life these days?”
“A lot of good stuff. My travel blog’s monetized and doing better than I ever imagined. I’ve got a great condo in Raleigh.”
“Raleigh, huh? You’re closer than I thought.”
Close enough to visit. Not like Aaron to drop a hint rather than speak outright, but she could appreciate a little conversational caution after her decade of silence. “It was never the right time, Aaron.”
“Well,” he said with another side-hug, “I wouldn’t wish a slipped disc on anybody, but Maggie’s in great hands and it’s good you’re home.”
“My home is Raleigh,” she said quietly, leaning into his hug before stepping back. She had to be clear from day one—for herself as much as for her friends.
“Right.” He smiled anyway. “So, Saturday. House number’s on the mailbox, 927. Second on the left. We eat at one, but you can show up any time.”
Of course he didn’t have to name the street. Lunar Lane, home to the pack of wolves that about half the “normal” folks in Harmony Ridge liked to pretend were just a weirdly close community of friends.
A community in which every last male was six-and-a-half feet tall with shirt-shredding muscles. And they just happened to be really good friends.
Kelsey could roll her eyes at the willful blindness, but it didn’t affect the whole town. The rest of the human locals knew exactly who lived on Lunar Lane. Most didn’t mind. She finished at the gas pump, got into her car, and pulled out onto the street that would take her to the outskirts of town, to the suburb nearest Lunar Lane. Saturday. Three days from now. She’d see her old friends, meet their families. And she’d see Trevor.
