Trevor gave a staccato bark of laughter. “The internet said it would work.”
“The internet wasn’t accounting for wolf senses, which shouldn’t have surprised you.”
Ezra sat in deep contentment, listening to the memories, stepping back into them, watching his mate soak up stories of who he’d been as a pup. What a good day this was. A little while later Jeremy joined them with his own take on their adventures.
“Some of the things we tried.” Jeremy shook his head. “I’d lose it if Zane took risks like that, but if he proves to be a pup in a few years, I won’t be able to keep him from it any more than our folks kept us.”
“Then just hope there’s a pup in his group who’ll plan it all out, distance and weight and angles,” Willow said.
Warmth spread through Ezra when she smiled at him. What it meant for his mate to value even his quirks, the things the other wolves sometimes teased him for. For years he hadn’t minded the teasing, knew only comfortable friendship lay behind it. But for Willow to see it instead as something to hope for in other pups…maybe in their own pup someday. The yearning, the vision he’d indulged in two nights ago returned with new strength. Along with a sudden aching need to be alone with Willow, to tell her what he wished for most, to show her with the hunger in his kiss exactly what fate had chosen them to be to each other.
Around him, his pack flicked glances his way. He wrestled himself under control, and Willow didn’t seem to notice. With merciful timing Kelsey waltzed up and motioned to Willow, and the distraction cooled the lingering heat in Ezra’s blood.
“What?” Willow said.
“The women can’t get to know you if you spend all afternoon quizzing the guys about a certain green-eyed wolf.” Kelsey winked.
Willow’s face turned scarlet as her scent spiked hard with painful humiliation. “I—I wasn’t—I didn’t mean—”
Ezra’s stomach burned. He had been clear with Kelsey: no embarrassing his mate, and things that wouldn’t bother herwouldsurely bother Willow. Which he had told Kelsey. He growled, low and quiet but unmistakable.
Instantly Trevor sprang from his chair and barked a warning in Ezra’s face. The sharpness of the sound, the aggression in Trevor’s posture, brought Ezra to his feet before he knew he was moving. Willow’s scent was throbbing now, her humiliation and desire to flee so thick he could taste it in the back of his throat like rancid slime.
Trevor snarled as they circled each other, precursor to blows that would break bones if given at full strength. But Ezra didn’t want to hit his brother.
Then Aaron was stepping between him and Trevor. “Hey, back up. Both of you.”
Jeremy hooked his arm around one of Trevor’s and drew him back. A hold like that wouldn’t confine a wolf unless he allowed it to.
“Bro, I don’t want to fight you,” Trevor said. “But you growled at my mate.”
“Ez.” Kelsey rushed to him and put a hand on his arm. “I didn’t mean anything.”
Ezra covered his face with his hands. “I know you didn’t. I’m not mad, Kels. It was a reflex.”
“Then I must’ve hurt Willow.” She turned wide eyes on her guest. “He told me not to tease you. I’m sorry.”
Willow’s smile was brave, the kind that hid a wish for the earth to open and swallow her. “It’s all okay. Don’t be upset, not over me.” With her last words she looked to Ezra.
He nodded. His face must be as red as hers.
“Um, Willow,” Kelsey said, “a few of the other mates asked for you, so I thought as hostess I should come get you.”
“If they really want to talk to me, I’ll come.”
As if she wasn’t sure why they’d want to. Willow underestimated herself on an hourly basis. Ezra half expected her to hesitate at branching out, meeting people apart from him this first cookout, but she might be more independent than he’d given her credit for. She squeezed his hand, then left with Kelsey for the chairs set up around the fire pit, where Jeremy’s kids played and several of the women sat chatting. Ezra’s pulse kicked up with anticipation. He could finally grill these wolves on the all-important topic he couldn’t bring up in Willow’s presence. But first…
“This is it,” Aaron said, lighting up from the inside out. “Ember’s going to tell them.”
“So we can congratulate you now?” Jeremy grabbed his hand and shook it.
Aaron rumbled a laugh. “Out of their earshot, I guess you can. She’d be hurt if one of y’all preempted her announcement.”
Trevor grabbed him by both shoulders, shook him, then pounded Aaron’s shoulders instead, as though he couldn’t settle on a single way to express the happiness bursting in his scent. “I almost lost it when y’all got here today. I almost congratulated Ember on the spot, and I’ve almost told Kelsey like twenty-six times in the last two hours.”
“Well, thanks for holding back,” Aaron said through more laughter.
Ezra shook his hand, didn’t know what to add. “Congratulations.”
