Now, though? He was entertaining Murphy while their mates worked on a puzzle in the dining room, the sound of their happiness drifting out to them like music to his ears. It was tempting to wander in there, take a seat beside Nessa, andsimply enjoy her company while she chatted with his sister-in-law. But she needed some time with Hunny to catch up and reacquaint, and he wouldn’t interrupt them just because he missed her.
“Are you hoping for any gender in particular?” Murphy asked, his ear twitching at the sound of a vehicle approaching in the distance. Marcus’s, based on the heavy roar of the engine. He turned his head toward Tank’s long driveway, expecting to see the pickup truck turning down the long gravel road that connected to it at any second.
Tank did the same, eyes narrowing toward the sound of Marcus’s truck, though the tracker himself remained out of sight. “No. Just want them healthy.” He paused, and then added, “Okay. Maybe a girl.”
Murphy’s brows shot up in dismay. “You want a daughter that’ll boss you around and make you play dress-up?” Tank was such a surly bear. It should have been hard to picture him having tea parties with a mini version of Hunny, holding a tiny, pink plastic cup in his hands. But it was surprisingly easy.
Tank smirked. “Why not? Hunny already bosses me around. Can’t be much different.”
The Alpha chuckled. “I’m telling her you said that.”
“You better not,” Tank snapped in outrage, casting a wary glance to the front door. “If you do, I’ll deny it.”
“Didn’t think you’d be afraid of a female half your size.”
“Her hormones are all over the place,” Tank whispered, sending another quick glance to the front door, as if his mate were eavesdropping on the other side. He scratched his beard. “I can usually calm her down with food or fucking, but when she gets angry …” He trailed off, shuddering in mock fear.
Murphy burst into laughter. As Marcus’s pickup truck turned the corner, slowly creeping up Tank’s driveway, the Alpha stood to his feet, his shoulders still shaking.
“What’s Marcus doing here?” Tank grumbled, following Murphy up.
“I asked him to meet me here. Colter, Zeke, and Jasper too.” At Tank’s questioning look, Murphy sighed. “Constantine came to my home last night wanting to cash in on the favor I owe him for Nessa’s life. I thought it best to discuss it with my enforcers.”
Tank’s brows snapped down in fury. “He entered our territory without permission? What enforcer was patrolling?”
“Colter and Jasper,” Murphy answered, watching as Marcus put his truck into park, shutting off the engine a moment later. The male jumped out of the driver’s seat, slamming the door closed behind him. Colter and Zeke were with him, climbing out of the backseats and stepping onto the driveway.
“Fucking figures,” Tank bit out. “Those two are lazy as hell.”
“Fuck you, too!” Colter joked as the males made their way onto Tank’s front yard. They neared the porch as he added with a small, carefree smile, “But why am I lazy as hell?”
“You let a leech slip by you last night,” Tank snapped, clearly not in the mood for a civil discussion.
Immediately, the smile died from Colter’s face, his blue eyes hardening. “A vampire was here? I didn’t notice anything amiss while patrolling. Was anyone hurt?”
“Everyone is fine,” Murphy assured him, ignoring Tank’s warning growl. “Constantine is welcome in our territory. He’s an ally.” Although he hated the idea of a vampire entering their space without explicit permission, he didn’t plan to sow discord where there wasn’t any.
“The only good vampire is a dead one,” Zeke muttered with a frown.
Mentally, Murphy removed the shifter from the list of possible bodyguards for Constantine’s daughter. He couldn’t send a male who didn’t give a damn if the female lived or died.
“What did Constantine want?” Marcus asked.
Murphy opened his mouth to answer and then stopped. He sent Marcus a confused look. “Where’s Jasper?” He’d asked Marcus to gather all the males and bring them here, yet his youngest brother was missing.
Just then, he heard Tabitha’s car approaching a few seconds before he saw his mom pull in behind Marcus’s truck. Jasper waved from the passenger seat while Tabitha glared through the windshield at Murphy.
Tank snickered. “This’ll be good.”
Chapter 20
“I’m dying to know what’s going on with you two,” Hunny said nonchalantly, reaching across the table and plucking up a small puzzle piece. She kept her eyes focused on the half-completed jigsaw, fitting the piece into a tiny available slot. “You won’t leave me hanging in suspense forever, right?”
Nessa blushed, her cheeks burning as she placed her own piece into the puzzle before picking up another. “Um. No, of course not.”
She looked over her shoulder to the closed front door, wondering if Murphy could hear them from the other side.
Of course, he can. Super hearing, remember?
