I grimaced. “Eww, Niall. As for whether she’s interested, go find out yourself.”
“I think I will. Later, shifter.” He sprung out of the couch.
“Do I really want to live with such a player?” I mused out loud.
Nash’s and Adalyn’s attention rose to some place over my head. I turned, hoping it was Nate, but nope, it was the other Beta. And next to him, our one and only Alpha.
Lucas dug a piece of paper out of his jeans, then dropped down beside me. “Brought your magical quill?”
“Got it right here.” I tapped my temple.
Liam sat on my other side. “Magical quill?”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I turned my full attention on Storm, who pushed off his daddy’s chest and reached out for me. I lifted one finger, and he caught it in his pudgy fist, but then he wiggled until I lifted him off Liam’s lap.
Adalyn watched me warily. She’d warned me to be careful about forming a bond with Storm, but what exactly was I supposed to do? Give a baby the cold shoulder? However painful it might be once Liam eventually settled with someonenot sweetandnot young, my heart wasn’t hard or bruised enough to avoid affection. Lycaon, I hoped he didn’t pick someone too tough. Storm deserved a little tenderness in his life.
Once I’d positioned Storm on my lap, I nodded to Lucas’s paper. “Hold it out, so I can read it.”
Lucas exhibited it proudly. He’d written five lines, three of which mentioned some body part of Sarah’s that he really loved. “It’s deep, right?”
“There’s . . .substanceto work with,” I offered kindly.
“Fine. It’s shit.”
“It’s not, Lucas. I swear it’s not. But, maybe focus onhowshe makes you feel. And notjust sexually.”
He smirked.
“Since you guys aren’t true mates, why did you choose each other?” Storm caught my bra strap and pulled on it. I tried to ease it out of his grasp, but the baby had an iron fist. He relaxed his grip and the strap snapped. “Ouch,” I whispered, tickling him, which of course just spurred him to repeat the whole song and dance, or rather, pull and release.
“A man after my own heart. Always go for the bra.” Lucas grabbed Storm’s free hand and fist-bumped him, which held his attention for a fraction of a second before he zoned back in on my red bra strap.
“To think I made you his godfather.” Liam’s voice curled around my neck, raising goosebumps. He was close enough to spot my skin’s reaction if he looked. Hopefully, he wouldn’t, or if he did, he’d attribute it to the icy draft that snaked through Pondside as Ness and August arrived along with a few other out-of-compounders.
“Your Boulder crew has arrived.” I kissed Storm’s forehead, then handed him to his father, adding a littleouchwhen his fingers unfastened from my strap. As he tittered, I stood. “I’m going to go check if Dad needs help. Lucas, let’s work on your letter after dessert.”
He folded it back up and stuffed it back into his slightly baggy jeans. “You’re the bomb, Knickknack.”
“Knickknack?” I heard Adalyn ask as I walked away.
The back of my neck prickled from the weight of someone’s stare. I was guessing it was Liam’s. He probably felt slighted that I hadn’t shown him the respect due to an Alpha. If I’d done this to Cassandra Morgan—pretended she wasn’t there when she was sitting right beside me—I’d have been carted off to the bunker to be taught manners.
Maybe he’d have words about my behavior later, but I doubted the silent treatment would win me a stay inside a silver cage. For all the rumors of his callousness, the time I’d spent with him showed me he wasn’t morally rigid like his predecessor, merely aloof.
I almost wished he’d been more like Cassandra. Would’ve made flicking the switch off my attraction a lot easier. Which was why I was picking distance.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Chapter 19
Neither Lori nor Bea attended Thanksgiving. Nate was there, though. We had time for a quick hug before we were recruited to help carry the plates of food to the bar, which had been converted into a buffet tonight.
Before heading toward my family’s table, which was also the Alpha’s, Betas’, and OBs’, I stopped my brother with a hand on his forearm. “Are you okay?”
He parked the tray of cubed butternut squash he’d toted out of the kitchen between a wide bowl filled with green mash and a baking tray filled with herb-flecked stuffing. “Just tired.”
“Because of the case or the breakup?”
