He’d need another three cups before he was ready to deal with two dozen strange wolves, but he didn’t get a chance for more than another sip before the door opened again.
Caius and Max led the procession. They both looked exhausted, but Max smiled as he moved towards Lukas and wrapped him up in a hug. “I never got to thank you,” Max whispered. “And I’m glad you’re not dead.”
Lukas snorted and squeezed Max tight. “Me too.”
Max kissed his cheek before pulling away, groping Quinn’s ass on his way by before taking his spot at Caius’ side again.
He couldn’t deny they looked good together, and as they started the meeting, he could see how well they worked together now too. He wasn’tsure what had changed to push Max out of the shell he’d been hiding in, but it was obvious Max was lighter. Like a weight had lifted off him.
Lukas expected the meeting to be a formality, letting them know Caius was taking over his old pack and they were moving to Wyoming. But apparently a lot of work had been done while he was sleeping. Not only were they not moving, but Caius was taking over the pack in name only.
Wyoming would become a branch pack, and Leon would assume leadership as an alpha who technically reported to Caius. They’d reevaluate in six months to see how well the change took and if it would survive with Leon assuming full control. Caius had Quinn set up a few accounts and transferred in money taken from Savino for Leon to use for the pack. Then they piled into their cars and headed back home, taking the mage Max had freed with them.
Lukas helped Quinn clean up the mess from breakfast as Caius and Max collapsed on the sofa. “So we’re not taking in any new wolves?” he asked, scraping rubbery egg remnants into the trash.
Caius let out a long sigh. “No, not right now. I’d rather not uproot any of them. My family has held that territory for centuries.”
“You sure you don’t want to go back?” Max asked.
Caius lifted his head where he’d let it fall against the back of the couch and looked at Quinn and Lukas. “Both of you wanted to try to reestablish a pack presence here.”
Lukas nodded, then shrugged. “I prefer being in a city over a big forest.”
“Same,” Quinn agreed. “We have plenty of space here. The lack of other shifters around is weird, but I prefer that over dozens of packs fighting over a fire hydrant,” he added with a visible shudder.
“New York?” he guessed.
“Ugh. Yes. Absolute worst territory.”
“Chicago is a nightmare too,” Lukas said, before turning to Max. “What about you?”
Max looked at him in surprise. “Me?”
“You’re pack too. Do you want to stay here after everything?”
“I don’t mind staying, but….” He trailed off, staring across the room. “Christmas is next week. Can we get a tree soon?”
Quinn groaned. “Fuck. I haven’t gotten any gifts.”
“Me neither,” Lukas said with a grimace. He’d never bought presents before, but he’d also never had a pack he truly belonged to before.
Max brightened. “We should go shopping.”
Caius let out a long groan and rubbed his face. “Now?”
“No. I want more sleep,” Max said, slumping against Caius. “Let’s go in the morning.”
“Oh, good, I have plans for tonight,” Quinn said, dumping the last plate in the dishwasher.
Lukas raised an eyebrow at him. “You do?”
With a smirk, Quinn grabbed his hand and tugged him to the stairs. “Yeah, you.”
He nearly tripped down the stairs, ignoring Max’s laughter as he stumbled after Quinn. Nerves exploded in his gut as Quinn pulled him into the bedroom. He might have already crossed the threshold with the blowjobs, but he didn’t have the excuse of a lost bet or Max as a buffer this time.
Quinn reached the bed and turned to him, tilting his head as he nudged Lukas to sit. “Is this…. Fuck, did you mean for that to be a one-time thing?”
Lukas snatched Quinn’s hand when he started to let go. “No,” he said firmly. “I definitely wanted this to be a long-term thing.”
