“Are you trying to cockblock her?”
“I’m fine with Sloane staying with me.” To win extra pity points in her favor, I rubbed the center of my chest. “With my ties to Sartori, it’s a comfort having a former packmate nearby.” I exhaled slowly. “We can reevaluate after I become a Walsh.”
Because Liam wasn’t wrong. Rían and I weren’t there yet, but eventually, we would want alone time without having to snuggle Sloane too. His bedroom was beside Goldie’s, so it made more sense for him to visit me in my room.
“See?” Sloane puffed out her chest. “Ananeedsme.”
“You’re welcome to join us for the movie.” I patted her head. “And snacks.”
“This is why you’re my favorite.” She bounced in place. “I’ll pick up some pizza on the way.”
“You can come too, Liam.” I hoped Rían didn’t mind me expanding our plans to include extra guests, but it wasn’t like a date night. Not with Goldie there. No. This was more of a family deal. Perfect for the five of us. “Would you mind stopping by the store for some ginger ale?”
“Sure.” Concern darkened his eyes. “Got an upset stomach?”
“A little.” I patted my belly. “Nothing major.”
The door swung open on Burdock, whose hair was more disheveled than it had been earlier.
Fayne, right behind him, wore a misbuttoned shirt.
To a man, we all pretended not to notice and said nothing whatsoever about it.
“You’re free to go.” Burdock stood next to me. “Let me know if you experience any aches, pains, or side effects that ibuprofen can’t fix. I’ll need to examine you again if you do.”
“Her stomach is upset.” Liam, the weasel, sold me out in record time. “Is that okay?”
“That’s a common side effect of one of the medicines she was given earlier. It’ll go away on its own after she’s eaten something. Ginger ale will help too.” He removed the IV and covered the small puncture with a pink bandage. “Otherwise, I’ll see you in a week for a checkup.”
“Thanks, Burdock.” I waved as Rían entered the room with Goldie behind him. “See you then.”
eight
Movies got ditchedin favor of board games, but I lacked energy to do more than sit back and cheer on the competitors in a game of Twister that landed Liam on the couch beside me with an ice pack on his lower back. Rían gave up not long after, limping from the room to refill my glass of water.
Only Goldie and Sloane remained, and they resembled living pretzels, twined around each other.
“Does Twister always end with someone begging for a couple of ibuprofen 800s?” I nibbled on a pizza crust. “This is brutal.”
“Walshes play to win.” Liam groaned, mashing his face into the cushions. “I still say Sloane cheated.”
“You’re just jealous I’m better at this game than you,” she panted, her cheeks flush.
“You smeared pizza grease on my circle. You’re the reason I slipped and fell.”
“This whole pad is covered in pizza grease. Stop being a whiner.”
“As soon as I can feel my legs again, it’s on. I challenge you to a rematch.”
“No thanks. I prefer to keep our record as is.”
Shaking his head, Rían bypassed the ongoing battle to hand me the water and a few vitamins Burdock recommended I try. He sat on the floor, leaned against my knees, and tilted his head back to rest on my thighs. A funny little smile twitched on his lips, one he hadn’t quite been able to erase since hearing that I had discovered my breed.
Had our roles been reversed, I doubt I could have bottled up my curiosity as well as him. Granted, he had more experience in this process and would be used to how close people held their secret until their big party. I wasn’t sure I cared one way or the other. I had no real point of reference for how to weigh the importance of such milestones when I had already watched them pass me by in my original peer group.
Though it was rare for anyone in the Sartori pack not to shift into a wolf, there were a few mixed species couples who got surprised here and there when their kid took after their non-wolf parent. Wolf genes tended to be dominant, and only wolves ever climbed in the pack hierarchy. Anyone else had to leave the pack to pursue their ambitions.
A commotion at the front door brought Rían to his feet, and he went to check who was here so late.
