“Baby, I’m so darn proud of you.” She marvels.
I soak up the praise as I grab my mother for one more hug before letting her go gush over Jackson’s involvement.
I wait by the edge of the back porch, waiting for Willow before we make our rounds to greet guests, when I finally see her. Willow slips out the door I just exited from. She blushes as she walks towards me, and I can’t help but trail my eyes down her body.
I have my girl here, next to me. Thank the Moon Goddess.
She’s dressed beautifully in a silky orange wrap dress that sits off her shoulders. Wow, she’s gorgeous, and she’s all mine.
I reach my hand out to my beautiful goddess and twirl her around before crushing her to me, my lips finding hers.
“You ready to greet everyone?”
“Yup,” she says shyly as we head to my mother first, since she hasn’t wandered off far. She’s talking with Jackson about food before we walk up, but she stops mid-sentence and gasps when she sees us.
“True mates. Wow, you are absolutely stunning, dear,” she tells Willow, pulling her into a hug.
“Yes, Willow, welcome to the Pack. We’re honored to have you.”
“Thank you. Thank you both,” Willow says as I pull her away. As much as I wanted to put this event on for her, I also can’t wait to have my Buttercup all to myself, which means flying through the greetings and dinner.
“I’m glad to not be the only adult female at these things anymore,” Flora says, in conversation with Luxe as they walk up. Besides Flora, and now Layla, who reluctantly joined the Pack, the only other female we have is Remi, and who knows how long she’ll be around, since I’m sure she’ll want to find her real family soon.
“Yeah, well, it seems one by one these men will be snatched up.”
“As long as they all are into girls, that’s at least five more women. That will even us out,” Flora says, looking around as if she can sniff out their mates.
“As long as they are all into women, yes,” I confirm, grabbing Willow and me a drink. I sip on orange juice. Willow shakes her iced tea, and only the Moon Goddess knows what’s in Flora’s cup.
“Yeah, what’s the up and up on Ghost—James? Is he still allowed on Pack lands?” Flora whispers, even though everyone here has heightened hearing.
“As a rogue wolf, his invitation on Pack land was limited, and now that Layla and Willow are safe, unless he joins the Pack, which Jackson wasn’t willing to do, he had to leave,” I explain.
“Layla was okay with that?” Luxe says, raising her eyebrow.
“Why would she care?” I ask. But I know there’s something going on there. Hell, anyone could tell from the pure tension between the two that something was going on, but he is too old for her, I’m sure. He’s damn sure too fucking dangerous and should stay at least ten miles away from Layla if he values his life.
“They’re mates, I thought. That’s what he said when he dropped her off here after finding her?”
“What mate would drop their mate off? That doesn’t make sense,” I say.
“If you guys are going to talk about me, at least go somewhere I can’t hear you,” Layla pipes up with a roll of her eyes.
“Layla, is James your mate?” Willow asks.
Layla hesitates. The snarky, smart-mouthed girl hesitates, and that rocks me with a chill. There’s something more. More than that, I’m sure she isn’t willing to tell, but I try anyway. “Did he hurt you? Is he hurting you, Layla?”
“No, the opposite, in fact. I can’t get him away from me.” She scoffs, staring anywhere but at me.
“Why didn’t you tell me? You can always tell me anything, Layla,” Willow says, landing a comforting arm on the girl’s shoulder, but Layla shrugs it off.
“It wasn’t important.”
“A mate is important. Why aren’t you with him?”
“I deserve to be courted, Willow, that’s why. He has to work for my attention regardless of what the Moon Goddess or fate may think.”
“All power to you, sister,” Flora says and lifts her drink in a cheer before downing it.
