But then Lee placed his hand on Daniel’s chest, over his heart, and said, “I see you as kin. You will protect pack, and pack will protect you.”
I let out a breath of relief. With the last pack member having accepted him, the ritual was complete—the key had fully turned in the lock, and we were now bound together through the subtle magic that unified the pack.
And then, an instant later, it happened.
A wave of power poured through me. Crackling and electric, like lightning running under my skin. It rushed through the connection between me and Harris, then out through the pack bonds connecting all of us.
For the barest instant, I saw Daniel’s eyes gleam in the firelight, reflecting light like a wolf’s eyes. Then I blinked and it was gone.
All around the circle, the pack shot each other startled looks. Which meant we’d all felt it.
But before anyone could speak, Lacey stepped out of the circle, clapped Daniel on the shoulder, and grinned at him.“Alright, enough of this serious doom-and-gloom shit. You’re officially one of us! It’s time to party.”
She took him by the hand and towed him over to the folding table we’d piled with beer, liquor, and other drinks from the bar.
Sally had provided plenty of food for tonight as a thank-you to the pack. She’d kept the bar and grill closed while she recovered, but she’d be reopening soon. Members of the pack—including Harris and me—had been checking in on her periodically, and she seemed almost back to normal.
“Now that you’re our pack brother, we’re getting you drunk,” Lacey told Daniel with a grin.
Daniel winced. “Do I have a choice?”
She pressed a beer into his hands. “Absolutely not. Drink up.”
With that, all the tension broke like a snapped wire.
The pack was laughing and talking, pulling Daniel into their midst. Sarah was practically bouncing—uncharacteristically bubbly. Oliver clapped him on the back, smiling, but still as reserved as always. Emma beamed at Daniel and hugged him, causing the warlock to narrowly avoid soaking her with his beer.
The twins stood slightly apart from everyone else, but even they were watching Daniel with small smiles on their faces. I still couldn’t help wondering what Lee had said to him.
“Don’t look so serious. He’ll be okay.” Harris nudged me, and I felt a surge of affection through our connection. “You did a good thing tonight.”
“We did,” I corrected. “And yeah, I think so, too.”
We watched together as the pack welcomed Daniel fully, no hesitation, no reservations. Officially one of ours.
“Thank you,” I said quietly, turning to look at Harris. “For convincing me to do this.”
Harris planted a kiss on my lips, his eyes dark and warm in the firelight, carrying the promise of more to come later. “I’llalways bring out your better wolf, Reed. For as long as you’ll let me.”
“Always,” I said simply.
“Hello, detective,” Cole said, strolling up to us with a glass of red wine in one hand, towing a beautiful man with clear brown skin and dark eyes behind him with the other. He beamed at Harris, the smile crinkling at his vivid blue eyes, then glanced at the man beside him. “You remember Eli, of course.”
Harris laughed. “We all almost got killed together. Kind of hard to forget.”
Eli laughed. “Hiya, Harris.” Then he turned to Cole, his gaze going mischievous. “See, Nicolas? He thinks I’m unforgettable.”
“You can’t blame him. I’ve always thought that myself,” Cole said, with a smile that transformed his cold, aristocratic features, turning his expression soft and open. Then his gaze flicked to Harris and he raised an eyebrow. “You’ve come a long way from hardboiled LAPD homicide detective. Alpha of a werewolf pack isn’t exactly what I saw in your future, but it looks good on you.”
“Co-alpha,” Harris said immediately, taking my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “We’re doing this together.”
“Absolutely saccharine,” Cole said, shaking his head. “But that looks good on you, too.”
“I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Harris told him solemnly.
Cole’s lips twitched. “Well, if I’dknownyou wanted to become a supernatural creature, you could’ve become avampire.”
“And there it is,” Harris said, rolling his eyes. “For a second there, I thought you’d been body-snatched.”
