We were nervous. Of course we were. This was Bad Girl surrounded by wolves. My wolves.
But she was sociable—more than I’d dared hope. She allowed the females to hug and kiss her without incident, which was something of a milestone given recent history.
I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about it though. Every touch left someone else’s scent on her and it was making me want to lick every spot they kept reaching for. To rebalance her scent. To put us back on top.
Her eyes found mine across the room.
The bond.
She was using it to calm me down. Deliberately. With the focused patience of someone who had read the situation correctly and was managing it.
I let her.
Seán toddled toward her—still a little unsteady, listing slightly to the left the way he always did. Before Neev could intercept, Nika had already scooped him up. Seán gurgled and dropped his head against her chest with the complete confidence of a pup who had decided she was safe.
Our chest.
Our breasts.
Our—
Calm down. It’s a tiny pup, Kael hissed.
Nika swayed, talking to Neev, while Seán clung on and his small hand came to rest close to her bite mark. The marks were almost gone—four faint circles, barely visible now—but I knew exactly where they were.
I always would.
“Kind of her to allow me to the party,” Cuán said dryly, appearing at my elbow.“Given my stench and all.”
“It’s a sacrifice she had to make since you’re family,” I said, not taking my eyes off her.
My dad appeared at my other side.
“She’s a grand lass,” he said, and leaned in.“Yer mam says she has strong hips.”
I rubbed my hand over my face.
It was becoming increasingly clear where Cuán’s defective nature had come from.
It didn’t stop me from examining those strong hips over the rim of my glass. Which led me to those creamy thighs. I finished my drink and slapped the empty glass into my brother’s hand without looking at him.
I never managed to take a single step toward her.
My mother slipped between Nika and Neev, took Nika by the hand, and dragged her out onto the terrace before I could intervene.
I watched them through the tall panes of glass. Little Seán was still pressed against Nika’s breasts. Two women—one of them mine, one of them the reason I existed—heads bent together in the way of people who had already decided they were going to get along.
I sighed and settled in to wait.
Wishing the party would end soon.
??????
“Why were you on edge all night?” she asked, turning around for me to unzip her dress.“Did you think I was going to eat your pack members?”
I reached for the hidden zip.
“Our pack members,” I murmured, easing it down slowly.
