“It is. My packmates happily shared their traditions with me, and we’ve made new ones over the years. This winter has been the best one yet. We’ll have to do this every year,” Magnus says.
I look over at him, but he keeps his eyes on his task.
I’ll be here next year, of course, but he made it sound like I’ll always be here.
Maybe that’s not what he meant though, maybe it was a general “we” as in the team, which just happens to include me currently.
I’m sure I’m reading too much into this.
“We will,” I agree.
Magnus doesn’t say anything else, so I get back to sticking dried fruit to my pinecone. There are a bunch of different types, along with a variety of nuts, all cut into small pieces so they’re easy for Pete to eat.
A piece of mango slips out of my hand and bounces onto the ground.
I peek at Pete to see if he noticed, and he’s definitely staring harder than he was before.
I quickly grab the fruit and wipe it off, but he’s still watching me.
“Should I throw this piece out since I dropped it?” I whisper to Magnus, barely moving my lips so Pete can’t read them.
“No, it’s fine. Pete eats things out of the dirt all the time, the floor isn’t any different,” he says.
I’m not sure I believe him because Pete still doesn’t look happy. Although I guess he always has that grumpy face.
I hesitantly reach for the pinecone and tense as Pete shifts, afraid he’s going to lunge at me.
“It’s really okay. Here, I’ll show you,” Magnus says, taking the fruit from me.
He holds it in front of Pete, who politely takes the mango out of his hand and swallows it whole. Pete nestles in the dirt, digging in until his back is partially covered.
He doesn’t even look irritated anymore.
“See? Pete doesn’t mind a little dirt,” Magnus says.
He might not mind a little dirt, but he certainly doesn’t like me.
That settles it. I’m going to make the best Pete Treats he’s ever had and make him like me.
Chapter 21
Hestia
Iworked so hard making treats that I exhausted myself. I only allowed Magnus to pull me away for a quick lunch break, and then I was right back to it.
Magnus tried to stop me, saying we don’t need to make that many treats, but I was determined to prove myself. When he couldn’t convince me otherwise, Magnus kept working right alongside me.
By the time we stopped, we’d made dozens of Pete Treats. Magnus wrapped most of them up for another day but put one of my treats in a plant saucer for Pete. He hadn’t tried it by the time we left the greenhouse, so I can only hope he appreciates the effort I put into making him tasty food.
Now it’s time for our movie night. I’m already tucked under a blanket on the couch with Cato plastered to my side.
Henri put together a bunch of charcuterie boards and drinks for the event. Everything is spread out on the coffee table within easy reach.
“I saved some of the new holiday movies that I heard are good,” Orion says, pulling up the streaming service.
We grab our snacks while the trailers play, and eventually selectThe Mistletoe Incident.
Henri made an amazing spiced eggnog. I refilled my cup before the movie even started. My plate is filled with peppermint popcorn and chocolate candies, along with some savory snacks, pepperoni, pickles, and cheese, to make sure I get enough protein.
