Page 370 of Pucking Feral: Part Two

Ivy texted us about the bad news Wraith got from his doctor about masks, and even though Thane got the exact same message Plague and me did, Wraith's devoted brother took it upon himself to make a formal announcement.

He looked at me and Plague and said, "When they get here, do not make it weird."

And Plague looked at me the entire time he said it.

Rude.

So now I'm standing in the parking garage, waiting for them to come home and running drills in my head.

Don't stare at his face.

Don't NOT stare at his face, because not looking at him at all could be worse. Look at him a normal amount.

What's a normal amount? How many seconds is normal? Is it three?

It's probably three.

Thane's leaning against a support pillar with his arms crossed, watching the ramp. He's been out here ten minutes longer than Plague and me, so he's been waiting since before Ivy even texted that they were close.

Big stoic captain energy as always, but the man missed his mate and his brother so bad he's been peeking out the window even more than I do when I'm waiting for one of my giant fucking online shopping deliveries.

We all missed them.

The pack house has sucked for two days. Nobody even stole my hoodies. I'm not used to being able to leave a warm hoodie with my scent all over it on the back of a kitchen chair without Ivy yoinking it.

Plague did, though. Or at least I caught him smelling it, and he denied it and got pissed at me for catching him, and I shut him up with a kiss. Only to find out he was disappointed no one stole his tea last night.

So I did, just to keep him guessing and wondering if it's me or Valek. I hate the stuff, but it's good enrichment for him. He likes being mad.

Headlights sweep up the ramp.

"That's them," Thane says, pushing off the pillar.

My heart does a stupid little combat roll because them includes my wildcat.

Don't make it weird.

Exactly three seconds of eye contact.

You got this, Marine.

The SUV pulls into its spot and the engine dies. The driver's door opens and Valek unfolds out of it, coming around to get Ivy's door. She's sitting in the back for some reason, and when she hops down in Valek's black sweater—the preppy kind with a fucking zipper, which is probably half of why Plague ogles him all the time—I charge at her before she can even get a word out.

"WILDCAT!"

I get to her in two steps and she jumps up, and I catch her, grinning like an idiot as she laughs into my neck. I bury my face in her hair and inhale like her hair's made of spun fuckin' cocaine and squeeze until she squeaks.

"Missed you too," she wheezes. "Ribs. Whiskey. Riiibssss."

I set her down. Plague's already there, taking her chin in two fingers, tilting her face toward the garage lights.

"Quit giving her a physical exam," I tell him.

He ignores me, kissing her.

Wraith gets out next.

Hood up, head down, and… nothing else. Not even a scarf. Just the shadow of the hood and, under it, his bare face. Scarred jaw. Sharp teeth. All of it, out in the open air in a public space for the first time since he tore his gaiter off in the arena so he could breathe.