Gwen nodded along as the beautiful little girl talked around a mouthful of cake, swinging her arms.
Lounging in the chair beside Gwen’s, Zander leaned in and whispered, “Did you understand what she just said?”
“Not a word of it.” But Gwen figured it was probably another creepy line from a movie—the Alphas’ daughter had a habit of repeating them to freak people out. It worked.
Gwen was surprised the two pups were still awake. The barbecue had started at noon, and it was now the evening. The kids had spent the day cycling, arguing over toys, playing in the outdoor area, and chasing the dog that was currently lying on the grass.
Most of the adults were close to falling asleep too. In fact, Kathy had passed out on one of the lawn chairs. Ally was sprawled on top of Derren in the hammock that was strung up near the play area. Other people were settled on patio chairs or sharing blankets on the ground.
Although it was almost dark, the glow of the fairy lights that were strung on the trees enabled Gwen to see well enough. She figured the shifters didn’t need any such light, given they had excellent night vision—she envied them that.
She sighed as the evening breeze brushed over her skin and ruffled her bangs. It had been one hell of a hot day, and she’d almost wilted from the glare of the sun. The chirping of birds and the lively partying had been replaced by the sounds of grasshoppers, crickets, soft laughter, quiet chatter, and the wood snapping in the fire pit.
The coolers that had earlier been brimming with drinks were now pretty much empty. Very little food was left, even though there had been a lot of it. Damn, shifters ate like horses. She wasn’t sure how they were still eating. She’d stuffed herself on hamburgers, potato salad, lasagna, cake, and pecan pie, and there was no way she could manage anything else.
That hadn’t stopped her from enjoying a few drinks, though. She wasn’t gonna lie, she was a little tipsy. She hadn’t touched any of the hard liquor; she only had a couple of beers. Well, she’d intended to only have a couple. But those couple of beers had soon become four. Or maybe it was five. Still, she could feel the effects beginning to wear off.
As Willow demolished the rest of her cake, Gwen handed her lemon Popsicle to Zander and said, “Hold that for me a sec, please.” Gwen then used a wipe to clean the crumbs and sticky icing from Willow’s fingers.
That was when the Alphas appeared with Cassidy, the other pup. Nick sighed at his daughter, who was still trying to talk around her food. When Gwen had first arrived, she’d braced herself for an awkward reception from Nick. But his welcome had been genuine, and the pack had actually thrown a really cool party for her.
“Thanks for cleaning her up,” said Shaya, stabbing a plastic fork into the piece of pie on her paper plate. “Missy, you should be tired by now.” Willow just shrugged.
Grinning, Cassidy uncurled her hand. “I found a worm.”
Gwen smiled, taking her Popsicle back from Zander. “A worm, huh?”
“Let me see!” said Willow, hopping off the chair. But Cassidy sprinted away, laughing, and Willow gave chase.
Shaya shook her head as she watched them. “I really don’t know where they get all their energy, but I want some.”
“The motel will be ready in a few months,” Nick said to Gwen. “I appreciate you agreeing to help us run it. After working at a B&B for years, it will be a breeze for you.”
Zander barely resisted the urge to grunt. He wasn’t so happy about Gwen working at the motel. He’d prefer for her to permanently remain deep in their territory where she’d be safest, which of course would never happen but was a pretty dream. He knew his mate, knew she wouldn’t cope if she didn’t have something to do. He also knew she liked that she’d have a role, of sorts.
The motel would be well protected at all times, he assured himself. And she was good with that Glock she’d insisted on bringing with her—along with a switchblade, knuckle stun gun, and a bunch of other stuff. The other females of the pack now wanted their own “collection of violent treasures,” as Harley called it.
Even the Phoenix Pack females wanted their own, especially after watching Gwen give “a basic demonstration” of how to use the stun gun on Dominic—who had idiotically volunteered out of sheer curiosity—at her welcome party. The little shit had also flirted with Gwen, which wasn’t a surprise and meant he got whacked a few times across the head. How the guy didn’t have special needs after years of that shit, Zander didn’t know.
“Speaking of the B&B,” said Shaya, “the sale went through on it today. Some couple fascinated by paranormal stuff bought it. Ally said the place was spooky.”
Gwen snorted softly. “Not half as spooky as your kid.”
“A kid you adore,” Shaya insisted with a smile.
Gwen shrugged. “She brings me flowers.” Both pups were great. And they knew they were loved, knew the people around them would keep them safe and be there for them. That was a special thing, in Gwen’s opinion.
Nick quietly swore. “The dog’s lying on our blanket!” He stormed off, reprimanding Bruce. Rolling her eyes, Shaya followed him.
Glad to be alone with Gwen again, Zander inhaled deeply, taking in their combined scent. Even among the scents of wood smoke, charred meat, and the leftover food, it was damn strong and potent. He cupped her nape. “Do you miss it?”
She blinked. “What?”
“The marsh. Oregon.”
“Not in the way that you’re thinking. I loved the marsh; I’ll always miss it. But I don’t regret coming here. I don’t wish I was there. I’m happy where I am.”
He lightly squeezed her nape. “Good.”
Gwen smiled. She’d expected to find it hard to adjust to living within a pack. It had been odd at first, considering how often they socialized and just appeared at each other’s lodges without invitation. But she’d quickly gotten used to it—probably because she’d lived most of her life at a B&B, always sharing her private space.
Some of their ways had taken a little getting used to, though. Like eating pretty much every meal together, answering to Alphas, and adhering to all kinds of security measures. Despite being human, she’d gone along on their pack runs, which had been awesome. Watching them all play and interact in their animal forms was supercool.
The mating ceremony . . . well, that had been weird. It had taken place a week after she moved there. Basically, she’d gotten all dolled up in a dress that Ally had chosen before Shaya applied her makeup. Then Nick had escorted Gwen through the forest to the center of a huge circle of people that consisted of her other pack mates, the Phoenix Pack, her family, Zander’s sister—who Gwen thought was great—and a few others.
Inside the circle, Zander had waited, looking absolutely edible in a suit and staring at her with eyes that said she’d be getting ruthlessly fucked if they were alone. Nick had then asked them to make their vows, spouting the ceremonial words that had no power. According to Kathy, it was all a big excuse for a party. Still, it had been fun.
Yvonne and Donnie, who’d moved into the house near the lake that Yvonne had once spoken of, had attended the ceremony. Marlon and Dylan had also been there; they were now living together and were ridiculously happy. They’d brought along the unexpected news that Colt had retired from his position as sheriff. Gwen figured it was a good thing for Oregon in general.