Blackstone Ranger Scrooge - Alicia Montgomery Page 0,11

so he returned the shake with equal strength and positioned himself between Gabriel and his mate.

“Oh please.” J.D. rolled her eyes. “Drag your knuckles off the ground and quit with the male posturing shit. Cam is—”

“Anna Victoria, I thought you were just going to get dessert?” Damon said as he sidled up to his wife.

Cam mentally slapped his head. Perhaps I should have thought this through. “Chief,” he greeted his boss tersely.

“Cam?” Damon looked as if Cam had grown a second head. “You decided to join us for this all-American tradition after all. Did you—” His jaw tensed and brows furrowed as his green gaze ping-ponged between Cam and Gabriel, whose hands remained locked in a death grip. “Somebody want to explain?”

Gabriel huffed. “Yeah, somebody better.”

Cam’s head snapped toward Gabriel, noting the way the other man’s jaw hardened and his gaze blazed. Who was this male? And why was he being overprotective of his mate? His bear let its disapproval known with a growl. It was answered with an equally fierce roar from the other man’s animal.

Damon stepped in front of them. “Let. Go.” The dominant force of his Kodiak bear cowered both his and Gabriel’s animals, and they both released each other at the same time.

Damon crossed his arms over his chest. “Explain.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Relax, guys.” J.D. scrubbed a palm down her face. “Cam is my mate.”

Three jaws simultaneously dropped.

“Mate?” Anna Victoria said, breathless. “J.D. that’s wonderful?” She pulled J.D. in for a hug, and since the blonde was already mated, Cam allowed it.

“You’re mates?” Gabriel looked utterly stunned. “Holy shit, McNamara!” he laughed, and the tension broke in the air. “Congratulations.” Then he turned to Cam and mouthed, I’m sorry.

“Hey!” J.D. protested. “I saw that.”

“Congratulations, both of you,” Damon said, clapping him on the back. “I … can’t say I expected this. But, I’m glad for you both. Finding your mate is a special thing.” He wrapped an arm around Anna Victoria and smiled at her, perhaps the first time Cam had ever seen Damon show any tender emotion.

“Uh, thank you.” He was still confused about something. “But if you don’t mind … how do you all know each other?”

“Damon and Gabriel have been my best friends since grade school,” J.D. explained. “We’re practically family.”

“I see.”

“Yeah, we’re basically her brothers.” Gabriel puffed up his chest. “While he was around, her Pop always told us to look out for her,” he added. Though the chief didn’t say anything, Damon’s protective glare stared a hole into him.

“Gabriel, Damon,” J.D. began. “Be nice. Please.”

“What are your intentions toward her?” Damon asked. “Are you going to play around with her? Do you intend to claim her?”

“Oh, ha! That’s rich coming from you,” Anna Victoria interjected, tugging at her mate’s arm. “You didn’t want to claim me and even went out of your way to be nasty and push me away.”

“That’s different,” he said, which only got him a chilly stare from his wife.

“Well, he better,” Gabriel said. “But if you’re not gonna treat her right—”

“Guys, put your dicks aside, all right?” J.D. said in an exasperated tone. “Cam and I have decided that we’re going to take things slow and get to know each other.”

“Wow,” Gabriel said. “That actually sounds … sensible. So unlike you.”

“Hey!”

Anna Victoria cleared her throat. “Now that we have that out of the way, why don’t you two get some food and then join us at our table?”

“Sounds like a plan.” J.D. tugged on his hand. “C’mon, champ, let’s get you a plate. You’ve never had a traditional Thanksgiving feast before, have you?”

“Can’t say I have.”

“Great! I’ll help you pile your plate.” She turned to the trio. “We’ll be right back.”

Chapter Three

Despite his initial reservations, Cam actually found himself enjoying the festivities. Perhaps he suddenly felt some kind of holiday spirit or it was being around his mate. He suspected it was the latter because growing up, his holidays were nothing like this.

Are your mummy and daddy picking you up, Cam?

What are you eating on Christmas Day, Cam? My mum’s making my favorite mince pie!

Dad’s getting me the newest video game console. What’s your dad getting you, Cam?

Each year, the endless questions went on and on from the other boys at St. Andrews when everyone was preparing to go home at the end of the term. And each year, he couldn’t come up with any answer.

“Where’d you go off to?” J.D. asked as she waved her hand in front of him. “Are you getting sleepy already?