His Apprehensive Mate - Brea Alepou Page 0,43
hair and tattoos decorating his arms.
The autumn breeze was cool to their shifter senses, but Morgan was sure the little girl had to be cold. But to his surprise, she didn’t say a word while they did their greetings. There was a sharp inhale from Logan next to Morgan, and he glanced over and saw the way Logan shot daggers at the man holding the little girl.
Was there something there?
“Welcome to our home,” Dezi said. Kash took a step forward, and his pregnant belly didn’t go unnoticed.
“We have plenty of food and hope you find the rooms accommodating. The guest house is fully equipped with a kitchen, but you are more than welcome to come over here.”
As Kenny’s mate, Morgan had to stand with him and shake everyone’s hands through introductions even as others drifted off to start making their own plates. Ava stayed with them.
“Thank you for the hospitality,” Hodge said.
“Of course. You are helping us,” Dezi said.
“If you don’t mind me asking, how far along are you?” Rudd asked.
Kash smiled, rubbing his stomach. “Due any day now. I’m hoping it holds off a little longer since we have some business to attend to.”
The business meaning Morgan’s old pack.
“Uncle Morgan, can I go eat?” Ava asked.
“Why don’t both of you go ahead and have a seat,” Kenny said.
Kenny smiled at him, and Morgan took that as his excuse to go eat. The food smelled amazing, but then again everything Kash made always smelled and tasted good.
“Will it really come down to a big fight?” Ava asked.
Morgan sighed. He’d prefer it didn’t, but he knew the truth. “Most likely.”
Ava’s shoulders sagged. “But what if my father lets you go?”
It didn’t escape Morgan’s notice that whenever Ava mentioned her father her shoulders would tense up and her hands would slightly tremble.
“You and I both know him. Do you think he would?”
Ava shook her head reluctantly. Morgan piled food onto both of their plates—mac ’n’ cheese, steak, and steamed vegetables.
“Ew, Daddy, I don’t want carrots,” a little voice said.
“Gabriella, if you’re going to get big and strong, then you have to eat your vegetables,” Indigo said.
Gabriella was adorable, with her big blue eyes in a round face with a button nose and freckles decorating the bridge. She had soft chestnut brown curls surrounding her face. She crossed her arms and poked out her lower lip. She didn’t look as if she was going to budge on her thought of carrots.
“Mm, this triple-chocolate cake is going to be so good. I better hurry and eat my vegetables if I’m going to get a slice. The alphas only let those who eat their vegetables have some,” Logan said, walking past them.
Gabriella’s eyes went wide as she spotted the very cake Logan was referring to.
“I’ll get some carrots, but not too many.”
Indigo smiled, but when he turned toward Logan, Logan’s smile dropped and morphed into something close to anger. He turned away from them and grabbed a chair at the outside table. Indigo sighed. Gabriella, none the wiser, whined about getting more mac ’n’ cheese.
Morgan and Ava took their seats, and the alphas soon joined them. If it wasn’t for the fact they’d gathered in order to fight against Morgan’s old alpha, he would have thought it was a nice get-together.
Kenny sat next to him, and he kissed Morgan on the cheek before he started to eat.
“So you two are fated mates?” asked Mavi, a Jaguar from the Huning group.
“Yes,” Kenny answered.
“Wow, so you have three in this group. What about everyone else?” Mavi asked.
“I’m still looking,” Cole piped in.
Cali, a lion shifter who’d come along with them, laughed. “It’s nearly impossible.”
Cole shrugged. “Yeah, yet we have three mated pairs right here.”
No one seemed to be able to argue with that fact.
“What’s the secret?” Denis, a jaguar, asked. His curly lavender-colored hair made him seem carefree and whimsical.
Dillan was too busy stuffing his face, and Rhy was taking care of Samantha. Kash shrugged as if unsure. All eyes went to Morgan, and he didn’t have any answers. When he’d met Kenny, fated mate hadn’t even been a possibility for him.
“Uh…” Morgan looked to Kenny for help, but he too just shrugged.
“Look in places you’ve never thought to look before,” Morgan said.
“I still can’t believe we can have children,” Rudd said.
Morgan sighed in relief, now that the focus was off him and on Dillan and Rhy with Samantha. They truly were adorable with their family. Morgan couldn’t wait to have children with Kenny, although they hadn’t