weren’t,” Dante cuts in. He’s the pack’s beta. Gruff, angry a lot of the time, however, he has a good heart. I won’t admit that to his face, though. He’s his calmest around his mate and son.
I give the male a once-over and notice he’s dressed like a tree, complete with bark and bushy, fall leaves on the top of his head. He turns slightly and I notice the pack’s cat with its nails dug into the side of his abdomen. Thorn has grown and is a decent size. The calico cat loves living here but is particular to Dante, Mira, and Kaine. Kaine was the one who found him after all.
“Anyway,” Lealla says, getting back on track. “We hope to make this an annual tradition like our Christmas party. With all that goes on in our pack, lives lost, danger around every corner it seems, we want to be sure to celebrate when we can. To take a night off to smile, laugh, and love. To be grateful for what we have.
“Enjoy the evening. Show off those costumes you worked so hard on. And if you see a fight break out, drag them by their scruff out the door and give them a swift kick. There will be none of that tonight.” She turns and looks at me, my brother, Carter, and Cash. Lealla is well aware who starts the fights around here. I’ll have to resist the next time my brother says something to rile me up. It won’t be easy.
Carter and Cash are blood brothers who came to the pack with their other brother, Cace. All wolf shifters. Cace was killed as well as his mate, Lena. The remaining brothers haven’t been the same since. Yes, they’re still fun loving, like always, but I catch them at times with faraway looks, and I know it has everything to do with the brother they lost. I imagine that leaves a hole in someone that can never be repaired.
For all the times and hell I’ve been through with Solomon, losing him would gut me. He’s a big part of my life. Someone who would lay his life on the line if it meant saving me or my mate. I’d do the same for him and his family. We’re more than brothers. More than two vampires who live next door to each other. We’re tight. We love each other with a fierceness and protectiveness like no other. Family is a huge part of our lives, whether it’s the one we’re born into or the one we create with those around us.
There are days when I want to strangle my brother. To cut off his air supply just to see him struggle. He gets under my skin that much. But I could never do permanent harm to him. For all his quirks, his need to be the center of attention and be unapologetically himself—which I do happen to love—he has a huge heart. He doesn’t always let on how much he cares, but I see it. I recognize that side of him.
Sienna and I make our way deeper into the center of the room. Paranormals are everywhere. Some are dancing. Some are in small groups talking. There are others who seem content to stand on the sidelines. Camden, one of the pack’s unmated males, appears like it’s his job to hold up the wall. He’s dressed in black tactical gear, with a sniper rifle over one shoulder. I wonder if it’s loaded. I do a quick scan of his mind and find out it’s not. He was worried one of the kids may try to grab it. Smart male.
There’s a lot to Camden I haven’t figured out. He keeps to himself a lot of times but doesn’t hesitate to jump in when things get out of hand. He’s a good male. He just needs to find his mate and let someone in.
A hand claps me on the back. I turn and find Keene standing beside me. He’s a bear shifter and alpha of the clan in the Avynwood Forest. His black hair is a ruffled mess. I glance down and see he’s wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs. Keene isn’t a small male. Six and a half feet tall and a wall of muscle. Then I notice the small, dark brown, stuffed bear tucked under his arm.
I laugh. “That is so not what I’d expect you to wear.”
Keene smiles. He can be very serious, so I love seeing