“Perfect. If we leave now, we’ll be right on time.”
A few minutes later, they hurried up to the tavern’s front door where the Murphy brothers stood guard to shoo away any humans.
“Heather.” Kevin waggled his eyebrows at her. “Save me ‘n’ Cody some time if you can.”
“We’ll see.” Heather patted his arm. “Have you two met Margery?”
“Our favorite waitress,” Cody said with a smile. “We’re at the diner a lot.”
Heather arched an eyebrow at Margery. “I hadn’t thought of that. You picked a fine way to meet everyone in town.”
“I did.” Margery smiled at the brothers as Kevin held the door open.
Inside, shifters filled the tavern, sitting at tables and the bar, standing against the walls. And this time, the experience was so different from the Gathering last month. This time, Heather—and Margery received cheerful greetings. From packmates, diner customers, the shifters she’d tended as a banfasa.
The glow of belonging had her smiling as they crossed the room to the fireplace.
On one couch, Vicki sat with Sorcha and Toren in her lap. On the other couch, Darcy had the third cub. Bree was in the chair.
A new fire in the fireplace was beginning to catch. Smoke swirled around the biggest log where a salamander perched, impatiently waiting for the heat to build.
“Yay!” Bree made a happy sound. “My wolves are here. I don’t like being outnumbered by felines.”
Baby in one arm, Darcy reached up to hug Margery. “Thanks for last night.”
“I’m glad I was there. You look all better.”
“You and Donal do good work.” Darcy smiled. “I stopped by your place earlier to round you up, but you weren’t home. Heather said she’d fetch you no matter what it took.”
“There was no problem in talking her into joining us.” Heather blew on her fingernails, rubbed them on her shirt, in a human mannerism that Margery had never quite understood. “I’m just that convincing.”
“Manipulative, you mean.” Vicki handed the blonde cubling to Heather. “I was hoping you’d come up from Rainier this month.”
“Ah well, I have to make sure you’re treating my Sorcha like the princess she is.” Heather settled into a chair and started telling Sorcha about her horrible week. Apparently being CEO of a software company was akin to being in a war zone.
The kit waved her hands every time Heather laughed.
“I need a snuggle, too.” Margery gave in to her own cub-craving and picked up Toren. As she nuzzled his downy-soft black hair, he gurgled his enjoyment.
Vicki shook her head. “You know, I’ve noticed the first thing any female wolf does is cuddle a baby. Angie doesn’t even say hi before she snatches one up.”
“Us wolves are all about the pack—and the pack is all about cubs.” Heather blew a raspberry on Sorcha’s tummy, getting a squeal.
Sitting down beside Vicki, Margery looked at the females around her. “Did you just come for the meeting? Cuz…aren’t most of you lifemated? I thought Gatherings were only for single shifters.”
“We’re not here to have sex.” Darcy nibbled on Artair’s fingertips to make him laugh. “We’re here to keep Vicki company until our males drag us home for fun times.”
“Okay, then why is Vicki here?” Margery put Toren on her knees to let him practice sitting. His wide smile said he liked the position.
“For Calum. Having the Cosantir here keeps the males in line, so he stays for most of the night.” Vicki took a sip of her drink. “He likes lifemated males here for the same reason. Discouraging a brawl is easier than breaking one up.”
Brawling. What she’d hated most about the Ailill Ridge Gatherings. “Bless him.”
Bree nodded. “What with the abusive examples of the previous alpha and betas, Shay and Zeb try to keep an eye on our wolves. Me, too, because a couple of our female wolves sometimes need a good bite on the butt. So, I’m here to keep them in line.”
Heather smirked. “Until your two cahirs give in to the full moon’s effect on their testosterone levels and haul you away.”
“Well, yes.” Bree flushed a colorful pink. “Last month, we didn’t even make it back to the lodge. I got ravaged right there on the path—bare-ass naked in freezing weather.”
Snickers broke out.
Margery sighed because, admit it, she could imagine herself there with Donal and Tynan. But thinking there could be anything permanent with them? Those were autumn leaf thoughts, doomed to be swept away by a brisk wind.
Because, realistically speaking, all she had to do was look