The Reluctant Alpha (West Coast Wolves #1) - Susi Hawke Page 0,57

it was probably better if a grandma type did it.

Exactly like Jared said, a pair of twin beds had been installed in the bedroom closest to our suite. And toys. And books. And a lot of empty drawers and closet space, ready to be filled with new clothes. When Noah spotted a friendly teddy bear propped up against the pillow on one of the beds, he raced over and snatched it up. While he hugged his new treasure, I heard a suspicious sniffle. Four blinking alphas were obviously battling an acute allergic response of some sort.

When I caught Matt watching intently as Saul trailed a fingertip over a new cellphone box on his own pillow, I remembered his comment about leaving a gift or two as the room’s former occupant. Elbowing him in the ribs, I tried not to laugh at his expression as I shot him a playful glare. "Am I correct when I think you bought a cellphone for a twelve-year-old?" Since I couldn’t block—yet—I knew the second he felt my amused affection through our bond. His expression switched from guilt to pride in a heartbeat.

"Hey, what can I say? I was worried he might have friends back in Newberry Springs he'd want to stay in touch with. Plus, there's so many other things you can do with phones. You know, like take pictures, listen to music, and read books and… I don't know, Google shit? Yeah, I figured it was a good welcoming gift. Like your plants? Same difference. It's a little thing to make him smile."

I snorted so hard my nose tickled. "You gave him the latest iPhone. I don't even have that model. Are we seriously comparing phones to plants?"

Shrugging, Matt held his hands out, shoving his cheek against a shoulder with a wry grin. "It's a fair comparison. Don't forget, it is an Apple product. If we can't compare apples to plants, then I don't know what to tell you."

Our fun continued all through dinner, especially when Noah found out we were having spaghetti. We tried to avoid carb-heavy meals back home, especially this time of year. Mostly because my father didn't approve of air-conditioning. He said it wasn't natural, but I always thought it had more to do with him being cheap. Spaghetti was a winter treat, while lean proteins and salads were standard fare the rest of the year. Unlike back home, though, our solar-powered manor was kept cool enough to eat whatever the heck we wanted. And to prove it, I pretended not to notice when Noah overdid it on the garlic bread.

Once we were done with dinner, Matt gave the same speech he'd given twice before. After welcoming everyone to the pack and letting them know what to expect, we made our way around the room for his final round of wrist biting, accepting the allegiance of this final round of pack members to arrive. Initiation over, Jared and a team of volunteers left to take everyone to their new homes. At least the ones who didn't already have family here waiting for them.

Once everyone was gone except for us and the alpha crew, the guys made noises about heading to town to see if anyone needed help. We were about to say goodbye and head upstairs with the boys when Paula bustled in with a tray filled with big bowls of strawberry ice cream. She took one look at us and sternly shook her head. "Nope. Jared rushed everyone out of here before I got to serve dessert. These young boys need a treat, and the rest of you do too."

Already licking his lips, Tucker grabbed for a bowl. "Strawberry? Count me in. You got any chocolate syrup to pretty it up, darlin?"

Giggling like a schoolgirl, Paula set the tray in the middle of the table and produced a bottle of Hershey's syrup from her apron. "Better watch your flirty smile, young man. My boyfriend might have a few years on you, but he's an excellent shot." She winked to let him know she was teasing, but Tucker simply grinned harder.

"Ma'am, after tasting your cooking, I'm willing to risk the wrath of anyone if it'll get me an extra helping of whatever you're serving. Especially if he’s not smart enough to have you claimed by now."

Paula waved him off. "Oh, you. Behave or I'm putting you on dishwashing duty. And who wants a claim at my age? I had my mate, and I loved him to pieces. These days