Dev blocked her exit. "Cherise already got their orders."
She was aghast at his recklessness. "You trusted a human to wait on them?" Was he out of his mind?
Dev seemed unperturbed by his own stupidity. "Cherise is too even-tempered and sweet. I doubt even a true Slayer could be mean to her. Besides, I know how you feel about wolves and thought I'd spare you having to deal with them. We don't need any more drama here for a while."
It was true. Her encounters with wolves had never gone well. She couldn't explain it, but she shared her mother's distaste of their kind. Wolves were violent and filthy. Arrogant to the extreme.
Most of all, they stank to her "bear" sensitivity.
Nicolette stood up. "Aimee, go and keep an eye on them. Make sure they don't cause any trouble while they're here. I don't want another spectacle. If they so much as sniff in the wrong direction, throw them out."
She inclined her head to her mother.
Dev shifted to one side to let her pass. "If you need a hand, I'll be there with backup faster than you can say 'wolf stain.'"
Aimee had to stop herself from sighing in aggravation at her overprotective brother. He meant well. But there were times when she felt completely stifled by her family.
Even so, she loved them . . . warts and all.
Patting him on the arm, she walked down the hallway to the kitchen where humans unknowingly mixed with a Were-Hunter staff. They thought this was a normal bar and restaurant. If only they knew the truth. . . .
She grabbed her apron and tied it at the waist before she reached for her tray.
"Where have you been?"
She paused at her brother Remi's bark. Identical in looks to Dev, no surprise since they were two of the identical quads Maman had birthed, he'd inherited all the surly anger of his other three brothers combined.
Plus he barely tolerated her.
"With Maman, ordering food and alcohol. Not that it's any of your business."
Remi skirted a stainless-steel industrial table to encroach on her personal space in a way that made her want to knee him hard in his "man" pride. "Yeah, well, there's a bunch of wolves-"
"Dev already told me."
"Then get your butt out there and watch them."
She raked him with a sneer. "Nice attitude, Rem. Really, you should see about suing whatever asshole sold it to you."
He lunged at her.
Aimee caught him with her tray and shoved him back. "Don't, brother. I'm not in the mood."
He shoved her back.
"Remi!"
He froze as their father came into the kitchen. Over seven feet tall and well muscled, Papa Bear was a frightening sight, even to the children who knew he would never harm them. His long blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail that matched Remi's. In fact, he looked as much like Remi as Dev did and unless someone knew better, Papa could pass as an older brother.
"Leave your sister alone. Now go wash dishes until you cool down."
Remi glared at him. "She provoked me."
Papa sighed. "Everyone provokes you, mon fils. Now go and do as I say."
Aimee offered her father a reconciliatory smile. "It's just a mild disagreement, Papa. Remi has this whole need to breathe in and out, which annoys me. If he would just stop breathing, I'd be fine."
Her father gave her a chiding stare. "Never say such to me, chere. I've already buried enough sons and you brothers. Now apologize to Remi."