Wolf's Pack (Wolves Next Door #3) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,26

or after you casually bumped into Ashley at a bar?"

"Before," Vic assured him. "I've known Lev a while. I've never met the foxes, but he's actually the glue here. The guy makes it a point to introduce himself to the shifter families in town, just to make things easier."

"Easier how?" I asked.

Vic paused to take a drink of his beer. "What's the next closest wolf pack to here?"

"Hidden Forest, just outside town," I told him. "Why?"

"Because that's how it makes it easier," Vic explained. "You know who's in your territory, and what to watch for. We don't have large enough groups to scare others away, so we tend to work more on an alliance system. Introduce yourself, be polite, and stay away from any mating or hunting rituals. Tends to keep us from attacking each other, because that would get caught on camera and uploaded to YouTube. Bear against tiger in the parking lot of Walmart. That's like clickbait."

Pax actually nodded. "He's got a point. And we don't really worry about it because we run in packs."

"Exactly," Vic said. "But three bears against a dozen wolves? We're all going to be hurting. Just makes sense for us to get the hell out of your path. More for the foxes, which are technically prey to you. Tigers? Yeah, they just climb a tree or something. I honestly dunno. But that's why wolves rule the shifter world - because packs make you safer. There's never just one wolf."

"Which," Elena said, "is why they want the shelter of Wolf's Run."

"And it's why my party's the perfect time to test this out," Gabby said. "Look, we'll just invite everyone. I mean, it's a party, right? So, bring the tigers and foxes. We can all meet them, and I'll make sure my betas know to - "

Ian cleared his throat, cutting her off. "Not your pack yet, pup."

"Ian!" Gabby whined.

"Ask first," he told her.

Gabby just sighed. "Can we please use my quinceañera to make this happen? I can't think of a better time. I mean, most of my friends can't even say quinceañera, let alone know what it's about, but you're all letting me celebrate my culture, and this is how I want to do it. I'm a Latina wolf! My quinceañera is my own way to be proud of my diversity, and having some other shifters there just makes sense." Then her teeth clamped on her lower lip and she looked at him with big eyes. "Please, Ian?"

"If Vic and his friends want to come, then they're welcome," Ian told her. "But, this means that you have to tell the pack." Then he looked at Vic. "Her grandparents are human, so no shifting. No talking about what we are. For the whole day, we're all playing normals, but you're welcome to bring all of your friends, regardless of species. And if you start something, just know that you will be the ones exposed - not us."

"Understood, Alpha," Vic promised. "I can guarantee we'll be on our best behavior because we don't have a backup plan."

"Kinda what I thought," Ian said. "And I have a feeling we don't need to wait until next weekend to get you a house. If the pack is fine with it, then so am I. But, if you ever turn against us, we will chase you out and not stop. Do you understand me, Vic?"

"I do, Alpha," he promised.

Ian nodded. "Good. You're going to be my test case. You and your bear friends. I'm giving the three of you a house at the back, right next to the trails - which means there's a lot more than three trees."

Vic slowly set his beer down on the table, his eyes shining a little too much, then gently pushed it away. "And the catch?" he asked.

"Help us figure this out," Ian told him. "My mate wants to give you a chance. My pup is adamant, and she's got good instincts. I'm willing to try this, but I can't do it on my own. You're going to have to talk to us, and you'll need to make an effort to get to know the wolves."

"Anything." Vic's voice was thick with emotion. "I give you my word, Alpha." Then he swallowed hard. "And, what time can we use the trails?"

"Time? Any time you want," Ian said. "They're for the entire pack, after all."

"Excuse me," Vic whispered, pushing his chair back to head for the other room. The man was clearly struggling to keep control