Wolf's Pack (Wolves Next Door #3) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,47

your flight was getting in. And if you'd like, I can show you the building."

"Not a church?" my mother asked.

"No," Gabby said, taking that out of my hands. "I'm not doing Mass, Abuela. No mariachis, either. I gave Mom a list of the traditions I want, and she said that since it's my big day, I can modernize it however I want."

"And it's pretty modern," I warned my mother. "She does have a court, but not a big one, and that was her call."

"Because you keep moving her around," my mother snapped.

"Maria," my father warned. "We moved around plenty when Elena was growing up. She's doing a good job."

My mother simply huffed. "Divorced. Will Gerardo be there for her dance, at least?"

Gabby stepped in front of me. "He's not coming. I even asked, and he said he had to work, so don't you blame Mom for that, Abuela."

"Not..." She looked at me.

I just shook my head. "He's not. I was hoping that you'd step in for a few things, Papa?"

"I..." Gabby looked at me. "Um, I kinda have someone to dance with. I asked yesterday, and um... it's going to be a surprise, ok?"

All I could do was nod. "Will I approve, Gabby?"

"Yep." Then she grinned. "It's going to be perfect. Promise."

I sincerely hoped so. Thankfully, Gabby changed the topic to the aspects she wanted her grandparents to be involved in. A few of them, I knew about. My mother had picked out Gabby's tiara. My father would help her cut the cake. We were just going through the last of the details when my back door opened. I turned, realizing that this might be a little hard to explain, just as Pax walked into the living room.

"Elena?" he asked.

My mother's eyebrows jumped up into her hairline. "And you are?" she asked.

"Pax, I'd like you to meet my parents," I told him. "Maria and Manuel Flores."

"Paxton Romero," he said, heading over with his hand out to my father. "I'm Elena's neighbor and got conscripted for the big event. Which..." He quickly shook my father's hand, smiled at my mother, then looked back to me. "I turned the entire arrangement sideways so Gabby will be able to make an entrance. We still have enough time to turn it back, though."

"Which way?" I asked.

"The main area will be in front of the large windows to the south. We've got the flowers being set up - "

"Flowers?" I asked.

"Uh..." He chuckled. "Yeah. Ashley may have gone overboard. But look, this puts the yard door at the front, so Gabby and her court will have the best entrance possible." He turned to her. "And you're to text me if any of those boys have problems, right? Ties, formalities, anything."

"Promise," she said, "but David's helping too."

"David?" my father asked.

"Her boyfriend's father," I explained. "They live here in the community too."

"Oh." He seemed honestly impressed. "Well, you'd better introduce me to this young man tomorrow, Gabriella."

"I will," she assured him.

But Pax tilted his head toward the back door. "Can I borrow you for a moment, Elena? There are a few of those surprise things I wanted to check on."

"Sure..." Although we didn't really have any surprise things.

I still excused myself and followed him out on the back porch. Pax blew out a breath as soon as the door was closed, yet he listened for a moment longer before he decided it was finally safe to talk.

"Vic invited his friends. Lev's Russian, evidently. His son is about Roman's age, and will be there as well. I gave them the basics of the event, let him know that a suit was appropriate, and that this was merely a cover - but also the Alpha Mate's pup's birthday. He's bringing the foxes. Three young ladies. Are you going to be able to sneak in a talk with them at some point?"

"I'll make sure of it," I told him. "And they know it's a human mingler, right?"

He chuckled. "Kinda like that term, actually. But yes, I told them. I also have Ashley standing in as your beta of sorts. Second? I don't even know what you want to call it, but made it clear that she's your assistant in running the pack. Evidently, that made perfect sense to a tiger, and the foxes are just excited to be considered." He ducked his head and shook it. "Those girls..."

"You talked to them too?"

"Yep." And he dragged a hand across his face. "Sheridan's the oldest. Twenty-three, basically raising her younger sisters. Let's