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Elliot’s jaw ticked. When his cousin had picked him up from Anna’s that afternoon, Callum had thought he seemed more tense than that morning. Elliot hadn’t vented, so he’d figured things were fine.
Trying to break the tension, Callum asked, “What’s up?”
The big guy’s head cocked to one side. “Seems we’ll be getting a new family member soon. I’ll be getting a brother-in-law in the next few days.”
Confusion left him wary. His gaze flicked to Sydney, who was still engaged in a stare down with her brother. “You…found your mate?”
He was hesitant to offer his congratulations.
Turning her attention to Callum, Sydney ignored her brother’s growl. “I signed up for the Curusm.”
“What?” Callum couldn’t contain his roar.
Smirking, Elliot turned away to start the BBQ.
“Why the fuck would you do something like that?” Suddenly, he found himself on the receiving end of her glare. Callum ran a hand over his face. “Seriously?”
Sydney crossed her arms and leaned back against the seat, a frown firm on her face.
“Seriously? Seriously, what? This is the first in-person conversation I’ve had with you in over a decade. You don’t have any say in what I do with my body, with my fate.” Her gaze darted toward her brother, who had gone back to leaning against the railing while waiting for the grill to heat. “Same goes for you.”
Elliot’s chest rose and fell with each breath. “I can erase your name before anyone else finds out.”
Sydney’s shoulders slumped. “Please don’t. I’m almost thirty. I want to be mated, but Fate isn’t handing me anything in the mate department.” She shrugged and glanced down at her phone. “I took matters into my own hands.”
“Sid, I love you, but this might not be the best of ideas.”
Her nostrils flared. “You go on and on about how the Curusm is safe now.”
“Yeah, because I’m there to make sure it runs smoothly.”
“There you go!” Her hand slashed through the air. “You’re overseeing it. Everything will be fine.”
Not bothering to hide his disgust, Callum looked to Elliot. “You’ll be there?”
Elliot didn’t look pleased by the idea, either. In a few short weeks, she’d be chased, naked, down a hill until some shifter caught and imprinted on her. And Elliot would have to watch the whole thing.
“You perv.” Sydney snorted. “It’s not like he’ll be watching. He’s going to be way up the hill. The only reason for him to get involved with any of it is if something suspicious happens.”
“Or if King’s pack interferes.” Elliot opened the BBQ and added the steaks. “It wouldn’t be the first time they tried shit like that.”
The patio door opened, drawing their attention, as Aunt Charlotte came out carrying two overflowing bowls. Callum reached out and relieved her of the one filled with pasta salad.
“Thank you.”
He nodded, but before he could say anything more, Elliot jumped in. “You knew about this, didn’t you?”
Aunt Charlotte’s gaze swung between her two kids. “I knew she was thinking about it.”
Elliot opened his mouth to speak, but Aunt Charlotte raised a hand. “It’s her decision, Elliot. You don’t get a say in who or how she mates.”
Elliot growled again before stomping into the kitchen. Tempted to follow, Callum wavered, but Elliot returned moments later with a pair of BBQ tongs.
They dropped the subject. Aunt Charlotte asked about Fredrica and her new mate. He told them about Drew and the trouble his pack had encountered when Alyssa showed up with a stalker sniffing around her heels.
“Elliot tells me you went to Thatcher’s meeting this morning,” Aunt Charlotte supplied, as they all dug into their dinners. “I guess that means he put you to work?”
Around bites of steak, Callum replied, “Yeah, I was working with Rafe and the horticultural society ladies.”
