AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Theo turned towards us. “If you love it that much, Sariel, do keep eating.” His eyes twinkled with a joke I didn’t follow, though Lily laughed.
“Did I do something wrong?” I asked.
Lily shook her head. “Theo just really likes it when sexy women enjoy their food.”
“But I’m not…”
“Oh, you definitely are,” grinned Theo. “And it is a pleasure to watch you enjoy it. Here, let me…”
He leaned over and picked up a small round shape, bringing it to my lips. His eyes fell on mine, brown with golden flecks, and I opened my mouth, allowing him to feed me the morsel. His fingertips danced lightly over my lips before pulling away.
“Mmm…” I said as I swallowed. “That was good too. What was that?”
“Falafel,” Theo answered. “Ground up chickpeas with spices and herbs.”
“It’s so good!” I said, now fully intent on sampling everything on my plate. I dove in, moaning in pleasure every time I found something I really loved. Lily and Theo seemed to find this incredibly amusing, but when I looked over at Alastor, he was watching me with a strange expression on his face, as though hewas desperate to say something to me but was straining to keep it inside. I couldn’t figure him out.
“Is everything ok, Alastor?” I asked, after I caught him watching me a third time.
“Absolutely,” he answered. “I just haven’t heard anyone enjoy their food that much in a long time.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling unsure suddenly. “I'm sorry, I'll be quiet.”
“Don’t you dare, little angel,” said Theo. “He’s just jealous he doesn’t get to sit here and feed you too. Here.”
I had opened my mouth to argue with that, but he popped some other tidbit inside, and I was effectively silenced. When I looked back, Alastor was talking to Cole again, not looking in my direction. I decided to ignore him and took another bite, this time of something smoky and wrapped in a leaf. My eyes widened at the flavour explosion.
"Never thought I'd see an angel light up over grilled meat," Theo remarked with a smile as he took my now empty plate and set it on the ground under his chair.
"Neither did I," I admitted, offering him a sheepish grin. "But then, Earth holds many surprises."
"Such as beer and barbecue," Lily chimed in, winking at me.
"Indeed." I smiled, taking a tentative sip of the beer again. It was easier this time, and I could almost understand the appeal.
As the night wore on, the camaraderie around the barbecue remained relaxed and jovial. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to be here. The wolf shifters mingled among us, adding their own unique brand of wit and charm to the mix. Theo was a master at keeping the conversation flowing, sprinkling light-hearted jokes here and there. Alastor occasionally threw in dry observations, which Lily would playfully counteract, often teasing him until a smile tugged at his lips. Cole would chime in every now and then, often making everyone laugh with his sharp wit. I found myself drawn in by their camaraderie. It thawed a part of methat I hadn’t realized had been frozen, and for the first time, I allowed myself to enjoy it. It felt good to laugh again.
Theo had got up a couple of times, going off and chatting with some of his team, but always returning to the chair by my side. Despite his jovial and laid-back demeanour, from watching his interactions I could tell his team really respected him, and I was interested in getting to know him better. When he sat back down again, having fetched us both another beer, I decided to ask.
"Tell me, Theo," I said. "How did you come to start this... unique security firm? And how do you run this and work for Alastor too?"
He shrugged and smiled. "Ah, well. You might like this story, seeing as you’re an angel and we all know how they love to follow the rules. Me, on the other hand, I hate rules and expectations, so when my younger brother reached maturity, I handed over my position within our father’s pack, and went travelling.”
I frowned. “Gave up your position?”
He nodded. “I was the eldest son of the alpha, groomed to take over from a young age, but it wasn’t what I wanted. I wasn’t meant to be an alpha, all that responsibility. Oliver was perfect for it, so I talked with him and my parents, and it was agreed. Oliver will take over in the future when my parents die, and I get to do what I want. Though I do send money home for the pack. I’m still part of them.”
“I like that,” I said, studying him carefully. His hair was longish, over his ears and part had fallen down over his eyes. I fought the temptation to brush it back for him. “But how did you go from travelling to this?” I gestured at the array of tents and the people milling around.
Theo leaned back and stretched his arm over his head. His body was long and lean, and I found myself watching how his muscles moved under his tight shirt. “Well, the more I travelled, the more I met wolves like me. You see, there's a lot of lonewolves out there — shifters without a pack. They often find themselves on the fringes, struggling to fit into the human world or the wild. I know if everything goes wrong, I can always go home and be accepted, but these guys, they haven’t got a pack behind them for various reasons. I needed money when I was out in Thailand and took a job working security for a little while. Met a couple of other wolves doing the same thing and when the contract was over, they moved on, but it gave me an idea. So, I started my company, and set off finding wolves who for whatever reason just wanted a second chance, who needed someone on their side, you know?”
I smiled at him. “So, you created your own pack, you give a lot of wolves second chances, and you take them in, provide for them, give them a job and self-respect - and you think you weren’t alpha material?”
Theo stared at me, and Carlisle laughed.
“She’s got you there, Theo,” he said grinning. I hadn't even realised he’d been listening in.
“No, no, it's not like that,” said Theo. “Alphas are sensible, family types, live in one place, you know, responsible members of the community. I’m a loner with the travel bug and this is how I provide for myself and get to send money back to my family. We're not a pack, we've just got each other's backs, that’s all."
