Axel patted his back as he passed by. “I’ll answer the door.”
“I’ll help,” Bryce offered.
“You boys will stay out here in the back of the house, or go outside, and behave. No eavesdropping.”
Axel’s command was met with multiple groans.
“Outside would probably be best,” Drake decided as he began to herd the boys toward the back door.
“Get yourself prepared and come in the living room,” Axel told Bas. “I’ll keep him company until you are ready.”
Bas nodded. He turned, watching the alpha stride into the house. This was it. It would be the first time that Bas was face-to-face with his human when not shifted.
“It’ll be fine,” Aaron said. “He’s your mate.”
“Yeah.” Bas rubbed the back of his neck. Hudson did seem to really like his shifted form. That was a start. And at least he wasn’t allergic to cat hair or some kind of horrible thing like that.
“After he chews you out for not taking proper care of…yourself,” Noah offered.
Bastian scowled at the familiar. “Not helping.”
Noah grinned. “It could be worse.”
“How?” Bas demanded.
“Imagine him just taking you home and him still thinking you’re a cat,” Noah replied. “What if he bought you a harness or something! Actually, that sounds cool. Can we see if that’s a possibility?”
Bas rolled his eyes at the ridiculousness of the situation.
“Go see to your mate.” Leo pushed Bas toward the doorway.
“Fine.” Bas stomped forward.
“Fix your face!” Aaron called.
“My face?” Bas wiped his face. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Maybe try smiling?” Bryce offered hopefully from beside the back door.
Smiling? Bas could do that. He gave the alpha mate a sharp nod.
“And be nice!” Nate insisted. It appeared he was resisting being pushed out.
“I’m always nice,” Bas growled.
“Maybe don’t growl at him?” Lawson asked with a shrug.
These boys were nothing but menaces. Bastian ignored the rest of the instructions hollered at him until he entered the main house. He could hear Axel speaking with someone and hurried down the hall to the formal living room. The family had both a formal and a family living room since it appeared sleepovers were often a necessity, at least according to Nate. The sleepovers were so important that they stopped moving the large mattresses and pads in and out.
“Are you sure I can’t get you something to drink?” Axel asked as Bastian turned into the room.
“Thank you so much but I don’t need anything. I don’t mean to impose,” Hudson replied.
With Axel in the door, Hudson hadn’t spotted Bas yet.
Hearing his mate’s voice so close, Bastian had to fight the urge to run to his side. Smile. He needed to smile. And not growl. Growling was bad. Hudson was human so Bastian also shouldn’t scent mark Hudson without permission.
So many rules!
