Leo, Aaron, and Gavin all hovered in front of him.
“What?” Bastian asked with a scowl. “I’m not late for dinner.” He’d checked the time. There was still twenty minutes before everyone else got home. Although he could hear some of the boys already starting to play in the yard.
“Noah said you had to be rescued from a tree?” Gavin asked.
“I did not!” Bastian pushed out his chest. That was a ridiculous statement and Bas wouldn’t stand for it.
Leo smirked. “No? Did you want to be captured by the hot fireman?”
“Noah was very certain you were not fighting to get away,” Aaron added.
His friends were idiots. “The human was upset, thinking I was stuck. I was allowing him to pet me to help him feel better.” That was Bas’s story and he was sticking to it.
Gavin snorted. “I’ve seen Hudson. I’m sure you were just being nice, letting that handsome man put his hands all over you.”
Bas narrowed his eyes at Gavin. “Does your mate know you call other men handsome?” That bothered Bas more than he wanted to think about. No one should be thinking Hudson was handsome other than him.
“I’ve seen Hudson too. He’s hot!”
Bastian looked over Gavin’s shoulder to see Stryker sitting on the rail of the porch, grinning.
He rolled his eyes. Great, the gang was all there. Not really. It was a large family after all. “I was being nice. It wouldn’t do us any good to make the humans around here suspicious of us.”
Gavin shook his head. His smile couldn’t be any more obvious. “Whatever you say, man.”
“Papi! You can see he’s fine,” Stryker called. “Can we please go see if Adam is here yet?”
Turning on his heel, Gavin pointed at his mate. “I will make sure you and Adam never spend a minute together again if you disappear on me. I swear, boy. I will handcuff you to myself if I have to.”
“I’m pretty sure I have some zip ties in my kit from my council days,” Bas offered.
Stryker grinned. “Kinky.”
Leo groaned. “I do not want to hear what the two of you do in the bedroom.”
Gavin grunted as he stomped across the porch. He picked Stryker up then threw him over his shoulder.
Bas and Aaron laughed. Gavin strode away with Stryker continuing to taunt him which just made the whole situation even more funny. Leo just stared at the ground and shook his head. “Those two. They’re just perfect together.”
“You have to admit it’s never boring here,” Aaron said.
It was on the tip of his tongue to share with his friends Bas’s suspicions about Hudson, but what if he was wrong? No, it would be better if he did some research into the human himself before he said anything. “True,” he settled with saying.
“They’re grilling steaks tonight,” Aaron said. “And Drake brought some of the sides from his restaurant as well. It smells fucking fantastic.”
Stepping out of the cabin, Bas strode to the rail where Stryker had been sitting. He could tell it was close to dinnertime with how full the yard was. Bryce, Nate, Ansley, and Anton were playing at the top of the playset. A massive colorful set that had to have been custom made. Logan was in his lion form, napping under his tree with his massive head in Dean’s lap as Noah, also shifted, was curled up on his chest. Lawson, River, and Sam were playing a board game at the patio table. Drake, Axel, and Bo were standing at the grill talking. Rainer was showing Craig, Shawn, and Trevor something on a tablet as they kept looking toward the woods. Gavin walked out of the forest with Stryker over his shoulder with Mal, Adam, Ash, and Seb. Levi and Mason stepped out of their cabin across from his and waved.
Family.
That was what these men were to one another.
Mated couples and throuples scattered around because they were also bonded like a pack.
It made sense to him when he thought of Hudson running across the yard or calling out to him.
“Never thought I’d see a group of men like this together,” Leo said quietly. He stood at Bas’s left as Aarin joined them on the right.
“I keep waiting to hear growling or a fight starting,” Aaron said.
