“I should introduce myself. I am Miranda, representative of Wilde, Member for the Convocation.”
Gatlin nodded. “Welcome to our home. I’m Gatlin, Alpha of the Huxley-Grey Pack, and this is my co-Alpha, Finlo. Our Betas, Ellar and Seven, and our Omega, Raiden.” He paused, pulling me closer to his body in a possessive gesture that I didn’t miss. “This is Naja. She’s Omega and our very special guest.”
Miranda took a sip of tea, and I was fairly sure she was hiding a grin. “Indeed. Is your very special guest the reason the wards need to be renewed? They are abysmal, by the way. A kitten with an Uzi could have stepped over those wards like they didn’t exist.”
A what now?
But the witch wasn’t done. “You need to tell me what exactly we are keeping out, and then I will give you my price. This will have to be an expansive ward, unless you intend to be a prisoner in this house forever?” I shook my head vehemently. “I didn’t think so. So we will need to talk to your Council—uh, what do you refer to them as? Yes, the Legion. We’ll have to talk to them and get the proper permission to drop the wards completely and build them back up.”
The guys all frowned about that and I didn’t blame them. Having met the Legion once, I’d decided that was more than enough.
Finlo nodded finally. “We can do that. How long will it take you to put up the ward?”
Miranda shrugged. “I’ll dismantle yours first, and build up a far better one. About half a day? I’m going to need the proper supplies and the right phase of the moon.” She looked out the window like she could see the moon in the bright sunlight. “I’m thinking we should do it Thursday next week, if we can get permission from your powers that be.”
They talked more about the logistics, and she listed a staggering amount of money as a fee, before standing. She smiled as she stepped toward me, making everyone tense. “Congratulations, Naja. You’ve brought a little more magic back into the world.”
As I stood there gaping, she opened some kind of glowing red portal and stepped through it casually, like she hadn’t just bent space and time for funsies.
I turned to the rest of the guys, who were equally gobsmacked. It was Seven that shook himself out of it first.
“Witches are so fucking weird.”
Well, a-fucking-men to that.
The witch’slist of things that needed to happen meant that another trip to Maxton was necessary. Finlo’s mother had also decided we’d been hiding up in the hills for long enough, so the day in town had resulted in an invitation to a family barbecue, which terrified the absolute fuck out of me. Not the scariest thing to ever happen to me, of course, but it made my heart pound like a bass drum for half a day leading up to it. I’d already met Finlo’s parents and the twins, but I was meeting his sister and older brother this time, as well as Raiden’s family. The numbers had blown right out. And I was freaking out.
The plan was that Gatlin, Ellar and Raiden would go to the Legion and request that they allow Miranda to put up stronger wards. Raiden and Ellar would ground Gatlin and hopefully prevent him from pounding his dad into dust, and if that didn't work, they were going to play the pregnant Omega card. While they were there convincing a crusty old guy that protecting us was necessary, Finlo would be showing me and Luisa off to his family, or so he put it with a grin.
When I’d asked if Seven’s family would be there too, Seven had scoffed. “I hope the fuck not.”
Now, he sat beside me, holding Luisa who was excited to be in the ATV again. She was snuggled tightly in Seven’s arms, more than content to be there. Hell, she was utterly besotted with the Pack, like they were her real flesh and blood.
It was nearly painful to admit that I was too. Besotted, I mean. When we reached the edge of town, both ATVs stopped. Everyone from the other ATV climbed out and came over. Raiden kissed me hard. “Have fun. We’ll be there soon enough.”
Ellar kissed me next, before blowing a raspberry on Luisa’s cheek, making her giggle. “See you guys soon, I promise to keep these hotheads in line.” That last bit was directed at Finlo, who looked kind of unconvinced. That was worrying.
Finally, Gatlin came over and kissed me softly. “See you soon.”
I grinned at him. “We’re only going to be apart for like an hour, not forever, Gatlin.”
He gave me an intense look. “Doesn't matter to the Beast. Or to me,” he said softly.
My heart fluttered in my chest. “In that case, be good and get back to me ASAP,” I whispered back, and he kissed me again.
Then they were back in their ATV and moving off in the opposite direction. “My family owns a big house on the other side of town,” Finlo said as we drove off. “They weren't the townie kind of people either.”
I was thankful for that. The road up to Finlo’s parents house was beautiful, the mountains gorgeous this time of the year. It would be even more beautiful in winter, and I couldn’t wait to see it.
I paused. I was really staying. I knew in my heart that was what I wanted. Not just for a few months, or a year or two. Forever. I wanted to stay with the Huxley-Grey Packforeverand I wanted to be a real part of the Pack.
I looked at Finlo and Seven. Would they want me to be with them forever? To intrinsically tie themselves to me and all my bullshit? The look in Raiden’s eye when he was fucking me yesterday said yes, but maybe he looked at everyone he was fucking like that.
I gasped when we pulled up in front of Finlo’s family home. Holy shit. I’d thought the Pack house was impressive, but Finlo’s parents’ house was an architectural confection. It butted right up to a cliff face, and was made of steel and glass, yet somehow blended beautifully into the surrounding landscape.
“Wow.”
Seven grumbled as he stood, shifting Luisa to his hip. “All the houses are this ostentatious if you have a large Pack. A six-income family has a lot of spare cash to throw around.”
