I reach upand touch my own neck without thinking about it.
Raff's new bite overlaps Cliff's, the two bites layered together, and through my bond I can feel both of them right now. Cliff warm and steady at the grill, feeling a low hum of contentment. And Raff is bright and a little sharper. The alpha has a restless energy that I've come to love.
Both of them in my head.
Both of them mine.
I close my eyes for a second and just savor it.
I’ve been doing that a lot lately.
Near the garage, Raff says something to Perrin that I can't hear, and Perrin's response is to shove him sideways with one shoulder. Raff grabs the back of Perrin's neck in retaliation, pulling him in. Raff's hand slides from Perrin's neck down to the beta’s waist, pulling him close against the side of the Cadillac.
"Those two," Odette shakes her head. “I’m gonna lose it if they fuck against my car. That paint job is worth more than my boy’s life.”
A car turns into the driveway.
Black SUV with the same personalized plates.
Anton steps out, pulling his sunglasses off and tucking them into his shirt pocket. He scans the yard once, finds Cliff at the grill, and nods. Then he finds Raff, who has reluctantly released Perrin, and nods at him too.
Then the passenger door opens.
A woman gets out. She's tall, with warm brown skin, and natural hair pulled back from her face. She looks around Odette's yard with a bright smile on her face. She looks very friendly.
"Anton." Odette is already on her feet, moving acrossthe lawn with her arms out. "You sweet boy. It has been way too long."
Anton opens his arms too, and she walks straight into them. He hugs her with a genuineness that surprises me a little, his big hands pressing flat against her back.
When they pull apart, Odette takes his face in both hands and looks at him over her sunglasses.
"You got old, son," she says.
Anton's eyes narrow, half a smile pulling up one side of his mouth.
Odette gives him a look so sharp it could cut. "The only words that had better come out of your mouth right now are that I look younger every day," she says, "or I am putting your old ass on that grill next to the steaks."
Anton’s smirk shifts, growing into a very boy-ish smile. "Mama O, you don't look a day over twenty-nine.”
Odette releases his face and steps back, satisfied. "That's what I thought." She turns and looks at Anton’s guest. “And you must be Anton’s girl.”
"This is Maya," Anton says, as he holds his hand out toward the woman beside him. She steps forward and takes it.
Maya smiles at us, and says hello to everyone. Cliff comes over from the grill, wiping his hands on a dish towel, and shakes her hand. Raff and Perrin follow, as all the introductions are made.
Odette takes Maya by the arm and immediately pulls her toward the grill, asking the young woman how she takes her steak.
Anton drifts toward me.
He stands beside my chair and looks out at the yard for a moment, taking it all in. Adam drifts off to help Cliff, while Perrin and Raff head inside to get some plates.
"How are things?" I ask as Anton sits, taking Adam’s chair.
"Good." The alpha glances at me sideways. "Could use a good pharmacist though." He tilts his head slightly. "All I've got right now is a pharmacy tech, and she's slow as hell."
I look at him. "Is Milo still there?"
Anton shakes his head. "Milo kind of disappeared." He looks back at the yard. "Nobody was surprised. He had a problem." He leans in slightly. "Pill popper.” He shakes his head. “I should have caught it sooner."
