“Alpha?” Nashen called from the kitchen.
“It’s me. Everything is still on schedule for Pras,” he called back and motioned for us to follow him into the kitchen. He paused and looked around. “Gaia better not be lathering herself up in all the expensive elven lotions in the bathroom. Those are Nash’s.”
“Mated life has made you a grouch,” I said.
“Mated life has helped me set boundaries,” Bernard countered.
“I’ll go find my mate,” Sermon said and headed off.
Mum and Bree had already made their way back to the kitchen, so I asked Bernard what was wrong again.
“You stayed away this long why couldn’t you wait a few more days?” he finally spat the words out.
“Uh… I have the right to see Pras off. He’s my family too.”
“You’ve never met the man nor his ghost,” Bernard said, lowering his voice. “You could’ve saved your mum and Bree a lot off worrying by laying up on that island for a few more days.”
“Ber, I need to be here. I can feel it in my bones.”
“Don’t stress out the women, the omegas, or my baby,” Bernard said and patted me on the shoulder as he walked toward the kitchen.
“Hey! That’s everyone here except for us and Sermon!”
“That’s my point!” he smirked over his shoulder. “If my kid pulled what you did, I’d lock him in the cupboard until this was all said and done.”
Chapter 4
Jade
Guardians of Glitter Bomb Territory
Jayvius and Clawvius, AKA Vius and Claw, walked with Eran and Vatten from their house to ours. Their parents, Brent and Jeran, ran the Cuddle Club downtown and were best friends with my parents. So, growing up they were built in best friends. Lucky for everyone, pride meant something to all of us and we remained friends as adults. For a while, there were some concern about having so many young lions competing with each other, but we were more than lions. We were shifters too. Vius was an alpha and Claw was an omega like me. There were others our age but our social structure sort of just worked itself out because we were engrained into each other’s lives. While I never saw either of the twins as ‘mate material’ I also never saw them as competition for the things I wanted in life. While Claw and me were both omegas we wanted vastly different things in life. He was a guard and I ran a playroom that sometimes acted as a daycare. We weren’t even interested in the same type of guys. Claw was pansexual so his dating pool was vaster than I ever dreamed of mine being, but he was single as often as I was.
I kissed them both hello in turn, picking up all the little details of their days and what exactly was going on with Pras’s stuff. So far, so good. Ferrick hadn’t so much as made a peep.Though, that led me to wonder if he was scheming inside that cursed book.
“I don’t think so,” Vius shook his head as Eran carried a basket full of puppies and kittens inside with Vatten in his Duck Toller form on his heels. “I don’t know a lot about dead people, but I think the book is pretty airtight as long as no one exploits the loophole Pami used to get out.
“Watch out. Bernard’s in a mood,” Claw added. “I swear since he met Nashen he’s taken on his mate’s moodiness.”
“No, his cousin should’ve stayed away until it was done. Who would want to stress Bree out?” Vius asked, raising his sandy brows high on his forehead.
“Stop crushing on the octopus dragon,” Claw rolled his eyes.
“Seriously, I’d stop if I were you,” I added.
I’d never met Bernard’s cousin before. He wouldn’t have been a kid at the same time as me and as much as shifters want to say age doesn’t matter, it does. With some exceptions we seemed to group up with the shifters our age that we grew up with. Maybe it was the bonds we made early on or the way it had always been, but that’s way things played out.
“Have you seen him?” I asked.
“Looking for a replacement for Eran?” Claw teased.
“No, I’m wondering if he’s going to set Jondi off,” I said, not really in the mood for his jokes. “He’s doing really well right now. He didn’t even freak out when I told him you two were dropping by to bring Eran, Vatten, and the babies.”
“Eh, he’s not a threat. Maybe a bit of a showoff,” Vius said. “I mean, coming here right now and all of that.”
“He grew up an only child too,” Claw added. “That can… Well, you know how that can make some dragons.”
“Not just dragons,” I shrugged. “I’ll keep my eyes open.”
