Page 41 of Rest In Knotty Pieces

“This isn’t working,” I mutter.

I wander the house. Blaze is hidden in his workshop. Aaron is lurking in a dark corner. Rolly and King are itching in their enclosed prison, and Daega is prowling the house like a dangerous wraith, his temper growing with each day.

I pull out my phone and send a message.

“House meeting!” I shout.

They come, angry, frustrated, and openly hostile, but they all come. Even Merle lurks in the shadows of the hallway and watches.

“I’ve invited the family over for lunch.”

Blaze straightens, his eyes turning hard and cold. “That was not your decision-”

“Uh, baby.”

“No, you should-”

“Baby,” I say in exasperation.

He closes his mouth, and his lips twist as he stares at me. “I don’t approve.”

“Noted.”

King and Rolly glance at each other, then behind them to where Merle is hidden. They swallow their protests.

Aaron growls at me, but he’s got no say over the matter. He’ll explode when they get here or not. I’m not sure how much of an impact the omegas have on him and his ability to control himself, but knowing him, it’s high.

Pix raises a brow. “The family?”

“All the Sandersons are invited.”

“Uh huh,” he says, and he’s not impressed. At all. My excitement flags.

“You think I made a mistake?”

“Oh, I know you did, but it will be funny to watch you get your ass handed to you by an old man.”

I grin at him. “You have so little faith in me.”

“You haven’t met my family.”

“Our family now.”

His eyebrows go up, and he stares at me, hard, intent, and with a burning rage. “Not yours, they are mine. My family. I don’t share.”

Interesting.

Merle creeps out of the hallway, ignoring us both as she heads towards King. When he moves, she moves. She stays a few feet away from him, but virtually shadows his every movement.

Rolly is delighted.

I decide that my impulsive decision was a win for this and this alone.

“Do you really hate her so much, Daega?” I whisper.

He bares his teeth and slams me into the wall. Merle freezes like a deer in headlights. “Yes. She’s the opposite of this pack, everything that needs protection and help.”

“Which we are all more than capable of giving. Maybe we are exactly the right pack.”