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“Absolutely. Would you like that topped with berries or bourbon chocolate cherries?”

“Real bourbon?”

“Nothing but the best.”

“The cherries, please,” he replied.

“You won’t be disappointed,” she replied. “My wife makes them from scratch along with everything else we serve. The kitchen is her domain, the front of the house is mine. We dreamed of opening a place like this when we left home to go to college. We’d found one where she could enroll in the culinary program while I took the business and entrepreneurship ones. We’d intended to go home and set up there, but the area our kettle roosted in was ravaged by a storm. Looking for what remained of them landed us in a world of trouble. With no place to go back to and no desire to stumble into the wrong hands again, we were grateful for the chance to become a part of the pack.”

“We’re new members as well,” Logan replied. “In fact, this is our celebration meal for finally landing someplace we could put down roots.”

“I’m glad you chose our place to have it,” she replied as she turned her attention to Logan. “Will you be starting with desert as well?”

“Can’t break the tradition now that he’s unknowingly started one,” he replied. “I’ve got to try the crème liqueur opera cake with coffee buttercream.”

“Another excellent choice,” she replied. “I’ll be right back with them.”

“One of each, we can try each other’s” Lysander said. “Touch one of my cherries…”

“Yeah, yeah, and you’ll end me,” Logan replied, cutting him off. “I’m familiar with that threat.”

“Never forget that it can turn into a promise at the drop of a hat if you cross me,” he replied, narrowing his eyes at Logan.

“Duly noted.”

“There is another reason to celebrate tonight,” Lysander announced after a few sips of water. “Octavius was able to obtain copies of my certifications from the colleges I attended, much as he did for Kale. As expected, they are out of date, but he’s already arranged for me to take the classes I need online and at my pace. I got registered this afternoon. Until everything was up to date he offered me an aid position, so I could get back into the classroom and help as needed. He barely got the words out before I said yes.”

“Dude. I’m thrilled for you. Rusty swore he’d be able to help but you know how it is.”

“Yeah. You haven’t been here long enough to accept that it isn’t a ploy,” Lysander said. “We’ll probably struggle with that for a while but in time we’ll be the ones assuring new wolves that they truly can let their guard down here and be themselves. When he showed me the outdoor space and the way it was designed so even pups with mobility issues could use it, I stopped worrying about whether I’d be able to keep up with them or not. He’s going to start me in the eleven-and twelve-year old’s room, since they have the most numbers right now.”

“When Kale took Wren and I on a tour of the school, I was blown away by how homey the spaces were. No plastic. No metal. Nothing that remotely resembles the human-based institutions other packs have adopted. Sunning benches in the reading nooks, quiet corners pups can retreat too without feeling like they’re being punished for needing a moment. I love that they all have sensory toys and noise cancelling headsets where they can listen to soothing movies or audio books. Wren says they don’t even have to ask to go sit in it, they can just pick up their things and move there and still be able to see the lesson and watch what’s taking place, even if they have the headset on. Kale just goes over it with them one on one before they leave for the day, so they can ask all the questions they need to.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting him and the rest of Wren’s new uncles.”

“We didn’t want to overwhelm you with everyone and the pups all at once,” Logan replied.

“I appreciate it. Like everything else, socializing without feeling like we need to watch our backs is going to take some getting used to.”

“Here you go, enjoy,” Zoe said, placing their desserts on the table, along with two teacups and a steaming pot of tea in a ceramic pot.

She left us to enjoy ourselves as the scent of cinnamon and orange blossoms wafted from the pot.

Lysander inhaled, sighing, eyes half rolled back. “That smells divine.”

“Much like this tastes,” Logan replied after he’d swallowed the first bite of opera cake. “So good.”

He had a bite of Lysander’s panna cotta, which melted in his mouth, but the opera cake held his full attention as he savored every crumb.

Zoe didn’t return until their plates were empty, whisking them away after they’d ordered their next course. Stuffed game hens roasted in an orange sauce for Logan while Lysander had opted for the game hen but with cherry sauce instead. The moment he’d tasted the hand churned cherry ice cream from the market, he’d gone back and purchased three more pints. Tate barely choked the words out around his laughter when he’d told Logan that Lysander had labeled them with a sticky note reading FAFO.

“I met the most interesting wolf the other day,” Lysander said as they settled back to enjoy the view while they waited for their meals.

The seats were wide and comfortable, rounded so more than one wolf could fit, no matter their form.

“You’ll have to be more specific, there are quite a few around here.”

“Well, this one had paint splattered fingers and pink and aqua hair.”