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“He’s very self-contained a lot of the time,” Blair agreed before chucking popcorn into her mouth.
“He’s different with you, though,” Bailey added. “He doesn’t hold back from you. And he’s a lot less restless now that he’s mated to you. At peace, even, despite all that’s happening.”
Just then, Deke prowled into the room, fluid and smooth—no doubt coming to check on Blair on Luke’s behalf.
Growing up, she hadn’t seen other males. Luke took up all her mental space, he was the only man she’d ever wanted. But she could certainly objectively acknowledge that another guy was attractive. And there was no denying that Deke was supremely hot.
He glanced from one female to another. “What are you four talking about?”
Bailey sighed. “They don’t believe me that bees can actually detect bombs.”
He pinned her with a blank stare. “I don’t believe you.”
Her eyes widened. “It’s true. Look it up. They can detect them with their tongues. Though how someone discovered that, I don’t know. I didn’t even know bees had tongues.”
Shaking his head, Deke slid his gaze to Blair. “I’m surprised that Luke left you alone with the unholy trinity.”
“Unholy trinity,” Bailey echoed, her lips curling. “I like that.”
Deke snorted. “You would.” He muttered something beneath his breath and then returned to the backyard.
Blair looked at Bailey. “There’s some kind of weird tension between you two.” One that carried a sexual undertone. “Is he an ex bed-buddy?”
“What? Oh no,” said Bailey with a chuckle. “He just doesn’t like me. As such, he really doesn’t like that I’ve gone on the occasional date with one of his BFFs. In Deke’s opinion, Shay can do better.”
Blair’s brow furrowed. “He actually said that?”
“No,” replied the mamba. “It’s just plain obvious.”
Aspen’s nose wrinkled. “I’m not so sure that’s the case at all, though I agree he doesn’t like that you’re dating Shay. I know you disagree, but I still think there’s some jealousy involved.”
Bailey snorted. “Deke wouldn’t touch me with someone else’s cock, let alone his. I annoy the hell out of him.”
“You annoy the hell out of most people,” Aspen pointed out. “And you do it on purpose.”
“Life is for living,” said Bailey.
Aspen frowned. “How does deliberately irritating people count as ‘living?’”
“Why you gotta ask me rhetorical questions? You know I don’t like them.”
“It wasn’t rhetorical. I genuinely don’t understand.”
“Well that’s a you issue. Don’t drag me into your problems.”
Aspen ground her teeth. “You know, sometimes, I really want to hurt you.”
“Yeah?” Bailey raised a daring brow. “Bring it, Montgomery.”
“No,” Havana cut in, slashing her arm through the air, “there’ll be no bringing.”
Feeling her mouth curve, Blair put her bag of popcorn on the table. “Is it okay if I use your bathroom, Havana?”
“I’d be bothered if you didn’t,” replied the Alpha. “I don’t condone people peeing on my floor.” She shot Aspen a hard look.
Aspen sighed. “I apologized for that.”
Blair reared back. “You took a piss on her floor?”
“No, but my bearcat did while she was fighting with Bailey’s mamba.”
“Dirty bitch,” Bailey muttered.
Aspen bristled. “Don’t start throwing stones at my bearcat. Your damn snake is no innocent.”
As the two females proceeded to argue once more, Blair left the room and headed to the half-bath that branched off the hallway. It was as she finished washing her hands that she heard loud hisses and yowls.
Racing into the living room, she skidded to a halt. Aspen and Bailey had shifted into their animal forms and, well, things weren’t going well. The bearcat was slamming the snake’s head on the coffee table, wheezing from the pressure of the mamba’s body constricting around her body.
Havana charged into the room with Deke trailing behind her. “Both of you stop!” she ordered. “Now.”
Thankfully, they did stop. Though not before the tip of the snake’s tail bitch slapped the bearcat. Aspen’s animal then bared her teeth and gripped said tail, her claws unsheathed. The mamba lunged at her with a hiss.
“I said, stop!”
Again, they did.
Havana looked at Blair. “I stepped out onto the deck to speak to Deke for mere seconds—I repeat, seconds—and in that short time the situation somehow managed to devolve to the point that they were brawling. Unreal.”
At her side, Deke grunted. “I can guess who started it.” He fired a harsh look at the black mamba, who then hissed at him—it was a long, drawn-out, chilling sound. To his credit, he didn’t flinch or back away. Instead, he flicked up a brow. “You got a problem, Hissy Elliot?”
The snake launched herself at him.
Swearing under his breath, he snapped his hand closed around her neck before her fangs could get near him.
Havana growled. “Enough with the lunging!”
As Luke strolled along the street toward the cul-de-sac with Tate and Isaiah, he kept a close eye on his surroundings. He noted that his enforcers—most of whom currently posed as pedestrians to fool humans, since they couldn’t afford to look like they were on patrol—were just as vigilant.
