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“He’s also a part of Adair Carter’s pack,” Ric said, his frown deepening. “The alpha running for Governor next year.”
“...yes?” Ric, like me, had also never paid much attention to politics outside of researching potential candidates on a very basic level. But, judging by the way that he said Adair’s name, he obviously had an opinion about the alpha.
“I don’t like it.” Ric crossed his arms stubbornly across his chest, his plate of food forgotten.
Irritation filled my gut as I glared at him. I suddenly felt like I was back in high school and he was telling me that I couldn’t go out with my friends. “Last time I checked, Ric, I’m a grown adult who can make her own decisions.”
Everyone else at the table looked anywhere but at the two of us, trying to ignore the battle that was beginning to brew over the green beans. Dominic, who had been feeding Vivi, quietly got up and left the room with the baby, and Eloise shot him a grateful smile.
“Yes, you are an adult, but I’m still your older brother. Adair Carter is a good politician. Idealistic and optimistic, but he is also really good at bringing out the crazies who don’t like his agenda. If you are attached to that pack at all, you are opening yourself up to danger.”
I couldn’t believe him. He was talking as if I was about to walk down the aisle with Rio and his pack tomorrow.
“Doesn’t Marcus have hang-ups about betas?” Link, who’d been quiet for most of dinner, chimed in to ask Aria who just shrugged.
“It doesn’t matter, it’s a first date for crying out loud. I’m not going to run away and elope with them tomorrow.” I mimicked Ric by crossing my own arms over my chest and looking at him stubbornly.
“You know,” Eloise, ever the peacemaker, cut in. “I wouldn’t be with your pack at all if we were avoiding dangerous men.” She pointed out, sliding her hand along Ric’s shoulders and I watched as she worked her magic. Ric’s shoulders loosened almost immediately under his omega’s soft touches.
Ric let out a surrendering sigh. “Fine, but I want to meet him.”
I let out a bark of laughter. “Absolutely not. You said that about Bobby Iverson during my Junior year of high school and you scared him away in ten minutes. He avoided me for two years after that.”
Someone, probably Owen, laughed outright at that, but I was on a roll. “You can meet himif—and that’s a big if—I decide to go on more than one date with him.”
Ric seemed mollified by my response, and I had a feeling that he’d somehow out-maneuvered me during this conversation. His ability to talk circles around people is what made him such a great businessman, but it also made him an annoying as hell older brother.
With a sigh I popped a juicy, slightly cold, piece of tri-tip into my mouth. “I swear, you three forget that I’m a grown adult and not a little girl anymore. Shouldn’t I have my own private life?”
The question was rhetorical, but I should have remembered just who I was talking to because Ric, Leon, and even Gage just shook their heads. “No.” they said in unison.
It was such a ridiculous response that I couldn’t do anything but laugh, and the tension at the table broke with the sound of it.
“Sorry, Mads. We don’t mean to be so protective.” Leon apologized, elbowing Ric in the ribs. “We just worry about you.”
Leon, surprisingly, had always been the good cop when it came to raising me. Leon was the yes-man, Ric was the no-man, and Gage had always been the true neutral of the trio.
“And I love you for that.” I really did mean it. They had acted as my mother, my father, and my brothers when I was a hurt little girl. I owed more to them than I could ever repay.
“And we love you too.” Ric said, and I watched Eloise get a little misty-eyed at our interaction.
“Okay, enough with the mushy gushy,” Tibby clapped her hands together. “Who wants cake?”
