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Something about the way he said it told Zander that he meant it too. This was a man that took family ties seriously. His daughters were both named after his brothers after all. But beneath the invitation was something else, something unspoken, something that made Zander think that what he’d really wanted to say was that as long as Zoey wanted him here then he was welcome but if that changed, so would his sleeping arrangements.
He found he like the guy more and more as he saw the way he protected and doted on Zoey.
“Speaking of family,” Zoey stepped out of her husband’s embrace and grabbed an oven mitt to check the biscuits again, “Did you get in touch with Michael?”
“Yeah.” Rafe shot a glance at Zander so fast he would have missed it if he hadn’t been paying such close attention to the conversation. He was looking back at Zoey as she plated the oven-fresh biscuits when he spoke again. “He said he and Luna would stop by later this afternoon after they finished running some errands.”
“Oh, that’s so great.” Zoey’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes when she turned back to Zander but her smile was wide and pleasant, “You’ll get a chance to meet more of the family then. Michael is Rafe’s brother, I think I mentioned that, and Luna is his… wife.”
Zander narrowed his eyes, that sense he was missing something pricking at the back of his neck again. Why did it seem as if Zoey had wanted to use a word other than wife? Were they not married? Before he could question it further Zoey continued and her next words snapped his head up.
“Luna is our sister-in-law but you already met her siblings last night.”
“Siblings.” He quirked an eyebrow. “You mean Maya DeLuca?”
“Yep, and Nova, and Leo. Luna and Leo are twins actually. Maya is the middle child. Nova is the baby of their family.”
“Wow.” He found himself shaking his head as the pieces he was missing about these people began to slip into place, “Last night, when you all said you were family I assumed you meant in like a Friendsgiving kind of way, where you’re really close because you all grew up together or something.”
“Oh,” Zoey laughed a little. “No. Well, I mean, yes. That too. We are friends but we’re family first and foremost. Family is important to us.”
Zander nodded though he could feel a headache coming on. He wanted to attribute it to the fact that the way these people talked about family blew his mind. He had never had deep connections with anyone but certainly not his family. They’d been torn apart when he was barely old enough to understand what was going on and he’d needed to fend for himself ever since. But not even the realization that Zoey had the kind of solid family foundation and clear support system that he’d only ever wished for could drown out the thought most prevalent in his head at that moment.
Did Zoey’s connection to Maya DeLuca mean that she was also his family? God he hoped not. Because the pull he’d felt to her from the moment he saw her beautiful face was in no way brotherly. They weren’t related. They couldn’t be. Otherwise his body wouldn’t flare to life with the very thought of her and she wouldn’t haunt his dreams, would she?
He had only met her for the briefest moment in time but she’d made an indelible mark on him. One he couldn’t shake. One he wasn’t sure he wanted to shake. All he knew was that his plans to cut and run from this place had been put on hold the instant he’d met Maya DeLuca because he wanted to know more about her, everything about her, and he’d never wanted anyone the way that he wanted her.
“Oh, um.. is she coming too? Maya, I mean. Coming over here?”
Zoey and Rafe exchanged a glance. He was certain his question had been too obvious. His interest in her too palpable. He wondered if his big, strong brother-in-law was about to warn him off but Rafe only smirked. Zoey had a knowing smile on her face when she turned back to him.
“Probably not. At least not yet. There’s some things we need to figure out first.”
He nodded. He didn’t speak again. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to hide his disappointment. Luckily, he was saved from his one man pity party when Zoey grabbed up the plates piles high with food and motioned to the table.
“Come on. Breakfast is ready and you’re going to need your strength to get through today.”
Zander stood and followed her to where Rafe was already helping the girls put up their crayons and coloring books, grinning again, “That sounds a little bit ominous.”
“Not at all.” Zoey reassured him as she put down the platters and went back to the fridge to get the juice to refill glasses. “There’s just a lot to tell you, a lot for us to catch up on. And I can’t wait to introduce my brother to the world I live in.”
Zander’s stomach clenched a little, uncertainty over her words, especially when Rafe gave his wife a pointed look, but he pasted on a bright smile and nodded, “Looking forward to it.”
They all filled their plates and everyone talked over each other as they ate breakfast. It was loud and messy and a little bit wild but Zander found himself enjoying both the meal and the company. It had been a long time since he sat down for a home cooked meal with anyone but in particular, family. It warmed his heart to see just how happy and completely normal Zoey’s life had turned out to be.
Maybe if he was lucky, someday he would feel like part of a family as ordinary and open and loving, as this one.
Chapter Seven
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
Maya glanced up to find Nova standing in the doorway to her bedroom, arms crossed and mouth in a tense line. She ground her teeth to keep back a curse. She’d really wanted to be packed and on the road before Nova got home.
“It’s not what it looks like.” She turned away, opening another drawer and pulling out a t-shirt and pajama shorts.
“Well it looks like you’re running away so…” Nova huffed. “Tell me what I’m actually seeing if it’s not that.”
Maya shoved the shirt and shorts into her backpack before turning to face her sister again, “Leo needs someone to head up north and check in with the Umbra Pack. Last he heard they were going to send an ambassador to meet with him but since then, they’ve gone radio silent.”
