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“Keep up the good work with the vampires, Felix,” I added to the foxshifter.
He saluted me with a twinkle in his sharp eyes. “I’m glad toserve.”
As they drove off, I ambled back to Marco. “How have relations been going between the feline and avian settlements I talked to last week? No furtherconflicts?”
“They’ve managed to keep the peace so far. I think your talking-to—and the compromise—did the trick. Until they find something new to squabble about.” He shook his head. “We also had another stray rogue turn up, one who was born on that side of the divide, wanting to make amends. The next time you can make it to Florida, I’ll have you truth-fry him to make sure he’sgenuine.
“Happy to,” I said. The kin had claimed a couple dozen former rogues since our war with the vampires—and the death of the last of the rogue’s leaders. But I’d helped question them all thoroughly first, ofcourse.
Marco slid his arm around my shoulders. “So do I get you all to myself, or is this going to be a biggerparty?”
“The other guys should be on their way,” I said. “I asked everyone to get here mid-afternoon-ish.”
“Well, no reason we can’t enjoy this alone time while we have it,” hemurmured.
I snuggled into his arms as he lowered his mouth to the side of my neck, but he hadn’t gotten any farther than that when another engine sounded down the road. “Hmm,” he said, raising his head to look. “We can always pick up where we left offlater.”
I laughed. “I’m sure wewill.”
West got out of his jeep with his usual gruff expression. It still gave me a little thrill seeing that serious look vanish behind a warm grin when our eyes met. He strode over and tipped my chin up for a kiss without bothering to detach me from Marco’sarms.
“Too long,” he said. He’d been off dealing with some issues in a few of the canine settlements while I’d been busy with the fae alliance, so we hadn’t seen each other in nearly twoweeks.
“We’re almost done enclosing the new territories,” I said. “Then you won’t be able to get rid ofme.”
His grin stretched wider. “Believe me, I’m looking forward tothat.”
Aaron arrived next, in a sedan that sputtered when he brought it to a stop. A thin stream of smoke trickled from the hood. He made a face as he got out. “I’m not sure which I like less now—jets orcars.”
“One of the kin on the estate is a mechanic,” I said. “I’ll get her to have alook.”
Marco brushed his hands together. “Let me at it. I’m not totally hopeless withcars.”
The other guys and I exchanged a skeptical look. The feline shifter waved us off. “Just because I like extravagant things doesn’t mean I’m afraid to get my hands dirty now andthen.”
We’d just gotten the hood propped up when Nate’s pick-up truck pulled in. “Okay,” I said as the bear shifter emerged. “Car maintenance can wait. Come oninside.”
Nate fell into step with us on the way to the house, and that beautiful sense of completion wrapped around me. Here I was with all my mates. Everything as it should be. More than they even knewyet.
“What’s going on, Ren?” Nate asked. “It sounded like this meeting was a little more urgent thanusual.”
“Not in a bad way,” I assured him. “There’s just something I wanted to talk to all of you about, that I figured it’d be best to do inperson.”
“I’m never going to object to spending time with you, any time I can,” Aaron said. He raised my hand to kiss the back of it, his blue eyes gleaming withaffection.
I led the way down the hall to my private quarters. In the sitting room, I stopped, motioning them closer. “Give me a hand. All ofyou.”
Marco raised an eyebrow, but my alphas all held out one of their hands. I grasped them lightly with my fingers and guided their palms to mybelly.
“Can you feel her?” I said softly. “Because I can.” The new life I was carrying inside me touched my senses with a gentle energy like the flickering of a candleflame.
Nate’s eyes widened. His hand left my belly to pull me into a fervent kiss. Then Aaron was kissing me, then West and Marco again, all of them closing around me in a ring oflove.
“Here’s to the next dragon shifter,” Aaronmurmured.
Motherhood was a whole new expanse of brand-new territory waiting ahead of me, but I was ready for it. Especially with my mates by myside.
I rested my hand over that glimmer of life and smiled. “Here’s to her and all of us, and the future we’re building for her.” A future that could now be lit with harmony andhope.
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