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“I’m so happy for you, Zara,” Amelia said. “You must be so excited.”
Zara nodded, but even she was smiling. I should have been happy, too. Nathan’s child would have a cousin, but I felt weird about it.
“Nathan, listen,” Jeremy said. “I want to name him Jakob after Opa.”
Amelia shot Nathan a concerned glance. Jakob was their grandfather, once head of their pack before Byron stepped up. They had cared for him deeply, but their relationships had become complicated before his death. His spirit had gotten trapped, and Margo had helped him pass on last year. I wasn’t sure if Jeremy had ever heard the full story.
Jeremy tensed, his fingers digging into Zara’s shoulder. She shifted uncomfortably, trying to draw away from him. “It feels right,” he said. “I know you were probably considering the name for your pup, but mine will come first.”
Nathan shrugged. “I’m glad,” he said. “I had my own father’s name in mind if we have a boy.”
Byron's eyes glistened. “Louis would be so proud. I’m glad you thought of him.”
Nathan’s father was Byron’s twin, and his death had marked most of their family in some way. The old days were long gone. With a new generation, the tension between Jeremy and the others could disappear.
Jeremy didn’t look pleased, however. He finally let go of Zara and returned to his seat, but he seemed dissatisfied. He had something stuck in his craw about Nathan, and he would keep poking at him until he managed to provoke him. I had seen that kind of behaviour a million times before.
When we sat down to eat, Jeremy nitpicked at everything Nathan said, but Nathan acted like he didn’t notice. Byron kept glancing from one man to the other, while Amelia ramped up the calm aura she could manipulate. Even still, Jeremy didn’t relent.
His gaze finally fell on me. “What’s the deal with you anyway? Couldn’t get a wolf to look at you? Look at the problems the pack has now because of your girlfriend.”
“That’s enough,” Nathan said, rising to the bait for the first time. “Dorian hasn’t done anything wrong, and neither has his girlfriend.”
Jeremy held his gaze for way too long. “I suppose you would say that.”
Amelia tutted. “Oh, don’t start.”
“Eat,” Byron urged.
Jeremy mumbled something under his breath, but he went back to eating along with the rest of us. Zara still hadn’t spoken, and I was starting to feel super uncomfortable.
As soon as the meal ended, Nathan stood. “Dorian and I will head on. If you need anything, tell me.” He nodded at Zara. “It’s good to see you both. I wish it was under better circumstances.”
“I’m off, too,” Amelia said. She hadn’t spoken much either. “I’ll be back tonight. I might pop around to Margo first, make sure all is quiet.”
She left even before we did, rushing out the door as though desperate to get away.
Byron walked us to the door, hesitating on the doorstep. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s nothing,” Nathan said cheerfully. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Have a good night, Granddad.”
Byron laughed and waved us on. Nathan and I headed home, but as soon as I got inside, I let the frustrations of the night free.
“What is his problem?” I exclaimed. “What the hell is his deal this time?”
Nathan sat on a chair with a groan. “Jeremy feels hard done by. Don’t worry about him. He’s the kind of person who is never satisfied with what he has and always thinks that’s somebody else’s fault. We should pity him.”
“But he wants to start trouble. You saw him. He was itching for a fight.”
“He’s been like that for a long time, and trust me, not even a fight would satisfy him. We can only control how we behave, and luckily, not everybody gets what they want anyway.”
Perdita came into the room, smothering a yawn as she ran her fingers through her ruffled hair.
Nathan smiled at her. “Nap?”
“Needed to rest my eyes for a bit after I got home.” She sat next to him. “Is the meeting over? Amelia texted me about it earlier.”
“Cancelled.” Nathan kissed her forehead then contentedly rested his hand on her stomach. “Jeremy arrived with his mate. She can barely walk, the poor woman. I haven’t heard her speak yet either. Oh, and we’re not allowed to name our child Jakob because he’s taking it first.”
