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“He’s with Yuen and Petra,” Theo said, then glanced at me. “Roger Yuen’s the second-in-command at the OMB—that’s what we call the office—and Petra’s our tech lead.”
“And you got parade duty?” my mother asked with a smile.
“I wasn’t about to miss this,” he said. “It’s the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with fangs and fur.”
“And there’s your tagline,” my father said with a smile.
Theo frowned and squinted at something in the front of the room. He mumbled something about flags, then offered his excuses and headed through the crowd. I watched until he reached a woman adjusting the flags of the represented nations at the front of the room, then worked with her to adjust their heights so they matched perfectly.
My father glanced at me. “I don’t see Seri or Marion. I presume the French delegation is marching?”
“They are. I suggested they toss croissants from baskets, but Marion declined.”
My father’s brows lifted in amusement. “You suggested the Master of Maison Dumas throw pastries at a crowd of delegates?”
“It was funny in context,” I said, and then wondered if I’d made some sort of international faux pas. But I remembered Marion’s throaty chuckle, and decided I was in the clear.
“She actually thoughtpain au chocolatwould be more festive,” I explained.
“I suppose they won’t be parading,” my mother said, and gestured toward the door.
Gabriel Keene, shifter and alpha, stood just inside the ballroom, casting a wary gaze on the formal surroundings. His leather jacket and slacks were a contrast to the finery in the room, but his outfit was fancy by shifter standards.
At his side was his wife, Tanya. He was as tall and broad-shouldered as Tanya was petite and delicate. He had dark blond hair, tan skin, golden eyes. She was pale with dark hair, her eyes green but sharp in a way that belied her size.
Shifters fell between humans and vampires on the mortality spectrum, getting longer life spans than humans but not the full dose of forever. So Gabriel and Tanya hadn’t aged as much as humans, or as little as vampires. Time had put soft lines at the corners of their eyes, around their smiles.
They looked around, spotted us, and headed our way. And into the space where they’d stood stepped the prince of wolves himself.
The last four years had been good to Connor Keene.
He had his father’s build and his mother’s coloring. His wavy hair was nearly black, and just long enough to frame his spring-blue eyes. He had thick brows, a strong jaw, and a dimple in his square chin. His lips were generous and smiling. His nose was straight, except for a divot on the bridge from a high school fight.
He was undeniably gorgeous, but as cocky as they came. Absolutely sure of his place in the world, because he’d decided he’d take his father’s position as head of the Pack, competitors be damned. And reckless, because he was a shifter. He’d driven me crazy, like an irritating burr. And because our parents were friends, he’d been a burr at Cadogan House entirely too often.
He was taller now, his shoulders broader, and the musclelooked good beneath gray slacks and a gray vest over a white button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up over strong arms.
He held himself differently. There was no teenage slouch, no lanky muscle. There was confidence, power, and awareness.
This wasn’t the boy who’d stolen my toy sword.
This was a man on the edge of power.
So I prepared for battle.
FOUR
Connor glanced at me, eyes appraising as he looked me over, and took my measure. Then he strode toward us and joined his parents.
“Kitten,” Gabriel said to my mother. “Sullivan,” to my father. And then he looked at me, smiled. “Elisa. Welcome back.”
“Thank you. It’s good to be home.”
“I’m sure you two remember each other,” Tanya said, putting a hand on Connor’s forearm when he reached us.
How could I have forgotten?“Of course,” I said.
“Elisa.” Connor said my name slowly and deliberately, like he’d never let the word cross his lips. Which was entirely possible, since he’d usually called me “brat” because it drove me crazy. I’d usually called him “puppy” for the same reason. Maybe we were playing nice.
