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“Nope, you don’t get to second guess it. Get out,” he ordered. Ezra climbed out of the truck before I had a chance and circled to the other side. My alpha opened my door and helped me out.
His aunt and uncle waited on the porch as we approached, smiles on both of their faces. They looked completely relaxed and excited. I guess I was the only one nervous about this meeting.
“Uncle Drake, Aunt Valerie, this is my mate Ellie. She brought some wine for dinner tonight,” he said, handing the bottle over to his aunt.
She grinned as she studied the glass bottle in her hands. “Oh girl, you got the good stuff,” she praised, giving me a wink. “Sure, I can shotgun a beer with the best of them, but I’m a sucker for a good wine. Great choice.”
Relief flooded me and I gave her a shaky smile. If they could see how nervous I was they didn’t say anything.
“It’s my favorite so I hoped you guys would like it as well.”
“She’s cute as a button,” Drake said, giving his nephew a pat on the back. “Now where is that daughter of ours? Walter giving her trouble?”
Valerie snorted. “You and I both know it’s the other way around. It’s always Serenity causing the trouble and for some reason, Walter just takes it.”
“You’re not wrong there. The two of them can bicker like cats and dogs but they love each other,” I said. “They make work interesting.”
“I bet,” Valerie snickered as she opened the front door.
“He’s a good man,” Drake agreed. “Now come on inside, I have to get the food going now that you’re here.”
“What are we having?” Ezra asked curiously. He put his hand on the small of my back as he led me through the house.
The outside of the house may have been picture perfect but the inside was a different story. The walls were painted black and the furniture and decor was a mix of whites and reds. They obviously had an aesthetic they loved and ran with it, in appearance and in their decor.
Despite the room itself being fairly dark, it was inviting and cozy. The couch was a fluffy, white couch that seemed well loved, they had blankets and pillows thrown around and the gray carpet was plush.
Once we reached the kitchen, Drake finally answered. “I thought I’d do hibachi on the griddle outside.”
The kitchen was more of the same, red, white, and black with silver accents. I loved that they stuck with the theme throughout the house and I wondered if it was the same when the kids were growing up in the house.
“Sounds amazing,” I said. “Can I help?”
“No, you’re guests tonight. I won’t even make you do dishes,” Valerie joked. She started pulling things out of the fridge as her husband tied on an apron. Of course, it was black with a big skull painted on.
“We figured we’d hang out in the backyard tonight,” Drake added, sliding the back doors open to reveal the backyard.
“Holy shit,” I gasped, moving past Ezra and stepping out onto the back deck. Their chuckles followed behind me as I gaped at the oasis around me. “I’d spend every day out here if it was my house.”
It was more jungle than backyard. Tall bushes and plants lined the borders while potted plants and raised beds circled the deck itself. She clearly took pride in her plants, all of them were well taken care of.
A sparkling in-ground pool took up half the yard, leaving a small section of grass between it and the deck.
On the deck was an entire outdoor kitchen along with a large dining set and a bar. It was what dreams were made of, honestly.
“This is definitely backyard goals, you should take some notes, Ezra,” I told him playfully. Ours was still half mud and dirt from construction.
“Well, I heard someone has an entire greenhouse. I think that might be backyard goals,” Valerie shot back. Her smile and raspy laugh were contagious.
“You’ll have to come by sometime and check it out, it’s amazing. They did a great job setting it up. And I can tell you love plants,” I said, gesturing around at her hard work.
“I do,” she agreed. “I can’t wait to see it and meet the rest of the pack. We’ve been bugging Ez for weeks but you know how he is.” She gave her nephew a glare but he didn’t look apologetic at all.
His defense was cut short as a front door slammed and Serenity’s raspy voice was yelling through the house.
“Honey, I’m home!”
“We’re in the backyard!” Drake called back just as loudly. There was no denying the family connection between her and her parents.
