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“Difficult? You mean you’renotdifficult right now?” he teased, and she snarled softly.
“You haven’t seen me be difficult.”
He snorted, and then threaded his hands through her hair and drew her closer. He kissed her nose and her cheeks before brushing his lips lightly over her. She sighed and melted into him, and he smiled inwardly, knowing how easy it was to distract her with sex. Of course, later she’d remember and then she’d be pissed.
“I wasn’t planning to mark her. I only mark those who have been forced to leave, like the males who tried to hurt my sister and eventually came for you. The laws are very clear—in instances where a pack member leaves because they’ve found a mate or because of extenuating circumstances like job loss or family emergency, they leave with the alphas’ blessing and aren’t marked.” He rubbed his thumbs behind her ears and she smiled. “No need to put your foot down, my fierce mate.”
She opened her eyes and smiled mischievously. “I’d like to put my foot down about you leaving your underwear on the bathroom floor.”
He growled and pulled her close, kissing her as she giggled. “I love you.”
“Oh Acksel, I love you too. Even if you do leave your underweareverywhere.”
* * *
Row stared out the window at the alphas’ home. The house was dark, and the guards who’d been patrolling the yard the first time he and Kammie had come to visit weren’t visible.
“Are you sure they said we should come tonight?” he asked. His mom, sister, and brother-in-law were in the backseat. “Maybe Brynn meant tomorrow night.”
“I’m positive,” Kammie said. “I told her we were going to dinner and she asked if we could stop by before, since she’s been going to bed earlier because of her pregnancy.”
Row unbuckled. “I’ll leave the SUV on so you don’t freeze out here.”
“I’d like to come meet the alphas,” his mom said.
Row turned in the seat. “Why?”
She shrugged. “I’ve never met alpha wolves before. Plus, I’d like to meet the people who run the pack that Dani’s a part of now.”
“I’m not really in the pack,” Dani pointed out, “since I’m not a wolf.”
“But you’re going to be working with Adam as a steward, and…oh really, do I have to explain myself? I’m your mother and I said I’m going,” she huffed.
Kammie chuckled. “It’s fine with me. Brynn’s really sweet.”
“I’m sure she is,” his mom said.
Row turned off the engine and got out, coming around quickly to Kammie’s side to guide her up the sidewalk. He offered his mom his other elbow and she latched on with a chuckle. “Such a gentleman.”
“You always said chivalry was important,” he said.
“Thanks for that,” Kammie said.
His mom laughed. “His father was old-school chivalrous. Row takes after him in many ways.”
He could hear the sadness creep into her voice. Even after all these years, she still missed his dad. He wished he could’ve known him.
They walked up the sidewalk and onto the front porch. Row didn’t think anyone was home, and he figured they’d all trooped up to the house for nothing. Kammie rang the bell and leaned against him with a yawn.
He was about to ask her if she wanted to skip dinner and go to bed early, when the front door swung open and Acksel stood in the doorway. “Come on in.”
He disappeared into the darkness. Row’s hackles rose immediately, but Kammie moved forward, and he wasn’t about to let her go in without him. As soon as she crossed the threshold, an overhead light clicked on and a large group of people shouted, “Surprise!”
Kammie pressed her hand to her heart as she gasped. Noisemakers were blown and the people cheered and clapped. Row looked at his mom and sister; they were smiling in a way that told him they already knew about the surprise party.
“So that’s why you didn’t need to explain yourself?” Row asked his mom.
She winked. “Sue me for liking surprises.”
