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I stand up and twist the handle to the door. When it’s only open a few inches, a metal poker from the fireplace goes flying across the small space. The tip embeds into the wood wall, only half a foot from my face.
Well, this is going to be fun.
Chapter9
ROMAN
Back in East Texas…
Another hour and I was going to call this whole thing off. Cait’s stress has been leaking through our bond for too long now. I thought agreeing to this Christmas party would relieve that, but it’s only become worse. At least until about five minutes ago.
I can finally sense her calm and I’m tempted to brave going back into the house, but before I can, I feel new arrivals on my pack lands.
Stepping outside of my cabin where I not-so-secretly hide several times a month, I see Foster and Maciah grinning and walking toward me.
“Why should he be the only one with a man cave?” Foster says, making the normally gruff vampire laugh.
“Don’t you mean sex cave?” Maciah asks with a sly grin.
“I can hear you,” I tell them with a shake of my head. “And you’re just jealous I get to retire while the two of you still bust your asses.”
Foster barks out a deep chuckle. “I can’t be jealous of that. You’re getting old. I’m still capable of running my pack for plenty of years to come.”
Yeah, and so am I, but my reasons for retiring as alpha aren’t as simple as one might think.
My father wasn’t much older than I am when he died. He gave his whole life to our pack, and I knew he didn’t regret that, but I don’t want to one day.
But mostly, this is a selfish reason.
Dawsyn could easily run Drago with Cillian. They could turn that realm into something grand, but the distance would not only break her mother’s heart, but mine, too.
Our daughter is an alpha through and through. She isn’t going to be happy here unless she’s running things. Thankfully, she’s been patient and eagerly learned what I’ve had to teach her over the last ten years, so I’m not just handing her the pack when she isn’t ready.
On top of that, I’m not too proud to admit that I’m ready to be selfish for a little while. Vaughn might be to blame for that, considering he recently made that same choice—to quit his job as beta and spend more time with his mate.
Cait and I have spent our lives dedicated to not only our pack, but others in need. We have risked our lives more times than I care to count, and I’m ready to sit on a beach somewhere, merely enjoying the love of my life.
Soon, my love, Cait whispers in my mind through our bond, and I’m surprised she picked up on my thoughts.
After more than thirty years together, we know one another almost better than we know ourselves.
Not soon enough,I think.
My two friends enter the cabin, and just as I’m about to shut the door, a familiar voice calls out. “I heard this is where the smart men hang out.”
The door is thrown back open, and I’m greeted with a wide smile from my oldest friend.
“I thought you couldn’t make it,” I say to Vaughn as he hugs me, fist pounding on my back.
He nods behind him where I see a nervous River. “Well, our son told us that he’d already made a promise to your daughter that he’d be spending the holiday with her. Considering we never get to see him anymore, I decided sharing River was better than not seeing him at all.”
“You mean that’s what Kelly told you and made you drag yourself away from the fish.” My hand clasps his shoulder as I grin.
“Something like that.” Vaughn moves past me and heads inside the cabin, which is going to get rather small with this many men.
I give my attention to River. “Why do you look like you’re afraid for your life, boy?”
He’s hardly a boy these days, but I can’t help myself. I still remember him and Dawsyn running around in diapers.
