Page 23

The late afternoon sun lit the backyard of Brick and Jade’s new home, where laughter and the scent of grilled food drifted through the air.

He manned the grill laden with burgers and steaks, watching Jade sit around a firepit, chatting with Cinder and Alli.

Picnic tables were set up around the patio, and their closest friends and family members milled around the yard.

They’d worked their asses off over the last week cleaning up and moving into the house a few doors down from his parents.

It had been left empty after the couple who’d lived in it previously moved to another pack out of state to be closer to family.

The four-bedroom house had a great backyard with the woods at the back for privacy, a master suite, and a living room with a built-in bookcase that Jade had already half-filled with books after a delivery from a used bookstore in the next town.

Jade caught him staring at her and gifted him with a radiant smile that made him feel warm even in the July heat.

Damn, he loved her.

And he loved that they had a place of their own now. He’d liked living at the alphas’ house, but it wasn’t exactly the kind of place for a new couple to get to know each other, or the late night snuggle-fests, as Jade liked to call them.

Adam joined him at the grill.

“Everything looks great,” he said. “Congrats from me and Cinder with the new house. How’s your week off been?”

“Thanks,” he said. “Great, but busy. Having the housewarming was a good motivation to get moved in.”

“Do you miss the big house?” Adam took a drink of beer and smiled.

“Yes and no. I definitely miss your mom’s cooking and being so close to everything, but I absolutely prefer being in a place that’s just the two of us.”

“I get that,” he said. “Cinder and I have it a little different since we’ve got the whole floor to ourselves, but having other people in the house can be stifling.”

Like late night snuggle-fests anywhere the couple wanted.

He glanced over his shoulder at the house and smiled. It was a symbol of the next chapter of his and Jade’s life together. She was his and he was hers, and all of this was theirs to share.

Adam slipped away to mingle and Leo walked up.

“The house looks great. Congrats, man,” Leo said, clapping Brick on the shoulder.

“Thanks a lot.”

“How’s domestic life treating you?”

Brick clicked the tongs and flipped the steaks. “You know what? I love it. Freaking domestic bliss is where it’s at. Happy mate, happy life, I tell you what.”

“I really never thought I’d see the day when you’d be manning a grill and hosting a housewarming.”

Brick grinned. “I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I’m not questioning it.”

Leo shook his head. “It wasn’t luck. You both fought for each other. She went through hell to get here and you went through hell keeping her safe.” He waved his free hand toward the house and yard. “You two earned this.”

“I couldn’t have done it without the pack. You guys are family to me, just as much as my parents.”

“I’m happy for you, but I’m also jealous as hell. I don’t know when I’ll find my truemate.”

“Trust me,” Brick said, looking at Jade as she laughed at something Cinder said, “she’ll show up when the time is right.”

“I hope it’s soon.”

Brick did too, actually. Leo was one of his best friends, and he hoped he would find his mate soon. And Solan too. They both deserved all the happiness.

The food was served with help from his mom and aunt, and they all found seats at the picnic tables. Before they enjoyed the meal, his dad stood and raised his drink.

“I’d like to toast Brick and Jade. May your new home be filled with love, laughter, and just enough mischief to keep your lives interesting. Cheers to a sweet future and a lifetime of happiness.” He raised his glass higher, then said, “To Brick and Jade!”

The group cheered and echoed, “To Brick and Jade,” as glasses clinked.

Brick gave Jade a kiss.

She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling with happiness. “This is the best night. Our pack is here, our family. I really, really feel like I belong and it’s because you opened your life and heart to me.”

“I love you, sweet wolf,” he whispered.

“I love you too.”

As they ate, conversation flowed around the tables, the backyard filled with the hum of chatter.

“How’s things going with the pack and the new safety measures?” Brick’s dad asked.

Even though Brick had been off for the last week, spending time with Jade after their mating and getting the house ready, he’d been part of the new security measures they’d implemented around the town and pack’s hunting grounds.

Adam cleared his throat and the group quieted.

“I’m happy to report, just as a general update, that it’s been quiet this week.

No signs of H. A. S. or Foley. Our territory is secure with our new safety measures and the Wiccans’ protection wards are holding strong.

After everything we’ve been through the last couple of weeks, it’s safe to say we can take a breath and focus on what matters most: moving forward.

Of course, it doesn’t mean we let our guard down, but our pack has proven time and again that we can face down threats to our own and we’re stronger because of it. ”

“Unbreakable,” Cinder said.

“Exactly. I’m proud to be alpha of this pack, and I’m thankful that my cousin finally has a mate to soften his rougher edges.”

Brick grinned.

He freaking loved his pack and family.

And he loved Jade more than that.

His heart was so damn full.

She leaned on his shoulder and sighed. “I’m so happy, Brick.”

“Me too, sweetheart.”

By the time the last guest had left and the last dish had been put away, Brick and Jade were able to sit on the back porch in a pair of wooden Adirondack chairs and stare up at the stars.

“I always thought I’d live in the alphas’ house,” he said.

“Oh?” Jade asked.

“Yeah,” he said, looking thoughtful. “When Adam took over the pack and asked me to move into the house with him and his parents, I thought it was just where I’d always be. I figured I’d get mated at some point and have kids, and they’d grow up in the alphas’ house.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“You asking me for a place for us to have privacy.”

She smiled. Privacy wasn’t too forthcoming in the alphas’ house, especially with well-hearing shifters running around.

She liked being in their own place where they could be as loud as they wanted and do what they wanted without running into anyone else.

Even something simple like watching TV in the alphas’ house wasn’t so simple if someone else was already using it.

“It’s nice we’re close to them though,” she said. “We can walk to their house if we want. Our kids can grow up together.”

“Like me and Adam.” He gave her one of his sweet smiles that made her whole body light up. “I love that idea.”

She tilted her head back to look at the sky again, then at Brick. “I wouldn’t change a thing, you know.”

“About what?”

“About the road here. People always say they wish they could change their past, but my past brought me here to you, the same way that your past kept you in Thorn Hollow so we could find each other. I hate that I never knew my mother or that my father was so distant, but the pack I grew up in shaped me into the female I am, and without that, I might never have come to Ohio. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.

All the bad stuff, the scary stuff, brought us together, and I’m grateful for the road that led us together. ”

He turned his head to her, a smile tugging on his gorgeous lips. “I’m thankful for the road that brought us here too. The only thing I want is a lifetime of happiness with you.”

“Me too.” Jade leaned into him, lacing their fingers together.

Brick squeezed her hand and she could feel through their connection as mates that he was just as content as she was, even though neither of them really needed to say it.

In that quiet moment, she felt like the future was wide open, just waiting for the next chapter of their lives to start.

Thank you so much for reading Brick .

I hope you enjoyed hanging out with the Thorn Hollow Pack! The next book in the Northern Ohio Shifters series— Leo —will be out in 2026.