Page 36 of Broken Arranged Mate (Badlands Wolves #4)

“Okay,” Kira says, both hands on the handle of her stroller as her purse falls to the crook of her arm. “You didn’t tell me there would be fabric vendors here.”

I laugh. “If there’s something you can buy, there’s a vendor for it.”

Around us, the downtown market pulses with life.

The sky is a clear, pale blue, a color that I’ve come to associate with the Grayhide lands.

With home. Around us, the adobe buildings climb into the sky, the sun above us bright and clear, that hazy, almost white quality of it different than the warm glow I’m used to.

But still just as good.

“This is so fun ,” Emaline says, appearing beside me with a drink in one hand, the other one gesturing up at the colorful banners lining the sidewalks, the flowering vines growing up the sides of many of the buildings.

“I never thought I’d be having a good time in this city.

Someone should talk to Dorian about starting one of these back home. ”

I glance sidelong at her—I know Emaline has had some bad experiences in this territory, so it’s especially high praise coming from her that she’s having a good time.

Oren and I have been working on a lot of things together, but this market was something of a singular project for me.

I kept it a secret until opening day a month ago, then held his hand as I led him over to the vendor with the little whittled carvings.

His mother was there, and she’d cried, hugging him and insisting on buying us both ice cream.

“Can I look at those dresses?” Sarina, Veva’s oldest, taps her on the shoulder and gestures to a vendor across the way, bright blue and turquoise dresses flapping in the breeze, a few other women outside, touching their fingers to the shimmering dresses.

Sarina looks just like Veva, with the exception of that trademark Argent copper hair—something Sarina shares with Kira and her dad.

There was a time that Veva wouldn’t let Sarina out of her sight, no matter where they were, but especially not here, in this territory. Now, Veva just nods, waving her off, telling her not to touch anything while she’s over there.

Emin appears behind them, catching Sarina by the arm. “Wait,” he says, then digs into his pocket and produces a bill, handing it to his daughter. “In case you end up liking them, you won’t whine later about how you didn’t have the cash on hand.”

Sarina lights up, lifts onto her toes, and kisses her dad on the cheek before turning and walking at a brisk pace toward the stand.

When she and Veva first showed up in Ambersky, Sarina was still scrawny, just a little girl.

But now she’s a teenager who walks with purpose, her sights set on attending college in the Llewelyn territory—but considering going to the one here, if it gets good reviews after opening later this year.

The college isn’t the only thing open—I turn and look at the large house just past the city center, higher than the other buildings, visible from almost any point here.

What used to be Jerrod Blacklock’s house. The place Oren grew up, where he ran away from when he was old enough to get out. The place his father died, the place Oren killed Mhairi Argent, the place he became the alpha leader of his pack.

And now, instead of being a home for a single man and his family, it’s the Grayhide pack hall, offering all the services we wanted.

A kitchen that serves meals multiple times a week, a clothing bank, free childcare, classes on the weekends for people who want to learn to cook, to sew, to change the tire on their car.

When Kira heard about it, she laughed. “Maybe I’ll come teach a cooking course there—that would really be full circle, huh?”

Now, we stop to order some chicken from one of the food vendors. This time, they’re notably without bars over the windows. Instead, a cooler sits outside that says free water, and there are several chairs and tables scattered around, their yellow checkered pattern bright and fun in the sunshine.

I sweep my gaze around the market, trying to take everything in. Of course, I like coming here because it’s fun, but I also can’t deny the enjoyment I feel seeing how much of a success it is.

Behind us, an order beta woman pauses to chat with a vendor selling handcrafted Amanzite jewelry.

She doesn't flinch when a group of young alphas walks by, doesn't clutch her bag closer, or hurry away.

Instead, she smiles and nods at them. They return the gesture respectfully before continuing on their way.

Near the center of the market, where we installed the large sandstone fountain, a small crowd has gathered to watch a street performer.

Behind him, the mosaic of the fountain twinkles in the light, sending beams of light throughout the space, little rainbows dancing on the walls of the buildings around us.

“Spicy?” Kira asks, raising an eyebrow at me, and I nod. She steps forward to make the order, and I turn, going back to people-watching.

Shifters from Ambersky mingle easily with Grayhides, their scents intertwining without the undercurrent of tension that once permeated every interaction. A young couple—one from each pack—walks hand in hand, stopping to sample dried fruits from a stall. No one gives them a second glance.

A moment later, Kira turns and pushes a stick of spicy chicken into one of my hands, and a thick, sweet mango drink into the other. I take both, laughing when she spills a little and licks it off her hand.

“Hey,” Sarina says, appearing beside us again, this time in a simple shimmering blue dress, her smile wide. “What do you think?”

“I’ll have to hem it a bit, here,” Kira says, reaching out and pinching part of the fabric, “But other than that, it looks wonderful.”

“Thanks,” Sarina laughs, gently rolling her eyes.

“I think you should wear it to the party,” I say, and Veva swears under her breath, nearly impaling herself with her chicken stick.

“The party,” she says, blinking at us, then pointing to her watch. “We’re going to be late !”

Together, we make our way out of the market and back to our cars. I help Kira load the twins and triplets up into their car seats, then slide in with Emaline. Emin brings their baby back to the car, and we all caravan out of the city, toward home.

***

“Happy birthday!”

Emin makes sure to blow particularly hard on a horn as Raegan leans forward and blows out her candles, holding her hair back and grinning up just as I snap a photo of her.

“Ew,” she says, laughing, “you’d better delete that.”

“It’s cute,” I counter, ducking out from under her reach when she tries to take it from me. In the span of a few months, I managed to pick up a new sibling on this side of the territory, and Oren is already getting tired of all the girls-only slumber parties we’ve been having in our bed.

Moving into the kitchen, I take down a new bottle of wine and start to fill the glasses. When I find the girls in the corner of the room and start to pass out the glasses, Kira holds up her hand to me. “No thanks.”

Veva sucks in a surprised gasp, “No—Kira, really?”

“What— oh ,” Emaline smiles, her eyes going a little dreamy. “Congratulations! I thought I was getting that vibe from you.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Kira rolls her eyes, laughing, too. “I can’t keep anything from you lot. I missed my period, but I’m not…certain about anything yet.”

“Do you…” I swallow, look up to meet Kira’s eyes. “Do you mind if I…?”

Her eyes meet mine, and she nods, something misty moving through them—the knowledge that this is Beth’s power I’ll be using.

Slowly, I press my hand to Kira’s belly, and gasp at the information that moves through me with certainty.

“What?” Kira asks, her eyes serious on me. “What is it?”

“It’s, uh…” I look to the side, let out a nervous laugh. I’ve been working on using the powers with them, and so far, my premonition has never come to life—but even with my new skills, I could still be wrong.

“Just spit it out,” Veva says, taking a sip of her wine, “the suspense is killing me.”

I bite my tongue, then say, “It’s a girl.”

A beat of silence, then all the women—including me—erupt into cheers.

“Is there something I’m missing?” Raegan glances around. “Aside from girls being the best, that is.”

“Kira has five boys so far,” Veva laughs, gesturing at her friend with her wine glass. “Wasn’t sure if she was ever going to get her girl.”

“Right,” Kira laughs, wiping a tissue under her eye delicately. “So I sure hope you’re right, Ash. Here, you can have mine in exchange for your services.”

She tries to hand me the glass, and it’s my turn to shut it down. “Actually,” I whisper, glancing over at Oren, who’s in a group with Reeyan, Landon, and Wyn. Reeyan and Wyn are on his council now, and he’s finally learning to place real trust in them.

I love him more than I ever have, and I can’t wait to build a family with him.

“ No ,” Kira whispers, her eyes going wide. “Are you…?”

“We’re trying,” I say, dropping my hand to my belly and glancing at them.

Again, Raegan says, “Ew, too much information.” Then, after a beat, “That is kind of sweet, I guess. Never thought my brother would have any kids.”

“Well,” a voice sounds, a thick arm swinging around my chest and pulling me back into a strong chest. Oren holds me tight, burying his face in my neck and taking a deep breath. When he looks up, he says to them with a cheeky grin, “Guess someone came along that changed my mind.”

***

“I thought they were never going to leave,” Oren says, joining me on the back porch. Quietly, he hands me a mug of tea, which is just warm enough to keep me from shivering as the desert air drops in temperature, the sun setting over the landscape.

“For an alpha leader,” I laugh, watching him as he takes a seat next to me, “you are surprisingly anti-social.”

“There’s only one person I want to be around.” He reaches out and takes my hand, and I laugh again, miming a gagging motion.