Page 25

I ’m sitting on the roof with the fire going. We're having a randomly warmer than usual day, so I wanted to come outside and enjoy it. Decked out in pink fuzzy everything, from my socks to my blanket, just sipping on a sweet-and-salty iced coffee that Roman brought me before heading into his office to work on monthly pack paperwork. My mind is swimming with everything constantly happening around here, and we need to sit down with the guys—and Runa, of course, I have to remind myself that it's not just guys anymore—and really address everything going on, and I know the perfect way to set it in motion. I lean forward to set my coffee on the full moon coaster on the glass table in front of me, picking up my cell phone.

R una has been added to the chat.

Khaos has been added to the chat.

Ow! Benny shouts through the pack bond.

Benny unsends his message.

Sure, I can talk to most of them through the pack bond's mind-link thingy, but that would leave out Runa and Khaos. Not to mention, at the end of the day, that stuff will take some getting used to for me. I've always just used my cell phone.

Wrapping my blanket around me tightly as I stand, I tuck my phone into my hand, holding the blanket together, and pick up my coffee with the other and head towards the roof door.

I'm not sure if he heard me scuttling across the roof or if I was thinking out loud through our link again, but I'm not even given a chance to struggle to think of how I'll open the door because Roman comes through it just as I approach it. “You look like you could use a hand,” he smiles as he takes me in, looking like a fuzzy pink burrito.

“I could actually, I—” My words are cut off in a squeal when instead of just taking some of my stuff or leading me through the door, he swoops in and scoops me into his arms. His body filling my blanket cocoon with the extra warmth I'd lost being outside.

I nuzzle into him as he carries me down the stairs like I weigh nothing at all before setting me on my feet to shuffle over to the kitchen island. “Thank you.” I smile up at him, pulling him down by the front of his shirt so I could give him a quick kiss. “Can you grab my laptop?” I say quickly when I see that familiar spark in his eyes. We don't have time for that right now. That'll just distract me from getting things done.

He smiles and steps away to get my laptop for me, returning quickly. “You want to get set up here or in the living room?”

Looking between the island and the comfy couch, I weigh my options. The living room would be more comfortable, but I'll be able to focus better in the kitchen. “Here is perfect. Thank you.”

Shedding my blanket, I set my station up at the kitchen island to get some work done. Roman takes my blanket over and drapes it over the couch before making his way into the kitchen. “Did you get all your work done?” I ask as I grab another coaster—this one with a stained-glass red rose on it—to set my coffee on so that it doesn't dribble condensation all over the white crystal countertops.

He pulls the refrigerator door open—his forearm muscles flexing in a way that shouldn't make me drool like this—ducking his head inside in search of something. “I got enough done,” he grunts and emerges with a bottle of sparkling flavored water.

Laughter bubbles out of me when he returns and sits beside me with his strawberry shortcake flavored water. I've been slowly adding some of my favorite things to the grocery list, not wanting to ask for too much, but it seems I'm not the only one who enjoys them.

“What?” he asks in mock offense, his hand dramatically placed over his heart.

“I guess I didn't peg my big, strong werewolf mate for the strawberry-shortcake type.”

He raises the eyebrow over his bright green eye as he cracks the seal and takes a long drink from the bottle, his throat moving with the motions causing me to gulp. He finishes with an equally dramatic smack of his lips and an “ahhhh" sound you make when you've taken a long drink to quench your thirst. “We'd never tried a lot of the things that have started showing up around the kitchen. We have you to thank for that, I assume?”

“I guess so.” I nod, turning my face to try and hide the blush creeping across my skin.

But like everything else, he notices, pulling my face back to his. “I don't care if you write enough things on the shopping list to fill the entire townhouse, let alone the whole kitchen,” he demands in the tone that makes my thighs clench. “When you get done with everything you need to do here,” he nods towards my nearly forgotten laptop, “You write down all your favorite snacks and drinks, yeah?”

I smile and nod because he's got my brain on the line of fuzzy, and I need to refocus so I can get everything ready for our family meeting.

“Can you order the pizza while I get to work on the drive and list everything that I want to discuss with everyone?” I ask with my eyes on the screen and begin typing.

“Of course.” With that, he rises from his seat beside me and kisses the top of my head as he wanders away.

I've just wrapped up the finishing touches on the Inaugural Family Meeting Agenda when the door buzzes, followed by the rich aroma of an array of pizzas reaching me. I hurry to shoot the link off to everyone in our family chat and move to clear my things from the large kitchen island for a pizza smorgasbord. Roman reaches the island, setting the pizza tower on the right side.

We've got about fifteen minutes before everyone’s supposed to be here, so I use that time to prepare the countertop for a buffet-style setting. Darting around the kitchen, I grab plates, napkins, ranch dressing, water, soda, flavored water, and wine. I arrange the plates and napkins first, followed by the pizza. There's also a box of breadsticks and a box of cheese sticks with two tubs of marinara sauce for dipping, so I move those back to the front of the line nearest the plates and napkins. I grab some spoons for the sauce tubs and some little dip cups that I had also asked Miss Tilly to stock in the kitchen for me. I can't stand when my food touches or sauces move across the plate, touching things before I'm ready to dip them, making them soggy.

When it's all prepared, everyone starts to trickle in.

“Pizza night has never looked so organized before,” Benny chuckles from between Roman and me as he wraps his arms around us.

Roman grumbles something to him under his breath that I can't hear before pulling me around Benny and plastering me against his side.

I smile up at him, holding onto him, feeling the trill of jealousy through our bond.

“I was thinking since the food pretty much took over the island, we could eat in the dining room for once?” I ask, full of hope. We haven't had a formal-style meal where we actually all sit at the table. “Is there enough room for everyone?” I realize I hadn't even thought about that. I think there's only eight seats in there.

“Of course we can. Andrei, come help me put the extra slats in the dining room table,” he calls to my twin, and they branch off into the other room.

As we all move to gather our pizza, I expect everyone to gravitate towards the pizza they requested, but most everyone is like me and grabs a slice of each style, with the exceptions of Andrei not taking a slice of Hawaiian and Benny not taking a slice of the Alfredo pizza. I also take one of each slice, not that I'll be able to eat all of this, but I want to try them. Pizza is pizza, and all the different flavors are intriguing. I also grab a breadstick, some marinara, and a can of Mountain Dew on my way to the dining room.

I'm the last one that makes it to the room to find everyone standing, not sure where to sit with the new family mixture we have going on here. Where normally I'd be uncomfortable, it makes me smile because this is a new beginning for all of us.

Roman takes what I assume has always been his seat at the head of the table. I make my way across the room to sit at his right side, which is apparently the wrong answer. He rises from his seat, shoves it backward and out of his way before grabbing my seat, and with me in it, he drags me to his side, but also now at the head of the table—always his equal. I love you. I beam at him through our bond.

And I, you.

I wait for everyone else to sit, but no one moves. “What are you waiting for? Sit. Sit,” I laugh, but still, no one moves.

“It is customary that when the Luna of a pack arrives, she is tasked with the reorganization of such things, ensuring she feels comfortable and has an active role in all things,” Andrei fills me in.

A small laugh leaves me. “Well, why didn't you just say so? How am I supposed to know?”

Roman rubs the back of his neck, looking almost bashful. “I forget some of the older traditions.”

Looking around the room at our large family and our table, I say, “Well, first thing is that Miss Tilly is miss—”

“Nonsense, dear, I'm here,” she tuts as she shuffles into the room with her plate of pizza, her smile beaming at me.

After setting the table with our family, I think I have it down in a temporary order. Runa is seated to Roman's left with Miss Tilly beside her. Benny is at the other end of the table, as he’s Roman's beta, with Dolos to his right and Eris to his left. I separated the twins to keep them out of trouble, and neither of them gets to sit by Runa until they get their shit together. To my right is Andrei, then Khaos, and finally Slate. I felt bad choosing between my brothers, but Khaos offered to sit in the middle; I believe even he can feel the tension radiating from Eris.

It's a temporary order because I would hope to sit Runa between her mates when they've ironed out whatever their issues are. I also hope all of the guys are able to find their mates someday. When that happens, how will things continue to change? What if some of them don't want to live together with all of us anymore?

Roman must have felt my thoughts running away from me—that or my slightly rising panic at the thought of our family group changing—because he rests his large hand on my thigh, squeezing gently and reminding me that he's here. “All right, Princess, how should we proceed?”

“How about food first, then discussion?” I ask the group, and everyone nods or vocalizes their agreements.

We all begin to tear into our pizza, and it's an image I wish I could capture with my camera and hang on the wall: Our First Family Meeting Dinner.