Page 24

L ucian carried his beer bottle outside and breathed in the night air.

The house had been buzzing all day with excitement, but he couldn’t join them for long since he had to review surveillance footage from the previous day and night.

He also replied to a few emails requesting information on his services.

Afterward, he napped with yesterday’s T-shirt balled up by his nose.

Lucian’s sleeping patterns had always been unpredictable, but for the first time in a long time, he’d slept for hours straight. Maybe it was exhaustion from all the sex, but Eden’s scent relaxed him. The serenity he felt in her presence was better than any sleep-inducing drug.

Tak, Lakota, and Hope’s father were still singing and beating the drums around the firepit while others mingled.

Hope had shifted several times to heal herself, but that left her exhausted.

Because they planned to hold the naming ceremony out back, Tak carried the heavy recliner out there for her to sit in.

Bear spent all day cooking. Hope was eating strictly protein to regain her strength, so Bear made her bologna treats since that was her Shifter craving.

Lucian rested his arms on the railing while recounting all the events of the day.

He felt left out since he hadn’t been there when it all started.

Had he gone with Eden to Austin, or if they hadn’t found the key to unlock the chain, he would have missed the entire birth.

Mating ceremonies and births were the two most important events in a family.

Montana eased up next to him and sipped his beer. “Hell of a day.”

“You’re telling me. Where’s Atticus?”

“He had an issue at the club, so he’s taking care of it.”

Lucian felt closer to Montana than anyone else in the house, including Lakota.

To be fair, Lakota was his nephew, and while they had lived together for many years, Lakota had always been a child.

They’d never bonded in the way adult males did, but that would come with time.

Having his nephew in a power position over him was also… weird.

Montana was tough but also a mediator, proving that others could trust him. He was perceptive and paid attention to people. Lucian found him easy to talk to.

Montana rubbed the light dusting of whiskers on his face, his skin tan from working outside. “Damn. I can’t believe we’ve already got two babies in the pack. Not to mention the kid upstairs.”

Lucian glanced over his shoulder at the upstairs windows but didn’t see Cleo peering out.

They had invited her to join them, but she stayed in her room.

On more than one occasion, Lucian caught her browsing books in their private library late at night, but as soon as she spotted him, she would scamper back to her bedroom, leaving behind the scent of fear.

One day, Krys came home with a TV and set it up in her bedroom so she wouldn’t be shut up in silence.

He was the only one the young female trusted.

“So you were helping out the Councilwoman yesterday?” Montana began. “Seems like odd hours.”

Montana used to work as an undercover detective, so that wasn’t a casual question.

Lucian played it cool. “She wanted to review the plans and finalize details.”

“All night?” Montana pressed.

“She works all day.”

Montana ran his fingers through his short hair.

It was a bit weird to see him without his usual cowboy hat.

“We were worried. I drove out to the jail last night to see if anyone was there. That Vampire told me you left hours ago, but when I walked around, I saw Hope’s car parked out back. What’s with all the mystery?”

“Maybe the Councilwoman doesn’t want everyone driving by her place and seeing my car outside. Home security is a private matter.” Lucian gulped more beer. “One of the clowns she released came by her house and set her shed on fire.”

Montana faced him. “No shit? Did you catch him?”

Fuck. Lucian hadn’t been prepared for that question. “The Mage fled the scene before we noticed the flames.”

“You didn’t track him?”

“She knew who it was, but there’s nothing they can do about petty arson. After that, I modified her plans to include a sprinkler system inside and around the house.”

“People are real assholes.”

“Assholes keep me in business.”

The three men below finally stopped singing and banging on their drums. It made Lucian wonder if that was the real reason Atticus suddenly had a work emergency.

That poor Vampire got more than an earful around their house.

He’d probably thought living in the country would be quiet, but he hadn’t seen game night at the Arrowhead house.

Montana pivoted and faced the back door. “If you didn’t have any equipment to install, what did you do out there all night? Talk? It doesn’t take over seventeen hours to pick a plan.”

Lucian sighed and straightened his back. “How do you think Tak would feel if I’d left her alone after someone burned down her shed? Leaving seemed like a shitty thing to do.”

“Since when do you care what people think?” Montana tilted his head to the side and gave him a scrutinizing gaze. “You like her.”

“She’s pretty.”

“No doubt.”

“She smells like fennel and wildflowers. That’s her personal scent.”

Montana gave a robust laugh. “Don’t tell a woman she smells like fennel.”

“Why?”

Montana clapped him on the shoulder. “Trust me, it’s not a compliment they want to hear. They all think they smell like sunshine and sunflowers.”

Lucian’s brow furrowed. “Neither of those have a scent.”

“You know what I mean.”

“What’s the big deal? Everyone has a personal scent; your noses are just too weak to smell it.” Lucian sipped his beer and studied Montana’s expression. “Want to know what you smell like?”

“Hell no.” Montana faced the yard again while the pack gathered around the fire, laughing and quietly talking.

“Do me a favor and keep your dick in your pants. If you fuck up Tak’s relationship with the Council, that’ll come back to bite us all.

It’s one thing if you do a shoddy job on her security, but it’s another if you try seducing her in her own home.

She’s out of your league. Hell, she’s out of everyone’s league.

” Montana peered over his shoulder before lowering his voice even more.

“I get your predicament. You’re in her house all day, surrounded by her smell and working closely beside her.

She’s a knockout, but don’t let that go to your head even if she says something nice to you.

Look but don’t touch. Got it? In fact, don’t even look.

If she catches you eye fucking her, that kind of reputation will haunt you in a small town.

We have a peace party coming up, and you’ll have plenty of women to pick from. ”

Tak hiked up the steps and joined them. “That man is testing my nerves,” he muttered.

Montana smirked. “Who? Your father-in-law? I thought you guys were bonding with your sing-along.”

“First he tells me that my horse’s stable doesn’t meet his standards. Then he spent the afternoon inspecting the property. If he thinks he can get under my skin, he doesn’t know how thick it is. He’s still complaining about the inflatable pool incident.”

As if on cue, Virgil sauntered up the steps with an empty beer bottle between his fingers. “When am I forgiven? It was an honest mistake.” This time he sounded sincere.

Tak grumbled in another language before going into the house.

Virgil put his arms around Montana and Lucian and gave them both a tight squeeze. “Do you know what her father did with her placenta? Let’s just say… don’t plant any tomatoes near the heat house.”

Montana collected Virgil’s empty beer bottle and pointed at the back door.

“What you need to do is kiss that man’s ass.

Look, I know it’s not your fault, but you should’ve known that your wolf might get excited at the sight of water.

They had the birthing pool planned out for months, and until you make it right, he’s gonna be bringing it up every chance he gets.

And his father-in-law harping on him isn’t helping.

” Montana gave Virgil a light shove. “Now get in there and fix it.”

Virgil pouted and opened the back door. “What if he’s taking a piss?”

“Then hold it for him, shake it off, and zip him up.”

After the door shut, Lucian sighed. “Should I be worried?”

Montana grabbed his arm. “Come on. Nobody’s mad at you for being gone all day. You didn’t know she’d be going into labor. It’s probably for the best with that keen nose of yours. Even Atticus had to mute out the screams.”

Lucian followed him down the steps, and they joined the gathering.

Although Hope’s lovely mother looked young enough to be an older sister, she was wise beyond her years.

When she leaned closer to stroke her daughter’s forehead, her cane knocked over into the grass.

Hope didn’t resemble one parent more than the other.

She had inherited the very best qualities of both in her wisdom, patience, and strength.

But unlike them, she worried more and also laughed more.

Lucian gently pinched Hope’s foot, which was covered beneath a warm blanket. He quietly admired her strength for not only enduring childbirth but participating in a pack ceremony so soon after. “Do you need anything, female?”

She gave a relaxed smile. “I’m glad you’re here. Come hold him.”

“I better not.”

“You better.”

Montana gave him a gentle nudge before taking a seat by the fire.

Lucian stood beside her while Hope straightened her chair back.

She carefully placed the tiny bundle in his arms. “I want you to own his scent,” she said quietly.

In the Breed world, enemies lurked around every corner. Owning the baby’s scent—as Lucian had done with everyone else in his pack—meant if someone ever abducted the child, he could better track the baby. Even after years passed and the child grew up, Lucian would recognize him by scent alone.