Page 28

L ucian bit into his onion and slowly chewed, the pungent fumes circulating through his nasal passages like a blowtorch.

They were four hours into the peace party, and he was done socializing.

So was Hope, but at least she got to excuse herself from the party to lie down.

People were understanding since she had recently given birth.

Both babies were staying in Joy’s soundproof cottage, and every half hour a packmate would go in to watch over them.

Cecilia had stayed in there the longest, mostly because she wasn’t comfortable in a large crowd.

With her being an introvert, crowds were too much stimulation and sucked the energy out of her.

Lucian could relate to her desire to be alone, but unlike Cecilia, he wasn’t a nervous or shy individual, let alone easily spooked.

He just preferred standing off to the side and observing.

And there was a lot to observe.

Tak had extended his invitation to numerous packs, officials, and other prominent people in the territory.

Lucian installed party lights around the house and fenced-in pasture.

Krys and Virgil spent the entire morning clearing out all the horse manure in the pasture so there would be more space for everyone to spread out.

Peace parties were a great opportunity for Shifters to not only switch packs but also to find a mate, so there was a lot of flirting and dancing going on.

The house, barn, and other enclosed structures were off-limits, but they kept the heat house open for bathroom use. One of them had to be monitoring it at all times to make sure no one got the bright idea to have sex in there. Peace parties could be wild, and this was Lucian’s first.

Bear had the barbecue grill going all night, Archer bartending on the deck.

The tables, chairs, and trash receptacles were all rentals.

To avoid Luna getting spooked by all the noise and wolves, Tak paid Kevin—the local handyman—to keep an eye on her at his place, which was also a clever way to prevent Kevin from showing up naked to the party.

Not that Lucian would have any complaints. These people needed to cut loose. Too much schmoozing going on between Packmasters. Too much ass-kissing with young Shifters who were looking for a new pack to join. A peace party was less about having fun and more about strategic alliances.

Montana swaggered up, looking like a Marlboro cigarette ad from a bygone era in his black cowboy hat.

Though his name was written across his tight blue shirt, it was actually a souvenir shirt advertising the state of Montana.

He grabbed Lucian’s onion and pitched it far into the dark woods.

“Stop eating that before people think you’re mental. ”

Lucian swallowed his bite.

Leaning against an oak tree, Montana crossed his arms and sized up the crowd.

“If you see a woman who catches your eye, now’s your chance.

Tak’s made a good impression on everyone, and that magic rubs off on all of us.

Robyn’s already secured two offers for her sketches, and Virgil’s gonna be helping a pack out with their roof.

You don’t need to pitch your business to anyone here.

What you’re doing for the Councilwoman will bring in plenty of money.

But a lot of pretty girls are looking at the single men in our pack tonight. ”

“I’m a Chitah.”

“Are you shitting me?” Montana laughed and pulled a leaf off a branch.

“Not everyone cares about that, but maybe you should pop a breath mint. This isn’t about finding a mate; it’s just about finding some company for the night.

I don’t think they know what to make of you.

You’re standing off to the side at a party, and that sends a message.

Take a look around, see who catches your eye.

The house is empty, and you two can dip out.

Look, I don’t judge about that kind of thing.

We’ve all got needs, and it’s hard when you’re single. ”

Lucian noticed only one woman tonight who caught his interest. Eden’s espresso-colored hair was loosely curled across her bare shoulders.

The metallic silver designs in her sleeveless black dress matched the eye shadow around her sultry eyes.

She’d even painted her nails silver. Her dress wasn’t tight but flowed, drawing attention to her long legs and black pumps.

Tall women triggered some men’s insecurity, but not Lucian.

Every time he saw her in heels, his breath caught.

“How about the blonde in the blue top?” Montana pressed. “The one with the red pendant around her neck. I’ve seen her look at you twice already.”

Lucian was oblivious to everyone but Eden, and his desire for her intensified with each passing moment.

She moved with the grace of a tiger, her laughter warm and inviting.

Each time he heard it, he got a tingling sensation in his stomach.

She had a way of physically connecting with people during a conversation, and he observed how skillfully she turned strangers into friends.

“Cleo came out,” Montana said, switching topics.

That snapped Lucian’s attention back to reality. “Where?”

“I don’t know. She was out here a while ago but probably ran back inside. Poor kid.”

Virgil bounced onto the scene. Beneath his brown fedora was a mop of dark blond hair.

Even though he wasn’t a rock star, it was like he wanted to embody one in his low-cut, tattered jeans and nipple rings.

“Breaking news: Lakota busted a couple having sex at the back of the field. He heard a woman crying out and thought she was in trouble.”

Montana briefly glanced over his shoulder to conceal a smile. “Yeah, that was bound to happen.”

Virgil snapped his fingers to the music while holding his beer bottle in his other hand. “After that, a woman showed me her nipple rings. Best party ever.” With that, he danced away.

A napkin tumbled by, carried by a short gust of wind.

“I bet Tak is having a fit with all the littering,” Lucian quipped.

“You can bet we’ll be cleaning that up tomorrow.”

Tak ambled up and put his arms around each of them in a mock hug. “Are you having fun all by yourselves?” He stepped back and flicked his long braid off his shoulder. “Tonight is for mingling and making alliances.”

“We were just talking about Cleo,” Montana said. “I still haven’t heard anything from my contacts about a missing child matching her description. I didn’t put her hair length, since we don’t know what it originally looked like before they hacked it off.”

Tak’s brow furrowed. “Keep looking, and be sure you covered all the states and not just Arkansas. She could have come from Alaska for all we know. There’s a large Shifter population up there.”

Lucian checked his watch. “What happens if you can’t find anything?”

Tak shook his head. “It doesn’t feel right keeping her. She has a devastated family out there, so it’s our duty to keep looking. It would help if we knew her Breed.”

“Well, she’s not a Sensor,” Lucian stated as fact. “If she were, she would’ve pushed her emotions into someone by now. Some of their skills are taught, but they’re all born with the ability.”

“She could be a Relic,” Montana offered while pinching his chin. “We wouldn’t know that until she exhibited an unusual talent in a field.”

Tak crossed his arms. “Speaking of Relics, Milly wants her to gain more weight—her lab work isn’t normal yet. I don’t like the way she closes herself up in that room; it worries me. Dealing with traumatized children isn’t something I’m familiar with, so I don’t want to force her to socialize.”

“She was walking around out here a little while ago,” Montana remarked.

Tak jerked his head back and then searched the crowd with a concerned look. “She’s not allowed to walk alone. I don’t know all these wolves. Was anyone with her?”

Montana guiltily shook his head. “Maybe she went back inside.”

“ Maybe? ” he growled. “That little girl is in my charge. We have to protect her.”

All three men turned when they heard a cacophony of shouting and a wolf growl. Shifting during a peace party was against the rules. Hamish Macgregor was riled up, judging by the way he was bellowing. Tak and Montana briskly walked away to investigate.

Deciding to let the Packmaster and his third-in-command handle it, Lucian branched farther away and leaned against the pasture fence.

The party had thinned out, but the crowd was a livelier one.

To keep himself occupied, he periodically checked the cameras on his phone to make sure no one had ventured beyond the designated perimeter.

Guests were allowed to explore the property around the house but only within limits.

“Lucy, Lucy, Lucy.” Deacon sauntered up. “Almost didn’t recognize you with hair.”

Putting his phone back in his pocket, Lucian gave the beta wolf a sharp look.

“Same. I thought you only wore kitchen rags,” he said, noting Deacon’s black T-shirt, which covered his torso for a change.

His muscles and tattoos were still on full display, but it was the most clothing Lucian had ever seen on him.

Deacon had a thing for those stringy tank tops that showed off his ridiculously large muscles.

Deacon gave him a sardonic grin. “Gotta dress for the job you want.” He put his arm around Lucian and briefly glanced over his shoulder. “Tough luck. Looks like the Councilwoman has her sights set on a beta wolf if you catch my drift. We’re going out on a date. Ain’t she a peach?”

Lucian’s stomach dropped when he realized who Deacon was looking at. He had seen them talking earlier, but it never crossed his mind that Deacon would be interested in Eden. He’d thought all that flirting Deacon was doing back at her house was just to get under his skin.

Lucian knocked his arm away. “What the hell do I care?”