Page 20 of The Wolf’s Appetite (The Lycans #8)

AISLING

T he moment I stepped into the kitchen, the queen handed me a wine glass. “Thank you, my queen.”

“Luna, sweetheart.”

I knew my eyes were wide as I took the glass. “Pardon?”

She smiled. “Call me Luna. No formalities here, especially not with being a fated mate to Lennox.” She smiled sweetly, her long white-blonde hair carrying the scent of orange blossom.

My face felt hot, and I smiled. I would be lying if I didn’t admit I was uncomfortable standing here with royalty and other fated mates, and I was… just like them. I wasn’t seen as a staff member of the royal estate.

I stood back sipping my wine and listened to the women talk amongst themselves. They didn’t seem worried or apprehensive about what was transpiring, or if they did, they hid it really damn well.

The children had been taken to a panic room underground, the safehouse built so thick and protected by heavy magic, that it helped ease the fear their mothers had.

My nerves were shot. My body not only hummed from spending the night with Lennox and finally experiencing what it was to have my mate but also from the dangers looming too close for comfort.

I’d gone from one reality to another, and part of that included standing in a kitchen full of mates to powerful Lycans and vampires, all beautiful and carrying the kind of presence that made you take notice that they were so otherworldly even if they were humans.

I took another sip and loved the flavor of crushed berries with a hint of fire.

Kayla popped the cork on a second bottle with a smile on her face.

“If we’re going to be stuck here for God knows how long while the overly protective and aggressive men talk bloodlines and betrayals, we’re going to do it tipsy as hell. ”

“I second that,” Ada said, reaching into the fridge and pulling out a charcuterie board that had clearly been prepared for tonight. “Let’s get buzzed and stuff ourselves on cheese and fruit.”

Everyone laughed. Evelyn, Cian’s mate, opened a cabinet and pulled out crackers and chocolates, and soon enough, everyone was gathered around the large kitchen island drinking wine, eating snacks, and talking about everyday things, especially laughing about our over protective Otherworld males.

The more time that passed, the more relaxed I became. No one cared about etiquette. There was something deeply comforting in this situation. It felt real and unapologetic.

And then I felt everyone watching me. I looked up from the charcuterie board mid-bite, my eyes feeling wide.

“I still can’t believe he found you,” Luna said, smiling in a way only a mother would when speaking about her child.

My face heated all over again, and I took a long drink from my wine glass. A few of the women chuckled. “Canna believe I found him,” I admitted.

“Gods,” Evelyn said. “You have the cutest damn accent ever.”

I had to laugh at that.

“You’re embarrassing her,” Darragh, Caelan’s mate, said in a soft voice. She stood beside her best friend Evelyn, and although these females were now family because we were mated to brothers, I still felt so… out of place .

This was new and kind of frightening, if I were being honest.

“To see one of your children struggling and hurting so much,” Luna said softly, “it’s hard.

But then you came along, and although he still struggles with his wolf and the trauma, having you by his side has made my son whole again.

” She smiled at me and placed a hand on top of mine.

Her skin was smooth and warm and felt comforting.

“He makes me feel alive, too,” I admitted. “But it’s strange, ye kno’… our wolves are silent until they recognize each other fully.”

There were indistinct murmurs of comfort from the women.

“In time, all things heal.”

We all glanced at the doorway to see Odhran’s mate Larkin standing there.

She had her hands clasped in front of her, and I knew her mate wasn’t far from her.

I’d heard about their love story, one filled with devastation and trauma.

Larkin had experienced so much pain, and Odhran never stopped trying to find her… save her.

“I kno’ over these last months, my son could be… miserable and unbearable. He was cold and detached.”

“Well, he definitely had a mouth on him before we realized what we meant tae each other. I made sure tae let him kno’ I bite, tae.”

This heavy silence filled the kitchen, and I wondered if I should have kept that intrusive thought to myself.

And then they all started laughing, Larkin, as well.

“I like her,” Ada said, pointing at me with a cheese knife. “She’s got fire in her. Lennox needs that. All these Otherworld males do.”

Kayla nodded. “We girls have to put them in their places so they kno’ who actually runs the show.” She smiled.

I laughed then, really laughed, the tension finally cracking.

And then this heaviness–this seriousness–filled the kitchen.

“Something bad is coming,” Larkin added after a beat, her dark hair partially hiding her features as she glanced down.

“Getting them all together,” Kayla said, referring to our males, “means something serious is coming, and they have to put their differences aside to fight it.”

Everyone murmured their agreement. They clearly didn’t know the details of what was going on, and I only knew what Lennox told me. Truth be told, I doubted he told me even the tip of what was really going on.

No one said anything for a long moment.

I stared at the candles flickering along the counter, then at the glass in my hand. My fingers were trembling just slightly .

Kayla raised her glass for a toast. “To terrifying males who are not only insufferable when they want to be but who’d tear the world apart in order to protect those they care about.”

We all clinked glasses, laughing as the tension cracked just enough to breathe again. But I knew it was a farce. This was just a moment to lighten the fear and anxiety thrumming through all of us.

I didn’t know what was coming next. I didn’t know who we would have to fight or even if we’d win.

But at the heart of it all… we weren’t alone in this.

And that counted for everything.