Page 28

I hear Ren speak to someone as the door clicks shut, but I don’t think anything of it. I spend a few more minutes, working on this sketch.

I then sit up and look at the view, trying to decide what to do next.

My dark angel was next, but I don’t want to share him yet, which would make Dan and Elise next. I smile and turn to a clean page, making sure to leave one spare.

I see the curtains open over one of the other sets of doors, I promptly swallow my tongue. I don’t move, my pencil poised over my page, but out the corner of my eye, there is a guy 5ft 9ish, lean build, broad shoulders like a swimmer, tousled blonde hair, and very, very naked. I force myself to start drawing. I chance a glance again out the corner of my eye, not turning my head. He’s rubbing his face, his mate mark that is 3 inches down his side from his right armpit. It looks like a paw print or a hand, but the palm is a crescent moon shape.

I continue to sketch the outline of Dan and Elise’s back porch. I glance again and reach his face, canine features, but they are mixed with a Fae-like perfection just like… fuck Creed, no, it can’t be. Creed doesn’t have a wolf, and this guy does. I keep my focus on my page, I hear a muffled “FUCK!” from his direction.

I swallow a smile, and the figure moves out of view. I sigh, unsure if I’m relieved from him not coming out or him walking away. I carry on drawing and hear shuffling coming from Ren’s room; Trick’s scent fills my nose as a grunted

“Shuffle” comes from my sleepy trickster. He slides behind me. His nose sinks in behind my right ear, and both arms around my tummy, legs on either side of me.

“I woke up, and you were gone. I thought I’d dreamed it, then heard you sketching.” he huffs but says no more.

“Sorry, I felt restless. I decided to do some of my wolf dreams.” He hums behind me, and we sit. Part of me thinks he’s fallen asleep.

“Where’s Ren?” he asks, still not moving. I leave it a beat before answering,

“He went to talk to Mika about the fact we marked each other last night.” I feel him tense, and I panic I’ve triggered something for him. He sniffs, then pulls the hoody and t-shirt away from my left shoulder, careful not to touch Ren’s mark.

His voice is cold and sharp, like a knife’s edge, when he finally speaks,

“He didn’t force you, did he?” Wide-eyed, I turn and look at him. He’s serious. His hair and eyes flash with his warring emotions. Putting my sketch pad down, I turn, going up on my knees, cradling his face in my hands,

“Your brother would never force or hurt us, you know that!” He relaxes but keeps my gaze.

“I woke from a bad dream, and he helped banish those memories. We didn’t have sex. Well, he gave me oral, but he kept his boxers on. We did what you and I HAD to do, nothing more, but when we came, I marked him, and Pine pushed forward,” I bow my head, ashamed I kind of forced Ren into the bond. Trick kisses my forehead,

“I doubt it was all Pine. Ren has loved you since we were kids.” He smiles, then my tummy grumbles, and he chuckles at me,

“I need to shower. Can you put my faux hawk back in, and then we can feed the monster that is your stomach?” I smile.

“Do you have clippers?” I follow him out of the room, putting the pencils in my hoodie pocket.

Twenty-five minutes later, we head down for breakfast. Trick introduces me to Alma, who gets a quick rundown of my likes and dislikes before she passes me a mug of English tea. We make our way to the breakfast room and take a seat; only those who live in the pack house and a few older folks are allowed in this part of the chalet.

Trick explains that unless there are visitors, we can sit wherever we want, even in the Alpha's chair.

As we sit down, like Ren did all those years ago, Trick loads up my plate for me. I smile at him, and then over his shoulder, I see Creed walk in. Freeze, and someone bumps into his back, sending him flat on his face. The new guy and Creed lean down to help him up... wait, does Creed have an identical twin? The first guy isn’t Creed, but the second one is. Once his brother is on his feet, Creed swaggers over to me, hauling me out of my chair and into a huge hug. He still smells like dark chocolate, but now it’s accompanied by something else, like bourbon and cigars. As he pulls back,

“Smudge, I’d like you to meet my brother Jace.” I smile at said twin,

“Hello, Jace, it’s nice to meet you.” Turning to Creed, I punch his chest

“You said brother, not mirror image.” I say with a laugh.

“Not like you can't tell the difference, smudge,” he says so quietly that only Trick and I can hear.

“You told him?” Jenson breaths out next to me, I can’t tell if he’s hurt or upset by the fact.

At a glance around the room, everyone feels safe. I smile as I sit back down and turn to Trick as I sip my tea,

“He felt safe, but I was curious what he was. I’d never seen someone like him before.” Trick relaxes. Creed pats his shoulder and sits next to a very red-faced Jace. The dark-haired guy looks thoughtful and then sits opposite me. He seems familiar, but I don’t know why. Bram and Miles Walk in and sit near the dark-haired guy.

Bram kisses my crown on the way past, and before his ass hits the seat, he starts talking music with the unknown nightmare. Brayden walks in with Bastille and two other bear shifters. A vampire and a dragon come in next.

Trick puts a hand on my thigh, thinking I’m tensing at the vampire, which I kind of am, but it’s more because the dragon has some gold scales. Trick frowns when he notices who is making me tense. He looks at the dragon, then back at me with a raised eyebrow. I shake my head, and he thankfully leaves it. Trent walks in and blushes when he sees me, along with another bear shifter who, again, seems familiar, and I smile when I realise why.

“Enforcer Trunk, it's been a while.” He double-takes at me before the pieces click into place, seeing me next to Jenson.

“Miss Ashes, we've been looking for you everywhere. Call me Aqiduda , or Gramps, like all the rest.” He pats the boys on the head on his way past to his seat. Dominic and Lucian come in, deep in conversation, and sit down. Mika and Ren walk in; Mika kisses my crown, ruffles Brayden’s hair, and pats Bastille's shoulder.

A few minutes later, Declan walks in, seeming to second-guess himself as if he wants to interact with me but is unsure, if he is allowed or I would want him to, He kind of slumps and goes to sit next to Mika. The two guys behind him surprise me; Silas Hound walks straight over and picks me up.

“Sparkplug, what are you doing here?” I answer his following questions before my stomach yells again, and Si plonks me back in my chair with a chuckle.

The final person walks up and takes my chin between his thumb and index finger, forcing my gaze to his. Everyone has gone, still watching this exchange. My dark Angel looks into my eyes as if they hold all the answers he needs.

“ Starshine,” he whispers in Latin. He kisses my nose, then sits next to the dark-haired nightmare opposite me... his younger brother, of course, that’s why he looks familiar. The hair color was throwing me off.

“WHAT THE FUCK!” from Declan; everyone starts to eat again. Most take joy in ignoring Declan’s question.