“I ate a sausage. I ate two bowls of fruit and I ate some eggs and potatoes.”
“More than half of which is left on your plate.”
“Then you eat it. I’m going to get dressed.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to see my parents, and my sister and brother in law, which means I’ll likely be seeing all of our parents’ clan because when anyone is in town, they all gather.”
“This clan isn’t part of your parents’ clan?” Lucien asked.
“Kaid was our Alpha and head of our clan growing up. He’s the reason we’re all family. But when it became apparent that Brandt was the new generation’s Alpha, he started grooming him to take over one day so he could just hang out and enjoy and not have to be part of the responsibility anymore. Technically Brandt is our Alpha, my generation, and Kaid is our parents’ generation’s Alpha, but he is actively preparing for the day he doesn’t have to do anything but enjoy. And just for the record my father was Alpha of a huge Pack in the North before he walked away and years later found the clan here.”
“Why did he walk away?”
“Betrayal. By his own mate.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah, it was a good thing, though, because he found Kaid and built a life here, which includes the mate he always dreamed of — my mother.”
“And all of y’all are family, the whole clan?” Lucien asked.
“My parents’ generation has some actual family members in it and their spouses and kids, and then there are those who are not related and their spouses and kids, but are still family, you know what I mean? Blood doesn’t mean family, and family doesn’t mean blood,” Hellen said.
“I do.”
“But that’s not all I’ll be visiting with. My sister is married and mated to Riley. He’s an Alpha, too. Their Pride lives in Missouri, but they’re down for my brother’s wedding.”
“So the whole place is rank with Alphas at the moment,” he remarked, almost jovially.
Hellen laughed. “You could say that.”
“Is this brother who just got married younger or older?” Lucien asked.
Hellen grinned. “Neither. We’re twins.”
“You have a twin brother?” Lucien asked.
“I do. And though we’re Wolves, my mother is a Lion.”
“Speaks to that fire you got. And the gold streaked fur around your neck. Magnificent.”
Hellen laughed. “We’ve also got Black Bears, Foxes, humans, and Dragons in the clan; the parents’ clan and ours. Riley has Panthers, Bears, Gorillas, Tigers, and humans.”
“Well this should be interesting to say the least. I’ll go put on a shirt.”
“Oh, no. Unh uhh. You are not coming.”
“Why the hell not? I fed you and everything.”
“With my own food!”
“That’s not the point. I’ll go get dressed.”
Hellen stood up and looked at him seriously. “All kidding aside. You can’t.”
“Why? You’re not allowed to have guests?”
