“So, listen,” Maverik said, growing tired of not addressing the true reason of them all being here, “I told everybody what you confided in me,”
“Which is why I went to get you this morning. We figured if Hellen knows, she’d go off half-cocked and we needed to get our bearings here first,” Brandt said.
“I understand,” Lucien said.
“You know everybody here?” Brandt asked.
Lucien looked around the large group of males some sitting in lawn chairs, some leaning on stumps and against the railing of the steps leading up to a side door of Kaid’s place, and some just standing. Some were of Brandt’s generation, others older and obviously of Maverik’s generation. “Not quite everybody,” Lucien said, realizing there were a few unfamiliar faces there.
“Those of y’all that haven’t met him, this is Lucien, Hellen’s mate. And it has been made official. He’s one of us, now,” Brandt said.
Congratulations and welcomes were offered from everybody there. One of the males stood and walked over to offer his hand. “I’m Remi. Good to meet you. Welcome.”
“Remi. Appreciate it,” Lucien said.
“I’m Shaun. Glad to meet you,” Shaun said, almost mimicking Remi’s behavior exactly.
Remi scowled at Shaun, and Shaun smirked at Remi.
“I’m Kiernan,” a third male said.
“Lucien,” Lucien said, inclining his head.
“I’m Daniel. Remi’s my son,” Daniel explained. “Heard you were around but missed meeting you at Kaid’s yesterday.”
“That was a fun time,” Lucien said.
Daniel laughed. “I feel for you. Imagine being the only thing in the world your mate is afraid of and every one of the males in her clan wants you to die when you show up.”
“Oh, damn. No, I’ll take my circumstances, thank you, though,” Lucien said.
“Glad you’re here, Lucien. Hellen deserves all the happiness she can get. She’s a wonderful young lady,” Daniel said.
“Thank you. Glad to be here.” He took a minute to look around at everybody else and realized he knew them all. Kaid, Maverik, Bam, Bane, Vince, Brandt, Barron, and Christian. But then his gaze landed on the only two males who hadn’t introduced themselves. But one of them didn’t have to. He looked so much like Hellen that it was clear this male was her twin. “You must be Havoc,” Lucien said, looking Havoc in the eyes.
“Yeah. I’m Havoc. The fuck you claiming my sister without even bothering to come to introduce yourself to her family and ask permission?”
“Havoc!” Maverik warned.
Lucien grinned. “And there it is…”
“There what is?” Havoc asked.
“That attitude that I love so much in your sister, and in your daughter. I had no doubt you had it, too.”
Havoc’s brows bunched down over his eyes. “That’s it? That’s the best you got?”
“Best I got? No, the best I got is Hellen. I’ll fight tooth and nail against anything that even so much as irritates her. I’m stating a fact. Like it or don’t, it doesn’t matter to me.” Lucien turned his attention to the younger boy who looked a whole lot like Havoc and Hellen. “Hey.”
“How you doing? I’m Ronan. Welcome to the family. Ignore Havoc. He’s an ass.”
“Hey! I’m not an ass. I’m protecting my sister’s honor.”
“In case you haven’t understood. That’s my job now. I don’t like people making her unhappy, and I don’t like people assuming to speak for her. And I’m sorry if this pisses you off, but that includes family. She’s mine. I’m hers. Get used to it, or get the fuck out of our way,” Lucien said.
Havoc’s eyes narrowed as he took Lucien’s measure, then one side of his mouth turned up, displaying his crooked grin. “That’s all I need to know, brother!” He walked over to Lucien and performed a complicated hand shake, hand slap, finger grab routine.
Lucien nodded and did his best to keep up with whatever the hell it was Havoc was trying to complete as a handshake. But he did notice when he touched Havoc, just how dangerous he was. He might have made a nuisance of himself by being a loud-mouth, he might have even thrown around a threat or two here and there, but the thing was, this Wolf could back it up. He was a shit-stirrer, but he was also a very dangerous male.
