I laugh softly, the tension breaking. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Alpha Hudson.”
“Call me Hudson, Luna. There’s no need for titles here,” he says as he turns, and I follow him downstairs.
The only empty chair is between Axel and Damien.
I hesitate.
“Problem, Luna?” Axel asks, patting the seat. “Promise I don’t bite.” He grins. “Unless you ask nicely.”
I sit, hyperaware of how close they both are, trying to make myself smaller. It’s impossible when Axel deliberately spreads his legs wider, his thigh pressing against mine.
“Comfortable?” he asks innocently.
On my other side, Damien’s entire body is rigid. I shift slightly, trying to escape Axel’s deliberate invasion of space, and brush against Damien. His fist clenches on the table, and his knuckles go white.
“Pass the… whatever that green stuff is,” I say, needing distraction.
Oli reaches for it at the same time as Axel.
“I got it,” Axel growls.
“I’m closer,” Oli counters.
A platter of neon green meatballs makes its way to me, followed by a bowl of purple mashed potatoes and something that might be a casserole under a layer of burnt cheese.
“Dig in, everyone!” Oli exclaims with pride, setting down a pitcher with suspiciously bright blue liquid. “I call this ‘Oli’s Jungle Juice.’ It packs a punch, so be warned.”
Axel reaches for the pitcher, pouring himself a generous glass. “Looks radioactive. I’m in.”
Ethan chuckles, shaking his head. “Oli, one of these days, your wild kitchen experiments will be the end of us.”
Oli grins. “But what a way to go, huh?”
I tentatively spoon some of the purple mash onto my plate, poking at a meatball with my fork. It feels crunchy, making me raise an eyebrow.
“It’s edible, I promise,” Oli says, noticing my hesitation. “I tested everything on myself first.”
“And you survived, so that’s reassuring,” I quip, taking a small bite of the meatball. It’s… good. Spicy, and the crunch must be broccoli.
I can feel all their eyes on me as we eat, wedged between two massive alphas, and I don’t know where to put my hands, my eyes, my entire damn body.
Axel leans over to me and whispers, “Relax, Wildcat. You look like you’re about to bolt. Don’t worry, I’ll catch you.”
He then takes a big swig of the jungle juice and coughs, his eyes watering. “Damn, Oli, what’s in this? Jet fuel?”
Oli winks, shoveling a massive bite of the casserole into his mouth.
“So, Luna, tell us a bit about yourself. What do you like to do for fun?”
I pause, my fork suspended in mid-air.
Fun? I can’t recall the last time I did something purely for fun.
“I like to read,” I manage. “And I used to draw before…” My voice trails off, but the unspoken words linger in the back of my mind.
Before the fire. Before everything turned to ash.
“What do you like to draw?” Ethan asks, his voice gentle.
