Victor had threatened their mates, and they were just as invested in taking the vamp down. Keeping three alphas cool and calm when they didn’t always agree on the best strategy was hard. The only saving grace was their lifelong friendship. They’d been boys together long before they were alphas. Those bonds saw them through a few scuffles when opinions differed.
Atlas took the beer Nero offered before they clinked the bottlenecks together. “The girls need water, snacks, and wine. In that order,” he added.
“A little tipsy?” Nero guessed.
“And bickering,” he added.
“This means we’re family,” Reece pointed out. “Brothers-in-law.”
“Ain’t that a thing?” Nero laughed. “Three friends winding up with three sisters. But it’s weird that if it wasn’t for all this vamp stuff, we never would’ve met them.”
“I don’t even want to imagine a life without Celestine,” Reece shivered at the thought and gulped down half his beer.
Atlas grabbed a few things and threw together some crackers, cheeses, deli meats, and slices of fresh bread. “What do you think? Keep our ladies sober a little longer?”
“You trying to outdo us?” Nero teased.
Atlas flipped him off before returning to the poolside. “I come bearing snacks.” He laid down the tray on one of the patio tables and kissed the top of Lilliane’s head.
Nero, holding a pitcher of water, and Reece, uncorking a bottle of red, joined them. They settled close to their mates, and chatter broke out.
“You realize this is the first family dinner of many, right?” Lilliane whispered to him.
“I like it,” he whispered back.
“Me too,” she beamed at him. “Are you gonna tell us all about your plans now?”
He shook his head. “Tonight is about hanging out and unwinding.”
“Are you trying to distract me?” she asked. He sipped his beer and didn’t answer her question. “That’s pretty much admitting youaretrying to distract me.”
“Yup. Also need to unwind.” He gave her a tight smile, and her heart gave a squeeze. She left her drink on a table on her way to him. She sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “It was a hard day, huh?” she whispered.
He nodded. “This vamp is bad. Got back some of our background searches on him. There is very little, and what’s there isn’t good. This guy is untouchable and slippery. He’s very dangerous, Lilliane. And so,” he cleared his throat. “Fuck,” he groaned. “We need to talk about what would happen if he killed me.”
She stiffened in his arms. He hated to even put the idea out there, but they definitely needed to talk about it. “No. You won’t. You can’tdie.”
“He is an ancient vampire with resources even I can’t match. We might be three wolf packs, but he’s got a few centuries on us.” He sighed. “I just wanna make sure all my bases are covered. If something happens to me, you need to stay with the pack. They will protect you. Do not leave the pack lands. There will always be a wolf to protect you on this land. In Greenlee and Blackwood, too.”
“But I don’t want people to die defending me.”
It was his turn to stiffen. “I fucking hate it when you say shit like that. Why shouldyouhave to suffer and be scared because he fixated on you? If he wasn’t a vampire, there would be cops and lawyers and all kinds of other people to help you. But heisa vampire. He is above human law. I haven’t found his weakness yet, and honestly, I’m man enough to admit that he might win.”
“Why are you telling me this?” her voice shook. “Is this what tonight is? Some kind of goodbye dinner in case things go bad?”
“No, of course not. We have steak dinners all the time. We take turns hosting, but I thought you’d prefer staying here.”
“Well, he hasn’t found me yet. I feel like even walking by a window is tempting fate.”
He gave her a sad smile. She was making light of it, but he knew she was worried. She was scared and, no doubt, blaming herself for this.
“You’re safe here, darling. I’ve got my eye on you.” He kissed the crown of her head. “I won’t let him hurt you. Let’s enjoy our night. We’re celebrating.”
Her eyes sparked. “Celebrating, huh?”
“Yeah. We’re mated. Seemed like a good idea to have a meal with our nearest and dearest. Have a few laughs and have something sweet to end the night.”
She laughed. “Yeah? And what did you get for dessert?”
