We stepped into the giant kitchen and found Rachel and Caitlin working with Bessie at the center island. Rachel was cutting watermelon into slices while Caitlin formed burger patties between her hands.
“Hi guys,” Rachel greeted us.
“Heard you put a bullet in each of your mates,” Bessie chirped, arranging hamburger buns on a giant platter. There was no rancor in her voice so I didn’t take exception to the topic. “That’s one way to start off a new relationship.”
Ali didn’t take offense, either. She smiled and walked over to the counter, picking up another bag of buns and pitching in like it was the most natural thing in the world to her. “It was that or take the chance Tim Hollaroy would shoot for their heads. I just hoped Rachel knew what she was talking about when she told me they’d recover.”
Rachel set another patty on the plate. “I’m so glad we talked. God, you must have been so freaked out!”
“Takes more than a bullet to put our kind down,” Bessie said, steering the conversation away from getting Ali upset again.
Our mate sometimes woke up in the middle of the night from bad dreams, sweaty and panicked about what she’d done, but we soothed her. Told her we were fine. That we’d never leave her.
“Usually,” she added. Then, with a smile, she offered, “Welcome to the pack, honey.” The short stout she-wolf came around to the same side of the island and wrapped Ali in a grandmotherly hug.
Ali received the embrace with grace, and looked at me with wide-eyed surprise. “Thank you. I’m honored. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
I loved the sound of that.
“You hear that?” I said to Theo. “Looks like she won’t be aiming for our heads next time, after all.”
This time, Ali laughed, which was what I’d hoped for.
“Hi, I’m Caitlin.” Landry’s and Wade’s mate washed and dried her hands to offer a handshake to Ali. “I’m also relatively new to the pack.”
“We’re the newbie not-wolves,” Rachel said, pointing between herself and Caitlin. “They don’t seem to hold that against us, though.”
“Of course we don’t,” Bessie said firmly. “You’re the future of this pack. Fate wouldn’t have picked you for our young men if you weren’t the answer.”
“Answer to what?” Ali asked.
“Their particular species of shifter is going extinct,” Caitlin explained. “We believe the mating instinct being triggered by human females, not just here but in other packs as well, is nature’s way of ensuring survival.”
“Caitlin is a wolf biologist,” I explained.
“Is that how you met your mates?” Ali asked.
“Uh, yes.” Caitlin’s embarrassed laugh rang out. “You’re not the only one with a complicated start. They caught me trespassing, trying to tag wolves. You can imagine how that went over.”
Bessie chuckled but Ali had stilled, biting her lip and looking at the floor. “Yeah… I heard about the wolf tags. I know my father was a part of that, and I’m terribly sorry for the pain it caused.”
“You and me both,” Caitlin said. “I thought I was doing research. I had no idea my advisor was selling the locators on the tags to your father and the other ranchers.”
Perhaps it was the fact that Caitlyn had also been involved in something that had hurt the pack that made Ali feel included. That bad things happened, that innocent people were caught up in them. It was the end result, the choices one made, that proved who they were. Proved their honor and ultimate value to the pack.
Caitlyn and Ali had both chosen the right path, and that was why fate had made them one of us.
Bessie thrust the platter of hamburger patties at me. “Bring those out to be grilled please, Sheriff.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I cast a glance at Ali, worried about leaving her alone.
“Go on.” Bessie shooed me and Theo, handing him the platter of buns. “She doesn’t need a babysitter. We’ll take good care of your female,” she promised. “She might need a little girl talk time.”
I smiled as we left the kitchen, warmth spreading through my chest. If we’d been worried the pack would shun Ali for being a rancher, we were wrong. Our pack trusted in fate.
Fate chose us for Ali, and Ali for us.
It made no mistakes.
We joined the men out on the deck as the grilling began and the meeting lodge filled with families. Our community. Young and old, together.
When Ali emerged with the other females, she appeared completely comfortable, laughing at something one of them had said before she scanned the crowd of shifters to find us.
I pushed myself away from the railing I was propped against and cut through the crowd to claim her, with Theo right behind me. The ten minutes we’d been apart were long enough.
“Everyone here knows you belong to us, but I’m still jealous when you’re not by our sides,” I growled in her ear when I arrived.
She tipped her face up to smile at me. “You’re ridiculous, Sheriff.”
“And you’re beautiful,” I said.
“Smooth one,” Theo critiqued, and I elbowed him in the side as he bent to steal a kiss from our mate.
“Are you really sure you don’t want to run?” Ali asked again.
My brow wrinkled. “Why are you so preoccupied with us running?”
She stroked a fingertip inside the collar of my shirt, touching the hollow of my throat. “Well, I remember you two said how horny you get after a full moon run.” Her voice was low and sultry. Even though it was barely above a whisper, I was sure everyone had heard. I didn’t give a shit.
“I just wanted to be sure I was the recipient of those raging hormones or pheromones, or whatever they are,” she added. My dick was instantly hard, and thoughts of the pack, of the run, were gone.
I took one glance at Theo and knew he was on board with my decision-making. “That’s it,” I said, throwing her over my shoulder. “We’re out of here.”
“Hey, where are you going?” Theo’s mom said on a laugh. “I wanted to introduce Ali around to everyone!”
“Next time,” Theo grunted, close on my heel as I strode through the meeting lodge with Ali giggling over my shoulder.
“Put me down,” Ali said, laughing.
“No chance of that, sweetheart,” I said, giving her jean-clad ass a light swat.
“Nope,” Theo agreed. “Sounded to us like our female needed servicing. We don’t let a call like that go unanswered.” He threw open the passenger door to my truck.
“That’s right,” I agreed, setting Ali down on the seat. She slid into the middle. “Your pleasure is our top priority.”
“I’m good! I can wait!” she protested, laughing, but Theo climbed in beside her, blocking any exit she might have.
“Nope. There’s no waiting. You ask for it, we deliver. That’s how it goes.”
“That’s how it goes.” I climbed in behind the wheel, started up the truck, and took off like we were in hot pursuit of a suspect.
Ali reached a hand out to touch each of our knees. “I love you guys.”
My heart skipped a beat, then hammered at a wild romping pace. “I love you to the moon and back, Ali Jenkins.”