“Well, I’m glad you’re all here.” Rage’s dad took a swig of his drink and set the cup on the table. He reached his hand out to me. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Jackson.” I hated to be formal, but this was the first time meeting them.
“It’s Matthew to you.” He winked at me and grabbed his cup again. “The pack is super excited to meet Rage’s infamous mate.”
“Yeah, it’s hard to believe he committed to someone.” Stone entered the room and sat on the love seat.
“When they see her, they’ll understand.” Rage grinned and leaned over, kissing my cheek.
“Oh, gag me.” Stone wrinkled his nose. “I’m not sure if I can stomach this.”
“Be nice.” Audrey arched an eyebrow. “This could be you someday.”
“Don’t worry about it, man.” Cole strode to the couch and sat. “After seeing them like that for so long, you become immune. It took a while for me to get comfortable chatting as they make out, but I pushed through it.”
“We aren’t that bad.” A giggle escaped me. He always had to be so dramatic.
“Almost.” Cole nodded his head.
“If you guys are ready, the pack wants to see you and meet Raven.” Matthew finished off his drink.
Rage glanced at me, letting me make the call.
“Sure, let’s go.” I couldn’t wait to meet the others.
It wasn’t long until we made our way to the clearing of the neighborhood. All the pack members' houses were nice. There was a section in the center with a pond and trees surrounding it. Cute picnic benches were scattered around the pond.
A group of people was waiting in the center. There were at least fifty people of various ages standing around.
Whispers filled my ears as we made our way to the edge of the pond. Even though my hand was securely in Rage’s, I felt as if I was on display.
“Wow, the overwhelming scent of pups kinda makes me nauseous.” Cole wrinkled his nose and waved his hand, trying to dispel the air.
“And your scent of sweet mold makes me gag.” Rage grumbled. “But yet, here you are.”
A tall lean guy around our age hurried in our direction. “Rage, man. It’s good to see you.” He wore a flannel shirt with a thin, black jacket over it. His jeans fit perfectly with a black belt emphasizing his lean waist. His jade green eyes scanned me over. “And who is this girl?” He winked at me.
If Jess was here, she’d be melting for this guy. He was gorgeous, but he didn’t hold a candle to my mate. “I’m Raven.” I held my hand out toward him, and he grabbed it, shaking.
“She’s my mate.” Rage slapped his friend’s back and then gave him a side hug. “So, no flirting.”
“Damn, I’m jealous.” He let go of my hand and took a step back. “It’s nice to meet ya. I’m one of his oldest friends.”
“His dad is the beta here.” Rage pointed over to the man standing next to his father.
It was easy to see they were related. The man next to Matthew was a few inches taller but leaner and less muscular.
“I’m Ryder.” His friend grinned at me. “My dad over there is Charlie.”
“It’s very nice to meet you.” His presence was calming, and his friendly demeanor was comforting.
“When Matthew told us the news that Rage had found his true mate, it was hard to believe.” He punched Rage in the arm. “A few of the girls here tried to grab his attention while growing up, but he never batted an eye in their direction.”
“He must have been questioning his sexuality.” Cole pursed his lips and nodded.
“What? No.” Rage’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. “That’s not it.”
“It’s okay. It’s natural for a lot of guys.” Cole grinned and shook his head. “Just like you tried looking at my penis that one night.”
Oh, dear god. There was no telling where this was going.
“No, that’s not how it happened.” Rage lifted his free hand and pointed at Cole accusingly. “You were the one who wanted to show Damien and me how big your junk was.”
“It’s strange.” As much as Cole tried being unpredictable, it only made him more predictable. “Somehow, we’ve had this conversation before.”
“It’s worth talking about.” Cole stood straight with a proud grin on his face. “Tell them, Rage.”
“Dude, no.” Rage pulled me close and buried his face in my hair. “I’m trying to block that memory from my brain.”
His earthy scent filled my nose, and this moment was perfect. However, I couldn’t help feeling an ache about not seeing my parents for another Christmas.
“So what did you do?” A huge smile spread across Ryder’s face.
“Well, I first came in the room Tom Cruise style, sporting tighty-whities.” Cole’s face beamed as he told his story.
Rage tugged my hand and led me to where his Dad stood. “Let’s go over here so you can meet Charlie. That story is a nightmare, and I don’t want to relive the memory.”
We weaved around a few girls who murmured hello to Rage and stared as I walked by. He didn’t even bother turning his head in their direction as he guided me through the shifters.
“Is it a good idea to have a vampire here with all of us?” Charlie’s back was toward us as his voice was hushed, talking to Rage’s dad.
“He’s one of my son’s friends, so of course, he’s welcome here.” Matthew turned his head, diverting his attention to us. “And of course, we needed to welcome Raven to our pack.”
“What?” I couldn’t have heard that right.
Charlie turned and smiled at me. “I’m so glad Rage found his true mate. I can only hope Ryder is blessed with the same opportunity. I’m Charlie, the beta of the Jackson pack. It’s amazing news that you’ll be joining us.”
“Dad, I never said she wanted to join the pack.” Rage’s body tensed, and he took a step closer so that our bodies touched.
“Didn’t you say she was a rogue?” Matthew's forehead creased, and he scratched his neck. “She needs a pack, I assumed she would join ours. It makes sense that you two would be in the same pack.”
When he put it that way, it made sense. Strangely though, I hadn’t felt like a rogue wolf. I hadn’t felt depressed, lonely, or out of sync either.
“That’s her choice, and I’ll respect her wishes.” Rage’s voice took the low, raspy tone that was dead sexy.
“Of course.” Matthew lifted both hands in the air and focused on me. “I’m sorry if I assumed wrong. We’d love for you to join our pack, but don’t feel obligated.”
Choosing a pack was a big deal. We had to find one with an alpha that we believed in and one that felt natural. It definitely wasn’t something a person should do without thinking it through. The pack I left was the one I had been born into, and look how that had turned out. “It’s something I need some time to think about. I’m honored that you’d welcome me with open arms.”