Eight

Blister watched from the corner of the kitchen. The couples were paired up and there was a lot of subtle dick swinging happening. But he had to give the guys credit. They were cordial. In fact, Surge had even shared a few laughs with Annie’s brother. Or rather, Surge had laughed while Aaron looked utterly confused.

Point was, they were giving the human every chance to be decent. And so far, he was.

If decent was looking at them all like he was waiting for one of them to take a literal hunk out of his thigh, dip it in ketchup, and start eating it like a McNugget.

And of course they were all avoiding the awkward line of conversation that might explain his nine year absence. But whatever. Maybe they didn’t want to know why he’d left Annie. Maybe they were all better off.

She sidled up beside Blister, her hand curling around his bicep. But he wanted her closer. Tucking his arm around her, he pulled her tight against his side and dropped a kiss on her temple.

“How are you feeling, mate?”

“Fine. Still have Muppet feet. Destiny says they’ll be like this from here on out, until I deliver.”

He looked at her swollen toes. “They’re kinda cute.”

She snorted. “Yeah right.”

“Everything about you is cute,” he said, giving her a private smile. But his instincts told him they were being watched.

He lifted his gaze to find her brother staring hard at them, and completely ignoring whatever Surge was going on about.

Annie’s soft giggle pulled his attention back to her as she raised up and sweetly kissed his marred cheek. Damn. Sweet, soft mate. Made his insides like jelly.

“Did you double check everything the boys built for our baby?”

“Yes. It’s all safe.”

“Good. We can decorate next week and wash up all those newborn clothes. Will you help me?”

“Absolutely, angel.” God, she could ask him to swallow a five pound slug and he’d do it. She owned him.

“Thank you.” She sighed, resting her head on his chest, and he reached up to drag his hands through her curls.

Gracie stumbled into the kitchen, yawning. “Artie fell asleep,” she announced. “Right there on the stairs like a slinky that just stopped.”

“Well,” Beast said, bumping the tip of Punk’s nose with his finger. “I guess that’s our cue to get going.”

“Yep,” she agreed. “You get Artie and I’ll help clean up.”

He pushed through the kitchen door, giving Gracie’s hair a tousle. She rubbed her eyes with her closed fists. “How many days ‘til Christmas?” she mumbled.

“Twenty one,” Blister answered. He knew exactly.

She groaned. “How am I supposed to be good for twenty-one whole days? It’s getting to be too much. Santa has requirements that I just can’t meet.”

“And that’s our cue,” Tana said, eyeing Surge.

He nodded. “Yeah, the little one gets hissy when she’s tired.” He turned back to Aaron. “We’ll see you at the Christmas parade, brother?”

Aaron frowned, but Surge clapped him on the shoulder before turning to scoop Gracie into his arms.

“Annie says you used to race. You still have your car? I bet we could get you entered to ride it in the line up. We have extra lights and sh… crap.” Surge pressed Gracie’s head against his shoulder and she murmured, “Daddy, Santa’s gonna bring you soap for your mouth if you don’t watch it.”

“I know, baby. But me and Santa worked out a deal a lot of years ago. It’s okay.”

“I need to make a deal with him too.” Her voice was fading and her eyes had drifted closed.

“Soon enough, princess.”

“Sold my car before I left,” Aaron grunted. “I don’t race anymore.”

“Huh.” Surge raised an eyebrow. “Well, stick around and I’m betting we can change that.”

Aaron looked away, and Blister could see conflicting emotions playing over his features.

Punk reached around Annie’s brother to grab her purse off the counter. “See ya around, asshole.”

“Later, wolf,” he replied.

She laughed, and so did the others. “Oh, I’m human. Didn’t you know?”

Aaron’s eyebrows flew up.

“Yeah,” she laughed. “One hundred percent fucking human, here. And I hate you waaaay more than the others. Chew on that next time you wanna be all humans rule, shifters drool.” She winked, and turned to wave bye to the others.

Aaron watched her walk away. He had the look of someone whose core beliefs had been shaken. It was an echo of the same thing Blister had observed for hours. His family was proving the bastard wrong by doing nothing more than being real.

Aaron looked at Surge and Gracie.

“Bobcat,” Surge explained, pointing to the little female asleep on his shoulder. “But I’m definitely wolf.”

“Panther,” Tana said, reintroducing herself to the human.

“Wolves here,” Drake added, linking his arm over Ella’s shoulders.

“Bobcat,” Destiny murmured, watching him intently. Blister wondered for a moment if she’d seen this in one of her visions. Destiny’s premonitions had guided the pack in the right direction more than once since she’d adopted her powers and became an Elder.

“Wolf,” Diz said, bouncing one of his squeaky triplets in his baby carrier until the female settled.

Aaron swallowed hard. “And Beast?”

“Wolf,” Drake said.

Aaron squinted, tilting his head. “Your pack is… diverse. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The way he said that, Blister wondered just how many packs the man had encountered. And how. And why.

“It is,” Drake agreed. “We’re unique. A hybrid pack, we like to call it.”

“A hybrid pack.”

Drake nodded. “You seem to know a lot about our kind.”

Aaron tipped his head, noncommittal, and his gaze went to Annie. “I guess you could say I’ve had some experience with changers.”

“You call them changers instead of shifters. You come up with that on your own?”

Drake was baiting him for info, but Aaron either didn’t care or was too baffled by the evening to censor his words.

“No. Not me. The group I was with in Memphis.”

Annie straightened. “You’ve been in Memphis all this time?”

“Just the last few years.”

“And I’m guessing those experiences you speak of weren’t good ones,” Drake mused.

Aaron’s expression turned grim.

“Alright, then.” Drake nodded. “We’ll give you time to come to your own conclusions about us. I can vouch for Blister but that won’t mean anything to you right now. Trust your sister though. She has a good head on her shoulders. And friends like Punk and the other mates who would gleefully castrate any male that hurt her. She’s safe with us. And so are you, as long as you don’t try to harm any of us.” He strolled forward, offering Aaron his hand. “You’re welcome here.”

Aaron shook it, looking all out of sorts. Like he’d stepped into some alternate reality and was looking for a hidden portal to take him back to his own world.

“Alright,” Drake called. “We’re out.”

“Us too,” Diz said, collecting his brood and strapping them in their infant seats.

“Yep,” Surge murmured. “Both my baby girls are looking tired.” He winked at Tana.

“Thanks for the help today.” Annie smiled at their friends. “We appreciate it.”

“Not a problem,” Drake said, smiling back. “You take it easy until that little one is ready to come out.” He nodded at Blister while Ella, Tana, and Destiny each took turns hugging Annie.

They watched everyone leave and then there was only Aaron left.

Blister eyed him while Annie picked up what little mess was left in the kitchen. He ran a hand through his curly blond hair and blew out a breath that sounded like he’d been holding it for a century.

“How far along are you?” Aaron’s murmured question was barely more than a breath.

“Thirty-seven weeks.” Annie came back to stand beside Blister. “I’m due the twenty third.”

“A-a Christmas baby.”

Annie nodded, grabbing Blister’s hand and winding her fingers through his. “The most perfect Christmas present.”

“And… you’re happy like this?” His brow furrowed, and Blister could see that Aaron did care for Annie. Whatever last night was, it was clear he wanted her well.

“I am.” She let out a little laugh. “I really am. And it’s a big deal Aaron, because for so long, I wasn’t. I was sad and lonely, going through life on auto-pilot. Blister changed that for me. And he’s so good to me, brother.”

Blister shifted on his feet, uncomfortable. He could feel the tips of his ears burning with his mate’s praise.

“He treats me like a queen. He makes me feel so special, and I know he’ll do the same for our little one.”

Aaron met Blister’s gaze and it was like a clash of truth and disbelief, the two things warring right there in one expression.

“You love her?” he ground out.

Blister nodded, as sure of his answer as the day he’d marked her. “Fiercely.”

Aaron looked away, jamming his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I need to think,” he said. “I’m staying at old man Hubbard’s place at the edge of town if you need me.”

“Okay.” Annie nodded.

And then her brother was walking away, and Blister still didn’t know where the man stood, or if he was a danger to his family.

Time. Drake said they’d give him time. And since it was Christmas, Blister guessed he could do the same for the man.