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However, before I can catch Nolan’s eye, the waitress comes by and takes our drink order. When she leaves, Donovan gives Felix a no-nonsense look and asks, “Do I need to kick Dave’s ass?”
Felix blinks rapidly, startled by the non sequitur. “No. At least I don’t think so. Why?”
Donovan leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. “If he’s pressuring you to do shit you don’t want to, then he and I need to have a little talk.” He cracks his knuckles like he’s in an old mob movie. “It’ll include a few bruises so the warning not to fuck with you sticks.”
“No, it’s nothing like that. Not really.” Felix rubs the back of his neck and blushes. “He was, uh, proving a point, I guess.”
Despite his apparent fatigue, Nolan has the dark look of a predator promising pain. With an overly casual tone, he asks, “And what point was that?”
Felix steals a look at Nolan’s face before it bounces to the garden behind him. He swallows heavily and stumbles over his words when he answers, “He, uh… wanted me to know that I, um… have options? Besides Callie—” His eyes are wide as he snaps his head toward me. “Not that I want anyone else. I just want you.”
Stomping down any hint of jealousy, I smile softly and squeeze his hand again. “It’s okay if you do. Want someone else, I mean. It’s only fair.” My gaze sweeps over the others, and my heart thuds painfully in my chest at the thought of sharing them with people outside of our circle. “That goes for all of you too. I know we haven’t talked about it, but I want you to know I won’t…” I clear my throat, emotions I’m not proud of making it difficult to speak. “I won’t stand in your way. It wouldn’t be…”
“Fair. Yeah, we got that,” Donovan finishes with an unconvinced expression.
“It wouldn’t be!” I huff, fisting my free hand in my lap. “I can’t in good conscience tell you that you can’t when I’m dating all of you.”
“I can,” Connor interjects with a low growl. He motions to all of us. “You are safe because we are pack. Outsiders are not pack.”
“They could be,” I argue, despite wanting the same thing as he does. “Packs grow.”
The problem with arguing with one’s mate is that they know when your words don’t match your heart. He’s kind enough not to call me out on it, instead choosing to end the discussion with a firm, “This one doesn’t.”
When I attempt to keep fighting for the others’ right to see whomever they want, Connor silences me with a kiss, his hand fisting in my hair, scattering all my thoughts to the proverbial wind. I’m left breathless when it ends, and Connor looks far too pleased with himself.
“Don’t think kissing me will get you out of all discussions,” I state, trying to look stern, but thanks to my overactive hormones and the full body blush taking over, it doesn’t quite have the conviction I’m hoping for.
“Yes, mi reina,” he replies, his knowing smile still firmly in place.
Donovan relaxes in his seat and rests his arm on the back of Nolan’s chair. “Look, let me make it easy on you.” He points to Felix. “Do you want to be with anyone else?”
“No,” he answers with a hard shake of his head.
“I’m not saying now—” I attempt to interject, but I’m immediately cut off.
“Nolan, do you want to see anyone else?” Donovan continues as if I hadn’t said anything at all.
“God, no,” he replies with a tired, teasing smile. “Callie is wonderful, but you’re far too needy for me to have any left for a third.”
Donovan raises a heavy brow and snorts. “Quit complaining. You’re more than happy to provide everything I need.” His attention moves to Connor, and before he can even attempt to ask, Connor growls like the mere suggestion offends him. Donovan raises his free hand in placation. “Easy. I’m making a point.” He looks at me with an expression that implies I’m being an idiot who’s making this far more complicated than it needs to be. “The idea of dealing with anyone else’s bullshit outside of all of you is exhausting, so no, I also don’t want to see anyone else.” He motions to the empty chair at the foot of the table. “Kaleb is so prudish and proper that assuming he ever pulls his head out of his ass, it would offend his perfect sensibilities to even consider dating another girl.”
I think back to the time in the hospital cafeteria when he got whammied by too much magic and confessed to wanting to pleasure me until I begged for release. “I wouldn’t call him a prude,” I comment vaguely, crossing my legs and wiggling in my chair.
This statement earns the full attention of the table, except for Connor, who seems unsurprised. Then again, between his wolfy hearing and sense of smell, it seems like he always knows more than he ever lets on. I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or not in this instance. We haven’t really discussed how much he wants to know about what I’ve done with the others.
Nolan makes a tsking sound with his tongue. “What naughty things has Kaleb been up to with our Callie?”
“None of your business,” Kaleb answers, startling everyone. He sets a gift down in front of Connor then takes the last remaining seat. “Sorry I’m late. I had chores that needed to be finished before I was allowed to leave.”
Connor nods that he heard him, puts the gift aside to be opened later, and starts investigating the menu.
Donovan gives Kaleb an assessing look as he taps out a small beat with his fingers against the table. “I don’t know. Callie is our girl, I think that does make it our business.”
Kaleb sighs while looking down at the menu in front of him. “When have you ever cared about what I have or have not done?”
“When you finally started to become interesting,” he replies with an amused grin.
“What goes on between Callie and me is between the two of us,” Kaleb states, his expression one of tried patience. “All you need to know is as soon as I learned of her relationship status with all of you, nothing untoward has happened.”
