Page 119 of Tempting Fate

“So…” Kieran says. He sits on the arm of the chair Lucien is in and I feel a pang in my chest when Lucien casually rests his hand on Kieran’s lower back. Cate is sitting on the arm of the sofa, next to Em, and Patch is in the middle, leaving me on the end. I press my thigh against Patch’s. We’ve got this. “I guess I’m being optimistic in hoping you’ve come to a decision already?”

I lean forward to look at Em and Patch. I know what I want. I’m pretty sure Patch knows what he wants. And Em said—

“I think we have,” Em says, and I can’t help my laugh or the way I lean into Patch’s side. “But first, I wanted to formally apologise for the trouble I put you all through. That never should have happened. Nothing like that will ever happen again, I swear.”

Kieran’s voice is steely. “I should hope it won’t.”

“Could’ve been worse,” Sam says and only shrugs when Kieran glares at him. “Could’ve had a murderous mage after him.”

“Or the alpha of another pack,” Drew mutters as he brings over two glasses of water. He sets them down on the coffee table and Sam shoots him a concerned look.

“Or even one of the most powerful vampires to have walked this continent, my love,” Lucien says.

Kieran shakes his head. “I still maintain that last one was Vasile’s fault, not mine. Thanks. I get the point. You sure you’re all ready to join this craziness?”

“Yes,” I say. I’ve been on the periphery of it for a while. I want all that Vince and Dax have, with my two perfect guys.

“Yes,” Em says, “though I have questions.”

“A lot of questions,” Cate adds.

“What about you?” Kieran looks at Patch. “I expect every member of my pack to be part of our community. It’s the only way we stay strong. You didn’t want to join us before, and if you’re only joining because your mates want to be here now, I can’t pretend I don’t have my concerns about your commitment to the rest of us.”

Patch frowns. Em has loosely tangled their fingers together, and Patch leans against my side.

“I didn’t want to join you all before because I didn’t feel ready to. I didn’t want to leave Alpha Axel’s pack, and I didn’t…” He gives me a helpless look. “I didn’t want to be confronted with realities I couldn’t reach. Thought I couldn’t reach.”

“And now?” Sam asks. Drew has brought us all drinks over, and he leans against Sam’s chair, idly playing with his hair. Sam doesn’t act like this is unusual behaviour at all.

“I’m like all wolves. I go where my mates go. But there is hardly a pack I can think of that I would be proud to call myself a member of. I’d be honoured if you accepted me here.”

He looks at Kieran again and bares his throat the way I’ve seen other wolves do on occasion. Kieran doesn’t react at first, but after a few seconds, he nods.

Sam claps his hands together. “Perfect! We can let Deacon know then, right?”

“I’ll ring him later,” Kieran says. “As for housing, we—”

“Actually,” I interrupt and only grin when Kieran raises an eyebrow, “I think I speak for all of us when I say we want to take it slow? The house we’re in is nice. It’s in your territory, right? And I don’t want to just abandon Nick there when there’s enough room for all of us.”

“Our territory,” Kieran says, just as Cate laughs and shakes her head. When he narrows his eyes, she shakes her head harder.

“No, sorry, I—Fuck. You all move fast, huh?”

“When we know, we know,” Drew says. “Even if it takes a while to get there, sometimes.”

I drop my head onto Patch’s shoulder. Em lets out a quiet, contented sigh. Patch’s posture changes, relaxing, loosening, and we might have a road ahead of us, but I know we’re all on the same page here.

When we know, we know. I’m just glad we all got here in the end.