Page 28 of Lycans & Lattes

I eyed her. “But you like my muscles.”

She flashed a wicked grin, and I knew she was thinking about all the ways we’d intertwined the night before. “I really, really do.” She slid her free hand up my arm, circling my bicep before dropping it with a little hum.

“On second thought . . .” I pulled us to a halt, scooping her into my chest. “Maybe we should just go back to my place and we can meet them another time.”

Willow’s light laughter made my lips curve. “I’ve already talked myself into being here and not coercing you into my bed,” she admitted. “But no, we need to make an appearance. This is the baby step,” she reminded me. “We’ve got to take it.”

“One hour,” I negotiated. “Then I’m taking you home and making you moan my name until you can’t speak.”

Her mouth fell open, making me smile triumphantly. I could smell her arousal wafting from her, could smell the way her scent and mine still mingled. It hadn’t been my intention to mark every inch of her, but I was glad of it before I brought her amongst my pack. They’d know I was serious. They’d know not to test me. There were only a few things werewolves were humorless about, and people messing with our mates was one of them.

A corner of the pumpkin patch had been cordoned off with hay bales into a makeshift party area, where much of the pack was stretched out on blankets. Little ones played while some adults ate, and my grandfather sat on a withered stump, youngsters gathered round him to hear his tales.

“Wyatt!” Aisling’s younger brother, Liam, was the first to greet us. He ambled over, limping on his moon boot.

“Liam!” I hugged him with one arm while refusing to release Willow’s hand with the other, even as she tugged on it. “Look at the sorry state of you.”

“Yeah, the doctor says it’ll fully heal by the next full moon, though,” he said, frowning down at his foot. “We decided to go for a run on the northern ridge.”

“Which was foolish,” I admonished.

“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

A deep, booming voice sounded from beside me, and I already knew who it was long before he approached. “Give the boy some space, Liam. Always hogging the conversation.” The old man tsked, and I turned to find Aisling on the arm of her and Liam’s grandfather. “Wyatt, my boy,” he added, clapping me on the shoulder. “How are you?”

“I’m very well, Gregory.” I bobbed my head in greeting. “May I introduce you to my mate, Willow?”

Gregory’s nose crinkled as he looked at Willow, and my lip curled. The discontent was gone as quickly as it had appeared, but I still spotted it.

“Your mate,” he said with pleasantness we all knew was fake. “How delightful. You know my Aisling just got her master’s in ecological research, Wyatt?”

It took a great force of will to plaster a smile on my face at the slight. “I did,” I said tightly. “Congratulations again, Aisling.”

“Thanks,” she replied, clearly feeling just as awkward as I was.

“Well, it was nice seeing you,” I hedged. “I’d like to introduce Willow to the rest of the pack.” I’d almost said “my pack,” but I didn’t want to provoke them. They already knew my intentions, and the look in my eyes warned: behave.

I tugged Willow out of that snake pit and walked farther into the party.

“That was intense,” Willow murmured.

“Gregory and my grandfather are best friends. Gregory is his right-hand man,” I muttered from the corner of my mouth.

“So of course they want their grandchildren to be together,” Willow supplied.

“Something like that,” I gritted out. “But Aisling has only ever been a friend.”

“Eloise enlightened me about some of your wolf politics,” she said. “Speaking of . . .” Willow waved and broke off from me to go give Eloise a hug.

My sister and I exchanged silent looks over Willow’s shoulder.

I’ve got her, Eloise’s eyes told me.

With my mate safely under the protection of my sister, I turned to survey the party, only to find my mother and aunt directly behind me.

“Mom,” I said. “Hi.”

“My son,” Mom crooned, grabbing me by the cheeks and kissing each side of my face. “I wasn’t sure you’d come.”