Page 54 of Vampire Pack

My forehead creased. "Warm?"

"She'll start to get warm about forty-eight hours before the heat starts," he explained. "We need to wait on the party if she's already warm."

I stared at him.

Hollis did too.

Jude could be charming, but thoughtfulness wasn't really his forte.

"What? I pay attention during the mating prep classes," he said.

Hollis looked at me. "Did you know he was capable of learning things about women?"

I shook my head. "No idea."

"Asshats." Jude smacked us both. "Is she warm?"

"Not that I've noticed."

"It can be subtle, so it's possible to miss it, but you'd notice if she was close. You probably have at least a day or two. We'll do the party tonight. Celebrate the mate bond, and the start of the season," he decided.

"That's not a good idea," I said. "We're both still possessive, so⁠—"

"Yo! Party on my lawn after tonight's win to celebrate King and Yorkie! Free booze!" Jude yelled into the locker room.

One of the werewolves howled.

I groaned inwardly.

The rest of them followed suit, obviously. They were incapable of ignoring a howl.

Hollis and I looked at each other again.

Guess we were hosting a party.

CHAPTER TWELVE

carmen

By some miracle, the game passed without a major problem.

Yes, Paige and Mal had to literally hold me back when one of the female players on the other team attempted to body-check King.

Yes, he used the pack link on three different occasions during the game to ask us if anyone had touched me.

And yes, I had shouted and slammed my palms up against the glass during many different points of the game. But that one was more about being a professional hockey player who was sidelined with an injury than being mated to a guy on the ice.

I was still fighting back my fury when the game ended.

The team's security waved me, Paige, and Mal toward the locker room before everyone was even off the ice. No one had to ask why. King was why.

The team was lively as they passed us, pumping their fists and still reveling in the victory. Paige and Mal humored them, trading high-fives and grins with the players. I stayed multiple steps back, but still traded compliments and insults with a bunch of the guys.

"Catch you at the party!" one of the guys said to us, before he disappeared around the corner.

"Are we going to a party?" Mal muttered to me, stepping back toward me when the end of the line was finally visible.

The Vampire Pack was at the back of the line.