Shaking her head, the birds flew off. “Bridge what do I tell her?”
Hands on hips, eyes set, and a stare that meant business, Bridgette said, “You tell her you do have magic and that you deserve a true presentation party. That you deserve to be matched with a proper warlock and that you are freaking awesome. Oh, and throw in the bit about the shifter sex. That’s just fun and will really piss her off.”
“You’re kind of incorrigible. Why do I keep you around?”
“Oh, Livi-poo. You love me. Now call her. Leave out the shifter part if you must. But you tell that witch, and I don’t mean the magical kind, that you are awesome.”
They both paused. “What do I tell her changed? I don’t even know what changed. I’m in my late twenties. I should have had my magic by eighteen according to the laws of magic. Why now?”
Bridgette flipped her hair and walked away. “Who cares why? Don’t ruin it. So what if you’re a late bloomer. Tell her that you finally came into your affinity for animals and who else knows what.”
The brooding sound of a male growl flitted through her mind and a pain seared through her shoulder again. Taking a step back she fell into a chair as her head swam. That was some short-lived joy. Maybe she had a brain tumor.
Chapter 6
Ethan stalked around the house, following her scent. They’d been home all of an hour, and he'd already run the perimeter of the lands between the two packs. Kurt stayed on the property of his ancestors, or he was supposed to anyway. Ethan couldn't really call it Kurt's land, because he hadn't actually ever won the right as alpha. He'd merely blackmailed for it.
The days were growing long with him having to always monitor the lands. Always trying to keep his daughter safe, trying to keep his pack's land safe. Ethan knew too well what hell Kurt was running. Several of the Ashburn pack had deserted to his lands, the Pike Valley Pack. One more reason to run the border. One more reason Kurt was hell-bent on trying to destroy Ethan. When you couldn't win fair and square, some cheated.
He pushed up from four to two legs as he shifted. Grabbing up the clothes he’d shed along the way, he welcomed the burn in his muscles. He'd needed the run. Needed to get his head straight.
A lighthearted feeling always hit him coming home. Although now he faltered as he planted a foot into his jeans.
The memories of earlier flooded back. He could still taste her on his lips as he'd marked her.
What the fuck had he done?
The scent of sugar and sex still stuck in his memory. What had he just done to his pack by mating Olivia? She wasn't even a shifter, and he hadn't brought this up to the council within the pack. Alpha or not, there were rules. He balled up his shirt, not bothering to put it on. He’d be checking the parameter later anyway - with his brothers.
Air stuck in his throat. Rubbing his hand against the invisible pain in his chest didn’t do a damn thing. What the hell would he tell his brothers or his mom? He had to stop going down that dark road. He was home, and for the moment there was only one lady that mattered.
He sniffed the air. She was close. Crouching down he took in another whiff. They were both there. Ethan smiled and pushed aside everything he didn’t know right now. Only one person mattered at this exact second.
He lowered to the ground, his body ready for the hunt. Creeping on all fours, he slowly rounded the corner. A rustle behind him made Ethan hold back a laugh. His ears picked up the almost silent attack coming. One breath then another. On the count of three, he feigned being knocked down and pinned.
“Got you,” squealed the small voice of the only lady he’d ever let capture his heart. Until today.
“I do believe you are getting better at this, Amelia. Were you practicing on those boys at the party?”
With a quick peck on the nose, he righted his three-year-old daughter and stood.
“Now, where is your grandmother?”
Ethan let her tiny hand pull his finger as she led him to his mother sitting at a small bistro table with a tea setting fit for a queen.
“Daddy. Tea. Sit.”
He pulled out a chair and went to move Ms. Bun-Bun. He froze at Amelia’s squeal of horror.
“No. That Bun-Bun chair. You get your own chair.”
He eyed his mother as she smiled and sipped at the air filling the cup.
“Great. Now the dang bunny is better than me. Why you encourage her, mother, I don’t know.”
His mom smiled. “Now, now dear. Amelia, I think we need some fresh flowers. Why don’t you go grab me a few from over there?”
Amelia bounded off.
“Not too far sweetheart,” his mother added as they both watched her with their keen shifter eyes.
“How was the baby shower? Amelia appears to be very happy to have had some other children to play with.”
Ethan smiled. “Yeah. She had a good time. I still don’t see why they did a couple’s shower. Kian did look happy though. And that woman of his seemed to be excited about everything.”
“Oh, my dear boy. Don’t you worry. You’re impulsive, but you have an amazing heart. When the right one comes along, you’ll know it. Don’t force it. Maybe you should go run for a while. Take Amelia.”
Thunk.
Ethan practically slammed his head into the stone table.
“Ethan. Don’t you go ruining this tea party. I set it special for my granddaughter. Besides, you don’t have enough brain cells to kill. So you sit back up and explain yourself.”
He didn’t look up. He rocked his forehead against the table, left to right, shaking it without actually having to see his mother’s judgment.
