“I am so glad to see you,” he barked gruffly.

“I’m fine. I promise.” He finally let her go, pulling back to stare at her face.

“You sure? You sure I don’t need to kill anyone?” And he would. They both knew it.

“No, sir. Everything is fine.”

“Good. Where’s the birthday girl? The rest of the Pack are dying to see her.” Rest of the Pack her ass. Marrec wanted to see her. She knew exactly how much the old coot missed her. “She’s over there…fondling Zach.”

And she was too. She straddled his lap like a stripper giving a lap dance, her arms tight around his neck, her big chest offered up to him under her sleeveless black Harley T-shirt.

Horny dogs.

Marrec shook his head, “Maybe I’ll wait a bit before saying hi.”

Angie shrugged, “That’s probably a real good idea. But there’s loads of food and drink, so you guys have yourself a good time. We’ll talk later.”

Marrec gave her a fatherly kiss on the cheek and walked off. She waved at all her friends from town, but she still wanted to find Miki.

Eventually, after some wandering around, she saw her. Angie was starting to realize exactly how smart a man Conall was. In order to keep the crazy bitch occupied, he invited her geek friends from Seattle. Three guys and some girl as well as a few others. Angie’d met them before, but they hadn’t been interesting enough for her to retain names. But they kept her friend busy and happy. As did Conall, apparently. Miki stood in front of him talking to her geek friends while Conall talked to some lion she didn’t recognize. He had his arm around her waist, palm flat against her stomach, and his head resting comfortably on her ass. Miki’s hand rested against his, their fingers intertwined.

Miki actually found someone who not only got her, but liked her anyway. Angie wanted to believe Nik was that guy for her, but she refused to hold out any false hopes for a future that didn’t exist. No matter how many weird, longing looks he gave her across the room.

***

Nik wrapped his arm around his baby sister’s neck and hugged her. “What are you up to?”

“Very little.”

“Good. Keep it that way.” The male lions seemed to have a particular interest in his sister he didn’t much appreciate. He would tell her to stay near Reena, but his cousin was too busy flirting with a bunch of dogs. His whole family was going to hell in a hand basket and this time he had no one to blame but himself.

“Where’s Angie?”

“Being a Nazi. The girl really knows how to run a party.”

“You like her, don’tcha Nik?”

“No.”

“No?”

He sighed, “I love her.”

“Does she know?”

He started to respond yes, then realized that hedidn’t know. He hadn’t actually said it to her. “I don’t know.”

His sister smiled, “Typical.” Kisa turned and looked up at her brother’s face. “So you are like daddy after all?”

He snarled but his sister only rolled her eyes. “You might as well face it. I have to.” She shrugged. “I like daddy, though.”

“That could explain why you’re his favorite.”

His sister went up on her tiptoes and kissed her brother’s cheek. “She’s perfect for you, Nik. Anybody else would have just killed you by now.”

***

Angie put a cold wash cloth against the she-wolf’s forehead. “Maybe you should lay off the tequila for awhile, hon.”

The female nodded, moaned, then dived back into the bushes.

Angie wasn’t sure, but it seemed like the wolves really weren’t good at handling their liquor.

Stepping away from the bushes, Angie turned and stared in horror. Natalia, the mother of the man she loved, stood in front of the bar talking quietly to Marrec. A nice, civilized conversation. But behind her Miki had climbed up onto one of the bar stools…a ball of yarn in her hand.

“Oh, God!”

Angie made a run for it. She reached Natalia as a string of red yarn swept across the older woman’s face. She batted it away with her hand, not quite sure what it was. Before Angie could reach around Natalia and wring her best friend’s neck, Conall grabbed Miki, sweeping her off the seat.

Giggling, “It was just a little experiment!”

The ball of yarn hit the ground and Natalia picked it up. She looked at Angie, one eyebrow raised, looking exactly like her son.

Angie snatched it from her as Marrec looked at the ground trying not to laugh, “She’s taking up knitting.”

***

Nik stood about fifty feet away, watching Ban hand over his daughter to Angie. Nik’s niece, an adorable two-year-old, grabbed a handful of hair and held onto her for dear life. Angie didn’t seem bothered by it at all as she talked to Ban and his niece’s mother…Connie somebody or other. A vicious tigress with a killer right hook and the longest fangs he’d ever seen on a female.

The baby looked so comfortable in Angie’s arms. And she looked perfect holding her. Then it hit him. Like a brick to the head…

He didn’t just love her, he wanted Angelina Santiago to have his kids…and only his kids. He wanted all his kids to grow up in the same family with that crazy woman as their mother. He wanted to wake up everyday and find her sleeping next to him. He wanted to buy her more shoes and have her wear them only for him. He wanted to have sex with her all over his home in every position humanely possible. He wanted it and knew he wouldn’t be happy until he got it.