Dannika Dark - Six Months

Jericho admired one of the silver rings on his hand, no doubt feeling all eyes on him as he had a reputation for being the troublemaker when it came to parties. Reno sat to his immediate right and nudged his arm to pay attention. Lynn hovered in the doorway and anxiety bled across her face at what they might be scheming. Lynn was an amazing cook, an attentive mother, and one sassy woman with a fixation on upgrading their historical home. However, she had become a damper on game night whenever one of the men invited a woman or two to join them.

Not that Reno brought home women, but Jericho sure as hell wasn’t happy about it. Most packs minded their own business when it came to mattress bouncing, but if that front door so much as squeaked, Lynn was all over it and wanted to know the life story of every person who stepped inside.

That’s why Austin was sending her on an all-expenses paid vacation to Sea World with Maizy. Not only would Maizy get to see dolphins and whales, but it would get Lynn the hell out of the house so they could run the party that weekend, Shifter style . The Cole brothers liked to get rowdy; that was a fact. It could hardly be helped when Jericho’s band would show up with groupies. They usually invited neighboring packs, taking advantage of the opportunity to form and keep alliances. Lynn wasn’t comfortable around that many Shifters, so it was for her benefit just as much as it was theirs.

“Behave, boys,” she said sternly, lingering by the door. Maizy grabbed a fistful of her mom’s shirt and tugged impatiently, looking about as excited as any kid who was about to go see Flipper.

Lynn would make it there before sunset and looked relieved to be getting away for a spell. Human women just weren’t used to living with that many men, let alone Shifters. She’d have to get used to it if she wanted to remain with the pack. It was likely they would gain more members as time went by. Not just anyone—the selection process took time. Austin made the ultimate decision as the Packmaster, and the new blood had to mesh with their group. Someone who would die for his brothers, protect their women, and guard their territory. Loyalty meant everything. So the toughest pack didn’t have to do with size, but the strength of the family.

“What the hell happened to your hand?” Jericho took another sip of beer and Lynn went downstairs with Maizy to pack up the car.

Reno lifted his hand, staring at the discoloration on his knuckles. “Just one of those mysteries in life,” he replied.

“Bet it ain’t so mysterious to the face it ran into several times. One of these days I’m going to get you to smoke a little weed and then maybe you’ll loosen up,” Jericho said with a suppressed laugh. “Man, I’d love to see that shit. Bet you’re one of those sissies who holds on to the grass because the planet is spinning too fast.”

“You need to cut that shit out,” Reno suggested, as if his brother hadn’t heard it a million times before. “You’re too old for that mess and I don’t think we need to take another trip down memory lane, if you get my meaning.”

“Maybe you should mind your own business. I don’t do the hard shit anymore.”

Shifters acted the age they looked like more than the age they actually were. Jericho was old enough to know better, but his talents as a musician had kept him stagnant in a partying lifestyle. Jericho had gotten a taste of fame years ago, and it ended in disaster. In fact, it almost killed him. He kept his act local now, but little had changed in how he carried himself. He commanded attention when he walked into a room, and it wasn’t just his height. The women loved his long hair and aloofness. Whether it was onstage or off, that boy had been born to entertain. Breed had to stay out of the limelight; the risk of being discovered by humans was too great for those who lived extended lifetimes. So sacrifices had to be made, and maybe Jericho was a little bitter about that.

Reno sniffed and looked at their reflections in the mirror. “Maybe you should realize life is more than a party.”

“The day you quit having fun is the day you resign yourself to getting old,” Jericho retorted. He eased off the stool and grabbed his longneck. As he passed by, he leaned over Reno’s shoulder and lowered his voice. “Tomorrow, we’re getting you laid. I know just the girl, and she’s had her eye on your swagger for about three years now.”

Reno cut him a sharp glare and a smug grin stretched across Jericho’s face, brightening his milky-green eyes. Jericho raked his tangled dark hair away from his face and winked.

“I know I’m getting laid,” Denver announced from the black beanbag chair in the corner.

“Says who?” Jericho tilted his bottle and took a swig.

Denver pointed to his crotch with his index finger. “Says this guy.” He had a bag of Cheetos on his stomach and his fingers were tinted orange from the cheese. “It’s been too fucking long, and I don’t give a shit if my wolf is the one who gets laid, but one of us is getting a little tail.”

“Well, I know I’m getting laid,” Austin announced as Lexi entered the room.

“Don’t be so sure,” she said with an air of confidence, walking indifferently toward the short fridge behind the bar.

Reno silently laughed. All the guys loved her to bits because she put that alpha in his place.

Austin eased up behind her. “That’s the one thing I’m sure of, Ladybug.”

She bent over and reached for a wine cooler, tilting her ass just a little bit. Reno had to turn away because it was instinctual for males to become aroused when a female turned her back. The men in that house would cut off their right arm before making a move on a mated female in the pack, but Austin didn’t take kindly to a room full of erections, so they averted their eyes out of respect.

Austin gripped her hips and growled, leaning over to whisper in her ear.

Denver shoved a handful of chips into his mouth and folded the bag. “Well, I’m sick of that shit,” he said, pointing at the adorable couple. “Ain’t fair. I got needs.”

“You also got dirty socks all over the bathroom,” Lexi pointed out, turning around and nudging Austin away. “Women don’t want to be a maid and pick up after you.”

“Our mother did.”

“Women you sleep with.”

Denver’s mouth turned down and his brows arched. “Maybe I’ll find a girl who will want me for who I am.”

Jericho lifted his bottle in a toast. “That’s so precious I want to put it on a greeting card. Women look at a man like Lynn looks at this house: a fixer-upper.”

“That’s not true,” Lexi cut in. “I didn’t have to change Austin; he changed himself.”

A fierce smile slid up Austin’s face and he reached in his back pocket and removed his fringed gloves. When he winked at her with his ice-blue eyes, Lexi scowled at him.

“That’s it! I’m going to get the scissors and cut those fringes off.” She stormed out of the room and Austin put the second glove on his hand, swaggering toward the hall.

“Be back in two hours, boys. My girl loves it when I pull out the leathers. It gets her all fired up in the sack.”

“You see?” Denver said, throwing his head back. “That’s killing me. It was fine until she came into the house.”

Jericho tossed a dart at the board, hitting dead center. “Bitch all you want, man. We know you ain’t got game.”

Denver’s legs flailed as he struggled to get out of the beanbag chair his ass was adhered to. The bag of Cheetos spilled on the floor and his face bloomed red. “Why don’t you just shut it?”

“Why don’t we make it interesting with a friendly wager?” Ben suggested.