TWENTY-EIGHT
Zed had cookedup one of my favorite meals that they made at the restaurant, so it was natural for me to go in and help cut the meat and assemble the plates. I found myself working beside him, and remarked, “Another girl might wonder if this was a peace offering, Chef.”
He chuckled. “Why do we need a peace offering?”
I shot him an incredulous look. “You were a bastard.”
He lifted an eyebrow toward me. “It’s a restaurant, and I’m the head chef. And you don’t exactly follow the rules. If you were anyone else, you’d have been out a job months ago.”
A snort escaped me. “I guess that’s a fair point.”
Chefs were known for being hard-asses in their kitchens.
“Are you coming back to work?” He continued plating the food beside me.
“I didn’t know that was an option.”
“Of course it is; you’re pack.”
The simple way he said that made my throat swell again.
I’d had the job before I was Dax’s mate—and I’d kept it despite constantly bringing my phone and breaking the rules. Not because I was Lizzy’s friend, or Dax’s mate.
Because I was part of the pack.
WhyI was pack had mattered to me before, but now that I’d survived the shifting, and had a sexy man in my house, in my bed… I just didn’t care.
I was pack, and that was what mattered.
“So?” Zed checked.
“I think I’m turning in my resignation. My book blog’s been a bit neglected lately, and I need to fix that.”
He nodded. “Well, we’ll miss you. Not your phone, but you.”
I snorted. “Thanks, I think.”
We finished up the food, and a few of the other guys hauled plates to the table. There weren’t enough seats for everyone—we were definitely outgrowing the little townhomes the pack had occupied for so long. But some of us would take barstools, and others would stand or sit on the couch.
Everyone started eating, and the room was filled with conversation and laughter as the food was enjoyed. Dax and I shared a chair, me perched on his thigh, and he kept trying to push more food onto my plate as I ate.
I was pretty sure he was trying to make my ass bigger again, but unfortunately for him, it would be at least a year before I got there given all the wolfy changes I’d be going through. Probably longer.
“We’ve got an announcement to make,” Ebony said, as a bunch of us finished off our plates. She didn’t stand, but most of the attention went to her—a few people were in the living room with the kids, and couldn’t afford to look away or else something would get broken. “We’re building a house in Sab’s neighborhood,” Ebony’s eyes were bright. “Without stairs.”
Laughs went around the room.
“We are too,” June announced.
“Seriously? So are we!” Del exclaimed.
“Why did no one tell us this?” Teagan demanded, looking around the room.
“Because we planned it without you, Teapot.” Jesse said, shooting his mate a teasing grin.
“What?” Her eyes bulged.
“It was Elliot and Lizzy’s idea,” Ford offered, gesturing toward Elliot, who was in the living room playing with Evan and Felix. Elliot and Evan were practically inseparable.