“Ease up, Gus,” a dry voice said. I was let go and took in some much needed breaths when Brock came over. He and Lisa had a lot of physical similarities, being lighter in build and with dark hair and complexions. “Welcome, love. I’m sorry this has all been a bit overwhelming.” He shot a look at Cheryl, who laughed a little guiltily. “They’ll learn to behave, I promise.”
Jim moved closer, giving me a small, private smile. He didn’t say anything, just took me in his arms and hugged me to his chest. A strange calm throbbed through me, washing away all the spikes of emotion, both negative and positive, until I felt almost a little dizzy with it. “It’ll be OK,” he said. “The Great Wolf wouldn’t let you take the wrong steps.”
“Well, that’s enough for today,” Lisa said. “The poor girl has obviously had a lot to deal with.” Cheryl and Angus went to say something, but she held up a hand. “They’re mated, people. You’ll have plenty of time to get to know her. Now, if you want them to have a chance to start making those babies you keep harping on about, shoo! Go on!”
“You shouldn’t boss your mother, Lisa,” Brock said, arms folded on his chest.
“Well, you know how she gets. Endless clucking. No wonder Julie went AWOL. I would too, if it was at all possible.”
“You need your own men to redirect that energy towards,” he replied, cocking an eyebrow. I looked at Slade, then him. He didn’t look like he was Slade’s bio dad—that probably being Angus—but that expression was so familiar.
“Oh, if I could find anyone I could stand for even three minutes, and it got me out of the nest? I’d be on that in a second, believe me. Now, are we finished airing our dirty laundry in front of our newest family member?”
Brock rolled his eyes but slung an arm around his daughter’s neck, bringing her in close. “Come by in a day or two. Don’t leave it for too long, or you’ll have them beating down your door. We’ll have a nice dinner, away from all the hoopla.”
“Oh, there’ll be plenty of hoopla, just of a much more intimate variety,” Lisa said with a grin before giving me a hug. “Hang in there,” she whispered. “He’s worth it, I promise.”
I was standing there, blinking and feeling like I was completely wrung out, when Kelly said, “Well, if we’re dispensing with the official ceremony, perhaps we can move on to the petitions.”
“We better get you a chair, love,” Slade said, pulling away from me and disappearing into the house.
“Come forward, Julie,” Kelly said with a smile. I dutifully took my place by her side as a bunch of the single men moved forward. A lot of single men.
“Here, love,” Slade said, putting a chair down behind me. I sat down slowly, a little weirded out by being the focus of so many eyes. I smoothed my skirt down, an action that many followed closely. I snatched my hand back, feeling weird. “Don’t worry,” he said, stroking my shoulder. “You don’t have to accept any of them, if you don’t want.”
“Trying to skew the results before we even make our case?” Sonny stepped forward, crossing his arms across his impressive chest. “That requires a response, Slade.”
“Sonny—” Kelly said.
“Calm down, step back, and go have a beer,” I said. “I’m not interested.”
“What the—”
“I’ve seen you with your hands all over another woman, and you were rude when I came to see Brandon. Not interested,” I said.
“The woman has spoken.”
Sonny had been about to dispute this. I saw him and his cronies start to shift in the group, but the whip of Kelly’s voice stopped them in their tracks. I watched the matriarchs move from their spot under the tree, saw them move closer to the proceedings, but Sonny and his cronies pulled back, their spaces taken by others.
“Now, who will make the first petition?”
“I will.”
We turned to see Brandon coming down the steps and into the backyard, his smile impish when he saw me. The guys milling around in front of us gave him ground begrudgingly, many looming over him as he came closer, but he paid them no mind. As soon as he was front and centre, he dropped down to one knee.
“Julie, daughter of Marian, I ask that you accept this token as a symbol of my regard for you. I wish to start the petitioning process to join your pack. My deepest wish is that I will prove worthy, and that I will take a place by your side.” He pulled a book out from within an interior pocket of his jacket and held it out. “As part of my offer, I give you...” his eyes darted down to the book, “everything I am. I hold nothing back. Anything I have, you may ask for. The strength of my arm, the convolutions of my brain, the tick of my heart. Jules, it's all yours anyway. This is just a formality.”
I dropped down to my knees in front of him and placed a hand on the book, ready to accept it, but he kept a hold of it. “I don’t want you to take it yet,” he said in a low voice.
“OK, will they still accept the ritual?”
“I think so.”
“What is it? Why don’t you want me to look at it?”
“It’s a story, and it’s not finished yet.”
“A story? Did you write me a romance book?” He nodded, his smile shy. “Let me read what you have.”