Page 4 of Ruby's Strength

He rolls his eyes at me but helps me into his company truck, so I don’t spill the food I’m carrying. When we arrive at Cole’s, Slate and Maura are already there standing in the big kitchen my brother just finished renovations on.

“Hey, sis.” Slate says then kisses my cheek. He grabs my dish and places it on the counter for me. Cole and Aubree are making the finishing touches on dinner. While Aubree tosses the salad, Cole is carving a beef brisket. I inhale the smell of food but catch that scent again that I smelled on Gabe earlier. Not knowing what it is, is driving me crazy.

“Maura, how are you?” I ask hugging my brother’s mate.

Slate brings me a hard cider from the fridge, and we all sit at the long dining room table my brother just built. “Cole you did an amazing job on this table. Do you think it’s big enough?” I joke, running my hands along the smooth wood that he stained a dark cherry color.

He grins and winks at his mate. “I had to make sure it could hold our growing family since we’re starting to find our mates, plus all of our cubs we’ll be having soon.”

Maura’s eyes get big, and a huge smile spreads across her face. “You’re pregnant?” She cries and hops to hug Aubree.

Aubree smacks his arm before Maura engulfs her in a hug. “Cole Major, I told you I wasn’t sure yet, and I wanted to wait to tell them until it was official.”

We all take turns giving Aubree and Cole hugs and telling the pair congratulations. I knew it was coming, but I’m so happy that it’s out and everyone knows. We’re all in the kitchen talking excitedly about the cubs when I smell that same scent from earlier, except this time it is a hundred times stronger. My eyes sharpen, and I look in the direction of where it’s coming from and my eyes land on a ruggedly handsome stranger standing at Cole’s back door staring at me intently. He’s got to be well over six feet tall with thick dark hair cut in a crew cut, and a little longer on top, so it’s swept over to the side. Damn, he’s filling every single one of my boxes, and I can find nothing about this man that remotely turns me off.

“Rett!” Everyone calls happily, and I feel like I’m missing something. Who the hell is Rett and why is he suddenly so important? As he walks further into the kitchen, I watch him intently, studying his form and his every movement, until his eyes find mine and my bear chuffs excitedly inside me. “Oh shit,” I mumble, knowing exactly who this delicious man is. He’s my mate.

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