Page 39 of Ravenous

“Watch it,” I growled although I couldn’t help the way my mouth tipped up.

“Thatisa smile,” Johnny added, pointing and grinning too.

Boyd came over. Slapped me on the shoulder. “Good for you, friend.”

“Good for Wes, what?” Rob came into the barn.

“He found his mate. Next door neighbor.”

“Sounds a little like you, brother,” Boyd told Rob. Rob’s mate was Willow, who from what I’d heard, used to live on the ranch that shared his fence line.

As alpha, Rob was quieter than Boyd. Calmer. He didn’t talk as much either. But when he did speak, everyone listened. And it wasn’t because he used alpha command either. He’d been made alpha for a reason.

“That right?” Rob tucked his thumbs in his jeans pockets.

“Yeah. Joy Wallace.”

“She does ceramics, right?” Rob asked.

I nodded.

“Someone got us one of her vases as a wedding present. It’s on the sideboard in the dining room.”

“We were commenting on how he’s smiling,” Boyd said.

“Marked her then. Congrats.” NowRobsmiled.

I shook my head as I patted Sunshine’s soft nose. “Not yet. I just met her two days ago when I moved in. A human fated mate is tricky.”

All three of them laughed in agreement.

“Hell, you don’t think we know?” Boyd asked. “I had to minimize how quickly I healed after being gored by a bull with Audrey.”

“I had to tell Emma not only that I’m a shifter, but an enforcer, too. Fun times,” Johnny added.

Rob grumbled. “Well, lock that down soon.” Meaning get Joy to fall for me, agree to be mine, be okay with meandRemy being shifters, wanting me to bite and mark her, and, oh yeah, fall for us.

“I can’t rush things,” I told him. “I’ve got Remy to think about.”

Rob leaned up against the stable wall. “What’s your concern? Joy doesn’t like kids?”

My throat grew tight remembering how sweet she was with Remy. “No, she and Remy get along great. But what if it doesn’t work out? I don’t want Remy hurt.”

Rob gave me a hard stare. “If it doesn’t work out, a four-year-old’s feelings are the least of your concerns.”

I bristled. “How so?” I asked.

He cocked his brows. “Moon madness.”

Moon madness. Shit. I hadn’t even thought of that. It must be because I was getting on in age, which made me more susceptible. While I wasn’t alpha of my pack, I was alpha through and through–another marker for the insanity that came on if a wolf didn’t mark his fated mate.

“Add to that, you tell her you’re a shifter, and she bails instead of getting marked, we’ve all got a problem,” Rob said.

I ran a hand over the back of my neck. “Shit, I’m just worried about Joy not likingmeenough to stick. I don’t want Remy to get attached and then upset when Joy walks. Her mother did that to her, but at least she doesn’t remember.”

My jaw tightened at the thought of Soraya showing up unannounced last night. I needed to figure out what the hell she was up to.

“If she’s still around after your grumpy attitude the other day, there’s hope.” Johnny tightened the flank cinch on his saddle.

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