Page 39 of Pleasantly Undead in Dark River

Christopher looked unconvinced, but then Brody and Nico emerged from the bedrooms, looking breathtakingly handsome. Nico kissed my cheek, and ruffled Christopher’s hair. I winced and the boy glared before combing his fingers back through it.

Enit walked over to Tex and tugged on his fingers. “Can you piggyback me there?”

Tex’s face softened. “Will you tell me where I need to go?”

Enit smiled up at him brightly. “Yep. I won’t let you walk into trees, or holes, or onto the road, or anything.”

She climbed up onto the couch and then jumped, trusting Tex to catch her. None of the kids had said anything about him being blind, or about him being a snake. You’d think they would be more curious, but they seemed to take everything in their stride. They saw Tex as just another person, not his disability. Kids were great like that sometimes, and these three kids were already unique enough.

Carmen held my hand, and I gave it a reassuring squeeze. Brody’s temporary lodgings weren’t far from his Grandmother’s house, and it was easy to tell which one was hers as soon as we walked up. The faint sounds of children squealing came across the yard, as well as a small child sprinting across the front lawn as naked as the day he was born. I recognized the man chasing after the naked toddler. Tye, Brody’s cousin and Annie’s brother. I waved as he finally caught up to the fleeing nudist and he waved back as he spoke to the boy in a low, stern tone as he shucked him back into a diaper.

Christopher tensed beside me, his eyes wide and fearful. But when Tye kissed the toddler’s pudgy cheek and then set him back on the ground, pointing him toward the backyard, Christopher relaxed. Was he worried that Tye was going to hurt the baby?

Tye ambled over, smiling down at the kids, though Enit had her face jammed into Tex’s neck, and Carmen was hiding behind me. “Hey Brodes. Hey Raine.” He bowed respectfully at us both. He smiled at Tex. “Good to see you Pup,” he inclined his head again at Nico. “Deathdealer.” He didn’t say it in the usual derogatory sense, but rather as an honorific.

Well, okay then.

“Come on. Uncle Terrance is burning the burgers and won’t let anyone else near the grill. I need you to use your Alpha cred to make him go drink beer and talk about beat up trucks with Steven.”

Brody laughed and they walked off, and Christopher hung back a bit until he was walking just in front of Carmen. Still protecting her.

Tye looked over his shoulder. “Pretty Alpha for a little guy, aren’t you?” he said to Christopher, making the boy's feet still. Brody murmured something softly, and Tye’s face flashed between sadness to anger to purposeful gentleness. “That’s a good thing, kid. Bet you protect your sisters like you are supposed to, even when they drive you crazy?”

Christopher just blinked up at him, not saying a word. I leaned down and grabbed his hand, pulling him to my side. “I got you,” I whispered. I looked down at Carmen. “Tye is Annie’s littermate.”

That seemed to relax them both. Annie was easy to love.

Speaking of which, the woman herself was strolling across the yard, her gaze switching between Tye and the kids, her eyes narrowing. “Is this guy giving you a hard time? I could beat his ass when I was five. Pretty sure I can still do it now.”

Tye snorted and shook his head. “You wish.” Just then, the toddler he’d been chasing before was back, his diaper still on, but with a bottle of ketchup in his hand, his face smeared and a grin as wide as Texas across his face. “Do something about your nephew, Annie.”

Annie held up two hands. “No way, man. That’s all you. I’m taking these cuties up to meet Grandma Nell. Come on.”

Tye sighed. “I’ll catch up with you guys later. Ryan! Come back here! Drop that bottle right now!”

Annie sniggered as she waved us over. “Let’s go. The Matriarch is dying to meet you guys.”

Enit refused to hop down, but Tex seemed content to cart her around like a backpack for the rest of the night. Carmen had begun to shake at the mere mention of the Matriarch. Shit.

Nico picked her up, swinging her into his arms and she clung to his shoulder like a barnacle. But as soon as he wrapped his arm around her, she quit shaking. “Don’t worry, I am scarier than anything you’ll ever meet. I’ll chase away all the other monsters.” I wasn’t sure if that was particularly reassuring, but it calmed Carmen almost instantly.

Christopher tried not to hide as he walked up the stairs behind Brody, looking every bit as regal as a five year old could look.

Nell was chatting with a couple of the other elders, a baby propped on her knee. “Tex! Come here and kiss me, Pup. It is good to see you.”

Tex grinned, leaning down to kiss Nell’s cheek, his hands holding Enit on his back so she didn’t slip forward. Nell tsked. “Tex. You seem to be growing something on your back. Have you had the physicians check it out?”

Tex laughed as he straightened. “No, Ma’am. I’m kind of fond of it. I think I might keep her and call her Lumpy, what do you think?” He shimmied his shoulders, making Enit giggle a little on his back. I went forward and bowed my head, kissing Nell’s cheek. “Bless them,” Nell whispered to me. “I can smell their fear. It breaks my heart.”

I nodded, pulling back. “Mine too.”

Nico stepped forward and kissed Nell’s hand again. “Welcome, Nico. I hope to see you at many more of these family gatherings now that you are the consort to our Pack’s Alpha Mate.”

Nico inclined his head. “I’d like that, I think. It would be nice to converse in a less formal setting.” Nell flushed, and I held back a smile. To hear Brody tell it, Nell had had quite the crush on Nico before she married the previous Alpha.

Nico tilted Carmen toward Nell. “Matriarch, may I present my new nest member, Carmen. She makes a mean pirate and has a parry with a spatula that would impress even Black Beard.”

Carmen peeked out from Nico’s shoulder, showing so much bravery.

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