Page 160 of Cost of Courting

“Who ate my beef?”

“What beef?” Frankston says with a wink in my direction.

Edric chuckles and sits down on one of the kitchen stools. “I’ve missed my chair.”

Andy lifts his gaze and glowers at Edric. “It’s not your chair.”

“It is. It’s got my name on it and all.”

“Where?” he demands. “My beef was in the fridge, ready for my lunch.”

“Ain’t seen no beef.”

“Argh! You knew I wanted that beef.”

“Also know your one and only son was coming for lunch today, so I told you I’dorder pizza.”

“Don’t want pizza. I want beef.”

“Don’t eat, then,” Frankston snaps.

I look between the two of them and see Andy blush to the roots of his hair.

“Fine. I’ll have pizza.”

“Good boy.”

If the floor opened up in front of me, I’d step voluntarily into the hole. This is just cringe.

“Right. Let’s get this out of the way,” Mael growls. “Do you want us back, or are you going to leave us kicked out?”

Andy growls at Mael.

My alpha growls right on back.

“Yes, I want your dumb asses back. Wouldn’t have invited you here otherwise.”

“Good. Glad we’re back.”

“Me, too.”

The aggression between the two collapses, and they rush to do these manly chest hug-it-out things.

I roll my eyes. Bailey grabs my hand and glowers when Kingston presses a button that turns on strobing lights all throughout the room.

“Kingston! That is a silent alarm. For alarm things.”

“This is an alarm thing.”

“It is not!”

“Yes, it is.”

I lean against the wall, standing side-by-side with Bailey.

“Uh, are you sure this is a good idea? It looks like our alphas have descended into preteens,” I say dryly. No one even looks my way.

“Yes. I’m noticing that strange behaviour myself. I thought they must work well together, but it would appear my dad decided to foster when I flew the coop.”

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