Page 50 of Claiming Xan
“I guess,” I mumbled. “Not really.”
He squeezed my fingers in his. “It’ll be fine, babe. If you get overwhelmed, we’ll go in, okay? Promise.” Leaning up on his tiptoes, he kissed me on the cheek, then guided me out the front door and towards the roaring bonfire, and everything else that went along with it.
People were gathered around, beers and sodas and plates of food in hand. Someone wolf-whistled at Xan, who laughed and flipped them the bird with his free hand.
“I know, I know,” he crowed. “The party has now officially begun.” As he gave a mock bow, the crowd erupted into hoots and hollers, but his fingers around my own squeezed a little tighter.
He tugged on my hand with a gentle smile. “C’mon, let’s get some grub. It smells so good and I amstarving!”He patted his slightly-rounded tummy and winked. “Eating for two now, remember?”
I rolled my eyes, but followed him over to the table where all the food was. We grabbed a couple of paper plates and began loading them; fire-kissed hotdogs on buns, piled high with onion, relish, ketchup and mustard, a plop of potato salad, a plop of macaroni salad, and a big handful of wavy potato chips. And a cookie, for good measure.
Xan took two. Because of course he did.
We both grabbed a cold soda out of one of the coolers, and Xan led me over to a blanket spread out on the ground nearby his brother and Nevin.
I held my breath and followed him. The press of energies from the other wolves was already sinking in. My beast growled softly and pinned his ears. I sat down next to my mate and stuffed a bite of hotdog in my mouth to try and appease my inner-wolf.
Just chill out. It’s fine.
Except, it wasn’t. It felt like the world was closing in all around me. Chatter and laughter filled the spaces between my ears as people made jokes and talked about this, that and another thing. Little kids were running around, kicking a large red ball around—thankfully, far away from the fire.
Pike Harmon was telling bad jokes, while everyone else chuckled and groaned. His mate, Phoenix, simply smiled on, rocking their daughter in his arms. She sucked on her binkie, admittedly adorable in a cute little sundress with gumdrops on it.
Meanwhile Xan alternated between stuffing his face with food and cooing over his nephew, who Nevin was rocking gently in his carrier. “Are you staying for the full moon run?” Xan asked, glancing up.
Nevin shook his head. “Nah. Kace and I are going home when the pack heads out. Zee has been really fussy the past week or two. I don’t think he’s tolerating the heat very well and I’m exhausted, so I wanna catch up on my sleep if he’ll let me.”
Kace leaned in, kissing his mate’s cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll take baby duty tonight, babe. You need your beauty sleep.”
I watched as Nevin all but melted, his expression one of pure love, and I felt a strange tugging sensation in my chest. A soft ache bloomed there, and I had to look away from the couple.
Instead, I found myself staring across the clearing at Gracie, who was chatting with a couple of packmates, laughing over the top of a red Solo cup.
She must’ve caught me looking, because she met my gaze and stared back before giving a curt nod. Not warm, but not cold, either. I’d take it.
A breeze stirred, bringing with it the smell of firewood and roasted marshmallows. I closed my eyes. Music played faintly from a Bluetooth speaker, some sort of country twang that wasn’t my thing at all. The din of voices was getting a little more bearable, but I was still on edge.
There was a shout from behind me—frantic, worried—and when I turned, it was to see a toddler running right towards me, way too close to the fire.
Something inside of me jerked, my wolf snapping to attention. Before I could even think to stop and question myself, I reached out and snagged the little boy around the waist, pulling him to safety before he could go tumbling into the burning flames.
There was a moment of stillness. No one spoke, no one moved. They all stared at me, at what I’d just done, and for a moment, I felt my heart might beat right out of my chest at the silence.
Then someone clapped me on the shoulder. “Hey! Nice catch,” he said, right as the little boy’s mother came rushing up with tears in her eyes.
“Thank you! Oh, thank you so much. Come here, Colton. I told you not to go so close to the fire! It’s dangerous. Burn you!” She whisked her son away and I sat there, half in shock.
Xan beamed at me, his smile slow and wide. Praising me without ever having to say a word—and that was good enough for me.
Darkness settled and Gracie addressed the pack. It was time for the full moon run. All around me, people began to shift into their animal forms. The magic that sparked all around me waskinetic and raw. It made my wolf bristle and growl, but Xan placed a hand on my arm, his gaze searching.
“You wanna run, or…?”
I swallowed and gave my head a small shake.
Xan smiled, suddenly impish. “Well, I’m sure we can find other things to do. We’ll have the whole house to ourselves, after all.”
With a wink, he stood and crooked a finger. I let out a low, rumbly laugh and followed him.
