Page 32 of The Wolf's Appetite
I sensed Cian and his mate Evelyn step behind me ,and then my father, brothers, and the rest of the Guard.
Sebastian walked past me, scanning the hall. The rest followed suit.
Their children were silent, each one young but knowing danger loomed.
Adryan stood in front of me, and the war we’d fought in together replayed through my mind like a punch in the gut. The psychopathic vampire eyed me and then smirked. “You’re different, Lennox.”
I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to. My business wasn’t for the vampires to come sniffing around.
And then the air changed. Electrified. My entire body tightened when I sensed my mate. I turned to see Aisling come down the stairs. She seemed nervous as she stopped when she saw the horde ofOtherworldcreatures in the foyer.
Her eyes met mine—brave but uncertain—and then slid to the assembled vampires. Every protective instinct in me roared right then. I didn’t want any males to see her, to even breathe in her direction. I was striding toward her in seconds, placing my body partially in front of hers and eyeing each motherfucker to know my claim had been made where my mate was concerned.
“She’s mine,” I said with a low growl in my voice and a warning pouring off me.
“You don’t say,” Adryan replied dryly. “Out here, all but pissing on her to make that shit known.”
“Adryan,” Kayla hissed. “Don’t be an ass.”
Adryan looked at his mate and grinned before pulling her in close and kissing her like they were alone in their room and he was about to fuck her.
There were a few coughs of discomfort as Adryan kept making out with his mate, but then–thank fuck–Adryan’s cousin spoke.
“You’ll need to lock this place down tighter than it is, especially with our females here.” Sebastian smiled at his wee mate. “I’m not taking any chances with Ada.”
Aisling was watching them all, visibly unsure of what to do or say. I tugged her gently to my side.
Father cleared his throat, my mother stepping beside him and smiling at everyone, especially her brother Adryan. “Let’s get everyone settled.” She held her hand out to Kayla. “There’s food in the kitchen. Wine, too.”
“Say no more,” Ada said and rose on her toes to kiss Sebastian on the lips.
I looked at Aisling, my beautiful mate still seeming unsure. I kissed her on the center of her forehead. “How about ye go with the females, darlin’?”
“Come on, sweetie,” my mother said and smiled at Aisling.
With one more soft look, I leaned in and kissed her slow and deep before swatting her on the ass. Her cheeks turned pink at the public display of affection, and I grinned wide.
The females and children headed off toward the kitchen, and once we were alone, I glanced at Sebastian. “They’ll be safe here.”
“They better be,” Adryan was the one to speak. To warn.
“Because if even a whisper of danger touches our mates, we’ll take this place down stone by stone.”
The Guard and all Lycans growled in warning, the air changed, andOtherworldmale aggression filled the foyer.
“Okay, everyone,” Father said. “Let’s relax. Everyone is safe. And no one is fooking tearing shit down, so watch yer fooking mouth, vampire.”
There was a long pause of tension, and then Adryan started laughing, the crazy motherfucker. Everyone started following my father and the Guard to the lower level.
I looked toward the glowing kitchen where the women were laughing, the noise of a cork popping echoing down the hallway as they opened a bottle of wine.
I didn’t know what the future held, but I knew onething for certain: I’d fight to protect Aisling even if it meant I’d die. I’d rather have spent one night knowing what it meant to finally have my mate than never have known at all.
19
AISLING
The moment I stepped into the kitchen, the queen handed me a wine glass. “Thank you, my queen.”
