Page 80 of Legally Mated
There was, and more. Laine and Garrick ended up assembling a set of bunk beds, and then spent a half hour trying to figure out how to make the drawers go in and out in an old, crooked dresser. By the time they were well and truly frustrated, someone came in to inform them that the bottom drawers never worked and should just be leftempty.
In the end, though, when Quin and Abel brought Raleigh and little Henry to see the house, it was worth all the crushed fingers and splinters they’d collected. Raleigh’s face lit up and he walked from room to room like a man in a dream, touching each and every donation like it was a religiousartifact.
This is pack.Being here, seeing this tonight, Laine realized he only had the merest inkling of what being part of the pack meant. Not that he longed for a family that often, but this nonchalant pulling together that shifters seemed to do as easily as breathing—he could get usedtothat.
Raleigh fell into one of the kitchen chairs like his legs had been taken out from underneath him. “I don’t know what to say. I know I’m bringing on a lot of troubleforyou.”
Abel laughed and Quin leaned against the doorframe with his mouth stretched in a grin. “Don’t you worry,” Quin said. “This puts a smile on my mate’s face that makes up for every bit of it. You settle in—do you want someone to come get you for Midwinter Moon, or would you rather an evening to rest? Holland will make sure that some of the food makes it here for you if you don’t feel up togoing.”
“I—” Raleigh looked around the room, overwhelmed by it all. His mouth worked, but no soundcameout.
“It’s okay,” Abel told him. “I’m sure Bax will be along with the pups later. They won’t want to miss out, but there’s plenty of us to look after them. We open the daycare up so the parents can go have some fun. You rest. There’s some food in the fridge, and a bottle of cider if you want it. The water’s good to drink.” He leaned in to whisper a moment with Quin, then said, “Watch the back steps, the top one is rotten, but all the floors in the house are solid, so you don’t have to worry about anythingthere.”
Garrick took Laine by the elbow. “Come on, lets give him some space. I’ll tour you around the places youhaven’tseen.”
It felt like common courtesy at first, until Laine caught the subtle nod of acknowledgment that flashed between Quin andGarrick.
“This isn’t just a tour,isit?”
Garrick shook his head then glanced sidelong at Laine. “I was told that if I wanted you, I had to make sure you integrated properly with the pack.” He grinned. “So, we’re going to meet the grannies, and then I’m going to terrify the teenagers with you. After that,we’llsee.”
“I do believe I’m terrified myself,” Laine drawled then, with a quick glance around to see if anyone was watching them, he leaned in and dropped a kiss on Garrick’s cheek. “Thank you for fighting so hardforme.”
Garrick shrugged. “Wait and see if you like what you got.” His eyelids dropped in a manner uncharacteristically like Holland. “I’ve been informed that omegas keep whattheytake.”
“Oh, well,” Laine said, unaccountably pleased. “Thenleadon.”
Chapter65
Ididn’t usually stayout late on full moon night, but tonight was different. Tonight I was introducing Laine to the pack and making it known that he was going to be around a lot more. I wouldn’t say I wasn’t nervous about it—my stomach was full of butterflies the entire first part of the evening—but I had Holland’s backing, and Quin’s somewhat more reluctant support. It made it easier to ignore the gossip and the widening eyes as we wandered through the crowd with our plates of food, chatting to everyone we could corner. Of course, it helped that the story of Raleigh showing up at the gates was getting around, and tongues were wagging mightilyaboutthat.
I hoped that our Alpha and his Mate knew what they weredoing.
“Dad, Dad!” we heard, and then April came roaring through the crowd toward us, Pip hot on herheels.
“You’re supposed to be over with the pups,” Laine told her. “What are you two doing runningaround?”
“We staged a jail break,” Pip said proudly, and I turned away so they couldn’t see melaugh.
“Your mother is going to kill me,” Laine muttered, and then I did laugh. He looked over and grinned at me, then turned back to the girls. “Well, since you’re here, why don’t we go see what’s on for dessert?” He reached for her hand, but she giggled and then she and Pip raced off through the crowd, headed in the general direction of the food table. I laughed again, and he turned to me with his hands held up in the air. “At least she’s having fun,right?”
“Come on. We’ll get some sweets and then we’ll take them back. Holland and Bax both offered to have her for the night, if you were okay with that.” There. I’d laid the groundwork for the rest of theevening.
“Sure.” He didn’t put an arm around my shoulder, though I saw the twitch in his body as he curbed the impulse. I was fine with that—while I was ready to for the pack to see him as more than just a human, I wasn’t quite brave enough for that. Not yet. Maybe after a fewdrinks.
We caught up with the girls at the table with all the pies scattered over it. “Try the buttermilk pie, there. And if that’s Willie’s apple pie, you’ll want some ofthattoo.”
Laine leaned over and whispered in my ear, “How much of this am I expectedtoeat?”
“As much as you can,” I assured him. “And make sure you make a fuss about it, because the ladies will hear if you don’t.” The way to a man’s heart was supposedly through filling his stomach, but for sure, filling your own stomach was the way to the hearts of the Mercy Hills bakers. “And those cookies over there, with the jam in them? You’ll want to try them too.” I cackled with glee as he straightened his shoulders and took a deep breath, like a man readying himself for battle, then followed behind him with my own plate and plan ofattack.
We browsed the tables, moved off to the side with the girls to eat, then much like the rest of the pack in attendance, we drifted back over to graze, sharing bits and pieces of our prizes with each other and with the girls. Pip seemed to be settling right into the pack, and April was hardly distinguishable from the other pup in terms of dirt andexcitement.
Holland stopped by, arm in arm with Quin, and we spent a few minutes talking about the pups and about Raleigh, who had opted to stay in his new house and rest after the stress of hisescape.
Then before they left, Quin patted Laine on the shoulder, throwing a signal out to the rest of the pack that Laine had his approval, however much he questioned the wisdom of this privately. I wondered what pressure or blandishment Holland had brought to bear on him, and then whether Laine had recognized the subtle signal in the casual touch of my Alpha. He was busy talking to Duke and Edmond, now that he wasn’t being monopolized by the Alpha, and I had a moment to watch him, to decide for myself whether this was working. I thought it was. Oh, it wasn’t anywhere near perfect yet, but the seeds hadbeensown.
And then someone gently touched my shoulder and I turned to find Holland there. “I’m going to go feed Zane, then I think I’m going to turn in. I just wanted remind you before I left that what you do here tonight sets the tone for the way the pack will integrate with humans, and how he will integrate with us.” He smiled at me, but it was his Mate’s smile, which gave his next words nearly the weight of law. “Be careful how you let them come to know each other. This has been a good start, but our people have reason to be afraid of humans. Don’trushit.”
