Page 35 of The Night Wolf
Dani put a hand atop Sean’s and gave a squeeze. “We’ll help you find him, Sean.”
“Too much water under the bridge, I think. It’s been so long, he probably thinks I forgot about him.” His lips puckered. “He was my mini-me, you know? Always following after me, wanting to do whatever I was going to. It annoyed me at first, but then I realized how much of an effort he was putting into being my friend. I started to see him in a whole new light. When I asked why he wanted to hang out with a grumpy, surly teenager, he said being with me made him….” His eyes went wide and his nostrils flared. “He said he just liked me.”
It was more likely the truth that, once he’d hit puberty, Sean’s Omega probably started to make itself known, and Quinn liked being around him because Sean calmed him and made him feel good. At least that was the stories Gareth’s grandmother would tell.
“Dani’s right. Wewillfind him.” Gareth reached out and stroked a hand over Sean’s shoulder. Such a simple gesture, but Gareth didn’t want to take his hand away. Like, ever. “He’s yours, and that makes him ours too. If he wants to be a part of our pack—of your life—he’s always welcome here.”
Those violet orbs had a sheen that broke Gareth’s heart. Eyes so beautiful should never have to be sad and—what the hell was he doing? He pulled his hand away, missing the contact immediately. There were so many things about Sean that defied possibility. Gareth’s wolf wanted a family, with Sean bearing children, which could never happen. When Gareth saw Sean, his heart quickened, he wanted to be near him, and his damn wolf was doing a fucking happy dance in his mind. Feelings—especially those beyond friendship—took time to develop. His insane need for Sean was just that—crazy.
“Alpha?”
He jerked his head up. “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”
Sean’s lip quirked. “I was asking if you were hungry. Dani is going to teach me some cooking basics, and you could be my guinea pig.”
Once more the thought of domesticity barreled into Gareth. He could picture Sean standing at the stove, mixing a pot of stew, while Gareth washed dishes. They’d glance at each other, and Sean would give Gareth that tiny hint of a smile that was his. He’d never seen it for anyone else, and Gareth loved thinking maybe it was meant just for him.
When Sean laughed, Gareth pulled his head out of the fantasy.
“Wow. When you go on a trip, you go all-out. Where were you?”
“Just thinking. What were you planning on cooking?”
Dani got up and rinsed out her cup. “I saw what he served before.” She mock-shuddered. “It was a good thing Caleb has a cast-iron stomach. I’m going to teach him to make scrambled eggs the right way. It’s probably one of the simplest dishes to start with.”
Gareth grinned. “And what are you serving with the eggs?”
She gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes as she turned off the water, then went for the refrigerator, where she began pulling things out and putting them on the counter. “Sausage and bacon, of course. And we’ll even make you some hash browns and smother them in pepper jack cheese.”
Sean shook his head. “I never agreed to that. He’s going to get the eggs and be damn happy he got them.” Then he flushed and his eyes opened wide. “I apologize, Alpha. Of course, I was teasing. I would make anything you like.”
Sean started to stand, and Gareth reached out and snatched his hand, holding him still. Sean turned toward Gareth, and there was uncertainty there. He was trying to find his place, and Gareth needed to assure him he had.
“You can tease me, Sean. I don’t mind.” He tilted his head to indicate Dani. “I’m used to it, trust me.”
“Don’t think I don’t know you pointed at me, Alpha.”
“She’s a mother. Eyes-in-the-back-of-her-head type, you know. She caught me in the refrigerator once, sampling the hors d’oeuvres she put together for the pack gathering we have before the full moon.”
Dani spun on her heel. “He ate the whole tray! I worked damn hard on those, and he had them gone within minutes.”
“Well, what did you expect me to do? They were mini bacon quiches!” He stuck his bottom lip out, hoping to get on Dani’s good side. For an added bonus, he batted his eyes. “You know how I love those.”
Sean snickered, which took a load off Gareth’s mind.
Dani blew out a breath. “I told you, I would make you quiche every day if you wanted.” She beckoned to Sean, who went and stood by her side. “He doesn’t ask me for things, at least not normally. He’s not a fussy eater, but he does love meat of all kinds.” She looked over her shoulder and glared at Gareth. “And before your mind goes to that dirty place, that’s not what I was talking about.”
Now it was time for Gareth to chuckle. “Who, me?”
She shook her head and went back to showing Sean how to make breakfast. Gareth sat there and watched them. The surprise on Sean’s face when Dani told him they’d need two dozen eggs—mostly for Caleb, of course—three packages of bacon and sausage—for Caleb, but the biggest chunk would be for Gareth—and two pounds of hash browns, was amusing as hell. They worked well together, with Sean hanging on her every word. When she had him cracking eggs, he was so hesitant, he ended up bobbling two of them, and they fell and smashed on the floor.
“I’m sorry! I’m… nervous. I don’t want to disappoint anyone.” He sighed as he pushed the egg carton back toward the wall. “Maybe this isn’t for me.”
“Nonsense. Don’t give up, Sean. Cooking is an art, and it takes time to perfect. You’ve made eggs before, but I’m going to show you the right way to do them. Now, let’s try again, and this time, we’ll go at your pace.”
Dani was incredibly patient, and that was one of the things that made Gareth want her as his counsel. She took her time, never chiding, only making suggestions. While Sean continued his work with the eggs, Dani put two trays of bacon and sausage into the oven. After a few more tries, and with lots of encouragement for her obviously nervous pupil, Sean was able to get all the eggs cracked and whisked. He practically glowed at his accomplishment.
“Now comes the fun part. We’re going to cook them. The incredible thing about eggs is they’re so versatile. Even something as simple as scrambled can take on new flavors with the addition of a few ingredients. Some people like to add things like cream cheese to make them richer. Others like to melt Fontina or Gruyère inside. Maybe they’ll throw in some mushrooms, peppers, or onions. They can be whatever you want.”
