Page 61 of A Pack of Mistletoe
Before I can say anything, the guys swarm me.
Harlan shifts the center console and pulls me into his side, his purr starting up first, low and steady. The others follow, a chorus of deep, soothing sound. Because while I’m not having a full-blown panic attack like I did at the for-sale mansion, my scent’s definitely starting to char at the edges.
“I’m fine,” I murmur, pressing my face into Harlan’s pecs. “I just… haven’t been to one of these before.”
“I didn’t realize how many people would be here,” Kai says, a little shaky.
I lift my head to stare at him. “Isaidthe whole town.”
“I thought you were exaggerating,” he says defensively. “The whole town can’tfitinto a farmhouse.”
“No, of course not.” I huff a laugh. His shoulders sag in relief. “That’s why they put up one of those big white tents out back with outdoor heaters.”
All the alphas blink at me.
“What—like for a wedding?” Evander asks, looking half-impressed, half-horrified.
Logan runs a hand through his perfectly styled blond hair, mussing it in that casually devastating way he does, which absolutely doesnothelp my nerves.
Harlan, unfazed, just buries his face in my hair and breathes me in. “It’s okay, Starlight. We can leave anytime.”
I curl one hand tight in his sweater.
And with one last deep breath, we all climb out of the car.
When we enter, we’re hit by the dulcet tones of Nat King Cole, the smell of roasting honey ham, and about a trillion eyes turning our way. Everyone unabashedly stares. This town has no tact.
A nervous giggle bubbles up from my chest that I can’t repress. I wish the floor would open up and bury me in holly.
“We brought cornbread,” Wyatt announces. Someone at the back of the room whoops, the room laughs, and everyone resumes chatting and milling about again. I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Oh my god! You made it!” a familiar voice chirps behind me. I turn to find Sunny and her alpha, Hunt, standing there. Sunny has on a Santa-red sweater with matching lipstick. She pulls me into a hug. “I’m glad you came,” she whispers more quietly just to me.
“Me too,” I admit. Because behind her, Logan and Cole are embracing and then pulling apart for Logan to introduce Evander and Harlan. The two dominant alphas square off for a moment but ultimately shake hands.
Sunny just shakes her head. “Dominant alphas. Always so unnecessarily territorial.”
But I’m too distracted by Logan gesturing to me and me crazily thinking I see him form the wordsmy omega.My heart skips as Cole smiles and claps them on the back.
Sunny’s eyes go wide though she’s not looking at the chatting alphas. “Rose… do you—?” her question is cut off when a squeal behind me signals the incoming presence of Clara, and right behind her are Winnie and Cali. Cali is waddling—there’s just no other way to describe it. I catch a flash of a sparkly Christmas tree sweater on Clara before she pulls me into a tight hug. Winnie looks elegant in a long-sleeved light pink baby-doll dress with snowflakes on it.
“Yay! You came. We were hoping you would,” Winnie says, and—no lie—that really casts the whole party in a new light. I knew, logically, it wouldn’t be the trauma-inducing hobnobbing of my parents’ parties, but with little else to compare it to, I couldn’t envision much else.
This, though, with my friends, their packs, and everyone from town, this isn’t bad. It’s nice. The Mayor and her husband are chatting with the Sheriff near the hors d’oeuvres. Stella is stuffing canapés into her purse. A dozen other townspeople mill about along with a few people I don't recognize. Likely some of the Night Pack’s relatives.
Sunny turns to us with a tray of sparkling champagne flutes. We each take one, giggling and oohing.
She raises hers and we mimic her. “To best friends and to another year of memories.”
We all clink, and I have to drink to keep the tears stinging the corners of my eyes at bay. It was only a few weeks ago that I thought I'd have to leave this all behind. We talk about when the next Book Club should be, with Christmas coming up, and land on the Saturday between Christmas and New Year’s.
Sunny asks me to grab some more butter from the kitchen, but as I make my way between rooms a deep voice calls out, “Hey!”
I turn to find Logan standing with his brother, giving him a quizzical look. Cole is the one who called out to stop me. He gives Logan a shove so that Logan ends up standing right next to me, then gestures up above us.
We both look up to find a sprig of mistletoe tied with red ribbon hanging above the door frame. Logan’s gaze meets mine and the raw intensity there sends slick pooling at my center. His sharp features take on a predatory quality in the darkened doorway. He sweeps both of his hands over my cheeks and around to the back of my head, tipping my face back, and claims my mouth in a kiss. It isn’t brief or chaste. It’s demanding and panty melting.
When he pulls back our foreheads rest against each other.
