Page 35 of Manix
Naja appeared on the porch, dressed in jeans and a soft pink sweater. She looked more like the girl next door and less like she’d been freshly fucked. I scooted across so there was a spot to sit between Gatlin and I, ensuring she felt as secure as possible.
I changed the subject of the conversation away from Naja and toward getting some supplies we needed to build a pool fence. Having fathers who worked in procurement sometimes came in handy, though we went through the proper channels as much as possible.
Mom then told me that my sister’s oldest sons had been caught hijacking an ATVagain,and I tried not to laugh. I really did. But they’d apparently driven the damn thing into the lake that formed the center of town. Now they were on herd duty for the next month. Herd duty meant you had to watch that the cows didn’t get eaten by predators, all day, every day. It was boring as fuck, because other than the odd bear, there just weren’t that many daytime predators out here. But it was a good punishment because there weren't many thirteen-year-old boys who wanted to waste their summer holidays watching cows eat grass.
“Don’t you laugh, Finlo Grey. Do you remember when you and Gatlin decided to climb the tallest tree in the woods behind the school, and got stuck at the top? Your father had to leave work to go find the biggest ladder in town to get you guys down, and you were up there clinging to the branches like scared kittens. Actually, I’m pretty sure Terra was only three branches down, so this is karma for her.”
Naja laughed, and I was pretty sure she’d like my sister Terra. She had brass balls too. Actually, maybe I should hope they never met, because Terra’s favorite pastime was talking shit about me and what I got up to as a teenager. I didn’t need the embarrassment.
My smile fell as I realized they’d probably never meet. My mother noticed, of course. She noticed freaking everything.
“So, Naja, what will it take for you to stay with my son’s Pack?”
“Mom!” I growled.
She gave me a faux innocent look. “What? You can’t see how cute you all look together. The Goddess brought you into each other's lives, so it’s up to you guys to make sure she is so happy that she’ll never think of leaving. If you need some tips to keep her satisfied in the bedroom, I’m sure you can ask your fath—”
“Argh! La-la-la! Fucking hell, Mother. No one wants to hear that,” Trace yelled.
“There are children present,” Tye added.
“Yeah, your own children. I can guarantee no one wants to think about you guys doing it, let alone ask for tips. Gross,” Trace said, pretending to gag.
“I just threw up a little in my mouth.”
I laughed, because I agreed one billion percent. “I’m with the terrible two over here. I’ll take a hard pass on the sex advice. Go home and I’llcallyou when we’ve come to a Pack decision. Emphasis on call.”
My dad nodded, hustling my huffy mother to her feet. “Fine, fine,” she grumbled. “But I’m glad I came, otherwise you’d have hidden this beauty away forever with only you five for company. It was a pleasure to meet you, Naja. I hope to see you again soon.” She gave me the stink eye. “Call me,” she threatened as she walked down the stairs and back to their ATV. It wasn’t a request, it was an order.
I sighed with relief as they disappeared back down the track that led to Maxton. I looked over at the shell-shocked Naja.
“Well, that was my family. Welcome to the neighborhood.”
24
Seven
Iloved Finlo’s family, but his mom scared the shit out of me. She was sweet as hell, but she was a force of nature. Luisa, who must have been close to her nap when Finlo’s family arrived, fell asleep in my arms and I rocked her softly where I stood. Some things just seemed to come naturally, and that weird rocking motion was one of them. I’d added a gentle thrum and it put her off to sleep like magic. I could put her down in her crib, but I kind of liked holding her. Though I definitely wouldn’t tell the rest of my Pack that; they’d think I’d gone soft or some fucking thing.
Gatlin motioned us inside and downstairs. I still didn’t put the baby in the crib, because I knew we were about to have a Pack meeting, and what if she woke up and none of us heard?
Granted, I could literally hear a bunny burrowing twenty yards from the house, but still. I didn’t want her to wake up and be scared and alone.
We all gave a freaked out Naja some space. It was like adding more Manix to the mix had suddenly made this whole thing more real for her. I wanted to beg her to stay with us, not to run like her scent was telling me she was contemplating. We wouldn’t trap her here, but I didn’t think we’d be quite the same if she left. Well, we definitely wouldn’t be the same, because we’d have cubs in four and a half months that contained half of her DNA. She’d forever altered us already; I just wanted her to stay so we could show her just how safe and happy life could be.
“So, that was my family,” Finlo said, grimacing. “I’m so sorry. They don’t understand boundaries.”
I snorted softly, so as not to wake the baby, and Raiden threw me a conspiratorial smirk. He wasn’t wrong. They really had no boundaries, but they were as close as a family could be and they always had our backs, no matter what. Most of us hadn’t had that in our lives—Gatlin and Ellar had been half-breeds, and my family had disowned me after I got booted out of my first Pack. After the second booting, they’d pretended I was never even born.
So Finlo’s family was all of our family now, no matter how wild and dysfunctional they may be. Naja gave him an amused smile. “They were interesting. Very nice too.”
Finlo flopped back onto the couch. “They are bossy, nosey, and I wouldn’t swap any of them for all the money in the universe.” He opened one eye, looking at Gatlin and then back at Naja. “They make a good point though. We should discuss everything, after last night.”
Naja looked a little pale, and I wanted to bundle her up in my arms too. I was pretty sure I could hold both the baby and the pretty Omega.
Gatlin did the next logical thing, pouring a couple of fingers of whiskey into a tumbler and handing it to her. She knocked it back with a gasp but it at least gave her a little more color in her cheeks. Seemingly more happy with how she looked, Gatlin nodded. “The heat has eased, and I am fairly certain the mating worked. If you are ready to leave, we won’t stop you.”
I opened my mouth to protest. Sure, we wouldn’t stop her, but he was doing a shit job of telling her wewantedher to stay. Gatlin threw me a stern look, and I swallowed down my protests. I had to trust my Alpha, but it wasn’t something that came easily to me.
