Lanie
âI wouldnât dream of going up against you,â Mason said as his thumb rubbed over the back of my hand. âNot when you get that
look.â
âNo man or wolf would dare,â Zane put in with a grin as he sat.
ch hot, s exy men...
I didnât think a woman could be as lucky as I was. Cared for so deeply by three such hot, mother to a gorgeous baby girl and also
healthy, beautiful twins. Iâd never imagined on my mating day that Iâd end up here, but now that I had, there was no place I would
rather be.
I squeezed Mason's fingers as Zane slid bowls of mashed potatoes and a basket of bread onto the table. I wasnât sure where the
bounty of food had come from, but he and Xander had insisted on cooking for all of us,
a skill I hadnât even known they had.
The two of them had been sending each other secret glances since we got back...sharing emotions they didnât know I could
sense. Their dynamic had changed ever-so-slightly, and I wondered what that would mean
for the three of us.
What would all of this mean?
Xander slid a platter of seared steaks onto the table and took his seat next to his Beta. âOne grandmother, one mama, three
daddies, and three babies. Sounds like all we needâs a white picket fence.â
I loved them all so much, it was like a flame that had been kindled into an inferno inside me. Emotion
my throat as I looked at all of them. In my arms, Stella cooed like she understood exactly what was
going on.
cho
âShe's right,â Gabriela said. âOf course, the Luna is always right.â
I laughed with a little choke in my voice and met Masonâs eyes. Then Xanderâs. Two Alphas, but only one me. We were going to
have figure out what that meant for all of us.
âI'm not sure I even feel like Iâm ready to be a Luna,â I said around the lump in my throat.
âWell, thatâs just silly, because you definitely acted like one,â Zane put in fiercely. âYou all should have seen her. She was beyond
anything I couldâve imagined. So strong and brave. Lanie, Iâm so insanely proud of you.
Never let me hear you say you're not ready.â
âBeing the Luna is more than household chores and planning parties, Lanie. A Luna is a warrior who stands by her Alphaâs side,
and if not at his side, she fights to protect him however she can. You did something none of the rest of us could do. Because of
you, we have these two precious little ones returned to
us safe and sound.â
Gabrielaâs soft voice was so full of love and pride it made me miss my own mother. Xanderâs mom had intimidated me when we
first met, but that was back when I hadnât known that, eventually, Iâd be mated to her son for real. We werenât what I'd call close,
but I could see us getting there, and I certainly held her up as a
âThank you,â I told her sincerely. âThat means a lot, especially from you.â
I snuggled Stella closer to me, breathing in the sweet fragrance of her soft baby-fine hair. She was my pup, my daughter, but
Alaina and Isaac were also mine in a way I would never have expected I could feel about them. They might've been the children
of a woman who'd been my rival, but I was the only mother they would
ever know.
âZane, I can never thank you enough for bringing my pups back safely. Anything you ever need from me, you have it.â Masonâs
rough voice cracked with his emotion. He shot a quirked grin toward Xander. âI might have to go toe-to-toe with this as shole now
and then just to remind him heâs not the only top wolf, but Iâve got your back, no matter what,â
âHey, man. No need to thank me. I love those babies Zane said firmly, making sure Mason looked toward him. âAs far as Iâm
concerned, Alaina and Isaac are as much my pups as Stella is. It doesnât matter what the biology says. They're all mine, and I
will fight to the death to protect them.â
My heart swelled with love again. I knew what Gabriela had said was true, no matter how I still felt about. my abilities. ..or not.
But I did agree with Zane about the pups. Iâd risked my life for them, and I would do it
again in a heartbeat.
âMe too. And for each and every one of you,â I added.
âThatâs what makes a familyâ Xander said roughly, and I was shocked to see the glint of tears in his eyes.
Mason coughed into his fist. âP ussy.â
I braced myself for Xander to explode, but to my surprise and relief, he simply rolled his eyes and grinned.
âSphincter,â he shot back and slapped a steak onto Masonâs plate.
âBoys,â Gabriela murmured, but with a smile.
Zane scoffed, helping himself to a steak. âWatch out. With d icks that big, there wonât be room in the bed
for all four of us.â
Every head turned his way.
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