Page 25 of Posing for the Artist Wolf

He squeezed my ass, flashing me a mischievous grin before facing Rafe.

Rafe turned his stare on me, assessing. I stared back, doing my best not to squirm under the weight of it.

For a moment, I thought he might press the issue. But then he sighed, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “We’ll discuss this later,” he muttered, before turning to me with a forced smile. “Welcome to the madhouse. Try not to let this lot scare you off.”

Rafe cast one last meaningful look at Kai before moving to join the others near the pool tables.

“How’s Maddy?” I heard Brielle ask.

“About ready to gnaw her own leg off,” Rafe said wryly. “Or mine. Tara is sitting with her while I make my appearances.”

Kai lifted a glass from the countertop behind me, taking a healthy sip before handing me mine. I followed suit, enjoying the burn of alcohol down my throat. He kept an arm around me, holding me tight, as we joined the others.

Despite the tension with Rafe, the night progressed more smoothly than I’d anticipated. The initial awkwardness melted away as I found myself pulled into various conversations and activities.

Orion, true to Kai’s words, was a force of nature. He challenged me to a game of darts, his boisterous laughter filling the air as I managed to hit everything but the board.

“Not bad for a human,” he teased, earning a playful swat from Brielle.

“Don’t mind him,” she said, handing me another dart. “He thinks he’s charming.”

I grinned, taking aim again. This time, the dart stuck firmly in the outer ring. “I’ll take ‘not bad for a human’ as a compliment.”

As the night wore on, I found myself chatting with different pack members. Phillip used me as practice for his terrible dad jokes, each one worthy of a groan and an eye roll. Even Elise, who’d been eyeing me warily all night, seemed to thaw slightly, her curt nods becoming less hostile as the evening progressed.

Kai stayed a constant presence at my side, his hand often finding mine or resting on the small of my back. His eyes shone with pride every time I successfully navigated a pack interaction.

Suddenly, a sharp gasp cut through the ambient noise of the lively group. All heads turned to see Shauna, her face contorted in discomfort, one hand clutching her swollen belly.

“Shauna?” Phillip was at her side in an instant, worry etched across his features. “What’s wrong?”

She took a deep breath, her eyes wide. “I think... I think it might be time.”

The pack erupted into a flurry of activity. I watched, frozen in place, as Phillip helped Shauna to her feet. Her face was pale, a sheen of sweat glistening on her forehead.

“Hospital bag,” she gasped, her eyes wide with panic. “I didn’t put it back in the car after washing everything.”

Kai stepped forward. “We can get it. My car’s just outside.”

Shauna looked at us gratefully, relief clear in her eyes. “Would you? That would be amazing.”

“Of course,” I said, nodding. I hurried towards the door, Kai hot on my heels.

We rushed out into the frosty night air, the wind biting at my cheeks. As we climbed into Kai’s SUV, I couldn’t shake the surreal feeling that had settled over me. Just minutes ago, we’d been laughing and playing darts. Now, we were racing against time.

The drive to the pack house was quiet, the darkness pressing in around us. I glanced at Kai, his profile illuminated by the dashboard lights.

“Do you want children?” The question slipped out before I could stop it.

“Pups,” he corrected with a twitch of his lips. “And... I never really saw myself as a parent. Bad influence uncle, sure.” He chuckled, a full grin spreading across his face. “Rafe is going to banish me for all the trouble I teach that pup.”

I reached over, slipping my hand into his. His fingers laced with mine, squeezing tight. “They’ll need a tempering aunt. You know, to teach them deviousness and subterfuge.”

“I knew you were a kindred spirit,” he purred, stroking the pad of his thumb over the back of my hand.

His eyes darted to the rearview mirror, and he stiffened.

“Kai?” I asked, concern coloring my tone.

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