Page 18 of Dancing Moonbeam

If Jaytee had spent a thousand years with someone like Galamir, he wouldn’t be too keen on father figures either. Jeez. It still amazed him how old Raidh actually was. It made Jaytee feel young in comparison.

“Don’t you dare feel bad.” Kalen playfully pointed a finger at Raidh. “Been meaning to try Papa’s Pizza Nest since it opened.”

Raidh blinked up at Kalen, his lips slightly parted. “What were the leftovers?”

“Meatloaf.”

“I’m glad things took longer than expected then.” Raidh grinned widely, his lavender-gray eyes sparkling mischievously. He may have been intimidated by Jaytee’s dad, but Kalen had a way of making people feel comfortable around him. It was hard to get on his bad side, but when he did lose his temper… man, it was a scary sight.

“Not a fan of meatloaf?” Kalen returned Raidh’s grin, tucking his hands into his front pockets.

“You’ve got to try my dad’s meatloaf.” Jaytee gave his mate’s hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s like an orgasm in your mouth.”

Raidh’s eyes widened as a dusting of pink blossomed over his cheeks, causing Jaytee to chuckle.

“Boy.” Kalen shook his head in exasperation just as Damon and Jax came stampeding down the stairs, headed straight for the kitchen.

“Don’t you dare scarf everything down!” Kalen’s voice boomed through the house as he glanced back at Raidh. “I suggest you hurry up before all that’s left are crusts.”

Jaytee pulled his mate along as he headed toward the kitchen. “You better save an entire pizza for Moonbeam, or I’ll kick both your asses,” he snarled.

His brothers were eating machines. Well, so was Jaytee, but now that he had a mate, he would make damn sure Raidh ate first.

As soon as they stepped into the kitchen, Jaytee saw they had one large pizza each in their hands—lids open—and were going for the breadsticks, dropping handfuls into the box right on top of their pizza.

“Stop right now,” Jaytee growled. “Don’t touch another fucking breadstick until Raidh gets his food.”

The two backed away.

“I can’t eat an entire large pizza,” Raidh protested. “Besides, this is their house. I don’t want to—”

“You. Eat. First.” Jaytee glared at his brothers because they should know better. Mates were precious, and if they intended to act like animals around Moonbeam, he would teach them some manners.

Damon wore a shit-eating grin and gestured toward the counter. “Get whatever you want, because, once you do, Jax and I will demolish the rest.”

“The hell you will,” Kalen said as he strode into the kitchen. “Since you two want to be so greedy, you can split one box of breadsticks and share a two-liter of soda.”

Damon and Jax looked heartbroken but knew better than to argue with their dad. It had been at least a decade since any of them had gotten their asses kicked by Kalen, and no one wanted a reminder of how strong their father was.

Kalen wasn’t abusive. Far from it. But when you raised three rowdy wolves all on your own, you not only need love and patience but you also needed a firm hand when dealing with wolves. And Kalen Frost had the firmest hand Jaytee had ever known.

When Raidh placed a slice of pizza and four breadsticks on the plate Jax had handed him, Jaytee frowned. “There aren’t going to be leftovers, Moonbeam. You better get more while you have the chance.”

“I’m not a testosterone-filled wolf.” Raidh took a bite of his pizza and moaned. “I don’t require a million calories a day.”

With a roll of his eyes, Jaytee plopped three more slices onto his mate’s plate and grabbed an entire box of cheesy breadsticks. Then he grabbed an entire pizza for himself.

They all settled at the large country-style table that seated eight.

Jaytee took a large bite of his slice then groaned. The pizza was hot and cheesy, with a tangy tomato sauce and chewy crust.

As he chewed, he noticed the way his dad kept looking Raidh’s way and knew why. Moonbeam had yet to tell the others what was going on.

He turned sideways in his chair to face his mate and whispered in Raidh’s ear, though everyone in the room could hear him, “Do you mind if I tell them what’s going on with you?”

Fear filled Raidh’s eyes, his chest rising and falling a little faster. “What if your dad decides I’m not worth the trouble?”

Placing his hand on the back of Moonbeam’s neck, Jaytee rested their foreheads together, staring into those lavender-gray eyes he was falling in love with. “We’re mates, Raidh. That makes you family, and we throw down for family. But even if you weren’t my mate, we’d still help, cause that shit isn’t right.”

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