Page 29 of The Broken Aztec Princesses

Chris went and sat on his chair again without saying anything and I returned my attention to the movie, more at ease.

Chapter Seven

Bellarose

Iwas waiting outside after being told the convoy of vehicles being led by Cade was approaching. I hadn’t seen the man in eight years, and I didn’t understand why I was nervous or why Coyo was pacing in my head.

She didn’t speak to me very often anymore, but she was still there, ready to protect me and lend me her strength. Losing our pup had done something to her, broken her heart and made her quiet. I thought for a bit I would lose her when Brandon and our pup died, but she was still there, so I counted my lucky stars and gave her the space she needed to heal.

Were we sensing danger from Cade’s pack? I didn’t know, and I didn’t push her to explain. A dark gray, heavy-duty truck appeared and slowed as it got closer to the pack grounds. I couldn’t see the driver, as he was wearing a cowboy hat, but if I were to hazard a guess, it was Cade, leading the group. A flash of memory came to mind of standing on a platform and him smiling up at me, but every thought left my brain, and my bodyfroze on the spot, when I watched the man in the driver’s seat exit his truck and come around the front.

I don’t remember Cade looking so damn hot,Coyo spoke for the first time this week, peering at the man approaching appreciatively.

Fuck, neither did I. The tall slim man I knew had been replaced with a broad-shouldered, muscled god. His sandy blonde hair was peeking from under his hat and the light stubble shone almost angelically against the sun. The cowboy shirt, jeans and boots only accentuated his new muscles as he walked. Can a man walk sensually? Because I think that’s exactly what he’s doing right now.

His brilliant blue eyes looked me over, but before I could figure out if he liked what he saw, he engulfed me in a giant hug.

“It’s been a long time, Princess,” he whispered in my ear.

Right, that stupid nickname. Any lust I was feeling toward the man I was just ogling, flamed out as soon as Cade uttered that stupid nickname.

“Don’t call me a fucking princess,” I hissed, pulling back and saw that Cade was smirking down at me.

“That sassy mouth hasn’t changed a bit, I see.”

“Neither has your annoying ass,” I grumbled back.

As more cars started parking, he asked, “Where can we park all the vehicles?”

“There’s parking around the corner. You can park in the garage there, too. I’ve already sold Brandon’s cars.”

Why he needed three muscle cars when he rarely left the pack grounds, I’ll never know. At least, I found quick buyers for them.

“I’m sorry about what happened,” Cade mentioned more somberly.

“You too... with your pack grounds,” I replied awkwardly. I didn’t want to talk about Brandon. There were too many bad memories attached to that night.

“It’s a good chance to start over. I’m trying to look at it as an opportunity. We were too isolated there, surrounded by national forests on three sides. We had no neighbors, no allies but Crescent Moon and the neighboring pack. This is forcing us to consider what I want our future to look like.”

“That’s going around,” I mumbled and smiled a little when Cade gave my shoulder a quick reassuring squeeze.

“I’ll go direct traffic for a bit. Can we meet after and discuss where everyone’s going?” he asked.

“Of course. There’s lunch available, too, though it’s pretty simple.”

“We’re simple people, Bells,” he chuckled, ruffling my hair like he did when we were young and making me bristle.

“Goddess, you’re still annoying,” I mumbled, pulling my fingers through my straightened hair.

“And, I liked your hair better when it was curly.” He shrugged, walking toward the vehicle where another bulky man stepped out. “This is John, my beta. I left my gamma in Crescent Moon with his mate.

“Luna, pleasure to meet you,” he said. The attractive dark-haired man was dressed similarly to Cade, and had the body to fill it well, too.

“Likewise. I’ll let you get your people together and meet you both inside,” I said quickly, turning around and walking inside to busy myself helping the cook with lunch.

Seeing the gorgeous man standing next to Cade made me realize my reaction to his alpha wasn’t just because the man looked good in cowboy clothes; it was to the man himself. John was just as good-looking as Cade, yet it did nothing for me other than allow me to appreciate a well-made man.

We were done preparing lunch by the time Cade shuffled inside with his people. I sent a text to Chris to let him know I had some wraps ready for them, then guided Cade and Johnto my office, calling Hugh via mind-link to join us. He showed up twenty minutes later, and much to my annoyance, without a shirt and sweating profusely.

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