Page 29 of Daddy's Mail Order Mate

“Let’s go.”

Chapter 7 - Gwen

My hope had been to keep myself to the sidelines as much as possible and just get through this unscathed. But it’s kind of hard to stay out of other people’s notice when one of the Lunas seems to have made it her personal mission to get me involved.

I stare at the back of Paige’s head as she happily strides along with the other Luna at her side, then glance along the gaggle of other women crowding around after them as well like two queens and their retinue. By this point, I’m so anxious being around all these people that I struggle to remember the names of any of them even though I’d been introduced to each one by either Paige or Quinn—the other Luna—personally.

Rowan burbles in the swaddling harness, and I carefully adjust him closer to me with a soothing hand on his back.

I hurry a step or two right up behind Paige and find a moment to lean in near her.

“Is Thorn going to be busy for a while?”

She turns to me with such excitement that I honestly get a bit startled.

“Oh, don’t worry, he’ll be back soon! Our Alphas just like to keep him updated on what’s going on with our packs and get his advice on things when he comes around. It’s really impressive that he’s so smart and dependable like that, you know?”

Quinn rolls her eyes and laughs under her breath before elbowing Paige in the side.

“What?”

“Relax,” Quinn urges while chuckling.

The two share a silent meaningful look where Paige practically pouts like a teenager before she smiles back at me.

“Anyways, are you okay? Do you need help with the little one or anything?”

“I’m fine.”

Paige giggles at that, which just puts me more on edge and I give her a cautious look.

“What?”

“Oh, sorry, it’s nothing. You just sound so much like Thorn. Doesn’t she Quinn?”

The other Luna shakes her head in good humor before flashing me a mellow smile.

“Just let us know if you do need anything.”

I nod and start to step back to disengage, but Paige hooks her arm around mine and draws me to walk in step with her.

“You should come sit with us for the bonfire Paige! And it’ll be easier for Thorn to find you and his baby again if you’re with us.”

I begrudgingly keep up with her and try to ignore the feeling of eyes on me. The sensation of beingobservedin a pack setting is one I did not miss in the slightest. The hair on my neck stands on end and I dread every second, anticipating that each one is just another opportunity for some flaw to be seen and dragged out in the open.

And when I look up, I see a set a piercing blue eyes boring into me.

I don’t know the man, but I know that sort of stare. There’s a cold animal appraisal to it. It’s the eyes of a wolfhiding behind the face of a man. It’s the stare of bestial authority waiting for the chance to snap their teeth around your neck.

He’s in the middle of helping others start to pile the wood up a good twenty feet away from us as we approach, but for some reason I can sense his stare with an uncanny alarm echoing through my bones.

Without thinking, I step a bit closer to Paige.

She glances over to me with a curious expression.

“Are you okay?”

I nod and drop my gaze, stomaching my fear as much as I can.

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