Page 3 of Dante's Circle Reborn

Hazel, Hunter and Becca’s little girl, however, didn’t have to worry about the struggles of the realms right then. All she needed to do was grow up into the dominant and hilarious wolf she was turning out to be.

Liam reached down to pick her up, but Alec moved in front of him instead, intercepting the little bundle of joy. Alec didn’t normally smile or laugh like he was doing just then. Hazel, like her mother, seemed to be good at pulling any wolf out of their shell.

As soon as Liam straightened, he cursed, his body aching.Thatwas why Alec had cut him off. Having the little bundle of strength slamming into him would have hurt like hell. For a moment, he’d forgotten how much pain he was in after the fight. It was one of the reasons they’d been summoned to the Alpha’s house to begin with.

Alec held Hazel in his strong arms, not bothering to look behind him.

Hazel, on the other hand, waved. “Hi, Uncle Liam!” She grinned at him, and he fell in love again. Hunter was seriously going to have a ball of trouble on his hands once she was old enough to find a mate. Liam was kind of looking forward to that, even if he would probably end up being one of her overprotective uncles.

“Hi, Hazel darling,” he said with a small smile. “I missed your face.”

She had a crush on him he knew, though she called herself Alec’s best friend. From the day she’d been born, she’d inserted herself into their lives, and he’d been content with it. Hunter and Becca had made a perfect kid, and he was damn jealous.

She blew him a raspberry. “I missed yours more.” She kissed Alec’s cheek. “Uncle Alec is still my favorite because you forgot Mom’s birthday.”

Liam held back a wince as Alec let out a rough chuckle. He wasn’t going to live that down anytime soon. As soon as he thought that, Becca walked out of the front door, her large belly appearing a little sooner than the rest of her. Hunter growled low and cupped his mate’s face before kissing her hard. He kept one hand on her belly and their unborn child, leaving Liam with a sense of longing.

If he was able to mate with the one wolf he wanted to, he’d never see his mate pregnant. Though, honestly, he’d be happy with that. He and Alec could adopt, and they’d raise their children alongside Hunter and Becca’s.

Only Alec refused to mate with him, and Liam wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready to give himself to someone else like that.

There were reasons things were the way they were, even if they ended up hating each other in the end.

When Hunter pulled away, Becca frowned at Liam. “What have you done to yourself now?” she asked, her hands on her hips.

Hunter let out a growl, but Alec answered. “He got into another unsanctioned fight and let that weasel Michael get in a few good shots. Meaning, Liam’s bleeding, and he’s still not the Beta.”

Liam growled low and deadly. “Alec.”

“Not now,” Becca said sternly. She might not be a wolf, but her powers as a healer and leprechaun and the Alpha’s mate with magic of her own was immense. He wasn’t about to mess with her. “Fawkes and Leslie are out back with the twins, Hazel. Why don’t you go play with Lavender and Raven and let me heal your uncle Liam? They’re in wolf form if you want to change and play as a pup.”

Hazel wiggled down from Alec’s arms and ran past her parents, stripping off her clothes as she went. Becca rolled her eyes at her daughter’s antics and smiled. He wasn’t surprised that Fawkes and Leslie were at the Alpha’s home. The demon, Fawkes, had lived with Hunter when he’d first left the hell realm. The two of them had a history, and when the demon mated Leslie, they’d helped watch Hazel, preparing for their own future children.

Thankfully, with a trick of fate, the twins had turned wolf and not demon. Though Leslie was a submissive wolf, and Fawkes was a very dominant demon, the kids had ended up shifters and not demons. Liam was grateful for that, considering the sacrifice demons had to make at a certain point during their lives.

Becca cleared her throat, and Liam shook his head, aware that he’d been letting his thoughts wander rather than dealing with what he needed to.

“Get inside and take off your shirt,” Becca said.

Liam opened his mouth to say something, and she cut him off.

“And don’t make a joke,” she snapped. “I’m pissed off at you, and I’ll use my magic to kick your ass if you don’t sit down and shut up.” With that, she stormed back into the house, and Liam followed her, aware that Hunter’s gaze rested on him.

Alec glared as well, and Liam had a feeling this talk might kill him.

Slowly.

Once he was in the living room and seated, Becca used her powers to heal him. It wasn’t perfect, and it hurt like hell. His shoulder stopped aching, and his mouth quit bleeding. Normally, Hunter would have let him lick his wounds and deal with it. However, the Alpha apparently had a plan for him.

“What is it?” Liam asked, gritting his teeth as Becca finished up. “You wanted me healthy for a reason.”

Hunter snorted. “If you would stop getting yourself hurt, it would make things easier. Or maybe if one of you would step up and actually help me lead this Pack, I wouldn’t have to pull rank right now.”

Liam straightened his shoulders. “Excuse me?”

Hunter flipped him off, and Becca shook her head at the three of them. “You’re not excused. I need a Beta and a Tracker in this Pack. We haven’t had a Tracker in over a decade, and it’s past time. We’re long-lived, I get that, and sometimes, Packs go for a century or more before positions are filled. But I’m tired of this. My mate is about to give birth again, and I don’t want my children unprotected. I could choose who I want and have that choice made in a ceremonial fight. We know this. And yet, the two people Iknowcan stand by my side won’t.”

Alec glared, and Liam had the grace to feel ashamed. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help…it was that he wasn’t ready…wasn’t surewhathe wanted.

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