Page 11 of Holiday Surprise

“Just do me a favor and don’t cause a scene or pick a fight with the Larken wolves tonight. Luke was nervous enough about bringing them.”

“And he should be,” I said dramatically.

I needed some fresh air. As I stumbled towards the door, another chill ran up my spine.Do not engage, Sydney. Do not turn and stare him down,I reminded myself.

Unfortunately, my drunk self didn’t listen very well. When I reached the door, I stopped and turned back to look. Sure enough, the bluest eyes I’d ever seen were staring at me. I may have been highly inebriated, but I still recognized the longing and possessive look in the man’s eyes. It was exactly the same look Thomas had the day he told me about Lily, only this time, the guy was looking right at me and made me hornier than I had ever been in my life.

It took everything in my power not to run over and claim him right there.

Mine, a voice in my head confirmed.

I took another look. I was certain I’d never seen him before and then I realized. He was sitting with the Larkens. Feeling suddenly nauseous, I turned and ran, desperately needing some fresh air.

Luke

Chapter 7

One second she was there and the next she was gone. I got up and tried to casually make my exit, but that strategy was cut short when Lily stopped me.

“Hey Luke. My friend Sydney, the one I was talking with a minute ago...” Lily started.

“Yeah, I noticed her,” I said. Man was that an understatement. I hadn’t even heard the sound of her voice and she was already consuming every braincell I had. “What about her?”

“So, here’s the deal. She’s extremely drunk tonight. I’ve already cut her off, but a little too late. She’s also very vocal about her stance against you guys being here.”

My head whipped back to Lily with my full attention.

“She doesn’t want us here?”

“No. Trust me when I say she has her reasons, but those were the days of Jedidiah and she’s too stubborn to even consider things have changed since you took over. Anyway, I’m just giving you the heads up. If she comes around any of you guys, just find me and don’t engage, okay? There’s no telling what she’ll say. People think I have no filter when I’m drunk, well Sydney rarely gets drunk, but when she does, she makes me look like an amateur.” Lily laughed. “Sorry. I love her like a sister, but there is nothing she won’t say or do if provoked tonight.”

My wolf delighted in hearing that challenge, but also growing aggressive and anxious to find her and protect her. It didn’t sound like our protection was going to be very well received.

“Um, okay. Thanks for the warning,” I said staying surprisingly calm.

I was trying to regroup and calm myself down. My mate. I had a mate. I was probably in shock at the thought. I had longed for one but didn’t think it would ever happen to me. The fact that she hated me, and my pack only vaguely registered through my excitement, and I have never felt so much joy before.

Remembering my responsibility to my pack, I refrained from following her. I knew her name and that she was a Collier wolf. I had waited 32 years. I could wait another few hours.

Checking my watch, I turned back to my wolves. “We should be starting the run soon. You guys ready to head outside?”

Tom still looked a little nervous, but Lily made her way back to us and rounded up the kids to take them down to the rooms she had prepared for them.

“See you later,” I told the kids as they turned and waved goodbye.

“They’ll be okay, right?” Tom’s mother asked, and now I knew where his anxiety had come from.

“I promise you, they are safe. I would never put our children in jeopardy.”

She visibly relaxed. “Thank you, Alpha. Sometimes, we just need to hear that.”

I nodded, glad I hadn’t followed my wolf’s instincts and chased after my mate. My pack needed me and that meant my own life had to be put on hold, even for something as monumental as finding my mate.

Once outside even I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of bodies, mostly naked already, preparing for the run.

Thomas was up at the podium and motioned for me to join him. I left my anxious pack huddled together on one side of the crowd, and then jumped up on stage to join him.

“You ready to do this?” he asked.

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