Page 45 of Stripped

“What do you want to eat?” Zane said. “Toast would probably be safe.”

“That sounds perfect.” Everyone at the table was staring at me. “If you're waiting for me to dance, I have to tell you, I don't have the energy today.”

Julie laughed. “Sorry. We don't mean to stare. Well, I do, because Axel told me he used to have a thing with you and—”

“Jules,” Axel said, his voice gruff.

Julie rolled her eyes. “He didn't want me to mention it, because he thought it would be weird, but if you ask me it's way weirder not to mention it.”

This was not the reaction I was expecting. “It was casual,” I said. “We both figured out pretty quickly we don't work as a couple, but he's been a good friend to me.”

Julie studied me. “He said the same thing. It's just you are different from me, all petite and pretty. I guess I thought I'd see you and get an idea of Axel's type, but—”

“Told you,” Axel said. “I don't have a type.”

Julie grinned and winked at me, and I realized she was messing with him.

“I'd love to be more your type,” I said. “Then maybe I could have kicked Leopold's ass before he bit me.”

Everyone at the table went still and silent. I seriously think they stopped breathing.

“Julie,” Axel said, “get away from her.”

Julie frowned and glared at her husband. “You seriously think I couldn't take her? She doesn't seem to be under a compulsion anyway, she's nothing like those other women.”

“Alice and Carly,” I said, hoping to break the tension. “How are they?”

Paulie, seated at the table with Aron and Axel, leaned toward me. “We need you to tell us everything that happened with Leopold, every detail you can remember.”

“Paulie,” Zane said, a growl in his voice. “Leave her alone until she's had something to eat.”

“It's fine,” I said. “I can talk before I've eaten.”

“Sure,” Zane said. He had turned around from the stove and was glaring at everyone seated at the table. “You can talk about the weather or Julie's pregnancy pains or how much you like my house, but that's—”

The back door opened and Zane's parents popped into the kitchen. Iris's gaze landed on me and she smiled. “Oh, Abby, it's so good to see you awake. When Zane told us—”

“Okay,” Zane said. “That's enough. I love you all, but Abby hasn't eaten anything in two days, she can barely stand on her own, and she just woke up after her second twelve-hour nap in the past twenty-six hours. I want you all to leave and come back in an hour.” He looked at me like he was taking stock of my health. “Make it two hours. You can all come back in two hours.”

Iris and Zeke waved and left, all smiles. Paulie and Aron stood and started out of the kitchen, but Axel growled. “I'm the alpha of this pack, Zane, and I need to make sure my pack is safe. You don't give the orders here.”

Zane stepped toe-to-toe with his alpha, he was a couple inches taller than Axel and a few inches wider, but Axel didn't appear to be worried. I looked at Julie, but she was grinning like she was excited about something. She winked when she caught me looking at her, and I relaxed a bit.

“This is my house,” Zane said. “If you want to wait on the front porch or station guards at every exit, I won't complain. I'm just asking you to give Abby time to heal. You don't understand how sick she was, man.”

Axel's arm muscles flexed and released, and his glare narrowed. “I'm the alpha—”

Julie shoved her chair back with a loud scrape. “We all know you're the big, strong alpha,” she said. She grabbed Axel's arm and gave it a little tug. “But Zane's got this, honey. He won't do anything to endanger the pack.”

“He cares about her,” Axel said. “It's clouding his judgment.”

“Probably,” Julie said. “So, take his advice and post guards.” She rubbed his shoulder. “Baby's hungry, Axel. Let's go get some food.”

Julie's belly was so large and round, I wasn't sure how she'd fit anything else in there, but her words made Axel's gaze drop from Zane's face to her belly and his expression softened. “Okay, sweetheart. Let's get you both something to eat.” He glared at Zane. “I'll have guards here in ten minutes. Don't think about leaving.”

“We're not going anywhere,” Zane said. “I promise.”

Julie tugged Axel away. “His judgment seems sound to me.”

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