Page 60 of Homecoming

“Oh… you keep that up and I will definitely be taking you home early.”

“Really?” Alana smiles teasingly. “I might just hold you to that.” She grabs his hand and the pairfollowsRiley across the lawn to where Amy and her family are waiting.

“Kat,issomethingwrong?”Noah frowns as he notices her checking her phone again.

“Oh no, it’s nothing. Actually... it’s Darius…” she sighs. “Perhaps I should go back to the house. He seems to be getting a little more antsy now.”

“I thought the whole idea of what you did was for him to deal with Evelyn by himself? If you go back, then that won’t work.”

“I know but it’s just… in his texts, he seems super pissed off.”

“Who’s pissed off?” Digby frowns. “Oh, Darius, right? Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you aboutdoin’that. Kat, that was a really dumb move.”

“Oh, will you shut the hell up? I just thought it might help and if he had to interact with Evelyn, I thought he might feel something.”

“Yeah, well, if you thought you had any hope of getting back on the team, then I think you just blew it,” he laughs.

“What? You don’t seriously think he’ll hold a grudge and bar my re-entry to the team over this?”

“Uh-huh,” Zak laughs as he stuffs the burger into his mouth. “I sure do.C’monDarius holds a grudge better than anyone I know. Hell, you can almost see himthinkin’up ways to make people pay forsomethin’they’ve done.”

“Oh, what do you know?” Kat growls. “And while we’re talking about grudges, have you patched things up with QT yet?”

“Nope. And I don’t think I’m going to now.”

“What?” Kat frowns. “But why? Zak, you can’t be serious. What the hell? Digby, have you heard this?”

“Maybe I don’t want to be with him anymore. I mean, he’s makin’ it quite clear that he doesn’t want to be with me. Look at him over there,flirtin’with Quinn.”

“Zak, he’s not flirting with anyone. He’s drinking a beer and eating. And from what I’ve seen, he hasn’t taken his damn eyes off of you all afternoon.”

“Well, I don’t care. Kat, we want different things from life. Hell, we can’t even agree on a wedding date. So I’ve decided… it’s better if I go back todatin’women. And I’ve also decided I wanna have myself some pups. I wanna start a family and I can’t have that if I stay with QT. So let him go flirt with the shifters, if that’s what makes him happy.”

“Zak, you don’t really mean that. Hell, you and QT are made for each other. It’s in the stars for you to be together. You need to sort this out and…Oh shit!” she looks at her phone. “It’s Darius—he’s calling me now. I better take this. Uh… hey there…. Zak, sort it out with QT—ASAP!”

“Sort it out with QT... Nah, I don’t think so.” He flips his middle finger and as Kat walks away from the group, she returns the gesture behind her back.

“Zak,c’monman, Kat's right. Go talk to him and tell him how you feel abouthavin’pups. I’m sure you can sortsomethin’out. Maybe you could look intoadoptin’a pup?”

“Diggs, man, I know you’retryin’to help, but look… even you’d say that’sflirtin’right? Look at him, over there in front of my nose. Say you see it too?”

“Well um… I uh… No man, no I don’t really think that’sflirtin’but if it’s makin’ you jealous, then go dosomethin’about it.”

“I am not jealous. Whoever said I was jealous, is wrong. He meansnothin’to me. Really, I don’t care how much he’sflirtin’because I know it’s only for my benefit. I mean, he can’t seriously find that shifter more attractive than me—can he?”

“Well, I wouldn’t give him the chance to find out. I’d go over there and stamp my authority on it. Make it clear to the shifter that he's on my territory. I mean, you don’t want Quinnthinkin’he has some kind of chance. Not unless you two really are over?”

“Yeah, we’re over. I’m gonna go chat up those she-wolves over there. I might even make QT jealous,” Zak smiles. “Oh, and Diggs, you don’t really think Darius will hurt the cat, do you? Only I kinda got a soft spot for the furry little critter and I know QT likes it a helluva lot. He’d be kinda devastated ifanythin’happened to it.”

“What the hell, Zak? You're caring about the welfare of a cat now? What the fuck is wrong with you? You suddenlygettin’all clucky? Okay, man up and let’s get some more beer and steak into you. Geez… QT has seriously got you mixed up with all this touch feelystuff.”

“Yeah, laugh, why don’t you? It’s alright for you. You got pupscomin’out of your ears—the boys and now Evelyn. What do I have?”

“Hey, calm down. I wasjokin’with ya. And I don’t have pupscomin’outtamy ears—I wish I did. Hell, I’d have my own football team if I could, but… Look Zak, you should knowsomethin’about Evelyn. She uh, she may not be mine.”

“What? Digby, what the hell… What do you mean, she's not yours? Then whose is she? Oh my God, she’s not the big guys, right? Oh, are you serious?”

“No. No, she’s not Noah’s. Look, you have to keep this on the quiet. This has to stay between you and me but… Kat reckons—and I don’tfuckin’know how, so don’t ask me—but she says Darius is Evelyn’s father.”

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