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“Hi,” he said, extending his hand. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
Mary Jacobsen-Swanson ignored his hand in favor of rising from the sofa and hugging him. “Welcome to the family, Lucas. We’re glad to meet you, too.”
Tyler Swanson also opted for a hug, thumping heartily Lucas on the back.
“Guess what? As my son-in-law, you get to be part of my bear shifter clan, too,” he told Lucas. “You and Malia should go call on Elle Swanson up at the Grizzly Creek Ranch as soon as you can manage it.”
“It would be an honor,” Lucas managed. He had never, in his wildest dreams, ever imagined that he’d become part of a wolf pack or bear shifter clan. Or both, at the same time.
At least these aren’t the old-fashioned kind of shifters, who consider cross-lineage matings taboo, he thought. That would hopefully make things easier for Malia in the long run, even if tonight was proving to be uncomfortable for her.
“Oh, and speaking of joining our pack, there’s one more thing,” Mary added. “You’re expected to join us on our autumn hunt. We get together on the first full moon in November and go hunting in our beast shapes.”
Cougars were generally solitary hunters. It would be interesting—and probably chaotic—hunting with a large wolf pack that also included a giant bald eagle and two grizzly bears.
Well, maybe catching prey wasn’t the point as much as team bonding.
“Sounds like fun,” Lucas replied, with all the enthusiasm he could muster. “I love hunting.”
“Are you planning to settle here in Bearpaw Ridge?” Mary asked with a tinge of anxiety. “Or will Malia be joining you in Boise?”
“Lucas wants to live here. He just needs to figure out some stuff, like his job,” Malia answered.
Lucas nodded. “I think my girls would love it here.”
“Glad to hear it,” said Tyler, as both of Malia’s parents visibly relaxed.
“You have two daughters, is that correct?” Mary asked.
Before Lucas could answer her, Bill Jacobsen rose from his seat.
“Okay, everyone, take a seat,” the pack alpha announced. “Time for the meeting. Then we can chow down.”
The meeting proved to be mercifully brief.
Lucas pasted an expression of polite attentiveness on his face, and mostly tuned out all of the discussions about amending bylaws and various people Lucas didn’t know.
Then it was time for the potluck.
Lucas followed Malia and a few of the younger pack members upstairs to the kitchen, and helped transport the hot dishes, salads, and desserts down to the long tables that were being hastily set up in the meeting room.
Along the way, Malia introduced him to dozens of people.
Everyone was polite and friendly to his face, but he caught a few whispers here and there of “So much older!” and “They’ve only known each other a few days,” and “Why couldn’t she find a nice wolf shifter?”
He gritted his teeth and hoped that Malia hadn’t heard any of those comments.
On his final trip upstairs, Lucas saw his mate in the arms of a tall, broad-shouldered young man.
His cougar hissed with displeasure at the sight. Lucas wasn’t happy, either. He made a beeline towards them.
Chapter 19
“…great timing, Rob,” Malia said as Lucas came up to her. He realized that this must be Malia’s twin. “We’re just about to begin eating.”
Grinning, Rob released his sister. Lucas spotted bandages wrapped around his left arm, from beneath his shirt sleeve to his elbow. “Awesome. So, I managed to miss all the boring parts?”
Malia laughed ruefully. “You know you’re gonna be in trouble for skipping the meeting.”
