Page 49 of Claiming Xan
It wasa sweltering evening in August, and the full moon feast had just begun. I watched from the living room window as cars pulled up and parked in the lawn and people—pack members—carried lawn chairs and coolers towards the big fire pit in the middle of Gracie’s back yard.
The fire was already roaring, flames licking up to the sky. I could only imagine how much heat it was throwing off. Why anyone wanted to have a fire in the dead of summer was beyond me.
Everyone was outside. There was a banquet table set up with hotdogs, buns, and all the fixings, potato salad, cookies—you name it, someone probably brought it. Colorful coolers were positioned underneath the table, and people grabbed sodas and beers out of their icy depths.
They’d already begun to party.
I jumped when the screen door banged open and someone came into the house. I was on my feet in an instant, hoping that Xan was home from work early.
Instead, I turned the corner to see his brother, his dark hair shower-damp and his arms and cheeks sporting a sunburn. Kace looked at me, his hazel eyes questioning.
“Hey. You gonna join us?”
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. “I’m waiting for Xan,” I said, as if that explained everything.
“What time does he get off work?” Kace walked past me and began rustling through the condiments in the fridge, tucking them under one arm, one after the other. Mayo. Mustard. Ketchup.
I glanced up at the clock. “Six-thirty.”
Kace looked down at his watch, then smiled at me. “Great. Should be any time now, then. You should join us tonight, River. It’ll be fun.”
With a knowing nod, he turned and walked back out the door, his flip-flips flapping against his feet. The door swung shut behind him, echoing between my ears.
I growled under my breath. I normally didn’t participate in pack activities. Too many people. Too many wolves. I felt unsteady. My inner-beast became restless and agitated.
I’d never really felt accepted by the pack. Partially because of the Alpha-Omega fears that Gracie had struck in the hearts of everyone, and partially because Ididfeel like a danger sometimes…or at least, I used to.
The more I was around Xan, the less feral I felt. Xan’s gentle Omega energies calmed my wild Alpha beast. A balm to my aching soul. All he had to do was touch me and I felt the cool kiss of relief.
Was that what Gracie had meant when she said that bonding with our future mates would help stabilize me and my brother’s fragmented souls? That one day, when we settled down and found love, we’d be able to be reunited?
I didn’t know, and honestly? I wasn’t even sure I wanted to find out.
The next time the door swung open, Xan shuffled in with a groan of relief.
“Home sweet home,” he said around a sigh, kicking off his shoes in the entryway. “God, my feet hurt. What a long-ass shift. I swear, if one more person asks me if saltwater taffy is made with real saltwater, I’m gonna play in traffic.”
“Please don’t,” I said, reaching my arms out to him.
His dark eyes brightened as he collided with my chest, hugging me around the middle. I squeezed him back, then pecked him on the lips. When we parted, my heart felt a little lighter.
“Are you gonna come to the bonfire tonight?” he asked. I must’ve hesitated a few seconds too long, because he turned those big brown puppy-dog eyes on me and wibbled out his bottom lip. “Pretty please? For me? It’ll be fun!”
How could I say no to that face? He looked so hopeful…
“Fine,” I finally relented. “For you.”
“Yay!” He did a little jig and clapped his hands together. “You won’t regret it. Let me change into something more comfy and we can go out.” With that, he darted off down the hall, to our room.
I called after him, “Make sure to cover Mr. Sparkles’s eyes before you get undressed!”
“Mr. Sparkles is a grown-ass cat! He can see me naked if he wants to,” Xan shot back with a laugh, and I shook my head, smiling to myself.
That oversized rainbow plushie was an eyesore, but Xan loved him so much…and I had to admit, he did make a nice pillow. Still felt kind of awkward to fuck in front of an audience, though.
It wasn’t long before Xan bounced back out in a pair of hot pink short-shorts and a tank top with a glittery cactus on the front that said “Not So Prickly.” I rolled my eyes at his fashion sense.
He held his hand out to me. “Ready?”
