Page 23 of CADE & ANNA

“I will” and “I’d love to” rang out multiple times as the men scrambled to get out of the house.

Emma chuckled as the men left for Cade and Anna’s. “Men are such chickens. Gather a few women in a room and they panic.”

The other women laughed with her.

Anna laughed and nodded. “I’ve noticed that strange phenomena many times over the years.”

“How are they ever going to handle the gathering next month?” Cade’s cousin, Krystal asked.

“That should be quite amusing,” El’s Grand’Mere Meme added as she entered from the dining room with a slice of cake on her plate.

Krystal moved closer to Anna so they could chat. With so many women in the house, the volume was a little too high for talking from across the room. “I wanted to let you know Julia planned to be here today, but she had a bartender call with an emergency.”

“I understand, things like that happen,” Anna smiled graciously at Cade’s beautiful cousin. “I hope she will be able to come to the gathering, I’d love to meet her.”

“I’m sure she’ll be there,” Krystal insisted, then she said more quietly, “My mother would have an attack if she didn’t show up to meet all the available males.”

“Your mother is interesting. That’s for sure.” Anna laughed trying to lighten Krystal’s unexpected turn in demeanor.

“Yeah, she is that,” Krystal mumbled.

A month later

Anna was rocking in the new rocking chair she and Cade purchased for the nursery. Rhythmically, she rubbed her ever-swelling belly as she softly sang a lullaby. She smiled and giggled quietly. She knew her daughter loved that particular song because she kicked up a storm every time she sang the chorus.

Cade grinned as he joined her. “What are you doing, cher?”

“Rocking our daughter. She seems to enjoy the motion, and it lets me get off my feet for a few minutes. Not that I can see my feet.”

“Stop fussing about your baby belly,” he mock growled as he rubbed her tummy and kissed her. “You’re gorgeous, and based on my books, that baby bump is just the right size.”

“You are so good for my ego,” she whispered in between kisses.

“Are you ready to head over to the gathering? I noticed several people have already arrived.”

“Sure.”

Cade took her hand and helped her stand. He kissed her knuckles and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. He was very proud of his mate and was looking forward to showing her off again. Some of the shifters coming today hadn’t seen them since their wedding, and they would want to congratulate them on the impending addition to the Royal family.

They had been greeting their guests for over an hour when Anna noticed her son Thomas staring at a beautiful blonde. “Babe, who is that woman?” She pointed toward Cade’s nasty aunt.

“The blonde with my aunt, Lucinda?”

“Yes, who is she?”

“That’s Julia, she is another one of my cousins and owns The Backwater Bar and Grill.”

“She sure is pretty. Thomas seems to think so, too.”

“Thomas? What do you mean?” Cade frowned and craned his neck to look for Thomas in the crowd. “I’m pretty sure they haven’t met yet.”

“Look.” She pointed at the raised deck Thomas was posted on above the gathering. “He hasn’t taken his eyes off her.”

“Huh, interesting.” Then he spotted his mother watching the exchange between Julia and Thomas. Her expression was one of complete satisfaction. Something was up.

Anna glanced toward Thomas every time there was a break in arrivals. Sometimes he was scanning the crowd and at other times he was focused on Julia. She had never seen him behave so strangely.

The party was in full swing when Stefan and his new mate, El, were married on the stage, and the pack celebrated with a traditional run in the forest. As she and Cade rejoined the dance floor, it was blatantly clear, something was happening between Thomas and Julia. They swayed together in the shadows near the edge of the dance floor, oblivious to the rest of the guests.

“I’m pretty sure Julia is Thomas’s mate,” Cade whispered in her ear as he breathed her in and kissed her neck.

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