Page 162 of Conner's Luna

I hiccup a soft laugh. Conner is an enormous male. I thought he was joking when he told me he would be as big as his dad one day, but it's like he's growing in front of my eyes.

"You've saved my son, Bailey," Mina says quietly. Even Mikko is quiet, although that may be because Mina just put him into a food coma. We both tear up, when something soft and furry smacks my face.

Startled, I stare at the green and yellow plush dinosaur on the floor at my feet.

"No!" one of the twins races toward the toy, screaming and wailing like a tiny, pint-sized banshee. Her twin brother cackles madly as he snatches up the dinosaur and sprints off with his sister on his heels.

Mina muses sadly, “Cassie and Mattie weren't like the hoydens." She sighs, and kisses Mikko on his forehead. "They remind me of Braxton and Conner, honestly." She seems to catch herself. "Not that it means your pup will be like that. I'm sure your pups will be absolute angels, like their aunty and uncle." She doesn't wait for a response before she hurries off with Mikko in her arms.

"She may have been stretching the truth a little bit there," Velia explains with a grin.

I accept it. This baby of mine will be a hellion, too. I rub my belly and change the subject, because I haven't quite wrapped my head around my own impending motherhood, "so, everyone just gathers here and waits?"

Velia laughs, "We just like to be together. Having most of our warriors gone makes our wolves feel insecure. Coming together in the packhouse makes us feel better and it makes our warriors out there feel better to know that we're all protecting each other."

"But, if we were attacked, we would make easier targets," I point out.

"Shh!" Velia hisses. "Don't say that too loudly. And don't ever say that when Dad can hear you. This one time, before Conner was born, Mom and Dad went to this other pack for an Alpha Challenge, and Papa was shot and almost killed in our house. Ever since we all come to the packhouse for protection. Go look at the windows. All bullet-proof."

I wander over and tap the glass. It's thick and slightly darker because of a heavy tint on the glass.

"It's almost mirrored on the other side," Velia adds. "So attackers wouldn't be able to see you from the outside."

"Wow," I say softly. I toss Dad a look over my shoulder. He's re-assembling the shotgun with Papa Smurf sitting next to him. At least he's not scaring off everyone. "Too bad for Conner the gun he should be worried about is already inside the house."

Velia follows my gaze and snorts out a laugh. "I thought the same thing."

The sound of motorcycles revving draws my attention to the windows. I stare at the main road in amazement as ten, then twenty, then... my goodness, fifty motorcycles roar up to the packhouse.

"The cavalry has arrived!" Velia says in a louder voice as one by one the engines are shut off.

"Are they..."

"The LoboGris," Velia supplies.

"I've met some of them before."

"Really?" she asks.

"With Uncle Mattie?" I tell her.

"Oh, right. Him and the dozen guards Carmichael insists on having with him and AuntieCass all the time?Each. Shit, it's like he's brought the entire pack," she mumbles as the motorcycles are followed by a dozen vehicles, then another couple dozen motorcycles. They unload with so much movement and energy that my eyes probably look like ping-pong balls.

"Uncle Alex is going to have a mating party out of this visit, you wait and see."

I want to ask her what a mating party is, but my attention is caught by a male in the center of the whirlwind outside. He's tall, a little lankier than the Grim, but still formidable. He's wearing only a vest, his arms and chest bare, cut and defined, and inked over nearly every inch possible. He looks utterly dangerous with swarthy skin and dark hair that is a little longish. His leather jacket is worn, and those pants hug his muscular butt in a very delicious way. The most startlingly attractive part of this man, however, is the tiny, blond girl he unbuckles from one of the SUVs.

"Makes your ovaries explode, doesn't he?" Velia grins and winks. "That's Carmichael. Uncle Mattie and AuntieCass's mate."

"It's so adorable," I whisper back, watching as the little girl is transferred to another set of arms. Then, tall, dark, and dangerous grabs a petite blond woman and kisses her sweetly, then kisses a man I recognize as Uncle Mattie in a not-so-sweet way. "Also incredibly sexy," I muse, "almost unbelievable." I watch him wrap one arm around each blond, but not before openly adjusting his pants.

"They inquired about your availability with Uncle Alex. The LoboGris, I mean. Uncle Mattie was very disappointed to hear that Conner claimed you. I think he had this idea of making Conner jealous and then he could claim your mating was all his idea."

I start giggling madly, joined by Velia and a few others. I look to my right to see women lined up at all the other windows, all gawking in admiration at the men outside.

"LoboGris is like, seventy percent male, so it's basically an eye-buffet for us," Velia remarks matter-of-factly.

"Wow." The door opens and tall, dark, and dangerous, Carmichael, swaggers inside, greeting Papa Smurf in a booming voice. "I'm telling your Dad you said that," I tease Velia, before darting away to greet Uncle Mattie with her on my heels.

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