Page 396 of Hell Hath No Fury
Rhodes loved to punch people and Katy was always up for a verbal bitch slap, so why get Remy riled up if they were around?
“Third, the day our pack thinks they get to dictate our bond and when we have children is the day I dissolve the pack, and we go live on some mountain in Russia.”
I grinned. “You know my parents would love for us to move there.” My father was the Alpha of the first pack of shifters known to our world. My mother lived there with him now, and we had plans to visit with them over the holidays.
He shook his head. “Babe, all I’m saying is, what we decide to do withourfamily is no one else’s fucking business. Not the pack’s, not my parent’s, your parent’s, or our friend’s.” He came around to my side of the island and turned my chair, stepping between my legs to press a hand against my flat stomach. “We give enough of ourselves to our pack. When we’re ready, we’ll have as many kids as you want.”
I tipped my head back to look up at him. “And have we decided how many we want?”
“Ten?” He kept a totally straight face, but there was a teasing glint in his eyes.
Snorting, I punched his stomach. “Nice try. I’m thinking half of that.”
“Five?” He gave me an odd look.
“Is that okay?”
“Five sounds perfect,” he replied, kissing my forehead and then my mouth. “When we’re ready.”
I nodded, inhaling his scent.Thiswas my home, right here in his arms. As long as I had that, I could handle anything.
Maybe even ten kids.
CHAPTER FIVE
My best friend was about to lose her shit, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stop her or not.
“Calm down, baby,” Maren whispered, pressing a hand against Katy’s thigh as her leg bounced up and down. Maren shot me a concerned look from across the table in the cafe where I’d met my friends for lunch three days after my heat cycle had ended.
I loved this cafe; my Aunt Zara worked here alongside her sister, Zoe. My mom had run it when we first came to Blackwater. The cafe was one of my favorite places.
When I wasn’t dealing with a bunch of people shooting smiles and knowing stares at me.
I grumbled and took a massive bite of my burger, pointedly ignoring them.
Even Larkin seemed annoyed from where she sat next to me, and it took alotto annoy her.
“They need to all fuck off,” Tate muttered, rounding out our group of five. Her dark eyes glared around the room, making several people turn away and start whispering.
I dropped my half-eaten burger. “Maybe we should’ve just stayed at my place and ordered in.”
Katy snorted. “And eat my meal with the aroma of my brother’s and bestie’s sex juice everywhere? Hard pass.”
“Ew,” I laughed, throwing a french fry at her face.
She stuck her tongue out at me as something clattered from the kitchen. We all turned and saw Zoe’s almost-three-year-old son, Zane, running from the back of the cafe with a grin. Hegiggled as he ran toward our table, tripping on his unsteady toddler feet when he got close to us.
I jumped up and caught him, setting him on his feet as Zoe ran from behind the counter, looking flustered. “Zane!”
He turned, all smiles. “Mama!” He held his arms up for her to pick him up.
With an exasperated sigh, Zoe bent and grabbed her son, shaking her head. “I swear, he gets faster every single day,” she told me. Her eyes moved around the table. “Do you need anything else, ladies?”
“We’re fine,” I assured her, smiling at Zane when he gave me a toothy grin. “You need to listen to your mama, mister.”
“No,” he declared with a gleeful giggle.
Zoe winced. “His new favorite word. I swear, his father taught him how to say it to pis—tickme off.” She gave me an exhausted smile and turned away with Zane, who waved a chubby hand at me as they went back behind the counter.
