Page 66 of Beta Hybrid

‘They did,’ Zenna says, sliding out of the ute. ‘I even learned a lot from them.’ She bumps her hip into me. ‘Are you being nice?’

I give her a toothy smile. ‘Yes?’ I look back at the guys. ‘No. I’m not, actually. I’m sorry. I just—’ I pause, turning things over. ‘I want you both to know that, no matter what goes down with the vampires, you’re both welcome in our pack, our coven.’

‘I won’t leave Evelyn,’ Aidan says immediately.

‘Nor I, Siobhan.’

I glance up at Zenna. She sets a hand on the back of my neck. ‘You know, as I’m sure Zenna mentioned to you, I was… an idiot. Years ago, I rejected her.’

Aidan and Will’s glares are matching.

‘It came up,’ Aidan says.

‘Well, I had a lot of time to think about that.’ I wrap an arm around Zenna’s waist, watching her ring sparkle in the firelight. ‘I’m not about to cast anyone else aside, either.’ Zenna gives me an encouraging nod. ‘So, your mates—uh, vampire ladies—are welcome with us, too.’

Zenna smiles, kisses the top of my head, and slides onto my lap. Proud of you, she says down the bond.

I watch the witches’ brows shoot up, and to my surprise, Aidan’s hand is the first extended to me. ‘Thank you.’

I take it and shake, then Will’s. ‘You’re welcome. You kept my mate safe and, you know, somewhat sane—’

‘Hey!’ Zenna jabs me in the ribs and I laugh.

‘—so I owe you. It’s the right thing to do. Plus, we don’t have any male witches. Our coven has been all female for a long time.’

‘Do you think Evelyn and Siobhan would want to join us?’ Zenna asks.

Will is the first to smile. ‘The girls will, yeah, and don’t worry, their control is something that won’t put you and yours in danger.’

‘Siobhan wanted to eat me,’ Zenna says.

‘What?’ I snap.

Will holds his hands up. ‘To be fair, you smell incredible.’ He gives a wolfish grin.

‘Not funny,’ I growl.

‘It’s a little funny,’ Aidan chimes in.

Somehow, an easy silence falls as we eat together. I cosy up to Zenna, who is still on my lap. It’s time our family grew. Once, we were only wolves. Then we joined with witches, now Zenna, my beautiful hybrid. Why not a few well-behaved vampires, too?

‘I draw the line at Callen, he bit her,’ I murmur around the rabbit in my mouth.

The other three nod in agreement.

‘He’s not so much a friend as a crazy uncle,’ Aidan says. ‘He wouldn’t hang around anyway.’

As our break wears on, the patrol still circling, more people join us and introduce themselves to the newcomers. Vale joins us, looking a little forlorn.

Zenna pokes his shoulder. ‘Are you missing someone?’ She teases.

Vale offers a wan smile, a non-committal shrug.

‘Oh, come on!’ Zenna bursts out. ‘Please just tell me you’ve asked Jana out by now.’

Vale runs his hand through his hair. ‘Um, it’s kind of hard when there’s nowhere to go out.’

Zenna pauses. ‘Then go hunting with her, or make a picnic, or something—’

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