Page 36 of Wolf's Midlife Bite

Brody thought about the countless years that’d taken over the witch as she’d died.You’re probably right. It’s all over now, thanks to you.

Thanks to me?She leaned close to him.You can’t give me the credit here. I wouldn’t have lived through that if it weren’t for you and your pack.

That might’ve been true, but Brody’s wolf still swelled with pride and contentment, knowing his mate had bravely fought with him side by side to remove the threat. He’d never been so in awe or in love.

19

Brody watchedRobin carefully as they all settled into the basement of the packhouse. Everyone looked tired, but he was most concerned about her. He’d already asked her if she was okay several times on the way back, and she’d assured him she was. That didn’t stop him from worrying, though. She was everything to him, and they’d just been through hell and back. Having her so close—especially in the packhouse—meant the world to him.

Apparently, he wasn’t the only one concerned. “Can I get you anything, dear?” Joan asked as she came to sit next to Robin on the sofa. “Maybe something to eat or drink? We all need to replenish ourselves after a fight like that.”

Robin smiled. “I think you’re right, but I’ll take care of it myself if you just tell me where the kitchen is. I’m afraid I didn’t pay much attention on the way in.”

“Food’s taken care of!” Hunter and Conner had disappeared right after they’d come back, and now Brody knew why. They came down the stairs, each of them holding huge platters. The one Hunter set down on the coffee table was laden with cheese, deli meat, and assorted vegetables. The one Conner put next to it had taco meat, tortillas, and all the toppings.

Lori peered at her son. “Hey, that was supposed to be for tomorrow’s dinner. Given the circumstances, I think I’ll forgive you. Thank you, honey.”

When a stack of plates had been fetched and everyone dug in, Dawn made her way over to Brody and Robin, where they sat on the couch. She had dark circles under her eyes, and she’d probably just finished a shift at the hospital before the events of the evening. Even so, her eyes shone with delight as she held out her hand to Robin. “I haven’t been able to officially introduce myself, but I’m Dawn, Brody’s sister. I just want to let you know you were great in there tonight.”

Robin pressed her fingers to her forehead, looking embarrassed. “I did my best, but it’s all thanks to Brody. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t even know how to walk on all fours, much less fight. Besides, if anyone deserves congratulations, it’s you and your mom. I’ve obviously never seen anything like that before, but it was incredible.”

Dawn waved off her praise with a rolled-up piece of ham before she bit into it. “Nah, that’s just an old family talent that goes back centuries. You’re the star, and I won’t let you think otherwise!”

Brody’s plate was heavy with food, and his stomach demanded him to get it into his mouth faster, but he was more interested in seeing how his mate and sister were getting along so quickly. Dawn had been excited to meet her, and Brody had a feeling this was going to be the start of a great friendship. He felt more at home than he had in a long time, and it was good. Really good.

Robin had just said something else about Brody’s training capabilities when Max spoke up. “You know, if we want to talk about training, I think we really need to commend these two young wolves over here.” He gestured at Hunter and Conner, sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table and stuffing their faces without bothering to use plates.

Rex was standing near the fireplace. He hadn’t yet helped himself to the meal, following the old pack protocol of ensuring everyone else had nourishment before taking any for himself. He put his hands on his hips and nodded in agreement. “Absolutely. You haven’t had much chance to get in on any real battles yet, but you certainly proved yourselves tonight.”

A deep sense of satisfaction filled Brody’s chest. While they’d been at Edith’s mansion, his focus had mostly been on Robin, but that didn’t mean he’d missed the work the boys did. “I agree. Young wolves often make the mistake of thinking they need to take the enemy down alone, but it’s about teamwork. You fell back and let someone else lead the attack when you were injured. You stepped in to help defend those who needed it, and you managed to keep yourselves from getting hurt. You’ve been listening, and I’m honored by that.”

Rex glanced at Max as he stepped forward. “Speaking of honor, there’s something else we need to discuss.”

There had been some general chitchat up until this point, but Rex’s serious tone brought the room to silence.

“Brody.”

He couldn’t quite read the look in Rex’s eyes, but Brody, too, felt just how heavy this moment was. He set his plate down and stood. If a punishment was coming for turning a human into one of them, he’d gladly take it. Hell, he’d take anything as long as it meant he had Robin by his side, and he was prepared to say that as soon as Rex doled out his penalty.

“A lot has happened over the last few weeks,” Rex began, his blue eyes intense. “Brody, you’ve turned a human into one of us.”

Here it came. He was ready for it.

“But you came to us, and you took responsibility for it. When you and Max discovered the body of that young woman, you didn’t wait around for the police to find her. You knew it was important to get to the bottom of it, and you volunteered to organize a party to search for clues about what had happened.”

Brody felt everyone’s eyes on him. This wasn’t what he’d expected at all.

“For the last part of what I’d like to discuss, we have to go back further than just the last few weeks. Brody, you’ve always said you’re not into pack politics, but the training you’ve done with our youth shows you care a hell of a lot about this family and the pack that surrounds it. I’ve already discussed this with our other ranking members, both past and present, but very little discussion was required. Brody, I’d like you to officially be third in command.” Rex reached out his hand.

As Brody looked around at the rest of his family, it all felt completely surreal. Since they were pups, they’d known that Rex would become the Alpha. There’d never been a doubt that Max would be the beta. But him? Brody? He’d never thought he’d be a ranking member, and he didn’t think anyone else had, either. To know now that they’d paid far more attention than he’d realized, far more than he thought he deserved, was overwhelming. The backs of his eyes stung as he reached out his hand. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll take over some of my duties at the pack meetings,” Max joked as he clapped a hand on Brody’s shoulder. “You always covered for me when we were kids, so why change anything?”

“I don’t know. I think this changes a lot of things.” Brody couldn’t begin to explain just how different it felt, standing there with his brothers beside him, truly accepted not just as part of the pack but as part of its leadership.

“No, it doesn’t,” Rex insisted. “This is how it always should’ve been.”

“Oh, Jimmy,” Joan said tearfully, patting her husband on the knee. “Just look at our boys.”

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