The short, Asian she-wolf who Ban seemed truly fascinated with lately pushed through the swinging doors. “She’s coming.”
At her wits end, Angie went for her last resort. She slammed the heel of her Prada shoe into Zach’s instep.
“Ow!”
She slammed the hat on his head as Sara strolled through the door. They all turned, Angie stepping in front of a bent over Zach.
“Happy birthday!”
Sara broke out into a stunning grin. One look at it, and Nik completely forgot about the scar on her face. It meant nothing next to that dazzling smile.
Sara looked at the kitchen table covered in a full birthday breakfast, including waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, and anything else the catering company could think of since none of the wolves seemed comfortable with the idea of cooking.
“You guys! This is so sweet.”
She turned as Zach stood up straight. The black cowboy hat still firmly on his head. His face red with embarrassment and blinding anger.
Sara’s breath caught and Nik could smell her lust from ten feet away.
“Oh…my,” she whispered.
“Happy birthday, girl!” Angie hugged her friend. “From me and Mik.”
Sara nodded at her two friends, but didn’t take her eyes off Zach. She swallowed. “Uh…thanks.”
Angie smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Zach watched Sara walk up to him. “Look, Sara. Before you say anything—”
She cut him off by grabbing his sleeveless black T-shirt in her hands and yanking him to her. Then she slammed her lips against his.
Angie, apparently feeling pretty damn haughty, crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at Nik.
He shook his head. Man, he loved that woman. Crazy hellcat that she is.
Sara peeled herself away from Zach, but kept her grip on his shirt. “You guys get started. We’ll be back.” She hauled him out of the kitchen.
Miki leaped off the counter, causing Conall to have one of his near–heart attacks. Nik sensed the man would have a lot of those around his slightly off-center female who had begun to grow on Nik like a fungus. She was just so dang wacky.
“Well, we won’t be seeing them until the party tonight.” Miki laughed.
“Yup. Which gives us time to get everything organized.” Angie had taken over the party since she got back. And no one seemed to mind. She told them what to do and, dogs that they were, they went and did it.
Leaning against the counter, Nik watched Angie as she pulled out a notepad covered in all her notes for the party and her cell phone off the counter.
She had complete control at the moment. He loved when she had complete control.
“What about my breakfast, sugar?” Angie froze, the phone clutched in her hand. Her heartbeat sped up and she barely hid the panting. “I haven’t eaten yet,” he insisted.
She glared at him at the same time her lust punched him in the head.
Miki stepped between them, completely oblivious. “Hello, hillbilly. Table full of food. Or make your own damn breakfast.”
Conall grabbed her arm. “Come on, Miki-baby. Let’s make sure the backyard is ready for tonight.”
“Yeah, but—”
The big blond dragged the tiny woman out of the kitchen as the rest of the wolves grabbed food and left.
Backing Angie against the freezer door, Nik grinned. “I do like that dog.”
Angie dragged Nik’s cousin Cleatus out of the DJ booth. “No offense, hon, but I think we’re done with ‘Sweet Home Alabama’.” Four times being three times too many.
Besides, she had to do something. Miki had finally gone for her gun.
She shoved the DJ in the booth. “Get to it,” she snapped in German.
As she walked away, sweet, sweet Tech music flowed around her. She looked at the bar where Miki decided to get in some time pouring drinks and saw her friend put the gun back in its holster. Cleatus had no idea how close he came…
Angie turned and moved back through the crowd. She couldn’t believe how big this party had gotten. Pride and Pack representatives from around the country making an appearance. The word was out. The truce was on and the war was over. At least the war between the Pride and the Pack. The hyenas had become unbelievably quiet, which made everyone a little nervous. Yet Angie knew Sara and Victoria made the right decision to let Leucrotta live. If they killed her, they’d have only made her a martyr. This way she came off as she truly was—a really bitter bitch who needed to get the fuck over it.
To be honest, when the Packs and Prides began showing up, Angie worried. They didn’t speak and they watched each other with open hostility. She didn’t count on the Vorislavs, though. The whole bunch of them showed up except for One-Eyed Grandma. Angie had no doubt Broyna was back in her little shack probably raising the dead for her own amusement.
But young Cleatus jumped into the DJ booth, amped up “Sweet Home Alabama”, and that was it. What started off as a nice little birthday party, turned into a full-blown hootenanny. Especially when some Pack from Tennessee showed up. The Smiths or something. Their name may have been plain but these people really knew how to party.
After that, Angie spent the rest of the time making sure the food was on hand, the liquor was plentiful, and that Miki didn’t annoy the hell out of someone. Thankfully, Conall was ahead of her on that and tossed Miki’s crazy ass behind the bar. Once back in her element, Miki was fine. But at some point she’d need a break and Angie hoped Conall was on top of that as well.
Angie cut over to the barbeque pit. “Hey, Bobby.”
“Hey, darlin’. You’re lookin’ gorgeous this evenin’ as always.”
“You are such a dirty little sweet talker,” she flirted. Bobby was a wolf from her home town and one of the nicest guys she never dated. She motioned to the food. “Are we doing okay?”
“I was a little worried when Sheridan ordered two more cows, but after watching those tigers eat, I see why. So far, so good, though.”
“Good. Get me on the walkie-talkie if you need me.” She’d insisted everyone working the party have either a headset or walkie-talkie. They had no idea what a Nazi she could be when it came to running a party.
Moving away from the barbeque pit, Angie tried to find Sara. Nope. They still weren’t here. Hours since the Alphas locked themselves in their bedroom. Hours.
She walked up to a few of the Pack standing with Alek and Ban. “Someone has to go get them.”
“Are you fuckin’ high?” Kelly said with that disturbingly gravel-like voice.
“Forget it,” some wolf named Billy Dunwich added. “No one’s goin’ up there when those two are fucking.”
Angie looked at Alek and Ban. She gave them her best alluring look. “Guys?”
They snorted in unison. “Not on your life, Santiago.” Alek shook his head. “I’d rather start eating vegan.”
“I’d set myself on fire first,” Ban added.
Man, since she started fucking their brother the two of them had been less and less cooperative.
When she was about to go kick the Alpha pair’s bedroom door down her damn self, Sara appeared, Zach following behind. She’d made him wear the hat, but he really looked too worn out to care. Sara, however, didn’t look tired at all. Clearly her night had just begun.
Angie stalked over to her. “Where the hell have you been?”
Sara smirked. “Do you really want the full details to answer that question?”
She didn’t need full details. The teeth marks all over her friend’s neck told their own story.
Grabbing Sara’s arm, Angie dragged her toward several Prides. “You’re going to come over here and be goddamn polite, or I’ll kick the living shit out of you.”
“Happy birthday to me,” she complained.
“You got your birthday gift from me. And you used it all fucking day.”
“Dear God in heaven.”
Nik and Ban turned away, but Alek stood. Transfixed. “
My God, y’all. She’s the worst goddamn dancer I’ve ever seen.”
“Turn away. It’ll hurt your eyes. Turn away!”
Finally, Alek did. “He must really love her.”
The three men glanced back at Miki, but could no longer watch. Nik, motioning for the bartender, now understood why Conall hadn’t complained when Miki started working the bar during the party rather than enjoying the event herself. Because working the bar, Miki looked graceful and cute as hell. Out on the dance floor, however, the woman was an absolute mess.
Nik leaned across the bar toward the man who’d replaced Miki. “Y’all got any grain alcohol? I need to wipe out a horrible memory.”
The bartender shook his head.
“Then we’ll take three shots of vodka.”
“Each,” Alek added.
Nik looked down to the end of the bar. The thankfully always-graceful Angie stood there comfortably chatting with two lions and Reena. He never met a woman who could effortlessly combine classy and trashy so well. Angie’s jeans were Calvin Klein. Her cowboy hat and boots were made specifically for her and most likely cost her a pretty penny. But the tiny black leather halter top she wore barely covered her breasts and only stayed on because of the tiny leather ties around her neck and her waist, which Nik had quite the enjoyable time tying up for her earlier that afternoon. Add in that the thong peeking out the top of her jeans was from Frederick’s of Hollywood, and Nik was a very happy man.
He smiled to himself, wondering when this stupid party would be over so he could bury himself back inside that hot little snatch that seemed made for his dick.
“You’re doin’ it again.”
Nik looked at his brothers. “Doin’ what?”
“Starin’ at Angie with big, dumb dog eyes.” Alek popped back his shot of vodka.
“Dammit, man,” Ban continued. “You’re a cat. Act like one!”
“But cats like pretty shiny things. Don’t y’all think she’s pretty and shiny?”
The three men looked again at Angie. At that moment, she suddenly glanced up. Her eyes widened a bit when she realized they were staring at her. After a few moments, she turned away and, with a shake of her head, went back to her conversation.
Ban sighed. “She sure is.”
Nik nodded. “Yup. And if y’all get within five feet of her, I’ll kill ya both where you stand.” He lifted his shot of vodka. “Na zdorovie!”
“Cheers to you, too,” his brothers responded back, laughing.
It suddenly occurred to Angie she’d lost sight of Miki. She’d been trying to keep an eye on her all damn evening but once she was no longer behind the bar, the little bitch moved like lightning.
Between the hillbillies pissing off the snobby lions, the Packs growling at each other, and Sara much more interested in Zach than upholding the truce, Angie didn’t know what to do with herself.
“You can’t watch her all the time, Angie.”
Angie spun around at the familiar voice. “Marrec!” She threw herself into the man’s arms. He hugged her so tight, she was sure he would break one of her ribs. But nothing felt better because it let her know exactly how important she was to him.
“I am so glad to see you,” he barked gruffly.
“I’m fine. I promise.” He finally let her go, pulling back to stare at her face.
“You sure? You sure I don’t need to kill anyone?” And he would. They both knew it.
“No, sir. Everything is fine.”
“Good. Where’s the birthday girl? The rest of the Pack are dying to see her.” Rest of the Pack her ass. Marrec wanted to see Sara. Angie knew exactly how much the old coot missed her friend. “She’s over there…fondling Zach.”
And she was, too. Sara straddled Zach’s lap like a stripper giving a lap dance, her arms tight around his big neck, her voluptuous chest offered up to him under her sleeveless black Harley T-shirt.
Horny dogs.
Marrec shook his head. “Maybe I’ll wait a bit before saying hi.”
Angie shrugged. “That’s probably a really good idea. But there’s loads of food and drink, so you guys have yourself a good time. We’ll talk later.”
Marrec gave her a fatherly kiss on the cheek and walked off. She waved at all her friends from her Texas hometown, but she still wanted to find Miki.
Eventually, after some wandering around, she saw her. Angie was starting to realize exactly how smart a man Conall was. In order to keep the crazy bitch occupied, he’d invited Miki’s geek friends from Seattle. Three guys and some girl she sort of recognized as well as a few others she didn’t know. Angie’d met them before, but they hadn’t been interesting enough for her to retain names. But they kept her friend busy and happy. As did Conall, apparently. Miki stood in front of him talking to her geek friends while Conall talked to some lion she didn’t recognize. He had his arm around her waist, palm flat against her stomach, and his head resting comfortably on her ass. Miki’s hand rested against his, their fingers intertwined.
Miki actually found someone who not only got her, but liked her anyway. Angie wanted to believe Nik was that guy for her, but she refused to hold out any false hopes for a future that didn’t exist. No matter how many weird, longing looks Nik gave her across the room.
Nik wrapped his arm around his baby sister’s neck and hugged her. “What are you up to?”
“Very little.”
“Good. Keep it that way.” The male lions seemed to have a particular interest in his sister he didn’t much appreciate. He would tell her to stay near Reena, but his cousin was too busy flirting with a bunch of dogs. His whole family was going to hell in a hand basket and this time he had no one to blame but himself.
“Where’s Angie?” Kisa asked.
“Being a Nazi. The girl really knows how to run a party.”
“You like her, don’tcha, Nik?”
“No.”
“No?”
He sighed. “I love her.”
“Does she know?”
He started to respond yes, then realized he didn’t really know. He hadn’t actually said it to her. “I don’t know.”
His sister shook her head. “Typical.” Kisa turned and smiled up at her brother’s face. “So you are like Daddy after all?”
He snarled but his sister only rolled her eyes. “You might as well face it. I have to.” She shrugged. “I like Daddy, though.”
“That could explain why you’re his favorite.”
Kisa went up on her tiptoes and kissed her brother’s cheek. “She’s perfect for you, Nik. Anybody else would have killed you by now.”
Angie put a cold wash cloth against the she-wolf’s forehead. “Maybe you should lay off the tequila for awhile, hon.”
The female nodded, moaned, then dived back into the bushes.
Angie wasn’t sure, but it seemed like the wolves really weren’t good at handling their liquor.
Stepping away from the bushes, Angie turned and stared in horror. Natalia, the mother of the man she loved, stood in front of the bar talking quietly to Marrec. A nice, civilized conversation. But behind her Miki had climbed up onto one of the bar stools—a ball of yarn in her hand.
“Oh, God!”
Angie made a run for it. She’d barely reached Natalia when a string of red yarn swept across the older woman’s face. She batted it away with her hand, not quite sure what it was. Before Angie could reach around Natalia and wring her best friend’s neck, Conall grabbed Miki, sweeping her off the seat.
Giggling, Miki loudly announced, “It was just a little experiment!”
The ball of yarn hit the ground and Natalia picked it up. She looked at Angie, one eyebrow raised, looking exactly like her son.
Angie snatched it from her as Marrec stared at the ground, trying not to laugh.
“She’s taking up knitting,” Angie desperately lied.
Nik stood about fifty feet away, watching Ban hand over his daughter to Angie. Nik’s niece, an adorable two-year-old, grabbed a handful of ha
ir and held on to her for dear life. Angie didn’t seem bothered by it at all as she talked to Ban and his niece’s mother, Connie somebody or other. A vicious tigress with a killer right hook and the longest fangs Nik had ever seen on a female.
The baby looked so comfortable in Angie’s arms. And Angie looked perfect holding her. Then it hit him. Like a brick to the head…
Nik didn’t just love her, he wanted Angelina Santiago to have his kids…and only his kids. He wanted all his kids to grow up in the same family with that crazy woman as their mother. He wanted to wake up every day and find her sleeping next to him. He wanted to buy Angie more shoes and have her wear them only for him. He wanted to have sex with her all over his home in every position humanly possible. He wanted it and knew he wouldn’t be happy until he got it.
Well, hell, now I’m going to have to marry the crazy, psychotic female!
He closed his eyes. Could this day possibly get any scarier?
As if in answer, a big arm wrapped around Nik’s shoulder. “Hey, buddy.”
Surprised, Nik looked over at Conall. “Uh…hey.”
“Hey.” A slap on the back from Zach. “How’s it goin’?”
Eyes narrowed, Nik watched the two. “What are y’all up to?”
“Nothing. Me and Zach were just wondering when you were going to move in?”
“Move in? I’m not—”
“Of course you are. If you’re staying with Angie. Ya gotta move in.”
“What?”
“Didn’t she tell you?” Zach asked. “They’ve always wanted to live together. All three of ’em. And you protected Angie—”
“And me,” Conall added with a sweet smile that may fool some human female but didn’t fool Nik for one goddamn second.
“So you’re part of the Pack now,” Zach insisted.
“Yeah. You’re one of us.”
“And don’t worry,” Zach finished, “we’ll teach you how to howl.”
Suddenly, Nik felt violently ill.
Angie decided to get some food and finally eat. Grabbing a plate of barbeque chicken and coleslaw she sat down on a long bench to relax and people watch. Of course, that moment alone lasted all of two seconds before she looked up to find Sara and Miki next to her.