Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Suddenly I wondered if I’d made a huge mistake.
TEN
Jessie
Austin’s screen lit up, resting in the center console. He picked it up, unlocked it with his face, and then grinned, pointing the screen my way.
The message was from his brother: Fuck off.
Another text came in as I looked at it.
Don’t crash it before I get to drive it, you lucky sonuvabitch.
Austin must’ve felt the vibration because he turned it around and his grin got even bigger. He didn’t comment, though, leaning forward and resting his forearms on the wheel as he looked out at the people enjoying the night.
“Who’s here?” he finally asked.
“Just…uhm. The—I invited the people from your old pack, the ones that stayed here after Kingsley visited and helped us that one time. And then a smattering of other shifters from the pack and from town. Kace gave me a list. I know he’s your oldest friend here, so I figured he’d be a good resource. I didn’t want to accidentally invite someone you can’t stand.”
“No gargoyles?”
“No. I…wanted you to be able to relax.”
“Not even for protection?”
“I have you and your shifters. I’m protected.”
He was quiet for a moment longer and my stomach clenched in unease.
“None of your crew?” he asked.
“No. Mr. Tom was very put out that I wouldn’t allow him to cook. I had to give him something to do, so I told him he could come clean up afterward, but we’ll be leaving by then. It’s a Mr. Tom-free evening.”
He drifted into quiet again, and I had no idea what was going on in his head. Had I screwed up? Kace had thought the BBQ was a great idea and long overdue. Although he and his friends had occasional get-togethers at each other’s houses, no one had ever thought to invite Austin. I had a feeling, in addition to Austin being the alpha and always under a lot of pressure, it was because of me. They didn’t want to welcome in my strange crew. They wanted to enjoy themselves within a close-knit circle of shifters, and Ivy House was not that.
“Look, we don’t have to stay,” I said into the quiet. “We can go. I kept all this super casual, so I’m sure no one will care if we take off—”
“It’s perfect,” he said, leaning back and reaching for my hand. “It’s exactly what I needed. I can’t… I don’t…” He brought my hand up and kissed the tips of my fingers. “I knew I’d have fun tonight, regardless of what we did. Just hanging out with you is enough to guarantee I’ll have a good time. But this…” He took a deep breath and looked out at the BBQ again. “This is exactly what I needed without me even knowing I needed it. The fact that you excluded your people…”
“I just thought it might be a bit more relaxing this way,” I said in a small voice.
“It will be, baby. Thank you.”
Smiling like a dope, I opened the door and climbed from the car. He took his time getting out, and in a moment I saw why.
“Bro,” Kace said, sauntering up. He clapped Austin on the back, looking over the car. “New toy?”
“Look at this beauty,” said someone else, a shifter I vaguely recognized from the bar. He wasn’t officially in the pack, just living in the territory and working at a shop of some kind. “Good lord, alpha, this thing is sweet.”
More people gathered around to check out the car. Austin left the doors open, describing how it drove and how fast it went. I might’ve felt a little bashful because it had a large price tag, but no one batted an eye.
After everyone who wanted a look got one, Austin closed down the doors and reached for me. People got out of the way, nodding and saying hi as he pulled me close.
“It’s a gift from my mate,” Austin finally said, heading toward the BBQ. “She spoils me.”
“Not as much as you spoil me,” I said as we stepped over a curb and into the park beyond the lot. The ground was covered in trampled-down grasses and springy weeds, not at all looked after.
“Hey, Alpha Steele!” One of the BBQers put up his spatula in salute. “We have all the meat you could possibly want. When Alpha Ironheart sets out to do a BBQ, she really does a BBQ.”
Austin put his arm around my shoulders and walked me that way.
“Notice I just provided everything and walked away,” I said as we neared, wrapping my arm around his waist. “I let someone else actually do the BBQing.”
“This is a man’s job,” the guy said, and grunted like a caveman. “Ain’t that right, Isabelle?” he shouted.
“I disagree with anything that man says,” she called back from the fire. “On principle!”
A smattering of laughter went up.
The guy flipped a burger and then rolled a hot dog. Another shifter to his left poked a tri-tip with his tongs and still another, farther down, was working with chicken and steak.