Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 92941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Her gaze slid to Beau for a moment before looking back at me.
“The love comes after.”
I held back the inappropriate bark of laughter that filled my throat.
“So, you just have to wait until your mate falls in your lap?” I asked, looking at each of them.
“Pretty much,” Daniel answered. “I mean, we’re actively looking, but when you don’t know where to look or who you’re looking for—”
“Talk about a needle in a haystack.”
“More like a needle in a needle stack,” Chance quipped.
“I had to cross continents to find mine,” Erik said, his eyes on Mattie.
She smiled softly back at him.
The conversation grew quiet as the food was passed around. Mattie had made some kind of pasta with shrimp and sausage in it, and I didn’t care whose favorite it was because it was divine. The wine flowed freely, and there was no shortage as Erik opened bottle after bottle. By the time we’d finished eating, and Mattie got up to make a round of espressos, my head was spinning.
“Do you have any family?” Erik asked thoughtfully. I’d watched him drink at least four times more than I had, but he looked completely fine.
“Nope, no family,” I said, my eyes widening in horror as I let out a small hiccup. “I’m sorry!”
Erik laughed and waved me off.
“I grew up in foster care. No siblings, no parents. I have some found family, though. My best friend, Rena, and my boss, Noah, and his husband, Mr. Miranda. I actually knew Mr. Miranda first. They’re like my dads, sort of. The kind that threaten to throw you out a window but also braid your hair for a volleyball game.” I shrugged. It was impossible to explain my relationship with the two men. We were a weird little trio.
“All of my family is gone, too,” Erik said with a nod. “Found family. I like that term. I have two best friends that we consider family, too.”
“Uncle Sven,” Chance bellowed deeply.
“Mordecai,” Daniel added, drawing the name out.
“We fought together long ago,” Erik said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Those bonds never fade.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him which war he’d fought in—I was pretty fucking sure it wasn’t anything even remotely recent—when Mattie walked back in carrying the espresso.
“Why didn’t you call me?” Erik scolded as he shot up from his seat to take the tray from her.
“You were visiting,” she replied easily. “The pie is still on the counter.”
“Sit. I’ll grab it,” he ordered, setting the tray of espresso cups on the table.
“We’ll have to have your found family over for a visit,” Mattie said as she handed out the coffee.
I snorted before I could stop myself.
Beau glared.
“No, no, I’d love that,” I said, grinning. “And you can just call them my family. It’s just that my best friend is obsessed with Vampires, and she’s going to lose her mind.”
“Obsessed with Vampires, you say?” Daniel asked, leaning forward with his chin in his hand.
“Don’t do it,” I warned jokingly, pointing at him. “She wants a mate, and it sounds like unless you win the lottery, she’s not it.”
“Never know,” he said with a shrug.
“Mind your manners,” Mattie warned.
“But, yes, they’d all be happy to come for dinner,” I continued, raising my eyebrows at Daniel. He glared playfully. I liked him. I looked back at Mattie. “I mean, once they know about the whole mate thing.”
“Your family doesn’t know?” Mattie asked, pausing.
“Well, no.” I looked to Beau for help, but unsurprisingly, he was watching the conversation with little interest. “I mean, it all happened kind of fast.”
“Lucky bastard,” Chance mumbled.
“Noah and Mr. Miranda know,” I added. “I mean, they suspect. Noah warned me after I met Beau this morning that he thought that’s what was happening, but they don’t know for sure or anything. I told Rena I thought I was getting the flu.”
Mattie let out a little laugh. “The flu?”
“Well, that’s what it felt like,” I shot back, throwing my hands up in the air, making her laugh again. “That heat stuff is no joke. I wanted to crawl out of my skin.”
“Enough,” Beau said quietly. He was glaring at me like he wanted to throttle me.
“What?” I asked, widening my eyes at him. “It’s not like they don’t know what I’m talking about. You knew what it was, right? So, I’m guessing your brothers do too. Plus, I mean, your mom’s been through it—”
The words weren’t even out of my mouth before Beau had shot from his seat and was dragging me out of mine. He wasn’t rough by any means, but I was pretty sure if I hadn’t gotten to my feet of my own free will, he would’ve tossed me over his shoulder.
“What is wrong with you?” I griped as he pulled me through the house.
“Beau,” his mom called.