Kieran squeezed her hand in encouragement when she paused. Smiling at him she said, “I have no intention of going anywhere, so I will spend this time getting to know the people who matter to my lover. And as far as I’ve seen, they are more interested in their alpha being happy than the magic in my blood. Perhaps you should take your cues from your people rather than your prejudice.”
Silence greeted her words, but she wasn’t blind to the anger in several pairs of eyes. It would take more than a handful of days to win these people over, but if she and Kieran had the time she hoped they would, then she’d crack them eventually. Right now, though, she had no intention of suffering through more thinly veiled insults.
“In fact, I think I’ll start getting to know your pack this morning,” she said to Kieran, leaning over to press a kiss to his lips. “Enjoy you’re breakfast, darling.”
He caught her when she would have drawn back, and deepened the kiss. Chloe smiled against his lips, feeling his approval. Warmth bloomed inside her to know she had a partner who liked when she stood up for herself, even though his wolf must have been chomping at the bit to do it himself.
“Try not to eat anyone alive,” he whispered against her lips.
“I’ll be good. Don’t make your advisors suffer too much for this.”
“Just a little,” he agreed.
Grinning, she grabbed her plate and stood then scanned the other tables for a familiar face. Spotting Kate, she made a beeline for the woman. She meant what she said to Darrel. She wanted to get to know Kieran’s people, and she couldn’t do that with her lover attached to her side.
“Looking for a table?” Kate asked when she grew close.
“A little friendly conversation wouldn’t go amiss,” she said.
The group of women exchanged glances before they scooted down on the benches to make room.
“If you want to eat with us,” one said, “then the price is the story of how you bested the alpha last night.”
Chloe grinned as she took her seat. “That’s a tale I’ll happily tell a dozen times.”
As she launched into the explanation of how she’d used her magic, she glanced over at Kieran. The approval in his eyes was impossible to miss.
Maybe this can work. Maybe I really can have a place here. Not just a lover, but a pack.
A family.
Chapter Seventeen
Chloe dragged herself back toward the main hall. Her day had been filled with more physical activity than she usually got in a month. After breakfast she’d volunteered to help watch the cubs. Little did she know just how much of a disaster-waiting-to-happen a group of weres under the age of ten could be. Though she’d spent exhausting hours running after toddlers trying to chew everything they could find, or to climb the tallest trees with their baby claws, at least the experience had allowed her to meet a number of the cub’s parents. Some were reserved in their judgment as to whether a witch could integrate with their group, but none seemed morally opposed to her presence. She counted that as progress.
Once free of the children, she’d found herself in a kayak on the lake. The invitation had sounded fun in theory, except she’d forgotten to account for weres’ endless energy. The group of kayakers circled the lake three times at top speed before they’d burned off enough steam. Chloe wanted nothing more than a nap by the time she returned to dry land. She’d never tell, but by the third lap, her magic had been doing more of the work than her muscles.
“Need to sign up for the gym,” she muttered to herself as she went in search of a snack in the main hall. “ASAP.”
“Chloe, over here.”
Looking up, she saw the soccer group from the city perched on the benches outside the main hall.
“Hey guys,” she said, adjusting her course to bring her to them. “Nice to see you all again.”
“We’re glad you made it,” Sasha said. “The boys want a rematch.”
Please let them say tomorrow. If she had to play soccer right now she’d probably face plant on the field before the first goal was scored.
“Out here I’m sure we’ll be more than a match for your mojo,” Trevor put in. “No prying eyes to limit us.”
“I’ll beat you any time,” she replied, joining them on the benches. “As long as it’s not in the next ten hours.”
Eight sympathetic sets of eyes focused on her. “Wolf life a little tougher than you’re used to?” Rachel asked.
“Let’s just say if you guys could bottle your energy you’d all make millions.”
Chad laughed, slinging his arm around Sasha. “It’s just because everyone is in such good spirits. We haven’t felt this fantastic in ages.”