This was home.
This was Woolven.
He felt a strange sense of pride bringing his bride home, even though as she kept reminding him, the bond between them wasn’t real. Parker supposed his feelings were normal, given that he’d bitten her. Marked her. Even though the mark hadn’t stayed on her skin, his wolf had known it was done and had accepted her as his mate.
The Asakku were not gods, even if some thought they were. Some thought werewolves were gods and he knew he was no god.
It was time to remind these Asakku that there was more in heaven and earth…
“You’re growling,” Belle whispered.
He turned to look at her. “It’s a thing I do sometimes.” Parker flashed her a devil-may-care wink to soothe her fears.
“Are you getting ready to protect me from your family? Is that why you’re growling?” Her dark eyes were wide.
“No. I won’t need to protect you from them. I already told you. I’ve given my word. They’ll back me. It’s what family is supposed to do.”
The car slowed to a stop and upon seeing no one was there to greet them, he realized they’d all be in the boardroom.
“I’ll take it from here,” he said to the driver.
He led her inside the Aphelion, the wards giving her no trouble, and he headed straight for the boardroom, where he found his brothers and uncle inside.
Warner was the first to speak. “Boy, do you realize that’s a vampire?”
Parker coughed. “I do.”
“Just checking then.” Warner sniffed the air, his eyes bright amber, as he was always closer to his wolf form than his human. Then he smiled. It was a wide, toothy grin. Big Bad Wolf to the core. “She smells like chocolate.”
Belle smiled. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
Parker narrowed his eyes. “I’ll thank you to keep your snout to yourself. You don’t need to be sniffing my bride.”
“She doesn’t mind it,” Warner gave her another one of his grins, which was usually reserved for those he was about to kill.
Parker didn’t like it. Not one bit.
His brother Drew nodded slowly. “She does smell like chocolate. The pure cacao, no sweeteners. Unprocessed. Very nice.”
“Could you not?” Parker sighed. He knew he had this coming. He looked to Blake, just waiting for the barrage of shit from him. Especially since he’d given Blake’s mate all kinds of silver weapons to torture him with and had teased them both mercilessly.
He knew his brother would have an opportunity to return the favor, he’d just not expected it would arrive so soon.
Blake had a grin of his own. “I seem to recall that before you left for Vegas you said something about liking your women soft, and sweet. With no bite.”
Fuck! Of course, that would be the one thing that Blake remembered and decided to trot out now in front of Belle.
“No bite?” Belle looked at him. “Well, that’s not what he said on the plane.”
“Or in the hotel room when the paparazzi was snapping pictures of his dick,” Warner said with a cackle.
“Why are you laughing, old man?” Parker grumbled.
“Because it’s damn funny. Even if it did fuck us in the ass sideways.”
“I like him,” Belle said.
“Of course you do.” Parker rolled his eyes. “By the way, that’s my uncle, Warner. That’s Drew, and that’s our Alpha, Blake.”
Warner shrugged. “It’s the scars,” he added before anyone could speak to the introductions. “Randi tells me ‘chicks dig them.’”
“You’re positively chatty today, Uncle.” Parker peered at him, looking him over for some sign he’d been possessed. Or was a shapeshifter pretending to be his uncle.
“Ripping the top of a limousine with my bare hands and then running back to Aphelion put some vigor in these old bones.” Warner rolled his broad shoulders and cracked his neck.
Old? Yeah, not so much. Warner liked to think of himself as a gray tail, but he was as strong and fierce as ever. He’d probably outlive them all.
“Where is your bride?” Parker looked around, as if expecting to see her.
“Under Randi’s tender loving care,” Blake answered.
“Is she upset?”
“Doesn’t seem to be, no.” Blake stood. “I’m sorry, forgive our rudeness.” He addressed Belle. “But we’ve gone to war.”
“And I’m not helping matters. I told Parker that—”
Blake held up his hand. “A Woolven honors his word. We can still protect you. If you protect us.”
Parker felt the urge to put himself between Belle and Blake. He knew, even his beast knew, that Blake meant her no harm. That he would never hurt her, but the instinct to shield her rose nonetheless.