“Damn,” Xander muttered. “I thought our pack was tight.”
“It’s not really that strange if you think about it,” Gage said. “As betas, they’re closer to a real wolf pack than we are, so it makes sense for them to live together and work together. I’d be surprised if they didn’t like to sleep together too.”
“Huh.” Cooper looked at Becker, his mouth twitching. “So, when you and Jayna are together, does the rest of her pack watch?”
Becker growled as Alex and Max both stepped forward to fist-bump Cooper. Not that it mattered. The sound was barely audible above all the laughter.
Mac smacked Cooper on the arm. “Behave,” she admonished. Digging her cell phone out of a purse that could have done double duty as an overnight bag, she turned to Becker. “Okay. Let me make some calls.”
One by one, the rest of the Pack did the same, calling friends, contacts, and anyone who owed the SWAT team a favor. As they came up with possibilities, they posted them on the extra whiteboard Trey had rolled out of the conference room. If a job had potential, it went on the board.
In between, they fielded calls from other cops and law enforcement agencies in the Dallas area who’d heard what Becker and the rest of the SWAT team were up to. They didn’t just call with job opportunities either, but about apartments for rent and a few cars for sale that didn’t cost too much. Before long, the whiteboard was full on both sides. If Mac, Khaki, and the guys hadn’t been there, Becker might have teared up. Hell, even with them there, he got a little misty.
By the time he left to head out to the Stones’ place a few hours later, Becker had four pages of solid job possibilities and some apartments for Jayna and her pack to consider. He only hoped it was enough.
As the Harley’s engine vibrated under him, he tried to tell himself it was all going to work out. It had to. Now that he’d found The One, there was no way in hell he was letting her get away. If that meant he had to move heaven and earth to find a good life for her and her pack mates here in the city, he’d do it. If being with Jayna meant he had to empty out his bank account and sell everything he owned, he was okay with that too.
He had friends in other places he could turn to. Family too. His parents owned a huge house and a lot of land outside of Denver. If he showed up with Jayna, her pack, and no job, his family would welcome them with open arms. Okay, maybe his mom would be a little shocked when she found out his girlfriend came with an extended family, but she’d overlook it if there was a possibility of a grandchild in the near future.
Becker was still daydreaming about kids with Jayna someday when headlights suddenly appeared in his rearview mirror. He glanced over, swearing when he saw two vehicles speeding up behind him and closing fast.
* * *
“Kathryn and Ethan are being really cool about us staying with them,” Megan said as she set down another plate on the big dining room table.
Jayna followed her, placing a knife and fork on either side of each dish. “Yeah, they are.”
Actually, they were amazing. College professors in their sixties, the couple had taken Jayna and the rest of the pack into their home simply because their future son-in-law had asked. But as kind as the woman and her husband had been, Jayna didn’t want to overstay their welcome. The modest ranch-style home with its four bedrooms was never meant to house five adult werewolves. But finding a place of their own when none of them had jobs was going to be difficult.
Laughter coming from the kitchen was a welcome interruption from the dark place her thoughts were headed. When she’d gotten back to the Stones’ house a few hours ago, Megan had told her the guys were in the barn with Ethan, helping him clean out the stalls. Even though Kathryn and Ethan were full-time professors at Texas A&M, they both loved horses and had four beautiful ones.
Now the guys were in the adjoining kitchen, giving the older couple a hand with dinner. Jayna couldn’t remember when she’d last had a home-cooked meal, and the aroma of lasagna and garlic bread made her mouth water.
She glanced at Megan as she placed a fork on another napkin. “Eric said he’d leave his pack and come with us if we leave Dallas.”
Megan paused, the plate in her hand halfway to the table. “Wow. That’s a big deal.”
“Yeah,” Jayna agreed.
A frown creased Megan’s brow. “You don’t seem happy about that. Don’t you want him to come with us?”
“Yeah, of course I want him to. It’s just…” Jayna hesitated. “I know Eric thinks that’s what he wants to do now, but what if he changes his mind years from now and resents me for making him leave his pack? I’m not sure I could handle that.”