Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 42332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 169(@250wpm)___ 141(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 169(@250wpm)___ 141(@300wpm)
Lucas was important to the Hounds, and I was proud to be the woman at his side.
We stepped into the kitchen, and I grinned when I spotted Stella at the long table with Cadell. The toddler was stuffing pieces of pancake into his mouth by tiny fistfuls. Cerberus lay sprawled under him, inhaling every dropped crumb. The Cane Corso was bred to be intimidating, but he looked like a giant, happy puppy at the moment.
Stella looked up with a smile. “Morning!”
Annika sat beside her, resting a hand on her very pregnant belly. “We came so Matteo could meet with King, and I was drawn by the scent of coffee that I can’t even drink. Stupid caffeine.”
“Would a pancake make it a little easier?” I asked, laughing softly.
Annika nodded. “Yeah.”
Stella started to stand, but I waved her off. “Sit. I’ll grab breakfast.”
Annika blinked at me. “Kevlar didn’t bring you into the clubhouse to put you to work.”
Stella lifted a brow and shot Lucas a knowing look. One he ignored completely. Then she winked at me. “Yeah, I’m sure your serving skills are exactly why he brought you here.”
Lucas gave her a deadpan stare that managed to be both warning and bored at the same time. Stella just grinned, unbothered.
He shook his head and brushed his lips against my temple. “Gonna see what Ink and King are up to.”
“Okay,” I murmured, pressing my lips together so I didn’t tease him about escaping from Stella’s ribbing.
After watching him walk away, I heated leftover pancakes in the microwave and plated them to bring to the table. When I set the food down in front of the women, Stella reached for my hand and squeezed. “Thanks.”
“I didn’t do much,” I insisted.
Annika smiled over a forkful of pancake. “But it’s very much appreciated.”
We chatted while eating, and I didn’t mind that Lucas hadn’t returned yet, because I felt like I belonged at that table with them.
When footsteps echoed from across the lounge area, my head lifted before I even thought about it. My pulse sped up, like my body already knew exactly who was coming.
Annika’s soft laughter floated across the table. “See? Completely attuned.”
My cheeks warmed. “I’m not…I mean, it’s not like that.”
Both women gave me a disbelieving look. Then Stella leaned in conspiratorially. “Don’t fool yourself. It’s absolutely like that. My favorite part is watching one of the guys fall just as fast as I did for Connor.”
My breath caught in my chest. “You really think he has?”
“Think?” Annika snorted and rubbed her belly. “I’d bet on it.”
Stella pointed her fork at me. “That’s a bet I wouldn’t take because I’d just lose.”
The footsteps reached the kitchen doorway, and Lucas walked in. His midnight-blue eyes cut immediately to my flushed face.
Annika jumped in, trying to distract him. “Is Matteo almost done with King?”
Lucas didn’t look away from me. “Yeah. They’re finishing up.”
Then softer, meant only for me, he asked, “You okay?”
I swallowed. “I’m fantastic.”
Stella hummed, “Aw.”
Annika murmured, “How sweet.”
Their commentary did not help the color in my cheeks.
Lucas moved toward the table and swept the empty plates into his hands without being asked. Stella and Annika shared a knowing little smile and angled their gazes at me like they were waiting for me to say something.
Annika tilted her head toward Lucas subtly, and my cheeks heated even more. I wasn’t the least bit surprised by him cleaning up after us. Lucas might be commanding in and out of bed, but he went out of his way to take care of me in ways big and small. Making sure I ate. That I slept. Had my things brought here so I was comfortable. Ensuring I was safe.
The certainty of being his priority made my submission feel natural.
After rinsing the dishes and setting them in the sink, he turned toward me. “Come.”
I rose instantly, offering the girls a quick goodbye as I moved to Lucas’s side without a second of hesitation. The quiet approval in his eyes lit something molten in my chest.
He was the only reason I was holding up so well after everything that happened.
I liked how doing what he said made something inside me settle. As though the world made more sense with him steering it. Handing so many of my decisions over to Lucas gave me room to breathe. Let me worry less about what I wanted my future to look like because I was too busy enjoying the present.
And if I were honest with myself, I’d never felt more like me than I did when I was his.
13
KEVLAR
The undercurrent of tension in King’s office was easily felt, but only someone truly attuned to this brotherhood would have picked up on the edge of violence. It was the dark and lethal part of the club. It didn’t rule us, but it was always there. Although I’d seen it fade more and more when my brothers were around their wives and children. But when the danger was directed at their families, that edge turned into something fierce. I’d never fully understood before now. Because I’d never felt anything so strong until I claimed Maren.