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ღKALEღ  

The walk to Aunt Penny's took a bit longer than I thought it was going to. For two reasons. 

One: Thorton wet his pants. Easton held up his end of the threat to tickle Thorton until he pissed himself. So he had to take a shower. Easton was so proud of himself after making Thorton squeal from flushing the toilet and making the shower water run cold. 

And two: Every few seconds, Thorton and I had to stop and look behind us to frown at Easton to stop falling behind. He was purposely taking slow steps, claiming he was "tired". Then he would whine that we walked too fast with our long legs which is a total shit-faced lie because that Moody Asshat was the tallest of us three!

"C'mon, Ease! I know what you are doing and it is not helping! You still have to face the exact same thing even if you prolong it!" I frowned, huffing while shaking my head when Easton was now shoving his face into a bush; muffling that he thought he saw a rabbit jump in to hide. And that he should too.

I rolled my eyes, looking at Thorton who grinned at me. He shrugged a shoulder, mumbling that Easton might like to be Mr. Tough Guy with everyone but when it comes to my cousin---as small as she is---Easton was terrified.

I sighed, looking back at my boyfriend who suddenly shot up and growled at Thorton, "I am not terrified!"  

"No?" Thorton raised his brows, then dramatically waved his arm to the side while stepping back. "Then show us---Oh, Mighty Easey-Peasey!" 

Easton's blue eyes narrowed, lip curling before glancing at me and gruffed out a warning that Thorton wanted to die. 

"Stop stalling, Easton." 

I raised a brow, crossing my arms and waited for him to stop fidgeting. He was muttering under his breath, still looking at the bush beside him like he really wanted to jump in and hide there too with the rabbit. Eventually, when Thorton looked at me and more than necessarily loud asked me if I thought Lincoln would be able to keep me company since I would be showing up at the house alone.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Easton tense up. His head snapping in our direction. 

I blinked, frowning at Thorton who---again---spoke loudly.

"I'm sure he'd love to see you, Kale. Don't you think? Don't you think that Lincoln---the guy who still has feelings for you---would love to see that you show up unaccompanied which would let him know that you are single and ready to mingle?"

My mouth opened to warn Thorton but his green eyes widened at me to stay silent. My brows furrowed, hesitantly looking over to the blond Were whose nostrils were flaring. The ice blue hue to his eyes fading under the gold coating. 

I internally groaned, shaking my head as Thorton continued. 

"I mean..." he purposely glanced Easton's way. "I guess someone... Not naming any names... wants for Lincoln to get back with Kale. Where I was avoiding Kale's room at all costs when they wanted to be..." Thorton narrowed his eyes, grinning, "Alooooone."

 There was tension in my body now seeing the way Easton's fists curled tightly at his sides. His jaw was clenched tightly and that golden heated gaze was on Thorton. 

Knowing what he was doing---I'm assuming---Thorton turned and raised his brows. He crossed his arms, shrugging, "What do you say, Easey-Peasey? Can you picture it? All the times for the past months that Lincoln was alone with Kale?"

"What are you doing?" I grit my teeth, eyes wide at my friend who held up a hand for me to stay quiet. I scoffed, shaking my head, "Thorton! You're asking for him to kill you!" 

I was once again ignored. 

"Alllll those nights that Kale was lonely... and who was there instead of you? Lincoln. Lincoln was there. And he was having Kale---your Kale--- get hot and heavy with him."

That's it. I'm never seeing Thorton again. He's going to die.

Though as I'm thinking back... I can see how Thorton was making this hella awkward. Though he was using it to rile Easton up... I still remembered all those times that I had hooked up with Lincoln prior to him and I actually getting together. 

I hadn't thought about it before because I was trying to get back to normal, but Linc was an escape. He was a healing escape and I wouldn't have thought about being with him had he not made the first move. 

We'd been hanging out in my room, waiting for Thorton to join us so we could watch a movie and eat pizza. But then Thorton canceled because he was helping Aunt Penny with Langley. After Linc and I decided to proceed with our plans anyway, that's when he'd kissed me by surprise and then pulled back to see my reaction. 

Which was what he hoped for, I guess when I had practically jumped Lincoln that night.

 It did feel good but it felt... different. It was kind of weird being the one who was so aggressive. Being the one who needed that void inside me filled and yet it wouldn't. 

I just remember Lincoln giving me what I wanted. He was gentle with everything he did; kissing me, touching me, taking off my clothes and then, well...

That same night, waking up in the middle of the night with Lincoln sleeping next to me, I didn't understand how Easton could do the same thing with Leo and all those other guys he used to be with. It felt weird... I didn't exactly like the 'afterward' feeling of sex with someone other than Easton. 

Easton was my first. And had been my only. 

But when Easton and I slept together the first time, it didn't feel weird. It felt like someone opened a window and I could breathe. I felt like myself. Because I was with Easton. 

With Lincoln... as much as I liked him and liked the feeling of sex... I didn't... I didn't exactly like how I felt after.

You're probably wondering why I would continue to sleep with him then...? Simple.

I was mad. I was mad at Easton and myself and everyone else because of that day when I'd last seen him and nothing turned out the right way. I wanted to prove to myself that I could be like Easton who could sleep around and not give a shit. But the more I tried to get over any rekindling with that Moody Asshat by sleeping with Lincoln... the worse I got.

Instead of Lincoln being there, I kept pretending like it was Easton. It took me a hell of a lot of patience to not moan out that Moody Asshat's name while in the middle of fucking Lincoln. That would have been embarrassing... 

So now that Easton and I are actually in a good place and we've made up with each other multiple times in his room---which was fucking awesome by the way--- I could see why Thorton was using my hook up with Lincoln against Easton. 

I quietly studied the way Easton's jaw muscles twitched when Thorton finished with, "Think that's a good enough reason for you to man up and come to stand by your boyfriend? He is your boyfriend, isn't he? Just yours?"

There was silence other than a few critters making noises in the trees. I was studying how Easton's chest rose and fell in a way that hinted he was trying to keep himself in control. I think it low-key traumatized him when he found out what he was capable of in a blind-rage. Not that I blamed him.

With his fists clenching tighter, Easton's knuckles cracked before he stormed towards us. I stood my ground, readying myself in case I needed to intervene in the smackdown that Easton could give Thorton. But that Moody Asshat surprised both of us. Especially me.

I stiffened at the unexpecting embrace; feeling Easton's arms wrap around me and pull me closer. He bent a bit to bury his face in my neck, his broad shoulders making his posture awkward. I raised a brow, glancing at Thorton who tilted his head a bit.

Slowly, I wrapped my arms around Easton and sighed, "Are you alright, Ease?"

I only felt his arms tighten around me and I grinned to myself when he muffled against my skin, "I just need this a little a longer."

I turned my head a bit to try to catch his gaze and I could see the ice blue had returned to his eyes again.

Smiling, I shook my head and shrugged, "You know I'm not going anywhere, right? Not anymore?"

He sighed, straightening but still held onto me. His brows furrowed a bit and he swallowed hard, shrugging that he didn't want me to but that as long as I didn't want to go anywhere then Easton wouldn't either. 

"Good," I nodded, raising myself a little to kiss his jaw. "Now can we go? I'm sure that it won't be as scary to see Thea again as you might be thinking."

His nose scrunched, groaning before I grinned, taking this moment as perfect opportunity to raise my hand and use the back of it to caress the side of his face as I cooed, "There, there, Ease... I'll protect you."

I smiled, laughing with Thorton when Easton's blue eyes widened and then broke into a laugh too. He shook his head, rolling his eyes and nodded that he deserved that one. 

With his emotions not being so bottled up anymore, Easton---the one I first met years ago---was coming back. He still had his tendencies to be an asshole and aggressive but not as often as before. He would have totally handled that teasing differently before---feeling self-conscious---and I was just glad to see that bubbly Easton was slowly... but surely... coming home.

"Alright..." Easton sighed, running his fingers through his hair before dropping his arm to his side. "Let's get this over with."

I nodded, turning to walk with him and Thorton the rest of the way down the dirt path until we got to the very end of it. My incessant need to keep glancing at Easton had not gone unnoticed and he took a moment to raise a brow and grin, "Can't resist admiring all this goodness, can you Red?"

Aaaaand he's back.

Thorton decided he didn't have enough of Easton's threats when he chuckled to my boyfriend that he was happy to know that Easton was in a good mood before feeling the wrath of the Thea Dennison for a second round.

The growl from the Were beside me went ignored as Thorton continued to lead the way towards the back of the house. He hopped up the porch steps, calling out to everyone with a 'Hello!' and basically announcing our arrival.

That's when I felt my body jolt back. I frowned from taking another step up the porch to look at a wide-eyed Easton. His blue eyes locked on the screen door that slammed shut behind Thorton. He was swallowing, his grip on my hand tightening, and now taking deep breaths.

I faced him, blocking his vision of the door and bent to catch his gaze. He stared up at me, blinking.

"I know you are worried about what they will think of you... after what you said that day."

Easton swallowed again, nodding then I shook my head, telling him that he shouldn't worry so much. A lot of things happened that day, months ago, that shouldn't have. It could have gone a lot differently than it did.

"We are just as at fault too, Ease. I'm not gonna let them tell you different. Not even Thea."

The blond frowned at the porch, shaking his head that it was just embarrassing for him to have said those things. That he would never have said them had it not been for how offended he'd been. Easton shrugged a shoulder that it only added to his guilt of what he said about Thea because she was the reason that the Society didn't exist anymore.

That without Thea, the Weres and Advanced Hunters would still be at each other's throats. Literally.

His blue eyes looked up at me.

"I wouldn't have you."

I never thought of that before.

It never really settled in that everything would be different right now had that fateful night, twelve years ago, not happened when Thea helped Dennison in the woods... I wouldn't know Easton.

If anything, I would still be with Ahn with a kid of my own who was taught to kill Werewolves. And even if my paths with Easton had crossed, it would have a lethal outcome. One of us wouldn't have survived.

So much wouldn't have happened.

Like Eli being born because Thea and Dennison would have never gotten together.

Violet would still be with Dennison, probably, who would still be Alpha and had kids of their own. They would have been residing in the woods with the pack.

Then there was my Aunt Emeel.

We would never have seen her again. We would never have found out she was alive had it not been for us being taken to the Alliance.

Aunt Penny would have never reunited with her link or married him or had adopted Alice. She would still be the sister to her supposed sister who was killed in an animal attack with her husband.

And Thea... Thea wouldn't have been what she is now.

Thea would have remained human. Keeping her Hunter blood dormant because she would never have gone to see our grandparents who were responsible for her change, to begin with. In fact, Thea would have never found out what the Six were had it not been for that night Thea and Dennison were in the woods.

Thea would still be human. She would have lived a completely different life than now.

And to imagine my life now without Easton... without him... I couldn't. It was impossible to think of what my life would have been like except that it would have been having a void in it. It was something I was glad didn't happen because I do have Easton now.

There was a sliver of vulnerability in those ice blue eyes of his and that was a closer confirmation that Easton was becoming his old self again. Being more open. Which is why I surprised him when I reached up to take hold of his head and pull him towards me so that I could kiss him with just enough force to let him know that he still had me. And he would always.

It was the kind of lip embrace that didn't need words. And he knew it since he pulled back an inch or so to grin that I was crossing dangerous grounds with that kind of kiss. 

I laughed, shoving him back a bit before turning away and nodded in the direction I was headed. 

"C'mon, Ease. I promise I won't let Thea shove her sword up your ass too much."

The Were's eyes bulged for a moment then scrunched his nose with narrowed eyes while growling at me. But he managed to trudge up the steps and to where I was patiently waiting for him. He took one more deep breath and then nodded silently at the door when I asked if he was ready.

The kitchen was crowded, as always, from the loud chatter, we could hear.

My aunts were going back and forth from the kitchen with plates of food. My Aunt Emeel insisted she help with the meals to not let my Aunt Penny struggle too much but we all knew--- minus Aunt Penny--- it was so Aunt Emeel could keep an eye on the food and present edible meals for the rest of us.

The chatter simmered once Easton and I walked in. 

Silence has never been more uncomfortable, especially when my cousin was already locking her dark brown eyes on the Werewolf beside me. Thea's stare held an intensity that was really hard to read. I could feel Easton tense beside me and I didn't blame him.

Before anyone said anything---especially Thea--- I made it a point to stand a little in front of Easton; my protective posture not going unnoticed by my cousin whose brow rose. With as much seriousness as I could muster, I informed everyone while looking directly at Thea that whatever happened three months ago was done and over with. That whatever was said, whatever was done, doesn't matter anymore because there wasn't just one person at fault. 

"Whether you agree or not, Easton lashed out because of what we hid from him. We all knew what a ticking time bomb he was---" I could hear Easton mutter, "Not helping, Red..." but ignored him. "But we all agreed to keep the possibility of Langley being alive from him. It could have been handled way differently."

I glanced at Thorton who was grinning proudly. That moment of him scolding me that I needed to "man up" really helped me see things clearly. Something I was grateful for because now I had Easton again.

Turning my attention back to my family, I raised a brow as I directed to Thea, "I get that you have this innate ability to defend your loved ones when in harm's way..." then straightened as I stood a little more in front of Easton. "But so I."

Thea's eyes narrowed slightly, switching her gaze back and forth from Easton and me. She finally settled on me and her clenched jaw skewed to the side. She continued this silent stare-down before scaring the fucking heebie-jeebies out of me when she jumped up with her arms in the air and squealed, "Oh, Kale! I'm so happy for you!" 

Apparently, I wasn't the only one Thea scared the crap out of. 

My dad and Uncle Thatcher let out long breaths while Aunt Penny dropped a cup of coffee on the floor. Aunt Emeel was scowling at the now chipped mug that was her favorite. Then there was Jonah staring wide-eyed while his girls giggled behind their hands at him. 

Valentine frowned at the back of Thea's head while shifting himself backward. I could see the heavy-filled plate he'd been holding that was almost knocked out of his hands when my cousin jumped up the way she did. The red-head she-wolf standing beside him was laughing at his expense while snagging a large piece of waffle from his plate. Valentine sucked in a breath, wide-eyed while Athena's gold eyes flickered at him in a challenge.

Then there was Langley and Maddox who had been inseparable for the past months. Not that I blamed them. The couple had been leaning against the wall; Maddox holding Langley close as he stared down at her and caressing the side of her face. The she-wolf kept switching from smiling to looking down in a coy manner but was overall enjoying being near Maddox. 

The pair had been startled---as everyone else--- and though they had not been expecting it, they didn't break apart. Instead, Maddox, Sr. just held onto Langley more; tugging her closer to him. They both went wide-eyed with Thea's giddy outburst. 

Of course, there was the one person who never seemed to be surprised at Thea's unpredictable mood swings. 

Dennison scowled when Thea jumped up with her arms in the air, only because she'd accidentally knocked into his elbow when he was raising his hand with a forkful of egg and bacon. Whatever was on his fork had plopped back down onto his plate and Dennison's lip curled at it. His gray eyes shot a quick scowl at his wife who was not paying attention whatsoever. 

From beside Dennison, Maddie giggled into his hands---making his father glance at him with a playful growl---and pointed at his mother while happily teasing, "Mommy scared you, Daddy!" to which Dennison frowned at his son. He grumbled that Thea could never scare him. That Maddie's mother was just clumsy.

"What the fuuuu---Ow!" Dennison growled at Thea, his eyes flickering to his wolf's while using a hand to rub desperately at his ear after his wife spun around to tug at it. Dennison shook his head, sneering, "Stop hitting me, Thea!" 

"Then stop cursing in front of our son!" Thea snapped back, lifting her chin at him then blinked hard as she turned her attention back to us. 

I raised a brow, glancing at Easton beside me who was scowling the entire time. I noticed that he had been staring in a particular direction and I grinned. It was amusing that Easton completely pushed aside his fear of my cousin's wrath this whole time and instead was focusing on his twin sister being in the arms of an Advanced Hunter. 

I nudged Easton to get his attention back to me and muttered, "It's been like this for three months, Ease. Deal with it."

He narrowed his eyes at me, lip curling as he growled back that he was working on it. It was enough, I guess.

I was startled when Thea popped up out of nowhere and got me into a hold that was stronger than I expected for someone so small as she was. Blinking at the top of her head while she gushed how happy she was for me that I was back together with my Prince Charming and that this time would mean actually being able to get my Happily Ever After. 

My nose scrunched, groaning as my face got hot and I looked at the others who were smirking at my expense. I rolled my eyes, glancing to the Werewolf beside me who was eyeing Thea warily. His posture remained stiff until he caught gazes with her. Thea, still having her arms wrapped around me, straightened a little while keeping her attention on Easton. 

Easton, not one to really sure if he was truly welcomed or not, slightly lifted his chin and raised his brows to eye my cousin a little more. He nodded, "Thea..." 

Thea raised a brow, her brown eyes sparkling. "Easton." 

The blond Were cleared his throat, frowning as his feet shifted uncomfortably. He shrugged a shoulder before mumbling to Thea that he was sorry about what happened those months ago. And that he hadn't meant to hurt me the way he did. 

"I wouldn't..." he paused, nose scrunching, "I never would have done that if I knew Red was there." 

He pursed his lips, glancing at the others---the Six especially---and then looked at Thea again.

"To them, probably. But not Red."

I groaned again, tilting my head back. He had been making so much progress...

While the others sneered their offense, Thea beamed, releasing me to leap over and catch Easton in a death-grip hug. I know this only because the blond sucked in a breath, wide-eyed, before scowling at the small woman and growled that she was hugging him too tight.

"Oh, Easton..." Thea smiled, closing her eyes. "I don't care."

Easton's flat look turned my way and I couldn't help chuckling, shrugging a shoulder that at least it was better than getting a sword shoved up his ass. His wide eyes blinked a few times before nodding to himself in agreement. He even patted Thea's head awkwardly. 

Of course, Thea did make it a point to mention to Easton that if he tried to hurt me again; physically or emotionally, that she'd make sure to fill one of the two empty graves in the cemetery.

Harsh, Thea.Harsh.

Easton sneered down at her, "Only if you catch me." and surprisingly made Thea laugh. 

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head and figured that my cousin and boyfriend were back on good terms again. So I wandered over to where there was a huge ass plate piled with bacon sitting in the middle of the table. My mouth was salivating at the beauteous sight and was already reaching for a strip of bacon when something smacked the back of my hand. Hard.

"What the fffffff---" I scrunched my nose, hugging my throbbing hand to my chest while glancing in my cousin's direction when her brown eyes snapped onto me and she raised a brow at my almost-cuss-word. Her eyes narrowed, pursing her lips---totally ignoring why I was almost cursing to begin with. 

Gritting my teeth, I shifted my attention to the culprit with a fly swatter, staring back at me with his shitty ass, cheeky grin.

"The fuuuuu---" I glanced at Thea again whose brow rose and then I grumbled under my breath before turning away. "---uuuun... fun, is what I said..." I nodded, brows raised at the giggling child at the table then looked at said child's father.  "Just doesn't stop with you, does it, Dennison?"

The father of two (three?) nonchalantly leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and shrugged his shoulders. His eyelids lazily at half-mast over his gray eyes added to the uncaring posture he had. 

"I have my moments."

Sneering at Dennison, I nodded at the fly swatter he was holding; interrogating him why he had it in the first place, and why he would have it near the table. I glanced at the steaming bacon, steam swaying into the air. When I looked back at the former alpha, he raised a brow while holding up the fly swatter to assure me that it was not used for flies whatsoever---despite its name. 

I raised a brow, frowning at him. "But why do you have it?"

Dennison's gray eyes shifted quickly to something beside me that was just as fast. Or almost. Since Dennison used the fly swatter again, this time smacking the back of Thea's hand and making my cousin screech before pulling her hand back again. She cursed under her breath---her youngest son scolding her through a giggle thanks to his Werewolf hearing---and clenched her fist to her stomach while spinning around. 

I felt my mouth drop open and then looked back to Dennison. 

His eyes were in slits, eyeing his wife from where he sat and waited until she gave him a look before his wrist flicked upward, presenting the fly swatter by his head. Dennison lowered his chin, sniffing, "Nice try, my lovely potato." before addressing me that the fly swatter was used to fend off Thea from eating all the bacon again.

"That's the third plate that's been made." Dennison gave a pointed look at his pouting wife. "Which makes it personal."

Thea scrunched her nose, sticking her tongue out at him and her husband deadpanned, "Very mature..."

Dennison then made it a point to mention that he had actually been fending Thea off the bacon because of the text that I had sent him earlier. That to at least save me one strip of bacon has been almost impossible the entire morning until Dennison took the extra fly swatter that was purchased the day before and lying in a drawer to use against his bacon-crazed wife.

"The lengths I go for you not to starve, Kale," Dennison huffed, snapping his head to the side with his brows raised, along with the fly swatter, which made Thea almost growl but back away from the table. Apparently, she'd been trying to take advantage with any and every possible distraction. 

I nodded to myself but then frowned, "Wait..." making Dennison glance at me for a second to acknowledge me then stared down his wife again.

"You said you've been trying to fend off Thea... right? To save me some bacon, too?" 

Dennison glanced at me again in agreement then I frowned again, shaking my head slowly before questioning, "Then... then why did you smack me when I tried to reach over?"

Again, Dennison silently warned Thea off with his brow-raised look and readying the fly swatter which made Thea growl, turning away to the kitchen door for some orange juice. I went back to watching Dennison eyeing the kitchen door---like Thea was going to run out and attempt an ambush. Maybe she had already...?

Finally, after settling back again in his relaxed posture, Dennison looked up at me and grinned, "Because why not?"

A sneer curled at my lip while I deliberately reached over the table and swiped---not one---three strips from the bacon pile and chomped into them savagely. All while giving Dennison the stink eye. 

He was obviously unaffected. He just raised a brow, rolling his eyes before looking at the person who appeared next to me.

"There's a face I haven't seen in a while."

Easton's brows furrowed slightly, lowering his gaze a moment before looking up at his friend. 

"I'm sorry, Auric... I... I didn't mean what I said that day. I honestly don't remember saying all that..." 

He winced, rubbing the back of his neck and shrugged a shoulder that he was ashamed of what he said once it was explained what he did say. And that Easton would have never disrespected Dennison and his family as he had. He expressed how even though Dennison was no longer the alpha, that he always would be to Easton. 

"You're one of my best friends, Auric," Easton sighed, his blue eyes softening. "That still hasn't changed."

Dennison rose, shaking his head as he was rounding the table and pulled Easton into a hug. Dennison chuckled that it was going to take a lot more than those insults to stop being friends with the blond. He pulled back, raising a brow as he met Easton's gaze and placed a hand on top of the blond's curls. 

"I've been looking out for you since middle school, remember? What the hell makes you think I'd stop now?"

Easton grinned, nodding then sighed his thanks. Dennison frowned, shaking his head, "Don't worry about it. You don't really need to apologize to me, Easton. If anything, I should apologize since I was the one who told Kale to not tell you about your sister's empty grave." 

They both looked at me and my brows shot up. "What...?"

Dennison looked me down and up before scrunching his nose and looked at Easton to grumble that for us both to stay out of the hallway closet. By all means. 

Easton broke into a laugh while I felt my face go hot. I snapped at Dennison that that was unnecessary and that Easton and I weren't going to be doing anything inappropriate unlike he and wife liked to do. 

The former alpha looked over his shoulder at me to wickedly grin, "I just meant it in a 'dibs' sort of way. You and Easton will have to find a different part of the house to be... inappropriate."

Again, my boyfriend laughed, seating himself in the chair beside little Maddox while I sucked in a breath and threatened to use the fly swatter on him. 

Speaking of fly swatters, Dennison and I looked around to notice that it was missing. 

We searched around, asking Maddie, Jr. if he'd seen where it went. The boy's gray eyes filled with mirth as he shrugged silently. I immediately became suspicious. 

"I don't even remember putting it down..." Dennison grumbled, scratching his head. And then he let out a surprised yelp after a loud smack! was heard. He twirled around, a deep rumbling growl escaping. 

We all turned to see Thea grinning triumphantly; the fly swatter, that she had fucking magically and stealthily got a hold of, resting on her shoulder and her chin lifted proudly while chomping into a strip of bacon. She commended Dennison on his try to keep her from the bacon-goodness but that hearing him let out a cry was adorable. She winked at her husband that maybe they could bring the fly swatter into their room later.

Dennison sneered, snatching the fly swatter out of her grasp and warned her that one of their children was present. Thea blinked, glancing at the mentioned child who was innocently beaming back at her. Maddox, Jr. even raised his hand to give her an up-and-down flapping wave. 

When she looked back at her husband, Dennison raised a brow to say, 'see?' to which my cousin scoffed that there was no way that their son knew what the fly swatter would be used for in the bedroom. Thea grinned that he could try all he wanted but that her husband liked the idea of being able to use the fly swatter on her too.

The low growl from Dennison was enough for me. I threw up my hands and cried, "Oh-kay! That's enough of that! My ears are going to fucking bleed with you two talking about your time behind closed doors."

Easton chuckled, wrapping his arm around my neck to which I shot him a look since he was purposely putting more of his weight on me. 

"Relax, Red... It's normal. They can do as they please. They're married---and they're adults." 

He winked at me, "Like you and me."

I nudged him as hard as I could though he acted like it didn't hurt and continued to laugh. That is until someone else put their two cents in. 

Maddox, Sr. was holding Langley in front of him; her back to his front while he wrapped his arms adoringly around her. He kissed the side of her head, making the she-wolf smile to herself. 

"He's not wrong, Kale. It's a normal thing to have adventures behind bedroom doors."

I immediately felt my boyfriend tense. Like he full-blown froze with his blue eyes wider than I'd ever seen them. Lowering a brow, I leaned my head away to look at him better. 

"You alright?" I asked him, though he ignored me because he snarled in Maddox's direction while pointing a finger at the grinning man.

"Don't tell me you've been pawing my sister, Hollow!" Easton growled, huffing. 

Maddox raised a brow, glancing at me who was silently begging him to not worsen the situation. But this was Maddox we were talking about. He just shrugged a shoulder, grinning, "Okay. I won't." then buried his nose in Langley's neck which made her giggle. 

"I'll kill him..." Easton mumbled, already taking a step forward. 

Now it was my turn to defuse the issue and I stepped in front of him, smiling that Maddox was teasing him on purpose. I then looked upward, an eye closing slightly as I thought of something.

There had been numerous times over the past months that I had to walk past the guest room with my cousin's youngest son tugging me towards the bathroom because he had to "potty". And every one of those numerous times, I had the discomfort of hearing Langley's cries of ecstasy or Maddox's curses. 

That was probably something I shouldn't mention to Easton. Like, ever.

Easton continued to sneer at his sister's boyfriend, warning me that Maddox was lucky that Langley liked him so much. Otherwise, the blond Werewolf would kill him all over again. I smacked his shoulder and he frowned at me though he understood why I hit him. 

After a moment, I turned to see Eli walk into where we all were with a large bag of Doritos under his arm. He was in the middle of chewing as he stopped to see me. His brows rose when seeing Easton then back to me. 

"Well, this is awkward..."

I lowered a brow, tilting my head and asked, "What do you mean, Eli?"

The thirteen-year-old grinned weakly as he stuck his hand into the Dorito bag again to shove a few into his mouth. As he chewed, much slower this time, Eli mentioned that our "guests" had returned from the Alliance with Azkar's Second-in-Command now joining the group.

Eli glanced at Easton once again then stared at me. I swallowed while my boyfriend saw the tension filling the room. He frowned, looking at me.

"Why the hell did you all get so quiet?" He looked at Dennison to ask what the big deal was with this Second-in-Command person. Easton narrowed his eyes, asking if he was missing something.

I groaned a little, rubbing the back of my neck and sighed that it was more awkward for him and me than anyone else. 

Easton blinked, frowning more. "Why?"

"Because of Kale's ex-boyfriend, Linc," Eli grinned, reaching for another chip. He pulled out two and stared at them for a moment then glanced at me while directing to Easton who was looking half-confused and half-irritated from the mentioned name. 

The thirteen-year-old raised a brow while raising his hands with the Doritos towards his mouth and warned with a slight grin, "The Second-in-Command is Linc's mother."