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"Cousin Kale!" 

I am still astounded as to how fast Maddox can run at such a young age. When I glanced above the kid to his six foot two father who happened to be a Werewolf, then I remembered that both Eli and Maddox were half Hunter, half Werewolf... or as it was jokingly thrown around "Hybrids". 

Maddox leapt up into the air, throwing his arms at me and I barely managed to catch the kid while stumbling backwards. Wincing from the force of the jump, I huffed a small chuckle and adjusted Maddox better onto my hip. 

The gray eyed kid beamed as he claimed how much he missed me, and that he felt sad at first because of how far away I lived but now he felt better because he was here in town with me. My brows rose at the fast paced talking. I shouldn't be surprised that after all these years I managed to understand "Maddox Chatter", thanks to my years with Eli. 

Speaking of Eli...

"Dad, Uncle Jonah keeps flicking my ear! And we have only been here for ten minutes!" 

Eli sneered, perfectly mirroring his father's famous expression, then growled in the direction of his Uncle Jonah who was laughing loudly at something a pack member said to him. The kid was rubbing gently at his ear, narrowing his eyes until looking up at his father.

Dennison didn't look any less intimidating than he did when I properly met him years back when the man found out about fathering a son to begin with. He still always wore that scowl of his except it was on a face that had matured from his teenage years, as did the body structure that fit the title of alpha that he once had. 

It was only the slightest moments that you'd catch the former alpha with a genuine smile. Most of the time it was because of his two sons, but if I had to guess what made him smile the most---even when he didn't realize people could see him---stood at five foot two and was more stubborn than an ox. 

Damn Dennison was a complete puddle when it came to my cousin. It didn't take long for Auric to give in when Thea stood up to him; being a defiant woman that she grew into after seventeen. Thea just had to glance in Dennison's direction with a coy grin and the former alpha practically fell to his knees. 

Thea is probably the only person who isn't scared of Dennison. His short temper matches her own, so you'd understand me when I say the two are a total match made in heaven based on what kind of make-up sex they both have whenever one is angry with the other. 

A prime example of this was actually at Mr. Dennison's birthday when I was put on Eli and Maddox babysitting duty because my cousin marched off after telling her husband that he could 'kiss her ass' when the man told her that my Aunt Emeel happened to throw a better birthday for Mr. Dennison than Thea probably could for Auric. 

Of course... I think Dennison was kidding. But ya know... it's Thea. She's a little dramatic.

Anyway, Dennison ends up asking---ordering---me to watch his kids while he "handled his potato". But the parents were gone so fucking long, I was starting to get worried that maybe they'd be leaving the lives of their children in my hands forever. 

A fish is fucking one thing... but kids? Um, no. 

So in search of them I went, but I kinda wish I hadn't considering that I will forever stay away from the coat closet at the end of the hall in Aunt Penny's house where I found them. Thea and Dennison were getting it on and had no shame---none!--- of how Dennison had my cousin pinned up against the wall with the skirt of her dress hiked up. 

Mind you... I was forever scarred; standing there, wide eyed and horrified at what I was seeing. But then I became scared shitless when Dennison briefly glanced his turned-golden glare in my direction before growling possessively as he held my cousin tighter to him. 

Yeah... Okay. Like I'm gonna nab her from him. 

My point...? Neither gave a shit that they were caught like fucking horny teenagers. Instead, Thea grabbed the sides of her husband's face and yanked him towards her for a hard make out. 

I ended up slamming the closet door shut when I could hear Eli coming into the house, his voice trailing towards me, "Kale! Have you seen my mom?"

"Nope!" I cried, marching as quickly as possible over to the puzzled kid and turned him around to head back outside as I assured Eli that his mother was busy at the moment. 

"Doing what?" he asked, frowning as he looked up at me.

"Your dad, apparently," I muttered under my breath then winced when I forgot about the God damn Were hearing Eli had. 

"What do you mean?"

I winced again, shaking my head and pushed Eli to forget what I said, and that I'd help him with whatever it is he needed at the moment. 

So I was a little amused when the always-so-serious Auric Dennison lowered a brow down at his son as he nodded, "I give my full permission to water balloon your uncle, Eli." 

I grinned, seeing the way Dennison winked at his older son who had a crooked grin before rubbing his hands together and glaring in the direction of Jonah. Poor bastard. 

Looking back to Maddox (who was still talking), my brows rose at the way the gray-eyed child was leaning his head back with his arms reaching back with him as he was in the middle of telling me a story. 

"---sooooo biiiiiiiiiig! And Eli said the moon was much bigger than what I saw! I told Mommy that I wanted the moon! But Mommy said that we had to share it! That it was not nice to keep it from everyone else!" 

Maddox blinked when he straightened and tilted his head, his large eyes widening as he scrunched his nose. 

"Do you know how big the moon is, Cousin Kale? Huh? Do ya?" 

Grinning, I shook my head, "No. Why don't you tell me, Maddie?" 

And then he repeated the process of leaning backwards with his arms gesturing the size of the moon as he cried out, "It's this big!" which made me laugh before I blew a raspberry against his cheek. Maddox giggled, raising his shoulders to block my face from getting closer and I tipped him back to make him squeal. 

I glanced up when I heard, "Are you bugging Cousin Kale already, Maddie?" and straightened with a smile at my cousin approaching me. 

Thea tilted her head, grinning at me as she hugged me from the side, asking how I was. 

I shrugged a shoulder, adjusting Maddox on my hip better while sighing, "Alright, I guess. Kind of boring around here without you guys." 

Thea hummed, staring at me for a moment before raising a brow that she'd be more than happy to set up a home for me back at the Alliance. 

"There's plenty of room, Kale. You know this. I've said this every time you tell me that you are bored here." 

"True... But I can't leave, Thea. Not when my dad is here. He and your mom are like two peas in a pod now that they are reunited." I shrugged a shoulder, nodding in the same direction while grumbling, "Ya know... When Mr. Dennison isn't nailing your mom---OW!" 

I winced, turning to smack my cousin back on her shoulder with the back of my hand as I grumbled, "That fuckin' hurt, Thea!" 

"Good," she scowled, sniffing that she didn't need for her youngest son to be hearing anything about what happens behind closed doors. 

Sneering at her, I shot back, "Like closets?" 

Thea's face reddened, narrowing her eyes at me before sniffing with her chin up that that was my fault for being the nosy little pervert I was. 

"Excuse you... I was not being a pervert! If anyone was a pervert, it was both her and Dennison since they were more than happy to have at it in a closet of all places. 

"No shame, Thea... No. Shame." 

My cousin rolled her eyes, shrugging, "Whatever. It was amazing. You're just mad because you have no one to fool around with in a closet like I do." 

I shot her a look, lip curling when Thea glanced my way and grinned, "Not yet anyway." 

"The fuck's that supposed to mean?" 

"Language, Kale!" Thea frowned, smacking me again. 

I winced, stepping away from her before placing her son on his feet. He instead took hold of my hand, standing so patiently beside me while humming to himself and looking around. I never understood why he liked doing this; just standing there with me when he could have been playing with the other kids. 

But he never did. Unless his brother asked him to. 

Maddox was just attached to my hip until he suddenly gasped, beaming widely and released my hand to take off in a run in a particular direction. Thea and I raised our brows at the speed the kid had with his arms out spread and giggling, "Vi!" 

The tall she-wolf who had made her grand entrance raised a brow when Maddox came to a halt in front of her, bouncing excitedly. 

Violet's nose scrunched when Maddox wrapped his arms around her leg like he loved to do and told her something that I couldn't hear. The she-wolf rolled her eyes, then lowered a brow before bending to lift the kid up into her arms. Maddox squealed happily, wrapping his arms around her neck and---for a moment---I caught Violet close her eyes and smile. 

I turned back to Thea who was already crossing her arms and had a lifted brow at me. 

"...what?"

Thea rolled her eyes, shaking her head that she wanted to know the real reason why I wouldn't move to the Alliance with them. She claimed that I was using my dad as an excuse. 

"For what? I have nothing to hide, okay?" I frowned. "Ya know... my dad is supposed to be the one who senses feelings, Thee. I don't recall you being born with any advanced gifts." 

"I wasn't. But I'm human, Kale---partly---," she added in when I gave her a flat look, "And I learned to tell when someone is hiding something. I should know from experience." 

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes, muttering that I wasn't hiding anything, and that if everyone could leave me be that'd be great. 

"You make it seem like I'm the one walking around here on a rampage! If you don't remember, I happen to be as charming and delightful as I've always been!"

"Oh sure..." Thea sniffed, crossing her arms. "Just not when a certain someone is around. Then you make a face like when you burn your apple pies." 

I turned my face away a little, narrowing my eyes at her and pursed my lips. 

"That's hurtful to point out my pies, Thee. Hurtful."  

"You're improving at least," she tried to mend.

"In what?"

We both turned to Dennison approaching, wrapping an arm around Thea's shoulder and tucking her into his side. He grinned down at her when she frowned and nudged him that he was holding her too tight. She scrunched her nose, glaring up at him but Dennison raised a brow and shrugged, "Deal with it."

He then turned to me, questioning again what it was that I was improving of. 

I muttered that my cousin claimed my baking skills were the topic of the moment. Dennison snorted, shaking his head that learning how to back apple pie doesn't mean I have baking skills. My cousin nudged him again, muttering, "Be nice, Werejerk!" to which her husband sneered back, "Make me." 

Frowning, I informed the former alpha that I might only know how to bake apple pie, but that I was getting way better at it. 

"Besides," I huffed, narrowing my eyes at him, "It gives me something to do since my Hunter skills are pretty much rendered useless. And... Well... I actually find that I kinda like baking. I'm..." 

I glanced between the married couple and muttered, "I'm even looking into a few classes that are offered at the high school during the night hours." 

My cousin broke into a smile, clapping excitedly and bounced up and down (now I know where Maddox gets it from) while her husband looked rather doubtful. He even confirmed this when he questioned if the classes would help at all. 

Again, after Thea smacked him to be nice, I narrowed my eyes in his direction and sniffed, "Why don't we talk about you for a moment, Mr. High and Mighty." 

"Me...? What I do?" 

"Uh, well," I snapped, "How about not giving me a heads up that you wouldn't be bringing the damn fish food to me after all? I was expecting for you to show up but no. No, instead, you decided to send Mr. Fuckin' Moody-Pants to my house!"

Dennison lowered a brow, tilting his head to the side and blinked a few times. It was one of those rare moments when he was truly confused, and I frowned back at him... wondering why. He looked down at Thea who stared back in confusion too. They both looked at me when Dennison shook his head that he didn't send Easton to my house. 

"Wha---What do you mean you didn't send him?" I swallowed, looking back and forth between them as I clarified, "Easton told me that you said you wouldn't be able to make it to the pet store for the food because of the drive back to the Alliance. He---he said that you made him go get the food!" 

When his brow lifted high, Dennison's gray eyes blinked a few times as though letting that information process. He then let his brows dip into a deep 'V' before shaking his head that, again, he didn't send Easton. 

"I had mentioned that I was going to buy fish food for Maddox's fish that was staying at your house to keep him from seeing it. The moment I said that I'd drop it off after the gathering today, Easton volunteered to go get the food himself." 

I blinked, once. Twice. Thrice. Then I felt my eyes switch between Thea and Dennison whose faces were still just as confused as before. I swallowed hard, thinking back to my conversation earlier with Easton and replayed it over and over, and I swear he said that he was forced to buy the food. 

Didn't he?

I bit my lip, chewing on it gently while looking down between the couple and I. I frowned, still thinking over my earlier conversation until muttering, "But he said you... Why would he say that you forced him to buy it if you didn't?"

I looked up at the couple, waiting for one of them to say something. Thea tilted her head a little, pursing her mouth to the side and shrugged a shoulder coyly. 

"Maybe so you didn't know the truth...?"

"But why not tell me the truth? What did it matter if he volunteered or was forced to?"

Dennison raised a brow, glancing down at his wife looking up at him with a knowing look that I didn't seem to read very well. Frowning between the two for the silent conversation they were having, I snapped, "Hey!" and waved my hands in front of me to gain their attention. 

"I'm still here, you weirdos! And you didn't answer my question!" 

The former alpha raised his brow further while tilting his head as he threw a question back at me. 

"Don't you think maybe you're asking the wrong person...?" 

His gray eyes shifted behind me and I frowned, turning around until I stiffened at what Dennison had been looking at. 

The pack grounds to Alpha Brown's property was crowded with the conjoined packs that were placed under Alpha Brown's care years back when Dennison stepped down. But even through the crowds of pack members all chatting, laughing, and dancing I could easily spot the tall moody blond who had been at my house only hours ago. 

He was standing with the rest of the Six, arms crossed and was scowling at whatever was being said. He didn't look pleased to be standing there (per usual) but made no attempt to escape. He seemed to be comfortable (though moody as hell) around his common companions. 

Easton was no longer wearing his jean jacket from earlier, but replaced it with a flannel. The sleeves had been rolled up to the elbows and one hem end of the flannel was tucked into the belt of his jeans. His appearance should have looked sloppy, but oddly enough it didn't. 

Go figure.

I gulped seeing him here. This was the reason I wanted to stay home. I would rather be having a hundredth staring contest with that googly eyed little shit in my room than be here where I'd be spending most of the event trying to avoid any contact with the Six. 

Perhaps more Easton. Okay. Fine! Just Easton. 

My eyes widened the moment those icy blue eyes shifted in my direction and I yelped, whipping around to face the couple again. My cousin looked to be giving me a grim smile while Dennison raised a brow, like he knew something. 

I swallowed again, scrunching my nose and stammered out, "He's---He's not coming over here... Is he?"

Thea raised her brows, stretching her neck in the most obvious way possible (thanks to her being vertically challenged) to look over my shoulder. 

"No..." she replied, "He's..." Her eyes widened then straightened back into place beside Dennison as she quickly whispered, "Totally coming this way!" 

I was starting to panic. Inside, I was full on having a panic attack and it was all because I wouldn't know how to act around Easton. He made me uncomfortable and the conversation we had earlier was about as unawkward as I could make it. 

Shit... I was done for!

"How close is he?" I questioned, switching between the pair. "Do you think I have a chance to run?"

Dennison deadpanned, "Nope." before nodding, "Easton." 

I stiffened, raising my shoulders practically up to my ears. I felt his presence beside me but I was so not into looking his way. It didn't help that he accidentally brushed against the side of my arm when he greeted both Dennison and my cousin. 

Then i heard, "How's it going, Red?"

I gulped, wide eyed at my cousin who shrugged silently. Thanks, Thea. So helpful. 

Biting my lip, I glanced Easton's way before actually turning to see him narrowing his eyes at me. He was about four inches taller than me so we weren't exactly eye-level, but his gazes were still intense. Easton's brow rose, almost waiting for my response and yet I was standing there gaping like that googly-eyed little shit. 

Easton's arms lifted to cross in front of his chest and I glanced down a second to see that the flannel tightened around the bicep area making him look a lot more bulkier than I remembered. He wasn't as robust as Dennison---because I mean, it's fucking Dennison---but still. 

When the hell did Easton start to look like this?

It was almost a whole minute before I realized that I hadn't said anything back. I cleared my throat, frowning as I shrugged that I was alright, glancing at the couple beside us. It was my silent plea for help. 

And Thea sucked at it.

"Thanks so much for getting the food for Maddox's fish, Easton. It was awfully nice of you to take the time to do that when you didn't have to." 

God dammit, Thea.

Easton's brows furrowed as he stared at her. He blinked a few times, jaw tightening before glancing my way as he directed to her. 

"It was my pleasure."

I raised a brow, silently wondering why he looked at me when he said that. But I didn't get to verbalize it since Dennison (who was much more helpful) changed the subject. 

"Who exactly is my older brother trying to entertain over there?" he nodded in the direction Easton came from who, with his arms still crossed, looked over his shoulder and then back to us. 

I glanced over to where Jonah was waving his hands about wildly as the others were laughing---minus Valentine and Violet whom both lacked the facial muscles to do such a thing. 

"Just some new pack members Alpha Brown invited to join when they moved here a few weeks ago. Your brother seems to think that he's funny. Fuckin' God knows where he got that idea!" 

Easton huffed through a grin, "Though we'll see how funny he'll be once Eli gets a hold of him." 

My cousin frowned at Easton while her husband's eyes widened a fraction. When Thea asked why her son would be getting a hold of her brother-in-law at all, the Were beside me shrugged that he had spotted Eli behind our aunt's house filling up a large bucket with water balloons. 

Immediately, Thea's brown fiery gaze locked on Dennison whose brows furrowed as he growled at the smug blond across from him. 

"What is he talking about, Auric?"

"Nothing." 

"Doesn't seem like 'nothing'! What are you up to!?"

Dennison sniffed, grumbling back that he wasn't up to anything, but that whether his brother was pummeled with water balloons was not because he gave their son permission to do so.

"Auric!" 

"What? You act like this is something new... Don't look at me like that, Thea. You know that my brother has a tendency to be annoying. Therefore... he has the privilege to suffering the consequences." 

Thea grumbled, shaking her head as she was already storming off and shouting as she weaved through the crowd, "Eli Dennison! You put those balloons down immediately! I don't care that your uncle started it! You will behave yourself, young man! Ohhhh yes! I'm very aware that your father is responsible and he's in for it too!" 

I blinked a few times when Dennison rolled his eyes upward, sighing, "I'll be back. I have to go and..." he glanced in the direction Thea disappeared. "Save Eli." 

Aaaaaaand then I was alone. With Easton. Again.

I felt my eyes widen at this realization and then frowned when Easton huffed, "Well don't you look awkward."

I shifted my gaze to his, those blue eyes of his as icy as his personality. 

"Something bothering you, Red?"

Pursing my mouth to the side, and stuffing my hands into the pockets of my sweater, I shrugged a shoulder. I don't understand how he likes having these strange conversations with me. I don't really say much unless prompted, and knowing that I'm uncomfortable, he still engages to get words out of me. He must either be really bored... or is God damn sadist. 

Taking a moment to see that he wasn't leaving any time soon, I frowned, "Why'd you tell me that Dennison forced you to buy the fish food?"

Well, damn. That was subtle. 

Easton looked surprise, brows rising a moment before shaking his head that he was forced. 

"No you weren't... Dennison told me that you volunteered." I nodded in the empty space that Thea had been standing in moments ago. "And then my cousin just thanked you for 'taking the time' to go get it." 

I faced him now, balling up my hands into fists in my pockets while tilting my head. 

"So...? Why'd you lie?"

Now he was the one who looked uncomfortable. For, like, a second. 

Easton scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Fine, whatever. So I said I'd go get it. It's not that fuckin' big of a deal. I had nothing to do today other than come to this fuckin' gathering we have every year. So sue me if I wanted to get out a little."

My eyes narrowed at him, lowering my chin as I eyed him warily. I had been trained all my life to read people. To know when they are lying. And Easton... as difficult as he is to read most of the time... was lying. But I didn't push as to why. I personally didn't want to know. 

That would only make me think of the conversation I had with my dad earlier and I didn't want to go down that damn road. 

Easton raised a brow, his eyes---I noticed, which made me frown and look down at myself then back up to him---grazed down my person slowly before looking up at me again. I blinked, asking what he was staring at, and the blond Were's eyes narrowed again. Not in a mean way---like he knew how---but more curious. 

"I've been doing some thinking, Red, and... Well, I just---"

"Easey-Peasy!"

I caught the way Easton flinched, scrunching his nose as he growled and the ice blue color of his eyes disappeared behind the gold of his inner beast. My brows rose up at this sudden change in him as his growl only got louder when turning to his left. His jaw muscles contracted, eyes narrowing further, and that's when I turned towards a guy approaching us. 

He was about my height, and was grinning with his arms up in the air as though readying himself for a hug. I doubted if Easton was going to comply with the silent gesture considering that his chin lowered and his crossed arms tightened further. 

Once the guy stopped in front of us, I could see that he was definitely my height. He wasn't of a bulky build like I was used to with the other Weres that I knew, but instead had a more lean looking figure. I am going to assume that it was in Werewolf DNA to have some sort of muscular build regardless of the body type. Because that's all I happened to fucking see with these guys. 

The guy grinned at Easton who was less than enthusiastic to see him. He of course said nothing while the guy turned to me. His green eyes blinked a few times, widening a little before doing as Easton had done earlier and looked me down and then up. 

I frowned again, glancing at my person to silently figure out what the hell they kept seeing that I wasn't. 

"Whoa," the new guy grinned, raising a brow as he stared at me. "Easey-Peasy. Who's your gorgeous red-head here? Another conquest?"

I blinked, leaning my head forward as I frowned. "Con---what?"

The corner of the guy's mouth curled up into a grin again, holding out his hand towards me when Easton remained silent---other than growling again. 

"The name's Thorton." I glanced down at his hand before slowly placing my hand to his for a small shake, while he added with a nod in the blond's direction, "I used to be in the pack with Easton here before Alpha Brown took us in."

I nodded, glancing at Easton before turning back to Thorton and replied, "Kale. I'm the cousin to your former alpha's wife." 

Thorton's brow rose, grinning at me as he huffed, "Really? Well damn! I guess I know why Easey-Peasey has been keeping you a secret!"

"Sorry... secret?" 

Thorton glanced at Easton who clenched his fingers together tightly, making them crack as he was shooting a look back at him. The new guy narrowed his eyes curiously before that grin curled onto his lips again. 

"Are... you... not...?" He glanced at me, frowning, "Aren't you two... together?"

My eyes widened, neck craning back before blinking repeatedly and shook my head, "Wait, what? What are you talking about?"

Thorton looked at Easton whose growl got both our attentions. 

"This is the Kale... isn't it?" Thorton frowned, "The one that Jonah kept saying you liked so much?"

I looked at Easton whose eyes narrowed, then his lip curled as he growled, "No. No, it's not. And I don't." 

"But Jonah said---"

"I don't give a shit what Jonah said. He twisted my words around."

I narrowed my eyes at Easton when he glanced in my direction but then I blinked when Thorton chuckled, "Ah. Well then!" and faced me. He stepped closer and I yelped when he'd tugged on my hand that was still in his grasp. I was almost chest to chest with the guy when his green eyes stared me directly in the eyes.

"If you don't want him... I'll happily take him, Easey-Peasey." 

My throat tightened at what he meant and I swallowed before grinning weakly that that wouldn't be necessary. 

My hand was then tugged out of Thorton's grasp, and I was stumbling back a few steps before looking up to see Easton's broad back. He was now standing between the other guy and I, Thorton grinning at the Were in front of me when Easton growled out, "Why don't you go wag your tail somewhere-fuckin-else, Roman?"

"Oo," Thorton chuckled. "Someone's a little protective of someone who isn't theirs."

"Bite me, Roman," Easton snapped, then nodded over Thorton's shoulder, "Now beat it!"

Thorton's smug look made Easton growl again before the other guy looked over Easton's shoulder at me and winked, "Catch you later, Kale. It was quite.... a pleasure... to meet you. And I look forward to spending more time with you."

I blinked, frowning before Easton growled out, "Not likely," and watched Thorton turn around and disappear into the crowd. When I stood there for a moment longer, I stared at the back of Easton's head. He was still simmering from being riled up since I saw the way his back muscles breathed in and out at an uneven pace. 

Swallowing, I frowned, "Easton?"

He whipped around, glaring right at me and I took a step back. I wasn't sure what I was going to say to him before he looked at me like that. That stare had my mind go blank. 

Was he mad at me again? What'd I do this time? 

I nervously reached up to rub the back of my neck, glancing to the side before shrugging a shoulder that his friend was... interesting. 

"He's not my friend." Easton clarified. "Never will be." 

As he was muttering something about needing a 'damn beer' , Easton was already walking away, but I have no idea why I reached out to grabbed hold of his arm to stop him. The Were frowned at where I was holding him and then looked up at me. 

"What's going on, Easton?"

I think it was more of a general question. More of wondering what was happening in that brain of his, as well as what he had been telling people about me, and... and maybe of what he thought of me exactly since he was so hot and cold with me to begin with.

The blond stared at me, looking my face over for a moment before tugging his arm out of my grasp and growled, "Nothing. Don't fuckin' worry about it." then stormed off towards the blue coolers nearby.

And as I stared after him, frowning at once again Mr. Moody's behavior, I was starting to wonder if after today... things would never be the same.