Chapter Eight #3
He looked up with a sheepish expression. “I did.”
“You make my ex look even scummier,” Kiera said, then picked up her latte.
Hunter frowned. “Ex?”
“Yeah, total jerk!”
“Do I need to beat him up?” Keran asked.
Kiera ruffled his hair. “No, he wouldn’t be worth your time.”
“When did you break up?” Hunter asked.
Kiera took a sip, thinking it over. “Last week.”
Everyone turned to stare.
“What?” she asked.
“Did you break up with him because he was human and you were moving back to Storm Keep?” Meryn asked.
“No, he’s a witch actually. I broke up with him because he cheated on me,” Kiera explained.
“What a douche!” Meryn exclaimed.
Kiera waved her fork around. “I know right? Why cheat? He could have just broke up with me.”
Myra smiled into her napkin as she stared at Hunter. “Oh dear.”
Kiera looked at her mate. “What’s wrong?”
He swallowed hard. “Did you love him?”
Kiera shuddered. “Hell no. I dated him because he was the only paranormal I knew. It was nice not having to hide stuff all the time.”
Hunter exhaled in relief. “So, not a problem?”
“Nope, not even a little bit,” she assured him.
“What was his name?” Hunter asked.
“Jaden Greymoon,” she froze, then looked at him. “Why?”
He shrugged lazily. “No reason.”
She rolled her eyes. “Any moment you use to think of him is one less you use thinking of me.”
Hunter pouted. “That wasn’t fair.”
“Yet, true.”
“Don’t worry cuz, we’ll do the thinking for you,” Rory offered.
Meryn pointed. “See, that’s why cousins are cool.” She sighed. “I guess a small cousin nugget wouldn’t be too bad. But I only have Uncle Marshall and Aunt Lily.”
Ryuu coughed into his hand. “On your mother’s side. You can have cousins on your father’s side as well, like Brie.”
Meryn’s face scrunched up. “So, Darian and Oron are my cousins because they’re Uncle Bren and Auntie’s sons?” She shook her head. “That doesn’t seem right.”
“That’s because it’s not. We’re your brothers,” a deep voice corrected.
Meryn looked behind her and smiled. “Yeah, brothers…” She looked at Pip, then frowned again. “But not like Pip and Nigel and Neil.” She set her coffee cup down. “This shit is hard.”
“Denka, I believe your family broke every rule and tradition when it came to family bonds,” Ryuu pointed out.
Darian sat down next to Aiden. “What is she up to now?”
Aiden shook his head. “She wants cousins now.”
Darian turned to look at Meryn. “Is there a checklist you’re working on?”
Meryn rubbed her belly. “I want jellerbean to have all the family. So they’ll never be alone.”
Aiden’s expression melted. “We’ll get you cousins baby.”
Keran looked to Hunter. “Do we have cousins yet?”
Hunter shook his head. “Nope. My brothers have yet to meet their mates.”
Nicol pointed her fork at Hunter. “We’ll only accept your cousins.”
Meryn snorted. “Your fake uncle won’t be alive long enough to have kids, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
Darian frowned. “Meryn McKenzie, you are weeks away from giving birth. Stop killing people.”
“But…” Meryn started.
Darian pointed to himself and Aiden. “We’ll do it.”
Aiden just nodded.
Darian looked to Aiden. “Who are we killing?”
Aiden pointed to the kids. “Their uncle.”
Darian smiled. “Never mind. Your Uncle Bren has called dibs on that one.”
“He’s awesome!” Meryn exclaimed.
Keran grinned. “And tall. Like super tall.”
“I feel like I should be given preference on this one,” Hunter protested.
“Another family bonding trip!” Meryn suggested.
Darian put his large hand on her head and bopped it around. “You summoned a dark entity last time. No, thank, you.”
She knocked his hand away. “Rude. That was Ryuu.”
“Because you asked him to,” Darian countered.
Augustus looked from Rory to Connor.
“We know,” they said in unison. “We stay on her good side.”
Kiera looked up at her mate. “They’re kidding, right?”
Hunter laughed nervously, then looked over to Darian. “Ready to go to Boston?”
Augustus and Connor stood.
“Hunter?” Kiera asked again.
He pushed his chair back and stood, holding out his hand. “Boston Cream Pie awaits.”
She took his hand and squeezed it hard. He winced slightly. “You’ll tell me that story later, won’t you?”
“Sure,” he agreed.
Meryn turned to Darian. “Whatever you get Amelia, can you buy an extra for me? I’ve never had Boston Cream Pie before.”
“Of course, darling. Lobster as well?”
“Send those down to Mom. I have a feeling Council stuff will be upsetting Dad in the foreseeable future, she’ll want to serve lobster and his favorite cake.”
“I’ll deliver it myself.”
Darian pointed to the living room. “Ready when you are.”
Kiera grabbed her suitcase from the doorway and darted into the downstairs bathroom.
She changed into the only suit she owned.
A serviceable black jacket and pant set that she had used repeatedly for interviews.
Knowing the men were waiting she forwent make up and simply put her hair up in a messy bun.
After swapping her sneakers for flats, she shoved her clothes in the suitcase, which she wheeled into the hallway. She smiled at the guys.
“Ready.”