13. Chapter 13
Bec
The Clover Pack compound was deep in a rural area of east San Diego County. Danzig guided me and made sure to point out sharp turns because I was distracted by the properties we passed. Some had large, elaborate houses while others were modest with fields full of cows or horses.
When we pulled onto their property, we had to drive another quarter of a mile to get from the entrance to the parking area.
The driveway was lined with tall trees all wrapped in lights, making it feel magical.
As we rounded the last bend, I was hit by even more lights wrapped around trees, strung between buildings, and lighting up pathways.
It was night now, but there were so many lights everywhere that it didn’t feel oppressive or limited.
We parked in a gravel area along with a few dozen other cars. Danzig was experienced at getting out of my small car, but poor Marduk had a hard time wiggling out of the back seat.
“I don’t understand why I couldn’t ride here,” he grumbled, successfully getting one leg free.
“Our mate asked us to ride with her in the car, that’s enough of a reason,” Danzig said.
“I want you guys to have fun,” I said. “If I’m the designated driver, the two of you can drink as much as you want and don’t have to worry about getting home safe.”
Now that they were both out of the car, they faced me and stared, as if surprised.
“What?” I asked, feeling a little defensive. “No one should drink and drive, and I figured it went double for riding a motorcycle.”
The brothers exchanged a look, then Danzig smiled at me. “You’re sweet to think of us. I promise, we’d never drink to excess, even if we could.”
“What do you mean even if you could?”
Marduk answered, “It takes a special kind of magic liquor made from a few types of poisons to get us drunk. We like the taste of beer, but it doesn’t do anything to us.”
“Oh, that’s, um, different,” I said, feeling bad, but also distracted by the fact that I wasn't bothered by them referring to me as their mate. I forced a smile on my face. “I’m sorry. I guess I should’ve asked.”
Marduk shook his head. “No, Danzig’s correct, and I was being a jerk. It doesn’t matter why you wanted us in the car. Besides, it was nice listening to you and Danzig talk as we drove here.”
“New arrivals!” someone yelled from behind Danzig. When he turned, I was able to see several people walking toward us. I didn’t recognize them, but they were all smiling broadly and carrying multiple bottles of beer.
That’s when I realized we hadn’t brought a gift for Mason.
“Damn it,” I muttered.
“What’s wrong?” Danzig asked.
“No birthday gift,” I said.
“Don’t worry about it,” Marduk said. “Mason doesn’t expect any gifts. He’s a gargoyle. They’re happy when everyone around them is safe and enjoying themselves."
The group walking toward us heard Marduk’s words.
“Hell yes!” one of them said, shoving a beer at Marduk. “You’re right. The best gift you can give a gargoyle is to have fuuuuunnnn!”
“In a secure location, with the consent of those around you,” another said with a laugh.
“Gargoyles tend to be protective,” Danzig explained. “It’s in their nature.”
“Do a lot of you guys have special aspects to your personalities?” I asked. “What would a J?rmungandr’s nature be?”
Danzig didn’t even hesitate to answer. “Find our mate.”
Marduk nodded. “Male J?rmungandrs are driven to find their soul bond and wrap their coils around them.”
“Not the female J?rmungandrs?” I asked.
“They’re a lot less likely to mate,” Danzig said. “Mom hasn’t found a mate yet, but I don’t think she’s looking. All the male J?rmungandrs I know have found their mates.”
“Except for Anders,” Marduk said.
Danzig’s mouth turned down. “I’d forgotten about Anders. He’s been asleep for so long.”
“Asleep?” I asked, intrigued.
“We can put ourselves into a sleeping state that’s similar to the way a bear hibernates," Marduk explained. “But we can do it for decades. I think he’s in a cave deep in the Canadian wilderness.”
That sounded alarming. “Are you sure he isn’t dead?”
“Mom checked on him five years ago and said he was still alive but unwilling to wake up,” Danzig said. “I’m sure he’ll emerge when he’s ready.”
Marduk grunted but didn’t add anything. I had a feeling there was something they weren’t saying, but I didn't want to ask. Someone didn’t go to sleep for years on end for a happy reason, so I was sure it was a sad story. I didn’t want to hear any more right now.
“Bec!”
I turned and flung my arms open. “Mila!”
We hugged as if we hadn’t seen each other for years instead of a few weeks.
“Darling, I missed you horribly,” I declared dramatically.
“My heart longed to be in your presence,” she said. “A minute is too long apart, and years aren't enough time together.”
“That’s it, I’m cutting Mila off from Bridgerton,” Carter muttered, walking up to us with Gio right next to him.
“Good luck with that,” Gio said with a little laugh.
Carter was an alpha wolf shifter. I’d been told an alpha wolf had a driving need to protect those around them, usually a pack member or a mate.
But Carter mated Gio, a powerful vampire who didn’t really need any one to guard him.
That led Carter into several instances of self-destructive behavior.
Then they’d met Mila and everything fell into place.
Both of them could focus on protecting and caring for my best friend and kindest soul in the whole damn world.
I’d found the entire story so romantic I’d made Mila tell me several times.
Pulling out of the hug, Mila faced Carter with her hands on her hips. “If I don’t get Bridgerton, you don’t get pastries.”
Now it was Carter’s turn to be melodramatic. He clutched his heart as if in great pain. “Mila, you couldn’t possibly be so cruel!”
“The power of Mila’s baking is legendary,” I said with a laugh.
“I’ve never had any,” Marduk said.
Everyone but Danzig gaped at him. “How?” I asked.
Marduk shrugged. “Uh, I just haven’t.”
“Do you not like to eat things that would make angels weep with joy?” I asked, making Mila blush.
“They’re not that good,” she said.
“They are!” I argued. “If they weren’t, your business wouldn’t be so successful. Didn’t you tell me that you’re renting an industrial kitchen now and hiring an assistant?”
“Yes, but that’s because Gio insisted,” she said.
I raised an eyebrow. “Mila, I need you to accept that you're fabulous so we can move on.”
She laughed. “Fine, I’m fabulous.”
“Well said,” I said, and grabbed her in another hug. When we pulled apart, more people had gathered around us.
“Did we move the party to the parking lot?” The question came from a young man with black hair and startling blue eyes.
“Hi, Jack,” Marduk said. “It’s been a while.”
Oh, this was Jack. He was Mason’s vampire mate. A startlingly delicate-looking woman emerged from behind Jack, also smiling broadly. That had to be Skyler the nymph, Jack and Mason's third.
“There’s a ton of food, and Mason would hate it if no one ate it,” Skyler said. “Let’s all migrate over to it.”
“Yes, Skyler,” several people chorused at once. Jack tangled his fingers with Skyler’s and the two walked away, the rest of us all following.
“I feel bad that I didn’t bring any pastries,” Mila whispered to me.
“You were told not to,” Gio reminded her. “Mason didn’t want anyone to have to do anything extra for his birthday except show up.”
“Next time I’m not listening to him,” she grumbled.
“I feel bad for not bringing a gift,” I whispered back. “We’ll coordinate what to do next year so neither of us has to feel guilty.”
She grinned at me and nodded. Gio didn’t say anything but I caught an indulgent expression on his face.
It was a short walk from the parking lot to a large grassy area between two houses.
There were several tables set up and covered in all types of food.
There were big speakers next to a DJ table, but no one was manning it yet.
Lights were strung between the two houses and there were tables and chairs set up along the side of one of the houses.
It all felt so festive and welcoming.
“This is great,” I said, moving to the food table. I was suddenly starving.
“It’s nice,” someone said behind me. “But not like the parties we throw.”
I turned to the stranger. “Oh?”
The guy nodded emphatically “Lobo Gris parties are legendary!"
“Of course you’d say that. Pack pride is at stake,” the woman next to him said. She gave me a grin. “This is Mikey, alpha of the Lobo Gris Pack. I’m Maddy, and human.”
“I’ve heard so much about both of you!” I said, happy to finally meet the leader of the well-known and loved Lobo Gris Pack. I held my hand out to Maddy. “I’m Bec. This is Marduk and Danzig.”
“We all know each other,” Danzig said, reaching past me to grab a few plates. He handed one to me and one to Marduk. “I have to agree with Mikey; his pack puts on some amazing shindigs.”
“Hey now!” another woman said. She was standing on the other side of the table, already holding a plate heaping with food. “This party only just started. Give us a little time to show how good we are.”
“Don’t worry, Adele,” Mikey said. “I’m here to help.”
The two teased each other about parties, exaggerating more and more as we all filled our plates. All the banter helped me figure out who belonged to the Clover Pack and who was a member of Lobo Gris.
It had been a long time since I’d been surrounded by so many happy, friendly people who weren’t harboring hidden grudges or murmuring snide remarks.
I’d grown up in a small community and my parents caused their share of drama among the upstanding Christian citizens of our area.
I’d been constantly punished by the community for their odd lifestyle.
Even after I’d established myself as a responsible, hardworking adult, I was still subjected to pettiness. It made me wonder why I put up with it for so long.
“Are you okay?”
I looked up to find Danzig’s concerned gaze focused on me.
I nodded. “Why do you ask?”
“You went still and were staring at Adele, Remy, Maddy, and Mikey as if they were aliens,” he said.
I blinked rapidly. “I guess I’m realizing that the perfect life I’d been looking for back in South Dakota was here in San Diego all along. It makes me feel like I wasted years.”
“Not wasted,” he said. “You spent those years learning. We don’t move on until we’re ready. You weren’t ready before. Now you are.”
“You’re a wise serpent,” I said.
He grinned. “Eve taught me everything.”
I barked out a laugh. “You’re funny.”
He batted his eyelashes at me. “Don’t forget handsome.”
“Stop flirting,” Marduk said, poking Danzig with his elbow. “Our mate hasn’t eaten enough today. She doesn’t need you distracting her.”
I finished filling my plate, then joined Mila, Cartar, and Gio at a long table. Soon after we sat down, the rest of the seats filled up.
It wasn’t long before the other people at the table introduced themselves as Cora, Pike, Kimble, Beatrix, Titan, and Arthur.
Arthur and Kimble were clearly vampires. It turned out to be easy to figure out who was a vampire since they didn’t eat and nursed their drinks as if sipping some strong vintage of wine.
I was pretty sure Cora was human, and from their sheer size, Titan and Pike had to be shifters.
Hey, I was getting better at this!
“This is Hugo,” Marduk said, showing his phone to Titan.
“Aw, he’s an adorable Frenchie,” Titan said, flipping through several pictures. How many images of Hugo had Marduk taken?
“He’s not ours,” I reminded Marduk.
“Yet,” Marduk answered. “I’m sure Gale will sell him to us.”
“Gale?” Titan asked.
“She hired me to find her dog,” I explained. “Her ex-boyfriend stole him.”
That started a conversation about what it was like to be a private investigator. I didn’t tell them that I was only part-time administrative help. It was fun to pretend, so I did. Thankfully the guys remained silent, although Danzig winked at me.
“Why didn’t you bring Hugo?” Titan asked when the questions and stories lulled.
“I wasn’t sure he’d be welcome,” I said. “I know a lot of people are allergic or scared of dogs.”
Titan and several other people laughed. “I don’t think you’re allowed to be allergic to dogs if you’re associated with a wolf pack, and we’ve all met things way scarier than even the biggest dog.”
I chuckled. “I’ll remember that for next time.”
“I want to talk to you about dogs,” Marduk said to Titan. “I think Hugo should have some friends. Do you have dogs that would be gentle with him?”
Titan’s grin widened. “Bring Hugo to our rescue, he can interview the dogs until he finds his new best friend.”
“Hugo. Isn’t. Our. Dog.” I said, enunciating every word.
“You said our dog,” Marduk said. “That’s all I heard.”
I shook my head, giving up. Looking over at Mila sitting across from me, I tilted my head. “I heard that there’s a book club. Do you think I could go? Maybe not until after I’ve taken the bar though.”
“No,” Marduk said.
“Don’t be like that,” Danzig said. “It'll be fine.”
“A hobgoblin runs the book club,” Marduk said. “That can't be good.”
“He's the reason Imani and her flock are alive,” Pike said. “He's a good guy.”
I exchanged laughing looks with Mila as everyone began talking about Sopek, the book-loving hobgoblin.
I suddenly realized I had a community that fully accepted me. I was introduced because of Mila, but I was here because they liked me also.
“You seem happy,” Danzig whispered into my ear.
“It took me a while,” I said. “But I've finally found my place.”
Marduk
I could tell that Bec was enjoying the hell out of talking to everyone at the table.
Her earlier moment of sadness was long gone.
It almost made her interest in the book club worth it.
Unsurprisingly, my lack of enthusiasm about Sopek led to a table-wide discussion among the diverse and mildly crazy group of book lovers.
“I know what you're thinking,” Arthur said. He was on the opposite side of the table as me and speaking softly, but I could hear him, and he knew it.
I lifted an eyebrow at him. “Oh?”
The vampire gave me a mildly evil grin. “You’re thinking that we’re crazy to let our humans hang around Sopek. Wait until your precious human makes friends with something extremely dangerous.”
That made me think of Ysabelle. My thoughts must’ve shown on my face because Arthur chuckled.
“I see you already know what I mean,” he said. “Keep in mind, whoever she’s already met, she’ll probably meet and make friends with other extremely powerful creatures. Our humans seem drawn to them.”
I rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache developing.
“Thanks,” I muttered and the bastard had the audacity to laugh.