In the Company of Wolves (SWAT, #3)(77)

Mac helped find them a really nice multiple bedroom loft apartment in a renovated furniture factory over by Baylor University’s Dallas campus. The place had five bedrooms, a big, central kitchen, and best of all, allowed pets, so they’d not only be able to have Tuffie visit, but also get a dog of their own, something Jayna really wanted. With its proximity to the campus, the place would have normally been way outside their price point, but Mac had promised the owner’s college-aged daughter an internship at the paper where Mac worked in exchange for reduced rent. Plus, Eric had moved in with them, so they were sharing the cost with more people.

Jayna had been afraid the rest of her pack would have an issue with Eric moving in so soon, but they hadn’t even batted an eye. Jayna was still getting used to the fact that her whole pack knew every time she and Eric had sex though. It was a bit unsettling.

All in all, everything was going absolutely wonderful. If there was anything negative to pick out, it had to be what had happened to Eric’s bike. Jayna had gone out to the highway with him the next day to find his precious bike in pieces. Highway patrol had been picking them up and putting them in cardboard boxes. Jayna had thought Eric was going to cry, and she still felt terrible about it two weeks later.

She’d been all ready to help him pick out another Harley, but he’d surprised her by getting an SUV instead.

“Your whole pack won’t fit on the back of a Harley,” he’d told her with a smile.

Yet another reminder of why she loved him. But she was glad he hadn’t suggested a minivan.

Outside, a car pulled up to the fence. Eric immediately got up to unlock the gate so Megan could get in, but Max beat him to it, Alex on his heels. Jayna laughed. At least half the guys in Eric’s pack had a thing for Megan. There was something very intriguing to them about the small, quiet werewolf that went way beyond sex appeal and pheromones. Megan had risked her own life to save her pack leader, something every guy in Eric’s pack understood and respected.

But Megan had been busy recovering from the gunshot wound and working part time at the horse rehabilitation center, so she hadn’t hung out much with the guys in Eric’s pack. This would be her first real chance to socialize with them, and they were all more than a little eager to talk to her. It was like her debutante ball.

Eric’s pack mates stopped as soon as they saw that Megan was holding hands with Zak Gibson, Mac’s photographer and best friend. A person would have had to have been blind not to see the connection between the two of them. Megan was grinning from ear to ear, and there was a light in her eyes that Jayna had never seen before.

Jayna jumped up and hugged her friend. “I’m so glad you felt up to coming out today.”

“Dr. Saunders said it would be good for me to get out in the cold air for a bit.” Megan grinned. “Even if he hadn’t, I would have come anyway. There was no way I was going to miss this cookout, not after Zak told me how much fun they are.”

Saunders was a doctor Gage had developed a friendship with over the years. As crazy as it seemed, Gage had actually told Saunders they were werewolves, figuring they would need a doctor they trusted in case he or any of his pack ever needed serious medical attention. Jayna was already starting to realize the alpha of the SWAT pack was light-years ahead of her when it came to thinking of all the different ways to take care of your pack. She looked forward to learning from him.

“Sit,” Zak said to Megan. “I’ll go grab us some food.”

Eyes twinkling behind his glasses, he flashed her a grin, then jogged over to where Cooper was working the grill.

“Seriously, Megan,” Max said. “What’s Zak got that we don’t?”

Megan blushed but didn’t say anything.

“A brain,” Khaki said, and everyone laughed.

“Maybe it’s as simple as Zak being The One for Megan,” Eric said.

Megan’s color deepened even more at that, but luckily Zak came back just then and saved her from any more embarrassment.

“One what?” he asked, setting down two plates on the table, then sitting down beside Megan.

“I’ll tell you later,” she said softly.

Jayna caught the flash of green in Megan’s eyes as she hastily took the can of soda Zak held out. She hoped Eric was right and that Zak was The One for Megan. It would be like icing on the cake if her best friend could find the same kind of love she’d been lucky enough to stumble on with Eric.

“Hey!” Moe called from over by the volleyball net. “We’re starting another game. Any of you guys want in?”

Trey downed the rest of his burger in one bite and eagerly headed over to play, along with Xander, Khaki, Max, and Alex.

Jayna looked at Eric. “Aren’t you going to play?”

He leaned over and kissed her. “Nah. I’d rather make out with you instead.”

She laughed, not sure how much making out they’d be doing with his pack and hers barely twenty yards away, not to mention Megan and Zak sitting at the other end of the picnic table. Although they were so into each other, they probably wouldn’t have noticed what she and Eric were doing.

Jayna was the one who leaned in to give him a kiss this time. “Thank you.”

“For what?” he asked.

She gestured with her hand. “For all this. I don’t even like to think where my pack and I would be if you hadn’t gotten us out of the mess we were in.”