Dead After Dark (Companion #6.5)(18)

Fury walked her toward the table, to the right hand of Bride where a young, handsome wolfswain sat. His eyes darkened as he caught a whiff of her scent.

Angelia braced herself for his attack.

His eyes black and dilated, he stood up slowly. This was it . . .

He was going to throw her down for all of them.

Just as she was sure he would, he inclined his head respectfully to Fury, picked up his plate and glass and moved away to sit at the other end of the table.

Fury sat her in the vacated chair.

Bride, who’d been watching curiously, let out a sigh. “I take it the two of you will be joining us.”

Fury nodded. “We will.”

A younger wolfswain who was sitting across the table from her stood up immediately, making Angelia flinch. “I’ll get plates for them.”

Bride smiled kindly. “Thank you, Keegan.”

Thin and blond, he practically ran into the other room only to return with china and silverware. He handed one setting to Fury, then turned to Angelia. “Would you like me to serve you?”

“Sit, Keegan,” Fury barked.

He immediately put the place setting in front of her and returned to his seat.

There was so much tension in the room that Angelia could almost taste it. Ignoring it, Fury put food on their plates and then set one in front of her.

“Uncle Furry!”

She looked up to see Trace entering the room with Fang. He ran from Fang to Fury, who scooped him up into a tight hug.

“Hey, whelp.” He squeezed him even harder while the boy laughed in happiness.

“Trace hit his target!”

Fury laughed, his face softening to the expression she’d known so well in their younger years . . . before they were enemies. “Glad I wasn’t here for the potty training. Good job, Fang.”

Trace squirmed out of Fury’s arms to run to his mom. “Trace hit three ducks, Mommy.”

“That’s wonderful, baby. Good job.” She pulled him up to sit in her lap.

Fang’s eyes widened as he neared them and he, too, caught her scent. He sucked his breath in sharply, before he sat down on the other side of Fury. “Sorry you missed Thanksgiving this afternoon.”

Fury put more mashed potatoes on his plate. “Yeah, me, too.”

Angelia didn’t understand why that would make him sad. “Thanksgiving?”

Fury looked at her as he cut a piece of turkey on his plate. “It’s an American holiday. Every year they come together with their families to give thanks for their lives and company.”

“It’s why all the wolves are here,” Bride said. “The mated ones went home with their wives earlier. Traditionally, the unmated males stay here for dinner and marathon gaming tournaments.”

Again, she had no idea what they were talking about. “Gaming tournaments?”

“Video games,” Keegan said.

Fury scoffed at the young wolf’s eagerness. “She’s from medieval England, whelp. She has no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I can show you.”

Fang rolled his eyes. “Down, boy. Arcadian females equate being with us to bestiality.”

His face stricken, Keegan returned to his food and didn’t bother to look at her anymore.

One of the older males at the table pushed his plate back. “I’ve lost my appetite. Thank you, Bride, for the food.” He looked at Vane. “You need me to stay and help protect your house?”

“I’d appreciate it if you would. We still don’t know how many are able to wield whatever took down the lion.”

He inclined his head before he headed toward the living room.

Two of the others joined him.

Fang handed a bowl of bread to Fury. “So, Keeg, you been practicing Soul Calibur?”

Keegan grinned. “I’m going to pwn you so bad, buddy. No ring-outs this time.”

Vane laughed. “Careful, Keegan, he’s setting you up. Fang knows all the special moves for half the characters.”

That set up a whole conversation about a subject Angelia had no understanding of. But as they chatted and joked with each other, she relaxed.

Strange how they didn’t seem so animalistic like this . . .

They seemed almost human.

Trace slowly moved from his mother’s lap around the table to all the men who took turns holding him for a bit. When he got to Fury, he stood on his legs and reached over to her.

“You got drawing face like my daddy sometimes.”

Her cheeks heated up as that brought her back to the full scrutiny of the wolves.

The wolf on the other side of Keegan sighed heavily. “Damn, woman, stop panicking every time we look at you. We’re not going to throw you down and . . .” He stopped as he looked at Trace. “Do what you think we’re going to do. Yes, we know what’s going on with you. And no, we don’t do that to women.”

Bride took Trace back from Fury. She handed him a roll to eat while she directed her attention to Angelia. “I know you don’t know Katagaria customs. When a woman is . . .” She paused and looked at the baby before she continued, “in your condition, she selects the male she wants. If she can’t decide, they fight and she usually picks the winner, and if he doesn’t satisfy her, she picks another. But it’s always the woman’s choice. The males give their lives and their loyalty to their women. Since their survival hinges on their ability to procreate, that is hardwired into their beings.”