Echoes of Fire (The Mercury Pack #4)(85)

Nick’s water spluttered out of his mouth.

Willow’s nose scrunched up. “I don’t know what it means,” she told Madisyn. “But I heard Daddy say it to Mommy, and she was smiling like it was fun.”

Cassidy rolled her eyes. “Duh. It means sex.”

Willow tilted her head. “What’s that?”

“It’s when adults nap. How could you not know that?”

“Well, they don’t sound like they’re napping when they’re in their room. I think they’re bouncing on the bed, because I heard the springs going like crazy.”

Nick’s head fell forward onto the table with a bang.

“And I think Mommy bounced too hard and hurt Daddy last night, because he said he was gonna spank her.” Willow looked at her mother. “What did you do, Mommy?”

Her face a fire-engine red, Shaya cleared her throat. “Eat your food, Willow.”

With his mate’s face planted against his arm as she silently laughed, Bracken kissed her hair, his own shoulders shaking. Other than the Alpha pair, everyone was stifling smiles and trying their best to contain their laughter. There were actually tears rolling down Harley’s face.

“So the mating ceremony,” said Shaya brightly. “Maybe we could get back to that.”

Composing herself, Madisyn straightened. “As I told Willow, we haven’t made any plans yet.”

“We can wait until all the shit with the Maverick Clan has blown over, if you want,” Bracken offered.

Madisyn looked at him in surprise. “You’d be happy to wait?”

Bracken shrugged. “No disrespect to the ceremony, but it won’t make us more or less mated.” The ceremonial words had no power. “It’s really just a celebration. A tradition. There’s no rush.”

“I’d rather wait.” She didn’t want other things to be on their minds throughout the ceremony.

“Then that’s what we’ll do.”

Setting another plate of toast in the center of the table, Kathy glanced at her daughter. “Is there a reason Eli keeps glaring at you?”

Roni shrugged innocently, digging into her food.

Marcus sighed at his mate, mouth curved. “Okay, what did you do?”

Roni sniffed. “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”

Guessing that the siblings had played pranks on each other again—something they did with a strange regularity purely for their own amusement—Bracken shook his head.

Marcus raised a brow at Eli. “Well, what did she do?”

Eli put down his cutlery, cheeks flushing. “What did she do? Oh, I’ll tell you. She put freaking mayonnaise into what I thought were custard fucking doughnuts.” He glowered at Roni. “What makes it worse is that I hate mayonnaise.”

Roni put a finger to her chin. “Now why would I do something like that? Oh yeah, maybe it’s because you decorated a sponge in chocolate frosting, sprinkles, nuts, and cream, and made me think it was a goddamn cake!”

“Tell me you didn’t still eat some of the frosting,” Eli dared.

“That’s not the point!”

Shoulders shaking with laughter yet again, Madisyn leaned into Bracken. “Tell me our kids won’t be like that. At least not as adults.”

He curled his arm around her. “According to Vinnie, if we have pallas kits close in age, pranks will be the least of our worries.”

She bit her lip. “Yeah, that’s true.”





CHAPTER SEVENTEEN



Friday night, everyone in the Velvet Lounge cheered and clapped as Harley drew out the last note on her electric violin.

“I never get tired of hearing her play,” said Madisyn. She wouldn’t have thought that the violin and club music would mix well, but damn was she wrong.

“I’d love to be able to play an instrument.” Ally sighed, wistful. “I’m better with languages. And brewing beer. Can you play any instruments?”

“Nu-uh. But I will use Claudia’s head like a bongo if she doesn’t stop staring at Bracken. Does that count?”

Ally laughed. “Ooh, that sounds like fun.”

The little bitch was sitting at her usual seat in the corner, snuggled up to some guy. They looked pretty damn cozy, and Claudia sure acted convincingly smitten with him. But every now and then, her eyes would seek out Bracken. Each time she saw that he was paying her zero attention, her lips flattened.

Honestly, it was like watching someone send a “See, I’m over you” message to her ex, showing him what he could no longer have. Only Bracken wasn’t her ex. He was just a guy who’d turned her down. And she apparently felt the need to make it clear that it didn’t bother her . . . which meant it very clearly did bother her. It all just seemed so petty. And strange, because Madisyn had never pegged Claudia as petty.

Watching the she-wolf stare adoringly at her companion, Madisyn blew out a breath. “She’ll make a good actress. If she lives through tonight.” Her cat really wanted to ensure that that didn’t come to pass.

“Pay her no attention. Seriously.”

“How can I ignore her?” Madisyn planted a hand on her hip. “She has to know I can clearly see her watching my mate.”

“Yeah, I think she wants to do exactly what she is doing—piss you off. In her mind, it’s your fault that Bracken won’t be with her. That’s how she’ll see it, because she’s too vain to think he’d ever not want her. Such a fragile ego she must have. We can only pity her.”