Cole's Redemption (Alpha Pack #5)(38)

And right now, what his mate needed wasn’t sexual.

She needed her mate to hold her, to let her know he was there. Would always be there to cherish her. Come what may, she was his.

She’d suffered quite a blow to her Get Nick campaign, and her world paradigm was shifting. Without her anger to use as a shield against the world, she was lost.

She was simply a woman who needed her man to hold her bruised heart.

So that’s what he did. All through the afternoon and the night. He tucked her close to his heart and let her know, without words, that she could trust him. That she was his.

Sometimes, words weren’t necessary at all.

Eight

The next day, Selene walked around in sort of a daze.

She didn’t see much of her father, but Zan was there, hovering all the time. She thought it was sweet, but really he needed to train, to do whatever he and his Pack did when they weren’t fussing over and f**king their mates.

Not that the f**king part wasn’t fun. She and Zan had done plenty of that when they’d woken up this morning, eager to explore each other’s bodies. Again. They’d been so enthusiastic, they’d chipped the wall because the headboard had been banging against it so hard. The memory made her smile.

She spent the rest of the day fending off her mate’s roaming hands. Horny wolf.

That night, however, was the party with the other women. Selene couldn’t contain her nerves.

She’d never had a gaggle of girlfriends, hadn’t been invited to many birthdays or slumber parties. After her mother’s murder and her father’s subsequent abandonment, she’d become even more unreachable emotionally, and eventually the invitations had ceased altogether.

The emotional distance she put between herself and others that made her perfect for a job as one of her uncle’s enforcers also made her a social misfit in every other respect.

As she peered at herself in the bathroom mirror, a pair of manly hands clasped her shoulders. “Relax. You’re going to be fine.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re not the wolf from the wrong side of the tracks being scrutinized by the PTA committee.”

He laughed. “I promise they’re not as bad as a bunch of soccer moms. Not even close. Go with an open mind and you might even be surprised.”

“I’ll be surprised if I’m surprised. Does that even make sense?”

“Yes.” He spun her around and gave her a smoldering kiss. “Now, go and have a good time. Don’t threaten to kill anyone and you’ll be gold.”

She scowled at him. “That’s not funny.”

“Then you need to work on your sense of humor. Go.”

Rolling her eyes, she swept past him and through their quarters, out the door. In the hallway, she huffed, realizing she’d just thought of his apartment as theirs. That was an interesting mental tell. Was she accepting her mating to the gorgeous black wolf? It seemed so.

And I do too have a sense of humor!

His gentle laugh sounded in her mind, and she couldn’t help but smile. Zan had a way of making people feel good. Anyone could see that, and she was slowly coming to realize how lucky she was that the man was hers.

She pondered that on the way to Kira and Jax’s quarters a few doors down. But with a shield over her thoughts. Wouldn’t do for her mate to get too big of a head.

At Kira’s door, she knocked and waited to be let in, and was surprised by the friendly greeting she received. Kira, Mac, Rowan, Melina, and Daria were sitting around sipping red and white wine—except for Mac, who held a glass of milk. Mac was sitting on the comfy-looking sofa, round belly sticking out so that it appeared she’d swallowed a basketball. With her free hand, she scratched the mound and then rested her palm on top of it.

“Damn,” Mac muttered, then panted a few breaths. Everyone paused.

Rowan started to rise. “What’s wrong?”

But Mac waved her down. “Nothing. Just been having a few contractions today. I’m fine.”

“If you’re sure . . .” But the other woman didn’t seem convinced.

“Jeez, stop worrying! You guys are all like a bunch of mother hens.”

“Can I get you something?” Kira asked, returning her attention to Selene.

“White, please?” She didn’t drink a lot of wine, but she didn’t see beer in evidence. When in Rome and all that.

In seconds she had a glass in her hand and was perched on a chair, part of the circle of friends. Sort of.

Daria must’ve sensed her discomfort, because she leaned over and spoke quietly in her ear. “I was the newest one before you, not too long ago. So I know how you feel.” She patted Selene’s knee. “But really, it’ll be all right. These are good people, but it’s a strange world, for sure.”

“I come from a stranger one; trust me.”

“Really? Would you mind telling me about your pack?”

Pleased that the other woman took an interest, she described her clan as she had to her mate. Daria and a couple of the other women were listening, nodding and asking intelligent questions about how their society was run. That made her feel good, too. Like she wasn’t such an outsider.

“At least you were already a wolf,” Daria said. “Try being human and getting thrust into the paranormal world. Talk about culture shock!”