Two Minutes (Seven Series Book 6) (25 page)

Spartacus leapt on the back of his chair and proceeded to knead Wheeler’s scalp.

After Jericho took off, a few of them wandered into the kitchen to get dinner started.

“You okay?” Denver asked in all seriousness. His fingers hooked in the belt loops of my jeans, anchoring me in place.

I glanced up at him. “Do you think someone will come after me because of my mark?”

A muscle twitched in his cheek. “Let them try. They’ll have to get through me first, and no one is getting past me.”

He said it with conviction, and I didn’t doubt him for a second. I felt safe in his arms—protected.

As I always had.

“Aye Dios mio.”
Rosie held her cheeks and looked at me, dumbfounded. “All this time I thought you were a little human!”

I shrugged. “Everyone just assumed that because of my mom; it’s a long story,” I lied.

She jutted her hip to the side and planted a fist on it. Rosie was curvy with short curls of dark hair, someone I’d always admired because of her no-nonsense personality. “Well, it looks like I’m going to have to keep these boys away from you. Sometimes the older ones can smell a newly changed wolf, especially alphas. You just let me know if any of them bother you,” she said, wagging her finger.

It had been only a day since my first change, but the girls wanted to take me out for celebratory drinks. Denver had the night off, so it gave me uninterrupted time to spend with them. Everyone came, including Ivy, who was enjoying a soda along with Izzy, our designated driver.

“How did your mother accept the news?” Ivy asked quietly.

I pushed my beer bottle aside, having taken only a small sip. “Shock at first. Austin’s not much of a prankster, so it took a few minutes for it to sink in. She had to sit down, and all I could do was curl up beside her. I thought she was going to cry, but she was unbelievably supportive. She said Lexi and I would always have each other, and she wouldn’t want it any other way. But she still wants me to get a job and find a husband,” I said with a short laugh.

Lexi raised her beer. “Cheers to my mom, who will never give up the dream of grandchildren.”

“Maybe you and Austin should make her dreams come true,” Izzy suggested in a theatrical voice.

“When’s
your
next baby?” April asked Izzy, a teasing smile playing on her lips.

Izzy held up her hands. “Hell’s bells, I’ve got my hands full with two rambunctious alphas. I need a break for a couple of decades before I do that again.”

Lexi nursed her beer, her eyes staring vacantly at the table.

I scooted my chair closer and put my hand on top of hers beneath the table. “Lexi has too much going on right now to worry about kids. Sweet Treats is booming, and I’m trying to talk her into expanding to another store.”

April choked on her beer and set it down. The bottle nearly tipped until she snatched the base. “Who’s going to run it? My hands are full at the candy store!”

“Don’t panic,” Lexi said, holding up her hands. “It’s just an idea I’m tossing around. We can’t spare anyone else in the pack, so I’d have to hire an outsider. I was thinking about Rosie, but
don’t
say anything to her about it.”

Izzy leaned forward, eyes wide. “That would be perfect! Rosie is wasting her time in a place like this. She could totally manage a store on her own, and she’s already experienced with hiring, firing, and reviewing inventory. Jake really leans on her for a lot of stuff.”

Lexi nibbled her lip, clearly excited to have support on the idea. “Mum’s the word. I don’t want her to think I’m plotting her future when I haven’t even asked if she’d be interested. I’m still not sure how much she makes here compared to what I’d pay her, not to mention she might not like the atmosphere. It’s laid-back.”

Izzy rubbed at the scar on her wrist. “Trust me, laid-back is a good thing. We’re busy in the store, but it’s a breath of fresh air to not have a slobbering drunk calling you a whore when you don’t bring their beer fast enough. I have yet to meet an upset customer—except for that woman who insisted there was a hair in her cake and wanted a year’s supply of free food. The hair was blond. We don’t have any blondes working in the bakery.
Bitch
.” Izzy pursed her lips and then gracefully sat back. “Hiring Trevor was the best decision you ever made. Our customers
love
him. I’m so used to working with bitches with attitudes, so it’s nice to actually look forward to going to work around people who aren’t acting like vultures for tips. Rosie would fit right in running a shop like ours.”

I watched Izzy touch her scar again. “Does it bother you to have that?” I asked bluntly, abruptly shifting the topic.

Her smile withered. “No. Once in a while I get a jackass who wants to point it out, like I’m flawed, but you have to ignore that kind of thing.” Her eyes skated up to my lip and forehead.

The cut on my head had healed pretty well, and since my hair naturally fell over it, people didn’t seem to notice. But the indentation on my lip couldn’t be ignored. Lipstick would conceal it fairly well, but I rarely wore makeup.

“I really don’t care what I look like,” I said. “But if people are going to treat me differently because of one stupid scar—”

“You have nothing to be concerned about,” Ivy said, touching the tip of her cane, which rested against the table. “Most Shifters don’t care about such small things since we can scar as children; it’s other Breeds who are more preoccupied with perfection. Scars are a testament to your bravery, not a symbol of weakness or inferiority.”

“I could have lost a leg or fractured my face. Would I have accepted Denny’s claim had my injuries been worse?”

“Denying him would have meant turning away from the love of your life,” she said.

“Who’s to say he would have even wanted me?”

Ivy smiled knowingly. “The true test of a man’s love is whether or not he can love you
because
of your flaws, not despite them.”

“A scar isn’t a flaw,” Lexi said, eating a giant nacho chip dripping with processed cheese. “That’s what you call character. They’re sexy as hell on a man, so I don’t see why it should be any different for a woman. I think scars make a person more interesting because it says they’re a little tougher than the rest of us. Although—no offense, Naya—I’d rather not see all of Wheeler’s scars when he’s parading around in that skimpy underwear you keep buying him. Boxer shorts I can deal with, but there’s barely enough material to make an eye patch. Some things are just not meant to be seen.”

Naya twirled a lock of hair around her finger when we giggled. “I think he’s sexier undressed,” she said with a purr. “Scars, tattoos—the whole package. And yes, ladies, it’s a
big
package.”

Lexi rolled her eyes. “Yeah, we’ve all seen that package. But would you mind telling him to put on pants before digging in the fridge while I’m eating breakfast? If I see much more than I already have, we might end up being legally married in some states.”

“Speaking of,” Naya said with a wink. “Have you talked Austin into a traditional wedding?”

“That’ll be the day,” April blurted out. “She’s been putting that bug in his ear for ages.”

Naya frowned at Lexi. “Don’t give me your bitchy face. It’s a legitimate question.”

“I’m not a human anymore,” Lexi said with an indifferent shrug.

I poked her arm. “So? You grew up human, and how much fun would that be to have a real wedding? I don’t see why he would be against it. We’d have an excuse to have a huge party at the house. All you have to do is suggest beer kegs and classic rock and I bet he’ll be all for it.”

Naya studied her black nail polish. “Lexi wants it to be his idea, and I agree. A woman shouldn’t have to pressure a man into romance or else the gesture doesn’t mean anything.”

“That’s true,” Lexi said. “Anyhow, Austin will never be able to top blowing up my car.” After a sip of her drink, she gave me a cursory glance. “Here’s some awkward news. Nadia has been calling the house. It’s been going on for weeks.”

My brows popped up. “Did you tell her about us?” Suddenly I felt territorial about Denver, something I’d never experienced. It must have been my wolf, because I wrestled with a primal urge to locate Nadia’s car and destroy it.

Lexi licked the cheese from her finger. “Yep. She knows
all
about you two and apparently doesn’t give a shit.”

“In all fairness, darling,” Naya began, “Denver and Maizy aren’t mated. Shifters believe anyone who isn’t mated is pursuable. Nadia isn’t a bad person; I would never fix anyone in our pack up with a heartless toad.”

“Well, she needs to stop calling because it’s pissing me off,” Lexi snapped. “Denver’s been ignoring her calls, so now she’s taken it upon herself to call the house. I can’t put her on call block because she finds ways to get around it. Don’t be surprised if she starts calling you,” Lexi said, giving me a tilt of her head.

I shrugged. “Let her. Maybe she has more to offer Denny, but she’ll have to fight me for him,” I said with a conniving smile.

Lexi wrapped her fingers around her beer bottle. “Don’t even entertain the idea she has more to offer. Nobody outshines my baby sister, no matter how wealthy she is. Plus, Denver will take a bribe of Pringles over a new car any day.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, breaking into a laugh.

She sat up tall. “Denver is a man with unique priorities, and nobody knows that better than you.”

I clinked my bottle against hers and set it back down. A waitress rushed past our table with a tray of burgers, and the flavorful aroma made my mouth water.

“So what’s your craving?” April asked. “Reno’s so funny. He acts like his craving is no big deal, but he’s grumpy if he doesn’t get his bacon after a shift.”

“Promise not to laugh?”

Who was I kidding? They were going to laugh.

Everyone put on their best honesty face and held up their hands in a solemn promise.

I uncrossed my legs and played with the hem of my white skirt. “I haven’t told Denver yet. He hasn’t asked, but…”

“Well, go on,” Lexi said, bubbling with anticipation.

“Cheese puffs. Either the round balls or the long puffs. Classy, huh? Denver will probably get a huge kick out of it since it’s one of his favorite snacks.”

Izzy opened her mouth and laughed. “I can’t say a thing about it since I’ll take a man down for a bag of popcorn. What is it with us and junk food? Lexi has the pudding thing, and Naya won’t even tell us.” Then she gave Naya a sly look. “I bet it’s beef jerky and she’s too embarrassed to admit it.”

Naya merely splayed her fingers in front of her face and admired her manicure.

Izzy sipped her soda and laughed quietly. “Ivy’s the only one around here with a semi-healthy craving. At least you can put cream cheese on celery.”

Ivy stroked her hand down her braid and smiled warmly. “Yes, but I prefer it straight out of the container.”

April poked out her tongue in horror. “What does Lorenzo like?”

“Honey. Although he swears by the gods it’s really me he craves,” she said with a blush on her cheeks.

Lexi took a sip of beer. “That’s what they
all
say. There’s no denying that men get amorous after their shift.”

April snorted and feathered her hair away from her face. “Reno likes spooning.”

“At least he doesn’t bring dead animals to your bed,” Izzy said with a snort.

This was a new aspect of Shifters I was learning about—the inside scoop on what it was like to be mated to one.

Mated. My gosh, was I considering that? I wondered if I should wait, or how the whole thing worked. Would I be allowed to stay in the house? Would Denver be able to commit? Did I need more time?

Now I sat at the table as one of the women in our pack, seeing each of them in a new light. How gorgeous April was, still keeping her hair cropped and trendy, still picking out wild colors for her nail polish. Reno adored her and had even built a giant bookshelf on one side of their bedroom. She was still as clumsy as ever, but it was endearing because it was just a part of who she was. Izzy was still the fiery redhead of the pack, but she also had a calmer side that kept Jericho anchored. Naya was a shameless flirt, but her intentions were in the right place. Lexi would always be my beautiful sister who looked opposite me with long brown hair, brown eyes, and high cheekbones. I used to want to be just like her when I grew up, someone who was easygoing but yet not afraid to speak her mind. In many ways, those traits had rubbed off on me.

Through changed eyes, these women were now extraordinary to me. Even Ivy, who was part of our extended family. I’d always liked Lorenzo, despite his brutish ways. He protected those close to him and adored his family. He and Ivy were a different kind of couple than Lexi and Austin, but still balanced.

I wondered how I balanced with Denver—if we complemented each other in a way that would impress others. Or maybe we were just the comic relief in the pack.

“Earth to Maizy,” Lexi chanted.

“Sorry. I’m having adjustment problems.”

Izzy arched a brow. “Just wait until you meet our wolves.”

Naya waved a waitress over. “Can’t be any worse than when my panther met the pack.”

Izzy continued with one of those
you had to be there
stories. “Jericho’s wolf is obedient to Austin, but he’s also fearless. At least until Naya shifted. He went ballistic—barking and growling at her. Austin had to intervene and talk him down. When Jericho’s wolf realized she was a new member of the pack, he peed on the floor.” Izzy laughed so hard she began coughing, then took a quick sip of soda to clear her throat. “My poor man. He knew attacking her would jeopardize his rank with Austin.”

Panthers are a natural enemy to wolves, and it amazed me how easily the pack had accepted Naya’s animal. “What about Denver’s wolf?”