grabbing her hand and trying not to smile.
“I am not killing anyone!” she hissed at him.
“You will if you have to, Kari. You will or you’ll be killed and I’ll lose leadership of this Pack as well as a Mate. I know it’s hard to deal with. I’m sorry. You’ve dealt with so much in a very short time. But it’s the way we live and you’re one of us now.”
“Oh, lucky me!”
Before she could add anything else, Anna came in with a large covered platter and placed it at the head of the table.
“For you, Kari, in honor of your special night to come.” With a dramatic flourish, she removed the lid to expose a gorgeous cake covered in marzipan that was braided and looped in what looked to be vines. Tiny flowers and berries decorated the surface.
Deeply touched, Kari’s vision blurred as she blinked back tears. “Anna, it’s gorgeous. It must have taken you hours to do this. You’re amazing.” Without thinking, she reached out and ran her face along Anna’s cheek.
“Oh, reine . I’m honored you like it.” Anna’s voice was choked with emotion as she fell to her knees.
Kari knelt before the other woman and brought her face up with her hands. “I’m the one who’s honored, Anna. You do this Pack proud with your gifts—your kindness and your artistry. Do not kneel to me.” She stood and held her hand out to Anna, who took it and let Kari pull her to her feet.
After the cake, Kari went into the great room with her brothers-in-law-to-be and Perri, while Andreas stayed back to talk golf with some of the others.
Kari excused herself briefly to go upstairs and change into jeans and wool socks while Phillip waited outside.
Once back downstairs she joined Sean, Devon and Perri on the couch. Skye came and sat on the floor, leaning his head back on her legs, and she threaded her fingers through his hair absentmindedly. Perri leaned close on one side and Sean on the other. All around the room she could see small groupings just like theirs, where everyone was touching.
From her spot on the couch she could see Andreas talk and laugh with the others in the dining room. They clearly loved him and it made her proud. He looked up then and met her gaze, and the heat of it scalded her from across the room.
With a narrowing of her eyes, she also noticed that Johanna had insinuated herself into his group. Snorting derisively, she glanced back at Skye, who’d been speaking to her. His eyes went up to see what she’d been looking at and he gave a snort of his own. “Don’t sweat it. She’s nothing to him.”
Perri agreed. “I don’t know why she just didn’t leave the Pack last year.”
“Last year?”
“Oh, she dated Andreas a few times and he put the brakes on that. She actually sniffed around Devon for a bit and then she went out with Sean. Once it was clear the Phinney brothers weren’t interested, she moved on. Skye wouldn’t get near her, and Laurent and Phillip hate her so she went for Ryan. Sweet and wonderful Ryan, who really tried. He reached out to her but she broke his heart. Caused a huge fight between Ryan and Neil. Many of us felt she should have been exiled to another Clan but she begged to stay and Andreas relented. He felt sorry for her.” Disgust was plain on Perri’s face.
“Neil? I don’t think I’ve met him.”
“He’s dead. Ryan killed him. In my opinion—and this is just gossip, mind you—but in my opinion, Johanna set Neil up to try to make Andreas jealous. She led Neil on, and when he took the bait and mounted her, she yelped, making it seem like he’d tried to rape her. Ryan intervened, still thinking Johanna was his girlfriend, and he and Neil got into a fight, a really bad one. Ryan is high in the Pack hierarchy for a reason. Neil was stupid to forget that. He challenged and wouldn’t back down. He kept coming back at Ryan and it got him killed. Johanna never showed an ounce of remorse or even kindness toward Ryan, who was obviously upset
“I am not killing anyone!” she hissed at him.
“You will if you have to, Kari. You will or you’ll be killed and I’ll lose leadership of this Pack as well as a Mate. I know it’s hard to deal with. I’m sorry. You’ve dealt with so much in a very short time. But it’s the way we live and you’re one of us now.”
“Oh, lucky me!”
Before she could add anything else, Anna came in with a large covered platter and placed it at the head of the table.
“For you, Kari, in honor of your special night to come.” With a dramatic flourish, she removed the lid to expose a gorgeous cake covered in marzipan that was braided and looped in what looked to be vines. Tiny flowers and berries decorated the surface.
Deeply touched, Kari’s vision blurred as she blinked back tears. “Anna, it’s gorgeous. It must have taken you hours to do this. You’re amazing.” Without thinking, she reached out and ran her face along Anna’s cheek.
“Oh, reine . I’m honored you like it.” Anna’s voice was choked with emotion as she fell to her knees.
Kari knelt before the other woman and brought her face up with her hands. “I’m the one who’s honored, Anna. You do this Pack proud with your gifts—your kindness and your artistry. Do not kneel to me.” She stood and held her hand out to Anna, who took it and let Kari pull her to her feet.
After the cake, Kari went into the great room with her brothers-in-law-to-be and Perri, while Andreas stayed back to talk golf with some of the others.
Kari excused herself briefly to go upstairs and change into jeans and wool socks while Phillip waited outside.
Once back downstairs she joined Sean, Devon and Perri on the couch. Skye came and sat on the floor, leaning his head back on her legs, and she threaded her fingers through his hair absentmindedly. Perri leaned close on one side and Sean on the other. All around the room she could see small groupings just like theirs, where everyone was touching.
From her spot on the couch she could see Andreas talk and laugh with the others in the dining room. They clearly loved him and it made her proud. He looked up then and met her gaze, and the heat of it scalded her from across the room.
With a narrowing of her eyes, she also noticed that Johanna had insinuated herself into his group. Snorting derisively, she glanced back at Skye, who’d been speaking to her. His eyes went up to see what she’d been looking at and he gave a snort of his own. “Don’t sweat it. She’s nothing to him.”
Perri agreed. “I don’t know why she just didn’t leave the Pack last year.”
“Last year?”
“Oh, she dated Andreas a few times and he put the brakes on that. She actually sniffed around Devon for a bit and then she went out with Sean. Once it was clear the Phinney brothers weren’t interested, she moved on. Skye wouldn’t get near her, and Laurent and Phillip hate her so she went for Ryan. Sweet and wonderful Ryan, who really tried. He reached out to her but she broke his heart. Caused a huge fight between Ryan and Neil. Many of us felt she should have been exiled to another Clan but she begged to stay and Andreas relented. He felt sorry for her.” Disgust was plain on Perri’s face.
“Neil? I don’t think I’ve met him.”
“He’s dead. Ryan killed him. In my opinion—and this is just gossip, mind you—but in my opinion, Johanna set Neil up to try to make Andreas jealous. She led Neil on, and when he took the bait and mounted her, she yelped, making it seem like he’d tried to rape her. Ryan intervened, still thinking Johanna was his girlfriend, and he and Neil got into a fight, a really bad one. Ryan is high in the Pack hierarchy for a reason. Neil was stupid to forget that. He challenged and wouldn’t back down. He kept coming back at Ryan and it got him killed. Johanna never showed an ounce of remorse or even kindness toward Ryan, who was obviously upset
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