Alliance of Shadows, Book 5: LEIF

Unwanted Guests

Two freaking weeks, and still no word from Kaden on what he'd come up with for me. Called away on pack business or not, I was this close to calling Neil and giving him hell for letting it throw a wrench in my wedding plans.

Dreson strode into the kitchen and grabbed a cup from the holder on the counter. "You've been awfully quiet since the trial. Want to talk about it?"

"What do you want me to say, Dre? Your parents are still avoidin’ me," I murmured, giving the noodles a gentle stir. The steam clung to my face, curling up in little waves. The stovetop hummed faintly beneath the pot, and the air smelled faintly of garlic and herbs. "But I get it. They feel bad about it. They don’t know how t’ face what happened... and maybe they think I don’t want ‘em to."

He added the ingredients for his coffee to the cup, the spoon clinking faintly as he stirred. The old kettle behind him rattled gently on its burner, just shy of a boil. He breathed a quiet laugh, the sound low and tired. "That was the first time they ever pulled rank for someone. You ought to feel honoured, but I understand why you don’t. Have you heard from your aunt and uncle since, or did they drop off like the rest?"

"No, not at all." I set the wooden spoon down and let out a slow breath, shoulders sinking with it. The counter was cool beneath my hands, still smooth from the morning wipe-down. "But what if it’s all been for nothin’, aye? What if... what if speakin’ me truth only drove folk further off?"

He laughed again, softer this time. "Honey, if the truth pushed them outta your life, then they never mattered. You know your accent shifts every time you get upset?"

Heat rushed my face. I ducked my head, pretending to focus on the pot.

"f**k, you're adorable when you blush, babe," he muttered, leaning against the counter just as the kettle began to whistle. "The kids will be getting out of school soon. Did you want to stay here while I go pick them up, or do you want to come with me?"

"Soon" was nearly another hour away. Currently, I was making Heather's favourite dinner, chicken and broccoli fettuccine, as a reward for doing well on her recent Maths test.

I gave a small shake of me head. "No... but thanks for askin’, love. Means more than you know."

His arm slid around my waist. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

Laughin’ softly, I cupped his face, thumb brushin’ gentle over his cheek. "When have you ever missed your mark, love? I love you, too. You might not’ve worn shinin’ armour... but you were my knight, Dre. Always were."

"Oh, Gods, stop it," he huffed. "You know I hate the praise. It's the reason I don't like bein the Prince of all Druids. Too many people keep tryin to kiss my ass for s**t that's not even up to me right now. I don't see the point of bein a Prince if I gotta deal with these half-assed fakers, ya feel?"

Unable to hold it in, I started laughing. He glowered at me, sipping his coffee while waitin for me to pull myself together.

"Oh... gods," I panted, tryin’ to catch me breath. "I think your mam and Kaden might’ve rubbed off on you, love. Just now—you sounded just like him."

Blushing, he shrieked. "You take that back, Leif! I do not sound like my brother!"

"Oh aye, you surely do, love," I teased, keepin it soft. "Street lilt an everythin."

Dreson shrieked again. "Now you're in for it."

Leavin the noodles in the colander, I bolted for the stairwell as he tore after me. He was too quick from years of sparring with our Werewolf friends.

He snagged my tank, pulling me back as we both fell to the floor. Dre towered over me, a knee on either side of my waist.

"Take it back," he ground out.

Shaking my head, I felt his fingers slide over the flat planes of my stomach. I squeezed my eyes shut, squirming as he tickled my sides without mercy.

Kaden's familiar stomp echoed through the house. He moved into the spare room, barely giving us a passing glance.

Pushing Dre off of me, I got up and walked over to the doorway. "Everythin’s alright, aye?"

"Yeah, I'm just dog tired," he groaned. "Mom and Dad are picking the kids up for you guys, too, so I'm gonna try and catch a few Zs before Conner decides to jump on me again. Oh, and Akita says hello."

Akita, his Mate, was a pretty little black girl with a heart of gold and a temper that could match a rabid lion. She was born to lead, meant to be an Alpha—one of the rare female ones still standing. Her old pack hadn’t survived the Rogues. Now, she and her brothers were under the protection of the Shadow Storm pack.

"How are Neil and Izzy doing?" Dreson asked. We'd heard about Clara's pregnancy not long after returning from dealing with my mess. So far, she was holding up fine. I just hoped she and the baby made it through in one piece.

"They're great. Grand Luna Clara's feeling better. Alpha Henry’s still trying to get the Fox Shifter Alpha to join the Alliance, but I doubt it. Those people aren’t as tightly knit as us Werewolves." He murmured. His voice drifted off as his eyes slid closed.

Pulling the door shut, I made sure to lock it so that he could rest even when the kids were home. The hall around us was white-washed and airy, lined with delicate paneling that caught the soft light spilling in from the windows. Everything about it felt refined—not flashy, but quietly expensive. A single ornate bench rested against one wall, polished wood and hand-stitched cushions giving it that graceful kind of comfort only money could buy. At the far end, a curved staircase swept upward in clean, elegant lines.

"Poor thing... Kaden’s been run right off his feet, hasn’t he?"

"The downside of being an Omega," Dre whispered. "You forgot, didn't you?"

Was there something I was supposed to remember? Some special occasion I’d let slip?

"What ‘ave I forgot, love?" I asked, drawing him into my arms.

He grinned, eyes gleaming. "That's okay, I'm just going to have to remind you."

Still lost, I tried to piece it together. What was so special about today? Nothin’ came to mind.

Lana walked out of the office. "Dre, Colton's on the line. He wants to know if tonight is still a go for the group. Oh, and happy birthday, Leif! I got you something, but Tino's still trying to figure out how to wrap a gift so it doesn't look like a five-year-old did it."

My birthday was never something I enjoyed celebrating. Not since I was a kid. But I couldn’t keep livin in the past when I had these amazing people around me. People who loved me, and who I loved with everything I had.

"Gee, thanks for ruining my surprise, Lana," Dre muttered.

Paling, she slapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't know it was a surprise, Dre!"

"You are so lucky I love the hell outta my friends," my fiancé grunted. "It wasn't really a surprise, but Leif forgot his birthday, so I was gonna make it one to remember."

Kissing his cheek, I said, "Darlin’, anythin’ I celebrate with you... it’s somethin’ I’ll carry with me forever."

Lana squealed, covering her face with her hands. Her hair had been dyed dark blond, and she looked like a model straight off the pages of Business Weekly dressed in her office attire. A knee-length blue pencil skirt, calf-high boots, and a pale pink shirt under a fitted blue blazer outlined her curves and gave her a figure even I was jealous of. A soft summer breeze drifted in from the open French patio doors down the hall, tugging faintly at the edge of her blazer.

"Leif, you have got to be the sweetest man alive," she sighed. "I mean, Tino's amazing, but you totally take the romantic cake."

Blushing, I buried my head in Dre's neck and sighed. "I’m not much for big celebrations, hon... just not in me nature."

He rolled his eyes, "I know. That's why this is only friends and family. Between the two of us, we don't have that many..."

His voice trailed off as his gaze fixed on something near the entry. The foyer beyond the hall gleamed with soft natural light, polished tile warmed faintly by the late afternoon sun. The breeze carried hints of lavender and fresh earth through the open doors, mingling with the faint scent of brewed coffee and parchment drifting from Lana’s office. Dreson's body drew taut, like he’d been struck through the chest with tension.

I turned my head to see two older men approaching. One wore a knowing smirk, like he’d been waiting for the perfect time to cause trouble. The other held a look of quiet disappointment, gaze cool but direct.

"Cousin Drake. Grandfather," Dreson said darkly, addressing the two men. "What are you doing here?"