The Nightfall Mates

The Gremlin Strikes Again

The war room had finally gone quiet.

Mostly.

Will, Trey, Elijah, and Del stood around the table, going over the latest security reports.

The Northern Ridge attack had been contained.

The prisoners were secured.

Rae’s new security system was running throughout the territory.

For the first time in days, things almost felt normal.

Almost.

Trey leaned against the edge of the table.

“So,” he said, glancing at Elijah, “how many cameras did Rae install today?”

Elijah didn’t look up from the tablet in his hands.

“I stopped counting.”

Del laughed.

“I think she stopped counting too.”

Will rubbed his forehead.

“She installed enough equipment to monitor half the Bayou.”

“Three-quarters,” Del corrected.

Will stared at her.

Del shrugged.

“She was proud of that.”

Trey smirked.

“I’m starting to think we should’ve just given her the entire territory.”

Elijah’s mouth twitched.

“She would’ve asked for more.”

Del nodded seriously.

“Absolutely.”

A sudden burst of footsteps echoed from the hallway.

Fast footsteps.

Very fast footsteps.

Everyone turned.

Rae came flying around the corner.

Her eyes were wide.

Her hair was slightly wild.

And she was grinning like she had just discovered buried treasure.

“I HAVE A QUESTION!”

Trey blinked.

Elijah slowly lowered his tablet.

Will sighed.

Del smiled.

“What did you do?” Del asked.

“Nothing!”

Rae pointed dramatically at them.

“I need you to know that I am completely innocent.”

“That statement alone tells me you’re guilty,” Elijah said.

Rae gasped.

“Wow.”

She put a hand over her heart.

“Betrayal.”

Then she spun around and disappeared back down the hallway.

The room went silent.

Trey stared after her.

“What just happened?”

Del shook her head.

“No idea.”

Elijah looked at Will.

Will looked at the doorway.

“I don’t even want to know.”

A few seconds passed.

Then—

Laughter.

Loud laughter.

Remi came walking around the corner, trying unsuccessfully to contain herself.

She was laughing so hard she had to stop and catch her breath.

Will immediately straightened.

“What happened?”

Remi looked at him.

Then at Trey.

Then Elijah.

Then Del.

Her grin widened.

“Your gremlin happened.”

Trey’s eyebrows lifted.

“What did Rae do?”

Remi covered her mouth, trying not to laugh again.

“She scared two warriors so badly they nearly ran into each other.”

Del started laughing.

“How?”

“She walked into the training room while they were talking.”

Remi shook her head.

“And apparently one of them wasn’t moving fast enough.”

Trey looked confused.

“What did she do?”

Remi wiped the corner of her eye.

“She started singing.”

Elijah frowned.

“Singing?”

Remi nodded.

“In the most terrifyingly cheerful voice possible.”

Trey’s shoulders started shaking.

“What did she sing?”

Remi grinned.

“‘Move. Get out of the way.’”

Del burst out laughing.

“No!”

“Oh, yes.”

Remi continued.

“She sang it while walking directly toward them.”

Trey laughed.

“And they moved?”

“They practically teleported.”

Elijah shook his head.

“That sounds like Rae.”

Remi’s smile grew.

“And then she scared another warrior.”

Will already looked tired.

“How?”

Remi hesitated.

“She brought up his search history.”

There was a beat of silence.

Then Trey laughed.

“Of course she did.”

Del leaned against the table.

“What was he searching?”

Remi looked at them.

“Pictures of his Alphas.”

Elijah slowly looked at Will.

Will looked at Trey.

Trey looked back at Elijah.

Nobody spoke.

Del’s eyes widened.

“Wait.”

Remi nodded.

“He apparently has a very extensive collection.”

Trey started laughing again.

“Our warriors are never going to survive Rae.”

“She told him she wasn’t judging,” Remi added.

Del raised an eyebrow.

“She was absolutely judging.”

“Oh, definitely.”

Remi laughed.

“She told him that if he wanted pictures of his Alphas, he could simply ask.”

Trey shook his head.

“I don’t know whether to be offended or impressed.”

“Both,” Elijah said.

Will sighed.

“Where is she now?”

Remi pointed toward the hallway.

“Getting food.”

Trey frowned.

“Food?”

Remi nodded.

“She said she was hungry.”

“That explains why she ran,” Del said.

A few moments later, footsteps echoed again.

This time, Rae appeared carrying several large pizza boxes.

Behind her came two bags.

Then another box.

She kicked the door closed behind her.

“Good news!”

Everyone stared.

Rae smiled proudly.

“I was nice.”

Del immediately laughed.

“Oh no.”

Rae ignored her.

“I ordered pizza, cheese sticks, and wings.”

She placed everything on the table.

“And I ordered extra.”

Her smile grew brighter.

“I even got enough for everyone.”

Remi smiled.

“At least you thought of everyone.”

Rae froze.

Her excitement immediately disappeared.

She slowly turned toward Remi.

“Don’t rub it in.”

Remi’s smile widened.

Del laughed.

“You should’ve known food was coming. Look at her.”

Rae crossed her arms.

“What?”

Del pointed at her.

“You look like it’s Christmas morning.”

Rae looked offended.

“It is Christmas morning.”

Trey laughed.

“It’s September.”

“Emotionally, it’s Christmas.”

Elijah shook his head.

“I don’t understand her.”

“You don’t have to,” Del said.

Rae opened one of the pizza boxes.

The smell immediately filled the room.

Her eyes practically sparkled.

“Look at this.”

She lifted the lid.

“Perfect.”

Remi laughed.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I’ve had a difficult day.”

“You terrorized half the training room.”

“I encouraged workplace efficiency.”

Trey laughed.

“She has a point.”

Will gave him a look.

“Don’t encourage her.”

Rae pointed at Will.

“See? He understands me.”

“I absolutely do not.”

Rae gasped.

“Rude.”

Del reached into the box and grabbed a bread stick.

Then, without warning, she tossed it at Rae.

It bounced lightly off Rae’s shoulder.

Rae froze.

Slowly, she looked down at the bread stick.

Then back at Del.

Her mouth dropped open.

“You threw food at me.”

Del grinned.

“Yes.”

Rae looked genuinely horrified.

“There was absolutely no need to throw the food.”

Trey started laughing.

Elijah actually smiled.

Remi shook her head.

“You’re being dramatic.”

“I am not being dramatic.”

Rae picked up the bread stick like it had been personally betrayed.

“This was innocent food.”

Del laughed.

“You’ll survive.”

Rae hugged the bread stick to her chest.

“I’m not sure I will.”

Trey leaned toward Elijah.

“She might be the most dangerous person in the Bayou.”

Elijah glanced at Rae.

“Definitely.”

Rae pointed at both of them.

“I heard that.”

Will watched the chaos unfold around him.

For once, the war room wasn’t filled with reports of attacks, Nightshade, weapons, or threats.

It was filled with pizza.

Laughter.

And Rae dramatically mourning a bread stick.

His gaze shifted toward Remi.

She was laughing.

Really laughing.

Not the guarded smile she’d worn when she’d first returned.

Not the polite smile she gave strangers.

A genuine laugh.

Something inside Will’s chest tightened.

His wolf stirred.

Mate.

Will’s jaw clenched.

He looked away.

But the feeling didn’t disappear.

Across the table, Trey was watching Rae.

Elijah’s attention had settled on Del.

And for one brief moment, Will realized something.

The three brothers weren’t the only ones whose lives had changed.

The women had brought something into the Bayou that none of them had expected.

Chaos.

Power.

Laughter.

And something much more dangerous.

Fate.

Rae grabbed a slice of pizza.

“Okay.”

She took a bite.

Her eyes closed in happiness.

“Now I’m ready to forgive everyone.”

Del laughed.

“Good.”

Rae opened one eye.

“But nobody touches my cheese sticks.”

Trey reached for one.

Rae slapped his hand away.

“Don’t.”

Trey grinned.

“Worth a try.”

Remi laughed again.

And somewhere beyond the walls of the pack house, the night remained dark.

Watching.

Waiting.

Because while the Bayou was laughing…

Nightshade was still moving.