by Bru Baker
Joss’s face crumpled, and this time Danny did move forward and hug him.
“Hey, no. This is a good thing. Do you want to stay here? I’m a little biased, but I can tell you the Torres family is awesome.”
“No, I know,” Joss said thickly. He pulled away and dashed his tears with his arm. “Thank you, Mrs. Torres. No foster parent has ever said they wanted me before.”
There wasn’t a dry eye in the living room as Max’s mom came over and wrapped her arms around both of them.
“Call me Deenie, sweetheart,” she said. “Sam and I would be honored if you’d trust us enough to let us take care of you.”
“I appreciate the place to stay, but I don’t really need anyone to take care of me. I’m not a kid.”
Deenie shushed him. “You haven’t had enough time to be a kid, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t one. This one is still a kid to me too,” she said, taking Danny by the chin and squeezing gently. “He needs someone to take care of him, but Max beat me to it. Not that I’m going to pass up any opportunity I get.”
She patted his leg. “Eat your snack. The kids are coming for dinner. I’m sure Max will shoo out the rest of the Pack.”
The chocolate chip cookie Joss handed him was still hot. Danny took a bite and was surprised to find he was ravenous. He’d been too worried about Max to eat breakfast.
Deenie raised an eyebrow, and he could swear her eyes were twinkling. “I’ll bring some sandwiches to tide you over.”
Joss cast a worried glance at Danny once she’d left. “Are you okay with me staying here?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? They’re great, Joss.”
“Because this is your boyfriend’s family. I don’t want to mess this up for you. You know foster families and I don’t mix. What if they end up hating you because you brought me into their lives?”
Danny sat up and grabbed for Joss. Stars spun in front of his eyes, but he got a good grip on him and hauled Joss in close.
“Listen. You deserve wonderful things. The problems you’ve had with other foster families are on them, not you. I’ve read your case file, Joss. Every problem you’ve had can be traced back to rotten foster parents or issues you couldn’t help. But Deenie and Sam know what you are. You don’t have to hide around them. And they’re pretty awesome people. You could be happy here if you let yourself.”
Joss shrugged and kept his gaze on his feet. He was wearing a pair of Sam’s socks, which were covered with kittens and tacos. Joss hadn’t had anything with him when they brought him home, so Deenie had rounded up some clothes for him to borrow after herding him upstairs to shower off all the blood and dust from the diner. The socks were so Sam, as much so as he and Deenie offering to take in a complete stranger because he needed help. It was such a Torres family kind of thing to do.
Deenie had moved in on him like a mother bear, and Danny didn’t think Joss was ever going to be able to extract himself. The thought made him smile.
“I know you think you’re old enough to be on your own. Maybe you’re right. But give them a chance, okay?”
Deenie called Joss into the kitchen, and Danny kept an ear on them. That was normally rude, but Joss was one of his charges, and he was fragile right now—Danny wasn’t taking any chances. It was clear Deenie was fluent in teenage boy, and Danny let himself lose the thread of the conversation and sink back into the pillows once he was sure things were on the right track.
After a while, Joss returned with a plate of sandwiches and two glasses of tea. Deenie seemed committed to keeping them hydrated and fed.
“Alpha Connoll called. I’m going to stay here with Deenie and Sam for now, but he said he’d start the process of getting certified to adopt me if I want,” Joss said. He looked a little shell-shocked. “He has a couple selkies in his Pack, and he said his youngest son is only a few years older than me, so he thought I might be comfortable with them.”
Danny wasn’t surprised. This had his mother’s fingerprints all over it. His throat went tight, and he swallowed hard. He didn’t want Joss to think he was upset—he wasn’t. This was amazing news.
“Alpha Connoll is a great guy,” he said. “And I’ve met his youngest, Ryan. I think you’d like him.”
The ghost of a smile curved Joss’s lips. “I’ve always wanted a brother.”
“You’ll have more than you know what to do with if you take him up on his offer. Alpha Connoll has a couple kids, and they live in a building full of Pack.”
Danny caught Max’s scent a few seconds before the front door opened. He dropped his sandwich on the scratchy afghan and bolted off the couch. His stomach rolled at the spike of pain in his head, but he ignored it as he raced to Max’s side.
Max had a few healing scrapes across his knuckles and a split lip that was fading, but other than that he looked unharmed. He had a bag in his hands, which he held out to Joss.
“Ohmigod,” Joss moaned, ripping his seal skin out of the bag. He rubbed his face against it and held it tight to his chest like he was never going to let it out of his sight again. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Max gently lifted Danny and headed for the stairs. “You’re welcome, kid. Do you need to go for a swim? I’m sure someone could take you to the harbor.”
Danny pressed his aching head against Max’s chest, his steady heartbeat soothing the tension in Danny’s muscles.
“Maybe later. I just want to sleep for days right now. It’s hard to be apart from it. It’s like losing a piece of myself.”
Max moved his hand so he could rest his palm against Danny’s neck, and Danny whimpered in relief. The lights were still too bright, and the smell of the sandwiches on the sofa made his stomach lurch, but the pain that had speared through his head was manageable now.
“You should eat something before you go to sleep, Joss. You’re too skinny. I’m going to make sure Danny gets some rest too.”
Danny smiled against Max’s shirt as Max carried him up the stairs, careful not to jostle him too much. Max put him down in a cushy chair in the corner of the room that must have been his when he lived at home. Max’s scent was stale, like he hadn’t visited recently, but his was the most pervasive scent in the room.
He turned down the bed and moved like he was going to pick Danny up again, but Danny’s dizziness had abated, and he wasn’t going to let Max damsel him again. He stood up, shaky but okay, and made his way over to the waiting bed.
“Are you going to nap with me?”
Max worked open his belt. “After a shower, sure.”
Danny watched him strip as he worked up the courage to ask how the raid had gone. He felt ridiculous, being afraid to bring it up, but he didn’t know how he’d react if the witches had gotten away. Danny wasn’t used to putting his life on the line like Max was—he didn’t know if he could handle knowing that the people who wanted him dead were still out there.
“Did you get the coven?”
“The Enforcers did all the heavy lifting. Jackson and I were there to assist,” Max answered. “They called in the Fae Guard to kill them since they could do it bloodlessly. Otherwise this case would have to be left open.”
Danny was relieved they were dead, and he hated himself a bit for it.
“No more questions,” Max said when Danny opened his mouth again. “You’re going to nap till dinner. I’ll wake you when it’s time. Tori is bringing pancit just for you.”
Danny’s eyes were heavy, but he’d waited hours for Max, and he didn’t want to go to sleep yet.
“Ray’d beat me up for it,” he murmured.
Max chuckled. “He’d be on the floor as soon as he took the first step.”
The promise of sibling violence made Danny smile. “Will you lie with me after you shower?”
Max tucked him in and kissed his neck. “Of course. I brought my paperwork here so I could work on it and watch over you. Officially Oscar and I got a tip and found the suspects dead in the warehouse. Jackson broke a gas pipe on the way out, so it wi
ll be attributed to that.”
“Won’t they run tox screens?”
Max snorted. “Listen to you. You consummate your mate bond with a cop and suddenly you’re busting out words like tox screen? And no, it’ll be fine. Alpha Connoll has a guy in the ME’s office. Jackson’s taking care of it.”
Danny’s eyes were heavy, and it was an effort to keep them open. But he wanted this time with Max, who was already heading to the bathroom.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was trying to find Joss.”
Max walked back and sat on the edge of the bed. He stroked Danny’s hair. “I’m not going to say I’m not angry about that. But I get it now. Joss is family. I’d do the same for one of my nieces or nephews.”
Max hadn’t said like family. Danny forced his eyes open.
“Did you ask your parents to offer to foster Joss?”
Max’s entire face lit up. “I didn’t have to ask them. They saw a kid who needed help, and they acted on their own. Not that I wouldn’t have asked them to—I just didn’t need to.”
Just when Danny thought he couldn’t love this family more, something like this happened.
“Go take your shower so you can come back and cuddle me,” he murmured.
Max left the T-shirt he stripped off on the bedside table, and Danny grabbed it without thinking, burying his nose in it as he curled up in bed. Knowing Max, it had probably been intentional. There rest of his clothes were in a heap by the bathroom door.
Danny’s headache eased and his tension slid away. He fell asleep to the sound of the shower.
Chapter Fourteen
“I’M scarred for life,” Sloane said as she draped herself dramatically on the blanket Max had set up in the shade.
He was shucking corn into a huge bowl to be cut up and added to the clambake they were having later this afternoon. One of Mrs. Cresswell’s dearest friends, Ina, had offered her place in East Hampton for the Janus Foundation fundraiser, and it had spiraled and spiraled until it resembled nothing like the stuffy garden party she’d been planning.
Max couldn’t be happier about that. He’d gotten more comfortable at stuffy formal fundraisers over the last few weeks, but he still appreciated the reprieve.
“Are you even listening? Aunt Veronica is wearing shorts, Max. I know you’ve only known her a month, but she doesn’t wear shorts. I’ve never seen her wear shorts in my life. And she’s elbow-deep in meringue, but she’s smiling.”
“I take it she’s not much of a cook?”
“They’re making a truckload of pavlovas. I’ve never even seen Aunt Veronica make a bowl of cereal, and she’s in there making meringue with Ina.”
“Give her a break. She’s having fun. And she could hardly ask for a better teacher. Ina has the patience of a saint.”
She’d insisted on making the food for the fundraiser. Max had been there when Mrs. Cresswell had mentioned a caterer—Ina had pitched a fit.
“It’s bizarre. I can’t believe she let you two talk her into turning afternoon tea into this. It’s going to be a huge mess.”
“I didn’t have much to do with it. That was all Danny and Ina conspiring. But it was her own idea to invite the kids.”
That had been a shock. Once they’d nixed the garden party, Mrs. Cresswell had decided to invite the foundation kids and their foster families. She’d rented buses to bring guests to the party.
Most of the foster families hadn’t taken her up on it, but a few had. Joss was in charge of checking everyone into the bus and making sure they left on time. He’d matured so much since he’d come to live with Max’s parents.
It had been three weeks since the witches had attacked them. Danny had taken a few days to recover from his concussion, and Joss had stepped up to help out at the foundation while Danny was stuck at home.
A shadow fell over the bushel, and a second later Danny dropped down onto the blanket. He smelled briny, and his skin was damp and clammy.
“Did you seriously go swimming?”
Danny grabbed an ear of corn and joined in the shucking.
“Just to cool off. I ran down from the marina.”
Sloane’s jaw dropped. “You ran down from Montauk?”
Danny grinned. “It’s only, what, fifteen miles?”
She pointed a piece of corn at Max. “You broke him. I can’t believe you ran fifteen miles like it’s nothing.”
“It is nothing,” Danny said. “I mean, a month ago it probably would have killed me. But you’d be surprised how fast your body acclimates. Max and I started going for an evening run. It’s actually pretty relaxing.”
“Just wait until you’ve officially joined the Pack,” Max said. “If you haven’t been tuned in with the Connoll Pack, the power rush you’re going to get from ours will be insane. Healthy Packs draw energy from each other.”
Sloane frowned. “What if I don’t want an energy boost?”
Max couldn’t imagine not wanting to feel connected. “I don’t mean energy boost like go run twenty miles energy. I mean, there will be some of that for you. More for Danny, since he’s Alpha Mate. It’s hard to explain. I guess it’s more of a mental thing? Like, you know they like you, but now you can feel it.”
“What if someone doesn’t like you? Do you feel that?”
Max laughed. “A Pack bond isn’t like a friendship. They can’t dislike you on a Pack bond level. Like, take me. You annoy the ever-loving shit out of me most of the time, but my Pack bond to you is going to feel like nothing but love and acceptance. My brain might think you’re a pain in the ass, but my heart knows you’re Pack, and Pack is family.”
Sloane threw a corncob at him, but she discreetly wiped her eyes after. He needed to remember that Sloane and Danny weren’t coming from the best Pack situation. A lot of the better parts of Pack dynamics were lost on them because they’d never seen them in action.
“If that freaks you out, we can wait. You certainly don’t have to join until you’re ready, whether that’s this moon or a moon six months from now or never. It’s up to you.”
“Are you thinking about not going through with it?” Danny asked, expression worried.
“No, I’m not backing out,” Sloane said. “I’m joining with you.”
Danny’s grin was brighter than the late-morning sunshine. He tossed an ear of corn into the bowl. “What are we doing with these, anyway?”
“Ina said they were for the clambake,” Max said. They’d made quick work of the bushel. He gathered up all the stalks and silk and pushed them into the basket. Ina had a huge compost pile on the back of her property, and he’d promised he’d dispose of them properly.
“You two take this up while I deal with these,” he said. “I’m sure Ina and Mrs. Cresswell could use help in the kitchen.”
“Wait, my mother is cooking?”
Max listened to Sloane moan about how traumatizing it was to see Danny’s mother in the kitchen as they walked back up to the house. He composted the corn stalks and left the empty bushel basket by one of the dozens of raised garden beds. He’d been tasked with harvesting tomatoes for a salad later, and he’d grab it then.
The yard was beautifully landscaped and carefully tended. He’d have to make sure the kids stayed out of the gardens when they got here. Ina was a nymph of some sort—Max hadn’t figured out exactly what her heritage was and it wasn’t polite to ask—so at least she wouldn’t faint if a witchling set her kohlrabi on fire.
The rest of the guests might. Today would be interesting, and Danny would need help keeping all the kids on their best behavior. They were all still riding high on the joy from the gifts Danny had passed out last week, so odds were good they’d behave as best they could.
Next week was the full moon. It didn’t pull on Max, but he was still aware of it. All Supes were. They all experienced a bit of waxing and waning of their powers as the moon cycled. Only the werewolves were tied to it directly, but everyone felt it.
Max found a spot behind a shed and sat in the
grass. He closed his eyes and turned his face to the sun, enjoying the warmth of the summer afternoon. He turned his focus inward, trying to achieve balance between his shifter side and his humanity. He’d been running on instinct since he inherited the Alpha power, and he needed to be more mindful about connecting the two. A good Alpha didn’t let his instincts get the best of him. Max was managing, but only barely. It was a constant struggle, like a war inside him.
He didn’t resent his grandmother for passing on the Alpha spark to him and not his father or one of his aunts or uncles. He understood that it was better for the new Alpha to be young. It ensured stability for the Pack in the long term. Outside of an emergency or the untimely death of an Alpha, the successor was always two generations younger than the Alpha.
Max hadn’t been ready. Lola was only eighty-two. She was still strong and healthy. But he understood why she’d wanted to pass the mantle on. She wanted to travel and be free from the Alpha responsibilities while she could still enjoy it.
He’d been drowning these last few months. He’d only just managed to get his head above water when Danny came along, plunging him right back under. Finding his Alpha Mate was a blessing, and Max could never regret it, but what little control and balance he’d gained had disappeared as the bond wreaked havoc with his instincts.
Max let his hands fall to the ground, his claws extending and spearing into the soil. He’d been so caught up in easing Danny into the bond and keeping him safe, so focused on solving his case, that he hadn’t checked in with himself in weeks. Hadn’t thought about how the bond was affecting him. About how it felt having his Alpha Mate properly at his side. What it would do to his meager control to have Danny inside his head, not just as a mate but as Pack.