“Have you heard from Reno?” I asked, twirling the dish towel.
“He called me this morning and said they’ll be there around noon or so. Everything’s going great, and he’s going to talk to the Packmaster and make sure Skye has everything she needs before he leaves. He’s done this sort of thing before. It’s great they accept any Shifter animal. It’s like a big commune or something, but in an undisclosed place. Sometimes I wonder if it’s really in Colorado or if he just tells me that to throw me off. I’m just glad it all worked out.”
“Me too. I’m making coffee,” I said. “Want some?”
“No, I’m sticking with juice. But thanks. Lexi will probably want some.”
Lexi wandered in with her hair in a tangle. “Want some what?”
“Coffee,” I said.
She stopped in the middle of the room. “Oh, uh… no thanks. I’m probably going to take a nap later on. We had a late night, so I don’t want the caffeine to keep me awake.”
“I could brew a pot of decaf.”
“We don’t have any,” she quickly said. “Did my mom already leave?”
“A few minutes ago,” Wheeler confirmed. “Is Austin awake? I need to talk to him about Delgado.”
“What about him?”
Wheeler stabbed his biscuit with a fork and ate it that way. “Well, for one, he’s going to be gunning for your friend. That what you want?”
The rest of the pack made their way into the room, quiet and ready to eat. William had put a bowl of fruit down in addition to a jar of strawberry preserves and a jug of whole milk.
“I like the view this morning,” Denver said, giving me a playful wink. He took a seat near the end of the table.
Wheeler merely watched him while he continued eating his biscuit like an ogre.
Denver placed two fingers in his mouth and a sharp whistle pierced the air. “Toss me an orange,” he shouted at Lexi.
She hurled an orange across the table and he caught it with one hand.
Denver straddled the bench and peeled the orange with his fingers, rubbing the sticky juice on his Atari shirt. Denver usually wore cargo pants or distressed jeans, but I’d seen him wearing long shorts in the summertime. I guess he wanted the women to see how nice his legs were.
“So, what are we going to do about Delgado?” Jericho asked Wheeler. “I have a family to protect. Did anyone recognize you at his house?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Wheeler replied with a mouthful of biscuit. “He probably had surveillance cameras set up. He’s not an idiot; he’ll figure it out. Let him get pissed. Angry men make stupid mistakes.”
“And sometimes those mistakes are at the expense of innocent people,” Austin said as he entered the room. He took a seat at the left head of the table and poured a glass of milk. “I don’t want the Council involved, so I’m leaning on my alliances for advice. I’ve called Prince, and he’ll be coming over later on to discuss strategy.”
“We were witnesses,” I reminded him. “Even if they can’t get Delgado because of the cage fights, he was keeping two Shifters in his house against their will. The young man had been sexually assaulted, and I’d say that’s enough to at least get his privileges revoked from owning Breed clubs.”
Austin rubbed his temple. “Maybe so. But men like him don’t go away easily. Human or not, he’s got connections and money, and that’s a dangerous weapon for any man to wield. Have you heard from him?” he asked me.
I lifted the pot of coffee and carried it to the table. “No, but I’m sure he’ll be ringing me at any moment. I left my phone in the other room so I can enjoy a nice breakfast. Let him throw a tantrum on my voice mail and wait,” I said smoothly. “Who wants coffee?”
Austin immediately put his hand over the top of his empty mug.
“No, I’m good,” Izzy said. “It’ll make the baby kick.”
Wheeler lifted his mug. “I’ll have some.”
Lexi choked on something and began a fit of coughing.
“Are you okay, chickypoo?”
She waved me off and gulped down some orange juice. I filled Wheeler’s cup to the brim. After that, I filled my own and then took a seat at the opposite end of the table from Austin.
Minutes passed as we had light conversation over breakfast. Melody was a night owl and often slept in. Izzy said she inherited that from her father, and Jericho barked out a laugh and placed his hand on her belly.
Lexi craned her neck. “About time you joined us, Maze. Breakfast is almost cold.”
“I don’t feel good,” Maizy said in a weak voice.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw Maizy in front of the open doorway. Her cheeks were flushed, eyelids droopy, and yet her body was shaking. She had on an oversized red shirt that reached her knees, and it looked wet around her neck.
“What’s going on, Peanut?” Denver asked in a jovial tone, not turning around because he was too busy buttering his fourth biscuit.
Lexi stood up. “Maizy, what’s wrong?”