Page 72 of Crystal Luna
Velora bit back a grimace and knelt to be eye level with the girl. “Thank you for the respect, but I’m not a luna. Laureen was Alpha Heath’s Luna. I’m here to make sure he’s taken care of until they can meet again before Isis.”
“So, you’re just Velora?”
“Warrior Velora,” Heath corrected. “Of the Howlers.”
“I think that might be a little long,” Velora told him with a laugh. “Just call me Velora or Vel.”
“Curtis said you have a wolf,” Warren interjected. “Is that true?”
“I do.”
“Can she hike with us?” Curtis asked.
“Only if you clear your plate.”
In response Curtis was the first to sit and grab a pancake and a croissant.
“I was a little concerned when Curtis invited us for breakfast,” Domenic joked as he sat down. “But he assured me that Heath was resigned to chopping vegetables while the real chef worked,” Domenic joked and sat down between the two boys.
“Ah, and here I thought my son wouldn’t stab me in the back with that kind of information.”
“Sorry, Father.”
He shrugged it off with a laugh and kissed Curtis’s head as he took the seat next to him.
With that, the ice was broken and Velora could relax. She enjoyed seeing this new side to Heath: just a dad hanging out with his kids and old friends. Though he and Wayne got along well, there was always an undertone of business. Here it seemed as if Heath was just a normal person without responsibilities—even for a few hours.
After breakfast, Madeline pulled Velora to sit with her on the couch while the men were assigned the dishes.
“I’m sure Heath won’t burn those,” she explained when Velora protested. “And since you cooked, he can clean.”
Madeline was very sweet and easy to talk to, and Velora liked that she didn’t ask a lot of questions. Though, she was interested in her warriorhood and how the men accepted her. She was excited to hear how well they’d taken her in.
When it was time for their hike, Curtis and Mia begged for Velora to shift. She did so a little too willingly, enjoying how the two adored her wolf. The two other kids soon joined Mia and Curtis, making the hike to the lake a breeze.
As soon as they reached the stony beach, Velora jumped in, taking special care not to splash anyone. After swimming with them and letting them climb on her back, Velora stepped out of the water and started towards Heath.
“Don’t you dare,” he warned with a grin, knowing what she had in mind. He lifted her clothes as a shield, knowing she wouldn’t want them to get wet.
She relented, carefully moving closer. He had a towel ready for her as she shifted, using his body to cover her—especially from Domenic. His sudden possessiveness made her blush—and had desire pooling between her thighs.
Before she could dress, he stepped closer and brushed her wet hair out of her face. “Thank you for coming along.”
“Thank you for letting me.”
“How could I not? It feels good to have you around.”
She leaned in for a kiss, stopping just before their lips touched—she didn’t know if he wanted to be so open with his friends.
He took the lead, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers. ‘Please don’t ever feel like you have to hide us from anyone.’
Velora deepened the kiss with a hand on the back of his neck. ‘I don’t feel like I have to hide us, just not sure how much you want to show everyone around.’
‘Anything you are willing to share.’
His words made her heart flutter and her knees weak. Thankfully, he was there to hold her even after ending the kiss and beaming down on her.
Velora spent most of the next few days with Heath and his guests, loving every second of it. She was sad when they left, though she couldn’t help but notice that Heath had never seemed so happy.