Moon's Law (New Moon Wolves 2 ~ Bite of the Moon ~ BBW Romance) by Michelle Fox

trash. "But I’m not penniless." His gaze flickered over to Charlotte before settling back on his mate. "We’ll talk about this later, okay?"
    Audrey nodded. She’d finished the portion size cards and had moved onto setting out a veggie platter. "Yeah, sure."
    "I love you, babe." He whispered it against the back of her neck, but Charlotte still heard. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be all right, okay?"
    Audrey closed her eyes and leaned into her mate for a second. Then, nodding, she pulled away. "Love you, too, you big wolf."
    "That's big, bad wolf to you, babe." He gave a wicked chuckle that caused Audrey to grab a dishtowel and snap it at him.
    Tao grabbed the towel and used it to pull her in for a kiss, breaking their lip lock only when there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it," he said, dropping the towel on the counter.
    A blush staining her cheeks, Audrey looked at Charlotte. "Sorry about that."
    "No need to apologize," Charlotte said. "If someone loved me like Tao loves you, I would be thrilled, not sorry."
    Chapter Twelve
    Audrey and Tao's house quickly filled up with the various pack members. They were a mixed group: a businessman, banker, doctor, firefighter, two cops, the bookstore owner and Charlotte. They normally wouldn't all socialize together, but Nick's attacks had given them a common thread and a need to gather together to process everything that had happened and all the things that had changed because of it.
    Richard, the doctor came in first, trim and fit in jeans and a polo shirt. He nodded to her as he helped himself to a beer. Annie was right on his heels, her t-shirt showing off the broad shoulders and strong biceps her job as a firefighter gave her. She threw a little salute to Charlotte, nodded to Audrey, and then joined Richard in having a beer.
    Danielle, a cop who worked with Kane, came in next, still wearing her uniform, her dark hair wrapped in a neat bun and her olive skin smooth enough to make Charlotte surreptitiously feel her own cheek, sure that her pores could hold Niagara Falls. She made a note to ask Danielle about her skin care regimen. The woman had a seriously amazing complexion.
    Christine, who ran the bookstore in Glen Vine, trailed in behind Danielle, her glasses perched on her nose and her eyes darting from one end of the room to the other as she took in the scene. Tucking herself into the corner opposite Charlotte, she nodded a hello no one noticed and pulled some knitting out of her purse.
    Andrew, a local businessman, and Mike, the bank president at Glen Vine Trust & Loans, came in together, almost matching in their navy suits. Andrew's had a sharper, more expensive cut though, whereas Mike had lost some weight and his suit hung slack on his frame.
    Mike greeted everyone with, "Hello, folks," and immediately launched into garrulous chit-chat. Charlotte envied the ease with which he had a kind word for everyone. She always felt awkward at their pack gatherings. Andrew didn't seem comfortable either and acknowledged the room with a brief nod, his expression closed.
    Richard handed both men beers. "Welcome to the party," he said with a smile.
    "Welcome and party aren't the words I would use," Andrew muttered. He was quiet, but everyone heard him anyway. Charlotte sighed and crossed her arms as the tension in the room pricked her skin.
    "You can at least try," said Annie, sounding annoyed. "Being angry doesn't change anything."
    "I am trying. This is me trying, right here, right now," he responded, his tone short. "I just haven't found the recipe that makes lemonade out of fur yet."
    "Your restaurant opened this week, right?" asked Mike, clapping an arm around Andrew and guiding him to a chair. "I heard your chef almost quit."
    Andrew shook his head and snorted, launching into a long diatribe about the trials and tribulations of restaurant management. The tension in the room eased, and Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief. Somehow she'd forgotten how tense these gatherings