Pack Mates (Were Chronicles) by Crissy Smith

softly, coming up behind her.
    She turned and smiled at the youngest Cross brother. “Do you think we’ll be able to actually pull this off?”
    Okay, that wasn’t what she had actually been thinking, but it was close.
    Ben looked around and nodded. “I think so. Even if Samson tries something, without Brandon there to back his play I don’t think much can come from it. The Pack respects Brandon and that was our biggest concern. He would have support just because he has earned it. Samson doesn’t have that going for him.”
    “Brandon never wanted to be Alpha,” Nikki reminded him.
    “No, he didn’t. But if you hadn’t come down, I don’t think we would have been able to come together like we did. All Dylan and Brandon needed to do was get together and talk about the future of the Pack. To see that they both shared the same ideas on our future.”
    Nikki laughed. “Yeah, well, leave it to the men to be stubborn and almost fight instead.”
    Ben chuckled and Justin caught her eye as he moved from the group of teenagers to talk to Max. She glanced over at Ben.
    “So you want to let me in on what’s going on between you and Justin?” she teased.
    Ben blushed and shifted on his feet. “Uh…well…”
    Nikki turned to face him with a smirk. “Should I ask what your intentions are with my brother?”
    Ben shook his head, his eyes going wide. “No! It’s not like that! I mean…we haven’t really decided…”
    She threw an arm over his shoulder and turned them so they could see Justin trying to steal a cookie from one of the platters an older Pack member was placing on the table. She slapped at his hand, but he danced away, laughing.
    “Just treat him right. I think the two of you are perfect for each other,” she told Ben sincerely.
    Ben sucked in a breath. “Really?”
    Nikki hugged him closer. “Yeah.”
    “I’ve never felt like this before,” Ben confessed. “He makes me laugh. Makes me feel like there is something besides work. He’s just so friendly and free.”
    “Good. Make sure he treats you right also. I’d hate to have to kick my brother’s ass.”
    “Speaking of kicking a brother’s ass, may I ask why you are hanging on mine?” RJ’s voice came behind them.
    “Because he is so damn cute!” she told RJ as he pulled her away from his brother and into his arms.
    “Not cuter than me, though, right?” RJ asked and winked.
    “I…I think I’ll go see if Justin needs some help,” Ben said quickly and left them alone.
    Nikki didn’t even glance after the other man. Her entire focus was on the one in front of her. “I wouldn’t really say you were cute,” she taunted.
    “No?” he breathed against her neck.
    She wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer. “No. Sexy, maybe. Hot, for sure.”
    “Mmm, sexy, I like that,” he told her, licking a path from her ear down her neck.
    “Oh yeah, sexy as sin.” She shivered when he started to nibble.
    “Haven’t the two of you had enough of each other yet?” Dylan asked sarcastically as he joined them.
    RJ sighed and loosened his hold. “Maybe if you would stop cockblocking me,” he groused.
    Dylan laughed. “My sympathies.”
    “Where’s Brandon?” RJ asked, looking around. It had been agreed upon that Brandon and Dylan would partner up for the day so neither man would be alone.
    Dylan nodded to the parking lot. “He’s going over something with his deputies. He wants everyone on high alert. Hopefully the ceremony will go off without any problems, but I don’t see Samson just giving up. That attack on your shop last night shows how pissed he is.”
    “Hey, where’s Mike?” Nikki asked RJ. Mike was supposed to stay with RJ for the same reason.
    “He had some calls to make. I left him in the truck.”
    A commotion from the parking lot had them stiffening up. Nikki laughed nervously when a dozen small school-aged children came running into the clearing.
    “Damn,” Dylan groaned rubbing the back of his neck.