TWENTY-EIGHT

Jaxson

"SO," BILLIE MUMBLES around a mouthful of eggs, then lifts one finger in the air, signaling us to wait for her to finish chewing.

"Love, why don't you wait until you're done eating before you even start the sentence?" Ethan suggests while brewing up coffee for all of us.

We're having breakfast around the kitchen island, Billie's sitting cross-legged on the stool between Xander and me, both of us resting one hand on her open legs, her joggers soft against my palm. I couldn't help but notice a lightness in Xander's gait after we tumbled our way across the field last night. When we were getting ready for bed, he agreed that he thought the movement loosened some of the restraints he'd been wrapped up in, and I would say it freed something in all of us, and in our relationship. The ease between us is back.

Billie narrows her eyes on Ethan and dramatically swallows the food in her mouth. "Don't know," she replies before sipping down some water and exhaling. "Probably because I start speaking when the idea comes into my head, regardless of whether my mouth is full or not. Anyway, I've got two—no, wait— three things I want to talk about since we're all here."

Ethan reaches up to pull down some to-go mugs, the stretch pulling up his sweatshirt enough to show the divots on his low back above his low-slung jeans. I have an urge to lick one and nearly groan, just as he groans. "Is this a word vomit, because I'd like to set a rule of no word vomits in the morning."

Xander and I both nod in agreement.

Billie rolls her eyes and gives Ethan a snarky smile. "This is not a word vomit. Promise." She holds up her index finger. "One, Halloween is coming up. I'd like to carve pumpkins and decorate. Is that an option, and are there any Halloween parties?"

I jump to my feet and squeal. Yes, I am a six-foot-two wolf-shifter, and I squeal. "YAAASSS! We can totally carve and decorate!" Moving up behind her, I drape my arms over her shoulders and nuzzle my face into the crook of her neck, while my wolf starts murring, expressing his own happiness. Finally, we have someone who shares our enthusiasm for the holidays. We're shifters; we believe in the divine. Even though we don't ascribe to human religions, it's safer for us to celebrate them, and boy, do Blondie and I love holidays and the magic surrounding them. Ethan and Xander have participated in the past, but it was always me who brought it up. I was the one who added in the unscheduled stop at the pumpkin patch or who ordered pumpkin carving kits and lights and made sure we had a tree at the pack house for Christmas.

Billie rubs her cheek against mine and gives my arm a light squeeze. "Definitely have my playmate in on this with me." I nod in agreement, burrowing a little deeper under her green hoodie, inhaling her scent and letting my lips open and close over her flesh.

"Stefan's floor usually does something for Halloween," Xander adds, reaching across the island to take the coffee to-go mug Ethan's gotten ready for him. "We can go if you want. We haven't before, but we've been invited every time."

My mouth has trailed up her neck, and I give her ear a little nip. "Awesome!" she yips, the sound making me smile before I pull myself away to finish breakfast.

"Two," she says, waggling her first two fingers in the air. "I've signed up to take Italian and hand-to-hand combat skills next semester with the girls. Apparently Alessandro will be teaching Italian, while Heydar and Assad will be teaching Combat Skills 101." She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear while her gaze sweeps over the three of us. "Taylor was up in the administration office yesterday and overheard it. I know you guys are getting comfortable with the three of them, and well"—she tugs on her ear and rotates her head around to face Xander— "I um. . ."

Leaning back, I gaze around Bille to look at Xander. He's watching her intently with schooled features, waiting for her to say more. She decides to eat the last bite of potato and egg instead of continuing. He may seem patient, but according to what I feel through the bond, I'm surprised he hasn't gripped her shoulders and told her to just spit it out. She swallows and returns her gaze to him. "I, um, was wondering if you'd want to take Italian with me, il mio cuore ?"

Xander rocks back in his seat from the shock of her request. Yeah, I didn't expect that either. He recovers quickly with a slight shake of his head and then his face lights up. The boy is glowing like she's asked him to go to Italy, not just take a class. "I'd love to, il mio cuore ," he softly affirms. Smiling wide, he sweeps a hand around the back of her neck and pulls her toward him. He plants a kiss on her, a deep kiss that makes me think we should start calling it Italian kissing instead of French kissing.

"Jax," Billie dreamily murmurs, relaxing herself against me as if that kiss just turned her entire body to Jell-O.

"Yes?" I answer with a droll smile, lifting my arm up so she can snuggle in.

Tilting her head back to look at me, she quirks a brow. "I'd like you to take combat with me."

"Oh, it's so on!" I exclaim, hearing the theme song to Mortal Combat in my head.

"Oh I know!" She replies with excitement reanimating her languid body, she sits up straight. "I can't wait to get you in the ring!" Then she turns to Ethan. "Haven't forgotten about you. We've got the same major pretty much. With the classes I took over the summer, and the ones I'm planning on taking over winter break, I'm fairly confident we'll at least always have one class together."

Ethan nods. "I figured as much, love."

"The third thing," she starts as a blush colors her cheeks. She tugs on her ear. A blush and a tug! Oh, this is gonna be good. I hide my cheeky smile behind the coffee Ethan prepared for me. "I, um... I was wondering what you guys thought about, um... anal play."

And the coffee in my mouth passes back out through my lips, spraying all over the kitchen island.

Ethan, ever cool, ever calm, probes (ha ha, — probes ), "Is this something you're interested in?" Then he nonchalantly hands me some paper towels.

Billie's face deepens in color, and she splutters, "Maybe. I mean, I don't know. I guess I kind of want to try things out, but not if you guys don't want to."

Ethan nods, then gets out his phone and starts typing away.

"I'm game, totally," I cough, glancing over my shoulder at her while stretching across the island, wiping up my coffee. "I was just shocked is all."

Xander ruffles his fingers through his hair and licks his lips, his eyes trailing down our mate's body. "Yeah, if you're interested or want to try it, we'll try it."

"All set," Ethan proclaims. Putting his phone down, he bends over and opens up one of the lower cabinets, pulling out some spray cleaner and handing it to me.

" All set , meaning what?" Billie queries in a scratchy voice.

Capping their to-go mugs and setting them on the counter, Ethan strides to our side of the island. Slipping his fingers under her hair and pushing it to one side, he blankets himself around her back. His hands glide down the sides of her body, and his mouth skims her ear. He whispers, "Ordered several kinds of lubricant and some toys specifically for anal." His tongue darts out and licks her rim. "Should be here in two days." Billie's entire body quivers. Ethan stretches over her and collects her empty plate, then pushes himself up and away from her. "Better get ready for class, love. We leave in fifteen minutes," he casually states as if he didn't just make our mate wet with want.

"Right," she squeaks. "Class."

Ethan

By the end of our dev. psych class, my hand has crept up to an almost indecent level on the inside of Billie's thigh.

Until this morning's backside conversation, my mind had been spinning with questions that had far too many potential answers. I had awoken with my arms clutched around my churning stomach, the psychosomatic effect of my swirling thoughts. From what I can infer, Alpha Knight's death was not an accident but a sentence judged and carried out by the Shifter High Council while we were away. But even that assumption, though seemingly clear-cut, is anything but.

Since we were brought up in a wolf pack, the alpha had complete control over our education about the shifter world. Any information about the Shifter High Council was limited to only what our interactions would be with them, like them recording our mating bonds, official positions within our pack, and general shifter laws and ethics. All of these were given little weight when compared to our own pack laws and the governing of our pack determined by our alpha.

I know Xander is contacting his gran and his father's lawyer today, so hopefully we'll get some answers. However, it's not the lack of answers that is causing me the greatest unease, but rather the fact we were totally blindsided by the news of Xander's father's death. We've been putting our faith and our trust in people who now seem to be hiding things from us. Every new piece of withheld information that is uncovered is a loop and pull on the old thread of suspicion that knots so easily inside of me.

My right hand mechanically takes notes while my left hand has crept its way to the V of her legs, fully palming her mound. Her joggers do very little to stifle the heat radiating from her core. I push aside the fruitless mental game of questions with no answers and instead devise a new game, one I can play with my mate. My mate who seems to becoming more open and adventurous with her sexuality. My hand slips farther under, and my two middle fingers curl and uncurl, rubbing along her seam. Still diligently taking notes, I feel Billie's leg widen just the slightest, and a devious smile tugs at the corners of my lips. Yes, I'd much rather play a game of pushing boundaries with mate.

With my eyes facing forward, I lean toward her and whisper, "What are your plans after class, love?"

Billie lifts her head up and angles herself to face me. "I was planning on going to the library to prep for world lit and get a head start on some other homework," she replies with a casual hitch of her shoulder. Her attempt at appearing unaffected is thwarted by her blown pupils and blushing cheeks.

Inhaling deeply the scent of her arousal tickles its way through my nostrils and down my throat. I give her seam one last caress before returning my hand to her upper thigh. Kneading her muscles, I query, "What are your thoughts on me and Jax joining you in the library?"

Billie tilts her head to the side, observing me while her teeth nibble on the pocket clip of her mechanical pencil. Her gaze rests on my lips, in particular my lip ring, which, dammit, I'm playing with. Will I ever learn to get my lips under control? Dipping her chin, she coyly smiles. "Sure, I'd love to have you both join me in the library." I squeeze her thigh in acknowledgment, then send out a quick text to Jax before returning my focus back to class.