Chapter Two

Jessie

My brother, Ross, and I were the first ones out the front door when Xander pulled the car into the driveway. Zoey was the first one out. She and her mates had been away in Spain. What started as a short vacation turned into years. Her kid had graduated university there and wasn't anywhere in sight currently. Not that I blamed the kid for not crossing the ocean for a cousin they barely knew.

Zoey threw her arms around Ross's shoulders before saying anything. Our sister smelled nervous. No wonder my hands trembled earlier. We all picked up her anxiety over the pack link as she grew closer to us. Xander came out next and we shook hands and shared a knowing look. It was sink or swim time. Unless Hattie turned out to be a serial killer, I'd be on Zoey's side. My poor kid sister struggled her whole life to find what actually made her happy. Somewhere between depression and PTSD from the night she, Logan, and Zoey-bell almost died, she managed to push things back far enough to find some peace of mind.

She hugged me next.

"I'm so proud of our girl. For a while I thought you guys cursed her by naming her after me," Zoey whispered as we embraced.

"Fuck that! You're not cursed, honey," I laughed and hugged her tighter.

"Hattie's in the car."

"Is she afraid to come out?" I asked. "I'll make everyone go back inside."

"No, I'm--- I don't want anyone to be mean to her."

"Why would they? No one here has any room to be homophobic. When both the pack leaders are gay, no one has any room to speak. Hell, I think most of us are – not Xander, but ---" I lost track of where I was going and redirected myself. "What are you nervous about, Zoey?"

"Thruples aren't as accepted as everyone else."

"Times are a changin'," I said. "Now, come on. Let's get her out of the car before they think she's a servant and not your girlfriend."

I crossed the short distance to the car's back door and opened it before Zoey or anyone else could protest. A woman with huge green eyes and dark blonde hair stared out at me. I sniffed. She was a dragoness and smelled amused more than worried.

"I'm Jessie," I said, offering her my hand before she had a chance to disembark from the car.

"Hattie," she said, shaking my hand. "I've heard about you."

"I've only heard a bit about you, but if you're with Zoey, you're with us," I told her. "Come on. We're going to eat before the ceremony. Believe me when I say it lasts way longer than it needs to because everyone wants to make the longest speech."

Laughing, Hattie stepped out of the car, towering over me. Most of the dragon dudes I'd met had been taller than me. Zoey-bell, being an Alpha too, was about two inches taller than me. Hattie might've given Clarence Moonscale a run for his money. I double checked her feet for heels, but she wore black sneakers.

"Everyone," Zoey said, over the murmuring crowd all trying to greet her and Xander at once, "this is Hattie. She's our girlfriend."

Questions came from every direction, but nothing too horrible crossed my ears. Mostly the questions were how Xander got along with another Alpha in the house and the bed. As a member of an on again/off again boyband he had plenty of practice fielding rude-ass questions.

I slipped through the crowd until I found Logan and stole a quick kiss. Even after all these years, I didn't want to be anywhere he couldn't be by my side.

"Daddy!" A tiny familiar voice shouted from the porch.

All our heads turned, but that call was for me.

"Jessica!" I howled back over the crowd letting our second child know where we were.

Unlike most of my siblings, Logan and I weren't trying to set the world record for the most kids ever born to one couple. We had hobbies outside of baby making. One of those hobbies was romping, but birth control had come a long way.

"Daddy!" Jessica called out again.

"What?" Logan howled back, the corners of his mouth turning up into a smile.

"Why is everyone outside? Rune said it's time to eat and he's going to let the dragons eat it all if everyone doesn't bring their tails inside right now!" Jessica called back.

A few laughs broke out in the crowd as everyone turned to go inside. I nudged one of Rune and Sky's adult kids out of the way as I led Logan through the crowd to our six-year-old. Sure, no one was going to harm her, but Logan's scent turned all ‘carrier mode' as soon as she called out from the porch.

"He really said it," Jessica laughed.

"I believe you," he scooped her up and kissed the top of her head. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm always hungry," she sighed.

"Eh, you're a Hemlock wolf," I laughed and tousled her hair.

"Don't do that, Daddy!" She leaned away from me, still laughing.