All Kidding Aside - Macy Blake Page 0,1

of the way up the long driveway and parked outside the rec building. Once inside, he found Nick exactly where Puteri said he would be. About a dozen kids surrounded him, each of them standing with their hands over their head in some sort of yoga pose. Well, all of them except Nick. The alpha had a sleeping bear cub cradled in one arm, but the other was in the air as he held his pose with an intensity rarely seen outside of threatening situations.

One of the vampires who served as guards for the property led the exercise, and the kids followed diligently along. Victor made a mental note to do some research later on kids and yoga. Someone had obviously convinced Nick it was a good idea. Either that, or he’d watched a random YouTube video. It could go either way with Nick. He wasn’t afraid to try new things if it meant helping the kids find happiness in their new normal.

Victor honestly didn’t know how he managed it all, but Nick had been chosen by the Fire Goddess herself for this duty. He didn’t have to worry whether Nick was right for the job, no matter that his methods were sometimes unconventional.

Before he could wonder further, he felt a tug against his pants leg. He glanced down and found a tiny redheaded boy standing beside him. He looked ready to cry. Victor tried not to panic. Kids weren’t his thing, especially teary-eyed ones.

“Hi, little person. Are you looking for Alpha? Don’t worry. He’s right there.”

The boy’s lip began to wobble, and he held up his hands.

Victor gulped but picked him up without hesitation. Nick would be pissed if he didn’t. Pretty much whatever the kids wanted, they got, especially when it came to comfort. They’d had terrible lives—kidnapped and drained of magic by a demented God until Nick’s Goddess intervened on their behalf—but Nick was changing all of that. Only adults who passed Nick’s muster were allowed anywhere near the kids. The alpha might seem laid-back and casual, but Victor had seen him when he wasn’t. Nick Smith was not a lion to be messed with, especially not where his pack of orphaned shifter children were concerned.

Nick glanced his way as the little boy settled against Victor’s chest. He scowled for a moment—not at Victor, though. In concern. Another thing he’d learned about Nick since he’d taken over managing the finances of this project: almost every thought the alpha had revolved around the cubs in his charge. The thoughts that weren’t on the cubs were on his hellhound mate, Jedrek.

As if conjured, Jedrek emerged from a room down the hall and began walking his way. Victor tried not to panic, even as he awkwardly patted the little boy on the back. Jedrek would know what to do.

“Hey, Gus,” Jedrek said softly. “You okay?”

The little boy nodded against Victor’s chest.

“You want to come to me?”

A small arm wrapped tightly around Victor’s neck. The alpha-mate’s brows rose in surprise.

“No worries, Gus. You can stay with Victor. Alpha is almost done.” Jedrek patted the boy on the head gently, then glanced at Victor. “They’ll be done in a minute.”

Victor started to protest, but Jedrek turned, went back down the hall, and disappeared into one of the many rooms. Gus settled against Victor’s chest and popped his thumb into his mouth. Victor tried not to shiver in disgust. So many germs. It couldn’t be healthy for him to put his thumb in his mouth like that.

Victor considered trying to remove it, but yet another door opened. This time a giant of a man Victor had never seen at the compound stepped into the hallway. His breath caught in his chest as the man practically squeezed through the doorway, his broad shoulders touching the frame on either side. He looked scruffy too, from his ragged plaid shirt, opened to reveal a dirty, one-time-probably-white undershirt, to his faded, torn jeans. In fact, he was scruffy all over. He needed a shave. And a haircut. And a good dry cleaner. But more importantly, he was a stranger.

Victor couldn’t help it. He instinctively turned away, shielding Gus from the newcomer. Of course, his action caught Nick’s attention, and before he could blink, the alpha was out of the room and glancing down the hall.

“Riggs,” Nick growled. “You’re late.”

But he placed a calming hand on Victor’s back and gave him an approving nod. Victor let out a shaky breath as the newcomer shrugged and continued down the