“First, Cael can take care of himself. Second, excuse me while I laugh my ass off at you telling me I’m going to lose my shit over some dude hitting on my boyfriend. Since you got back from your honeymoon, you’ve been even more of a sap over Hudson than ever. It hurts my teeth just looking at you.”

  Sloane sighed. “You two done arguing over who’s more ridiculous?”

  “You’re right,” Ash said, smiling sweetly. “Because the answer to that would be you.”

  How long had they known Dex? Had they not been present for the last three and a half years? The number of incident reports he’d filled out in the last year alone was staggering. Everything ranging from squirrel invasion to not-so-spontaneously combusting baked goods. How his boyfriend managed to get a scone to bring down a building was beyond him. Sloane didn’t care how stale the thing was, it shouldn’t have demolished an entire building. Thankfully the place had been condemned, and they’d received a minor scolding rather than getting their asses handed to them by Sparks.

  “You think I’m overreacting?”

  “Just a tad,” Seb admitted.

  Oh, Sloane was so going to enjoy throwing their words back at them. “Okay. Go on. Have fun. I’ll notify my bank to have some bail money ready. If something blows up or comes crashing down, it’s on you two.”

  Ash rolled his eyes. “And I thought Dex was the drama queen.”

  “Get out,” Sloane grumbled, shoving them toward the door.

  As soon as they were outside, Dex came over and kissed Sloane’s cheek. “Oh, I almost forgot. Dad’s expecting you for dinner.”

  “Wait. What?” When did that happen?

  “Dinner. Tony’s house. Have fun. If he asks you to play air hockey, just say no. He’s a wee bit competitive. I love you.”

  “I love you too,” Sloane murmured absently. Dex headed back to Hudson and Cael as if he hadn’t just told Sloane he’d be hanging out with Tony for the rest of the evening. On his own.

  Sloane had known Tony for years, and yes, the man had been like a father to him, but this was completely different. Tony wasn’t just his sergeant and a father figure; he was Dex’s dad, his fiancé’s dad. Sloane quickly shook himself out of it. He was being a drama queen. Like he couldn’t handle Anthony Maddock. Whatever some believed, Tony wasn’t so scary. He was a regular guy who worked his ass off and loved his boys. Sure, he could be intimidating, but that was on the job, or if Sloane did something to warrant being on the other end of his wrath, like when Dex was kidnapped and tortured. This was good. They could talk. No problem. But first…

  Sloane shot Tony a quick text. Before he headed over to dinner, he had somewhere to be. And he wouldn’t miss it for the world.

  Two

  Several cabs pulled up, and Dex grinned wide, his heart swelling as all his friends poured out of the cars. The rest of his Destructive Delta family arrived dressed to the nines. Milena was on Rosa’s arm, both women looking stunning. Dex was happy to see the former Dimples—now dubbed Captain Kirk—escorting a sexy-looking Letty. Bradley and Lou arrived together, making Dex smile. Things seemed to be going well for those two. Dex spotted Hobbs, a big dopey smile on his face. Dex winked at him, and then blew Calvin a kiss, laughing when Calvin rolled his eyes at him. Next were Nina and Rafe.

  “Thanks for having me,” Rafe said, stopping in front of Dex. Hudson had told Dex all about Rafe coming to him in defense of Nina, and how hard the guy was trying to patch things up with Hudson. Despite everything that had happened, Hudson and Rafe were both working toward being a family, and Dex respected that. He smiled brightly and held out his hand to Rafe.

  “Of course. You’re always welcome, man.”

  Rafe’s eyes got a little glassy, and he nodded. “Thank you, Dex.”

  Nina kissed Dex’s cheek before waving excitedly at Hudson. She pulled Rafe along with her, and he simply chuckled, following happily. It was obvious the guy was crazy about Nina. Maybe there was hope for Rafe yet.

  “Hey, Daley!”

  Dex turned, grinning wide at Taylor and Angel Herrera. His matchmaking radar went nuts around these two. Sloane kept telling him to mind his own business, but Dex couldn’t help it.

  “Hey, guys.” Dex put his hand on Taylor’s shoulder. “Good to see you, buddy. How are you feeling?” Taylor had been discharged by TIN and cleared for duty at the THIRDS just a little over a month ago. He’d been riding a desk since, but he was happy to have his life back.

  “I’m doing good. Thanks, Dex.” Taylor was looking happier than he had in a long time, and Dex was glad. “Excuse me. I’m going to go say hi to Sloane.”

  Taylor walked off, and Dex turned to Angel, talking quietly. “How’s he really doing?”

  Angel’s smile faded, his sigh heavy. “He’s not sleeping so well. He keeps having nightmares about what happened, but he refuses to talk about it.”

  Dex nodded. “If you guys need anything, you let me know. In the meantime, you look after him for me, okay?”

  Angel beamed at him. “You got it.”

  Taylor called Angel over to where he was chatting with some of the guys. Angel excused himself and jogged off to join his friend. Asking Angel to look after Taylor gave Angel the perfect excuse to be around Taylor as much as he wanted. Taylor wouldn’t say no to Dex, especially when it concerned his well-being. It wasn’t matchmaking, just nudging them in the right direction.

  Dom’s arrival was marked by his boisterous laughter and booming voice. Dex shook his head and chuckled. He never had to see the guy to know he was around. West gave Dex a cheerful hello and a hug before darting off to talk nerd with Cael. Austen sprang up beside him like the annoying little ninja he was.

  “So, it’s finally happening, huh?”

  “Yep. Six months from now.”

  Austen shoved his hands into his pockets, quite a feat, considering his skinny jeans looked like they were painted on. He cleared his throat and seemed to have trouble looking Dex in the eye, which was odd. Austen never had trouble saying what was on his mind.

  “You be good to him.”

  Dex’s expression softened. He put his hand on Austen’s shoulder. “Hey, you know I will.”

  Austen nodded. “Shit’s just gonna get harder from here on out, you know.” Austen finally met his gaze. There was an intensity behind his amber eyes that Dex hadn’t seen before. What was Austen not telling him? Who was Dex kidding? This was Austen. The amount of information he didn’t give was unfathomable. No doubt in this instance, Austen was referring to TIN.

  “I know,” Dex replied. “We’re ready.”

  Austen frowned. He shook his head. “No. You’re not. You might think you are, but you’re not. This is gonna test both of you in ways you can’t even imagine. I know you’re mates, but even that bond is going to be pushed beyond its limits.” Austen studied him for a moment, sadness coming into his eyes. “You’re his whole world. Don’t forget that.”

  Austen patted Dex’s shoulder before turning to walk away. He paused, his expression turning guarded.

  “Zach RSVP’d.”

  Was Austen asking or telling him? Dex couldn’t tell. A cab pulled up, and Dex smiled. “And there’s our favorite bear Therian now.” Dex didn’t miss the way Austen’s eyes slightly widened or how he licked his bottom lip. Austen took a step closer to Dex, as if Dex might shield him from whatever it was Zach might do—like maybe try to steal Austen’s heart?

  Zach loomed over them, and Dex grinned. “Hey, big guy. Glad you could make it.”

  “Thanks for inviting me,” Zach said, his voice low and gravelly. He turned his attention to Austen, and holy shit, Dex wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it. Zach smiled. A genuine smile that reached his eyes.

  “Hi.”

  Austen was all but plastered against Dex from behind, his voice muffled when he replied, “Hey.”

  Silence.

  Dex looked from Austen to Zach and back. Oh my God, awkward thy name is these guys. Zach was a fierce bear Therian and a THIRDS agent who could crush a man’s bones to dust in his Therian form with just a hug, and Austen was TIN. The guy had been giving death the middle finger since he was a kid. Yet here they were, like a couple of ungainly teens with their first crushes.

  “So,” Dex said, after clearing his throat. “You dance, Zach?”

  Zach nodded, his eyes still on Austen.

  Man of few words. Right. “Good. Good. Austen, you dance?”

  Austen dug his fingers into Dex’s lower back, making him wince. The little turd. “Is that a yes?” Dex asked, kicking back and hitting Austen in the shin, satisfied when Austen cursed under his breath.

  “Yes, I dance. Jerk.”

  “Well, what a coincidence. We all dance. How about them apples? Perhaps you two might end up dancing in the same geographical space, and if you did, I’m sure time and space would not cease to exist.”

  Austen groaned behind him. “You are such a dork.”

  Dex spun around, smiling brightly. He patted Austen’s cheek. Hard. Then he leaned in to whisper in Austen’s ear, “Says the dude who’s about to lose his spots because a cute guy talks to him.” Leaving the unlikely duo to their weirdness, Dex joined his brother and Ash.

  “Transportation’s arriving in one minute,” Ash informed him.

  “We all gonna fit?”

  A monster black Hummer that seemed to stretch on for miles stopped in front of Dex’s house. Dex arched an eyebrow at his brother. “A stretch Hummer?”

  Cael smiled sheepishly at him. “It’s a deluxe stretch Hummer, and it was Ash’s idea.”

  “Of course it was,” Dex said with a laugh, turning to Ash. “What? They didn’t have any stretch BearCats available?”

  “Hey, if I’m gonna be stuck in traffic with you, I want something big enough for me not to have to touch you and that provides plenty of alcohol. This beast seats twenty Therians, so we’re good.”

  “Aw, you’re so thoughtful.”

  “That’s me. Don’t say I never did nothing for you.”

  Dex shook his head in amusement. “Okay, everybody in. Let’s get this party started!”

  Everyone cheered and headed for the car. Dex couldn’t help himself. He turned and ran back up the stairs to give Sloane a quick kiss.

  “I miss you already.”

  Sloane chuckled. He swatted at Dex’s butt when Dex turned to go. “Have fun. Try not to wreak too much havoc.”

  “Love you too!” Dex walked backward and blew him a kiss as Hudson grabbed his arm and tugged him along. “Wait for me, my darling. Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

  Cael poked his head out from inside the limo, his grin huge. “Dex, they have gummy bear vodka martinis!”

  “What?” Dex gasped and took off, leaving Hudson in his dust. He climbed into the limo and took a seat next to Cael, beside the bar. Two rows of black tufted benches were positioned facing each other, each meant to seat ten Therians, so considering almost half of their party were Humans, everyone fit comfortably. Each end had a bar and a flat-screen TV. The ceiling and floors were lined in neon purple lights, and the ceiling was blanketed in twinkling white lights. It was all so wonderfully gaudy. Dex loved it.

  As expected, the drive to whatever venue Cael had picked was slow, considering the behemoth the driver was piloting, but no one cared. Everyone was busy chatting, laughing, and having a good time. On several occasions, Dex turned to joke with Sloane and found Hudson there instead. He kept reminding himself that this was his bachelor party, and tradition stated his fiancé wasn’t supposed to be there.

  “Would you stop feeling guilty,” Cael said, thrusting another gummy bear vodka martini at him. “Sloane would want you to have fun. It’s one night.”

  “You’re right.” Dex beamed at his little brother and threw his arm around his shoulders, hugging him close. He took the martini and held it up.

  “Cheers.” Everyone joined in, holding up their glasses, and Dex couldn’t help feeling like a sap. “Thanks, everyone. I had no idea how much my life would change by joining the THIRDS. Not only did I meet the love of my life, but I gained another family. I love you guys. Even you, Ash.”

  “You’re a pain in my ass too, Daley.”

  Everyone laughed, and Dex took a sip of his drink. A lot might be changing, but this right here would never change. He’d give his life for any of these saps because they were his family.

  During the ride, Dex would occasionally go quiet and end up observing everyone. Ash teased Letty, and Dex noted how Ash brought Captain Kirk into his circle of trust. It was easy to tell when that happened because Ash wasn’t an asshole to the guy. He was still Ash, but since James meant something to Letty, he meant something to Ash. God help the poor bastard if he hurt Letty, though Dex felt for Captain Kirk. With Letty came an entire tactical team of fierce Humans and Therians.

  Hudson seemed enthralled in a conversation about antiques with Milena while Seb and Rosa chatted about sandwiches with Ethan who was clearly disagreeing with his brother. Those two were adorable. Calvin just threw in the occasional comment to set a fire under Seb’s or Ethan’s tail. Calvin had a wicked streak, and Dex loved it.

  Zach and Austen sat side by side but hadn’t said a word to each other. Dex had a feeling those two were going to be his greatest challenge. Austen was having an animated conversation with Nina about pizza while Rafe looked on in obvious amusement. Zach listened as Taylor and Angel argued over baseball. Dom’s laugh could be heard through the limo, and it made Dex chuckle. He seemed to enjoy teasing West. You know… Dex shook his head. He really had to stop trying to set everyone up.

  Soon they’d arrived, and Dex was the last to disembark. When he got out on the sidewalk, he turned to Cael, his jaw dropping. “Peitho?” Holy crap. “How…?”

  “You’re not the only one with connections,” Cael said with a wink.

  Hudson took in the huge classy building. The line wrapped around the corner behind the velvet rope. “Looks posh.”

  “You have no idea,” Dex said, following Cael as he headed over to one of the bouncers standing at the door. “Peitho is guest-list only, and it gets booked months in advance.”

  The bouncer nodded, and Cael motioned for them to follow. They were allowed in ahead of the waiting throng. Inside, they headed to the left and around a corner to a sectioned-off area of the club. The huge purple neon sign above the bar said, “Congratulations, Dex!”

  Dex wiped a tear from his eye. “Wow.”

  “You like it?” Cael asked, as if Dex wouldn’t have loved anything his little brother put together for him.

  “Chirpy, it’s amazing.” Dex hugged his brother and squeezed him tight. “Thank you.”

  The place was incredible—a swanky, high-end nightclub with lavish décor in hues of purple and blue. Dazzling chandeliers sparkled above their heads. It boasted high ceilings, an impressive laser light display, and plenty of banquette seating. It had an elegant ’80s vibe to it. The DJ played a combination of classic rock and electro pop, and the tables on “their side” of the club contained purple glass bowls filled with gummy bears. Their friends were already at the cocktail bar, ordering drinks. Those who didn’t have a drink in their hand were on the dance floor rocking out.

  “I can’t believe you’re getting married,” Cael said, his boyish grin wide and his eyes glassy.

  “I know, right?” Dex threw an arm around his shoulders. “Thanks for this. It’s perfect.”

  Cael shrugged.

  Not wanting to delve any deeper into the sappiness, Dex nudged Cael and motioned to the bar. “Simba’s looking for you.”

  Cael rolled his eyes, but his smile never left his face. He punched Dex’s shoulder playfully before heading for the bar, crossing paths with Mr. Tall, Bright, and Cheerful.

  “Hey, Captain Kirk.”

  James chuckled. “I guess it’s better than Dimples.”

  “Glad you could make it.” The guy’s schedule was so erratic, Dex hardly saw him. Though lately he seemed to be around a little more, and Dex was sure a certain feisty gal had something to do with it.

  “Are you kidding? Letty’s been bouncing off the walls about this for months.” James’s expression softened. “You mean a lot to her.”

  Dex did his best not to get all emotional. “And she means a lot to me.” It was too soon for getting all choked up. As if sensing his thoughts, James gave his shoulder a pat before heading off toward the bar where Letty was talking to Ash and now Cael.

  God, Dex was going to be such a mess when the big day finally arrived. Suddenly it all seemed so real despite all the preparations they’d been making for months now. They even had binders, which slightly terrified Sloane. They’d worked out their budget, picked their wedding party, and created the guest list, then the real work started. As of a couple of months ago, the color scheme had been chosen and the venue booked, along with rooms for them and their guests. The photographer, videographer, and entertainment were booked. They’d met with the caterers and approved the menu. Dex, Sloane, and the rest of the guys in their wedding party were fitted for suits, dresses for the girls, though a suit option had been available for them as well. They set up their gift registry, sent out invites, and received an RSVP reply from everyone. All transportation was arranged, documents submitted, and the honeymoon was currently being planned.

  His and Sloane’s schedule for next month was filled with cake orders, rehearsal dinners, hair appointments, and then they’d have to start looking at their schedule for the following two months, which included everything from choosing the reception playlist, finalizing everything they’d done up to that point, buying their wedding rings, practicing their vows—since Sloane wanted to go traditional—plus dealing with the hundreds of other details needing their attention. Oh, and they were on duty until the month before the wedding.

  “Dex?”

  Dex blinked. Hudson stood in front of him, his eyes filled with concern.

  “Are you all right? You look a wee bit… pale.”