Ruby fiercely loved each and every one of these women who clearly considered themselves mother figures to Damon.

  “Can you walk me back to my seat, Damon?” Esther asked.

  Damon looked over to Ruby and she shrugged. He obviously wanted to help but also wanted to stay at her side. But she didn’t need protecting and the aunties clearly wanted to speak with her without him around.

  “I’ll be right back,” he told Ruby.

  “I’m fine,” she said. “Go on.”

  “Like anything’s gonna happen to this girl when we’re standing with her? Really, Damon?” Alice said and he ducked his head but still kept his gaze on Ruby, assuring them both that all she had to do was squeak and he’d be there.

  But truthfully she felt no threat at all. Yes, shifters could rip a person apart, but the fact was, it rarely happened and the penalty for such a loss of control was severe. And Ruby could protect herself. Green witch or not.

  Once he’d moved away with Esther the remaining three smiled at Ruby and it was genuine. “We just wanted to check in with you to see how you were feeling,” Carmen told her.

  “I’m good. Happy to be back home at last. Happy to have found something real with my favorite wolf shifter.”

  They all positively beamed at her for that.

  “He is?” Carmen asked.

  “He absolutely is. Y’all making sure I’m not going to sully his reputation?” Ruby teased with a laugh.

  “Pfft. He’s already got a reputation. But you’re here anyway,” Alice told her with a question on her face.

  “I am in love with Damon,” Ruby admitted to them. “I know the difference between everyone who came before and this. Now. With him.”

  Deidre grinned at the others, who returned the expression.

  “Earlier this week my oldest daughter was at the market grabbing milk and eggs for a birthday cake we made for my grandson. When she came home, she told me what she’d overheard and as you might imagine, I was pretty angry,” Deidre said.

  “I take it she overheard me and a certain shifter?”

  Carmen laughed. “Is this like Voldemort? If we say her name she’ll show up? I wish it was that easy.”

  “She’s not that scary,” Ruby said. “She’s afraid and I don’t know of what or why. Most ignorance of her type is like a bunch of lies stacked up under a coat trying to be a person.”

  Alice laughed heartily. “Like in the cartoons when three kids do that to get into an R-rated movie? Love it.” She sobered up though. “I don’t like the things she said. And I heard enough from two other people who saw the throw down to know the reports are true. I don’t like that she went after Damon through you. I hear you gave her back twice what she gave you and I am proud of you for defending Damon. Lord above knows that child needs more fierce defenders. Still, I don’t like her trying to scare anyone, much less Damon’s lady love.” She touched Ruby’s shoulder.

  Wolves loved touch. They constantly touched one another. A caress. A pat on the shoulder or the back. Hand holding and nuzzling. Lots of reassuring and connecting with the tip of a finger or a tuck of hair behind an ear.

  For Alice to touch Ruby that way, in fact for all of them to have touched Ruby the way they had was a public declaration that she was one of theirs and took any ill treatment her way as an attack against the whole.

  “And I really didn’t like that look on her face when you two walked in here tonight,” Deidre said. “No more than I’ve liked her comments about Annie.”

  “I was wondering. I’m making photo books for my family for Christmas and I wanted to make one for Damon, Major and Jace as well. Do you have pictures of Annie? I’ll have copies made and get them back to you.”

  Deidre pulled Ruby into a hug that had her face deep in cleavage and the scent of White Diamonds. She had a number of great-aunts who hugged the same way. It was an older Southern lady bosom hug and in most cases was meant to be nurturing and maternal. This hug certainly was.

  She put her hands on Ruby’s shoulders moments later and looked her over. “I’ll look through my photo albums tomorrow when I get up. She’s been on my mind, especially at this time of year so it’ll be a happy few hours.”

  “Very much appreciated.” Ruby figured she’d make an extra for Deidre too as a thank-you.

  Carmen’s expression was satisfied and Ruby felt as if she’d passed a test. “Now, as for Scarlett and that business earlier this week. I surely do know that witches can protect themselves. I’ve seen it my own self. But I also know there are rules. And they should apply to everyone.”

  “What rules? Who we talking about?” Damon put an arm around Ruby’s shoulder.

  Ruby had been so intent on what Carmen had been saying she hadn’t even noticed Damon approach.

  But now that Damon had joined the group, Dooley wolves approached, wanting to say hello. Wanting to meet Ruby officially.

  “You reach out to any one of us if you need anything,” Alice said quietly before they drifted away.

  Ruby met shifter after shifter. Said hello to babies and toddlers. Connected with three different pregnant women she’d see the following week at the clinic.

  “You’re so good at working a room I hadn’t even noticed you moving us across the entire hall,” Ruby told him quietly.

  “Darlin’, it’s all you. You’re like a porch light and they’re moths. I thought I was going to have to beat them off with a stick.” But Damon’s tone was light, so happy. He was in his element. A leader people sought out. Trusted.

  Aimee saw them as she stood hand in hand with Mac near the Pembry area. A grin broke over her features and she tugged on Mac and they headed across the room.

  “You’re here!” Aimee hugged Ruby tight. “You look ethereally gorgeous. Like a goddess. This entire ensemble from head to toe, damn.”

  Ruby returned the compliments as Damon and Mac chatted.

  “So, uh, just so you know a sticky note saying you’d had yet another encounter in the grocery with our favorite villain is only to be used as a temporary stopgap until you can explain to me in detail about the whole thing. And here we are days later and I still don’t know all the details and the ones I’ve learned today didn’t come from you.”

  “I had to work through some stuff while I worked and baked pretty much nonstop from the moment I woke up until I dropped into bed. I’ll talk to you about it later,” Ruby promised. “But this, wow. You weren’t kidding about this dinner. So many people and so much food. I’m astonished and super jealous I’ve missed out all these years.”

  A dinner bell rang loudly but joyously. “Y’all get to your seats please,” Patty said over the PA system.

  “And you haven’t had a bite yet. Just wait. So good. Well, most of it. Just remember what I told you about that stew of Randy Dooley’s,” Aimee whispered in Ruby’s ear. “I’ll touch base with you again after dinner.”

  Jace kissed Ruby’s cheek as they passed by and after a hug from Katie Faith, he held out her chair and Damon did the same for Ruby.

  And then the food. Wave after wave of it. “It’s a good thing we’re going on a walk at midnight. I’ll need the exercise after this.”

  “Don’t think I’m going to forget about whatever it was you and the aunties were talking about,” Damon told her in an undertone.

  “It’s not a thing,” she attempted to reassure him, but her wolf just gave her a look that said he’d be back to the topic when things calmed down.

  JJ, true to his word, sat across from her and pelted Ruby with questions and suggestions the whole meal long while Damon attempted to interfere when he thought his grandfather had gone too far or was too nosy.

  * * *

  Damon was full to bursting with happiness. Ruby shone like the bright, beautiful light she was. She attracted people to her like bees to flowers. She complimented the kids on their costumes and he watched her convert several older shifters who were averse to medical attention to letting her come by and visit.

  His grandfather was in raptures as he flirted with Katie Faith and Ruby at the same time. Thought no one noticed him interrogating Ruby in and around the flirting.

  Ruby answered all his questions patiently though. Even when Damon attempted to get JJ to ease back, Ruby just kept her calm and continued to charm everyone.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said quietly before getting up.

  Near the restroom doors, Damon bumped into a woman he’d dallied with a time or three a few years before. Nothing serious. “I see congratulations are in order,” she told him.

  “Thank you, Stacy.”

  “Though I do wonder why.”

  “Huh?” Damon had been distracted, looking down the hall to where he caught a glimpse of the table where she sat with the rest of his family.

  “You dumped her back years ago and now you’re sniffing around her again but this time she’s the one?”

  “Well, now. I guess I’d assumed everyone grew over time but maybe not.” He shrugged. “We had some seasoning to acquire first. Things are bland without seasoning.” He smiled as he said it, thinking of the dizzying array of spices in Ruby’s kitchen.

  “I get that she’s powerful and all, and this is for the good of the pack. But you and I both know there’re skinny, white witches. Most of them, in fact. You got some sort of fetish? You hate your own kind? Trying to get points?”

  Damon was sure he’d misheard so he ran it back through his head three more times until he realized, nope, he’d heard correctly.

  The wolf most assuredly considered this other shifter to be a threat to their witch. Damon let that show in his eyes as he spoke clearly. “You started off right with congratulations and had to go and ruin it with all that bigoted bullshit you vomited out after that. Frankly, I won’t bother with any stuff like how I’m sure you don’t mean it that way, because you do. I won’t say you’re better than that, because obviously you aren’t.”

  “I don’t have a racist bone in my body. There’s nothing racist about staying with your own kind.” Stacy practically hissed it out. Mad that he’d called out her racism but not ashamed that she was racist to start with.

  “Both of us know the truth of that statement. I’m too fucking satisfied with my life to continue this conversation with you. Stay the hell away from me and Ruby and get yourself right with your ignorance.”

  Damon turned his back on her and walked across the crowded room toward the rest of his life.

  * * *

  Ruby had one of his baby third cousins on her lap, eating off her plate by the time he got back to the table.

  “You trying to steal my girl, little dude?” Damon asked before dropping a kiss first on the baby’s head and then on Ruby’s.

  “Just her food I think,” his grandma said.

  “Sometimes a momma just needs half an hour to herself to eat. It’s not a chore to have this sweet little muffin on my lap and heaven knows there’s plenty of food,” Ruby managed to say around a suddenly squirming baby.

  “Hi there, boo.” Damon’s cousin Joelle held her arms out toward the child whose drooly smile revealed four shiny new teeth.

  Ruby made the handover expertly.

  “I really appreciate the break, Ruby. Hey, Damon.”

  He greeted his cousin before turning back to Ruby. “We’re in the sweet spot right before all the desserts. Want to go outside for some fresh air?”

  “Yes, that’d be very nice.” When she stood, Damon helped her into her coat and they snuck out a side door.

  “You having fun?” he asked her as they stood looking at the lights running down the Ave.

  “I really am. I was nervous but I know a lot of people. Your brothers kept checking in on me, making sure I was okay. Everyone’s been very welcoming.”

  “’Specially the aunties, huh?” he teased.

  “They love you and wanted to be sure I was good enough for you.”

  “Well and isn’t that a nice thing? As it goes, I love them all right back. They’ve been really good to me and my brothers my whole life. They bake me things and give me good gossip. And they came to you tonight to check on you because something has happened. Go on and tell me now.”

  “It’s absolutely nothing serious. A certain terrible bitch tried it on and she learned I wasn’t one to be messed with.” Ruby brushed her palms together as if getting rid of dirt.

  “If it’s not serious, you can tell me the details.”

  Ruby heard the hurt in his tone that she hadn’t told him. “She came at me all nice trying to hook me up with some lovelorn relatives of hers. I said no thanks, that we were in a relationship and she went bananas talking about how special and holy all her people are in contrast to you and yours being Satan’s minions and all.”

  Damon snorted but lost some of the rigidity that’d been in his spine. “I’ve seen you several times since that night. You never said anything. And when I heard talk about some set to in the grocery store, I thought it was the first one. That woman is a fuckin’ public menace.”

  Ruby laughed. “Well Lovie says the grocery store is considering banning her outright because she’s caused so many scenes in there for one thing or another. I guess I should be glad I’m not alone. Anyway.” She took his face in her palms a moment, tugging him down to kiss her.

  She continued. “At first I didn’t tell you because I got home from the market and I was still mad. I was mad for hours and I didn’t trust myself to be able to relay any of the information. I had to process it. Not what she said, which was all her usual bullshit. But my response because I’ve never wanted to use my power to hurt anyone before and lordamighty that night I really did. I couldn’t bring that to you, or anyone else. I had to process it first.

  “As for the rest, I let her know what she’d get if she didn’t back off. With the exception of a dirty look or two tonight, she backed off.” Ruby shrugged. “From what everyone keeps telling me, I have to push back against aggressive shifters sometimes. I did. Problem solved.”

  “I won’t have any of this shit aimed at you. All the stuff she pulled on Katie Faith was difficult enough to watch but you’re mine.”

  Ruby laughed. “You deal with real violations of pack law and stuff. Being a garbage person isn’t illegal.”

  “I don’t like her upsetting you,” Damon said after a long silence. “I want you to trust me to protect you.”

  “Well for heaven’s sake, Damon. Who said I don’t trust you? I explained why I didn’t tell you that night. If she’d done something that scared me or was a violation of whatever of your laws I know of, I’d tell you. You’re a shifter. You’re second-highest rank in your pack and I’m with you. I have to make my own way with your wolves. Within reason obviously.”

  “I hate that I can’t argue with that last point,” he grumbled.

  That made her laugh and pull him down to kiss her again.

  “After all that—the aunties, Scarlett—you still with me?” he asked when the kiss broke.

  Ruby rolled her eyes at him and then grinned. “Of course I am. If not, do you think I’d have told them I loved you?”

  He started to reply as the words sank in and then stopped.

  “I love you too, Ruby darlin’,” he murmured, face still so close to hers she could see the pulse at his neck.

  * * *

  Reluctantly, they headed back inside even though after that emotional breakthrough outside, Damon really wanted to be alone with her. Naked.

  He tried to be a good person. Tried to take care of his wolves and keep them in line. But whatever he’d done to deserve a woman like Ruby loving him he truly couldn’t guess. He was thankful nonetheless.

  Aimee and Katie Faith drew her away the moment they’d gotten through the doors so he found Major talking to Jace and joined them, checking in with Ruby every few minutes to assure himself she was okay.

  Of course she was. Aimee had one of her arms and Katie Faith the other as they chatted animatedly with several other folks around their age. They were young, vibrant and oh so pretty. Magic hung all around them and from all appearances, the shifters near them loved it as much as he did. All that magic was like candy.

  He also noted they were—all three of them—talking about the upcoming vote to abolish the Rule of Silence with those same young shifters. Overheard Aimee giving some talking points to a Pembry who was trying to talk his great-aunt into voting to abolish.

  Yes, each of these witches brought something special to each pack. Perspective and different approaches to old problems.

  “Did you notice Katie Faith’s scent changing once you and she got together?” Damon asked Jace, still watching Ruby.

  “Her magical scent you mean? Yeah. So subtle I didn’t notice it at first. But when she joined the pack she acquired just a hint of pine. Right after the buds break open.”

  Damon nodded. He’d begun to notice the slight addition of loam to her scent. As if just by living nearby and doing her magic on his land, she’d begun to take it into her power as well. Shifter magic in her veins too, now.

  Part of him lived in her. Made her stronger and faster. It was...more than he’d ever even imagined. Massive and important and so fucking wonderful. Damon wasn’t even sure if he deserved to feel this...enormous thing.

  It wasn’t that he’d felt alone. He’d always had Major and Jace. But this was something he hadn’t expected. Hell, he hadn’t even known this was something he’d ever be lucky enough to experience.

  Joy cascaded through him, filling him with light and pleasure and a sense of absolute, unshakable surety that he was Ruby’s wolf and would forever be that way. As she was most assuredly his witch.

  That cascading joy was his love of her. Of their love as its own force that forged their connection into an unshakable, unbreakable foundation.