Pack Dinner

*Sophie to the side

"Hey Danny, what do you think about joining the pack dinner tonight?"

choke "Wha—what?"

I blinked, surprised by the sudden coughing fit. "Oh my god, Danny, are you alright?"

"Forget that! What's this about a pack dinner?"

"Well, Camden invited us to dinner, and Caleb got all excited, so I agreed. But I don't want to go alone after everything that happened yesterday. With Camden probably punishing the pack, I really don't want to be there by myself."

"My, my... Is my Avery scared of a pack of wolves?"

Pshh. "As if you know, I can take anyone on. But that's exactly why I don't want to go. I don't want to fight anyone there, especially not in front of Caleb."

"But he's seen you fight before."

"Yeah, but that was with you. Training's different from actually trying to harm someone."

Danny nodded, clearly understanding. "Alright, I'll go. I haven't been back on the territory since... well, you know. But for you, I'll do it."

I smiled gratefully as he stood up and left the room.

I felt bad for bringing Danny back to the place that had once caused him so much pain, but I was thankful for him agreeing to come. I knew he hadn't spoken to the pack in years, so hopefully, seeing his old friends would make it easier for him.

I got up and decided to at least inform Alice that I was bringing two guest with me and if she could keep it quiet because it's a surprise. She hesitantly agreed and promised to keep it a secret.

Danny and I spent the day with the kids—pool time, the hotel's toy room, and then Sophie and I went shopping. She's going to be a heartbreaker when she's older. Her hair was in loose curls, topped with a little hat that made her blue eyes stand out, paired with a cute white and blue dress and ballet flats.

Danny, looking way too good in dark jeans, combat boots, and a blazer, was practically turning heads himself. I couldn't help but stare.

"See something you like?" he teased.

"See something you like love"

"Defiantly, I'm going to have to keep you on a leash before all the unmated she wolves try to take you away" He laughed at my reply. "A little possessive are we?

"Duh. How could I live without my bestie?" I smirked. "Plus, who's going to run the company and pay me if you're not here?"

He rolled his eyes but couldn't help grinning.

We left at 4:45, making us late. Danny had a tough time getting Sophie's booster seat next to Caleb's. With Caleb growing fast, it was a tight squeeze.

When we finally arrived, the pack was already gathered in the backyard. Caleb was holding my hand, walking ahead of me as we approached. Camden smiled and started toward us but paused, his eyes narrowing when he saw Danny.

Danny walked out behind us, Sophie on his back, standing tall and protective beside me and Caleb. I could hear the gasps from the pack.

"Oh my gosh, it's Dante"

"Danny..."

"He's back?........ but his mate"

"What are they doing together?"

Danny acted like he couldn't hear them, slipping into his usual jokester mode. He was all laughs unless it was work, then he was all business.

"Hello, my people! Have you all missed my royal sexiness?" I couldn't help the snicker that escaped my lips, and a few people chuckled along.

Before Danny could make another joke, a stern voice rang out. "Danny, why didn't you tell me you were coming?" It was Danny's mom, Marissa. She was the only one who knew about Sophie, but Danny had asked her to keep it a secret. She knew we were in touch, just not that we were living together.

"It was a surprise visit plus Avery needed me here" When he said my name her head snapped over to me. Yeah, I'm here too.

"Oh, Avery, dear, I haven't seen you in so long!" She pulled me into a tight hug, and as I lost my balance, my hand slipped from Caleb's. He took that chance to bolt toward Camden, who was still standing frozen in place. Our eyes met for a brief moment, but he quickly looked away and focused on his son.

Alice and Alpha Zach seemed to think it was time to intervene. "Avery, why don't you and the kids get some food and come sit with us?"

We made our way toward the food table, but Danny was immediately pulled aside by his old friends. "Dude, it's been forever. Where've you been?"

Questions like that kept coming, feeling bad for him, I grabbed Sophie and headed to the food table.

"Come on, Sophie, let's get some food so Daddy can play with the big boys." She giggled, nodding her head enthusiastically. I grabbed three plates, serving food for her, Danny, and myself. Camden had already gotten Caleb's food, so I made my way to the head table with the kids.

"Okay, Sophie, do you think you can carry your plate to the table?" I asked. She nodded, and I carefully handed her the plate.

She nodded and I carefully gave her the plate.

"Let's go"  I walked to the table, choosing a spot next to Caleb on my left and placing Sophie on my right, so she'd be between Danny and me.

"Mommy, look!" Caleb cheered. "Daddy got me chicken!"

"That's great, sweetie. Eat up," I replied. I rotated between helping Caleb and Sophie eat, but mostly focusing on Sophie, since Camden was sitting on the other end.

Finally, Danny made it to the table and immediately took over feeding Sophie. "Thanks for the food, love," he smirked, and I stared at him wide-eyed before narrowing them. Little fucker.

"Oh, I didn't know you guys were together," Brittney chimed in, her voice dripping with curiosity. If I remembered correctly, she was one of the pack "rabbits," always throwing herself at every guy. I ignored her, and thankfully, Danny did too, but I knew he wasn't done yet.

"What would I do without you?" he said with a wink.

"Danny, shut up," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"Avery, love, why so mean?" he teased.

I could feel the eyes of the pack on us, but I blocked them out and focused on my food, hoping they would take the hint and stop staring.

"So, Danny, how come you and Avery came here together?" Brittney asked, clearly not picking up on my attempt to deflect.

You better keep your mouth shut Danny. "

"She asked me to come with her this morning," Danny answered casually.

"Oh, you were visiting her?" Brittney pressed. God shut the hell up.

"Something like that" Danny replied shrugging

"What do you mean?" she asked again.

I knew exactly where this was going. So help me, God, if he says what I think he's about to say...

"Oh, simple. We live together, but I came to town last night since I couldn't leave home yet. You know, work and all," Danny said, all too casually.

I looked up at Camden just in time to see him drop his fork, the clang echoing in the sudden silence.

"You two live together?" Camden growled.

Fuck me sideways.

"Oh didn't she tell you, we've been living together for what four five years" I glared at him when he looked my way. I saw him gulp and looked away from me, Yeah Danny be afraid.

Before Cam could say another word she began talking again.

"So you guys are together, wait you said work but don't you own that huge company I see why now"

It was Danny turn to glare now. "What are you implying Britney" I spat, my irritation clear.

"Oh just that you're like everyone says, I mean Danny has money why not" This fucking bitch.

I was about to put this in her place when Danny spoke up. "Are you implying Avery's a gold digging whore? I'd thread carefully if i were you and so what I have money she does too. In fact she's part of the reason I'm so successful, if it wasn't for her I don't think my company would have been as far as it now, She has worked hard for everything she has so if you don't mind keep your nose out of our business please"

I was speechless, so were the others. Brittney had her mouth opening and closing like a fish I couldn't help but laugh.

"Thank you Danny" I beamed.

"No problem love"

"Britney leave" whoa what. I looked over to a seething Camden

"What?" she asked, confused.

"I said leave Now and I'll be dealing with you later seems as if you need a harder punishment''. So he did punish them.

Britney stood up, her face flushed with embarrassment. She shot me one last glare before storming off.

I exhaled slowly, feeling a sense of relief as the tension in the room began to lift.

The silence stretched for a moment before Sophie broke it by tugging on my sleeve.

"I'll take her" I said to Danny even though I didn't have a clue where it was I just needed to leave.

"I'll show you where it is" Camden spoke up though I hesitated before agreeing.

I followed behind him as he led us. "Okay, sweetie, call me when you're done, okay?"

"Okay," Sophie replied, closing the door behind her. I stood beside it awkwardly, and Camden kept glaring at me.

"So, you live with him, huh?" His voice was tight with irritation, his eyes burning with something I couldn't quite place.

I narrowed my eyes, trying to keep my cool. "Yup, almost five years now."

"Why?" His tone sharpened.

"Why not?" I shot back, crossing my arms.

"Are you guys together?" His jealousy was evident now, his words laced with anger.

"As in, are we dating?" I raised an eyebrow. "How is that any of your business?"

His eyes darkened, and the tension in his voice was palpable. "You're my mate, the mother of my child. Of course, what you do concerns me—especially if it's with him." He spit Danny's name like it was poison.

"I'm not your mate," I bit out, my anger rising. "You rejected me. The only tie we have is Caleb. Instead of being a jealous prick, you should be thankful Danny was there for me when I was pregnant and to help Caleb while growing up when you didn't."

I didn't wait for his reply. I turned and walked toward Sophie, needing space from the tension.

"Come on sweetie lets wash your hands"

We quickly finished and followed behind a now scowling Camden. Even though I was mad at him I couldn't help but check him out. He had grown a bit, sexy- more mature. I watched as his muscle flex as he walked dam him for being so hot.

When we stepped outside I made my way over to Danny who was chasing a giggling Caleb.

"I wanna play" Sophie begged.

"Sure sweetie how about you chase them"

"Yay "I watched as she took off in a fit of giggles chasing them. Taking out my phone I began snapping photos of them together laughing and having fun. Finally Danny gave in and allowed Sophie to catch him, I watched as he fell to the floor and he pretended to be eaten by her.

I began laughing and noticed a few members laughing along with them.

In the midst of the fun Alice made her way over to me. "Avery I forgot to ask how is your mom doing".

"Oh she should be okay now Danny figured out what was wrong with her before it got worse and we were able to stop it"

"Danny figured it out?" Alice's tone was sharper than usual. She stared at Danny, her gaze flickering with something unreadable. "Hmm..."

"Yeah, he did," I nodded.

"No, we both figured it out," Danny corrected, though his smirk said otherwise.

"Technically, I had heard of the symptoms, but Danny really pieced it together," I added.

"So, how'd you figure it out?" Cam asked, joining the conversation.

"Well, when Ave came to live with me, we got to know a neighboring pack. The nurse who delivered Caleb mentioned a similar case—a woman being poisoned. The symptoms matched up with her mom's."

"Oh my god how did that happen" Zach pressed. He may not be in charge now but he's still an Alpha.

"She bought a piece of jewellery that had traces of silver and wolfsbane infused in it. Not enough to notice at first, but it could slowly destroy you over time." I noticed everyone listening intently. I'm sure they knew my mom was sick and probably guessed that's why i was back.

"But she's okay now. The purification bath they're giving her will detoxify her."

"That's good to hear," Alice replied, though her gaze lingered on Danny for a moment longer than necessary, her expression unreadable. "Very good to hear."

I zoned out as the conversation continued before something clicked. "I thought Alex was coming?"

Alex was Camden's little sister by one year but was my age. "She is my dear, but she's going to be late. She's driving up from Maxwell City with Mikey."

Who's Mikey? I wondered. Maybe he's her mate.

"Her son, Michelangelo," Camden added, catching me off guard.

"She has a son? Wow, that's amazing. I'm so happy for her," I said, genuinely surprised.

"So, who's her mate?" Danny asked, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity. He'd always thought Alex was beautiful back in high school, but then he met his mate.

"He died two years ago," Camden said softly. "Some rogues infiltrated his lands and ambushed his pack. He didn't survive."

I gasped in shock. "Oh my..."

Danny nodded but didn't say anything else. I could tell he understood that loss all too well, and there was something in his eyes that spoke of the emptiness that came from losing a mate. It was something none of us could truly understand unless we'd experienced it ourselves.

_____________________________________________________________________________

The rest of the night passed with more talking, dancing, and laughing. At one point, I noticed Camden and Danny slipping away for about ten minutes before returning, both of them looking unusually pleased with themselves. I'd have to ask Danny about that later.

It was around 8:30 when a familiar scent reached my nose. I turned just as I was knocked down, a giddy Alex landing on top of me with a squeal.

"Oh Avery, I've missed you so much!" she cried, planting kisses all over my face.

"You don't know what it's been like around here without you keeping me sane!" she laughed, clearly overjoyed.

I smirked at her antics. "You know, I could get used to seeing you like this." I wiggled my eyebrows, teasing her.

She blushed fiercely and jumped off me, quickly apologizing. "Oh, shut up!" she said, still blushing.

"Avery, come give me a proper hug!" she demanded, and I complied. We hugged for what felt like forever before pulling away, laughing.

"So, where's my nephew?" she asked excitedly.

"He's over there with Dante—whom you just ran past."

"Dante's here?" she asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Right here, beautiful," Danny said, appearing at the edge of the group. "Missed me?"

Alex blushed even more at his words but still gave him a hug. "Of course, I missed you, dummy. How could I not?"

Caleb and Sophie ran over to us, dragging a smiling Camden behind them.

"Nice to see you remember your own brother," Camden teased.

"Hush, Cammy, I saw you last week," Alex replied, rolling her eyes. Camden growled at the nickname, making everyone laugh.

"Caleb, look, this is your Auntie Alex," I said, "and she has a son, Mikey, your cousin. You'll meet him later."

"Hi, Auntie Alex!" Caleb said cheerfully.

"Oh my, aren't you a cutie?" she cooed, her gaze softening. "And who's this?"

"This is Sophie, and this is my daddy," Sophie said, hugging Danny's leg.

Alex's face went blank for a second, before it morphed into an expression of complete surprise. "Wait, what?"

"Whoa, Danny, congrats! I'm going to go get Mikey so they can play together."

Before she could walk off, Camden stopped her. "Is he up for it?" he asked, his tone laced with concern.

Alex frowned but nodded. "He is, but he's been a bit off lately." She gave a heavy sigh before walking away, and Camden followed with an exasperated look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned.

"Mikey hasn't been the same since his dad died," Camden explained. "He's either really sad or shut off. Then, every now and then, he has his moments where he's happy and cheerful, but it's unpredictable."

"Oh, poor little guy..." I murmured sympathetically.

Not long after, a boy about Caleb's height came running up to Camden, throwing himself into his arms. "Uncle Cammy! Uncle Cammy!"

"Hey, little guy! I missed you," Camden said, lifting him up with a grin.

"Mommy, who's that?" CAleb asked, eyes wide.

"That's Mikey, your cousin. How about you and Sophie go play with him?" I suggested.

"Okay, Mommy!" Mikey said, taking Sophie's hand, and the three of them ran off together.

By 10 p.m., we decided it was time to head out. Danny and I had a conference call meeting the next day and a family lunch with the kids to look forward to.

I was buckling the kids into their car seats when I felt a gaze on me. I turned around to meet cold, blue eyes—eyes that didn't match the smile they were attached to. Joel. Camden's TIC.

I gave him a blank stare, but he didn't react. I focused on securing the kids before sliding into the driver's seat. A minute later, Danny emerged from the house with Camden, and they both got in.

"Safe drive, you two," Camden said with a smile before waving us off.

As we pulled out of the driveway, I glanced in the rearview mirror. Joel had disappeared, but Camden was glaring at the spot where he had stood.

I couldn't help but shake my head, I turned my attention to the road. Danny didn't say anything as we drove, but I could tell he was in a quiet mood. I didn't press him. We both had enough on our plates already.

Thank you guys for voting and commenting on my story, please continue what you're doing i look forward to seeing your comments. Feel free to message me and dont hold back if i made a mistake please point it out, i will be going over the old chapters very soon and making the necessary changes.

Sorry i took so long to update my laptop froze so i was stuck with my phone.