Taryn blinked at the redhead. “Oh, I’m sorry, is it 1953?”
Shaya ignored that. “You could even take her star gazing. Nick did that with me once.”
“Willingly?” asked Ryan.
She swatted his arm. “We’re trying to help you.”
Marcus stepped between the females. “Your suggestions are good ones, ladies, but they’re not exactly Ryan-type activities.”
“I actually already had something in mind,” said Ryan.
Lydia’s brows flew up. “You did?”
“Really?” asked Taryn.
They didn’t have to sound so astonished. He grunted.
Grace waved a hand, impatient. “Well, what is it?”
“Makenna said she’d always wanted to go to an outdoor movie festival,” said Ryan. “There aren’t any local ones so I thought I could set something up here on our territory. We have a projector and a white screen and speakers. I could do a campfire and toast marshmallows and . . .” And why were they now smiling dreamily at him?
Jaime put a hand on her chest. “I think Makenna would really love that.”
“I think I would really love that,” said Taryn.
Grace’s manner turned abruptly businesslike. “Leave the planning of this to us, Ryan. We can set this up. Bring her here at seven. Everything will be ready by then. I don’t think that girl’s had much fun in her life. If she wants an outdoor movie festival, she’ll get one.”
“Wait,” began Marcus, “it won’t exactly be a date if they have our entire pack hanging around.”
“If they went to an actual movie festival they would be surrounded by people,” Lydia pointed out. “The same would apply if they went out to dinner or bowling or something.”
“Making this a pack event will be a good thing for Makenna,” said Grace. “She’s never quite relaxed here. Like she doesn’t feel she belongs.”
Ryan had noticed that. It was understandable, since she had grown up without a pack.
“She needs to feel like one of us,” Grace went on, “which is exactly what she’ll be when she and Ryan finally mate.” She patted Ryan’s cheek. “It will happen, sweetie. You just need to find out what’s blocking that bond and smash it into teensy-weensy pieces.”
Easier said than done, but Ryan would accept nothing less.
When Makenna left the shelter later that day, she found Ryan waiting for her, leaning against his Chevy. Having spent much of her day with a malnourished and frightened pup that had been brought to the shelter the previous night, she felt sad and weary. All of that seemed to leave her at the sight of Ryan whose mere presence seemed to send feel-good endorphins through her body.
Similarly, her wolf lost her tension and did a very languid stretch. He was like hot chocolate, a steaming bath, a happy movie, and a pillar of strength all rolled into one. “Hey, White Fang.”
The bright smile she gave him went straight to his groin. “I told you to drop that.” Splaying a hand on her lower back, Ryan pulled her close and kissed her. Her sparkling taste never failed to make him groan. He inhaled deeply, taking the scent of his mate inside him. It was tinted with coffee, feline, and . . . “Colton.” It was a growl. The male’s scent was barely there. Nonetheless, everything in Ryan bristled and possessiveness gripped him hard. His wolf snarled.
Sensing his mood shift, she nuzzled his chest. “I worked with him a little today, that’s all.”
Sliding his hands around Makenna’s neck, Ryan kissed her again. Harder and more dominantly than before. He took and tasted and demanded, stroking her tongue with his until she was pliant against him. The spicy scent of her need rose up, blanketing those other foreign scents until all he could smell was her. He hummed his satisfaction. “That’s better.”
A little disoriented, Makenna double-blinked. Walking on shaky legs had its challenges, but she managed not to embarrass herself as she hopped into the Chevy. Five minutes into the journey, she realized . . . “We’re not heading to my apartment. Why are we not heading to my apartment?”
“Because we’re going to Phoenix Pack territory.”
And there went Makenna’s buzz. She liked the Phoenix wolves well enough, she just didn’t enjoy feeling like a spare part. They were all so close and tight that it made her feel even more like an outsider than she normally did. Well, she’d get to see Zac—that would be good. “Oh, okay.”
If Ryan didn’t know her well, he might have bought her perky smile. But he sensed her disappointment and discomfort. He thought about telling her she had no need to feel awkward around his pack, but the night’s events would quickly teach her that.
When they finally arrived at his territory, the sky had begun to darken. With so few clouds, it was a pretty sight. He parked the Chevy and then led Makenna into the woods, which made her frown. “We’re not going inside?” He didn’t respond. “You’re being more mysterious than usual. If your plan is to drag me someplace private and have your wicked way with me, I’m totally on board. Just thought I’d throw that out there.”
Ryan almost smiled.
“I smell fire. And food. What’s going on?”
Stopping, Ryan turned to her. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so awkward. “I wanted . . . I wanted to do . . . something nice for you. I remembered you talked about an outdoor movie festival and . . .”