Maybe I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I smelled the food. Except now I wondered if I was mistaking one hunger for another. Lou’s family surrounded me and for the first time I fully understood how fucking lonely I felt and how starved I was for this. It was like stepping into a sauna after walking for three days through frozen tundra. All around me people were chiding, bickering, laughing, and squabbling and there was so much damned love that I was suddenly ravenous.

Someone passed me with a full plate and my stomach rumbled. Then again, maybe it was the food.

Lou gave my arm a squeeze. “I’ll grab us some plates, okay?”

Or maybe I was hungry for something else altogether. I tracked Lou as she dodged family members.

Savannah brought my attention back to the group by slapping my elbow. Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed her hand gently, letting her wrap her chubby fingers around one of mine. I leaned down and pretend to snap at her fingers with my teeth and she giggled. When I looked up, Bay’s expression was thoughtful.

“Jules said you’ve been looking for a job?”

I nodded, but my attention had returned to Savannah. She was giggling like mad now and enjoying the game.

“We need a part-time counter person at the shop,” he said slowly, thinking.

“Tattoo shop, right?” I continued to pretend snap at Savannah’s fingers. “I don’t really know anything about it.” I didn’t have any tattoos, though I had friends who did.

“You can learn.” He grimaced. “But it’s only a few opening shifts. Not enough to really pay all the bills. But maybe…you got any cooking experience?”

I was distracted by his question, giving Savannah an opportunity, which she seized—she grabbed my beard and yanked. Maybe it was time for a trim. I carefully extricated her hands. “Nothing professional. My last job was sort of being the social media person and general helper for Wulver Craft Brewery.” I straightened but kept hold of Savannah’s hands. “I filled in where they needed me, basically.” Zoey had always referred to me as her support team, and I felt a sharp, quick pinch in my heart. Savannah pulled her hands from mine. “I’ve cooked for a lot of people before doing large prep, but nothing in a professional setting.”

“How do you mean, ‘large prep’?” Bay adjusted his hold on Savannah as she leaned in to grab both of my cheeks and stare into my eyes. She wasn’t a wolf, but I’ll be damned if she wasn’t attempting to show dominance like a baby alpha. Juliet must have her hands full with this one.

“I grew up in what could kindly be called a commune.” I bumped my forehead against Savannah’s. You’re not the alpha here yet, baby child. She huffed at me, smacking my cheek. “We all had to help out. The numbers shifted, but we usually had anywhere from fifteen to twenty families around at a time. I learned how to cook by helping with everything from prepping to serving for one hundred or more people every night. I’m no chef or anything, but I can follow a recipe.” I braced myself for questions, but they never came.