Laughter rang out from various places around the room.

Jacob was the loudest. “Asshulk…” He snorted. “She totally nailed you.”

Maximus’ long arm swung around and clipped the fey right up the side of the head, knocking him completely out of his chair. Which did nothing to halt his snorting chuckles – though they were a little quieter to avoid a second smack from the muscled vampire.

Ignoring the quads, I strode over to Louis. I was wearing jeans, shit-kicker army style boots, and a black tank. When we were ready to leave, I’d throw a jacket over the whole thing. Enough protection from whatever was coming at me. Although, I didn’t have many easily accessible spots for Louis to place this “help button” on me.

I stopped right in front of him and he assessed me lazily, starting at my feet and working up to the top of my head. He was about halfway through when heat caressed my back and I knew we had a third in our little group – Braxton behind me, not touching, but staking his claim all the same.

“You better think long and hard about where you decided to touch her, mage.” The tone was casual, but even a deaf idiot could hear the warning in his words.

Louis’ grin got even broader. I really wished he didn’t find such joy in tormenting the quads. “Oh don’t you worry, lizard, I am thinking very long and hard about where to put my hands on Jessa.”

I kicked Louis.

He had been expecting the attack to come from Braxton, so my boot landed cleanly in his gut and knocked him five feet across the room. Loud clunks followed my footsteps as I stomped after him.

The grin was still in place, although there was a little more feral in the eyes as he stared up at me. “Don’t, Louis.” Wisps of growl laced my words. “Just put the effing tracker on me.”

He was on his feet like a bullet. I never even saw him use his hands or legs. “Apologies, I merely like to rile up the reptile. He is a little touchy where you are concerned.”

Braxton placed both of his hands on my shoulders. “Touchy doesn’t even begin to cover my emotional stability when it comes to Jessa.”

“I respect that.” Louis was suddenly somber, something I rarely saw, because he was always projecting an aura of jovialness. But I suspected we saw more of the real Louis in the brief moments he was serious than in all the other times put together. “I would not have approved of a mate for Jessa who showed anything less than the true devotion I see in your eyes. You are a worthy mate for her.”

Jonathon laughed. “Why do I feel as if my father role has been usurped right out from under me?”