Rootbeer sprinted around the corner, dashed under the table, and bolted out from between Cooper’s legs to race into the middle of the living room. Houdini and Bobokins were hot on her heels, but they crashed into the chairs on their way out the other side. Several people cursed and winced, then reached for their chins. Olli and Bubba were smart enough to swerve around the table, but they were moving too fast, so when they landed on the rug at the same time, it went sliding and sent them both crashing into the couch behind Kessler and Bentley. Albert wasn’t even a year old yet, so he just didn’t know how to use that big mastiff body of his, so it really wasn’t his fault he slammed full-speed into Easton, accidentally tackling him to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

“Heads up,” Bentley yelled a split-second before his fire-doggo, Squishy, raced into the room and jumped over the dinner table. Little flames dropped on top of everyone in his path. “Shit.”

Bentley lifted his hand and Squishy’s flames shot like magnets to his palm, then buried into his skin. I didn’t miss the shudder and cringes on his brother and uncle’s faces when it happened.

“All right, that’s it.” Kessler jumped up and stole one of Lennox’s wands off the coffee table in front of Constance. "I can’t take it anymore.”

I sat up straight and realized I wasn’t the only one who’d jumped when he did. “What’s wrong?”

We were all watching him as he took that wand and marched out the front door and into the front lawn area. Through the big front window, we had a clear view of him creating a black iron fence. When he rounded the side of the house, I turned in my chair to watch out the side window, but Kessler was making quick work of this fencing. It seemed like seconds later when Kessler threw the front door open and whistled.

“Come on, kids,” he shouted and clapped his hands. “Outside time!”

The dogs raced out the front door all barking and wagging their tails. Kessler didn’t follow after them. He just walked straight by us to open the back door. By the time he reclaimed his seat on the couch and picked up his newspaper, Rootbeer led the whole pack through the back door and right through the open front door.

“I’d stay out of the lane if you don’t want to be run over.” He grinned and flipped through the newspaper.

We all laughed.

Seamus sighed. “She’s going to sleep so well tonight. I might have to come by every day.”

“Seamus,” Tim grinned and waited for Seamus to look at him, then continued, “if your girl makes our pack sleep after this, you’ll be required to come by every day.”