“Naya, come sit next to me. I saved you a seat,” April said from the far end. I passed by Izzy, who was holding hands with Jericho across the table. He brushed his thumb over her knuckle while they watched Maizy excitedly unwrapping her pile of gifts. A pretty dress, a game, a drawing kit, and someone had bought her a tall cylinder of candy. She about died when she peeled the wrapper off, and Lexi’s mom scowled at Denver, who merely laced his fingers together as Maizy popped off the lid and immediately ate a piece.

The only person absent from the festivities was…

“Sorry I’m late,” Wheeler said, his voice dark and smoky as he took the chair across from me. He glared at me for a nanosecond before turning his attention to Maizy.

Wheeler had rubbed me the wrong way when he disrespected April a few years ago. Maybe they’d buried the hatchet, but I still felt infuriated each time he flicked a glance my way. Wheeler was probably a man who berated his women and treated them like submissive dogs.

Yet I found myself secretly peering up at him. Wheeler normally kept the circle beard around his mouth and chin neatly groomed, but it looked like he was growing it out along his jaw. It wasn’t thick but trimmed close, like a heavy five-o’clock shadow. His white tank top fit his body like a second skin, and every hard curve on his chest created a ridge in the fabric. Wheeler had an average frame with anything but an average build. Not an ounce of fat showed, just lean muscle. There was something dark and desirous about him I couldn’t put my finger on, although perhaps it had to do with him being the opposite of every man I’d ever been attracted to. My gaze skated across his tattoos, and when he flashed his amber eyes up to mine, I leaned against April and pretended to ignore him.

I found it immensely distracting to be sitting across from Wheeler. I’m not sure whose twisted idea it was to place us together, but it kept our end of the table silent. His presence made my panther restless as she circled in the dark shadows within my mind.

After the ceremonial opening of gifts and extinguishing the candles, Maizy walked around and gave everyone a big squeeze. Then she reached under the table and handed Denver a brown box with a round lid.

His brows drew together. “Did you forget to open one?”

“No, silly. That’s yours.”

Denver looked at her with a bemused expression. “That must be yours, Peanut. It’s not my birthday.”

She folded her arms. “You won’t tell me when your birthday is, so we’re going to share a birthday. Don’t you want to see what I got you?”

For a moment I thought I saw his lip tremble. He quickly tightened his expression and shook his head. When he removed the lid and pulled away the white tissue paper, he huffed out a laugh. “A straw hat? I’m not wearing this silly hat.”