He could hear Simon and Becky groaning as their Alpha’s power washed over the room. Cyn actually went to her knees, unable to hold under the weight.

Julian smiled, and yawned.

Emma slapped Max’s arm. “Knock it off, Lion-O.”

The white mist dissipated, along with the weight of Max’s displeasure. “I’m sorry, but if it was your mate what would you do?”

Julian stared at Emma for a few moments before answering Max’s question. “I’d let her tell me when she was damn good and ready.”

Max sat up a little straighter, comprehension slowly beginning to dawn in his expression, when the doorbell rang again. “Emma?”

“Shh.” She stroked Max’s cheek, her gaze tender. “We’ll talk when we get home. I promise.”

Poor Max looked dazed as Adrian and Sheri walked in the front door, carrying enough soda to drown the Pittsburgh Steelers. Or rather, Adrian was carrying it. Sheri had her seeing-eye dog, Jerry, guiding her through the house. She waved to the room in general. “Hi, everyone. Gabe and Sarah are right behind us.”

Sarah dashed into the house and right up to the Alpha pair. “What’s wrong?”

Max smiled into his mate’s eyes and caressed her stomach. “Absolutely nothing.”

“Think you have all the answers, don’t you, Lion-O?” But Julian noticed Emma wasn’t pushing her mate’s hand away. On the contrary, her fingers stroked across the back of it as she gazed fondly into blue eyes still speckled with gold.

Max’s answering grin was chock full of lazy arrogance. “I do.”

Julian yawned again. This time it wasn’t faked. “Not that I’m not thrilled to see all of you, but why the hell are you here?”

“Because you couldn’t come to our house.” The look Emma shot him said that answer should be obvious.

“Rick and Belle should be here in about fifteen minutes, and Tabby and Alex are on their way.” Gabe began dragging chairs from the kitchen and dining room into the living room.

“So we’re having an impromptu pizza party because…?” Cyn crossed her arms and began tapping her foot. She had that stubborn look on her face, the one that said she’d better get answers and soon.

“Pride meeting. Well, Pride and Pack, since Tabby’s technically both.” Emma patted Max’s arm and stood, heading straight for the kitchen. “Do you guys have any paper plates and cups?”

“But we’re not Pride.” Cyn looked as confused as Julian.

“Not yet,” Becky giggled.

“When I told Gary that you, Glory and Tabby were under my protection, I meant it.” Max crossed his arms over his chest and practically dared Cyn to question him further.

Her gaze landed on Julian, and an unholy grin crossed her face. “Does that protection extend to my mate?”

Max’s answering smile was as full of evil as only a cat could manage. “It does now.”

Julian thumped his head on the sofa with a groan. Wonderful. Now he was being protected by Pumas and Foxes and Bears, oh my. He wondered if he could sell tickets to this little three-ring circus.

“I had forgotten about that.” Sarah stared thoughtfully at Cyn. “Maybe that’s why I could feel the shooter so clearly.”

“Because there were three Pride members there.” Max nodded sagely. Julian figured the man was bullshitting. Max liked to pretend he was the uber-wise Alpha, but Julian—

Wait. When did Cyn become Pride?

Alex and Tabby walked into his house as if they owned it, not even bothering to use the doorbell. Any thought of irritation vanished when he saw who was with them. “Glory!”

Glory was immediately surrounded by overly solicitous kitties. She was settled into Julian’s favorite chair, which Max rapidly vacated, and handed a drink and a slice of pizza that had her wrinkling her nose. She set the plate aside on the side table and turned watery baby blues toward Max. “Where’s Ryan?”

Wow. Talk about an uncomfortable silence.

“We haven’t got a clue.” Gabe shared a long, uncomfortable look with Adrian, the Halle Marshall. “It’s like he just disappeared.”

Julian winced. That was probably the worst thing Gabe could have said. Glory took a deep breath as if to yell, but instead wound up in a long, painful sounding coughing fit. She was instantly surrounded as everyone but Julian tried to soothe her. He hadn’t seen so much guilt in the room since his mother caught him and his friends covered in Christmas cookie crumbs two hours before the relatives were due. All of them were talking at once so none of it made any sense. It got so loud that only Julian noticed when the front door opened again. A massive, scowling redhead and a dainty, China doll blonde stopped and stared at the chaos before the blonde reached into her purse and pulled out—

Ancestors have mercy that was loud. But effective. All of the Pumas stopped and stared at the smiling woman holding the air horn. The redhead shook his head like a dog in the rain. “I hate it when she does that.”

The blonde, who just had to be Belinda “Belle” Lowell, shook the air horn enticingly at the Curana. “Come on, you know you want one.”

Max scowled at the gleam in his mate’s eye. “Don’t even think about it, Emma.”

“But Max, it’s so shiny.” Emma pouted up at her mate and batted her ridiculously thick lashes.

“Emma.”

“Fine.”

Out of the corner of his eye Julian saw the Poconos Pack Luna make the universal sign for call me.

“Oh no, you don’t.” Rick Lowell picked up his mate like she weighed less than a kitten. “Let Max keep the illusion he runs things around here.”

The Pumas laughed at Belle’s indolent grin, easing the tension left over from Gabe’s earlier remark. Soon everyone was settled with pizza and drinks, some on the floor, some nudging at Julian until he sat upright. Cyn sat at his feet, her back resting comfortably against his legs. Next to him sat Belle, her mate on the floor between her legs. She leaned down every now and then and fed him bites of her pizza, never once breaking the stream of gossip between her and Emma. Their favorite topic seemed to be two men named Ben and Dave who were planning a commitment ceremony sometime around Christmas. Apparently, Dave had sent Emma some images of drag queens in wedding dresses. He wanted her opinion on which one she thought would look best on him.