Chapter 5 Dinner with the Pack

AVA

At the end of training, I walked back over to where the twins, Leo and Isabella were all waiting for me.

"That was amazing!" Isabella squealed, throwing her arms around me. "Now I see why you were training on your own!"

I grinned in response, "thanks guys."

"Now I know why dad comes home looking like his ego has been hurt some nights, Ava," Oscar, one of the Beta's sons, laughed. Callum, his twin, just nodded in agreement.

"Yeah... I would apologise for that, but I'm not going to."

"Are you joining us for dinner at the pack house tonight, Ava?" Oscar asked.

I very rarely did, but perhaps now I could? It would just mean I had to get through an evening of comments and questions about how I knocked Beta Alexander on his backside...

"Sure, why not," I smiled. "I just need to shower and change, so I'll meet you there in an hour?"

"Sounds like a plan," Oscar replied, pulling me into a hug. Callum looked jealous, right up until he joined the hug from behind.

The Alpha twins looked left out, but they didn't attempt to join in, fortunately. It was awkward enough being in between the Beta twins like that, I didn't need the Alphas getting involved too.

"See you all in a bit," I smiled, squeezing out from in between the twins and heading towards my house at a sprint.

"Hey mum, hey dad," I called out as I burst through the door. I was adopted when I was younger, but they were the only parents I could really remember. They were amazing and always had been.

"Hey, sweetie," my mum replied. "You're back early, how was training?"

"I'm helping Beta Alexander train the pack now," I smiled.

"How did the pack take it?"

"They weren't convinced at first, but then I knocked four of them on their backsides and Beta Alexander too."

She pulled me into a hug. "I'm proud of you, sweetie."

"Thanks mum. I'm heading to the pack house for dinner tonight too."

She nodded, kissing my forehead.

Forty five minutes later, I was ready to head to the pack house for dinner. Evidently Isabella and the twins thought I'd bail, because they were all standing outside my front door waiting for me.

"Ava!" my dad called out. "Kids outside waiting for you."

"On my way, dad!"

I ran down the stairs, pulled my heeled boots on, and headed straight out the door.

"You came!" Isabella squealed.

"Of course I did, Izzie, I told you I would."

She grinned, grabbing my hand and pulling me in the direction of the pack house, the boys all following close behind. I could feel eyes on me, and when I spun, it became pretty clear that the Alpha and Beta twins were watching me walk.

My cheeks tinged pink, but rather than letting myself get embarrassed, I wiggled my hips, giggling when their eyes went wide.

Before I could turn back, Noah had bent over and grabbed me around my waist, throwing me over his shoulder, laughing. He ran, with me still laughing over his shoulder, his hand running up and down the back of my legs.

As soon as he wasn't expecting it, I tickled his ribs, before using his distraction to flip myself over his shoulder, landing perfectly behind him.

"That was a low blow, Ava!" he shouted, before running straight at me.

I laughed, running in the direction of the pack house, somehow faster than Noah even in heels.

When it became clear that Noah wasn't going to catch me, Theo, Oscar and Callum all joined the chase, sprinting behind me, but they couldn't catch me either.

It did feel good to laugh with people I could call friends, I didn't do that often.

By the time we reached the pack house, the twins were still a good ten metres behind me. I'd started slowing down as we got closer, but they still couldn't catch up.

Beta Alexander was standing on the front steps with a smile, he'd evidently heard the laughing and sound of footsteps coming towards him at speed.

"Hey, Beta." I laughed as I worked to catch my breath.

"Ava, I'm glad you're joining us tonight," he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a hug. We turned and walked into the pack house dining room, his arm still around my shoulders.

The room went silent. Most of the wolves here had seen me knock Beta Alexander on his backside during training, and those that didn't see it had definitely heard about it.

"Ava, good to see you," Luna Amelia smiled as she stepped towards me, pulling me into a hug. "I heard about Alexander," she whispered in my ear. "Good on you, he needs knocking down a peg or two."

"She knocks me on my backside regularly, Luna, this time there was just an audience."

Luna Amelia laughed again, waving her mate, Alpha Jacob, over to meet us too. "Ava, I'm glad you could join us for dinner tonight."

"Of course, Alpha. I should really come here more often than I do."

"Try to get your parents to as well, Ava, we don't see them enough."

I nodded as Luna Amelia wound her arm through mine, dragging me over to her table. I glanced behind me to see the Beta, Alpha and then the twins, Leo and Isabella following behind us.

I sat next to Luna Amelia, but before I could get comfy, Theo wrapped his arms around my waist, moving me over a seat so he and Noah could sit on either side of me. Luna, Alpha and Beta all laughed, attempting to cover it with their hands but failing miserably.

"I prefer you in between us, Ava," Theo whispered in my ear.

"Definitely pressed in between us," Noah whispered in my other ear.

I blushed, smiling as I turned back to my food.

I jumped when their hands landed on my bare thighs, trying not to squirm when their hands moved up my legs towards my waistband.

I leaned into Theo's ear, close enough that only he should be able to hear. "Hands to yourself, mister. I'll have to knock you on your ass otherwise."

It didn't work, because Noah then leaned in on my other side. "Promises, promises, Princess," he whispered back, leaving me shivering when his breath trailed along my neck.

I punched both of their thighs, trying not to laugh too loud when they both winced.

"You okay, Ava? Sounds like the boys are getting handsy" Luna Amelia's voice came through the pack link.

"Of course, Luna."

"Good, let me know if you want me to kick the boys' backsides for you."

"I've got this, Luna. You know I'll knock them both on their backsides before the end of the night if it comes to it, you might want to be ready with bandages for their bruised egos."

She laughed so hard she nearly choked on her dinner, the Alpha ending up rubbing her back. I grinned at her around Theo, seeing her wiping her eyes. "Are you okay, Luna?"

"Of course, Ava. I'm just so glad you could join us today."

The six of us moved into the garden behind the pack house after dinner with beers in hand. The benefit of being a wolf meant our metabolisms were so good that the 18 age limit on alcohol didn't really apply.

I was laying on the ground, watching the stars when a hot body suddenly appeared on either side of me.

"Boys," I acknowledged. Theo was on my left, Noah on my right. Apparently they liked being that way around.

I sat up when I heard laughter, noticing that Isabella was sitting on Leo's lap leaning against a tree. The Beta twins were looking at me longingly, scowling at Noah and Theo on either side of me.

Old, shy me would never have done what I was about to do, but the new confident me wanted to. I waved them both over, motioning for them to sit behind me so I ended up leaning against their chests with the Alpha twins leaning against my legs.

Being in between the four of them was more comfortable than I expected, it almost felt like home. Right up until they started arguing with each other.

"If you four are going to argue, I'm going to knock you all on your backsides and then go home," I retorted.

"I'd like to see you take all four of us at once, Ava," Theo whispered in my ear.

I heard laughter behind us; Alpha Jacob, Luna Amelia and Beta Alexander were standing on the steps, watching our interaction.

"Beta Alexander," I called out. "Did you hear that challenge too?"

"I did indeed, Ava. Tomorrow at training?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"I want to watch this, Ava," Alpha Jacob called out.

"I'll see you there, Alpha, you too if you want to watch, Luna."

The four boys' faces dropped slightly, I don't think they were expecting that.