The Chef's Sick Mate (Book 17 of the Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 48

Gen smiled up at Linc, excited to hear his voice in her mind. "How do I do that?"

He smiled. "Just think about me and what you'd want to say."

Like this?

His smile got bigger. "Exactly like that."

She hoped it got easier. Right now, it felt sort of like she was straining her brain. She looked up as a blond woman approached, a man with brown hair close behind her, a small child in his arms. The woman was very pregnant, her hand resting on her belly.

"Astrid! How are you doing?" Lincoln said, stepping forward and hugging her. "Hey Liam. Hi Brendon." He reached up and touched the cheek of the little boy, then turned back to Gen. "Genevieve, this is Astrid, my great-great aunt, her mate, Liam, and their pup, Brendon."

Gen's mouth dropped open as she realized the woman whose books she absolutely loved was standing right in front of her. Astrid was beautiful. She snapped her mouth shut. "Hi. Thank you so much!"

Astrid smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you, Genevieve. Welcome to Regal Eclipse. What are you thanking me for?"

Her gaze darted from the beautiful woman up to her mate. Were all the men here so good-looking? "I, um, accidentally became a werewolf, and your books helped some."

Astrid's eyebrows shot up. "You accidentally became a werewolf?"

Gen looked at Linc, who squeezed her hand before looking at his aunt. "You know what happened to Xavier, right?"

"Yeah, my dad told me about it." Her gaze flicked back to Gen. "Is she related to Ana?"

"She's Ana's younger sister," Linc said.

"Oh!" She smiled, then frowned. "Oh. Holy cannoli, that had to be a shock."

Gen giggled. "Yes, it was. My wolf is amazing, though, and we spent a lot of time reading your books. You're our favorite author."

Astrid grinned. "Well, I'm glad they helped you then. That warms my heart. So, are you two..." She looked back at Linc.

"Yes, she's my mate." Lincoln wrapped an arm around Gen.

"I'm glad you found your mate. I'd say finally, but..." She laughed. "We need to get back. It's past Brendon's bedtime and definitely past mine. This little one is the most active pup I've carried. Gen, if you're looking for any new books to read, have Linc bring you over to my personal library. I've got tons of books."

"It was nice to meet you all," Gen said. "And thank you."

Astrid stepped forward and hugged her. "Nice to meet you too."

Liam smiled at her. "Nice to meet you." The couple walked away, hand in hand.

Linc turned back to Gen. "You ready to go for a run?"

"Yes!"

Linc took her hand in his and turned. "You can't shift just anywhere. This place is pretty heavily guarded, and there are cameras in a lot of places. So, if you'd rather no one was watching, I'll show you where to go. Though honestly, I'd prefer I was with you when you shift."

"Okay. I've actually never shifted with anyone before," she told him.

He looked at her.

"I hadn't met any other werewolves until Aidan and Ana showed up at my house. Jules and I would just go out in the backyard and shift, then run through the woods. Probably not the safest thing," she mumbled.

"No, but I can understand why you chose to do that," Linc said. "Here, you're safe, but it's best to always go with someone."

"I will," she agreed.