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"Come on, I want to introduce you to sonizant of the possessiveness i in her head, but she silenced it His do to be a probleone as soon as he’d satisfied his curiosity about her

"Where’s the picnic basket?" she asked, trying to ignore the stab of pain provoked by that last thought After all, she had no desire to tie herself to a ave it to one of the juveniles," Zach answered with a sht, she couldn’t help but smile in return

"Cory will stick it with the other food so everyone can grab what they want" He stopped beside an older woman with snohite hair and a face that echoed his own so strongly, Annie knew they were related Not only that, it was clear where Zach had inherited his sun-kissed skin and bones

As he leaned forward to kiss the woman’s cheek, she said, "Zach, my dear" Her eyes went to Annie, and they were as sharp as her body was toned

Given the way she stood, her supple strength, Annie guessed her to be a soldier, too It wasn’t surprising - changelings didn’t really slon until well into their eighth or ninth decade "And who have you brought randut,her wonder what it would be like to have that open and powerful love directed at her "My grandmother, Cerise"

Cerise held out both hands, her s that Annie accepted the touch without hesitation "Don’t let this boy talk you into anything wicked," Cerise said "He’s been getting his oay since the day he first looked at his mother and batted those pretty eyelashes"

Annie felt her lips curve, but before she could answer, Zach was set upon by a pair of identical teenage girls "Zach!" they screa their ares!"

"You saw ed the eyes landed on Annie

"Oooooooh," one of theiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrl"

"Who is she?" her thispered, brushing aside a waterfall of sleek black hair "Where did you ?"

Cerise frowned "Girls, irls dimpled

"Sorry, Grandma"

Zach looked at her "Annie, ly"

"Hey!" They both slapped his chest "I’m Lissa, and that’s Noelle," the one on the left said

Annie was beginning to be able to tell them apart They were both confident and cheerful, but Lissa had more h to light up any room she entered "Nice to o "Where are your sisters?" she asked the twins

Annie felt her eyes widen More sisters? Zach saw her look and began to laugh "Four of them," he said "Four Jess - she’s Bryan’s mom - and Poppy are older than these two brats"

"Aw, you know you love us, big brother" Lissa reached up to press a kiss to his jaw "I’ll go look for theirl"

"Talk to you later, Annie"

Wiggling her fingers, Noelle ran off with her twin

Annie didn’t knohether to laugh or shake her head in aer sisters?"

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and cuddled her to his side

"They’re the reason for ray hairs See?" He dipped his head

The dark silk of his hairliar You don’t have a single gray hair" Held against hinited Okay, she thought, quashing the e inally believed it would, but it wasn’t as if she was going to do sohed "She’s on to you, boyo I bet she gets along with Jess like a house on fire"

"Speaking of Jess" - Annie frowned - "doesn’t Bryan have an older brother? When did Jess get married? Mated," she corrected herself

Cerise was the one who answered

"At twenty She’s thirty now, only a year younger than Zachary here Her oldest is nine"

"Twenty’s so young," she mur joy in his tone, the love of a brother for his sister "And that was that She alanted a big family, so the kids came soon afterward

She’s happy" A simple statement, and yet it spoke of such love, such trust