by Quinn Loftis
Zara glared up at him. “That they dig ditches—”
“No, it’s um, they get stit—” Wadim started to interrupt.
Zara’s voice rose to speak over him. “For their soon-to-be-dead mates?”
“And that’s why she’s my new favorite.” Jen smiled.
Sally glanced at Jacque. “We need to explain to Zara why being Jen’s favorite anything is not good.
“Not good at all,” Jacque agreed.
“Elle, Peri, and myself,” Jen went on, “are on the P&D squadron.”
“Knowing your mind, I really hope that doesn’t mean what just popped into my head,” Peri said at the same time Sally took a drink of her orange juice. She should have known better than to be drinking anything while Jen was speaking. A laugh burst out of her lips just as she pulled the cup away from her mouth, and everyone within a six-foot radius got sprayed. She coughed and tried not to inhale the drink into her lungs as she laughed.
Jacque patted her on the back, rather pathetically, Sally noted, and said, “I hope that does mean what Peri thinks it does.”
Sally wiped her mouth and took the hand towel Costin held out to her. “Knowing her devious mind, it probably has something to do with the payback she’s planning for me and Fane,” he growled.
This only brought on another fit of laughter from Sally and Jacque.
“If something dirty popped into your head, Peri fairy, then what does that say about your mind?” Jen tilted her head and looked at the high fae as though she was a bug under a microscope.
“That you’ve dumbed down my brain to the development of a sixteen-year-old male, and I should really consider getting psychiatric help,” Peri answered smoothly.
Jen blinked at her and then grinned. “That was a good one.”
“Why is it that when someone insults her, she rarely actually gets insulted?” Sally whispered.
“Because her brain is at the development of a sixteen-year-old male, which means her mind is on an endless loop of sex and ‘I don’t know why I did that.’ She doesn’t have the capacity to get insulted,” Costin responded, a playful smirk on his lips.
“You’re not joking, are you?” Sally asked dryly.
He simply shook his head at her.
“Bethany,” Jen said over the murmurs of the group, which was, no doubt, trying to figure out what Jen’s last acronym stood for, “you’re on PSD.”
“That sounds like a drug.” Bethany laughed.
“Or a sexually transmitted disease,” Zara said.
“Okay, now she’s my favorite, too.” Jacque grinned at Wadim’s mate.
Sally nodded. “Yeah, she’s cool as—”
“Vanilla ice, ice baby,” Jacque interrupted before Sally could finish.
Sally stared at her best friend and then burst into laughter. “That was awesome.” Sally sighed when her laughter died down.
Jacque crossed her arms in front of her and leaned back against the counter with a satisfied smile. “Apparently, Slate hasn’t killed all my brain cells.”
Sally had to admit she was quite proud of Jen’s focus. Throughout the constant interruptions, she kept surging forward.
“Last and probably least in his mate’s eyes because he’s the reason she can’t get out of a chair without looking like a turtle stuck on its back, Drake, you’re on MBMH duty.”
“Please tell me that has something to do with Bethany’s PSD,” Elle said.
Peri sighed. “I was really hoping she hadn’t gotten to you, too.”
Elle just shrugged. “Pretty sure you can’t be around her for longer than a few minutes without everything becoming a dirty innuendo.”
“She’s not wrong,” Adam said.
Jen began passing out papers that were indeed laminated. “All right, while this has just been a barrel of laughs, here are your instructions.”
“Why do these have scheduled bathroom breaks?” Sorin, who’d yet to say a word, asked.
“Because some of you act like children and therefore must be treated as children,” Jen answered without looking away from her task.
“What is a SRBRT break?” Zara asked, sounding baffled.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” Jen quipped, “because you and your furbutt haven’t completed all the necessary requirements to partake in that break. But there is a key on the last page to all of the acronyms for the assigned squadrons.”
Zara made an O shape with her lips as she glanced up at Wadim. He grinned down at her, and his eyebrows bounced up and down suggestively.
Lucian cleared his throat. “I see a big problem. My schedule only has one SRBRT break per week.”
Jen turned to look at Peri’s mate. Sally knew her own face must match the surprise on Jen’s face. Neither could believe it was Lucian who brought that up. Even more hilarious were the indignant agreements that rumbled through the room by the other males. “Because we have a lot to do and not much time to do it. You get more breaks for peeing and pooping. Those are necessities.”
“And this isn’t?” Fane asked.
Jen’s eyes moved to him. There was a special gleam there that Sally had seen many times in the past. “Tsk, tsk,” Sally muttered. “Alpha or not, you should not have asked that.”
“Don’t worry, Alpha,” Jen said sweetly, “you’ll get yours.” Her eyes darted to Costin momentarily.
Fane’s eyes narrowed.
“Why do I get the feeling she isn’t talking about sex?” Costin muttered.
“Because you two are on her list,” Jacque answered.
“And she’s checking it twice,” Sally said.
“She found out from Peri that you two have been naughty,” Jacque added.
“Not nice,” Sally finished.
Their mates both turned their heads and looked at them. Sally and Jacque shrugged at the same time.
“Jen dropped us on our heads one too many times when we were kids,” Sally said.
“And tortured us,” Jacque added. “Tons of torture. And this is how we turned out.”
Neither male said anything, although they did both growl. Surround sound growling, Sally thought with a mental snort.
“Any questions?” Jen asked the room. Nearly everyone’s hand went up. Jen just smiled. “Great, let’s get to it.”
“You just asked if we had questions, and we obviously do,” Drake said.
“Yes, but I didn’t say I would answer them.” Jen made a shooing motion with her hands. “Go forth, be jolly, and get your shi—crap done.”
“Are you speaking literally, as in go take a bathroom break?” Adam held up his laminated sheet. “Because that’s not scheduled until 10:00 a.m.” Crina tried to push him from the room while telling him to “Shh.”
“You know what I mean. Do not deviate from the schedule, fairy boy.” Jen walked over to Peri and Elle.
“Why do I have a feeling this is going to turn into one of those ridiculous Christmas movies where someone gets electrocuted, another person gets locked in a bathroom for two days, and another falls from the roof?” Sally asked.
“Because it’s Jen who’s in charge, and she will probably be responsible for all three of those things happening,” Jacque answered.
“Good point,” Sally conceded.
“All right, boys, do us proud.” Jacque patted Fane on the back.
“Well, according to the schedule, Luna, you’ll have to wait until Thursday for us to do you two anything,” Fane muttered.
“Stupid schedule.” Costin tilted Sally’s head up and pressed his lips to hers. “Have fun with whatever the hell your acronym means,” he said when he pulled back.
“There’s a key.” Sally pointed to the sheets of paper in his hand, grinning at his annoyance.
“I refuse to read the key as an act of rebellion to the evil Christmas general,” he said, then turned to Fane. “You ready?”
Fane grunted. “I’m the alpha of this pack, but I have to walk around waiting for Jen to give me payback for something I di
dn’t even remember doing until yesterday.”
“You could give her an alpha command,” Costin said as they headed out of the kitchen.
“That’s not a bad idea,” Fane agreed.
“That’s a terrible idea,” Sally and Jacque called after them at the same time.
Jacque looked at her. “It would be hilarious, though.”
“Totally would. I’d pay money just to watch him do it,” Sally agreed.
“All right, Thelma.” Jacque sighed as she headed toward Crina and Zara. “Let’s go get our holiday cheer on.”
“I really feel like we should be walking in slow motion while awesome background music plays,” Sally said.
“Wearing Santa hats,” Jacque added.
“We’re on squad IDLD,” Zara said as they reached the other girls. “Indoor lights and decor.” She pointed to the key on the paper. “Before we get started, I’m thinking we need a squad cheer or something.”
“We want to put all the other squadrons to shame,” Crina said.
Sally and Jacque looked at each other then back at the two girls.
“We like how you girls think.” Jacque threw up her arms and shouted in her best drill team voice. “We are I-D-L-D, so bright you cannot see. If you do not like us, you can kiss our knee.” She smiled. “Get it? Bright because we’re doing lights.”
Zara laughed. “Have you already dipped into the special eggnog?”
“Nah, girl. I’m just drunk on cheer. Holiday cheer and a ‘our squadron is better than your squadron’ cheer.” Jacque hooked her arm through Zara’s.
Sally did the same with Crina as they followed the pair out, heading for the meeting hall where Jen had all the Christmas decorations set up in organized piles, which they already knew because it was written on their oh-so-helpful sheet of instructions.
“This is going to be a disaster, isn’t it?” Crina whispered.
Sally nodded. “Absolutely. But it will be a hilarious disaster, and I think we could use a hilarious disaster right now.”
Chapter 3
“On the third day of Christmas my werewolf gave to me three growling males, two cursing pups, and a furball in a fir tree.”
Keep singing people. So help me you’re going to enjoy this story whether you like it or not.” ~Jen
“How many more bloody trees does she want?” Lucian asked Decebel.
“Yeah, what he said.” Adam pointed at Lucian. “Because yesterday we cut down thirty.”
“But she only liked ten of those,” Decebel replied. “She inspected them and decided twenty were unacceptable. They had too many issues.”
“Issues?” Adam frowned. “How can a damn tree have issues?”
Decebel rubbed his hand down his face. He loved his female. He did. And he had to keep reminding himself of that the previous evening while she pointed out the issues. His tongue was bloody from all the times he had bitten it to keep his muzzle shut. “Her heart is in the right place,” he said. “She wants everything to be beautiful for the pack and to create some pleasant memories for the end of the year.”
Lucian met his eyes and nodded. “Then we get her more trees.”
“I really hate it when you say stuff that makes me have all the feels when I really just want to bitch.” Adam huffed as they headed back toward the forest.
“All the feels?” Decebel laughed.
Adam just shrugged. “Crina says it all the time. She’s rubbing off on me.”
“Don’t tell my mate that.” Decebel said. “She’ll remind you it’s not Thursday yet.”
Adam and Lucian both froze and turned to look at him.
“Did you just make a sexual joke?” Adam asked.
The beta shrugged. “I guess my mate’s rubbing off on me, too.”
Lucian’s lips twitched as if he was trying not to smile. “I told Peri what you said,” he said, speaking of their mate bond. “She said she’s very disappointed in you.”
“Tell her she’s not alone.” Decebel rolled his eyes.
“If you two are going to be turning things into innuendos, then this might not be so bad,” Adam said, rubbing his hands together like an eager child.
“I heard that little joke,” Jen told Decebel through their bond.
“I’m not proud,” he replied.
“But you should be. My big, bad wolf is jumping in the gutter.”
“More like I fell. Or even more accurate, I was pushed into the gutter by my tenacious, dirty-minded mate.”
“You won’t be complaining on Thursday,” she challenged.
“It’s Monday, female,” he practically snarled. “By Thursday, all I’m going to be doing is complaining. Now leave me alone so I can pick out some more trees. I love you,” he added, because he knew why she was working so hard for this celebration, even if she was a little obsessive about it.
“Love you too, B. Happy hunting.”
To be honest, Decebel didn’t really mind being in the forest. His wolf loved it. And both were itching for a good run in their four-legged form. He stopped walking and looked at Lucian. “You want to phase? We can still look for trees and point out the ones we want Adam to take down and flash back to the mansion.”
“My wolf is restless,” Lucian said. “I could use a run.”
They stripped down while Adam took off into the forest, already looking for trees. He seemed just as restless as they did, even though he wasn’t a wolf. As soon as Decebel transformed, all thoughts apart from the desire to run fled. It felt good to be in his wolf skin once again. He shook out his fur and then took off in the same direction as Adam, following the fae’s scent. Decebel could hear Lucian behind him. The other wolf let out a long howl, and Decebel joined him in the song.
When they caught up with the fae, he’d already used his magic to cut down three trees. “You guys are slow,” he said, his grin not quite meeting his eyes. “I’ll take these back and then return for the ones you two find. Don’t pee on them to mark them, please.”
Decebel growled at him, but Adam just laughed. The fae picked up the ends of the tree trunks and then flashed.
Lucian and Decebel began searching for appropriate trees. When Adam came back, they showed him the ones they’d chosen, and he cut them down and flashed them back to the mansion. This went on and on until the sun began to sink low in the sky.
Adam groaned. “Okay, if we’re going to keep going, you two have got to change back. I’ve gone all day having no one to verbally spar with. It’s messing with my head.”
Decebel phased back, not concerned with his nudity. He’d spent two centuries ending up naked when he changed from fur to human. Lucian phased back as well. “You’ve talked to us all day,” Lucian pointed out.
“And you two just tilted your heads and then trotted off. Talking to your wolf butts isn’t my idea of stimulating conversation,” Adam said dryly.
“Let’s go get our clothes.” Decebel motioned for them to head back. He and Lucian phased back so they could run without being naked while they did so. Adam kept up with them easily. Soon, they were back where they started, and Lucian and Decebel phased and began getting dressed.
Decebel paused and looked at the fae. He focused all of his senses on Adam because he suddenly realized something was amiss. Yesterday, the man had been a little distracted but still seemed more like himself. But today, Adam appeared agitated and, at times, even a little angry. Decebel had assumed the fae was irritated over the number of trees they’d chosen. Now, however, Decebel noticed dark circles under Adam’s eyes. His face was drawn, and he kept opening and closing his fists. “Adam, are you all right?” Decebel’s wolf smelled fear, worry, and desperation all over the fae. How did I miss this?
Adam shifted on his feet and glanced at the ground. “She keeps telling me to leave her alone.” He paused and rubbed the back of his head. His jaw flexed, then he continued. “So she can focus. Apparently, the girls have decided this is some sort of competition to be the jolliest squadron.” Adam sighed, looki
ng much more human than fae at the moment.
Lucian stopped and also looked at Adam. His brow furrowed as he must have seen the same thing that Decebel had sensed.
Adam’s jaw clenched, and he took a deep breath. He shook his head, a silent answer to Decebel’s question, but then he said, “Crina’s not sleeping. I have to practically force her to eat. She keeps the bond open only enough to let me feel her. I can force it open, which I don’t like doing, but I’m worried about her.” His voice sounded tight as he spoke about his struggling mate. “She seemed a little better last night after she spent the day with Jacque, Sally, and Zara. But this morning she was distant. I’ve reached out to her several times today, but she just says she’s fine and busy. She puts on a good face for everyone else once we leave our suite.” He paused and leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees, as if he’d simply lost the strength to stay upright. “I’ve asked her if I’ve done something or said something. She says no, but she barely lets me touch her.”
Decebel’s wolf perked up even more at that last bit of information. Touch was essential to the wolf inside of them. Adam might not be Canis lupus, but his mate was, and her wolf would demand her mate be affectionate. “She won’t let you touch her? So, the shower joke the other day?”
Adam shook his head. “I knew if I teased her in front of everyone, she’d touch me. I didn’t care that it would just be her pushing or elbowing me. I’ll take anything. How pathetic is that?”
“I would have tied my mate to the bed and laid on top of her until she agreed to allow touching again,” Decebel said, and he meant it. “If you think teasing your mate is pathetic, then you need a lesson in Canis lupus nature and what it means when the wolf’s needs are not being met.”
When Adam straightened back up, he looked like a man who’d been gutted. How had Decebel missed this yesterday and all day today? Was it because Adam wasn’t a wolf? Or had he been so focused on keeping tabs on Jen through their bond that he just hadn’t paid attention? Jen’s emotions were all over the place, but she turned to Decebel, not away from him. She demanded he give her what he already wanted to give her, which was her right as his mate, just as he had rights to her because she was his. Then again, if Adam had been a wolf, he would have come to his alpha or beta to tell them what was going on. It would have been instinctual to reach out to his pack leaders.