Ava wiped a tear from her eye. Her poor brother Arden had come home from leading an away team to meet and help his mate. But as soon as he arrived, Remy ran, and even Faith couldn’t find her at the moment. If it wasn’t for the two minute phone calls she gave them every couple of days—
Faith interrupted her musing. “I stuffed up. And now poor Arden is paying for my mistake. I shouldn’t have rushed the mating. But I wanted her safe and one of the many perks of mating a werewolf is that you become almost…well, unbreakable.”
Ava laughed. “Yeah, well, I suppose you could say that. Faith, you need to stop beating yourself up. You can’t be perfect and right all the time. Give yourself a break. You’re right ninety-eight percent of the time.”
Faith sighed. “Okay, just this once, but has anyone seen Arden today? I saw him yesterday and…” Faith paused.
Ava knew Faith was talking about her brother’s condition. She’d taken breakfast to his house this morning, and she shuddered remembering how he looked like shit with a capital S. He was definitely giving all the movie werewolves a run for their money.
Ava thought about her mate and hoped she could take it if Logan rejected her and ran. She really didn’t know if she could live like her brother.
“No, Ava,” said Faith. “Fate showed me your mating.”
Ava let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.
“Call Kirby, Sara, and Sandra, and I’ll call Erin, Amie, Lexie, and Stacy, and we’ll all go out and have some fun. Lexie and Stacy are dying to go out. A girls’ night out, with no boys allowed.”
Ava smiled in anticipation. “Yeah, we all need this. See you tonight.” Ava hung up, shaking her head. She would get dressed and go see Arden, see if she could get him to do something. First though she called Kirby, Sara, and Sandra.
* * * *
Grinning, Logan strapped the ice knife belt to his leathers. He loved his new uniform. He got it the other day after being promoted for his part in saving people and killing the demons and minions in the underground raid.
All the military men had learned the hard way that demon blood fucking hurt. The demons’ sticky, acid blood ate through everything, bar the specially made leather pants, singlets, and jackets he now wore. It was surprisingly easy to maneuver around in them, and he admitted reluctantly that the werewolf women looked hot in theirs. His brother’s new wife… Logan shook his head, not wanting to go down that avenue.
Thinking of his brother, he looked around for him, surprised to find him without his tall, hot blonde new wife shadowing him. Logan debated whether to go over to him. Hayden hadn’t spoken to him since the disastrous day at his sister’s new house, when his parents meet Rane and Sandra, Hayden’s new wife.
Logan walked over to his brother, ignoring how quiet the room became. Everyone knew about the fight they were having, over half the men there had been their friends-associates for years.
“Hayden, where’s your shadow?”
Hayden didn’t answer just continued to get ready.
“It’s like that, is it?” Logan knew he should leave it alone and walk away, but he’d had enough of everything. He was tense, angry, lonely, exhausted, and most of bloody all horny as hell. He was ready to give into one very sexy werewolf if he saw her.
Hayden’s head came up and if looks could kill, he’d be dead. His brother hadn’t spoken to him in over two weeks, and that’s the longest they’d ever gone.
Logan spoke without thinking but he’d had a shit day. “You’re acting like a fucking girl. Not even our sister has stopped talking to me. She can also go out without her dog following her everywhere so he can wipe her arse for her. But I think this is the first time I have seen you without your bitch.” Logan didn’t even see his brother move, just felt the impact as Hayden punched him in the face and kneed him in the chest.
“You’re a fucking asshole, Logan. Because you’re my brother I won’t kill you this time, but if you ever talk about Sandra like that again, to anyone, I will kill you. And just so you know, I love that ‘shadow’ as you refer to Sandra.” Hayden shook his head. “Sandra’s gone out tonight with Kirby and Ava.”
Logan groaned at Ava’s name, going instantly hard. Shit. He’d only just got his boner to stand down.
Hayden looked him up and down, laughing at his state. “It’s priceless. I didn’t believe it when I was told. You and Ava…this is going to be so funny to watch.”
Logan heard a few werewolves growling behind him, and one said, “Oh, this is going to be great. I wonder how long he will hold out.”