The Burning Claw (The Grey Wolves #10)(23)

“I am not your damn taxi service. Besides, a little exercise might do you some good. Have you looked at your behind lately? That pregnancy weight isn’t going to lose itself.” Peri’s smile was positively wicked. She could almost hear Jen clenching her fists and grinding her teeth.
“What’s the news?” Vasile spoke up, getting down to business, as usual, and silencing the scathing retort Jen was formulating in her mind.Peri had planned on telling Vasile her theory, but she’d wanted to first get Jen’s thoughts on the rumors she’d heard. Her suspicions weren’t something she was ready to share with the others—not yet.
“One of my loyal pixies has heard something of interest. You know that the high fae monitor the number of wolves alive at any given time. Obviously, a few of you might sometimes manage to slip through the cracks.”
Jen coughed and it sounded an awful lot like Coldspring.
Peri glanced at the female Alpha. “You should be thanking me that the rogue Coldspring pack went unnoticed. The events that transpired there led you to your very own fleabag. Your welcome.” She turned back to Vasile. “What are the known packs currently operating in the United States?”
“Thought you said,” Jacque began but Peri shut her up with a snap of her fingers.
“Denver, Colorado, Springfield, Missouri, and Coldspring, Texas,” he answered without having to think about it.
“And lone wolves?” Peri asked him.
Vasile shook his head. “None have been brought to my attention. It’s been years since I’ve had to deal with one”
Peri let out a resigned sigh. “That’s what I thought.”
“Please tell me you are going somewhere with this and you didn’t just call us down here to verify something we already knew,” Decebel growled out.
She glanced at the Serbia Alpha—surprised at the comment, which sounded more like something that should have come from Jen’s mouth.
“He’s cranky,” Jen said by way of apology.
“Please don’t tell us why he’s cranky,” Jacque said quickly.
Jen rolled her eyes. “Get your head out of my gutter, Red. It’s nothing that interesting. He’s cranky because—”
“Jennifer,” Decebel growled.
She looked at her mate. “I should make that my ringtone. ‘Jennifer,’ ” she mimicked in a sing-songy growl, attempting to imitate her mate’s deep voice. There were several coughs of laughter around the room. Peri had to admit, Jen’s impression of her mate was freaking hilarious.
“He’s pissy because one of the doghouses fell apart.” She started laughing before she could even finish the sentence. “One second—” She paused, gasping for her air between laughs. “It was there and then…plop.” She slapped her hand on the table she was standing next to. “It was no more. Perhaps, it didn’t help his mood that I busted out my phone and found a sound bite of the bugle song they play at funerals. I had it wailing as Dec picked through the crumbled remains of his first doghouse.” 
Peri’s shoulders shook as she tried to keep her laughter from joining the others. Decebel had his head bowed and his hand was pinching the bridge of his nose. He was holding it together by a thread, which only made Peri laugh harder.
Apparently, the Alpha was done being laughed at because a surge of his power rushed the room. Fane, Jacque, and Wadim were the only ones affected to the point of stumbling. Decebel outranked them. But Vasile, Alina, Cypher, Lilly, the fae, and his mate, simply stood still under its assault.
Peri narrowed her eyes at him. “Done?”
“Are you?” he snapped back.
“Touché,” she conceded. “Now, back to the why behind the questions. The pixies have found more wolves.” She paused and watched as her words sunk in. “Wolves that we believe do not belong to any of the known packs. I’ll know for sure after I’ve investigated further, but we are fairly certain that they are rogues.”
“Where?” Cypher spoke for the first time. As a supernatural leader, he could understand the dangers of having supernaturals running about unpoliced.
“A quaint town in South Carolina called Oceanside.”
“Let me guess,” Jacque said. “It’s by the ocean.”
Peri shook her head. “Actually, no, it’s inland, closer to the mountains.”
“Oh, really?”
“No, not really. Of course, it’s by the ocean. Just because you nearly died does not give you a license to make stupid statements that waste oxygen.”
“Damn,” Jen muttered. “Did your doghouse fall apart too?”
Jacque snorted. “Good one,” she said as she high-fived her blonde friend.
“Do you know how many there are? Alina asked.
“Doghouses? Just the one now,” Jen continued.
Now it was the female Alpha’s turn to growl. “You know what I mean,” she barked.
The high fae cleared her throat. “So far my little spies have counted four—two males and two females.”
“Mated pairs?” Fane asked from his spot, leaning up against the wall behind his mate.
Peri huffed. “They’re spies, not dogs. They can’t smell the lingering scent of hanky panky.”
“Wait, is that a thing?” Jacque’s head pulled back and her eyes darted around the room. “Can dogs really do that?”
Peri looked over at Lilly, who’d been quietly observing. “You do realize that she came forth from your loins, right?”
“Can you please refrain from talking about my mother-in-law’s loins,” Fane groaned.
“Ugh.” Jacque turned and handed Slate to Fane. “It’s even creepier when you say it. Never say my mother-in-law’s loins again. Ever.” She pointed a finger in Fane’s face.
“Things are getting awkward,” Jen sung and grinned. “I love it.”
Peri didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Getting this bunch together was like putting a flame in the middle of a room full of dynamite. Once one fuse was lit, they all caught fire until someone finally blew.
“What’s our next move?” Cypher asked, drawing the waning attention of the others.
“Wadim,” Vasile said and motioned to the wolf. “You find out everything you can about Oceanside. I want population, demographics, layout of the city. I also want any information on new driver’s license registrations. That might tell us if these wolves are just passing through the town, or if they claim it as their permanent territory. Get me numbers on any brutal animal attacks in the area, regardless whether the victims are human or animal. We need to find out where they’re hunting. “Peri,” Vasile said and looked at the high fae. “I know you have other things going on with your new healers and that whole messy situation but—”“I’m not going anywhere, Alpha. My pixies won’t do business with you overgrown hairballs without my intervention, so you sort of need me.”
“And it’s good to know her ego is thoroughly intact,” Jacque murmured.
“Hey, you ungrateful little redhead ass, she totally held you and your furry prince to this realm all by herself. Without her you’d be pushing up daisies right now, so I think she’s allowed a little ego stroking,” Jen pointed out.
“Jen, as thoughtful as it is for you to defend me, I can handle it.” Peri crossed her arms in front of her and shot Jacque an annoyed look.
“I wasn’t doing it for your benefit, Peri Fairy. I was just dying for the chance to call Jacque an ass and talk about you stroking something.” Jen high-fived herself. “Mission accomplished.”
“Decebel, put a muzzle on your she-wolf before I turn her into a coat for little Thia. Now,” Peri breathed out. “As I was saying, if you want the continued help of the pixies, then you will need my assistance.”
Vasile nodded. “Then do what you do. Get us as much information about these wolves as you can.”
“Maybe we should send some wolves there too, you know, to get a good look at these rogues,” Jen suggested.
Decebel shook his head and answered before Vasile. “They would smell us from a mile away. It might spook them if there are suddenly new wolves in the area.”
“Point,” Jen said as she patted Thia, who was now asleep on her shoulder.
The room was quiet, which Peri found to be amusing considering the occupants that filled it. She knew it wouldn’t last long. It didn’t.
“I wish there was more we could do,” Lilly said, taking Cypher’s hand in hers. “I feel useless.”
“You haven’t seen anything?” Jacque asked her mom.
Lilly shook her head. “All’s quiet.”
“On the wolf front,” Jen said softly and snickered to herself. She looked over at Jacque, “See what I did there? On the wolf front instead of—”
“The Western front,” Jacque interrupted. “Yes, Jen. I acknowledge that you are clever and funny.”
“Just as long as we’re clear,’’ Jen nodded.
Peri turned to Lilly, deciding that attempting to reign the two girls in was simply an impossibility. “You will be helping soon enough watching your grandson. I suspect that if we find Sally in this Oceanside town, Jacque will be one of the first to force me to take her there.”
Jacque held her fist in the air. “You totally get me. P, we are like this.” Jacque opened her fist and then twisted her forefinger and middle finger together. She ended with, “Fairy dust is thicker than water.”