A Grey Wolves Howliday (The Grey Wolves #14) by Quinn Loftis

Jen was staring down at her list. Her hands were trembling. Jacque glanced at Fane. “Babe, could you maybe clear the room?”

Fane spoke out loud. “Let’s get to work, everyone. Traditions are good. They make excellent memories.”

The room began to clear. Rachel came over and took Slate. “Thank you, Rachel.” Jacque touched the healer’s shoulder.

“We are happy to take care of them,” Rachel said. Jacque could feel her joy. Gavril was already holding Thia, and Titus was at his side talking a mile a minute. Jacque watched as the couple walked out with the kids and then it hit her. They’d been mated for centuries and had no children of their own. Jacque couldn’t imagine her life without Slate. Not to mention, the last Canis lupus child born before Thia had been Fane, two decades ago. Though Rachel had lived a human life, once upon a time, it had been ages ago. She’d likely forgotten what it was like in the human world, where hundreds of children were literally born every minute. It was no wonder the couple loved being around the children.

“Jacque.” Sally’s voice pulled her attention from the couple, and she turned to see that she, Sally, and Jen were alone. She stared at her usually unshakable best friend and felt a deep pain in her heart. The bond she shared with Jen was pulsing with anguish.

The female alpha walked over to the island and rested her forearms on it. She placed her hands on the papers upon which Jen was so fervently focused. “Jen,” she said, her voice soft. When her friend didn’t look up, Jacque sharpened her tone. “Jennifer.”

Jen’s head snapped up, and her blue eyes met Jacque’s.

“It’s just us.” Jacque motioned to Sally. “We’ve never kept secrets.” She paused and then added, “Well, not for long because you usually beat them out of us.”

Sally snorted. Jen’s lips turned up slightly, but then fell.

“What’s going on?” Sally leaned on the island next to Jen.

“I called my parents.” Jen’s voice broke on the last word.

Jacque kept her face neutral. Jen and her parents were like gunpowder and a match. Most of their contact ended up with someone exploding. The last time Jen and her parents had spoken had been over a year ago when they’d been in Texas, and she’d been pregnant with Thia. It had not gone well.

“What did you talk to them about?” Sally asked gently.

“I invited them to come spend Christmas with us, to meet their only grandchild.” Jen gave a small sniff. Jacque could tell Jen was trying to hold back the tears. Jen hated crying. It was one of those things that made her feel out of control, and Jen loathed that feeling.

When it was apparent Jen wasn’t going to offer more information without them pulling it out like stubborn molars, Jacque said, “I’m guessing their answer was no?”

Jen laughed, but there was not an ounce of humor in it. “Their answer was, ‘Now you want us to know our grandchild? The one you had over a year ago and haven’t so much as sent us a picture?’”

“Oh,” said Jacque.

“I, of course, told them we’d been too damn busy saving the world for me to have time to take pictures of my own child, let alone send them some 5” x 8”s.”

“You didn’t.” Sally’s eyes widened.

“No,” Jen answered. “I didn’t. But I sure as hell wanted to. Instead, I apologized. But, as usual, that was not good enough for dear ol’ mom. She had to go on and on about how uncaring I was, how I only thought about myself. The woman had the nerve to ask if that boy, as if Decebel wasn’t a freaking man, had at least made an honest woman out of me.” Jen hastily wiped the tears she’d been unsuccessfully trying to keep from falling. “She might as well have asked if I was giving him the milk without making him buy the freaking cow.”

“I’m sorry, Jen.” Jacque squeezed her friend’s hand. She could feel the pain radiating up through their unique bond. It hurt. “Why is Decebel not in here losing it?”

“I may or may not have told him I started my period, needed some space, and failed to mention that I’d called my parents.” Jen glanced around the room as she pressed her lips together.

“So, you definitely told him you started your period and didn’t tell him you called your parents,” Sally clarified.

“Yep.” Jen nodded and pointed at Sally. “That.”

“And because he’s a dude, he totally didn’t want to touch the whole period thing with a ten-foot pole?” Jacque asked.

“Actually, Dec isn’t terribly bothered by it. He even asked if I needed, and I quote, ‘any of the girlie products that helped with the mess.’”

“No, he didn’t,” Jacque said around her laughter.

“Totally did.”

“Costin is the same way. He’s all like, ‘Here’s a heating pad. Do you want me to rub your stomach? Do you need me to get you a tampon? Would it help if we made love?’”

Jacque rolled her eyes. “Always circles back to that.”

“It’s the solution to every problem, in their minds,” Jen added.

“If he knew your parents had been jackasses, his answer probably would have been to try and seduce you.” Sally grabbed an apple that was sitting in a bowl on the island. She took a bite, and the loud crunch filled the empty kitchen.