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

Jen looked at the group and smiled. Jacque knew her friend saw the tears in her own eyes. Jacque gave her a nod and then took the box of ornaments. She headed for one of the trees that needed decorations. She heard steps behind her and glanced over her shoulder to find Zara holding another box of ornaments. Jacque’s brow raised. Zara smiled.

“Figured you might need some help.” Zara picked up her pace.

“Help is always welcome.” They entered a smaller sitting room. The tree in it was not quite as tall as the one in the main living room, but it was still over nine feet. To Jacque’s surprise, Bethany was sitting in a chair with her feet up, her hands resting on her large stomach. The alpha paused. “You want us to work somewhere else?”

Bethany shook her head. “No, please, come in and give me something to listen to other than my mate grumbling about how I’m not resting enough, not eating enough, even though I’m the size of a small country, and how I should be in bed because for some reason being in bed would somehow keep me safer than sitting in a freaking chair.”

Jacque laughed. “They tend to get a little overprotective when their mate is knocked up.”

“Overprotective?” Bethany scoffed. “How about smothering? I’d say we passed ‘a little overprotective’ five pillows ago. I’m pretty sure he’d sit on me to keep me where he wanted me if he wasn’t worried he’d hurt the baby.”

“I’m shocked he hasn’t tried to tie you to the bed.” Jacque sat the box of ornaments down on the coffee table and then pulled one out.

“Who said he hasn’t?” Bethany laughed. “This is the same man who used a sheet and safety pins to keep me from leaving our suite naked.”

“One thing is for sure.” Zara sat her ornaments down next to Jacque’s box. “It is never boring around here.”

“As Jen would say, boring is for wussies.” Jacque grinned as she hung a couple of ornaments and then headed over to the box to grab another. She looked at the box and then at the tree and sighed. It was going to be a long afternoon.

“Except she wouldn’t say ‘wussies,’” said Zara.

“True dat.”

Jacque and Zara worked quietly as Bethany watched and hummed Christmas songs. Jacque continually shot glances Zara’s way but tried not to make it obvious she was watching the girl. Apparently, subtlety wasn’t her strong suit.

“Yes, something is wrong.” Zara caught Jacque glancing at her, probably for the tenth time in the span of a minute.

“Thank goodness.” Bethany breathed out. “I was trying really hard not to ask, and you know pregnant women have no filter.”

Jacque nodded. “Accurate.”

“Okay”—Bethany motioned to Zara—“spill it.”

Just as Zara was about to speak, Wadim came striding in with a ladder in hand. He set it up in front of the tree and glanced at his mate. “When you said you were hanging ornaments, I figured you’d probably need one of these.”

Jacque assumed Zara must have been speaking to her mate through the bond … or maybe Wadim was just being nosy. Probably the latter. He was a mated male wolf, after all.

“Thank you.” Zara smiled at him. Wadim simply stood there, a few feet from where Zara was, staring at her. Zara’s eyes darted from Jacque to Bethany and then back to her mate’s.

“Is this awkward for anyone else?” Bethany asked. Definitely a broken filter.

“You’re pregnant,” Jacque pointed out. “Everything is awkward for you.”

Bethany snorted and replied dryly, “Funny, real funny. Won’t be so funny when you’re knocked up and trying not to have to turn sideways to get through a door.”

“Been there, done that,” Jacque sang.

“I totally knew that, just had a momentary lapse in brain function,” Bethany shook her head. “I’m pretty sure I can hear my brain cells yelling, ‘Please help, we’re dying.’”

Jacque glanced back at Wadim, who now had a small grin on his face, though he was still staring at Zara. “Learning a lot about being knocked up?”

Bethany’s eyes widened. “Mother of trolls, are you pregnant?”

Zara’s face was blank as she reached for an ornament, her shoulders stiff as she walked to the tree and looked for an empty spot that wasn’t too high up. “No, Bethany, I’m not pregnant. Pretty sure there has to be some flower pollinating going on for there to be any new flowers growing.”

Wadim let out a low growl that caused Jacque’s eyes to snap to him.

“I’m just going to continue growing this brain cell killer and try to keep my trap shut.” Bethany rubbed her swollen stomach.

“Zara, can I speak with you?” That Wadim asked out loud was not lost on Jacque. Either he was doing it for their benefit or Zara was ignoring his use of their bond.

Zara glanced up at the top of the tree where it was still empty of ornaments. “We have a lot to get done. We can talk later.”

“I would really like to speak with you now.” Wadim’s hands fisted, and then he shoved them in the pockets of his jeans. His jaw was clenched tight, and his eyes bore into his mate, who was acting completely oblivious, but her shaking hands gave her away.

Zara’s eyes flashed up to his. “We don’t always get what we want, history boy.”