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

“Wait.” Zara spoke up again, sounding a little less drowsy. “How on earth did y’all get ‘rode hard,’” she held up quotation fingers, “if you had kids with you?”

“It’s called allergy medicine,” Jen said as Jacque and Sally nodded, “sans the non-drowsy bit.”

Zara’s eyes widened. “You drugged your kids so you could…” She paused and seemed to search for words that were a little less crass than “got rode hard.” Lucky for her, Jen had no such aversions.

“So we could get our cowgirl on? Have rough, angry sex in retaliation for being told we had to give up our very expensive massages?”

“Uh, yeah, that,” Zara said lamely.

Jacque laughed. “No, we didn’t drug our kids. But your face was hilarious, and I could tell you were trying to determine if you should remember that maneuver for when you had kids.”

“So how did…” Zara began.

“Believe it or not, wildcat,” Sally smiled, “even Canis lupus males have a quieter side when it comes to being intimate. And when your kid is as old as ours, you can simply lift their sleeping body and put them on the couch in another room for a little while.”

Zara’s eyes jumped to Jen. “It wasn’t the males I was wondering about keeping quiet.”

Snorts of laughter filled the room.

“You learn new tricks when you have a mini-me,” Jen shrugged.

“By new tricks she means Decebel has figured out more uses for duct tape than just binding her wrists,” Jacque quipped.

That brought on another round of laughter, which Jen joined in on because it wasn’t far from the truth, though it wasn’t actually tape her mate had used to quiet her, but she’d keep that tidbit to herself. For now. She liked to keep the good shock value information for just the right time, and usually her mate needed to be present so he could punish her for it later. Was she a bit twisted? Yes. Did her mate love it? Absolutely.

“Okay,” she said and rubbed her hand across her face, attempting to wipe the rest of her sleep away. “We’ve got cakes to retrieve, and I hear a nap calling my name.”

“You just woke up. Are you sure that isn’t just your mate beckoning you back to your bed?” Elle asked.

“Probably a bit of both.”

“Everyone get dressed,” Jacque started, but before she could continue, Peri said something in her language, and suddenly every single one of them was wearing a cute holiday-appropriate outfit.

“Okay.” Jacque dragged the word out. “That’s done. Now, we just have to get the…” She paused and glanced around the room. “Wait, where are the presents?”

“Adam and the guys took them back,” Crina answered around a yawn.

“They weren’t wrapped,” Sally said.

“Yes, they were,” Elle said and pointed between her and Peri. “We made sure that everything was dressed in wrappings, ribbons, and bows before they carted it off.”

“Not going to lie,” Jen said. “I was not looking forward to wrapping all of those gifts, Christmas traditions or not.”



They’d all slept later than Jen would have liked, but it was clear they needed the rest. Apparently, her demanding schedule had taken its toll. After a quick brunch, they arrived at the baker’s to pick up the cakes.

“Was ten really necessa…” Elle began but stopped.

Jen turned her head to find both Jacque and Sally making cutting motions across their necks at the fae. They immediately dropped their hands and smiled at her.

She simply smirked at them. “I was actually thinking twenty would have been better, but I didn’t want to overdo it.”

One by one, the bakers brought out each box. Jen grinned as she watched the eyes of all the females widen. The cakes were not small. Why are they surprised? She had warned them that everything in Texas was bigger.

A baker by the name of Ben began opening the boxes for her inspection.

“Oh, um, wow,” Rachel muttered when she got a look at the first cake that was revealed.

Jen walked over and grinned down at the cake she had made for Drake and Bethany.

“By now, I should not be shocked. I really shouldn’t be. But no matter how many times I tell myself to be ready for anything, she amazes me.” Sally stared wide-eyed at the cake.

“What is it?” Crina asked from where she stood at the end of the row of cakes.

“A penis cake?” Zara said, her voice rising an octave as she added, “That doesn’t seem appropriate for a baby shower.”

“Read the writing, Z. It makes perfect sense,” Jen pointed out as she motioned to the cake in question.

“This is how you do it. Congratulations on the rugrat,” Zara read out loud.

There was silence, and then Peri shrugged. “She’s not wrong.”

Jen held up a hand, and the high fae gave her a high five.

The next three cakes were for the kids’ birthdays. Thankfully, there were no phalluses or genitalia of any kind. Each cake was shaped like a wolf, and the icing was applied in various shadings so each wolf looked a little different.

“Okay, I’ll admit, this is hilarious,” Jacque said.

“It really is.” Rachel laughed.

Crina, who still couldn’t see the cakes, said again, “What is it?”