“We are not discussing whether or not you make me purr. I may notice attractive people—”

Decebel let out a snort of laughter. “Notice, good one.”

Jen ignored him. “But I do not purr over them. And considering you have access to my thoughts, because I don’t block them from you, you should know that the only thing that I think about that’s hot is you. I may talk a lot of smack, but you know better than anyone who I really am. Am I a mate who sits around pondering about the six pack abs on another wolf? NO! I’m not. I might notice them, just as you notice attractive females, but it stops there. So, I’ll ask you again, mate,” Jen snapped. “What is it that you are blocking me from? It had better be something like the world is coming to an end tomorrow, because if I find out it’s thoughts of another female, so help me, Decebel, I will cut off your man parts and feed them to the chickens.”

"Chickens?" Decebel asked seemingly taken off guard.

"Yes, chickens, because they will peck the hell out of them before they ever eat them. Double the satisfaction, if I do say so myself."

“Okay, that sounds like she’s given it a little thought. Should we be worried that Jen’s pondered what she would do with her mate’s man parts if she ever removes them?” Sally asked Jacque.

Jacque shook her head. “If she ever comes home with chickens, then we should totally be worried.”

Jen’s head turned slowly to glare at her friends.

“Uh-oh,” Sally sung. “She’s got the look.”

“Totally has the look,” Jacque agreed.

“What’s with you and the word totally?” Sally asked glancing at Jacque from the corner of her eye.

“I don’t know,” Jacque said thoughtfully. “It’s just seemed like the appropriate word for the situation. Decebel has totally gone and gotten himself so deep in smelly crap that Jen might castrate him, and Jen is totally threatening to castrate him and feed some chickens that mess. Totally—as in all encompassing—the situation is dire.”

“Are you two done?” Jen snapped. “Decebel is over here hiding important information from us and y’all are worried about Jacque’s lack of vocabulary?”

“Priorities, Jen,” Sally said curtly. “Jacque is about to bring a precious life into this world. Do we really want her child to be labeled ignorant because her mama can’t teach her a wide variety of words?”

“I’ve got some words for you,” Jacque muttered as she gave Sally’s leg a pinch. Sally yelped but didn’t say anything more when Jen pointed a finger at them both.

“I will deal with you two later.” Jen turned back to Decebel. “You and I are going to have a little talk.

“Is that what you’ve started calling it?” Decebel asked as he grabbed her and slung her over his shoulder.

“Put me down you big, hairy, flea infested, stupid male!”

Decebel smacked her backside as he tilted his head at Jacque and Sally. “Don’t be too hard on your mates,” he told them and then turned to leave. Jen continued spewing expletives at her mate as he carried her from the room.

“Now she has a good vocabulary,” Sally nodded as she watched the door close behind the couple.

“She seems a little uptight today,” Jacque said as the door closed behind Decebel and Jen.

“You know she hates it when Decebel keeps things from her.”

Jacque nodded. “True, but she’s never really let it bother her when he’s accused her of being a tad free with her praise of the opposite sex.”

Sally hmm-mmmed her and then patted her legs. “So now that drama mama is gone, what do you want to do?”

“Drama mama,” Jacque laughed. “Classic.” She tapped her chin with her index finger as she thought and then said with a smile. “Take a nap. Since Fane is being a butt and blocking me and I won’t be able to find out why until he shows up, cause goodness knows I’m not about to waddle around looking for his handsome butt, I might as well rest up for the argument that’s bound to happen later.”

Sally groaned. “Ugh you pregnant people are so unexciting.”

“Hey!” Jacque snapped. “I can either be unexciting or bitchy. Which do you really want?”

“Fine, take your nap. I’m going to go see Rachel. She’ll want to hear about the new healers. And then I’m going to find my mate and see if I can figure out what’s going on.”

“Come back and wake me up in an hour, kay?” Jacque yawned as she laid back on the couch.

Sally turned back to look at her friend as she pulled the door open. “You do remember that this is my room, right? The one I share with my mate?”

Jacque waved her off. “Yes, but you’re not as freaky as Jen so I don’t have to worry about waking up to something that could scar my brain for life.”

“Truth,” Sally agreed as she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. Just as she was turning to go down the hall, she walked into a familiar chest.

“I was just coming to see you,” Costin said as he looked down at her. “And I was hoping you’d still be in our room.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Sally held up her hand. “Sorry, barkeep, but you’ve been blocked.” She made a motion of her shoulder. “Prego is in there asleep on our couch.”

Costin frowned. “Doesn’t she have her own couch?”

“Yes, but apparently it was too far to walk.”

“I can hear you, ya know?” Jacque hollered.

“I always forget she has the whole wolf thing going on,” Sally told him.

“So we can’t go in our room?”

The pitiful look on his face had her laughing.

“When I said I can hear you, what I meant was go away you annoying supernatural beings because I’m trying to take a nap,” Jacque called out again.

“Wow, she’s grumpy,” Costin said with a grin.

“Why does that make you smile?”

“Because that means Fane is having to put up with her.”

They heard a loud thump against the door. “Yep, poor Fane,” Sally said as she took Costin’s hand. “You can go with me to talk to Rachel about the new healers. And on the way you can share with me why you and the other guys are blocking the bond from us.” Her voice was sweet but the look in her eyes made it clear she wasn’t as cool about the situation as she sounded.