“Explain to me again how matricide is illegal in some states,” Sissy growled from behind him as he pulled her toward the enormous staircase.

“In all states. Plus, I think there are some moral restrictions around it, too.”

“That’s not fair. Clearly, these lawmakers haven’t met my mother.”

“I wouldn’t know. Besides, this is all so foreign to me,” he explained once they hit the top step. “My mother loves me and would do anything for me, so I’ve never had a desire to kill her.”

Light brown eyes abruptly narrowed. “Throw that in my face again, and your sweet momma will be nursing your mauled body back to health.”

“Sweet talker.”

They neared the set of rooms that had been set aside for the bride and her bridesmaids. Mitch heard all the giggling and felt right at home. He’d been raised by women. His mother’s Pride had taken good care of him throughout his childhood. They had taught him a lot over the years, and what they couldn’t teach, there’d always been a male or two around the house to help out. Then the day after he’d turned eighteen, one of his aunts walked into the kitchen where he stood leaning against the counter, downing a bowl of cereal. She stared at him like she’d never seen him before and demanded, “Are you still here?” He knew then it was time to move on. He’d always be welcome in his mother’s house, but it would never be his Pride.

And Mitch had never done the Pride thing. He’d been the only male offspring in a house run by hard-core Philadelphia girls who spoke pretty freely. So he’d known at a young age how Pride females really felt about the males who ate their food and got them knocked up, and Mitch didn’t want that.

But being a nomad had its benefits, and he liked that the only enemies he had were the ones he made himself. Joining up with a group was a little too “gang mentality” for him. How these Packs of canines did it, Mitch had no idea. The wolves seemed to tolerate it as their lot in lives. The wild dogs seemed to love it.

Mitch stopped short when Sissy refused to go any farther.

“You can’t make me go in there,” she said as the giggling and laughing became louder and more hysterical.

He turned to face her. “Not still holding that punch over her head, are you, Sissy?”

“No. And stop reminding me about that.” Sissy and the bride had a colorful history from years past, and Mitch took delight in torturing Sissy with it.

She stepped closer and whispered, “They’re all so…so…”

“Girly?”

“Golden Retrievery.”

Mitch laughed and continued to drag Sissy toward the door. “You guys are family now. That means you help out.”

They stopped in front of the open double doorsand stared in fascination at the suite full of wild dogs chanting, “Jess! Jess! Jess!”

And Jess, in wild dog form, chased her tail in circles over and over and over again.

Mitch glanced at Sissy, and she didn’t even bother to hide her embarrassment.

“Well,” he pushed. “Get on in there.”

She pulled her hand away. “There has got to be a bar around here somewhere.” She walked off, and Mitch turned back to Jess. She’d stop spinning, but now she stumbled all over the room because she was dizzy.

As she sat down hard, her legs going out from under her, the other wild dogs caught sight of Mitch.

“Mitch!” they all cheered, and grinning, Mitch walked inside.

Sissy walked up to her best friend, throwing her arm around Ronnie Lee Reed’s neck. “Did you scout the area?”

“Yup. Two full bars in the front of the ballroom, two in the back, and three others scattered near the gaming and karaoke rooms.”

“Karaoke?” Sissy shuddered. “Make it stop.”

“Yeah. But there’s Texas Hold ’Em and blackjack in the gaming room.”

“Thank the Lord for small favors.” She glanced around. “Seen the old heifer?”

“I haven’t seen either old heifer in a while. But you know how they like to stalk their prey, waiting until we’re at our most vulnerable before pouncing.”

“I’m in hell, Ronnie Lee. Absolute hell.”

Her momma had been in town for three weeks…three of the longest weeks in Sissy’s entire life. She didn’t know what was up her momma’s ass, but the woman had been riding Sissy from the day she’d arrived in New York, and Sissy’s patience was running thin.

“At least your momma clearly states what her problems are with you. Mine just keeps sighing at me and shaking her head.”

“I don’t know. After the last three weeks of constant Janie Mae chatter, disappointed sighs sound pretty good. And when’s dinner? I’m gettin’ hungry.”

“Another half hour at least. Maybe you could go back up and gently coax the bride to dress faster.”

“I am not going back up there. You’re asking too much. Besides, Mitch is up there. He’ll get her to move along.”

Mitch held one end of the rope, and the wild dogs held the other. With one leg crossed over the other, he rested his left elbow on his knee and studied his nails.

“Pull!” They did, and Mitch didn’t budge.

“Ladies, aren’t you getting a little embarrassed by this?”

“No!” they all yelled. He wasn’t exactly surprised. African wild dogs had high embarrassment thresholds.