He started to say something, and Bren grabbed his arm, pulling Mitch back. “We’ve got it,” he said before Mitch could start the Pride–Pack war of the century.

Sissy wasn’t enjoying herself. And not simply because she missed Mitch, which she did. Or because it was hitting her in no uncertain terms that she’d fallen head over boots in love with the big goofball, and she had no idea how to handle that. Or how to handle it when she lost him forever into the government system.

True, all those things were bothering her, but that wasn’t what was nagging at her like an uncomfortable itch.

Something wasn’t right, and Sissy couldn’t quite put her finger on it. There was a tension among their group of young She-wolves that had her nursing her one beer. Dee had settled for a Coke, and Ronnie Lee nothing.

The fact that Dee hadn’t disappeared by now told her a lot. Dee bored easily and always simply up and left, but this time, she hadn’t. She stayed. And she watched.

What was it that bothered the three friends? The girls. Why they’d followed them to the bar, Sissy had no idea, but she was ready to split. The three of them could hang at their aunts’ pie shop rather than here with girls she didn’t trust.

Sissy glanced at Ronnie and Dee, giving them a small tilt of her head to indicate she was more than ready to go.

Ronnie nodded and leaned forward to make some bullshit excuse about why they were leaving when one of the girls—Shayla…or something?—slapped her hand against the table.

“How come you’re not Alpha here?” she asked with a sneer Sissy didn’t much appreciate.

“Because my momma is Alpha.”

“She ain’t gonna live forever. You think you’re coming back then?”

“No.”

“I bet you’re scared. Scared you’re not strong enough.”

Sissy shrugged. “You’re right. I’m scared. Too scared to be Alpha here.” She motioned to Ronnie and her cousin, and all three stood. Sissy dug into her front pocket for a couple of twenties to cover their drinks and tossed them on the table.

“Ladies,” she said and stepped around the table toward the exit. But Sissy barely stepped back in time before a bottle of tequila exploded at her feet. Her bare feet.

Sissy took a deep breath, turning just her head to look at the one who had thrown the bottle. “Little girl, have you lost your mind?”

“They say you’re so scary tough. I call bullshit.”

“You can call anything you want, but I’m walking out of here and you’re backing off.”

In answer, the girl slammed another bottle of tequila to the floor, this time close to Ronnie. Too close in Sissy’s estimation.

Sissy pushed her friend back and moved around the table toward the girl. The girl, like an idiot, charged forward—and right into Sissy’s grip. Sissy held her by her throat and stared into her eyes.

“Take itout back, Sissy Mae,” the bartender ordered her. Since this bar belonged to her uncles, she nodded and dragged the girl toward the back exit.

As one mass of She-wolves, they burst through the back door, and Sissy flung the girl to the ground. Planting her foot on the back of her neck, Sissy pressed down simply to keep her in place, not to snap anything. She didn’t want to do any permanent damage to her; she just wanted the pup to learn where she fell in the big scheme of things.

But the girl scratched at the ground and desperately begged, “Get her off me. Please! Get her off me!” Surprised her bravado had left so quickly, Sissy looked over her shoulder at Ronnie and Dee. Four She-wolves were holding Ronnie back, and two males had Dee. She looked at her cousin, and Sissy knew Dee was moments from killing anyone and everyone in that alley.

What the hell was going on?

And that’s when Sissy heard him.

“Hey, baby,” Gil said softly, his sister and two cousins standing behind him. “I didn’t think little Shayla would ever get your cute ass back here.”

Ronnie started to shift, but Sissy held her hand up, halting her. Sissy was Alpha, and Ronnie had to follow her lead.

Sissy lifted her foot off the younger She-wolf’s neck, kicking her out of her way.

“What is this, Gil? What do you want?”

“I’ll be the first to admit I screwed up. I know I did. But I still think we make a hell of a pair.”

Sissy looked back at her and Dee, and even in the situation they found themselves, all three still had to laugh.

“You know,” Sissy said, still chuckling, “my momma always said you weren’t too bright. And I should have listened to her.”

“Your momma adores me.”

“Actually”—Sissy scrunched up her nose—“she doesn’t. In fact, she warned me that if you were anything like your daddy, you were cursed with the Warren small balls.”

“Forget it, Sissy. You’re not gonna make me angry.”

“Trust me, darlin’, I can make you angry. If I remember correctly, it didn’t take much more than, ‘No, I don’t want to,’ to have you taking a swing at me.”

“That was a long time ago. It’s over. And I’m a different man.”

Sissy glanced around the group. “You call this changing? You call trying to force me into a mating changing?” She smirked. “That is what you’re planning, right? A forced mating?”

“It worked for your parents.”

“Lord, you are dumb. My daddy didn’t force my momma to do anything. He never had to because she wanted him. Sadly, your father can’t say the same thing. But if I remember correctly, Momma left him crying and whimpering right outside of Smithville all those years ago before heading to Smithtown. You hoping to repeat that experience for yourself now?”