“Why?”

“Why?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Uh…she knew Ric was going over there?”

“Are you asking me or telling me?”

“Look, woman! All I know is that Ric, Jess, and Lock are good friends.”

“Yeah,” Gwen muttered. “I know.”

“Truck!” Blayne called out cheerfully before she easily maneuvered herself and the dogs around an eighteen-wheeler that had backed into a loading dock. The loading dock’s entrance cut through the sidewalk and Gwen tried to halt the dogs by pulling on their leashes the way she saw people in movies pull on a horse’s rein. Sadly it didn’t work; the dogs kept going. But, thankfully, they went off the sidewalk and into the street—

causing Gwen to screech like a full-human—went around the truck, and then back on the sidewalk. Gwen jumped the curb, all her preteen training coming back to her during that forty-five-second nightmare. The dogs she held followed behind Blayne and the others, making a right onto a main avenue. And wasn’t that wonderful? More people yelling at them to “slow the fuck down!” or “get off the fuckin’ sidewalk!” or a myriad of other suggestions, some of which involved Gwen’s mother.

Her phone rang and Gwen called out, “Phone! Need to get phone!”

“Okay!” Blayne happily yelled back. She easily stopped her dogs and Gwen’s dogs automatically followed suit. Gwen rolled to a stop until she was standing right in front of Blayne.

Panting, Gwen asked her friend, “How much do we rock?”

“Like gods.”

Laughing, Gwen answered her phone. “It’s Gwen.”

“It’s Lock.”

She bit her lip and rolled away from Blayne. “Hey. What’s up?”

“Hey. Um, an old Marine buddy of mine showed up this morning. She’s in the Smith Pack—”

“She?”

“Yeah. And I mentioned McNelly to see if there was any Pack gossip that she may know that we don’t.”

“Yeah?”

“And…uh…”

“What, Lock? Spit it out.”

“You’re going to be mad.”

Gwen shrugged. “Tell me anyway.”

“Okay, but…”

“But what, Lock?”

“It involves your mother.”

Blayne held the leashes for all seven dogs while Gwen took her call. She crouched down and petted them, adoring each one. They were all so cute. Every one of them mutts, rescues that the Kuznetsov Pack had picked up over the years, and every one happy and healthy and adorable.

As was Gwen at this moment. Sure, she was pissed at Mitch, but few days went by where she wasn’t. But this…this was amazing. Gwen exuberant, Gwen happy…Gwensatisfied. Blayne felt like buffing her nails against her T-shirt because she was that damn good. She’d known Gwen and Lock were perfect for each other the second she saw them together.

Even better was how amazing everyone was at helping out! She didn’t think they’d come through like they had, but wow. Everyday she learned to love the Kuznetsov Pack more and more. And Ric? What a great guy!

Mitch, however, was still a problem, but Blayne had her surprise ace in the hole. A sneaky She-wolf who knew how to text message. No, no. She hadn’t lied to Gwen…officially. It was more about massaging the truth to help her friend. And that was okay, wasn’t it? Of course it was! Because it was all coming together and Blayne couldn’t be happier!

Really, could the day get any better?

“Goddamnit!” Gwen yelled out, making the dogs bark and Blayne realize the day apparently would not be getting any better. “That woman will be the death of me!”

Blayne knew “that woman” could only be one woman and she wasn’t even sure she wanted to hear the rest of it.

CHAPTER 23

Lock waited until he heard the shower shut off and then he made her a mug of hot tea. When he walked into the room with it, he found her sitting naked in the middle of his bed, her knees up and her arms tight around them. He sat down next to her and offered her the tea, but she shook her head.

Sitting next to her, he quietly said, “Gwen—”

“She fucked McNelly’s husband!” she screeched, causing his upstairs neighbor to bang on the ceiling with a broom. But Gwen unleashed that combo hiss-roar and, not surprisingly, the banging stopped.

Lock grimaced, and offered, “Wolves don’t really get married.” Gold eyes filled with rage fastened on him and he quickly amended, “What I mean is, I don’t think they were mated or anything. Wolves are big on that. They take it very seriously. I think this fight was more of a ‘You took my man’ kind of thing. Rather than

‘You took my mate.’ And it sounded like it happened years ago. Like before you were born.”

“And everyone knows?”

“Not everyone. Ric had no idea. And Dee-Ann—”

“Right. The—” she made air quotes with her fingers “—‘Marine buddy.’”

“She is. And one of my trainers. When I started, we were—”

“Does it look like I care?”

“O…kay.” He held up the mug. “Tea?”

“I hate hot tea.”

“All right.” He put it down on the side table.

“I thought New York meant a new start,” she said. “But not when you’re the idiot daughter of Roxy O’Neill. A woman determined to haunt me!”