Blayne fell back in her chair laughing, while Gwen could only shake her head.

“So unless she’s planning to sprint from Philly to Manhattan in the next few hours,” Mitch added, “I think you’re off the hook.”

“Except I’ve gotta watch out for you.”

“Nope. I’m sticking to two beers tonight.”

“Since when?”

“Since I’ve gotta keep an eye on my woman. More than four shots of tequila and someone’s going to jail…and it’s usually Ronnie, which means Bren will be pissed and I gotta hear about it.” Her brother looked at her. “So it looks like you’ll be taking care of yourself tonight, baby sister.”

Gwen sat in her chair, dropping her legs to the floor. “I’ve still gotta watch Blayne.”

“Nope. I don’t drink.” Gwen and Mitch laughed at Blayne. “What?”

“Thank God you don’t drink,” Mitch said. “I can’t imagine the level of trouble you’d get into if you weren’t constantly sober.”

“Yeah, but unlike you and your mother, I don’t actively look for trouble. It finds me.” She smiled at Gwen. “But I’m safe in a completely controlled environment, so you should just relax and have a good time.”

Gwen nodded, sure things wouldn’t go that easy. “I’ll work on that.”

Blayne glanced around. “When’s he getting here?”

Mitch sneered. “That bear? Ow!” He glared across the table at Blayne. “What did you kick me for?”

“Because you should mind your own business,” Blayne snapped.

“I don’t want my baby sister settling on some flea-bitten honey-lover! Ow! Stop kicking me!”

“Then leave your sister alone or I swear by all that’s holy—”

Sissy walked up and dropped into Mitch’s lap, forcing Blayne to cut off the rest of her threat. Gwen didn’t know what was going on between Mitch and Blayne, but then again…she didn’t really care.

“Where’s Bren and Ronnie?” Mitch asked Sissy while he still glared at Blayne.

At the mention of the canine’s name, Gwen hissed and arched her back.

“Calm down, vicious kitty, they’re off somewhere across the room.” Sissy scrutinized Gwen. “You gonna tell me what happened between you and Ronnie?”

“Nothing,” Gwen lied. “Why?”

Mitch stared down at his mate’s T-shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots. “Why are you not in costume?”

“I am in costume. I told them I’m a killer of wild dogs who annoy the fuck out of me. Needless to say they backed off the whole costume thing.”

“How is that fair?”

“We’re predators, darlin’. There is no fair among predators.”

“I keepforgetting.” Mitch focused back on Gwen and Blayne. “Now you two need to understand something. I’ve got a reputation that must be maintained at all times. These wild dogs love me, so don’t embarrass me.”

Gwen and Blayne shrugged easily and said in unison, “Yeah. Okay.”

Mitch had never noticed it before, but as soon as he’d told Gwen their mother wasn’t coming to the party, all the tension she’d walked in with seemed to evaporate. Now she and Blayne were bopping their heads to the music and…Christ, was his sister smiling?

The whole thing was probably something he should look into but…eh. Why bother?

“Great music,” Gwen said, and that was not an easy compliment to get out of her. She was as finicky about her music as she was about her food.

“It’s all that oldies crap you like. According to Phil, that’s what they’re mostly playing tonight.” The music on the sound system changed and he added, “And the eighties, because apparently a wild dog party isn’t a wild dog party without Adam and the Ants.”

Blayne grinned. “I love this song!”

“‘Prince Charming’ circa 1981,” Gwen announced.

“How little I care,” Mitch said dryly. He pointed at his face. “This is my ‘How little I care’ face. Can you see that?”

“Really?” Gwen asked, just as dryly. “’Cause this is my ‘Beat the shit outta my brother’ face. Do you like this face? Do you wanna see what I can do with this face?”

“Y’all!” Sissy snapped. “Cut it out!”

“She started it.”

Sissy glared down at him. “Leave your sister alone, Mitchell Shaw.”

“You still don’t understand, do you? I am not the Alpha Male to your Alpha Female,” Mitch patiently explained to the woman he loved.

“Is that right?”

“That’s right. I am the Lord High God Ruler to your Alpha Female. And the sooner you learn that, and bow down to my greatness, the sooner this relationship is running like a well-oiled machine.”

“You’ve lost your ever-lovin’ mind!” Sissy shouted out, laughing.

“It’s true! And do you know why it’s true? Because I am a lion male. Ruler over all I survey. Tell her, Gwenie…Gwenie?”

Mitch looked for his sister and gasped in horror. “Good God, what is she doing?”

Sissy gazed out at the dance floor, and her laughter turned downright hysterical. Not that he could blame her when his baby sister and her best friend were in the middle of a bunch of wild dogs dancing. But not mere dancing, because that he could tolerate. They were actually doing the moves from the original Adam and the Ants “Prince Charming” video. All of them, together…in sync.