Jen let out a sigh of relief. “That’s fantastic because I really did not want to have to pick a new bff for our dynamic trio to remainintact.”
“So glad I didn’t put you out,” Sally said with an exaggerated eyeroll.
Jacque pushed Jen aside and smiled at Sally warmly. “We missedyou.”
“I missed me too,” she said. “And you guys as well. How has everything—” She paused when a loud howl ripped through themansion.
Costin stepped in front of all three of them, his eyes beginning to glow as he stared down theentryway.
“Who on earth was that?” Sallyasked.
Jen sighed. “Well, because there can never be a dull moment in this fur-infested home, we have found ourselves in a bit of asituation.”
“W-hat kind of situation?” Sally asked, drawing out thewords.
“Oh, you know, just one where a dormant has flipped her switch, phased, and doesn’t seem to be able to phase back to her human form. I’m sure it’s no biggie. Vasile can probably order her to phase and, poof, she’ll be her little sassy selfagain.”
“Zara?” Sally asked, her eyes widening. “Is sheokay?”
“If your definition of okay is ‘stuck in her wolf form,’ then she’s hell-aokay.”
“What does hell-a even mean?” Costin asked, his eyes still glued to thehall.
“It means she’s a helluva lot ofokay.”
Costin glanced over his shoulder at Sally. “Brain cells are already screaming ‘noooo, don’t killus.’”
Sally bit back her laughter and turned back to Jen and Jacque. “How isWadim?”
“I think he needs a new T-shirt,” Jensaid.
Jacque nodded. “It needs to say ‘My mate’s a feral wolf. Stick that in your history books and smokeit.’”
“He must be freaking out,” Sally saidquietly.
“Little bit,” Jen said, holding up her hand and pinching her forefinger and thumbtogether.
There was another loud snarl and then a door slamming, followed byshouts.
“SHE’S OUT!” Wadim’s voice boomed throughout thehouse.
“Out?” Costinasked.
“She was in the cage. Apparently, the cage didn’t hold,” Jen said as she ran for thestairs.
“Where are you going?” Sally asked, sounding a littlefrantic.
“Don’t feel like being wolf chow,” Jen called as her feet took the stairs two at a time. “So I’m not hanging around for an up-close-and-personal look at our newest she-wolf.”
Costin grabbed Jacque’s and Sally’s hand and began to follow Jen, pulling them so quickly that Sally nearly stumbled. The growling got louder, as did the yelling. Before they even made it to the first landing, they saw a rust-colored wolf race past, heading straight for the front door. It moved slightly to the right and lunged. The wolf’s body broke through the glass window without slowingdown.
Jen cursed. “Bloody hell, that’s the fifth window in twodays.”
Wadim was right behind her, in his human form, leaping through the ruined window and out into thenight.
“Well,” Sally said, as her heart pounded painfully in her chest. “At least she’s here with us and not stuck with some crazed vamp. We can get her through this. Just like we’ve gotten each other through so manythings.”
Jacque and Jen both nodded. “We totally gotthis.”
