“You want to write about Braxton?” Kate wasn’t sure how she felt about this.
“Yeah. I’m thinking an erotica involving the hero and heroine who get snowed in together at an isolated cabin. He’s the hero and you’re the heroine, of course.”
“Me?”
“Of course, you. You guys look great together.” Barbara picked a book off the floor and shuffled through the pages. “So, ladies, what do you say we settle in for some productive writing time?”
Kate left the ladies to their writing and headed downstairs. Between the guests and her two werewolves, she had exhausted her food supply.
She needed the drive to clear her head and put things back in perspective.
***
“Mother fucker.” Barrett Middleton walked out of the Louisiana Pack Master’s house and into the cold darkness, seething. His breath came in white puffs as he stormed back to his Harley Davidson Streetglide. He’d gone into the meeting with the Louisiana Pack Master expecting Edward Boudier to at least try to make amends for letting his Assassin dogs loose in Arkansas territory without asking permission. What Barrett got was a Pack Master who didn’t give two shits about stepping all over another state’s boundaries. Edward hadn’t even cared that his Assassins had shot a Were in broad daylight. All Boudier wanted to know was if Braxton was dead.
Edward Boudier was lucky that Barrett didn’t knock him the fuck out.
Gritting his teeth, he pulled out his phone. It rang before he could punch in a phone number.
Growling, he held the phone up to his ear. “Hello?”
“Barrett, I need to talk to you.”
“Ava, how’d you get this number?” He narrowed his eyes and made a mental note to get his number changed ASAP. Only the Guardians were allowed access to his direct line.
“Damon gave it to me in case of an emergency.”
Barrett stopped in his tracks. “What’s wrong? What’s the emergency?”
“Damon’s not home. That’s the emergency.”
Barrett ran his hand down his face. He had enough problems without having to listen to Ava bitch about missing her mate. Every time they were in the same room, they were on each other like dogs in heat. Damon probably couldn’t take a piss without Ava holding his dick.
He snarled. “Look, Ava, Damon’s on a mission. He’ll be home as soon as it’s over.”
“Nope. Not good enough. I need him home now.” He envisioned her standing there pouting, her arms crossed over her chest like a child who didn’t get her way. “Either get him home now or tell me where he is so I can go to him.”
Barrett growled. “What part of ‘on a mission’ did you not understand? I can’t have you compromising his position just because you want some cuddle time.”
Ava snorted. “I need more than just cuddle time, Barrett.”
“I could have lived my life without ever having an image of Damon’s hairy ass and you going at it like two rats in a wool sock.”
“Damon doesn’t have a hairy ass. In fact, it’s quite...”
“Enough.” He straddled his Harley. “You’re just going to have to sit still until Damon has completed his mission.”
“I can’t do that. I’m going crazy waiting around for him.”
“Why don’t you go over to Granny’s? I heard she’s having a party tonight. That will take your mind off things.” Barrett chuckled.
Barrett disconnected before Ava could say another word. No doubt her comments wouldn’t be very ladylike.
***
“Son of a bitch.” Ava glared at her cell phone after Barrett hung up.
“Ava. Such language from a pretty girl. You should be ashamed.” Granny gave her a disapproving look before licking a wrinkled finger and turning a page in her new sex toy catalogue.
Ava raised an eyebrow as Granny turned to the edible underwear page. The old lady saw nothing wrong with selling sex toys until the cows came home, but she took exception to cursing. The irony was laughable.
“Barrett won’t tell me where Damon is.” She flounced down on the sofa, feeling restless and irritated.
“Damon’s working, dear.”
“Yeah, and he’s staying at a bed and breakfast.” It was totally not fair.
Granny looked up with a wistful look in her eye. “A bed and breakfast. I always wanted to stay at a bed and breakfast.”
“You and me both.” Ava shook her head. “What kind of mission is it when you have to stay at a bed and breakfast? That doesn’t make sense to me.”
Granny tapped a bony finger to her lip. “Maybe if you check Damon’s tracking device, you can find out where he’s at.”
Ava stilled. “Damon has a tracking device?”
“Of course. Barrett puts them on all his Guardian’s phones just in case they get hurt—or worse.”
Ava frowned. “So how do I check the device if it’s on his phone?’
“It’s connected to his computer. Look for an icon shaped like a footprint. Click on that and it should pinpoint his location.”