Desires of a full moon (Rise of the Arkansas Werewolves, #3)
Jodi Vaughn
CHAPTER ONE
Just outside of Little Rock, Arkansas
Present Day
“Penises are like shoes. They come in all shapes and sizes. When you find the right one, no matter how hard you try, you will never wear it out.”
Jayden Parker stumbled to a halt as the unmistakable sound of Granny’s voice lilted in from the other side of the living room door.
He closed his eyes, fought back a shiver and whispered a silent prayer that Granny wasn’t actually talking to someone.
“Please let her be reading Cosmo out loud.” The magazine was like her morning devotional. She had this bad habit of sharing sage advice she found in the magazine with him whenever he came over for breakfast. When she’d read the article about oral sex, Jayden had almost tossed his eggs and bacon on the tile floor.
He scrubbed his hand over his face as his gut twisted in anticipation.
He shouldn’t have come. He should have given her another excuse as to why he wasn’t visiting her as much as he once did. He tried to play it off by telling her how he was busy with his new job as a Guardian for the Arkansas Werewolves. He’d always say he was on some new mission or some other bullshit answer to keep her from complaining so much.
Usually she bought it, but now, not so much.
Jayden opened his eyes and steadied himself. Before he could change his mind and escape out the door, he sucked in a breath and turned a corner, forcing his feet to carry him into the living room. The scent of cinnamon and sugar hung heavy in the air. Maybe Granny had baked his favorite cookies in an attempt to bribe him into visiting more often.
The second he stepped into the living room he froze. About twenty women of all ages were crowded into his Granny’s tiny living room. Some were perched on the couch and chairs while other sat on the floor. There wasn’t even enough room for him to walk through to get to the kitchen.
Granny stood at the front of the room like a gray-haired Vanna White holding a neon green dildo in her hand.
“I’m in hell,” Jayden murmured under his breath as his stomach turned.
When Granny had started selling sex toys in Louisiana as a way to make some extra income, he’d tried his best to talk her out of it. But she was a persistent old goat and so he had stopped nagging her about it. He figured that no one would be interested in some old woman peddling her merchandise and she would eventually give it up.
What he didn’t take into account was Granny’s tenacity. When she got something in her head she didn’t give up. And in less than a year she was pulling in a six-figure salary. She was like a dog with a bone, refusing to give up her status as a self-made entrepreneur. Now, after their recent move to Arkansas for his newly acquired job as a Guardian, he had hoped that Granny would give up her sex toy industry in an attempt to fit into the conservative state.
Boy, was he wrong.
He’d needed a fresh start and Arkansas had offered him an opportunity. Louisiana held too many bad memories.
A few months ago, Jayden had helped Arkansas werewolf and friend Damon Trahan find a kidnapped college girl. That led to Jayden ending up on the wrong side of a pack of rogue red werewolves. What happened that night had been worse than the bruises and broken bones his Granny could see. Because of his werewolf blood, those injuries had healed. But some scars he carried went deeper. Way deeper. Those were the things he could never tell his Granny, or anyone for that matter, despite how hard she tried to get him to talk to her.
Since then, Granny started watching him, looking at him like she could see what was rolling around in his head. The last fucking thing he needed was his Granny seeing how fucked up his brain had gotten from his one night of torture.
He eased back a step, hoping to escape out the front door before Granny saw him. He made a quick turn just as his foot caught the corner of the rug. He stumbled and his hip bumped the corner of the sofa table, rattling the ruby red bowl that held decorative colorful glass balls.
Granny turned. A smile stretched her weathered face. “Jayden. I didn’t hear you come in.” She waded towards him through the puddle of people on the floor.
“I didn’t know you were having a party. I can come back later.” Jayden smiled tightly and turned to go.
Granny latched onto his arm, her smile growing wider. She turned and faced the room. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet my grandson, Jayden. He’s single, you know.”