Jen's jaw dropped. "You want me to strip at your eighteenth birthday party? You do realize that a stripper is typically used at a bachelorette party, not a birthday party?  If a stripper is used for a birthday party, it’s really only appropriate for the big two-one. And even then it has to be at the beginning of the party because shortly after it starts everyone is smashed enough to think that they have the body to be a stripper as well.  That’s when things get ugly – literally.”

Sally and Jacque stared open-mouthed at Jen. Before they could talk she quickly added, “Oh, and in case you haven’t noticed, I am very much a female. I would think that if you must have a stripper at your party then surely you would want someone, oh, I don’t know, who maybe has the absence of breasts. Unless, of course, you are into man boobs.  But I think you would find it hard to find a male stripper who is endowed with said boobs. Especially if you were wanting someone with my -”

Sally interrupted Jen’s commentary with a loud shout. “SHUT IT, JENNIFER!”

Jen’s mouth snapped closed as her eyes widened, staring at Sally in surprise. “Wow, kitty has grown some claws,” she muttered.

"The point is not for me to enjoy the show, Jen,” Sally snapped. "The point is, if you strip, you would keep the attention off me."

"It's your party, you goober smooch. The attention is supposed to be on you."

Jacque snorted out a laugh. "Did you just call her -"

Jen interrupted her redheaded friend. "Yes, a goober smooch. It is completely warranted at this point in the conversation. Also, I don't think you two understand the wrath that I would endure from the Alpha of the Serbian pack for even taking off my shoes and wiggling my cute little toes at everyone."

This time Sally and Jacque laughed together.

"Man, that would totally be a Mastercard moment – priceless."

"Who said your toes were cute?" Sally added.

"Don't be brash, Sally." Jen rolled her eyes. "You just asked me, me of all people to take my clothes off in front of at least 50 people, maybe more."

"Jen, you played strip poker with the enemy. You flashed your not-quite mate in front of the other males of our pack, you -"

Jen snapped her fingers together in front of Sally's mouth with a, "Shh!"

"That was the old Jen. This is the newly improved, mated Jen," she said, the look on her face daring them to contradict her – and, of course they did.

"Do you really want me to get into the fact that I saw you running to your room in the middle of the night just a few days ago…in your underwear?"

Jen clapped her hands together, laughing. "Oh, man, you guys should have seen his face. I thought he was going to kill me."

This time, Sally and Jacque crossed their arms across their chests, giving their own smirks back.

"Okay, okay. So maybe I still have a tendency to run about in less than acceptable attire. Still, this is a major, seriously owe me, like, name your first child after me request."

"That's okay," Sally said enthusiastically. "The chances of me getting pregnant are slim to none, so I can go with that. And of course, if it's a boy, I won't have to name him after you."

Jen clucked her tongue at Sally. "Oh, you naïve, sweet thing.  You think a little thing like the sex of your child will get you out of naming him after me if I do this for you?" She shook her head as she took slow steps toward the brown-eyed healer.  "Oh, no, gypsy woman. You will name him after me. I don't care if it's JenBo, JenBob, or JenJakifer; I don't care if it's as blatant as YesIAmABoyNamedJennifer. But know this: I will sign my freedom away by simply suggesting that I'm going to undress. I will have to watch my oh-so-possessive mate stare daggers at me  while I dance on a table. Then I will have to tuck my furry little tail and run for my life from said possessive mate. For  all this, you will owe me."

Jacque let out a low whistle. "Man, Decebel must be tying her up whenever she steps out of line. She's usually jumping at the opportunity to get freaky in a crowd – the bigger, the better."

Sally was looking at Jen with her mouth dropped open, but nodded, acknowledging Jacque's words.

Jen stepped back and clapped her hands together with a grin. "So, now that that's settled, when does this hoedown get started?"

Chapter 1

"In the event of some sort of gathering, if one of the bossy, overbearing, possessive fur balls has not flipped his switch and attacked some poor young pup in some misguided attempt to protect his woman's virtue, then the night is not over." - Jen

Costin paced his room like a caged tiger after having stood in front of the mirror for an hour, staring at the markings that now encompassed more than just his right shoulder and right shoulder blade. The markings had moved up the right side of his neck to behind his ear and down his right arm. There was one swirl that came just an inch over his right shoulder, close to his collarbone. He was more surprised by that than anything. It meant that he had the potential to be an Alpha. The right-sided markings revealed his dominant status, but only Alphas had markings on the front of their bodies.

His natural inclination after seeing them was to head straight for Sally's room and demand she bond with him – now. But, surprisingly, his wolf had stopped him and reminded him that she wasn't a wolf, she was human, and wouldn't totally understand the need for him to claim her. So after pausing to think about it, he realized that after all these months of seeing Sally and her friends interact, she would need them as she discovered that they were indeed mates and with the physical evidence to prove it.