"Costin, the fates have chosen you," Jen said dramatically, reaching her arm out to indicate him to enter.

Jacque rolled her eyes.

"What is she doing?" Sally muttered.

"Getting all our asses hung out to dry," Jacque responded.

"Good to know."

Costin stepped in warily. "The fates have chosen me, huh? Should I even ask?"

"Well, you'll probably be deemed guilty by association anyway. Might as well dive in head first." Jen smiled sweetly at him. "Besides, I always say if you're going to do it, do it big."

He looked at the other girls in the room.

"Yes, she is for real," Jacque offered dryly.

"What do you need?" Then he huffed, "Just for the record, I will swear that you black mailed me into this."

Jen grinned. "I knew you were more than just a pretty face."

Costin snorted, raising a single eyebrow at her.

"We need you to help Sally and Jacque steal clothes, bedding, towels. Pretty much anything they could attempt to cover their glorious nakedness with." Jen was pacing the room as she spoke still trying to figure out the logistics of her plan. When Costin gave her a confused look, she added, “Oh, from the wolves who planned that little movie adventure.”

"Okay... First. I just want to say not only do I think this is a bad idea, but I think this is a seriously bad idea."

"Seriously bad," Jen repeated. "Okay, noted."

"Alright, say I go along with this and help. How exactly are we supposed to get all of those items out of their rooms?"

Jen stopped her pacing and blew out a loud breath. "This is what I've got. All of the rooms have windows in them, right?"

Costin nodded.

"Okay, so what if Jacque and Sally were to throw the items out the window to you? Then you could take them and make a pile out in the main yard."

"Okay, then what?"

"Then we light a match and watch 'em burn, baby." Jen's eyes narrowed and the smile that slid across her face made chills run down Costin's back.

The room was quiet for several minutes.

"So when are we supposed to do this and where are these wolves going to be?" Costin finally asked.

"Oh, yeah. You missed that part," Jen grumbled, then perked up. "Well, it starts with strip poker,"

"Here she goes," Jacque muttered.

Costin's eyes widened. "Oh no, Jen. Huh uh, no freaking way. Decebel will rip my head off if he thinks I let you play strip poker with a bunch of males. There is no way that's happening. You can just forget your plan and wait for De -"

Costin was abruptly cut off when Jen stepped so close to him their chests touched. He tried to back up, but she grabbed the front of hisshirt and held him in place.

"You listen up and listen good, fluffy," Jen snarled. "This is how my day has gone. I spent the morning dodging grubby paws, literally, only to have a grubby paw land on my boob and squeeze the hell out of it. I watch the wolf that is probably my mate fight said grubby paw dude and get all bloodied up. Then I got to lift my shirt in a room full of wolves to show off the oh so beautiful additions to my already glorious chest. Are you with me so far?"

Costin was smart and didn't so much as breathe.

"To top it all off, these walking flea motels videoed me and my girls without our knowledge when we were being less than ladylike – our bad. Then, after being told by Decebel to trash it and let it go, they put it on the freaking big screen and had a party – not our bad. I had to flash the whole damn pack to try to keep Decebel from killing the idiots, which means he saw the bruising and whatnot, and it will likely get me locked in a room until he decides he can handle other males being around me again. They got Dec locked up because he went all postal on them, which means I don’t get to be with him. I'm a girl. I can't challenge those idiots, they would wipe the floor with my ass. But I can get even. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, Costin. You would do well to remember that." She let go of his shirt and stepped back, but held his stare. "I'm tired, I'm pissed, I want to see my wolf, and my chest hurts. You don't get to tell me that I can't retaliate against those who have wronged me. Are we on the same page yet?"

Costin rubbed his face and let out a deep breath. He looked back at Jen and a big grin spread across his face. "I'm so glad you're the Beta's mate.

Jen cocked her head to the side. "Why do you say that?"

"Because somebody needs to keep his head from getting any larger than it already is and I have a feeling you're just the wolf to do it. That, and you will keep him busy," Costin waggled his eyebrows suggestively, "and out of the rest of our hairs."

"Huh, he does have ego-mania," Jen agreed. "Back to the issue at hand, are you in or out?"

Costin's eyes softened. "I'm in. Someone has to make sure you girls come out of this alive. Aahh, this is such a bad idea." He groaned.

Jen grinned. "So glad to see that you are seeing things our way. We would've hated to have to tie you up and stuff you in a closet somewhere."

Costin's head snapped around to the other girls.

"Once again," Sally said dryly, "yes, she's for real."

Chapter 22

Cynthia was sitting at her desk, continuing to search the archives for any documentation on the mating of dormant and full blooded Canis lupis. Her door suddenly opened.