Just One Drop (27 page)

Jen's response: "Maybe it would be better to just neuter the males and nip all the posturing and peeing in the bud."

Costin had been within earshot and growled, then paled when Jen had looked at him and made scissoring motion with her fingers. As she did, she sang to the tune of Wheels On the Bus: "Scissors on the wolf go snip, snip, snip."

But now, Marianna was talking with the wolf who'd eyeballed her yesterday. He was handsome enough, tall and strong, like all Canis lupis.

As he stood up and bid farewell to his pack mates, Marianna turned to the TFF and gave them a thumbs up. Now to get him to give up the goods. She rolled her eyes.
I'm talking like the Americans now,
she groaned.

She quickly schooled her face as Jovin took her hand and led her from the room.

"Jen, it's always '
I only did that
one time'
with you." Sally sighed.

"No." Sally held up her hands now. "We go digging in that bag-o-worms and we just might find something worse than the brilliant plan you're fixing to enlighten us with."

"Believe it or not, this is good. They've considered counseling, but I think they're trying to work out their differences on their own."

"Okay, you hussies, listen up." Jen stood with her hands on her hips, steel was in her eyes. "As I was saying, it starts with strip poker. We need something that's going to keep them distracted for a while. That way, Jacque and Sally will have plenty of time to go through said wolves' rooms.

"Whoa, whoa. You lost me at Jacque and wolves' rooms." Jacque backed away.

"Well, if you think Fane will be okay with you playing strip poker with a bunch of unmated wolves, then by all means..."

"Okay, good point," Jacque conceded. "But what are we supposed to be looking for in their rooms?"

"Clothes," Jen stated. "All of them. I don't want them to have a stitch of clothing to put on. Linens, too. Sheets, towels, comforters. Gone, all of it."

"Won't they be able to just phase to their wolf forms? They won't need clothes." Crina put in.

"That's where things get complicated."

"More complicated than confiscating a bunch of men's clothing and somehow carrying it away without being seen?" Jacque asked sarcastically.

"Complicated because I'm going to have to talk to Cynthia. I'm figuring if they've got drugs to subdue werewolves, then maybe they have drugs that will prevent them from phasing."

Jacque grinned. "You wicked, wicked woman."

"I don't want anyone to get hurt, but I don't want them to think they can mess with what's mine and get away with it. So, although it may seem slight, they are gonna be humiliated."

"Okay," Jacque said slowly. "So, strip poker and a mass exodus of all forms of coverings." She cocked her head to the side. "What are we going to do with said clothes, towels, etcetera, etcetera?"

"How do you girls feel about a bonfire?" Jen winked. "Fire is my specialty, after all."

Sally groaned again. "Strip poker and fire. Does she ever learn?"

Jen started to pace. They were going to need help. There was no way Sally and Jacque could get all of the things from those rooms on their own.
Think, Jen. Geez, you're supposed to be the schemer in this posse.
She racked her brain. She needed someone who could move through the mansion freely. Someone they wouldn’t pay any mind to. There was no way they would let any of the females walk unbidden through the halls. No females, but a male could go where he pleased.
Bahh,
it's like we're back in the eighteenth century or something.

"We need a dude," Jen announced, then her head snapped around to Jacque. "Are you letting your fur ball hear all this?"

Jacque shook her head, even though she knew as soon as Fane found out he was going to be eight shades of pissed.

"Good, don't. You know he would lock us all up until this whole thing was done." Jen tapped her chin. "Who would be the easiest sell? Costin or Sorin?" she thought out loud.

There was a knock on the door. Jen walked over and pulled it open to see Costin's sweet smile.
Costin it is.

"I was just checking to make sure you ladies were okay." He grinned. If Jen hadn't already been smitten with a certain out of control wolf she could see having the hots for Costin.

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."

"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.”

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.

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 his shirt 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.

"Doc, we need your help," Jen announced as she and Sally walked in.

Cynthia sat back in her chair and smiled. "How can I be of service, girls?"

"First I need your word that you will keep an open mind and let me finish before you freak out." Jen held Cynthia's stare, waiting for the doctor to agree before she continued.

"Alright, I'll go along. I promise to keep an open mind and not freak out until the appropriate time."

"Great." Jen took a seat in one of the two chairs in front of the desk and Sally took the other. "I'm declaring war on the males who were stupid enough to provoke my mate."

"As I was saying, I'm declaring war. I don't want to hurt anyone but I do want to send a message that the females in this pack won't take crap from anyone, nor will we put up with them pissing our males off." Jen paused waiting to see if Cynthia was going to saying anything. She didn't. "So I've cooked up a plan, that although harmless, will be quite humiliating."

She went on to explain the details of her plan. All the while, Cynthia's eyes kept getting wider and wider.

"Now, one issue I was trying to figure out was how to make sure everyone gets to see the Chippendales. I think I've come up with the answer. Crina and I will be the ones to invite them to come play cards with us. We'll tell them that we need to play in the gym after everyone has left because we can't have their scent in our rooms or our males will freak. Then, after Jacque, Sally, and Costin do their part, they can take fliers – made by yours truly – and go door to door handing them out." Jen smiled, obviously pleased with herself.

Sally looked at her, brow creased. "What exactly is the flier going to say?"