Prickly Business

Readers love

P
IPER
V
AUGHN

Moonlight Becomes You
(with M.J. O’Shea)

“Did I stay up way past my bedtime to finish this? YES! Did I cry like a sniveling baby? YES!”

—Hearts on Fire

“…I have to say that it was really good.”

—Love Bytes

The Luckiest
(with M.J. O’Shea)

“…I found this to be a sweet romance that was somber but never depressing.”

—Bookpushers

“If you like stories that include rockers, angst, retribution, redemption, and how love can change someone, you might enjoy this book.”

—Rainbow Book Reviews

Hook, Line, & Sinker

“Buy this book… and a fan because damn it’s hot… This book is absolutely perfect.”

—The Book Vixen

By
P
IPER
V
AUGHN

Cross Bones (Dreamspinner Anthology)

Love Rising

With Kenzie Cade
: Prickly Business

H
ARD
H
ATS

With Kade Boehme
: Wood, Screws, & Nails

Hook, Line, & Sinker

With M.J. O’Shea

L
UCKY
M
OON

Moonlight Becomes You

The Luckiest

With M.J. O’Shea

O
NE
T
HING

One Small Thing

One True Thing

Published by
D
REAMSPINNER
P
RESS

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Readers love

Hummingbird House

by
K
ENZIE
C
ADE

“…a sweet second chance romance that takes place over the Christmas holidays… I fully expect
Hummingbird House
to go onto my Christmas re-reads list.”

—Prism Book Alliance

 “I have to take my hat off to Kenzie Cade, who makes fantastic use of these 51 pages…
Hummingbird House
is an absolutely delightful read. Her writing style is very easygoing and lovely.”

—The Novel Approach

“This is a beautiful, emotional story… If you like sweet romance, emotional stories and some sensual man-love this is for you!”

—MM Good Book Reviews

“…while it was short there was never a point where I felt like I was missing anything. This is definitely one that you need to get if you want a sweet short story that packs a punch.”

—Rainbow Gold Reviews

By
K
ENZIE
C
ADE

Hummingbird House

With Piper Vaughn
: Prickly Business

Son of a Fish

Published by
D
REAMSPINNER
P
RESS

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Published by

D
REAMSPINNER
P
RESS

5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886  USA

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Prickly Business

© 2015 Piper Vaughn & Kenzie Cade.

Cover Art

© 2015 Reese Dante.

http://www.reesedante.com

Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/.

ISBN: 978-1-63476-452-0

Digital ISBN: 978-1-63476-453-7

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015906563

First Edition July 2015

Printed in the United States of America

This paper meets the requirements of

ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).

This one goes out to Rhys Ford. If not for her, the idea of writing a story about a hedgehog shifter would’ve never entered Piper’s brain and been passed on to Kenzie.

Without Rhys, our dear Avery and Dylan wouldn’t exist.

We love you.

F
ROM
B
OTH
:

Thank you to all of our beta readers. We’re immensely grateful to each and every one of you, especially those of you who rushed to read for us so we could meet our deadline on time. It means more than we can express.

Special thanks go out to Kim Fielding, Michelle Willcox, Annabeth Albert, and Anne Tenino for their assistance with our research about Portland.

Thanks also to Dreamspinner Press and Elizabeth North for giving this book a home.

And lastly, to everyone who kept asking “So, when is your hedgehog shifter book coming out?” We hope you enjoy it!

F
ROM
K
ENZIE
:

Thanks to Piper for sticking by my crazy. Lord knows I’m better because of you. Avery and Dylan started all because of an idea you had and grew from there. I count myself lucky that you came to me with this idea.

And to my family—Carol, Julie, Pat, and Paula for standing behind me and supporting me no matter what. I love you guys to the freaking moon and back. This book would totally not be possible without you.

Finally so much thanks to Jason Mitchell because you are my sanity most days. Most people don’t find their soul mate ever. I’m lucky you found me. To Jayden Brooks and Lexi Ander, my sisters from different misters (I just snorted), I love you guys so much. You make me a better person and a better writer. Thank you for keep me sane and not normal.

F
ROM
P
IPER
:

Thanks to Kenzie for agreeing to write this project with me. I know some people would’ve heard the words “hedgehog shifter” and run for the hills. You didn’t shy away from the idea of doing something different, and I’m so grateful to have gotten to work with you on this. It was a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to giving the rest of our boys their happily ever afters.

To Jayden Brooks, because if my muse had a physical embodiment, it would be you. To Lexi Ander for the support and the brainstorming sessions and being awesome. To the members of Piper’s Peeps for the constant support.

And to everyone who’s contributed to my hedgehog addiction by sending me links and messages and pins on Pinterest, I hope you love Avery, our little hedgehog shifter, prickles and all.

A
VERY
B
ABINEAUX
hated bars like these—peanut dust, a different sport on every television, strains of eighties hair metal blaring from the jukebox in the corner.
Shudder.
How had he let Jaden talk him into coming here? Oh yeah. Jaden was panting over one of those werewolves near the pool tables. What was his name again? Something ridiculous, more appropriate for a steroid-abusing gym bunny than a tattooed, prematurely graying biker. Brock? Brody? No,
Broderick.
That was it. Or Derick, as Jaden occasionally called him, though he seemed to prefer drawing out the full name, emphasis on the “rod.”

Annoyed, Avery shook his head and turned his attention back to his harvest ale. The underlying hint of spice from the cinnamon and nutmeg really made the brew. That was one positive for Wolfhound—they had a decent beer selection. But then, this was Portland. A pub wouldn’t last a week without having a good variety of microbrews on tap—not even one that catered to shifters, as this one did. The tongue-in-cheek name didn’t discourage the werewolf clientele. The exterior sign even included a depiction of a massive Irish wolfhound, a breed known historically for being used in wolf hunting. Whoever owned the place had a sense of humor. Still, it wasn’t Avery’s scene. He and Jaden almost never came to Wolfhound to pregame before hitting the clubs. Except tonight Jaden was on the prowl, hoping to talk Broderick into joining them.

Avery snorted. As if some surly looking, unfashionable biker with grimy fingernails would ever fit in at any of the clubs he and Jaden frequented.

Though Avery could see the appeal. In a way. Despite his silvering hair, Broderick had a striking face—straight nose, heavy brows over dark, mysterious eyes, and a full lower lip that begged to be nibbled. At the same time, he was… rough. And too old by far. Jaden was barely twenty-three, and Broderick had to be in his midthirties, if not older.

The good thing was, for the most part, Broderick ignored Jaden. Oh, it wasn’t that Broderick didn’t want Jaden. Avery could judge a man’s interest—and Broderick was sure as hell interested. But Broderick was a beta, and Jaden was son to the alpha of the Portland pack. As such, most pack members adopted a strictly “look but don’t touch” policy with him. It pissed Jaden off, but really, who wanted to be the wolf the alpha scented on his son? Not even a shower could fully disguise the musk of sex on a wolf.