Page 25 of Last But Not Leashed

“I like the happily mated with Dale part of your idea, but you’re going to have to do some serious convincing regarding the rest.”

I sighed and bowed my head, my last hope of sanity leaping out the window with Ethel’s reply. “Who would pay half a million for me?”

Ethel locked onto me with narrowed eyes, stomping over so she could prod me in the chest. “Me!”

Not only did I like her answer, it gave me a unique opportunity I couldn’t allow to slip away. I flashed a canine grin. “Are you the bounty holder?”

“Well, no. I admit, I wish I’d thought of it first. I’d spend more than that to keep you.”

I’d have to do a little investigating of my own; if I judged by Ethel’s trailer, she’d never be able to afford my bounty. The way she spoke led me to believe she really would spend more and she wouldn’t even hesitate.

Someone likely squirreled away every extra penny she got her hands on, and I wondered why. CDC management had to be paid better than I was, and I wasn’t a slacker on earnings.

Interesting.

“My question stands,” I replied, careful to keep from growling, as I didn’t want to give her the impression she’d stirred my ire. That honor belonged to Allison.

“Dale,” Ethel growled.

“Ethel.” In light of new information and her display of aggression, I ditched any pretenses of maintaining a pleasant demeanor. If she wanted to match me growl for growl, I’d deal with the consequences. My growl was a great deal louder than hers, which annoyed her into scowling at me.

“Please don’t provoke him, Ethel. He’s hard enough to hold back as it is,” Jerome complained. “Please. He already wants to pummel my wife.”

“Why?”

“She punned him.”

“Why are you trying to stop him? It sounds like she deserves it.”

“I don’t want her to die because she angered Dale. She provoked him right into his hybrid form.”

“You should be admiring him rather than saving your wife. He’s lovely.”

Jerome sighed. “You’re biased.”

I was okay with her being biased, but I didn’t want to hear them sing my praises when all I wanted to do was accomplish my mission of mopping the floor with Allison. To distract them, I said, “I still want to know who would spend that much on a bounty for me.”

“You’re lovely, so a lot of people should,” Ethel replied. “Handsome. Vibrant. Also mine, and I’m pissed they came up with the idea first.”

Jerome snickered. “You can’t win this one, Dale.”

Yes, I could, and I knew the perfect way to. “Hey, Jerome?”

“Should I be concerned?”

“Not particularly.”

“What, then?”

“Who likes Ethel enough to pay half a million for me?”

Silence.

The entire pack stared at me before giving Ethel their undivided attention.

The focus of my interest raised her brows, planting her hands on her hips. “I didn’t know anyone liked me enough to buy me Dale. I’m not complaining if that’s the case, but the people I know with that sort of money would rather annoy me than help me.”

Jerome cracked up laughing, curling around my leg and beating the floor with his fist. “It makes so much more sense than someone who likes Dale helping him to land you. You’re pretty, you’re nice enough, and you have plenty of friends. Dale’s pretty, but he’s a chronic loner, so he doesn’t really have a lot of friends.”