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“Do you really think so? He has been acting very odd all night.”
“I’ll talk to Thomas at the meeting tomorrow morning. Maybe we’ll have a chat about mates.”
“You can try to get him to talk. He might not open up though. He’s very reluctant to get involved with a woman.”
“That’s exactly why I need to explain to him that if he has the mating signs it is useless to fight it.”
“If they are mates, we need to be as supportive as possible. The situation with Stefan and El scared the heck out of me. I honestly thought he was going to hurt himself.”
Cade scowled for a moment. “We all did. Thankfully, they worked it out.”
She moaned as Cade laved her mating mark. “I thought you said no more sex since I hit the seven month mark because it might hurt the baby?”
“For your information, I’m caressing my mate, not making love to her.”
*****
Anna sang softly to herself as she folded baby clothes. It had been a month since the gathering and Anna couldn’t be happier. Thomas and Julia had returned from the French Quarter as mates, and her due date was only four weeks away. Not that her daughter was going to pay attention to what the doctor said. Plus, if history served as an example, she would be two weeks late.
She wasn’t going to let that dampen her mood. One of her sons was happily mated, and she had a daughter-in-law she adored. Life was good.
“Anna!” Cade yelled desperately through the house.
“Cade? What’s wrong?” she called from the laundry room.
“Oh, my Goddess. I was afraid something had happened to you.”
She frowned at his terrified expression. “Why would anything happen to me? You’re not making sense.”
“Someone vandalized Julia’s bar and destroyed her house. All I could think of was getting to you. Our enemy is striking at the family again, and it scares the hell out of me.”
“Oh, no! That’s terrible.”
“The men are helping with clearing out the wreckage today and there is going to be a swamper hunt tomorrow. It looks like they are the ones who attacked her place.”
“Are you sure it’s safe to chase them in their territory? I can’t have anything happening to you either.”
“There will be a lot of us and Etienne is joining the hunt as well. We will be fine.”
Just then the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Hello, cher. How are you feeling today?”
“I feel great, Emma. But Cade just told me about Julia’s.”
“Isaac told me as well. That’s why I’m calling. The ladies are planning to help Julia wash down the bar while the men go on their crazy hunt. Would you like to join us? I don’t expect you to scrub a floor, but I figured you would want to be there for moral support.”
“You’re right, I would. Let me talk to Cade about it. If he agrees, I’ll be there.”
“If I see you at the dock in the morning, I’ll know you’re joining us. But please, don’t feel pressured to come along if you aren’t up to it.”
“Thank you for inviting me. Give Isaac a kiss, and have a great night.”
“My pleasure, cher. Goodnight.”
“What did my mother want?” Cade asked suspiciously. From what he had heard, he was sure he wasn’t going to like it.
“The ladies are going to the bar tomorrow to help Julia clean and she invited me to join them.”
Cade turned as white as a sheet. “Hell, no!”
Anna frowned, hands on her hips. “Why not?”
“I need you to be where I know you will be safe,” he argued.
“Okay, let’s think about that. If all the men are on this swamper hunt, where am I safer: at home unprotected, or with five badass shifter females at the bar?”
Cade ran his fingers through his hair, pacing like a caged animal. “I don’t like it.”
“What do you suggest?”
Cade’s wolf was clawing at him and had him growling. “I wish Jack and Michael could be out in daylight.”
“Yes, that would solve the problem if it were an option.”
“If I wasn’t expected to join the swamper hunt tomorrow as the crowned prince, I would stay home with you. But, I can’t. Protocol dictates I protect my people.” He grumbled to himself and paced across the room again. “As much as I hate to admit it, you’re right. You will be safer with the women.”
