Read Sassy Ever After: Mate of Honor (Kindle Worlds Novella) for Free Online Page A

expression told Bailey that he wanted to be there as much as she did. Which meant, not at all.
    The dinner had been intimate with only twenty guests, but the scenting ceremony had brought out every single male and female in the pack, and many more wolves that Bailey had never seen.
    “Who are all these people?”
    The female to the left of her, a leggy brunette with the longest eyelashes, said, “With the Blackthorn alpha stepping down and his successor unmated females from the Rahound Pack, Golden Falls Pack, Wolfe Pack, and Silverback Pack have been invited to attend the scenting.”
    “And you are?”
    “Maxine. My father is the alpha of the Silverback Pack.” She cast a determined glance at Forrest. “He chose me at the scenting twenty years ago. He’ll choose me now.”
    Yeah , Bailey thought. He chose you, but he didn’t keep you .
    Answering the unasked question, Maxine added, “We were too young then. Forrest was still in college and wasn’t ready to settle down. But things are different now.”
    “Sure.” Bailey’s fox snarled inside her. She wanted to rip Maxine Silverback’s eyelashes out at the roots. What hope did she have against forty or more wolf bitches? Especially the females who could further pack interests. She berated herself for caring. She didn’t need to Blackthorns or their stupid pack. I am a human rights lawyer. I fight for the little guy. I am bad ass. I don’t need Forrest… Wait. Did she just think Forrest’s name? Not Evan’s? When she looked up to sneak a glance at Forrest, he was staring straight at her, his nostrils flaring as if angry.
    Tory stood next to Bailey on the right, bouncing on her tiptoes with excitement. “I won’t have to do anything I don’t want, right?”
    She’d been surprised when Lara had told her that Tory could participate in the scenting ritual since there had been more than one precedent for humans mating with wolves. Most of Tristan Wolfe’s sons had picked human females for wives. “Of course not, Tor. You’ll get sniffed by a guy in wolf form. If he likes what he smells, then he’ll turn human, and he’ll sniff you that way. You get to sniff him too.”
    “I’m not sure I want to smell any man’s ass.”
    Bailey giggled. “You can smell whatever part of him you want. And if you both agree, you’ll go out into the woods to take things further.”
    “For the mate mark, right?”
    “Slow your roll, Tor. You don’t want a mate mark. That’s permanent. You know. Marriage permanent.”
    “Oh.” She shook her head. “That would be fast. Too too fast. I just want a little fun.”
    “I think the fun is pretty much guaranteed.” Bailey laughed. “I’ve heard these guys are pretty take-charge when it comes to sex.”
    “You don’t know?”
    Bailey shrugged. “I’ve watched from the house, but I never actually attended or participated in a scenting ceremony. I was too young while I lived here, and since I haven’t been back until now, I’m as new to this as you are.”
    “I guess we are in for a one of a kind experience tonight,” Tory said. She grinned. “Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
    Bailey shook her head. “Well, you might definitely be in for a wild night, woman. I’ve seen Luke and his buddy Landon scoping you out.”
    Her eyes widened. “How do I choose?”
    Bailey snickered. “Very carefully.”
    “Who do you have your eyes set on?”
    “The exit.”
    “That’s not a who.”
    Bailey shot her a look of mock surprise and put her hand to her chest. “But I really like him.”
    “What about the new hubba-delicious alpha? He’s been eyeballing you since we got outside.”
    “Because he’s working out a way to kill me, chop my corpse up into tiny pieces, and bury my parts all over the backwoods.”
    “You’re being dramatic again.”
    “He hates my guts, Tory.”
    Tory glanced at Forrest then back to Bailey. “That’s the horniest hate I’ve ever seen.”
    “Bull shit,” Bailey hissed. “And stop talking