Page 115 of Fangs and Fudge

“Distract yourself with spending Cross’ money. He needs a house. Now that you know how the other half lives, make it good.”

She gave me a weak grin and lost herself in the search.

“Since you’re team werewolf now–” I said to Cross.

“I never said that.”

“–I think it’s time we introduced you to The Other House.”

I leaned forward to pick up the remote, and when I sat back again, his arm settled around my shoulders. Did I feel right about kissing Shepard and snuggling up against Cross?

A kernel of guilt started to grow before I stomped it down. I wasn’t dating Shepard. And I wasn’t dating Cross. One was my boss, and I was the temporary money-keeper of the other one. Once my status changed in their lives, I’d worry about putting a label on whatever this was. Until then, I was free to do what I pleased.

It wasn’t like I was trying to hide one from the other. I needed to get out of my head and just enjoy my unlabeled relationships with Cross and Shepard. There was no need to complicate things. It wasn’t as if either were spouting words of love.

Smiling, I cuddled in further and turned on the television.

When the intro to The Other House came on, Cross watched for a bit and then asked, “Is there a purpose to this show? I’ve seen people watching this on their phones.”

“Figuring out who the wolf is,” Vena said. “And ogling the eye candy.”

Cross resumed watching for a few minutes. “You don’t know who the wolf is?” he asked. “I can smell him from here.”

“You’re not that good,” Vena said, rolling her eyes. “And we already know who the wolf is. This is a rerun.”

“I was being facetious. I already know who the wolf is just by watching the intro.” Cross pointed to the screen. “And I saw snippets of this season. The wolf is–”

I went from cuddling his side to straddling him with a hand over his mouth.

Pretend-scowling, I looked him in the eye. “There’s a rule about The Other House—you never, never cry wolf. You can speculate, but never name.”

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled under my hand.

“Should I leave you two alone?” Vena asked. “I’m sure there’s a missing sock I can try to find.”

Cross’ smile slipped away as his hands settled on my hips. His eyes darkened.

Scrambling off Cross, I paused the TV. “Who needs a snack?”

“Pretty sure Cross does,” Vena said with a wink.

Sending her a warning look, I went to the kitchen and fumbled through the cupboards and refrigerator until I realized we needed groceries. Not that it mattered. I wasn’t actually hungry.

Instead, I took two glasses of water back to the couch and handed one to Cross.

Our phones dinged at the same time with a notification as I sat down next to him.

“Looks like the location for the challenge has been set,” Cross said as he scrolled through his phone.

“Does it say anything else?” Vena asked.

I nodded as I read with him. “It says delegates from surrounding packs will arrive soon. Looks like New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Virginia.” I skimmed a little further. “They are warning wolves to keep the cubs at home.”

Vena blew out a breath. “This is a bigger deal than Shepard is letting us believe, isn’t it?”

I glanced up at Cross. “Shepard will be okay, right?”

“In a fair fight between Shepard and MC, who do you think will win?” he asked.

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