Mating the Red Wolf: (Book 10, Grey Wolf Pack Romance Novellas) by E A Price

would come off like a jealous harpy, and she wasn’t jealous of Helena.  She had no reason to be jealous.  Stupid, red wolf bitch.
    Ed looked thoughtful for a moment.  “I’m not really sure what Olivia’s birth family was like; they died when she was 11, and that’s when mom and dad adopted her.”
    Her wolf whined in sadness.  “I had no idea, poor Olivia.”
    “Yeah, it’s been rough on her, but she had Will, they were inseparable when they were younger, and he seemed to help her.”
    Kim dared a glance at Will; he looked just as pained as Olivia.  “I didn’t think they were that close; they barely spoke a word to each other at dinner.”
    “They’ve had a falling out, but they won’t say about what.  He’s another virgin; he spends all day fiddling with computers and has no idea how to talk to women.”  He tried to imagine Will with a woman and came up blank.
    “Awww, I think he’s a sweetie.”
    Ed and his wolf grumbled at that.  They did not like their mate thinking of anyone else as a sweetie.
    “Did you find the ring?” she asked carefully.
    “No,” he replied tersely.  He knew he wouldn’t.  It had been in the drawer with his shirts; he remembered very clearly putting it there.  Someone had deliberately stolen it.  And he had a good idea who.  “Jonathan’s looking for it.”
    “Where do you think it is?” she asked quietly.  She already knew what he was going to say.
    Ed gave her a small smile.  “He’s checking Helena’s room.  I figured if Helena noticed someone had been in there, she’d think it was me, so I’m establishing my alibi…” 
    “No kidding Miss Marple…”
    “…While he looks.  He’d do anything for money.”
    “Doesn’t he already have lots of money?”
    He groaned.  “No one can spend money as quickly as he can.”
    Seriously, Ed wasn’t kidding.  Of course, it was never a good idea to give cars to girls you’re about to dump to soften the blow.  Especially if your relationships last less than two weeks…
    Kim gave him a quick peck before moving off to swim laps.  Ed moved to the side of the pool and watched her graceful form undulating through the water.  Pure bliss.
    After a while, Kim took Jamie off to bathe and dress, and everyone else started to do the same.  Ed tensed as he saw Helena starting to move into the house but relaxed when Jonathan sauntered out.  Jonathan shook his head, and Ed’s wolf growled inwardly.
    He pulled himself out of the water and started drying himself angrily.  He was trying to be patient and he was trying to logical, but he was furious.  He knew it was just a ring, and that Kim had already agreed to marry him, but it was the principal.  He wanted the darn thing on her finger, showing everyone that she belonged to him.
    Ed had a bad feeling that his family might try to object to his engagement to Kim.  Although they were polite to Kim, he worried that certain members of his family wouldn’t welcome her with open arms.  He was particularly thinking of his brother and his father…  Although his father appeared easy going like Ed and Jonathan, he was actually uptight and ruthless like his eldest son.  Well, his father hadn’t remained the Alpha of their pack for over twenty years for nothing…
    Although Ed and his eldest brother didn’t get along, he respected him a little more than he did their father.  Harold Jr. made no bones about the kind of guy he was, he laid it out on the table, but his father pretended he was a good guy.  He really wasn’t.
    Ed recalled the time when Jonathan brought home the most recent love of his life just under a couple of years ago.  She was a sweet fox shifter called Ingrid, who had once worked as an exotic dancer…  His family was seemingly nice to her, but when Jonathan declared that he wanted to marry her, the gloves came off.  The fox was soon dispatched.  Jonathan seemed to bounce back, but Ed detected that a certain amount of hurt lingered and