Prickly By Nature by Piper Vaughn and Kenzie Cade

their most private moments.
    He shrugged. “Avery’s brother is getting married.” Avoidance wasn’t an answer, he knew, but he wasn’t talking about this with his mother. It was between him and Avery.
    Betty’s eyes lit up. She’d always loved weddings. After grabbing the two bowls, she walked to the table. “How exciting. I assume they’ll have the ceremony in Louisiana.” She sighed wistfully, setting her burden on the table. “I’ve always wanted to see those big homes in the Garden District. All that spanish moss and ancient trees. It’s a lovers’ fairy tale, isn’t it?”
    Dylan just smiled back at her. He’d never been there, but he’d seen Avery’s pictures, heard the stories. And, yeah, it was a beautiful place.
    “When is the wedding? Do I need to watch the house?”
    He liked how she just assumed they would be going, because in her mind—in Dylan’s too—that’s what family did. They were there for each other. No matter what. Dylan planned to always be around for his mother. His father was another story. Law would have to watch his own tail.
    “I’m not sure Avery wants to go,” Dylan said hesitantly.
    “What? Why wouldn’t he go? He only has one brother, right?”
    Dylan sighed. “From what I gather, the Babineauxs aren’t terribly close.”
    “Not close? That’s ridiculous. They’re family. You don’t get closer.”
    “Well, maybe it’s different for hedgehogs than it is for wolves.” He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’m still working on him. I think it would be a good idea to spend some time away from Portland, the pack, and whatever cases Avery is obsessing over. We’ll see.”
    “He’ll go,” she said knowingly. “Just keep being your stubborn self, and he’ll eventually give in.”
    “I am not stubborn,” he grumbled, taking a bite of the thick tomato-based chili. Damn if that wasn’t good. Even vegan, he chuckled to himself.
    Buzzing brought him out of his musing. Avery .
    I’m so sorry. Time got away from me. Tell Miss Betty I’ll make it up to her.
    Dylan sat the phone down. “Avery,” he answered Betty’s curious gaze. “He got caught up at work. Says he’ll make it up to you.”
    She grinned and patted his hand. “He’s a good boy.”
    He nodded as his phone buzzed again. He tapped the screen.
    I miss you.
    Dylan’s heart swelled at those three words. Jesus, he missed Avery too. He wished he could tell him, but how would that conversation go? They’d only lived together for a few months, had only been on talking terms two months prior to that. Explaining to Avery that he missed him because he was never home, because he was too busy trying to save the world not only made Dylan sound like a needy bitch, it was sure to tip Avery’s prickliness over the edge. Sometimes it felt like Avery put so much more ahead of their mating and it pissed off Dylan. There was no way for Dylan to soften his irritation.
    “Talk to him,” Betty prodded again, reading his mind. “He’ll listen.”
    Dylan grunted. He was in serious need of a subject change, so he asked his mom about Lucas. She’d always been keen to his moods, and she knew Lucas well enough to know whatever he was going through wasn’t like him. The entire conversation was a diversion from Dylan’s real problem, and her only advice was the exact thing he’d expected from her all along.
    “Just give him time,” she said, her face in a grim set. “He has things to work through, things to figure out, and he may not be able to do them with you and Avery around.”
    Dylan knew that—he did, but it didn’t make the ache in his chest feel any less piercing. Lucas was his best friend since forever. They were brothers. Worse was knowing what bothered his best friend. It gnawed at him.
    “But—”
    “He’ll be fine,” she insisted and began to eat, ending the conversation, so Dylan ate too.
    For the rest of their meal, Dylan and his mother talked about his dad and where he’d gone—Salem, to