Free E.A. Price - Valentine's Wolf (Grey Wolf Pack #11) by E A Price Page A

happens; he’s a deputy.”
    She looked inordinately proud and, although she was thoroughly annoyed at herself, Val felt relieved that pretty little Carly was actually off the market.
    “I wouldn’t worry, Jake’s not one to hold a grudge.”
    “You know him pretty well,” commented Val.
    “He’s a pack mate.”
    “You’re a wolf shifter?” asked Val incredulously and then was immediately awash with guilt when Carly’s face fell. “I’m sorry…” she stammered.
    Carly held up her hands. “No, don’t be, I don’t know why, but I thought you were a shifter too, so I thought you knew. I was just surprised.”
    Val blinked at her. “You thought I was a shifter?”
    That was definitely the strangest thing someone had accused her of being. Not offensive, just surprising.
    “I guess I’m just a little off today.” Carly rubbed her neck. “I’m the pack Omega, I can sense emotions, and shifters’ feelings are usually different to humans. I can usually tell just by sense and because of your perfume I couldn’t tell your species… I’m sorry.”
    “No, it’s fine; I’m just surprised too. So, right, yeah, you’re a wolf, like Jake… umm, the sheriff.”
    Carly nodded. “Yeah, he’s a great guy.”
    Casey snorted and then muttered a word that sounded suspiciously like ‘asshole.’
    Val’s suspicions were confirmed when Darcy elbowed him and told him to be nice. “He’s just jealous about Jake and Deanna,” Darcy told her in explanation.
    Oh, the cute little blonde deputy, who looked like the lovechild of a young Mia Farrow and Scarlett Johannson. Val felt a stab of disappointment at the thought of Jake and the young deputy together.
    “Oh, are they dating?”
    Casey slammed a fist down on the counter. “No, they damn well are not!”
    Darcy shook her head. “Deanna is Casey’s mate, but before they got together she had a crush on Jake.”
    Casey scowled at the young woman, who seemed completely unfazed by the murderous glint in his eye.
    “What? It’s not like it’s a secret? And Jake never touched her. He’s a great guy.”
    Val frowned as Darcy told her that in earnest. Why were all these women falling over themselves to tell her he was great? Did they know something she didn’t?
    She was quickly distracted as the enormous deputy from the day before pushed his way into the shop. Carly almost bounced up and down.
    “Ooh,” twittered Carly, “you’re looking mighty fine today, Deputy Moran.”
    The huge guy completely ignored everyone else in the shop and beamed at Carly. “Oh, beautiful, you always look fine.”
    Carly flushed pleasurably and sauntered back into the kitchen, casting a heated look over her shoulder. The deputy let out a throaty chuckle and followed her.
    Val gaped at the direction they disappeared. That huge guy and that tiny woman… surely he’d roll over and crush her in the night! It defied logic.
    “Don’t have sex in there; it’s unhygienic,” called Casey, trying not to laugh.
    His only reply was a deep rumbling growl that Val assumed came from the huge deputy. At least she hoped it did…
    “Don’t mind Cain and Carly, they’re still in their honeymoon phase,” chuckled Darcy.
    Val leaned over the counter, trying to block out the giggles and smooching sounds emanating from the kitchen. “Can I ask you something? What’s the sheriff’s favorite cake?”
    Darcy tried not to smirk and pointed at it.
    “I’ll take all of them, please.”
    *
    Ten minutes later, the occupants of the sheriff’s station were milling around the sweet treats Val had supplied.
    The small blonde, Deanna, whom Val now knew to be Casey’s mate, was nibbling on a blondie. The pregnant wolf, Delilah had already devoured a cookie sandwich and was working her way through a pumpkin cupcake. While two other deputies, a dark, smallish woman about her age and a strapping man with muscles to rival the sheriff, were deliberating over their choices.
    Delilah shook her head. “Just