Free Laughing at Danger by Zenina Masters Page B

coyote aggression was just below the surface.
    As a hyena female, Lima was comfortable acting on her own, but she preferred backup. Coyotes gained power in numbers, and today, the numbers were on Tammy’s side. Her family was huge.
    How Len had managed to gain Tammy’s love was a mystery that Lima still pondered now and then, but they had met at the Crossroads and gone through the binding ceremony that entwined their destinies and made sure that both families accepted it.
    Since Lima was the last unwed alpha female in her family, the matchmakers had turned their attention to her. Having an entire clan of aggressive females trying to set her up was becoming unnerving. She would far rather charge straight into an unknown rescue than deal with her Aunty Violet and the men she had dossiers on.
    The music stirred, and Tammy thrust her flowers at her. “Straight shoulders, slow pace. Pretend you are stalking the podium.”
    The other bridesmaids laughed and preceded them, but Lima attended to the bride and did a final fussing with her veil. While Tammy and Len were already married in all important matters, this was for the human world, and since Tammy’s family was huge and public, so was the wedding.
    When Lima’s turn was up, she gave Tammy a quick wink, straightened her shoulders and walked slowly up the aisle of the church. Her brother grinned at her, and she grinned back. It was his big day.
    She settled at her station and watched Tammy approach with a light and floating step down the aisle to her fiancé.
    Lima waited and took over the bouquet when it was necessary, signed the certification of marriage as a witness and she took the arm of the best man as they followed the happy couple down the aisle to the photo session.
    The longest part of the day was yet to come.
     
    When the obligatory dancing was finished, Lima eased out of the spotlight and moved toward her mother.
    “Mother, you look lovely this evening.” Lima stood on ceremony.
    “And you look ridiculous.” Her expression softened for a moment, “But you wear it well.”
    Lima inclined her head. Since she had been confirmed as an alpha, her relationship to her mother had become strained. Her mother was nervous that Lima would make a move to take over her territory. Lima had no interest in her mother’s business or property, but her mother had taken them from her grandmother, so she was a little paranoid.
    Lima smiled. “You wished to speak with me?”
    “I did. As one female to another, you are reaching that delicate age where you need to settle down and open your own territory.”
    “I have my own territory. I enjoy my job and working to help others of our kind.”
    Her mother snorted. “There haven’t been any hyenas abducted.”
    “I mean shifters, Mother. We rescue shifters.”
    Her mother waved that away. “If they are not our people, they don’t matter.”
    Lima went cold, grabbed her mother by the arm and led her to the back room as casually as she could. She locked the door and rounded on her mother. “If I hear of you even whispering something like that with Tammy in the vicinity again, I will rip your throat out, destroy your territory and scatter the rest of the family. Is that clear?”
    Lucinda Pellin backed away. “You can’t speak to me like that.”
    “I will not humiliate you in front of the gathering, but you will show respect and gratitude to your new daughter. She is a coyote, and she is much beloved by her people for her wit and wisdom. You will respect that.”
    Her mother flinched. “You can’t tell me what to do.”
    Lima flexed her hands and noted that she was keeping herself in control. Bravo. Today was not the day to lose control.
    “Don’t let the pink dress fool you. I am far more serious than I ever was under your roof. I can and would snap you in half and rip your tail off without having a second thought. Behave, Mother, and greet your new daughter fully into the family. I will be listening.”
    Lima patted