Grayslake: More than Mated: Make Her Howl (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Flora Dare

Chapter One
    A low growl filled the air and the combatants faced off—shoulders squared and jaws clenched—neither willing to back down.
    "Over my dead body," Magda's voice ripped through the air with a snarl and a bared fang. "If you try and drag Lira off, it will be over my dead body. Literally." Her hands flexed and she could almost feel her opponent’s blood flowing over her fingers. Lira was her daughter—adopted or not—and Magda wasn’t about to let her daughter’s mate drag her off without so much as a by your leave.
    "Momma, I think that might be excessive." Lira's hand softly stroked Magda's shoulder. "I kind of promised I would get married right away."
    "Jake should have known better than to even ask for that promise!" Magda didn't bother to hide her indignation. Or her rapidly descending fangs as she flashed them at Jake. "Just because he’s your mate, that doesn’t mean he should force you to deny your family and his clan!"
    "The Itan is desperately avoiding dealing with this." A soft voice interrupted and a smiling brunette peered around the door. "He sent me to see who survived."
    "Mia!" Relief filled Jake's voice. "Magda won't let us get married!"
    Magda snapped back, "No, I don't want you to run her through a fast courthouse thing like you’re ashamed of her."
    "Momma, he's simply eager. So am I." Lira's voice was soft, trying to soothe her outraged mother.
    Magda faced her daughter. She couldn't stop herself from taking Lira's hand. "It's only… You've always talked about having a big wedding. With a beautiful dress and surrounded by your people. Not a quick judge and a lonely courthouse." She squeezed her daughter’s hand. "I don't want you to start your new life being steamrolled. I don’t want you to someday resent it."
    A sharp hiss came from Jake—even if he was a werebear. "I wasn't trying to make her do anything she didn't want."
    Magda didn't even look at the man and simply raised a disdainful eyebrow. "Uh-huh. So she showed you her scrapbook? The one she's built over the years. The one that’s filled with pictures and cutouts from other weddings and events?"
    Lira dropped her gaze, suddenly very interested in the carpet. She muttered, "It's all happening quickly, Momma."
    The Itana, Mia, stepped into the room, her attention focused on Jake. "Well, Jake?"
    "I don't want to wait a moment longer than needed." Jake couldn't look away from his mate, Lira. " But I don't want to start my married life with my mother-in-law trying to kill me with her mind." He glanced down at the half shifted hands of his soon to be mother-in-law. "Or her hands."
    Mia settled into a chair in the middle of the room, between her and Jake. "I have an offer from the Itan that might make this work for all of you.” Magda doubted it, but she listened as Mia continued. “We have a really lovely gazebo at the den that would make a gorgeous spot for the ceremony."
    Jake narrowed his eyes at the Itana. "How did you even know we were having this fight?"
    Mia snorted. "Really? The whole town knows. Dogs, cats, werebear cubs… Everyone can hear you. Also, Memaw Grace called. Said if she had to clean up anymore blood there would be hell to pay and she'd have all the boys—I’m assuming she meant Ty, Van, Keen and Isaac—scrubbing her floors. And that if she had to come interrupt this fight, there would most certainly be blood."
    Jake sighed and then groaned. "Fine, we can do a ceremony." He pointed a finger at Magda. "But we do it tonight!"
    Lira smacked his hand so hard the sound reverberated through the room. "Be nice to my Momma."
    Magda wailed and threw her hands in the air with frustration. "It’ll take at least a month to plan anything!"
    Jake's brow furrowed. "Fine, tomorrow. I can give you til tomorrow."
    But Magda smelled the blood on the water and she knew she had him on the run. Jake had given in on something. Now she had to see how far she could push. "Tomorrow! You might as well wish for a castle in the