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“Wolves set bear traps for each other? Isn’t that sort of, I don’t know, culturally insensitive or so?”

Jolene seemed befuddled by the question “No, it doesn’t hurt that bad”

“You heal ten tie human,” I told her “That bear trap could have cost Zeb a foot He’s already lost a pinkie toe to your family’s little jokes”

“They’re just bein’ playful”

“He lost an appendage, Jolene That’s not playful, that’s wanton endangerment”

Jolene sniffed “Don’t! Don’t use the ‘talkin’ down the crazy person’ voice And don’t act like you’re sad this happened You probably set this whole thing up to get out of wearing the bridesmaid dress”

“What is wrong with you?” I asked “Why would you say that?”

“I don’t know!” Jolene cried “He proposed to o crazy! I know my family is screwed up, OK? I know it’s not normal for your cousin to want to marry you or for your parents to make you move in less than a hundred yards away from them

“I know it’s not normal to be so loud and in each other’s business all the tiressive and they pay no attention to boundaries They know they could have hurt Zeb with these pranks, and that’s half of the fun for them But what am I supposed to do? This is my pack This is thousands of years of breedin’ and instinct I can’t stop that”

She sobbed and wiped at her eyes “And that’s what I told him Then I said he wouldn’t be so tense if maybe his parents wereevery chance they got He asked me what I meant by that, and I said that it was obvious hisyou instead of me And when he toldand shove it where the sun don’t shine, and I stormed off, and now I’ettin’ married”

Andrea goggled “That was a Jane-worthy tirade Really, very impressive”

“Please don’t help,” I said, turning to Jolene “And you, you’ve got to draw a line so Zeb His safety and happiness have to be your priority, no matter what your family does Stand up for hi to be the first McClaine to break this weird-ass cycle of human abuse, then to show Zeb that you’re on his side

“Apologize,” I said “And then go perform some physical favors for him that I never have to think about And both of you have to stop co to me when you have relationship problems I barely have time for my own problems, and yours are, well, weird”

“You’re a really good friend, Jane,” she said, shoving the remains of pizza into her mouth

I patted her arm “I knoas serious about that last part”