Xena instantly snaps her head up from my lap, her floppy ears standing straight up as she lets out a fierce, squeaky little boof at the intruders.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Mayhem stops in his tracks, his eyes widening as he spots the tiny black-and-tan ball of fur growling heroically at him from the sofa. "What the hell is that? Locke, did you adopt a miniature wolf?"
"It's a German Shepherd, you i***t," Jade says, shoving Mayhem out of the way with her elbow as she walks over to the couch, a brilliant, warm smile lighting up her face. She kneels down beside me, immediately reaching out to scratch Xena under her chin, causing her tough-b***h act to instantly melt into tail-wagging submission. "Oh, Zara, it’s absolutely adorable!"
"Her name’s Xena," I say, leaning over to hug Jade tightly. "B
