Bite of The Moon

Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance Boxed Set

You've been bitten! Now what?

Bite of the Moon is a series of stand alone stories by your favorite paranormal romance authors that feature heroes and/or heroines who've been bitten and turned into shapeshifters. All the stories look at life and love after the bite. If you've ever wanted to be bitten, these stories are sure to feed your imagination!

Michelle Fox ~ Moon's Law

Once you've been bitten, there's no going back.

Catherine Vale ~ Between Two Wolves

Having your throat cut has a way of changing a girl…so does being bitten by one of your two lovers.

Elle Boon ~ Lyric's Accidental Mate

A tough as nails soldier and a bad girl on a motorcycle with a bite…when they collide, everything changes.

Katalina Leon ~ MacBrun

Never get between a bear and his honey!

Erika Masten ~ Preferred Prey, Sons of Fenris MC

For a girl with extra curve, walking into a dive strip club that caters to the shifters of the Sons of Fenris Motorcycle Club is just like ringing a dinner bell for hungry wolves.

Bryce Evans ~ Bewitched by the Alpha

A man with a need to protect, and a woman with a desire to stand on her own...even though she's bitten.

Table of Contents

Michelle Fox ~ Moon's Law

Catherine Vale ~ Between Two Wolves

Elle Boon ~ Lyric's Accidental Mate

Katalina Leon ~ MacBrun

Erika Masten ~ Preferred Prey, Sons of Fenris MC

Bryce Evans ~ Bewitched by the Alpha

Moon's Law

New Moon Wolves Book 2

Michelle Fox

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Disclaimer

All events depicted are fictional. Characters are consenting adults. Any resemblance to places and persons, living or dead, is unintentional coincidence.

Every effort has been made to provide a quality reading experience, but editors and technology are fallible. Please report typos or formatting issues to MichelleFoxwrites@gmail.com. You’d tell a girl if she had lipstick on her teeth, right? Please do the same for typos and formatting flubs.

Chapter One

Friendly werewolf in search of a job. Does not howl out of turn. Charlotte worried her bottom lip as she scanned the classifieds in the Glen Vine Gazette, doing her best to will the perfect job into existence.

She sat at a small, wobbly table in Java Jump—the only coffee shop in Glen Vine—a caramel latte steaming at her elbow, and sighed as she finished reading all five ‘help wanted’ ads in the little paper. Tuning out the hustle and bustle around her, she read them again hoping to find something, anything to put some cash in her pocket, but it was a no go.

Charlotte was a can-do kind of girl. She could change a tire, assemble IKEA furniture like  a pro and wasn't afraid to get dirty, but driving a semi wasn’t going to work with her new ‘turn furry at the drop of a hat’ lifestyle. And while the house-winterizing gig looked good, the word around town was the owner had a drinking problem—the kind where sometimes the staff didn't get paid on time. The other ads were all ‘get rich quick’ or weight loss scams. While she wouldn't mind getting rich or losing some weight, she knew the Gazette wasn't the place to find either of those. Let alone a job, apparently.

She sighed and sipped at her latte as she stared out the window. It had rained all night, scattering yellow and red leaves on the wet pavement like confetti. Pickings were slim in Glen Vine now that autumn colored the trees. The small town existed only to serve tourists, and once summer ended, work dried up. Businesses weren’t hiring, they were saying ‘goodbye, see you next year’ to their staff.

Staff made up of college kids on their way back to school. Unfortunately, school was no longer an option for her. No, she’d been dumped in the most humiliating way by her ex-boyfriend, Colton, and left in the wild to be bitten by a werewolf. She’d put college on hold to get her head straight, both about Colton and the whole ‘turn furry and howl at the moon’ thing.

Bells jangled as the door to Java Jump opened and then closed, announcing the arrival of new customers. It was what passed for rush hour in the no stoplight town of Glen Vine. Commuters—mostly headed for Traverse City—were stopping in for a quick caffeine fix before hitting the road. Charlotte looked up to see two men clomp into the coffee shop, their footsteps heavy on the floor. Each man wore construction crew gear: Steel-toe work boots, worn overalls with grungy t-shirts underneath and bandanas on their heads. Neon orange safety vests hung out of their back pockets. They smelled like tar mixed with sweat and stale tobacco. She wrinkled her nose at the unpleasant aroma.

"Damn wolves were howlin’ up a storm last night." The man who’d spoken had straw blond hair and faded blue-jean eyes. He contemplated the menu with a frown. "They woke me up three times. I finally went outside and started shootin’ at ‘em."

Charlotte cringed. She and her fledgling pack mates—all bitten by the same psycho werewolf—had gone for a run the night before, wanting to spend as much time as possible outside before winter buried the area in snow.

"My dad’s sending a petition to the capitol to approve hunting so we can cull the pack. Winter’s coming and they’re going to be hungry," said his companion, this one with light brown hair and dark eyes.

"Where’d all these wolves come from anyway?" The blond snapped his fingers. "One minute there’s nothing, the next we’ve got almost a dozen people bit and so much howling at night, OSHA would make us wear ear gear to protect our hearing."

Charlotte Wills slouched in her seat and pulled the Gazette up to cover her face as her cheeks burned. Oops. Had they been that loud last night? She couldn’t remember. Her wolf memory was a little hazy. She recalled the cold air smacking her nose, carrying tantalizing whiffs of rabbits, squirrels, the smell of pine needles and the way the wind blew through her fur, but not how loud they’d been howling.

Oblivious to her reaction, the two men placed a to-go order for large coffees and even larger cinnamon buns, and then resumed their conversation while they waited for their food.

The blond made a gun with his fingers and took aim at the coffee cup display on the counter. Pretending to shoot them he said, "I don’t want to wait on the politicians. They’ll take forever. I thought I might sit up in the deer blind on Friday night and see if I can get rid of a few of them. You wanna come, Stan?"

The brown-haired man gave an enthusiastic nod. "Hell yeah, Dylan. I’ll bring the beer if you get the wings."

"And ammo. Don’t forget the ammo." Dylan took his coffee from the server and stirred in some sugar. "If you want, I’ve got some traps we can set up, too."

Charlotte gasped. Shooting at them was bad enough, but traps? She started to say something. To tell these two yahoos the wolves weren’t going to hurt anyone, but then she clamped her mouth shut, because she couldn’t say anything without telling them the truth.

Those aren’t wolves. They’re werewolves.

There was no way disclosing that would make things better.

I’m a monster. A freak of nature.

Hand trembling, she sipped her latte, trying to distract herself. Her wolf prowled under her skin, pricking her from the inside with fur ready to burst through. She ran her tongue over her teeth, grimacing as it verified her fears; her canine teeth were growing. Her emotions were stirring up the beast she now shared a body with. Charlotte took several deep breaths. She needed to calm down or she would shift right then and there.

Tao, the leader of their little pack, and a werewolf since birth, said they would have more control as they gained experience, but that wasn’t going to help her now.

Naturally, the men kept talking, rubbing salt in the wound.

"Ah, hell yeah. Let’s trap some of those fuckers." The two men fist bumped, both smiling widely.

"I wouldn’t mind stuffing a wolf head and hanging it over my fireplace." Stan gave a harsh laugh.

"Oh, that would be badass," said Dylan.

Charlotte growled and then clapped a hand over her mouth. The men, along with the cashier behind the counter, whipped their heads around to look at her.

"Excuse me," she said with a weak smile, playing it off as a burp. Grabbing her purse, she didn’t stick around to see if they believed her and hustled out of the coffee shop. Hair sprouted from her skin like a lawn overdosed with Miracle-Gro, and  her body suddenly felt like a water balloon wrapped around bones that were in the process of melting.

Shit. She was going to lose it.

Outside Java Jump, she broke into a run. She had no doubt the construction workers carried guns in their vehicles. If she shifted right in the middle of Glen Vine, she’d end up dodging bullets. While she’d been told werewolves were harder to kill and healed faster than humans, she didn’t want to test the theory personally.

Lengthening her stride, she whipped around a corner in the hopes of making it to the line of trees that ran behind Glen Vine’s small business district. There would be cover there, a place to hide where no one could see her doing the werewolf walk of shame home, carrying her purse in her mouth.

Unfortunately, instead of making it to safety, she slammed, face first, into a hard, unyielding surface. There was a stunned moment where time froze and then she was falling. Apparently, whatever she’d hit wasn’t as unyielding as it felt because it toppled backward, taking her with it.

She landed on top of it with a loud ‘oof.’ To her surprise, someone else echoed her ‘oof’ followed by a groan. Not an it—a him. She’d run into a guy.

Charlotte blinked and her vision, shaky from the pre-shift adrenaline surging through her, managed to make out that she’d taken down another person. A man, to be exact. The sheriff to be even more precise.

Oh, good, she thought with relief.

The sheriff was a werewolf, bitten same as her. He could help her hide her out-of-control shift, maybe even hold onto her clothes.

The sheriff craned his neck up off the sidewalk, his dark eyes meeting hers. "Everything okay, Charlotte?"

"Ah, yes," she said her voice a little breathier than she would’ve liked. Kane wasn't just a werewolf, he was also scorching hot with a hard-as-steel chest and high cheekbones a girl could cut her heart on if she wasn't careful. She'd admired him from afar for years, but had never actually touched him before. "Just feeling a little shifty." Although, the impact of hitting him had caused her wolf to recede a bit. She filed that tidbit of information away for future use. The next time her wolf was about to break free, maybe she could stop it by running into the nearest wall. It was worth a try.

He nodded and made a non-committal ‘mmm’ sound.

Her nose twitched. He smelled kind of nice, like sandalwood and fir trees mixed with coffee and something cinnamon-y. "You stop at Java Jump today?"

"Best coffee and cinnamon buns in town," he said with a smile.

"The only coffee and cinnamon buns in town," Charlotte corrected him. For the first time, she registered exactly how hard the firm length of his body was pressed against hers and it sent a jolt through her. Oh, God she was touching him. Panic filled her along with the unwelcome urge to grind her pelvis into his. She jumped to her feet, which, thanks to her new werewolf strength, she could do with the power and grace of an Olympic gymnast, and backed the hell away from Sheriff Studly.

The reason she'd only ever watched him from a distance? The guy liked waifs with big, fake boobs. And the only thing Charlotte had in common with waifs was...nothing, actually. It was a blessing, though, because Kane got around. He seemed like a nice guy, as far as she could tell, but he never stuck with one girl, and flings weren't her style.

As if she hadn't already had enough fun, her wolf surged back to the fore, the familiar prick of hair under her skin starting up again. Damn it. Was she doomed to do the shift of shame today? She rubbed her arms, but that didn’t help. So she rubbed them faster and eyed the copse of trees standing at the end of the block. No one would see her shift back there.

The sheriff clambered to his feet, taking the time to make the movement look human and pausing to pick up his hat, which had fallen off when they'd collided. Dusting off the brim and setting it back on his head, he asked, "Everything okay, Char?" He watched her carefully.

"They want to shoot us, you know." She edged toward the trees and the sheriff followed. "I heard them talking."

"Them?" He arched an eyebrow.

She waved her hand toward Java Jump. "You know, humans. They think we need to be culled." Swallowing hard, she said, "They came into Java Jump talking about mounting my head on a wall. Killing me, stuffing me, like my life doesn’t matter."

"They threatened you?" The sheriff's brow furrowed.

"It was implied. Very strongly implied," she said. "If their bullets found me, I would be their newest wall hanging."

She shuddered at the thought of a taxidermied afterlife. Hair burst through her skin again and her body began the process of rearranging itself. She was going to shift. Right there on Glen Vine’s main street, in front of the ice cream shop. Thankfully, the street was empty and the shops closed. In the off-season, nothing opened early except for Java Jump and the gas station.

Charlotte dropped her purse and closed her eyes, preparing for the inevitable. I feel like a toddler who can’t figure out potty training. I hate not having control.

A warm hand closed around her wrist and gave her a firm squeeze followed by the low rumble of the sheriff's voice. "No, Charlotte. Don’t."

Just like that, her wolf backed down. Charlotte hadn’t felt so human in weeks. She opened her eyes wide in surprise and stared at the sheriff. An unseen yet palpable strength emanated from him in waves, washing over her and cowing her wolf.

Well, that’s new.

Chapter Two

Sheriff Kane Martin looked down at the woman in front of him. Her brown eyes were wide and wild, and her chest heaved with exertion, as if she was sprinting to the finish line instead of standing still. He tried not to stare down the v-neck of her pink t-shirt, but her cleavage swayed with her breathing in the most tantalizing way. She also smelled good, like caramel mixed with…he sniffed, trying to decide what the other scent was, and decided it must be a perfume. Something floral.

Charlotte Wills was easy on the eyes and the nose.

Kane blinked and shook his head at the thought. What was wrong with him? Curvy girls weren’t his thing, never had been. Charlotte, with her flared hips and generous breasts, wasn’t his type, but yet there he was, fixated by her presence. He wanted nothing more than to dig his fingers into those hips as he filled her. He shook his head again, trying to clear his mind. Where the hell had those thoughts come from?

He’d sworn off women anyway. Thinking about sex with anyone was off limits as far as Kane was concerned. Becoming a werewolf had ruined his sex life. A beast lurked inside him now, hungry and too strong for even Kane’s iron control. He couldn’t be sure of what he might do under the influence of lust, so he’d kept to himself ever since his first shift. Just watching poor Charlotte struggle with her own wolf proved he was right to be concerned.

But as he watched her breasts go up and down in her soft, feminine pink shirt that stretched tight across her chest, he reconsidered. Maybe celibacy had been a mistake. Maybe he was actually losing control by depriving himself of female company, because at the moment, he kind of wanted to rip off Charlotte’s shirt and fill his hands with her breasts. Would he have more control if he gave in to his urges? He pondered the idea of having taken the wrong approach to the werewolf sex thing so deeply, he failed to realize Charlotte had started crying.

But his nose quivered, alerting him to her distress. Smelling emotions was the weirdest thing Kane had ever experienced. So far, he’d worked out that anger was bitter, fear was sour and any kind of upset had a salty tang, almost as if the salt in their tears had become airborne. More positive emotions lightened a person’s scent, like bubbles in champagne.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, don’t cry."

She hiccoughed. "I hate this. I can’t even stay human."

"It will get better," he said, pulling her into a full hug.

"How do you know?" She wailed the question into his shoulder.

"Because Tao, Leo and Kai don’t hate who they are. We’ll get there, Charlotte." His hands started to slide down her back to cup her backside and he abruptly brought them up to a more appropriate area of her anatomy. What was wrong with him? She smelled good, so what? That didn’t mean anything. Pizza smelled good, too, but that didn’t make it a health food. "Calm down," he said as much to himself as Charlotte.

She sniffed one last time and the intensity of the feelings in her scent eased a bit. Kane relaxed a fraction, too.

"Thanks," she said. "If I hadn’t run into you, I’d be wolfing it home. Then I’d have to walk back and get my car once I became human again."

"Glad to help."

"Sorry I took you down." A flush reddened her cheeks.

"Better you than a tweaker, trust me." He grimaced remembering a raid a few years ago. The people running the meth lab had been higher than kites and armed with semi-automatics. One particularly big guy had slammed into Kane with the force of a tank and knocked him clean to the ground, where he stayed for the entire bust, fighting to breathe.

"A tweaker?" She looked at him, confused.

"A meth addict," he said.

Charlotte eyes widened. "Yeah, I guess I would be better than that." She sighed. "Well, I'm going to go back to Java Jump and get my car. I want to get home before this wolf of mine loses it. Thanks, again."

Kane raised a hand in farewell. "Anytime." He watched her walk away, transfixed by her round backside. A picture flashed in his mind of his hands gripping the flesh there, urging her to take all of him inside her. He rubbed his forehead, trying to get his mind out of his pants.

He had work to do.

The bulge in his pants experienced a profound moment of disappointment about that.

A thin, reedy voice warbled behind him. "Kane."

He spun on his heel to find Georgia Harris staring at him, her rheumatic hazel eyes gleaming with interest. She wore a comfortable navy track-suit paired with orthopedic shoes and a thick wool coat. Her steel gray hair had been styled in careful, deliberate curls all over her head and a garish red lipstick graced her mouth.

"Morning, Mrs. Harris," he said. The woman looked frail, but he knew better.

She wagged a finger at him. "I saw you with that fine looking girl. Saw your hands traveling all over her. Wait until I tell your mother."

Kane gaped at her. What did Georgia Harris, town gossip and tourist t-shirt shop owner think she’d seen exactly? He distinctly remembered keeping his hands in the ‘friend zone.’ "We’re just friends."

Her eyebrows went up and her mouth thinned into a red line. "Uh-huh. We’ll see."

"Don’t make this bigger than it needs to be." Kane tried to sound authoritative, but couldn’t keep a pleading note from his voice. The last thing his mom needed was false hope.

"So you haven’t told your momma, then?" Georgia glared at him.

He narrowed his eyes at the elderly woman, trying to puzzle out her game. "No. Why would I?"

She ignored his question. "Your poor momma. The one thing she wants most in this world and you won’t give it to her." She wagged a finger at him again. "You’ve been tomcatting up and down this side of Michigan, refusing to be a man and settle down for far too long."

"That is none of your business," Kane said, his voice firm. Although, he admitted to himself that what she said was true. Kind of. He hadn’t been that bad, and anyway, those days were behind him.

She crossed her arms. "You tell me. How many girls have you met and never called again? A hundred?"

At his shocked expression, she upped the number. "Two hundred?"

"Mrs. Harris, that’s ridiculous." He didn’t think he had more than fifty numbers in his phone and he always meant to call, but it just never worked out. His job was kind of crazy and the really hot girls had a tendency to move on after a while. No one had time to wait on him, so he’d never gone much past a one-night-stand. "I don’t know why you think so poorly of me, but—"

"You never called back my Jenny." Mrs. Harris glared at Kane through narrowed eyes.

Ah. So that was it. "Jenny's married now, right?" Jenny Harris had been nice and all, but a little too much like her mother for Kane to want a long-term relationship. Both women had a penchant for verbal evisceration.

"Don’t talk down to me, young man. I don’t have Alzheimer’s. Yes, Jenny’s married and quite happily, too. She’s had three kids and still looks as good as she did at nineteen." She gave him a pointed look, as if wanting to be sure he understood what he was missing. "And here you are this morning, right in front of my shop, making out with your latest love’em and leave’em conquest."

"That’s not what you saw."

She arched a gray eyebrow. "What are you saying, Kane? If she’s not a quickie, then what is she?" Her face brightened then, and a smile split her blood red lips. "Oh. I see."

"What? You see what?" he asked, wary.

"You finally found the one." Mrs. Harris clapped her hands together. "Congratulations, Kane."

"The one?" He blinked at her, confused.

"Don’t be shy. I changed your diapers when you were a baby. You had the tiniest little wee-wee." She chuckled, the sound unpleasant. "Your momma and I have been friends since before you were born. She’ll be thrilled, just thrilled to hear you’re getting married."

"Married?" he echoed, flummoxed. How had this conversation gotten away from him? "No, she’s a friend, Mrs. Harris," he said, his voice edged with a growl. His wolf stirred, prowling under his skin, wondering if he should jump through.

The old lady winked at him. "You haven’t announced it yet, I understand. When are you going to tell your momma?"

Kane opened his mouth and then shut it with a snap. What the hell? "Mrs Harris, we're friends. That's it, nothing more." He allowed a growl to edge his voice, hoping to get the old gossip to give up her game, but she'd already made up her mind, and she'd never been one to let something so trivial as facts get in her way.

Georgia shook her head as she unlocked the door of her shop. Just before she stepped inside, she looked back at him. "Your momma is going to be so happy. This is going to help her more than anything those doctors did for her. You know that, right?"

Kane stood, rooted in place, as the old gossip disappeared into her shop. He tried to wrap his mind around how his day had gone sideways so fast. All he’d been doing when the universe decided to shit all over him was making his usual rounds of the business district. Crime was almost non-existent, especially when the tourist season was over, but he liked to keep an eye on things.

For some inexplicable reason the whole werewolf thing had bit him in the ass. Again. When he’d become a werewolf, he’d thought it would be like a super power he could use for the greater good. Instead, it just got him into trouble.

As for his mom…well, Georgia Harris was dealing low blows this morning. Kane wanted nothing more than to make his mother happy, especially after everything she’d gone through, but he wasn’t a liar or a cheat.

And he did not have a little wee-wee. Mrs. Harris was just being downright mean with that comment.

Straightening his spine, he walked down the street, giving all the storefronts a once-over. The main drag of Glen Vine was quiet now that Charlotte had moved on. Even the birds had fallen silent, subdued by the rain from the night before. Everything but Mrs. Harris' shop and the bookstore were closed. Once winter settled in, nothing would be open. No one came to Glen Vine once snow blanketed the area.

Kane walked the perimeter of each property, noting whether or not it was the same as the last time he'd been through. He liked to keep an eye on things, knowing crime didn't start with a bang, but a whimper. Little things mattered. Such as, were the locks secure or showing signs of tampering? Were there footprints in the muddy ground under the windows? If folks got away with little things, they became brave and would skip the lock to break the window. Just having law enforcement walk the area on a regular basis was a good deterrent.

Christine, the bookstore owner, must've caught wind of his scent, because she stepped out on the porch of the log cabin that housed her business and gave him a slow nod as he passed. Like Charlotte and him, she'd been bitten, too. Even a handful of werewolves in a small town like Glen Vine was a lot. He bumped into his pack mates constantly.

"Everything okay, Sheriff?" She glanced in the direction of Mrs. Harris' place.

Kane waved a dismissive hand wondering how much she'd heard or seen. He tried not to be embarrassed. "Yeah. Just one of those days."

"It's always one of those days lately."

"Hopefully it'll be a nice, quiet winter and things will calm down." It had been a hell of a summer, starting with wolf attacks that turned out to be werewolf attacks. Nine had been bitten, filling Glen Vine with folks who couldn't keep from sprouting fur and fangs. The attacks had formed them all into a loose pack of survivors who hadn't quite figured out how to thrive. That and how to stop thwapping things with their tails. Even with werewolf super healing, Kane still felt twinges in his tail bone from last night's run. He'd walloped a tree trunk so hard he'd actually yelped.

"From your lips to God's ears," Christine said, moving a hand from her mouth to the sky. She paused then, thinking. "Or should I say moon?"

Kane just shrugged. Hell if he knew. The werewolves who'd stuck around to help them with the aftermath of the attacks always talked about the moon as if it was a deity in its own right. Maybe it was, but Kane didn't feel any spiritual pull. Not unless you counted the way the moon seemed to yank his wolf right out of him.

The radio at his belt chirped, pushing him to move and get on with the day. There were things to do, people to see, crimes to solve. Werewolf problems would have to wait. He tipped his hat in farewell to Christine and, pulling out his radio, said, "This is Sheriff Martin. Go ahead."

"Sheriff, we’ve had reports of gun shots," came Danielle’s smooth, cultured voice. She was the star singer of her church choir, and everything she said came out like a melody. Danielle not only worked dispatch at the police station, but she was also a werewolf, another member of his pack.

Kane shrugged. "Send out a patrol and see what’s up, same as always. You didn’t need to call me." Normal protocol would be to dispatch a few officers. It only escalated to the sheriff level if someone had been hit.

She lowered her voice. "Sorry, Sheriff, but there are wolves involved. I thought you’d want to know."

He headed toward his cruiser, walking with long, strong strides. "How do we know there were wolves?"

"They reported hearing bullets and howling."

"Who made the call?"

"Rose Clark," Danielle said, naming the town’s librarian. A petite woman with round, wire-frame glasses that made her eyes look big as an owl’s, Rose had a serious fixation on putting books back in the exact right spot. Kane knew her to be an honest and upstanding citizen. She wouldn’t pull anyone’s leg. If she said there were gun shots, then something had made a big noise for sure. And there was no mistaking a wolf howl, although he could only hope it was an actual wolf and not one of his pack mates. If they were lucky, it would be nothing. If not, Kane might be calling in the coroner.

Great. Now his day included the possibility of dead bodies. Fantastic.

"Where?" He shook his head. First, Charlotte, and now this. People were really gunning for wolves in Glen Vine.

"Out by Route Nine."

Kane frowned. Didn’t Charlotte live out that way? She’d been about to shift when she ran into him, but she’d seemed more stable after they'd talked. He’d even felt her wolf calm down with whatever new werewolf sense that allowed him to know those kinds of things. Had something else happened to throw off her wolf again?

Remembering the guys she’d claimed wanted to shoot her, he became even more concerned.

"I’ll take the call," he said, his voice terse. Reaching his cruiser, he slid into the driver’s seat.

"Should I send back-up?"

Starting his car, he put it in gear and eased onto the road. "Not yet. I’ll call in if I need help." Better to verify the wolf’s status before he brought in more officers.

"Yes, sir. Be careful out there," Danielle said, her voice somber.

Kane zoomed off, opting not to turn on his sirens or lights. That was like an open invitation for rubberneckers, and the last thing he needed. The people who made a hobby of listening in on the police radio were bad enough, but he usually had a head start on them, which was a good thing just then. Had someone been shooting at wolves or werewolves? Until he made the distinction, the fewer witnesses, the better.

Chapter Three

Just to be thorough, he passed Java Jump on his way out to Route Nine. Slowing his cruiser, he scanned the parking lot, checking for any sign of Charlotte or the men who'd had her in such a panic. To his surprise, the little green hatchback he knew she drove was still parked out front. Kane frowned. Charlotte said she was going home, which meant she should've been long gone by now.

Concerned, he stopped his cruiser and took a closer look. Her car sat, silent and empty, and peering through the café’s big windows, he didn’t see her inside, either. Aside from a bored cashier, the café was empty, too.

Where had Charlotte gone? Kane pulled into a parking spot and stepped out of his cruiser, discreetly sniffing the air, hoping to catch her scent. He recalled well the way she’d smelled like caramel and flowers. Thinking he caught a whiff of her, he walked to the side of the parking lot, where a line of bushes separated Java Jump from its neighbor, a high end art gallery.

"Damn," he swore under his breath as he picked a strip of pink fabric out of the bushes. A piece of Charlotte's shirt. He found her purse tucked well under a bush, visible only because of the way the sunlight caused the metal clasp to gleam. Her clothes must have been a lost cause, but she’d tried to save her purse. Taking it with him, he returned to the cruiser and headed for Route Nine at full speed.

Something had made her shift, and he feared that whatever it was put her life at risk.

***

On a desolate, empty stretch of road, he spotted a battered Ford pickup on the side of the road, its hazards blinking. The two men emerging from the brush that ran along the side of the road, guns in hand, caused Kane to slam on the brakes.

The men holstered their guns the second they saw him. Parking his cruiser behind their truck, Kane stepped out of his car, keeping the door between his body and the men just to be on the safe side.

"Morning, officer," said a man with blond hair. He didn’t raise his hands, but he did hold them palm up and away from his body, the gesture showing he was unarmed.

Kane tipped his hat in greeting. "You boys been firing your guns?"

The two men exchanged looks before shrugging in unison.

"Care to tell me what you were shooting at?" Taking in their construction crew gear, he added, "You should be at work by now, right? What made you stop and go hunting?"

The dark-haired guy looked sheepish. "We saw a wolf."

Kane gave them a blank look intended to prompt them to explain further. He’d perfected it over the years, and it never failed to keep a suspect talking.

"Fuckers are keeping us up at night with all their damned howling." The blond man spat on the ground. "It’s time to thin out the pack."

"Did you hit it?" Kane asked, his stomach clenching at the idea of a bullet tearing into Charlotte. A booming growl from his wolf filled his mind, throbbing like a bass drum.

The blond shrugged. "Maybe. It yelped."

Kane worked to contain his anger. His wolf continued to growl deep in his chest. Thankfully, the sound was mostly in his own head.

Through a clenched jaw, he said, "Hunting season is for deer, not wolves, boys, and you’re discharging weapons in Glen Vine’s city limits. For future reference, that’s against the law." Kane gestured to the men. "Take out your weapons and put them on the ground, nice and slow. I’m going to have to take you both in."

The dark haired one groaned at that, but followed Kane’s orders and set his gun on the ground. The blond stared at Kane, his expression hostile. When his gaze darted over to the trees, Kane said, "You could cut and run, but I would find you, and you’d be in even more trouble than you already are." He softened his voice, wanting to sound friendly, even though the wolf inside him would happily tear both men apart. "Look, just come in with me, we’ll get all the paperwork done and you’ll be on your way in no time."

After thinking it over for a few seconds, the blond grudgingly put his gun down on the berm.

Kane smiled at them. "Thank you. Now kindly walk over here and put your hands on the cruiser’s hood."

They shuffled over, walking slower and slower as they neared Kane’s vehicle. Eventually, they reached the cruiser and bent over, hands on the hood. Kane zip-tied their hands behind them and escorted them, one by one, to the back seat of the cruiser.

Removing the keys from the ignition and making sure the car was locked up tight, Kane said, "I’m going to go look for that wolf you saw. Sit tight."

He didn’t wait for a response and made for the woods, feeling an increasing sense of urgency to find Charlotte and make sure she was okay.

Chapter Four

Charlotte hunkered down under a bush, trembling with fear and adrenaline. Pain screamed in her leg, shooting up into her spine and raising her hackles. She’d reached her car just as the two construction workers came out of Java Jump, still talking about killing wolves. Feeling more stable after her run-in with Kane, she had tried to breathe through her emotions and not listen to what the men were saying. Her wolf had been there, but pacing quietly through her blood, not riled to the point of jumping through. At least, not yet.

Then they caught sight of her, and everything went horribly wrong.

"Hey, sweet cheeks," the blond said. "I’m Dylan, and you look lonely."

"Dylan," said his friend, with an expression of disapproval. "We got to get to work, man."

"Shut it, Stan." Dylan held up a hand. "We live in a small town, and there aren't that many pretty girls around. If I pass her up now, who knows when I’ll see her again? Maybe never." Dylan shook his head. "No, I need to get her number now."

And then he’d sidled up to her, his tar scent fuming in the air. Charlotte had taken a step back, but he'd just followed, eyes fixed on her chest. "Give me your number, baby, and I’ll make you a happy woman."

"Never going to happen," Charlotte said through clenched teeth. Revulsion crawled up and down her spine.

Dylan crowded her, cornering her against her car, boxing her in with his arms. "Come on, darlin'. I'm the kind of man who appreciates a big woman like you. I bet you don't meet too many guys like me." He bit his lip as his eyes practically fell out of his head to land in her cleavage.

"Oh, spare me," Charlotte snapped, disgusted. Guys who thought she was desperate because of her weight made her skin crawl. She might be big, she wasn't ugly. Finding a date wasn't the problem; finding the one was.

She moved to turn away from him, but he grabbed her arm and held her in place. "Hey, now. I’m a good person to know here in Glen Vine. How is it we haven’t met?"

"Just lucky, I guess." Charlotte licked her lips as her eyes locked on the pulse jumping in his throat. Her teeth lengthened in her mouth. Her wolf was dying to rip the guy’s throat out. It wanted to shred its way through her flesh and then feast on this asshole until he was just a smear of blood on the concrete.

Charlotte tried to talk her wolf down, but animal instinct had taken over. Dylan was a threat, and threats must be dealt with. She’d reached the point of no return; a shift was imminent.

Clamping a hand over her mouth to hide her wolf teeth, Charlotte did the only thing that made sense to her panic-stricken brain, she slammed her knee straight up into Dylan’s groin. He dropped to the ground, hands clutching his crotch, howling in pain.

Stan came rushing over, eyes flashing with anger. "You bitch. I’ll teach you to do that to a man." He reached for her, but she was ready. With a quick thrust of her arm, she swung her purse up and clobbered him in the head. Stan staggered at the impact, but kept coming, his hands finding her neck.

Hair sprouted up and down her arms, legs, and back, making her itch between her shoulder blades. Her wolf was running to the rescue. Terrified they would see her shift, she head butted Stan with all her strength. For good measure, she nailed his crotch too, and then she ran behind some bushes.

Already she’d lost part of her humanity, her spine lengthening and stretching her shirt to its breaking point. The fabric ripped, splitting down her back. She had just enough time to shove her purse deep under one of the bushes before her human body disappeared, consumed entirely by the wolf that now lived inside her. Desperate to get away before anyone saw her, she raced off.

Thankfully, no one spotted her. Even if they had, she was moving so fast she was nothing more than a blur, a streak of darkness no one could identify in the split second it took her to run past them. Humans were stupid slow compared to wolves. Usually she hated it because she had to remind herself to slow down and look human all the time. Just then, though, she was grateful for the preternatural speed.

The business district of Glen Vine quickly gave way to tree-lined roads edged with sparkling blue lakes. Charlotte burrowed into the shadows of a tall pine and worked to catch her breath. She took stock of her situation as she recovered.

She’d have to go back for her purse, but not before she got her wolf under control. Maybe she’d call Tao to go back into town with her. His presence always steadied her wolf, much like Kane had earlier. Besides, she didn’t want to run into Dylan and Stan without back-up.

Decision made, she allowed herself to relax a fraction of an inch. The late fall air smelled heavenly and she inhaled the sweet dustiness of dried leaves along with the scent of water the wind always carried. There were so many lakes in the area that, even though she'd grown up in Glen Vine, Charlotte still hadn’t visited them all. She trotted along, sticking close to the trees running parallel to the road. The occasional car zoomed by, but no one saw her. For one, she blended in fairly well, especially given the dappled shadows the trees cast. Two, no one expected to see a wolf.

But then a car slowed behind her. She didn’t think anything of it at first. Even though tourist season was over, people still sometimes drove through to catch the autumn foliage. They often stopped to take photos, so it wasn’t unusual for a car to pull off to the side of the road.

A horn honked and she startled, but kept walking. It honked again. Car doors opened and closed which caused her to finally glance over her shoulder. What she saw made her heart sink: a battered pick-up truck carrying two men—one blond, the other brunette.

Dylan and Stan.

Just her luck, the road that led to her house would also be the same road Dylan and Stan traveled to work. She should’ve anticipated this. There were only two major roads in the area, and they both led to Traverse City. They hadn’t seen her shift, she was sure of it, or seen what direction she’d run off, so their presence had to be bad timing.

Huffing the werewolf version of swear words under her breath, she darted into the trees, but not before the men squeezed off a few shots. Bullets whined in the air, thudding as they hit trees or burrowed into the ground. Charlotte stretched her body to its limit, pushing hard with her hind legs to increase her speed, but it was too late.

Humans might be slow compared to wolves, but bullets could keep up once the trigger was pulled.

Chapter Five

Kane picked his way through the trees, nostrils flaring as he searched for Charlotte’s scent. "Charlotte, you out here?" he called, only to be answered by silence.

The metallic tang of blood hit his nose and he followed it to an overgrown bush. Recognizing Charlotte’s scent, he kneeled down, peering under the bush. "Charlotte, are you there?"

A soft whine answered him.

"Are you okay?"

She yowled.

"I’ll take that as a no." He wished he could see her. Wolves, he’d learned, relied more on body language than vocals. "I caught the men. They’re in the back of the cruiser. It’s safe to come out."

The underbrush rustled as she stepped out of her hiding spot. Kane sucked in his breath at the blood staining her coat.

"Let me look at it." He leaned down and inspected the wound. "I don’t think the bullet is in there. Looks like a bad graze to me." Straightening, he looked through the woods. "We’re not that far from your house. I can carry you if you want."

Charlotte gave him a dirty look and gamely tried to walk on just three legs. Unable to keep her balance, she set down her injured leg. With a yelp she instantly brought it back up again, tucking it as high up as she could. That caused her to lose her balance completely, and she fell over.

Kane carefully looked away, knowing if she caught him watching, she would be angry. The key to avoiding conflict as a werewolf was to pretend not to see anything. Tao had given him that tip, telling Kane he was staring too much, which wolves marked as aggression. Apparently, he’d made Leo, Tao’s brother, want to punch him.

"Just let me carry you, Char. Better to treat your wound at your house than out here." He lifted both his hands to show they were empty. "I don’t have a first aid kit with me, and those two yahoos who shot you are in my cruiser. We don’t want them to see anything they don’t have to, right?"

Charlotte bowed her head and gave a half-hearted growl. Kane took that as assent and quickly hoisted her up in his arms, grateful for the super strength that came with being a werewolf.

Her house wasn’t too far, maybe a couple hundred feet, and they were in her front yard within moments. Kane didn’t feel any strain from Charlotte’s weight. She felt no heavier than a gallon of milk to his muscles. Setting her down on the porch, he asked, "You have a key hidden out here?"

Charlotte pointed her muzzle toward a flower pot to the side of the front door. Lifting it up, Kane spotted the brass house key underneath. He opened the door, standing aside to let Charlotte go ahead of him. She shuffled into the house, her gait awkward. The smooth wood floor of the house’s foyer did her no favors either. Her nails scrabbled on the floor as she lost her balance yet again.

Kane lunged for her, catching her before she could wipe out. Once she was steady, he let her go. "You okay?"

She huffed at him, her ears back as she slowly made her way forward. Without warning, the smooth floor tripped her up again and before Kane could catch her, she went down with a thud. To his surprise, her body began to shift then. Hair receded and her body became longer as it returned to its human shape.

The first thing Kane noticed was Charlotte’s soft curves. She was lush as a tropical wildflower, her skin radiant and smooth. Her heavy breasts would spill over his palms.

The second thing Kane noticed was she’d caught him staring.

"Damn it, Kane. Stop looking at me like that." She attempted to cover her generous cleavage with one hand, but it was more than even she could handle.

"Sorry," he mumbled directing his gaze to the cathedral ceiling of the foyer. He felt like a heel. Here she was hurt, and he’d ogled her like she was fresh meat, but damn it, she was a beauty.

Somewhere in the house, something whined. Kane cocked his head to the side, listening. "What's that?"

"My dog. He's shut in the laundry room so he doesn't eat the furniture when no one's home." She pointed down the hall. "Can you get me the blanket on the couch in the living room?" she asked, her voice a pained gasp.

He rushed past her to do as she asked. The blanket in question was a fleece no-sew deal, and Kane had a vague memory that her mother made them. Or at least she’d donated one to a fundraiser for the station. Handing the blanket to Charlotte, he once again studied the ceiling.

"Where’s your first aid kit?" he asked.

"I’ll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Like you said, the bullet isn’t in there. I’m already healing. Look."

He risked peeking down at Charlotte and found she’d covered herself with the blanket. Lifting up a corner, she showed him the top of her thigh. The wound looked much less serious now and seemed smaller than he remembered; although how size changed from one form to the other he wasn’t sure.

"Let me disinfect it at least."

"I can do it," she said, yanking the blanket back over her thigh. She struggled to her feet, balancing on one foot. "Ow."

"What is it?" He offered his arm and she accepted, steadying herself against him.

"I think I twisted my ankle."

"Here, let’s get you to the couch." Kane guided her from the foyer in the large living room.

"This is fine," Charlotte said, indicating a small leather love-seat. She collapsed into it with a sigh.

"Listen, I really think you should disinfect this," Kane said.

She gave him an annoyed look. "I told you. I’m healing already."

"I saw that, but I would prefer to be sure you’re not going to end up with a nasty infection. I don’t think super healing means we’re immune to everything."

"Fine. There’s a first aid kit in the kitchen under the sink."

Kane nodded and went off to find the kit. Grabbing the white plastic case, he returned to where she sat. She tried to take it from him, but he deftly avoided her hand. "Let me do it, Char. I’ve had some medic training."

"I can take care of myself." She crossed her arms and glared at him.

"I know, but let me do this for you. I want to be sure you’re okay." He opened up the antiseptic wipes. "This is going to sting."

Chapter Six

Charlotte hissed as Kane rubbed the wipes up and down her thigh. Damn, did it sting; way worse than the hornets that had gotten her when she was ten. She clenched her teeth and watched Kane as he thoroughly cleaned the wound with the wipes.

"I didn’t know you were a sadist," she said, gritting her teeth.

"Sorry, Char." His dark eyes gleamed with sympathy.

"They fucking shot me," she spat at him. "Is this my life now? I have to watch my back for bullets?"

"They don't know it's you," Kane said, his voice calm and measured. "They think you're a wolf, nothing more."

"That doesn't keep them from killing me or," she waved her hand in the air, "any of us, now does it?"

"They're handcuffed in the backseat of my cruiser. They won't be shooting at anyone any time soon, trust me. You're safe. I promise."

"We'll see. There are too many people like them out here. There'll be someone else stepping up, ready to shoot, if you ask me," she huffed at him. "Are you done yet?" Fighting the urge to kick him, she clenched her hands into fists. Maybe she would sucker punch him instead. Either sounded like a plan. Now that she was a werewolf, she was strong enough to do some damage, too.

"Almost done." He gently slathered on some antibiotic ointment. "What happened back in Glen Vine? I thought you had your wolf under control?"

A low growl rolled up her chest and through her throat, sounding a lot like a really impolite, drawn out burp. "Me, too. But those two idiots cornered me outside and started coming on to me. When they wouldn't back off, my wolf jumped through."

Kane went still and she thought she heard a faint growl from the center of his perfect pecs, but if he was growling, he could control it better than she could. "I wish I'd been there. I would've taken care of them for you."

She shook her head. "The thing is, I can take care of myself. I dealt with them just fine. It was my wolf that caused all the problems. Her, I can't stop."

"Sorry, Char. No one said being a wolf was easy."

"No, they didn't. What 'they,'" she made air quote around the word, " said was that werewolves didn't exist. Guess 'they' don't know jack shit."

"That does appear to be true." He nodded in agreement as he covered her thigh with sterile gauze, securing it in place with the surgical tape in the kit. "There, that should do it."

"Seems like a waste of time to me," she groused. "I’ll be healed by dinnertime."

He shrugged as he put the kit back together and snapped the case shut. "Maybe, but perhaps you won’t have a scar, and you’ll definitely avoid infection."

"I think I’d rather have the scar." The alcohol from the wipes still stung and had gone deep enough into her wound to make her whole thigh throb.

"Suit yourself." He gathered up the antiseptic and gauze wrappers and disappeared into the kitchen. Charlotte couldn’t help but notice his impressive backside and the strength in his stride as he went.

Returning to the living room, Kane said, "I've got your purse in my cruiser. I'll go get it in a sec. Did you want a ride back to your car?"

"No, thanks. Once I heal, I'm going to bike into town." She pointed to the window. "The weather has cleared, and I'd rather not be in the car with those idiots. I might shift in the front seat, you know?"

***

Kane’s phone rang before he could respond to Charlotte. Seeing it was his mom, he dismissed the call, using the feature that would automatically send her a text saying he was in a meeting. The phone fell silent for a moment before ringing again. She’d called him back already.

Knowing she had the time and energy to call him repeatedly from now to eternity, he said, "Sorry. I have to take this." He stepped into the foyer for privacy and with a sigh, answered the phone. "Hey, Mom."

"Is it true?" She was almost squealing, the sound sharp in Kane’s ear.

"Is what true?" The morning’s run-in with Mrs. Harris came to mind. He closed his eyes and silently cursed.

"You’ve found someone! You’re getting married."

Horror filled him at her words. "No, Mom, I’m not. I told Mrs. Harris that, too. Why she won’t listen to me, I don’t know."

"Everything okay?" called out Charlotte. She was leaning forward in the love-seat, craning her neck to look at him in the foyer.

His mom heard her voice. "Is that her? What’s her name? When can I meet her? How serious is it?" The questions poured out of her in rapid succession.

"No, that’s not her. There’s no one to meet," Kane said as patiently as he could.

Charlotte hobbled over to where he stood in the foyer, curiosity bright in her brown eyes. "Are you talking about me?"

Kane shook his head and held up a finger. He had to get his mom off the phone now. The look in Charlotte’s eyes made him nervous. "Listen, I have to go. We’ll talk about this later."

"Why don’t you bring her over for dinner tomorrow night? I’m making your favorite, Cajun bleu burgers."

Kane’s stomach rumbled at that. His mom was a fantastic cook, but he had to be strong and not take the bait. There was no fiancée, and he wouldn’t lead her on. "We’ll see. Work is crazy."

"There’ll be cheesecake for dessert."

Now that just wasn’t fair. His mom’s cheesecake was creamy and thick and almost as good as sex. She also only made it for special occasions, which meant he had it maybe twice a year. Kane kept meaning to learn how to make it for himself, but between work, werewolves, and women he hadn’t found time.

"Luring me with cheesecake? That’s a low blow, Mom."

Charlotte’s eyebrows went up. "Cheesecake? I love cheesecake."

His mom laughed in his ear. "Sweet, delicious cheesecake, creamy as the richest ice cream, is a low blow? You clearly need to get out more, Kane. Try chemo and get back to me."

"You’re right. Sorry," he said feeling guilty. He hadn’t meant to minimize everything his mom had gone through.

"So I’ll see you for dinner tomorrow night. You and your girlfriend." Before he could protest, she hung up.

Kane stared at his phone, flummoxed.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah," he said slowly. "I have a gossip problem though."

Charlotte pulled the blanket tight across her chest. "Oh?" Now able to bear some weight on her ankle, she lurched toward the kitchen. "Come have a snack and tell me about it."

"I should really get back to the cruiser," Kane said, thinking he’d like nothing more than to stay. He wanted way more than a snack, though. The idea of peeling that blanket off Charlotte and throwing her onto the nearest bed kept playing through his mind.

"You have time for some coffee, right? It's not like those two assholes are going anywhere." She called from the kitchen.

Kane shrugged. She was right. Let those two degenerates wait and wonder where he was. Maybe next time they would think twice before they played shoot’em-up with a wolf as the target. And he was going to give them both a very stern talking to about no meaning no. Charlotte should've never had to defend herself. The way they'd cornered her was unacceptable and he would make sure they understood that before he released them back onto the streets of Glen Vine.

"I guess there’s no harm in some coffee." He joined her in the kitchen. Even with a blanket wrapped around her and mud streaking her legs, he found her beautiful.

He was so caught up in her that he missed the dog in the room until it almost tripped him. A yellow lab bumped the back of his knee, causing it to buckle. Kane jumped to the side, quickly regaining his balance. "What the..."

The dog wagged his tail and stared at Kane, his ears upright. He was a pale yellow lab, with fur so white it practically gleamed.

"Who is this?" Kane settled into a chair at the small table in the breakfast nook, and extended his hand to the dog, wanting to make friends.

"His name is Midas. He's friendly, but not too bright." Charlotte plugged in the coffee maker. "If I leave him alone in the house, he eats things. Like door knobs, shoes and the feet of furniture."

Midas sniffed Kane's hand and then took several steps back. Crouching down, he barked at Kane.

Kane frowned. Usually dogs liked him. "Huh. Guess he doesn't like me."

"Eh. Don't take it personally." Charlotte waved a hand as she took a box of coffee filters out of a cabinet. "I think becoming werewolves messed with our scent and it freaks him out. It took him a week to let me pet him again after I first shifted." She took a moment to usher Midas back into the laundry room. Shutting him in she said, "There, this way he won't bother us."

"He's a good looking dog," Kane said, feeling the need to say something nice. He felt bad about causing the dog to be shut away.

"Thanks. He's a sweetie." Charlotte set the coffee to brew and then turned to face Kane. "I’m going to take a quick shower and put on some clothes," she said, gesturing self-consciously to her blanket.

Kane resisted the urge to tell her to just drop the damn thing and let him see her again. He cleared his throat and said, "Sure. I’ll keep an eye on the coffee."

"I'll be back in five minutes." Charlotte disappeared upstairs, her ass swaying under the blanket. He couldn’t look away, the view was tantalizing.

She’s not your type, the little voice in his head said.

Says who? he answered back defiantly.

The little voice wisely fell silent.

Charlotte’s pack and a better choice than some human girl. Kane flexed his thighs thinking he could probably fuck faster and harder than ever now that he had werewolf super strength. He needed a woman who could handle him and Charlotte seemed to fit the bill. His cock twitched in agreement, already long and hard in his pants.

Chapter Seven

Charlotte’s hands shook as she lathered her hair in the shower. Mortification burned through her. Kane had seen her naked and she'd invited him to stay for coffee? What was she thinking? Better to kick him out so she could forget anything had ever happened.

The thing was, he smelled so damn good and looked even better, with his caramel skin and dark eyes. He also felt the closest thing to safe after being shot at by those two idiots from Java Jump.

I don’t want to be alone, Charlotte realized with a start.

That made her mad. She was a werewolf, dammit and strong enough to take on any human. She didn’t need to be afraid. Yet she couldn’t deny she found Kane’s presence reassuring. He’d been helping her all day. First, stopping her shift and then carrying her home. He’d even tended to her wound, which, peeking under her bandage, she noted had completely scabbed over. Soon it would disappear completely.

She would’ve been grateful for her werewolf healing powers if being a werewolf wasn’t the reason she needed them in the first place. This werewolf thing was more dangerous than she’d expected.

With a sigh, she finished her shower and quickly toweled herself dry. Running a comb through her hair, she worked out the snarls and then braided her long locks with nimble fingers. Then, pulling on a pair of jeans, and a t-shirt from her college, she returned to the kitchen.

So he’d seen her naked? So what? Life would go on. They would both get over it.

"What’s this I hear about cheesecake?" she asked as she poured the coffee. She selected her favorite mug, handmade by a local potter. The mug had been one of the first things she’d bought for her kitchen back when she lived in an apartment near her university. She chose a mug from the ‘good’ china for Kane. Hers had swirls of smoky blue glaze, while his was white porcelain with gold on the rim. The handle had a chip, but she couldn’t bear to part with it.

"My mom’s trying to get me to bring my girlfriend to dinner," Kane said, his tone morose.

"What’s the problem?" She handed him his coffee and then retrieved the cream out of the fridge, setting it on the table. Then, rummaging in the pantry, she found a box of shortbread cookies they could share. Grabbing her mug, she settled into the seat across from him, inhaling the steam from her coffee. She’d brewed a pecan cinnamon blend, and the scent was sweet, bitter, and rich, like good coffee should be. Pulling out a cookie, she dunked it in the coffee, swirling it in a circle to make sure it sopped up as much of the brew as possible.

"I don’t have a girlfriend." He reached for the cookies, grabbing two.

Charlotte paused, cookie going still inside her coffee cup. She knew he didn't have long-term relationships, but the idea of no girlfriend at all surprised her. Had he been burned? Even flings could come with a side of psycho mind fuck. She spared a dark thought, full of ill will, for her ex, the one who’d ditched her on a remote beach and left her at the mercy of the crazy-ass werewolf who’d bitten her. He’d said they weren’t on the same page. Forget page. I’m in a different damn book at this point.

With a sigh, she focused back on Kane. "Why does your mom think you have a girlfriend?"

He poured cream into his coffee. "It started this morning when we ran into each other. Mrs. Harris saw us and has decided we’re getting married."

She blinked. "Are you serious?"

Kane nodded. "Yep. I tried to tell her, but she refused to believe me. Worse, she’s also friends with my mom who now wants my girlfriend to come for dinner." He ran a hand through his hair, and frowned. "I tell the truth, but they hear what they want to hear. It's crazy. How am I supposed to fix selective hearing?"

Charlotte couldn't help but be sympathetic to his plight. Kane looked truly upset and she liked that he seemed to care so much about his mom. To her, there was something extra sexy about a man who loved his momma. Wanting to help, she said, "I could talk to Mrs. Harris and tell her we aren’t an item. She was my Sunday school teacher in the third grade and she might listen to me."

"Thanks. That's nice of you, but she’s got it fixed in her mind now and I’ve never seen her change her opinion once it’s set." He finished the last of his coffee. "My mom is going to be so disappointed. That’s what I hate most."

"She’s had a rough year," Charlotte said.

"Yeah, chemo was a bitch."

"How is she feeling these days? I haven’t seen her in a while." Nothing stayed secret for long in Glen Vine and even though Charlotte had been in college at the time, she’d heard about Kane’s mom.

Kane shrugged. "So far, so good. She’s done with all the treatments. The blood work looks good. We’re waiting on another PET scan to get the all clear."

"Well, that’s good news, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it is, but now she’s all about me getting married and having babies. I am never going to hear the end of the gossip Mrs. Harris started."

"Well," Charlotte started slowly, "if it would help, I could pose as your girlfriend."

Kane frowned at her. "How would that help? Isn’t that what I’m trying to avoid? Everyone thinking we’re an item?"

"Hear me out." She held up a hand. "I can pretend to be your girlfriend, and I’ll be the worst girlfriend ever. Your mom will hate me, I swear. When you 'break up,'" she made air quotes as she said the words, "with me, she’ll be thrilled."

He considered the idea, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. "You don’t think that’s dishonest?"

She shrugged. "If you've got a better way to get her to hear to the truth loud and clear, I'm all ears."

"What about your parents?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "What parents? They’re off globetrotting and enjoying their retirement. They’re never home, so they’ll never know. By the time they are back in town, we'll be old news." She leaned over the table and added, "Seriously, I could be the worst girlfriend ever. Can you imagine when Mrs. Harris hears about it? She won't be able to keep her mouth shut, and the whole reason you're single will be all my fault."

Kane chuckled. "I like the way you think, Char. I just don’t know if this is really the best way to go about it." His phone dinged and he looked at the screen, swallowing back a groan when he saw a never-ending line of new texts pop up from his mom.

Does she like green beans?

Or should I make salad?

What does your girlfriend drink?

Don’t forget to tell her to hold the toilet handle down for five seconds or the toilet won’t flush.

What should I wear? What is she wearing?

I could wear that dress I wore to your cousin’s wedding.

I can’t wait to meet her! I’ve dreamed of this day for so long! I was just looking at my wedding pictures today. Such great memories, ones I hope you find.

Do you know where my black pumps are? I can’t find them.

Does your girlfriend like cheesecake?

Oh, and what’s her name? Are we allowed to know her name, or is that a big secret, too?

Kane clapped a hand to his brow and shook his head as his phone continued to ding with incoming texts. His mother was on a roll.

"What is it?"

He held up the phone so she could see. "She’s flipping out."

"Yeah, I can see that." She snatched the phone from his hands and, before he could protest, she was texting with his mom.

"Charlotte," he said, his voice a low, warning growl.

"What?" She looked at him with feigned innocence. "Dude, I’m doing you a solid. You cannot tell this woman no right now. She was looking at her wedding pictures, for goodness sake. Women only do that when they’re depressed. Trust me when I say she’s in a delicate state." Her fingers danced over his phone. "I hate cheesecake, and I only drink cosmopolitans." Looking up, she whispered, "Really, I love your mom’s cheesecake, but for you, I’ll pretend it makes me throw up in my mouth."

"I’m not sure this is such a great idea," Kane said.

Charlotte handed his phone back. "Too late, Sheriff. We’re having dinner with your parents tomorrow night."

"Why?" he asked, his voice a loud bark and his eyes flashing with what she decided was irritation. "Why are you doing this?"

"Look, you told her the truth and she didn't want to hear it. This way she has no choice and she'll get off your back about it. Plus, we’re pack." She patted his hand, hoping to calm him down. "We take care of our own, right? And I like your mom. Let’s not break her heart if we don’t have to."

His piercing gaze pinned her down. "So we lie?"

"We're letting her down easy," Charlotte corrected him. "Lie makes it sound dirty. It's going to be fine, I promise. Just pick me up tomorrow around six, okay?"

Chapter Eight

Kane left Charlotte’s house, his mind buzzing with worry. Things just kept spinning out of control. What if his mom found out? What exactly was Charlotte’s plan? He made a note to get more details from her on that. Some clarification on what she meant by the worst girlfriend in the world would be useful. The last thing his mom needed was a heart attack.

Just as he reached for the door handle on his cruiser, something whined in the air, the sound sharp and high strung. He cocked his head, first listening then wincing as the cause of the sound whipped past his ear and slammed into a tree behind him. The force of the impact shook the bright yellow leaves off their branches. He froze for a second as his mind shifted gears and processed the fact that someone was shooting at him.

That sound had been a bullet.

He dove behind his cruiser, his gaze seeking out the two men he’d cuffed earlier. They were still there, right where he left them. Both men looked at him with wide eyes. Kane motioned for them to get down and they dropped from sight.

Another bullet sang in the air.

Followed by a panicked scream from inside the cruiser.

Kane kneeled and peeked inside, dread filling him as he took in the scene. The one man hadn’t dropped down fast enough, and the last bullet had gone through the rear passenger window and into his head. He slumped against the door, back arched, head at an unnatural angle, eyes wide open, but seeing nothing as blood dribbled down his face.

"Shit," Kane said.

The remaining man pounded on the window. "Let me out! You can’t leave me here like this!"

Kane motioned for the man to take cover and worked to figure out his next step. Could he make it to the driver’s seat without being shot and drive off? Maybe, but that would put him in the direct line of fire without any protection. If he got hit, he wouldn’t be saving anyone.

He shook his head, rejecting the idea. No, that was too risky to be anything but a last resort. Better to try a different tactic, one that allowed both of them to take cover.

"Stay down," he shouted at the man, who was still banging on the window, trying to get his attention. "Don’t look up and don’t peek. Just stay down. The doors will protect you better than anything else can." The man inside went still and then nodded at Kane. He sank down and out of sight.

Moving back to the hood end of the car, Kane said as loud as he could, "I’m Sheriff Martin. Drop your weapon and come out with your hands up." Silence answered him, so he tried again. "No one has to get hurt."

A bullet was the only response. Kane frowned and pulled his revolver. Peering over the hood of his cruiser, he scanned the thin band of woods across the street, hoping to spot the shooter. Based on the trajectory of the bullets, he had a general idea where they were, what he didn’t know was why they were shooting at him.

Or, maybe, it wasn’t him the shooter was after. Maybe this had nothing to do with him at all. Kane glanced at the back-seat of his cruiser. What if the two men he’d taken into custody were in some kind of trouble? Was that why one of them had already been shot? Was this a professional hit of some kind?

Another bullet came toward him, this one closer than the others. It skidded across the hood of the cruiser and he ducked out of the way, watching as the bullet fell harmlessly to the ground and landed next to his shoe. He picked it up and frowned at the warm bullet. The metal was bright, similar to chrome, instead of the usual brassy yellow. Strange. Slipping it into his pocket, he focused back on locating the shooter.

But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t see anyone and bullets kept coming at regular intervals. Out of patience, Kane fired a shot…which promptly lost itself in a pine tree.  With no clear target, his aim was off.

A car whizzed past, oblivious to the shootout in process. Looking down the road, Kane spotted a semi with two trailers headed his way. Clearing his throat, he yelled, "This is your last warning. Surrender now, or I will shoot to kill."

The sound of harsh laughter filled the air. "Stupid wolf. There is no surrender. Only death."

Kane ducked down low as a succession of bullets was launched toward him. "What do you mean wolf?" Did this have something to do with being a werewolf?

"Your kind must die. All of you. I’m the hand of right, the heart of justice, and the blood of the pure."

"What the hell?" Kane muttered to himself. The guy sounded like a racial purity wing nut, one who knew about werewolves. The realization sent a chill up Kane's spine.

The semi reached them then, lumbering past with a roar and blocking the shooter. Kane took advantage of the lull and pulled out his phone, reaching out to the only person he knew could help: Tao. The big alpha and his two brothers had stayed in Glen Vine to help the people who’d been bitten. Partly, Kane felt, to absolve them of the fact that their fourth brother had been the one who'd done the biting. They had other reasons to stick around, too. From what he’d been told and overheard, the brothers hadn’t exactly been wanted in their own pack. They needed a new home, and Glen Vine needed some experienced werewolves to show the new ones the way forward.

As a bonus, Tao and his brother Leo were crazy strong. And Kai, the third brother, had some kind of magic mojo thing that could be useful. Or so Kane had heard. He would prefer to believe magic didn’t exist, that deductive reasoning made the world go round, but now that he turned furry and howled at the moon on a regular basis, he had to accept there was more to the world than science and cold, hard facts.

Fingers flying over his phone, he sent a quick text to Tao. If anyone would know what to do it would be him. Failing that, he could call in the shooting and get some back-up, but his instincts said the less humans involved the better on this one.

His phone vibrated with a response from Tao.

Where are you?

Kane texted back his location. What do I do?

I’ll be there in a second. Sit tight.

The semi was gone now, leaving the cruiser wide open. The shooter didn’t waste time slinging more bullets. "Come on, wolf. Let’s make it a clean kill."

Kane pressed against the cold metal of his cruiser and tried to think. Crawling forward, he peeked around the bumper, figuring the shooter would be watching the hood. Nothing. He saw nothing but woods and brush. Where the hell was the shooter?

As if in answer to his question, something moved in the shadows across the street and a man stepped forward. Tall and broad, he wore camo gear with a sash of bullets over his chest. He held a rifle in his hands, and his gaze was fixed on the police cruiser.

He whistled. "Here, wolfie, wolfie."

Kane grimaced at his attacker’s sneering contempt and scooted back to the passenger door, which gave him more cover.

"I’m not alone," he called out, hoping to stall the man. He checked his phone, looking for evidence that his words were true, but Tao hadn’t sent any new texts.

The shooter snorted. "You mean those two humans in your back-seat? You already tied them up for me. What are they going to do?"

"I wasn’t talking about them." Kane wiped sweat from his brow and looked at his phone again. Still no messages. Where was he? Hoping to stall things, he yelled out, "And besides, I’m armed, and now you’re out in the open." Not willing to risk his head, he put his gun up and let loose one shot. Unfortunately, even his keen senses weren’t able to do much blind. The bullet went wide.

"How many bullets you got left, Sheriff? How many extra clips do you carry? By my count you’re on your last clip and only have a few more bullets before you’re out. Feel free to keep wasting them. It makes my job easier."

"Job? This is a job for you?"

"Of a kind. Some would say it’s a calling." Boots scuffed on the ground, sending little bits of gravel skittering across the road.

"Don’t come any closer," Kane said, infusing his voice with as much authority as he could muster. "I will shoot you."

"You can try, Sheriff, but you’ll miss because you can’t risk exposing your head to get a visual on me. I’ve got my rifle trained on your cruiser and I’m just as fast as your wolf is."

Kane looked at the brush in front of him and considered running for it, but that would mean leaving the men in the cruiser behind. Spotting the side mirror, he grabbed it and pulled with all his strength. The metal groaned and bent before finally snapping free. He then raised his hand up, flashing his gun over the hood and causing the shooter to take a shot. As fast as the man had boasted he was, Kane had no problem evading the bullet.

Mirror in one hand, gun in the other, Kane army-crawled to the back end of the cruiser. Raising up the mirror, he tried to get a look at the shooter, but all he could see was the man’s elbow and a bit of his thigh. The angle wasn’t right, and he saw more of the cruiser’s back window than anything else. Ducking down, he looked under the car, thinking to target the shooter’s feet, but his boots lined up with the cruiser’s front tire. Kane didn’t have a shot.

Damn it. Where’s Tao?

Kane slumped back on the ground and then made a quick decision. Cocking back his arm, he heaved the mirror into the woods, wanting to make it appear as if he’d made a run for it. While that drew the shooter’s attention, he jumped to his feet and took aim with his gun.

The shooter saw him, though, and raised his rifle at the same pace as Kane’s. They both shot. Kane’s bullet flew past the shooter’s shoulder, while the shooter’s bullet hit the passenger window. Again.

"Oh no," Kane groaned softly. Sure enough, when he ducked to avoid the shooter’s next shot, he caught sight of another bloody head with empty eyes and the neck at an odd angle. The other man hadn’t stayed down and had paid the price for it. Damn it.

"Why are you killing them?" he shouted, angry, not just at the shooter, but at his own inability to protect them. "They’ve done nothing to you."

"They were interfering with my hunt, trying to take my kill from me." There was a click as the shooter reloaded his gun. "And they made good target practice."

Anger pushed Kane to act. Jumping up, he aimed for the shooter once again, determined not to miss, but before he could take the shot, a large, moving blur rammed into the man, throwing him to the ground. Kane blinked until his eyes could make sense of the action.

The blur was Tao.

Chapter Nine

The men tumbled to the ground, striking each other with fists. The rifle lay abandoned on the street. Kane ran out and grabbed it, figuring Tao could hold his own against pretty much anyone. He popped the trunk and dropped the weapon inside for safekeeping.

When Kane shut the trunk, he found another blur had joined the fray. This one he recognized as Leo because of the long blond hair. Within seconds, the two brothers had the shooter subdued, pinning him to the concrete. He didn’t stop struggling though, and finally, Leo just hauled off and punched him in the face, rendering the man unconscious.

Tao looked to Kane. "You okay?"

Kane nodded. "Yeah. Who the hell is this guy?" Lowering his voice, he said, "He knew I was a wolf."

"He did?" Tao asked.

Everyone looked down at the shooter. Tao and Leo cocked their heads at the same time.

"Huh." Tao nudged the shooter with his toe, but that didn’t provide any answers.

"Weird," Leo said. "Do you think…" He gave his brother a meaningful look.

Tao shook his head. "How would they know about us? Find us? Glen Vine isn’t a pack town. It’s not teeming with shifters."

"Who’s they?" Kane asked, but no one answered him as Kai arrived, driving Tao’s big, extended cab pickup.

He pulled over to the berm and parked the vehicle. Jumping out he brushed his long dark hair out of his face and said, "I see things are going according to plan. The wind told me we were favored today."

"The wind talks to you?" Kane asked.

Kai nodded. "It talks to you, too, but you don’t listen." Walking over to where the shooter lay unconscious on the ground, he bent down and studied the man. "Bad energy here," he said, waving his hand over the man’s body. "His kind definitely needs to go."

"He’s a kind? What kind?" Tao squatted down next to the shooter and stared at the man. He looked like any other human. There were no tattoos that might denote a gang affiliation. Nothing except a regular guy who had, for some reason, been hell bent on murder.

"A hunter," Kai said as if that explained everything.

"You really think so?" Tao asked. He came over and sniffed the air around the shooter. "He doesn’t smell like one."

"He attacks like one," Leo said. "He was obviously targeting Kane."

"What happened?" Tao asked Kane, his voice calm and steady.

Kane ran his hand through his hair, flustered. "I don’t know."

"Start at the beginning," advised Kai with an encouraging nod. He had a mess of eagle feathers and sticks in his hair, which made him look like he’d been rolling around in birds’ nests. The guy was a bit of a kook, but he made sense...sometimes.

Kane nodded. "Yeah. Okay. Charlotte ran into those two guys at Java Jump." He jerked his thumb toward his cruiser, where Dylan and Stan were slumped over and still. "They were talking about hunting wolves and had her all upset."

"Did they hurt her?" Leo’s hands clenched into fists.

"No, but something happened at Java Jump, and she lost control of her wolf and ran. Somehow, they found her and started shooting at her. They grazed her leg."

Tao’s expression grew dark. "Is Charlotte okay?" The three brothers looked at Kane, anxiety stamped on their faces.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Almost good as new." Charlotte emerged from the woods and swept a hand over her body. "Although I keep hearing guns going off everywhere. What the hell is going on out here?"

"We're trying to figure that out," Tao said. "Did you see anyone or anything?"

She shook her head. "Just Kane and the guys who shot me." She looked over to the cruiser and caught sight of the bullet-riddled safety glass. Stepping toward the car, she peered into the backseat, the color slowly draining from her face as she did so. "Oh." Her voice came out small and full of shock. She looked to Kane, who went to her and drew her away from the car.

"It's best not to look," he said. The two men would haunt him for the rest of his life. They should've been safe. He should've been able to protect them, but he'd failed. All because he was a werewolf. Damn. Was being bitten ever going to be a good thing?

"Well, shit." Her eyes wide, she met each of the men's gazes in turn. "Are you guys okay?"

"So far," Tao said. "Kane was just filling us in on what happened." He motioned for the sheriff to continue.

Kane nodded and cleared his throat. "Well, I caught up to them and put them in the cruiser to stew while I looked for Charlotte. I got her home safely, came back out here, and," he waved helplessly at his car, "this happened."

Kai pulled a bullet out of the shooter’s belt and sniffed it. "Smells like silver."

"Silver?" repeated Leo, his golden eyes going wide.

"That’s not good," Tao said, his voice still calm.

"What does this mean?" Kane asked. "What do I put on my report?"

"There won’t be a report." Tao said. "This never happened."

"We don’t need humans mixed up in this," added Kai. "It’s not their business, it’s ours."

"That’s against the law," Kane said. looking at each of his fellow wolves in turn. They didn’t share his legal concerns, though. He could see it on their faces. "I need to arrest him and charge him with murder."

"That will not solve the problem," Kai said, calm in the face of Kane’s agitation. "It will only put more of us in danger."

Kane stood up and stepped away from the brothers. This wasn’t what he'd signed up for. Why was everything a lie when it came to werewolves? First, Charlotte, then his mom, and now this. When did it end?

"We’re past the law, Kane. This has nothing to do with humans," Tao said, his voice remaining slow and even.

"Then explain it to me."

"We’re his prey," Kai said.

A chill went up Kane’s spine. "What the hell does that mean?"

Tao laid a reassuring hand on the sheriff’s shoulder. "What he means is this man is a hunter, and he wants to kill us."

"What is a hunter? You keep using that word like it has a different meaning." Kane looked at the shooter, wondering what his true agenda was.

"There are hunters and hunters. This man is from a group of hunters who know what we are. They’ve sworn to kill us all, " said Leo.

"How did he find us? We didn’t even exist a few months ago." Kane scratched the scar that remained from the bite that had turned him. Even with his super werewolf powers, the wound had scarred, and sometimes even tingled and itched. Nick had come at him from the shadows. Looking back, it was obvious the wolf had targeted him specifically as there'd been no reason for him to attack. And damned if he hadn’t caught a break since being bitten.

Looking down at the shooter, Kane wondered if something like their current situation was why Nick had come after him. Had he known he would need someone to throw cases and hide evidence? The thought made Kane's stomach hurt.

Tao shrugged. "I don’t know. Hunters seem to have a sixth sense about us. I sometimes wonder if they have their own magic."

"This one isn’t going to be an issue, at least," Leo said, nudging the shooter with his foot.

"If I can’t arrest him or report the shooting, what will happen to him? And what do I do about these two?" Kane pointed to Dylan and Stan. "Not to mention my cruiser is all shot up."

Kai looked at the men, his lips pursed and his eyes dark. "I will deal with them. Don’t worry, Sheriff." He walked over to the cruiser, his gazed locked on both men. He pulled on the door handle and when it didn’t open, he asked, "Can you unlock the car for me?"

Kane clicked the button on his key chain that would unlock the cruiser. "And the hunter?"

Tao ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed. "We’ll have to figure out a way to keep him from bothering us again."

Kai opened the back door of the cruiser and ducked his head inside. Coming back out, he said, "Yep, they’re dead. Smells like silver in there, too."

Tao heaved a big sigh. "Well, let’s clean this mess up." He nodded to Leo, who went to Tao’s truck and pulled out a blue tarp.

"What are you doing?" Kane asked.

"Whatever we do, we keep humans out of this, and that means no dead bodies." Tao helped Leo spread out the tarp, and the two brothers quickly moved the bodies out of the cruiser and onto the blue plastic. Working together, they rolled them up tight and then carried them over to the back of Tao’s pick-up.

"People are still going to see the bullet holes," Kane protested. "And those men deserve a decent burial."

"I’ll take care of it," Kai said. Raising his arm, he punched his fist through the back passenger window. Shuffling around to the other side of the cruiser, he did the same on that side. With a nod to Kane, he said, "See? No bullet holes now."

Kane just gaped at the man, at a loss for words. Jagged cubes of safety glass covered the ground, and his cruiser looked ready for the junkyard.

"Easy, Sheriff," Tao said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Kai's right. The less humans know, the better."

"My cruiser," Kane growled. "It's ruined." He'd scrimped and saved for five years to save enough in his budget to buy the thing. It was only a year old and far too young to have so many bullet holes.

"It's fixable," Leo said, his smile encouraging. "It'll be good as new after a few days in the body shop."

Kane looked at the three brothers, his eyes wide. "And what do I tell everyone at the station? My cruiser’s trashed, and their truck is stranded? What do I say?" Kane could just see it now. Someone would find out the truth and he would lose his job. He’d never had to lie before. Now everything depended on it.

"Tell them you took the men into custody, which is true, right? And you also went into the woods to see if they’d really hit a wolf, which is also true," Tao said.

Kane nodded, relaxing a fraction.

"When you came out, someone shot at you, took the men and ran. That’s all you know." Tao laid a hand on Kane’s shoulder. "That’s all you need to say."

"Let the humans run in circles trying to figure it out. It’ll keep them busy and not seeing anything important," said Kai.

"They’ll be found, eventually, but not here. Out of town somewhere. We’ll figure something out so they can get back to their families. This is just a stop-gap while we deal with the hunter." Tao looked at the men’s truck and frowned. "I don’t want to leave that here. Kai, go see if the keys are in the ignition."

Kai ambled toward the truck and gave a thumbs-up. "The keys are there."

"Good," Tao said. "We don’t have to dig through dead men's pockets for them." He nodded to Kai. "Okay, here’s the plan. Kai, you take the truck out, far away somewhere and ditch it. Wolf it back home."

"Got it," Kai said.

"Leo and I will take the hunter and stash the bodies somewhere until it’s safe for them to be found," Tao said.

Kane just blinked. He was a cop. Police procedure was everything, and this whole thing was now so far off the books it was in outer space. "Well, if we don’t want any more witnesses, I suggest we get moving. We can’t leave people lying in the road without raising questions." Kane looked down each end of the road. So far, it was empty, which was a small blessing, but one he knew they couldn’t count on. "And someone probably heard the shots and called them in. I might not be the only cop here for long."

"Yeah," Charlotte said with a nod of agreement. "That’s why I came out. I heard all the gunfire. I can’t be the only one."

"Well, then, let's not waste time," Leo said. He bent down and grabbed the hunter by the armpits, hauling him up to his knees so he could drag him over to Tao's truck.

Kai sidled up to Kane and, leaning in, the eccentric brother said, "You should really learn to listen to the wind."

"Why? What did it say about me?" Kane asked, humoring him.

"Fate is stirring inside your soul." Kai whirled a finger in the air.

"Did it say anything about the shooter?"

Kai nodded. "It sang to me this morning that there was a shadow over us."

"And from that you knew this hunter guy was looking for us?" Kane frowned.

"Not until I saw him," Kai said, seeming unaware of how little help the wind had been.

"I don’t get it," Kane said.

Kai patted the sheriff on the shoulder. "You’re not supposed to. Just listen to me. I’ll keep you out of trouble."

Chapter Ten

As it turned out, Kai couldn't keep any of them out of trouble, no matter how many promises he made. A shout from Tao caused them to both turn. Kane’s stomach clenched at what he saw. The shooter had woken up and caught everyone unaware. He battled both Tao and Leo, his fists moving so fast they were a blur. It was way faster than any human should be able to move, and recalling what Tao had said, Kane realized the shooter may not be a shifter, but he was more than human.

Pulling his gun, Kane yelled out, "Freeze or I’ll shoot!" To Charlotte, he said, "Get behind the cruiser."

She shook her head and stayed where she was. "I’m a wolf, too, remember? Super strong and everything. I don’t need to hide."

"She’s right," Kai said.

Meanwhile, the shooter had ducked behind Tao, slamming his fists into the big man’s kidneys. Leo came up behind the shooter and did his best to knock the man out with another punch to the head, but he seemed to sense the hit coming and twisted away just before it connected with his temple. Everyone was so intertwined and moving so fast that Kane didn't dare pull the trigger. All he could do was watch and hope for an opening.

The shooter then came back with an upper cut that Leo tried to dodge, but he was too late and the shooter's fist slammed into his chin. His head snapped back, his blond hair swinging with the force of the hit. Leo staggered back a few steps and then fell, unable to hold his ground.

The shooter returned his attention to Tao, who had spun around to face him. They grappled and, for a long moment, were evenly matched, but Tao’s strength began to prevail. With a roar, the big alpha grabbed the shooter’s shirt and lifted him up until his feet were dangling in the air.

That turned out to be a mistake because it just allowed the shooter to kick at Tao’s stomach and chest. His feet slammed into Tao's gut, forcing the air from the big alpha's lungs. With a grunt, Tao dropped the man, pouncing on top of him and doing his best to bang the shooter’s head against the pavement. The sound of groans and expletives filled the air as they grappled with each other. Kane kept his gun at the ready, looking for a clear shot, but not finding one.

"Aren’t you going to help?" he asked Kai, thinking one more brother might tip the fight in their favor.

Kai shook his head. "It’s pointless."

"We should do something," Charlotte said. She stepped forward, only to have Kai draw her back.

"She’s right. We can’t let him get away," Kane said, not liking that once again he was stuck in an out-of-control situation. He was torn between ditching his gun and jumping into the fray, and staying where he was. Weapons were an upper hand in most fights. Even if a shot hadn’t presented itself just yet, it would eventually. He’d broken up enough fights and busted enough gang members to know that.

"Save your energy." Kai put an arm out, pushing Kane back as well. "He’s going to get away."

"What?"

Kai shrugged. "It’s not his time."

"Did the wind tell you that, too?" Kane squinted, trying to follow the action.

Kai didn’t answer because Tao and Leo began shouting and yowling. The sound was sudden and full of pain. Something bad had happened. Kane started forward and then stopped short as he realized why the two brothers were screaming.

The shooter had stabbed them with knives. He’d nailed them right above their knee-caps with inhuman precision, causing both men to drop to the ground.

Kai darted past Kane then, heading for the shooter, a growl springing from his lips. There was a split second where Kane had a shot, and then Kai was in the way, launching himself on the shooter.

"Damn it," Kane muttered to himself. Kai was shifter strong, but not as strong as his brothers and nowhere near a match for the shooter. Kane tucked his gun into its holster and rushed over to help however he could.

Tao and Leo had already removed the blades from their knees and cast them aside. Even though they couldn’t stand, they did their best to have Kai’s back. Kane jumped into the mix, swinging his fists with a speed that surprised him. It was the first fight he’d been in since turning into a werewolf, and he found himself miscalculating speed versus target. His blows only hit air until he corrected for his new super speed.

Realizing he was out-numbered, the shooter began edging back, one step at a time. He threw Kai to the ground and moved away. Tao and Leo kept after him, dragging their bad legs behind them. Just then, Kane was the only one who could keep up. He managed to land a punch in the shooter’s stomach and a glancing blow to his face, but the full force of his strength couldn’t keep up with the shooter’s retreat. Every time his fist connected, the shooter was already on his way out.

"You’re under arrest," Kane said.

The shooter shook his head. "This isn’t about human law, wolf."

Kane pulled his gun and steadied it over his other arm, wanting to be sure his shot would find its target. "Stop now or I’ll shoot." He never wanted to hurt anyone, but this asshole was begging for it. Plus, the paperwork would be easier than the testimony.

"Then do it," roared the shooter. He charged Kane, and before the sheriff could react, he was too close. The man grabbed Kane’s shirt and then rammed him with a head-butt that left him reeling. He staggered back and fell, clutching his head as he went down. Kane had never experienced such brute force, not even when he’d had to tackle a guy strung out on PCP back in his rookie days.

This was the kind of strength that could kill without a weapon, and it carried a fury that Kane couldn’t fathom. When his vision cleared, Kane staggered to his feet, intent on finding the shooter and finishing this, but he was gone, as if he’d never been there.

"Where the hell did he go?" Kane asked as he turned in a slow circle. "And how did one guy take all four of us on and win?" He went to shake his head, but stopped when his brain started sloshing around in his skull like an overfilled Slurpee cup.

Kai slowly pulled himself to his feet. "Hunters are stronger than I realized."

"Faster, too," Leo said, groaning as he put weight on his injured leg for the first time.

"You think?" Tao growled more than spoke as he examined his knee. "He got his knife right under my patella. I couldn’t even bend my leg."

"Yeah, these were calculated strikes, not just to injure, but to incapacitate." Leo picked up one of the knives in question and examined it. "Smells like silver, too."

"What’s the deal with silver? Is it like the myths?" Kane asked. "Does it kill us?"

"No, silver won’t kill us. It’s a hunter tradition," Leo said. "At least I think that's how it works. Or maybe silver just doesn’t hurt us since we’re wolf born. We've never tested it. It's not like we do experiments on ourselves or anything to find out exactly how different we are from other shifters."

"Well, he got away. What’s the plan now?" Kane headed for his cruiser, wanting something to lean on. The head-butt had been a bell ringer, leaving him unsteady. Although, being a werewolf kept it from being worse than it could be. If he’d been human, he’d probably be in a coma.

Staring into the now empty back-seat, his stomach sank and then clenched into a hard knot. Two men had died. For no reason other than he was a werewolf.

It's all my fault.

He felt a tremble shake its way through him. Anger quaked inside him and his blood felt hot as lava. Nick had done this. The damn wolf had bitten him and changed him forever. It was Nick's fault.

And yet those men had died on his watch.

I will not let that happen again. He gritted his teeth, full of determination. I won't let being a werewolf ruin everything in my life.

"You go back to the station and do whatever paperwork you need to do. We’ll handle the rest," Tao said, the alpha's deep voice intruded on Kane's thoughts and brought him back to the task at hand. "I want to set up patrols looking for this guy ASAP. Find him before he comes back for us."

"I’ll take Andrew and go through the woods here," offered Leo. "I’ll have him meet me here and we'll track this guy's scent." He pulled out his phone and quickly typed out a text.

"Come to my house after you’re done at work, Sheriff. We’ll gather the pack and pow-wow the next step," Tao said. When Kane didn’t respond right away, he asked, "You okay?"

His head injury somewhat improved, Kane nodded. "Yeah. Are you sure this is the right way to deal with it? You don’t want me to put out an APB and bring this guy in?"

"That puts him in the human system and you saw him fight. He’s more like us than anything else." Tao said with an abrupt shake of his head. "The last thing we need is to draw attention to ourselves and for other packs to find out about us. I know you weren’t there the day my pack alpha tried to kill us, but believe me when I say the other packs will come at us if they find out we exist. Werewolves are supposed to be born, not bitten. Our pack breaks a lot of rules. Somehow we stood out to this hunter. He knew what we were when no one else did. We’ll deal with him quietly and keep humans out of it so they not only stay safe, but don’t cause anyone to look at us twice."

"It’s the moon’s law," Kai said. "Pack protects pack, no matter what."

"It’s really for everyone’s protection," Leo added. "Humans and ours."

"Wolves don’t mess around," Kane said, rubbing his head which throbbed like there were rows of tiny little hammers trying to bang their way free. For once, he couldn't wait for his super fast werewolf healing to kick in. It was the one good thing so far about the whole humans-turned-wolves fiasco.

"No, we don’t. We kill anything that threatens us. That has always been our way." Tao’s expression became even more serious.

"Sounds violent," Kane said. "Are you saying you’re going to kill this guy? Is that what wolves do? Murder people?"

Tao shook his head. "We aren't killers. We don’t bother humans, and they don’t know about us. Other shifters stay away from packs they don’t know well because they know we won’t hesitate to defend ourselves. The problems come from hunters or..." He trailed off.

"Your brother," Kane finished for him.

Tao gave a curt nod. "Or Nick and shifters like him. We aren’t perfect. There have been other shifters who preyed on humans, but we dealt with them."

"You didn't answer my question, though," Kane pressed. "Are you planning to kill this hunter guy?"

Tao fell silent for a moment, his mouth a grim line. "I don't want to kill anyone, but it's not about what you or I want. It's about what keeps the pack safe."

"How often does murder keep a pack safe?" Kane asked, unable to keep his voice from going sour. He knew it wasn't Tao's fault, but that didn't take away the fact they were discussing murder as if it were an everyday thing.

Tao shrugged, his expression guarded. "Maybe twice in my lifetime."

"And the hunters? How often do they pop up?" Charlotte asked, looking just as repulsed by the whole thing as Kane felt.

"That’s harder to say. I’ve heard rumors, but haven’t seen one before. If I add up all the rumors, I come up with five total." Tao flashed his hand to emphasize the count.

"So how do you know this was a hunter?" Charlotte nodded in the direction the man had disappeared.

"The silver bullets and knives." Kai twirled one of the small daggers used to attack his brothers in his hand. "That’s their hallmark."

"And now what do we do?" Charlotte crossed her arms, hugging her body.

"We get him before he gets us." Tao headed toward his truck, Leo following right behind him. Kai went for the human’s truck. "Go make your report and then meet at my house. We’ll have food, and after we eat, we’ll compare notes and figure out our strategy. Then, we'll make this hunter the hunted." With that, the brothers drove off, leaving just Kane and Charlotte to deal with the aftermath that remained.

Chapter Eleven

Charlotte rubbed her arms, trying to quell the goose bumps. Feeling vulnerable, she went over to where Kane stood. "Are we safe out here?"

"Apparently not," Kane said, his voice flat. "You ready to go back to town and get your car?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Then let’s go." He waved her toward the passenger seat of his cruiser.

As Kane drove, Charlotte’s mind processed a jumble of thoughts. Hunters? Seriously? Weren’t wolves supposed to be apex predators? As in, top of the food chain? Now she had to worry about even more people shooting at her pack?

What kind of weirdo hunts werewolves anyway?

Maybe she should leave town, go somewhere no one knew her. If the word was out about Glen Vine, how many more hunters would come for them? And what if there were things worse than hunters? What other weird, twisted magic was out there waiting for her?

She shivered. As a kid, she’d never been able to handle scary movies. Edgar Allen Poe had given her nightmares when she’d been required to read The Telltale Heart for school. Hell, she still slept with the light on in her closet. And now she was being stalked by her own, personal horror movie villain. Great. Just great.

And then there was Kane. He still smelled amazing to her, and she could tell her wolf liked him, too because she had strong urges to yip and show him her belly. So dumb, and not what she was looking for.

I was dumped like garbage, remember? Not looking for a repeat. She crossed her arms and turned her head until she couldn’t see Kane. No, she needed to get her life back on track, which meant controlling her wolf and going back to school. That was it. No dating. No love. No fun extras.

"We’re here," Kane said as he pulled his cruiser into a parking spot. A couple patrol officers were outside having a smoke and did a double-take as they caught sight of the broken windows on his cruiser.

"So I’ll see you later tonight, right? And then tomorrow for dinner at your parents' house?" Charlotte grabbed her purse and opened her door. The patrol officers were coming toward them, curiosity shining in their eyes, and she talked fast so they wouldn’t overhear anything.

"Yeah, I guess."

Charlotte looked back at him, taking in his guarded expression. This confused her a bit. He should be happy; she was fixing his problem. "You don’t sound too excited. I thought you’d be thrilled to get your mom off your back."

Kane shrugged. "It depends on how you define 'girlfriend from Hell.' Are my parents going to need therapy by the time you're done with them? I don't want to make things worse."

"Don’t worry. I won’t take it too far. Promise." She walked off just as one of the patrol officers started to talk to the sheriff. She wasn’t sure how Kane was going to handle things with his job, and she didn’t want anyone asking her questions.

Charlotte hustled out of sight, her purse slung over her shoulder, and headed toward Java Jump to retrieve her car, but Kane’s presence stayed with her. She could smell him, as if part of his essence had transferred to her, and she couldn’t stop thinking about how tall and strapping he looked in his sheriff’s uniform. An image flashed in her mind of sliding her hands up his shirt and feeling those hard pecs for herself.

She slapped a hand to her cheek. "Get a grip," she growled to herself. But damned if it wasn’t difficult to keep Kane out of her mind and nose.

***

Close to dinnertime, Charlotte pulled into the driveway of Audrey’s house. Like her, Audrey had been bitten , but somehow it had worked out better for her than anyone else. She'd become Tao's mate and radiated a palpable happiness.  Since Tao now lived there, too, the ranch house served as the meeting center for all the people Nick had bitten. They'd been gathering almost weekly since being bitten. Sometimes to run and other times to discuss pack business.

Charlotte stepped out of her car, her stomach uneasy. She'd spent the day reading romance novels and trying not to panic or jump at every little sound she heard outside the house. Driving alone made her realize how vulnerable she was. Anyone could take a shot at her at any time. She’d ended up slouching down in her seat and then feeling silly about doing it. Except she wasn’t being paranoid.

Shaking her head, she shut her car door and clicked the button on her remote that would lock the vehicle. She would feel better once she got inside. Four walls offered more safety than a car, and she wouldn’t be alone.

Walking up the driveway to the front door, she scanned all around her, looking for danger. Audrey’s modest ranch was quiet and far from its neighbors. An array of bird feeders and water baths dotted the lawn. In the summer, there’d been wildflowers for the birds, bees, and butterflies, but with winter coming, nothing bloomed save a few lonely marigolds.

She hadn’t known Audrey until she became a werewolf. Charlotte had gone off to college right around the time Audrey moved into town. However, they had quickly become confidantes. Despite the grim circumstances pulling them together, Charlotte was excited to see her friend. She always understood what Charlotte was going through.

Audrey opened the door with a wide smile. "Hey, Char!"

The two women hugged. "You look great," Charlotte said, taking in her friend’s dark indigo jeans topped with a soft grey sweater shot through with something silver and sparkly. Charlotte felt underdressed, having opted to wear her most comfortable jeans, the original blue faded with age, and a cozy fleece hoodie from her college. The only thing she’d bothered with was her hair. She’d plaited it away from her face and then into a single braid down her back. Her ex-boyfriend had called it the 'Elsa braid' and would yank on it until she got annoyed enough to smack his hand away. At that memory, she spared a dark thought for her ex, hoping he was miserable without her.

"Oh, thanks." Audrey smoothed her dark hair away from her face self-consciously. "I never know what to wear to these pack pow-wows, but since I did some early Christmas shopping today, I decided to get into the holiday spirit. Besides, Tao is announcing our engagement tonight." She raised her hand, flashing the diamond ring on her finger. "I figured I should dress up."

"Yay! Congrats again." Charlotte hugged Audrey. She'd been one of the first to know about the engagement, but nothing had been said to the rest of the pack yet. It had been killing her to keep the news mum and not give it away before Audrey and Tao could tell people.

"Thanks," Audrey said with a laugh. "I was hoping you would be one of my bridesmaids?"

"Of course," Charlotte said as a pang went through her. Save for the fact her ex had been an asshole in disguise, she would've been making wedding plans now, too. She was happy for Audrey and Tao, genuinely happy, but it was the kind of happiness that stabbed her in the heart.

Audrey gave Charlotte a squeeze, happiness bubbling through her scent. "Great. We'll go dress shopping in Traverse City. I want to get a hotel and make a weekend of it." Stepping back, she assessed her friend. "You look pretty good, considering the day you’ve had." If she noticed Charlotte's mixed emotions, she was tactful enough not to say anything.

Charlotte shrugged and followed Audrey into the eat-in kitchen, where something yummy simmered on the stove, scenting the air with a homey spiciness that made her mouth water. "I’m just glad to be in one piece. It’s been a hell of a day." She settled on a bar stool at the kitchen island. "All I want is a job and to get to a point where I can go back to school." She gestured to the Great Lakes College logo on her hoodie. "Instead I get shot at like I’m a rabid dog."

Audrey gave her a sympathetic look. "Being a werewolf isn't all fun and fur, is it?"

"At least you're not alone. You have a mate." Charlotte glanced at Audrey's engagement ring, feeling especially sorry for herself. Sure, she wasn’t looking for a relationship, but doing all this werewolf stuff on her own wasn’t easy. She didn’t know the rest of the pack well enough to feel like she could rely on them. Audrey was the only one she really trusted, but they didn’t get much one-on-one time. Audrey worked crazy hours, so Charlotte’s only chance to see her alone was to come to the pow-wows early.

"Yeah, well that’s not exactly easy street. Half the time, I feel like I’m trying to teach a wild animal manners." Audrey laughed and took some bowls out of a cupboard. "Are you hungry? I’ve got chili and cornbread."

"Tofu chili?" Charlotte asked, wary. While she knew from firsthand experience that Audrey was a fantastic cook, the idea of tofu as a food group always gave her pause.

"I’m still a vegetarian, so yep, tofu and bean chili. It’s delish, I promise." Audrey spooned some into a bowl and, topping it with some hot cornbread that she pulled from the oven, she set it all down in front of Charlotte.

"It smells great." Charlotte blew on her spoon, her stomach clamoring for her to hurry up.

"Good chili relies on spices, not meat." Audrey smiled at her. "So Tao told me what went down today. Are you okay?"

Charlotte gave a grim nod. "Yeah. I got shot, but it’s healed already." She set her spoon down. "Did you ever figure that you’d be something hunted and feared when you grew up?"

Audrey shook her head. "Nope. This whole werewolf thing is crazy. Never in a million years did I think this would be my life." She rubbed her hand, the one missing a pinkie. "I’m sorry Nick bit so many people, but I’m also glad I’m not alone, you know?"

"Word."

"I mean, I know I have Tao, but he didn’t come to this like I did. He was never human, and sometimes I think it makes it hard for him to understand what I’m going through. You and I can talk, at least."

"I wish I had a Tao," Charlotte said. Then she blushed. "Sorry, I didn’t mean your Tao, just someone like Tao for me."

"Well, I heard the sheriff came to your rescue today. He just happens to be a single werewolf, right?" Audrey busied herself with cleaning off the kitchen counters and setting up a buffet with the chili and cornbread.

"Single, but not for me," Charlotte said, squashing down the feelings that rose up to the contrary. "But we are going on a date."

Audrey raised an eyebrow. "So how does that work?"

Charlotte explained the whole girlfriend-from-hell scenario she’d cooked up with Kane, feeling somewhat silly about the whole thing. It made so much sense in the moment, but now she wondered if maybe it had been a bad idea.

"Huh," Audrey said, noncommittal as she sliced up apples and laid out caramel dip. "Well, that’s one way to date. Can’t say I recommend it, though."

"You locked me in a cage when we first met," Tao’s bass voice reminded them as the big alpha strode into the kitchen from the connected garage. A black t-shirt stretched over his broad chest and jeans hugged his powerful legs.

"I didn’t know what you were then," Audrey said, slapping his hands away from the apples. "We’re not eating yet."

He managed to filch a handful of apples out from under her. "But she’s eating." He pointed to Charlotte, who ducked her head, not wanting to meet the alpha’s eyes. His power radiated like a hard wind, and if she looked into it too long, she felt like her eyeballs were getting slapped by a hurricane.

"That’s because I know she won’t eat all of it. You could eat a grocery store." Audrey stabbed the air in Tao’s direction with one finger. "And your brothers are the same way, which is why," she paused to grab some index cards from a drawer and wave them at him, "I’m rationing all of you."

"Rationing?" Disbelief rumbled in the big man’s chest. "Like a diet?"

"If I don’t, I’ll be bankrupt from the food bill alone." She wrote something on the index cards. "In fact, I was going to ask you if we could start taking a collection for these meetings." She propped a card that read ‘Two scoops per person’ by the chili, and then moved on to the cornbread.

Charlotte read them as they popped up. Two pieces of cornbread each and five slices of apple with two spoonfuls of caramel. Pretty generous for her appetite, but she knew the men wouldn’t be satisfied. Not if they were hungry, and one thing she’d learned since becoming a wolf was that shifters were always looking for something to eat.

"The alpha feeds his pack, Audrey," Tao said, his voice somber. "If you need money, I’ll get you money, but we don’t ask the pack to pay for it."

"You don’t have a job," Audrey said, irritation pitching her voice high.

He retrieved a beer bottle from the fridge and popped it open with a flick of his thumb. The metal cap sailed up into the, air and he caught it with his other hand and dropped it in the trash. "But I’m not penniless." His gaze flickered over to Charlotte before settling back on his mate. "We’ll talk about this later, okay?"

Audrey nodded. She’d finished the portion size cards and had moved onto setting out a veggie platter. "Yeah, sure."

"I love you, babe." He whispered it against the back of her neck, but Charlotte still heard. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be all right, okay?"

Audrey closed her eyes and leaned into her mate for a second. Then, nodding, she pulled away. "Love you, too, you big wolf."

"That's big, bad wolf to you, babe." He gave a wicked chuckle that caused Audrey to grab a dishtowel and snap it at him.

Tao grabbed the towel and used it to pull her in for a kiss, breaking their lip lock only when there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it," he said, dropping the towel on the counter.

A blush staining her cheeks, Audrey looked at Charlotte. "Sorry about that."

"No need to apologize," Charlotte said. "If someone loved me like Tao loves you, I would be thrilled, not sorry."

Chapter Twelve

Audrey and Tao's house quickly filled up with the various pack members. They were a mixed group: a businessman, banker, doctor, firefighter, two cops, the bookstore owner and Charlotte. They normally wouldn't all socialize together, but Nick's attacks had given them a common thread and a need to gather together to process everything that had happened and all the things that had changed because of it.

Richard, the doctor came in first, trim and fit in jeans and a polo shirt. He nodded to her as he helped himself to a beer. Annie was right on his heels, her t-shirt showing off the broad shoulders and strong biceps her job as a firefighter gave her. She threw a little salute to Charlotte, nodded to Audrey, and then joined Richard in having a beer.

Danielle, a cop who worked with Kane, came in next, still wearing her uniform, her dark hair wrapped in a neat bun and her olive skin smooth enough to make Charlotte surreptitiously feel her own cheek, sure that her pores could hold Niagara Falls. She made a note to ask Danielle about her skin care regimen. The woman had a seriously amazing complexion.

Christine, who ran the bookstore in Glen Vine, trailed in behind Danielle, her glasses perched on her nose and her eyes darting from one end of the room to the other as she took in the scene. Tucking herself into the corner opposite Charlotte, she nodded a hello no one noticed and pulled some knitting out of her purse.

Andrew, a local businessman, and Mike, the bank president at Glen Vine Trust & Loans, came in together, almost matching in their navy suits. Andrew's had a sharper, more expensive cut though, whereas Mike had lost some weight and his suit hung slack on his frame.

Mike greeted everyone with, "Hello, folks," and immediately launched into garrulous chit-chat. Charlotte envied the ease with which he had a kind word for everyone. She always felt awkward at their pack gatherings. Andrew didn't seem comfortable either and acknowledged the room with a brief nod, his expression closed.

Richard handed both men beers. "Welcome to the party," he said with a smile.

"Welcome and party aren't the words I would use," Andrew muttered. He was quiet, but everyone heard him anyway. Charlotte sighed and crossed her arms as the tension in the room pricked her skin.

"You can at least try," said Annie, sounding annoyed. "Being angry doesn't change anything."

"I am trying. This is me trying, right here, right now," he responded, his tone short. "I just haven't found the recipe that makes lemonade out of fur yet."

"Your restaurant opened this week, right?" asked Mike, clapping an arm around Andrew and guiding him to a chair. "I heard your chef almost quit."

Andrew shook his head and snorted, launching into a long diatribe about the trials and tribulations of restaurant management. The tension in the room eased, and Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief. Somehow she'd forgotten how tense these gatherings could be.

Kane came in last, his scent preceding him. He tipped his head to Charlotte and she raised her hand in a wave and then Tao was pulling Kane away, speaking in a low murmur. The sheriff nodded and murmured back as they were joined by Kai and Leo. The four men spoke quietly, their expressions serious until Audrey broke them up.

"Eat first, pow-wow second, gentleman," she said, waving a dish-towel at them. "The food’s hot now."

Tao held up his hands. "Wait, just a second. I have something to say." Drawing Audrey close, he said, "We want everyone to know we're engaged." A big smile filled Audrey's face and she held up her hand, waggling her fingers to show off her ring. A smattering of applause broke out along with several hearty 'Congratulations.' Leo came up to his brother and pulled him into a bear hug while Kai did the same to Audrey.

"Congratulations, brother," Leo said, pounding Tao on the back.

"The pack grows stronger today," Kai said, nodding to Tao.

"We hope you'll all come to the wedding. We can't imagine getting married without all of you there," Audrey said once the celebratory hoopla had settled down a bit. "Now, come eat. I know you're hungry." She waved everyone forward.

Charlotte snagged another bowl of chili and tucked herself into a corner, noticing the women followed the serving suggestions, but the men all cheated. Audrey must have made extra, though, because there was more than enough food to go around.

When the food ran out, she helped clear the dishes and loaded the dishwasher, while Audrey collected the empty beer bottles. Then they had a store bought sheet cake.

Christine took a piece the size of her hand. Smiling, she said, "All these wolf runs burn so many calories I can eat whatever I want these days."

Charlotte shook her head. "It hasn’t worked that way for me." She glanced down at her curves with a small frown. She’d been running just as much as the rest of them, so why couldn’t she face-plant into cake and lose weight, too?

"Eh, I haven’t lost any weight, either," Audrey said with a wave of her hand. "I think genetics are still genetics, no matter how they get rearranged."

"Lucky us," Charlotte murmured as she poked at her small piece of cake with her fork.

"Well, I know I wouldn’t have it any other way," Tao said, pulling Audrey close and nuzzling her neck. "Your curves are awesome, baby."

She giggled and flushed. "Tao! Not in front of the pack."

Tao gave her a smoldering smile, but let her go without protest. Clearing his throat, he said, "We have some other things we need to discuss. First, Kai," he gestured toward his brother, "has found us a pack clearing."

"What’s a pack clearing?" Danielle asked.

Kai stood, waiting until he had everyone’s attention before speaking. "The heart of a pack’s land. It’s where we would gather when we shift to go running. We’d like to build a community lodge there, too, someplace where we can be together without squeezing into someone’s house."

"We'd like to get married there," Tao said. He caught Audrey's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"So where’s this clearing?" asked Richard.

"It’s a hundred acre parcel that is flanked by the national parks," said Kai. He reached into his back jean pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. Unfolding it, he revealed a map with a section circled in red. "We’d have lake and forest access, and with the parks, we wouldn’t have to worry about neighbors."

"And we can build cabins for everyone on the land," added Leo.

Andrew frowned. "I have someplace to live, thanks."

Tao shook his head. "Eventually, you’ll want to be on pack land. We can’t live among humans, it’s not safe. They’ll see us shift or see something they shouldn’t, and then we’re all in trouble. This kind of property gives us privacy."

"We can keep our secrets there," said Kai.

"Do we have a choice, or does everyone have to join the werewolf commune?" Andrew asked. "I didn’t sign on for this. Sure, get together, go for a run, but a secret society? With a housing development? No, thank you."

Tao pinned Andrew with a penetrating gaze. "You’re different now. All of you. The human world can be dangerous. We must have a stronghold that will shield us from the outside world."

"Most packs sequester themselves as far away from humans as possible," said Leo, moving to stand behind his brother, his arms crossed over his chest. He was just as large as Tao, but where Tao was dark, Leo was bright. His blond hair reached his shoulders in unruly curls, and his hazel eyes held more gold than green.

Charlotte stepped forward then. "They’re right." She fell silent as everyone looked at her. Kane came to stand at her side, hand gently touching her shoulder.

"Go on," he said quietly. "Tell them. They need to know."

She nodded and licked her lips, still nervous, but steadied by the sheriff’s support. "I was shot earlier today by humans." Hiking up her shorts, she showed them the faint red streak that remained. "They think we need to be exterminated, and they don’t even know we’re shifters. They just think we’re a pack of wolves."

"And then we," Tao waved at Kane and his brothers, "were shot at by a hunter. One using silver bullets."

"Silver? That’s not standard ammo for a hunter, is it?" Danielle asked, wrinkling her forehead.

"It is for a hunter wanting to take out some werewolves," Tao said. "We’ve been found."

The room fell silent as everyone absorbed that.

"How?" asked more than one pack member at once.

Tao’s mouth thinned into a grim line. "We’re not sure, but my best guess is someone pieced together the truth of the news reports on your bites. That’s the only place where your names were made public. And now they’ve come to town to see it for themselves, and do a little exterminating on the side. We're not alone out here anymore."

"Damn," said Richard. "You mean there are people who hunt us? Like we’re animals?"

Tao nodded. "Yep. They’re rare but deadly. You all need to be extra careful."

"What are we going to do?" Christine’s eyes were wide, and she hugged herself as if looking for comfort. "I’m not happy to be bitten. I don’t want to be a werewolf, but I don’t want to be targeted for assassination either. Are we even safe here?"

The pack looked out the window almost as one as they realized they might be in danger. Andrew, who'd been sitting with his back to the sliding glass door, got up and went to stand under the arched entrance to the dining room.

"Nobody panic. We're safe here," Leo said. "For the moment, at least. I spent all day patrolling the area. He's not anywhere near here. My guess is he's recovering from his wounds. We gave him a good pounding earlier today."

"We’ll find him," Kai said, his gaze distant, as if he was looking at something outside of Audrey’s small dining room. "We’re too strong for him."

"But we still have to be careful. Until we get rid of this hunter, stay human. No shifting. No night runs. And this is all the more reason to build our own stronghold. Who knows when the next hunter will come along?" Tao looked at each member of the pack in turn, the weight of his words palpable.

"We need a place to run, where we can be free," Kane said. "We can’t just run wild anywhere. People notice that, and they do things like hunt us down." He gestured to Charlotte to prove his point.

"The danger isn’t just from hunters who know what we are. Humans are a problem, too. The ones who shot me today wanted to stuff me and hang my head on the wall." A growl rumbled in Charlotte’s chest and her wolf paced through her blood, angry and thirsty for revenge.

Kane leaned in closer to her and whispered in her ear, "Easy there, she-wolf."

She sucked in a shaky breath. "I’m good," she whispered back. And she was. Kane had pushed her wolf back. Again. She liked that about him, she decided. Having the sheriff close was a good thing. For the moment, anyway.

"So how are we going to pay for this land?" Annie asked.

"We have some money between the three of us." Tao pointed to his brothers. "Enough for a down payment, but we’ll all have to work together to make the mortgage every month."

Mike Gable cleared his throat. "I can help with the loan. Get us the best terms and lowest rates. You want a fifteen-year or thirty-year pay off?" People nodded as he spoke. Mike was the only one in their small pack who could facilitate the finances it would take to see Tao’s idea through.

"Fifteen," said Tao. "I don’t want to carry more debt than we have to."

Andrew Marksman held up his hand. "Wait a minute, not so fast. So now that we’re wolves and unwilling members of this pack you’ve appointed yourself alpha of, we have to give you money?"

"It’s for everyone’s benefit," Tao said.

"Maybe so, but I didn’t realize I was going to owe money on top of everything else." The businessman looked bitter. "This shifter shit is wreaking havoc with my ability to work. Half the time, I feel like my wolf is going to jump through at the negotiating table and rip out people’s throats. I’ve had to push off a lot of my plans while I wait for my wolf to calm the fuck down."

"It will get better," Kai said. "The more you run, the quieter your wolf."

"I can’t wait that long."

"I can come with you to work." Kai pointed to his brothers. "Or they can. We can steady your wolf."

The businessman shook his head. "It may come down to that."

"If we had pack land, you could run every day," Tao said. "And learn to control your wolf that much faster."

"Maybe." Andrew shrugged, unconvinced.

Christine cleared her throat and adjusted her wire rim glasses. "What about those of us who don’t have a lot of money? Yeah, I own the bookstore, but it’s not exactly making me rich."

"I second that question." Annie raised her hand. "My job has good benefits but the pay is lousy."

"We have some ideas," said Leo. "You want to tell them, brother?"

Tao nodded. "We’d like to open a few businesses in town and sell some things."

"What things?" asked Andrew, leaning forward, a gleam of interest in his brown eyes.

"I am good with wood. I can do custom cabinets and furniture," said Tao.

"And I want to open a smoothie shop," said Leo, beaming with excitement.

"A smoothie shop?" Charlotte echoed, furrowing her brow.

"Yeah, smoothies."  Everyone looked at Leo like he’d said something in a foreign language, cocking their heads to the side almost in unison. Undeterred, he kept going. "This area gets a lot of people who are into fitness. They come here to hike, bike and swim. You’ve got at least ten different five-k events and one marathon every year, but no one’s serving that demographic. The food up here is bar fare or bar fare. I think some health conscious cuisine could do well."

Andrew gave a slow nod. "Actually, that’s not a bad idea. I just don’t know if you’d pull in enough cash flow to cover such a huge land purchase."

"That’s why we’re bringing this to the pack. This land is for all of us, and we all have to work for it," Tao said. "Those of you who don’t have any money to spare can help with the work. I need help with the woodworking and Leo will need people to run the smoothie shop with him."

"We could do reciprocal coupons with proof-of-purchase for the smoothie shop," Christine offered. "They show me their smoothie receipt at the bookstore, and I’ll cut them a break on their purchase. Then, when they show you a receipt from the bookstore, you give them a discount on the smoothies."

"That would be great." Leo smiled at Christine.

"I took woodshop in high school," said Annie. "I might be able to help with the woodworking although I can’t promise I’m any good at it."

"I’ve built my share of picnic tables and bookcases," added Richard Smith who’d been quietly listening this whole time.

Danielle sighed. "I’ve got some money put aside. I can give you a couple thousand toward the property. With my job, I’m not going to be able to help much beyond that."

"I might be able to offer more competitive financing than the bank," Andrew said, his demeanor calmer now. "Not for the mortgage, but for any business needs. And I probably have some equipment you can borrow or buy at a discount from my restaurants." He pulled out his wallet and set some business cards on the table. "Email me, and my assistant will take care of it."

Tao took the cards, and passing one to Leo, said, "Thanks. This is exactly the kind of help we need."

"This is what makes a pack," Kai said with a happy smile. "Now, let’s have ice cream."

"I don’t have ice cream," Audrey said quickly with a small frown.

"Yes, you do. There’s a couple gallons in the garage freezer, or did you forget?" Kai met her gaze with a defiant lift of his chin.

Audrey’s mouth opened and then closed as he rendered her speechless. Finally, she threw up her hands. "No, I didn’t forget, but those weren’t for tonight. And how did you know about the ice cream anyway?"

Kai tapped the side of his nose. "I always know about ice cream."

"Hey, maybe we can do an ice cream parlor," Charlotte said.

"Glen Vine’s got one already," said Christine.

"Yeah, but they don’t have anything cool. No sea salt caramel or homemade hot fudge. We could do something more upscale," said Charlotte, warming up to the idea. "Ice cream has changed. You should see the stuff they have by my college. None of that’s here and people coming from bigger places would like it."

"All right, I’ll add it to the list," Leo said. "We’ll do a smoothie slash ice cream parlor, and you'll help do it."

"Me? Are you sure?" Charlotte put a hand to her chest.

"Why not? Half of this is your idea, and if you run the business, I’ll give you a cut of the profits."

"Like a real job?" She almost couldn't believe it.

He grinned at her. "Yeah, like a real job. You in?"

"I-I guess so," she stammered.

Kane chuckled and said, "I assume you’ll make sure pack members get a free scoop."

"Yes, of course." She gave a weak smile, wondering how things had spun so far out of control. This werewolf thing was full of surprises. At least landing a job was a good one.

Chapter Thirteen

Despite her irritation with Kai, Audrey served up the ice cream. She didn't even limit the servings, just opened up the big tubs, dropped in some scoops, and let the pack have at it.

Charlotte took hers outside, wanting to breathe air that wasn’t clouded with so many feelings. The ability to sense and smell emotions had been one of the biggest surprises about becoming a werewolf. She hadn’t realized how annoying it was until she started getting together with the rest of the pack.

Whenever they all got together, there were often heated discussions, and the most recent gathering was no different. Everyone was anxious, including her, and it stunk. Literally. Add in Andrew’s ire, and all Charlotte wanted was a few minutes to clear her nose...even if being outside meant being hyperaware there was a crazy killer on the loose looking for them.

Even though Leo had said the hunter wasn't around, she still sniffed the air, closing her eyes and trying to sense any trace of danger. She had super sharp werewolf senses, might as well use them, right? But all her nose caught was the crisp fall cold and the smoke of a faraway campfire. There were no sounds of twigs snapping or animals being disturbed. She looked back at the house, considering going back in, but catching the return of the sour look on Andrew's face through the window, she changed her mind.

Sauntering over to the fire pit in Audrey’s backyard, she set her ice cream down on a little wooden table and pulled several deck chairs in front of a wooden porch swing. Made of thick pine logs with high backs—probably to match Tao's height—they formed a loose shield as she plopped down in the wooden porch swing. Good luck to any bullets trying to get through that. And with the house at her back and thick bushes on either side, she felt relatively safe.

She ate her ice cream—a scoop of vanilla topped with a scoop of chocolate—while watching the stars. The frosty pre-winter air filled her sinuses and she relaxed, using her foot to gently push the swing back and forth.

The sound of the sliding door opening hit her ears, and she looked over to see Kane stepping outside. He inhaled and blew out grey mist.

Catching her eye, he said, "It’s nice out."

She gave a non-committal shrug, unsure of how she felt about him joining her. Aside from the negative emotions swirling through the pack, she’d also had to deal with Kane’s presence. She liked having him around, her awareness of him increasing throughout the evening, and that scared her.

"How’s the ice cream?" He came and sat down next to her.

She scooted over, making room for him and offering him her spoon. "Good. You want some?"

"Sure, if you don’t mind sharing."

"That’s how we always do it in my family," she said with a laugh. "We all share because none of us can decide on a flavor. We get all different ones and then decide we want what other people have."

"Sounds like you have to eat fast in your family if you want any ice cream," he said. Then he leaned forward and his broad, sensual lips closed over the spoon while his eyes locked with hers.

Charlotte’s mouth went dry and she felt her eyes growing bigger and bigger. Through her fingers, she could feel Kane’s tongue wiggling around, licking up all the ice cream. Her stomach clenched as her mind went to a naughty, dirty place full of wet desire, and her wolf began to preen, bouncing against her skin, clearly wanting more than just thoughts about a spoon.

She almost sighed with relief when he pulled away. "So, are you ready for tomorrow night?"

"You mean, dinner at my mom’s?" He puffed his cheeks and blew out more mist. "No. I’m not sure it’s such a great idea."

"I don’t know if we can back out. I’m sure she’s told people about it by now. Probably the same chain of gossip that alerted her to my existence. We'd make things worse if she ended up looking like a liar, or worse, a flake." Charlotte grimaced, sharing Kane’s doubts. If she could go back in time, she wouldn’t have volunteered for such a crazy idea. But she knew how gossip worked in the small town of Glen Vine. They’d aided and abetted a chain reaction and had a responsibility to make sure it didn’t turn on Kane’s mom.

Kane rubbed his forehead. "I didn’t even think of that. I’m sure she’s called Mrs. Harris back, and who knows who’s been told what outside of those two." He looked at her, eyes wide with panic. "What are we going to do?"

"Stick to the original plan. I’ll be the gold digging bitch from Hell, and it’ll all be over soon." She patted him on the knee and then drew her hand back like she’d been bitten by a rattlesnake. After the whole spoon thing, she really should keep her distance. Blinking, she refocused on her ice cream and shoveled in scoop after scoop almost robotically, covering the battle she fought on the inside. Her wolf growled through her mind, not satisfied with sugar when there was a hunk of man meat to be had.

Charlotte closed her eyes and swallowed a big glob of ice cream. Maybe the cold would numb her lust. The reality was, no matter how hot Kane was or how much of a werewolf he was, he’d practically slept his way through the entire county. His reputation was such that even great-grandmas talked about him, often with a speculative look in their rheumatic eyes. I’m not his type,. so this isn’t going to happen. We’re just friends.

"You smell nice," Kane said. "I like it."

His words hit Charlotte like a slap. She opened her mouth then closed it, deciding she had no idea what to say. The way he was looking at her didn't help. His gaze smoldered as if she was the ice cream he wanted to lick. It was too much, and, flustered, she bolted out of the swing and headed toward the house.

"Charlotte? You okay?" He bounded up next to her, his long legs easily catching up with her. "I said you smell nice. Did you hear me?"

"Yeah," she said, plastering a smile on her face. "It’s just late, you know? I should be getting home."

His eyes narrowed, and he frowned at her for a second before saying, "All right." He moved in front and reached the sliding door handle first. "I’ll pick you up tomorrow around six, okay?"

She nodded and he opened the door. Stepping through, she hurried to leave him behind. Dropping her dishes off at the sink, she said her good-nights and left, eager to be alone. Too much was happening, and she needed space to process it all.

Chapter Fourteen

You smell nice? Since when was that a great pick-up line? Kane watched Charlotte run to get away from him, his stomach sinking. His wolf instincts were not helping him in the lady department.

But he hadn’t been trying to pick her up. It had just slipped out, like his wolf had taken over his tongue for a fraction of a second, just long enough to jam his whole damn leg into his mouth. And Charlotte had bolted like a frightened rabbit.

Maybe he was losing his touch.

Maybe being a werewolf was a turnoff.

Kane ran a hand through his hair and took a chair in the corner of Audrey’s dining room. The rest of the pack talked amongst themselves as they finished their ice cream, with one or two peeling off at regular intervals to say their good-byes and leave. He should go, too. Work started at six a.m. the next day, but at the moment, he found comfort in the presence of his pack mates. He wasn’t quite ready to be alone with himself, not yet.

"You okay?" Audrey asked as she sank into a chair across from him, a heaping bowl of ice cream in her hand.

Kane nodded. "Yeah, it’s just been a crazy day."

"I know. And tomorrow will be nuts too." At his confused look, she said, "Charlotte told me about the thing with your parents. You really think that’s a good idea?"

He shook his head. "Probably not, but it sure will shut up Mrs. Harris and the gossip brigade."

Audrey raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips, considering his words. Finally, she nodded. "That’s actually a good point. The gossip in Glen Vine is insane. Some places are just too small for privacy." She pointed at him with her spoon. "But did you ever consider that maybe you and Charlotte shouldn’t burn any bridges?"

He frowned at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, she blushes every time she talks about you. I caught her making goo-goo eyes at you when you weren’t looking. And then I saw you making goo-goo eyes at her just now. Are you sure you want to set it up that you hate each other, when it’s not true?"

"She's made it clear she's not interested, no matter how 'goo-gooey' her eyes are. So it doesn't matter what people think." Kane winced as he recalled how fast Charlotte had moved to get away from him in the backyard.

Audrey tapped her lips with her spoon, thinking. "Oh, I think she's interested all right."

"You do?" Kane felt his cheeks burn at how eager he sounded.

Audrey chuckled. "Yeah, I do. But," she held up a finger, "she's not in a good place when it comes to men right now."

"You mean her ex?" He slumped back in his seat.

"As bad break-ups go, hers has to be the worst one in history." She shook her head. "Can you imagine? Getting dumped like that, and then being left to be attacked by a werewolf? I would swear off men forever."

"Do you think that's what Charlotte is doing?" Kane frowned. While he was somewhat comforted by the idea that Charlotte's reaction to him had more to do with her own relationship demons than anything he'd done wrong, he was still confused about how to handle it. Should he leave her alone? Run after her? Why didn't women come with decoder rings so men had a fighting chance?

Audrey waved her spoon at him. "No, because she's letting you get close. This thing with your parents is how she makes you safe to be with."

"Maybe I should call the whole thing off," Kane said. "This is getting complicated, and I'm not sure it's a good idea."

She shrugged. "It's up to you, but if you like Charlotte, you might want to go through with it."

"Wait, I thought you said we shouldn't do it." Kane rubbed his forehead, thoroughly confused. Hadn't he agreed with Audrey and come around to her way of thinking?

"Yeah, I know, but if you do go through with it, she might learn to trust you and you guys can stop playing games." Audrey beamed at him, very satisfied with herself. "See? It all works out in the end."

Kane couldn't figure out how to respond to that and was relieved when Tao interrupted them. He lumbered over to stand next to Audrey's chair. "How did things go at the police station today?"

"Fine. I told them exactly what you told me to." It helped that no one believed in werewolves. People were happy to look for logical and human explanations for the smashed in windows on his cruiser. "What are we going to do about this hunter?" Kane asked.

"Set a trap and herd him into it." Tao cocked his head toward Kai. "Then Kai will do his thing and send him on his way."

"Just like before," Audrey said, her voice soft.

"Yeah, just like that." Tao gave her a crooked smile and reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "We’ve got this, baby. We’ve done it before. This hunter isn’t going to get his prey. We’re way ahead of him."

Audrey leaned into her mate with a little sigh. "Good. I hope you’re right. I miss the days when staying safe meant locking my doors, not going after people to get them before they get us." She tilted her head back and looked up at Tao. "Is this how all werewolves live?"

"Not usually," Tao said. "Most packs have established their pack lands and have been there. We’re new, which makes it harder for us."

Kane watched as the pair looked into each other’s eyes and tried not to be jealous. Tao and Audrey were a tight couple, always seeming to know what the other needed. He’d witnessed the way they synced together many times and had begun to wonder if he would ever have a relationship like that.

As if reading his mind, Audrey’s gaze flickered over to him. "Don’t forget what I said Sheriff."

"About what?" Tao gave Kane a curious look.

She waved her mate off with a hand. "Nothing, just something we were talking about."

Kane took that as his cue to make a quick exit. Standing up he gave a little bow to Audrey. "Thanks for hosting us all again." Turning to Tao, he offered his hand. "Let me know if you need me."

Tao shook the sheriff’s hand. "My brothers and I will be running patrols around the clock. If you want a shift, it’s yours."

Kane nodded. "I can take one, but not tomorrow. I have to work and..." He glanced at Audrey and decided not to say anything about the dinner with his mom. It was bad enough to have the alpha’s mate butting into his love life, he didn’t want to invite the alpha too. "I’ll be off the next day and can take a full day shift. That would give you guys a break."

"That would be great. I would ask the others, but they don’t have the experience you do." Tao walked with Kane to the front door of the small ranch home he shared with Audrey. "We need folks who either know how to wolf or know how to handle people like a hunter. You’re the only one we’ve got."

"Don’t forget Danielle," Kane said.

Tao rubbed his chin, considering Kane’s suggestion."When was the last time she worked in the field?"

"A while, but she has the training."

Tao lifted one big shoulder in a shrug. "I’ll talk to her, but I don’t think a desk job at the station gives her the same instincts you have. And the others are not ready for what needs to be done right now. They don’t know what to look for or how to deal with it."

"Maybe with time…" Kane started.

Tao finished for him. "Oh yeah, people are going to learn. Especially as they get used to their wolf. The problem now is they don’t understand they aren’t the same and never will be.  They’re still fighting the shift, still thinking they can control their destinies." Tao shook his head. "My brother did more than turn you all into wolves, he changed your whole lives."

"That he did," Kane said, his stomach clenching as he remembered his run-in with the wolf, Nick. He was glad Tao and his brothers had thrown the crazed wolf off the giant sand cliff looming over Lake Michigan. It might be too late for him and the others, but at least Nick wouldn’t bite anyone else ever again. He took great satisfaction in that fact…and then felt a little guilty about it. Nick had been Tao, Leo and Kai’s brother. They’d had to kill their own blood. Hell, he couldn't even manage his mother and her obsession with grandbabies, let alone kill anyone he loved. It must've torn them apart to do it.

Although they never spoke of it, Kane was certain it had to hurt to look at the motley crew of newly made shifters that Nick had left behind. They would be cleaning up their brother’s mess for the rest of their lives, a daily, painful reminder they were too good to turn their backs on. He admired their strength of character. "Thanks for sticking with us here. I’m sure none of this was what you wanted. You left your pack and everything to help us. I can’t imagine what you had to give up."

Tao was quiet for a moment before finally saying, "The only thing we lost was our brother. Our pack never wanted us. We can’t go back, even if we wanted to. Not after what Nick did."  He paused and took a deep breath, the mention of his brother clearly troubling him.

"Sorry," Kane said. "I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories." He moved toward the door, thinking to leave, but Tao clamped a hand on his shoulder and held him back.

"The truth is, Kane, you guys are our home now. The home we didn’t know we needed. We aren’t like other shifters. We have powers and we’re big, which makes us outcasts in a lot of places."

"Nick did bad things, but the good that came out of it balances that," Kai said joining them.

"We have a community now that needs us. No one ever wanted us before," added Leo.

"I would still prefer to not have been bitten in the first place," Kane said, his voice stiff.

"And I wish my home pack would have wanted us. Maybe then Nick wouldn’t have done what he did." Kai held Kane’s gaze with his, steady and sure. "We don’t get what we want in this world, Sheriff.  We only get what we make of what is given to us. To think we control anything beyond that is lunacy."

"Maybe so, but it still sucks." Kane rubbed his neck as his wolf undulated up and down his spine. "I’m fighting myself and crime these days. It’s tiring."

"That’s what the ice cream is for," Kai said with a wry smile. "We have to take what respite we can."

"What about your powers?" Kane asked. "How do those work?"

Kai shrugged. "No one knows."

Kane frowned. "Where do they come from?"

"There are several different ideas about that, but nothing has been proven," Kai said.

"Some say shifters are aliens and our powers are recessive genes of some kind. Others think we hold the magic of the first shifters, the pure power of the moon," Tao said.

"Why would they make you an outcast then?" Kane frowned.

"Because we’re stronger than them." Tao flexed his arm, showing off his impressive bicep, which was big as some men's thighs. "All of them and they’re afraid of that. They would rather ignore us or see us dead than tolerate our strength."

Kane started to speak, but Kai cut him off with a curt movement of his hand. "Jealousy isn’t rational, Sheriff. The packs are dwindling and they are afraid that we are the beginning of the end…for them, at least. To their way of thinking, we’re not an asset, we’re a threat."

"But all you’ve done is help us. You’re not bad guys," Kane said.

Kai nodded. "Right. We did the same for our pack. Tao did the things that required strength. Leo helped Tao, and I used my magic for everyone’s benefit. But it didn’t matter. The fear drowned out anything we did."

"Truth be told, this is the first pack that actually wanted us," said Tao with a heavy sigh.

"And so we are happy to serve." Kai snapped his heels together and gave a small bow.

"Well, I’m glad you guys are here. I wouldn’t want to be doing any of this without you," Kane said. "I’ll be in touch tomorrow night to find out when you want me to patrol. Thanks again for having us all over." He opened the front door and stepped out into the night. As he headed down the driveway, Kai called to him.

"Sheriff?"

Kane turned back. "Yeah?"

"Listen to Audrey. She knows what she’s talking about." Kai didn’t wait for a response, just abruptly spun on his heel and went back into the house, shutting the front door firmly behind him.

"What the hell?" Kane said to himself as he made his way to his car—a beat-up Charger he'd bought on the cheap with the intent of fixing it up. How did everyone know what was going on with him and Charlotte?

Chapter Fifteen

Charlotte threw herself into preparing for dinner with Kane’s parents like an actress desperate for an Oscar. Unfortunately, she didn’t normally dress like a low class tramp, and it hadn't been easy to find the perfect outfit. She actually ended up rooting around in her mom’s closet, hoping to find something. Her mom, being shorter, ran smaller than Charlotte, but for some reason she had a spandex minidress in a dark corner of her closet. Even better, it had a cheetah print on a magenta background. Tacky didn’t even begin to describe it.

Humming, she took a shower, dried her hair and teased it like she was hoping her dark locks would reach heaven. Then she wiggled into the dress and checked the mirror.

"Oh, that’s atrocious," she said with a delighted smile. The dress hugged her curves to the point of garish exaggeration. Slipping on a pair of black platform heels, she added some chunky gold jewelry and did dark, overdone make-up to match. The final touch was painting her nails gold and topping the polish with press-on rhinestones.

Growing up in Glen Vine, she’d known Kane and his family almost her whole life. With her Dad having served as mayor of the small town, she could say that about almost anyone. She knew what church people went to and how often, as well as what cars they drove, and how they dressed. Kane’s parents were good people. She would horrify them.

"Exactly as planned," she said to her reflection in the mirror.

***

Kane arrived promptly at six. Charlotte opened the door, and her heart gave a hard thump at the sight of him. He looked great in tight black jeans and an equally tight navy t-shirt. Even worse, he smelled divine. Like pine and aftershave and things Charlotte’s wolf wanted to bury her nose in.

"Evening, Sheriff," she said, hoping her voice didn’t sound breathy. She was having a hard time breathing all of a sudden and her nipples had dialed themselves into hard little points inside her bra. Just from looking at the man. Damn.

He looked her over from head to toe. "You look…" He trailed off, his eyes widening as he struggled to find the right word.

She took pity on the man and offered some suggestions. "Awful? Like a harlot on her way to church? Like a tramp hoping to make rent?" She put a hand on her hip and vamped for him. "Like the girl no one takes home to her parents?"

"To me, you look beautiful," he said simply. "And I love your perfume."

"I’m not…" Now it was her turn to trail off. She wasn’t wearing perfume, but decided it was better not to say anything. With a bright smile, she said, "Shall we go? Just let me get my purse."

***

Kane’s parents lived in a large wood cabin with big windows and a view of Lake Michigan. The sun hung low in the sky as dusk approached, glimmers of light filtering through the trees ringing their property. His parents greeted her with happy smiles and open arms. If her appearance gave them pause, they didn’t show it, although they had to notice the contrast between her dress and their clothing.

His mom, Wanda, wore a pair of navy slacks and a pink cardigan sweater. Her short grey hair curled around her face, highlighting bright blue eyes. Joe, Kane's dad, wore dark jeans and a turquoise polo shirt. His hair was thin on the top, but the resemblance between him and his son was striking. Kane clearly got all his good looks from his dad.

"Thanks so much for having us over." Charlotte smiled and pulled the six-pack of Miller Lite she'd stashed in her voluminous purse. It had been tough to decide on the rudest hostess gift ever, but cheap beer had to be a contender for number one. It was either the beer or a bouquet of dusty silk flowers from her mom's craft closet. But the flowers had been a little too low rent, even for the role Charlotte was playing. Extending the six-pack to Wanda, she said, "It's warm, so you might want to put it in the freezer."

Wanda took the beer with a gracious smile. "We’re so glad you could come," she said. "Come in, have a seat. I dug out Kane’s baby pictures. I thought you might want to see them."

Charlotte settled on the couch in the living room, snapping the giant wad of gum she’d shoved into her mouth just before they got to the house. "Sure, I guess, but I ain’t with Kane for the baby pics. I need him as a man, you know?" She'd stolen that particular line from a paternity episode of a trashy talk show. The sheer gall of it had stuck with her.

Kane's mouth dropped open and he shot Charlotte a horrified look, which she ignored. His mom, she noticed, didn’t even blink, which made her wonder how far she would have to go to make exactly the wrong impression on his parents.

"There are some appetizers there on the coffee table. Help yourself. I have to check on dinner." Wanda waved to her husband. "Joe, serve the drinks, will you?"

Joe nodded. "What would you guys like?"

"I'm driving, so just water for me, Dad," said Kane.

"And you, Charlotte? Would you like one of your beers?"

Charlotte waved a hand and scoffed at Joe's offer. "Oh, I don't drink that crap. I'll take an Appletini," she said, purposely picking something different from the Cosmopolitans she'd mentioned earlier.

Joe frowned. "I’m not sure we have the ingredients for that. Is there something else you’d like?"

She named a succession of complicated drinks, half of which she was sure Joe had never heard of because she made them up. "Werewolf Tail," she said.

"Eh, what? There are drinks named after werewolves now?" Joe scratched his head. "I have to say I haven't been to any fancy bars lately. We might be a bit behind on the hot trends."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Great. So you probably don't have Triple Sec for a Werewolf's Nipple, either."

"Um...Werewolf's Nipple?" Joe looked to his son, who just shrugged.

"Don't ask me. I don't go to fancy bars either, Dad." Kane forced a smile, while his eyes shot daggers at her. "How about something else?"

She waved a hand and refused to let Kane get to her. Wasn't this the plan? To make his parents over-the-moon thrilled when she was out of the picture? She was determined to see it through. Kane was going to have to toughen up. "Water with lemon then."

Joe's brow furrowed. "You sure you don’t want something stronger? I’ve got Scotch. Wine. Gin and tonic. Rum and Coke. Any of those sound good?"

She rolled her eyes again and flicked her hand in a dismissive gesture. "That’s all you have?" To Kane she said, "I told you we should’ve stopped for drinks before we came."

Kane’s cheeks flushed as she berated him. "Char," he started, but his dad cut him off.

"She’s fine, son. We’ll be sure to have something you like next time you come over. I'll have to look up those werewolf drinks. Never heard of 'em." He gave a kind smile that made Charlotte feel bad. "I’ll get your lemon with water, but let me know if you change your mind about the other drinks."

"Yeah, sure," she said, struggling to infuse her voice with condescending boredom. Being a total bitch didn't come naturally to her. When his dad left them alone to get her drink, she whispered, "I’d forgotten how much I like your parents. Your mom was my favorite substitute teacher in high school. She never yelled at us. And your dad is a total sweetheart. This is harder than I thought it would be."

"You’d never know from the way you’re acting," Kane said, his voice and posture stiff. "And stop with the werewolf stuff. You're going to get us both into trouble."

"Kane," she chided, "this was the plan, remember?"

He looked away. "Yeah, I remember, but this feels awful. I don’t like it."

"Well, we’re in the thick of it now. If we back out, it’ll be even weirder than this. Think of what Mrs. Harris Sourpuss will say." She sucked the pimento out of an olive and made a point of spitting it out onto the other olives. Then she took a few bites of various carrot sticks, making sure to double dip them in the ranch dip before putting them back on the serving platter, too. It was the rudest thing she could think of.

"Dinner’s almost ready if you guys want to come to the table," Wanda called from the kitchen.

Charlotte fought to get her feet under her and rise so she could go to the table, but the couch was very soft and her heels were really too high for doing anything practical. Kane watched her flail for a second before finally offering her a hand.

"Th—" she started to say just as her shins smacked into the coffee table. Kane had used werewolf strength to pull her up and it was too much. She lost her balance and lurched forward over the table, taking everything on top of it with her as her knees buckled and she skidded across it. The photo albums went flying and hit the floor with a thud, followed by the big plate of appetizers, which managed to flip as it sailed through the air to land right on top of the photos. It happened so fast Kane couldn’t save her.

Charlotte came down hard, her knee sliding through the ranch dip, which had spilled all over the coffee table. She put out a hand to try and stop her fall, but landed wrong on her wrist. Something snapped in her arm and she yelped as the pain hit her system.

"Everything okay in there?" Joe asked.

"No," Charlotte whimpered just as Kane said, "Yes."

She glared at him as she fought to wrestle the other half of her body over the coffee table. "Real smooth there, Sheriff."  Stumbling to her feet, she yanked her dress back down over her ass with the hand that didn’t hurt. Brushing off the celery sticks clinging to her legs, she said, "I think I broke some bones."

Kane was next to her in an instant. "Where?"

She offered him her hand, wincing when he took it. Even though he was gentle, it hurt. Pain throbbed in her wrist joint and the area began to swell.

Kane cradled her hand in his. "You want some ice?"

"Oh my," Wanda entered the living room and took in the scene as she wiped her hands on her apron. "What happened here?"

"I-I...I tripped," Charlotte said, her face burning with heat. "I’m so sorry about Kane’s baby pictures, Mrs. Martin." She knew she should be bitchy, but she just couldn't do it. Not when she'd destroyed half of the Martins' best memories. Charlotte didn't have the ovaries to girlfriend-from-hell her way through that.

Wanda kneeled down and used her apron to blot olive juice and ranch dip off the affected scrapbook. "Don’t worry. It was an accident. It’s fixable. Just so long as you’re okay, dear."

"I’m fine," Charlotte said, figuring it wasn’t a lie if she would be healed in a couple hours. She grabbed some napkins and wiped the ranch dip off her knee. "But I’ll take some ice, Kane, if you don’t mind."

He disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a bag of frozen peas.

"Thanks." She placed the peas over her wrist, wincing as the cold bit into her skin.

An alarm beeped somewhere in the back of the house, and Wanda dashed off, calling over her shoulder, "That’s the oven."

Joe held up a glass. "You could probably use a drink after that. This is only water though. Let me know if you want something stronger."

Charlotte flashed a small smile as she accepted the glass. "Thanks. This is fine."

Wanda reappeared, a dish-towel on her shoulder, ostensibly to replace the now soiled apron. "It looks like dinner is going to take a bit longer than I thought. Kane, why don't you show Charlotte around the house?"

Looking to Kane, Charlotte said, "I could use some fresh air. Would you like to give me the backyard tour?" She was desperate to get out of the house and take a deep breath, one that wasn’t constrained by all the lies she’d told in the last twenty minutes.

Kane’s eyes widened in surprise at the request."Uh, yeah. Sure. This way." He waved for her to follow him. They passed through the kitchen, where Wanda was in the middle of buttering hamburger buns. The kitchen was a wide aisle with old school linoleum counters, wood cabinets, and a soffit decorated in a stenciled apple motif.

"This is homey," Charlotte said. Then, trying to get back into character, she added, "Like a time warp."

Wanda gave her a look over her glasses, but refrained from commenting. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

"It smells heavenly," Charlotte said, and then mentally kicked herself. There she went being nice again. It had to stop, or else she was going to end up having to fake marry Kane, or something equally awful.

Wanda smiled. "My Cajun bleu burgers are probably too spicy to be called heavenly."

Charlotte swallowed as her mouth began to water. "I like spicy. Isn’t that right, Kaney baby?" She gave him her best sex pot look, knowing Wanda was looking right at her. Pursing her lips, she blew him a kiss and gave a little ‘rawrrr’ which caused Kane’s face to turn red.

"The…umm…back…umm…door is over here," Kane said, his voice thick.

Charlotte frowned at him. "Are you okay?"

He walked off without responding, and she went after him. Wanda shook her head, and as Charlotte passed by, she said, "There is such a thing as too much spice, you know."

"Not for me, Mrs. Martin," Charlotte said as she entered a four seasons patio with thin carpeting and ringed with windows. "Kane?" She looked left then right, but other than some wicker furniture, she was alone. A movement flickered in the corner of her eye and she turned to see Kane already outside, walking toward the back of the yard. It was late dusk now, but she could still see him clearly in what little remained of the sun's light.

Running out the door, she waved her hand over her head, bracing the bag of peas on her injured hand with her stomach. "Kane! Wait up!"

He looked back at her for a second, and then resumed walking.

"Dude, come on! I’m wearing heels. Don’t do this to me." Shaking her head, she kicked off her shoes. Clutching her peas tight, she jogged after him as he ducked behind a shed at the very end of his parents’ property. Panting, she rounded the corner and stopped short of running into him. "You okay?"

"I just needed some air," Kane said. He looked away and then turned back, capturing her gaze with his. Reaching for her, he said, "I can't stop thinking about how good you smell."

Charlotte edged back. "That has nothing to do with the plan."

"But I can’t stop smelling you." He clutched his head and squeezed his eyes shut. "It’s like you’re buried in my nose." Opening his eyes, he sighed and let his hands drop. "And you’re being so awful to my parents."

"Yeah, sorry about that."  Charlotte worried her bottom lip and thought for a second. "How about we call it quits here? You can say I dumped you and I’ll wolf it back home." She made to leave.

He caught her by the elbow and pulled her back, spinning her around until she was pressed between him and the shed. "The thing is, I don’t want to call it quits with you….just this girlfriend-from-Hell charade."

Dropping her 'ice pack' of frozen peas, she pushed against him, trying to heave him away from her, but he resisted and neatly caught her hands, pinning them over her head. Shoving her hard against the wall he leaned in and inhaled deeply.

Charlotte strained to break free, but even with werewolf strength, she was no match for him. "Stop, Kane, just stop. You aren’t serious." Her injured arm throbbed,  unhappy with all the action. She wondered if that would cause it to heal slower.

"I love your dress."

She raised her eyebrows. "Hookers would find this outfit trashy."

"Okay. Fine. I don’t love you wearing it in front of my parents," he amended, "but I wouldn’t mind it in the bedroom."

"We are not going into a bedroom," she said, the stern note in her voice directed at both herself as well as Kane. To her chagrin, her knees had gone wobbly with the masterful way he’d taken her in hand. Her wolf pranced under her skin, excited and eager.

"Why do you smell so good?" he murmured against her cheek, his breath hot on her face. "You always smell amazing."

"Let me go," she said, her voice a ragged gasp. For the record, he smelled pretty good to her, too. Not that she would ever admit that. Not in a million years.

"Your scent is so sweet and hot. If I licked you, would you melt in my mouth?" Kane pressed his lips against her neck and flicked his tongue over her skin until she shivered.

"Kane, no." Charlotte arched into him, telling herself it was only because she wanted to get away. It had nothing to do with pressing herself into him until they melted together.

"Why not, Charlotte?" He looked at her, his eyes dark pools.

She shook her head. "You don’t want me, Kane."

He arched an eyebrow. "I don’t?"

"I’m not your type," she huffed at him. "I’ve seen the women you date. They’re all as big as my pinkie with giant fake boobs."  Charlotte waved her pinkie finger at him for emphasis, but she didn’t think Kane noticed, not with the way his gaze bored into hers. "Besides, you're not one to stick around. I'm not that kind of girl."

He moved until only one hand locked her wrists above her head, being extra gentle with her injured hand, and then skimmed her cheek with a finger, his touch flowing over her neck, across her collarbone, and down the side of her breast. "What if I’ve decided I want more?"

Her knees went weak as the blood flow in her body rearranged itself, concentrating in her nether regions and the tips of her breasts, which sprang to attention. Damn it. Why did he have to be so hot? "More of what?" she asked.

"Of everything," he said. "I think with you, Charlotte Wills, I would need way more than one night." Then he kissed her, lips pushing into hers, tongue stroking in and out of her mouth, just like…

She turned her head, escaping his lips. "We can’t do this."

He let her go then and stepped away, hurt and disappointment flashing across his face for a fleeting second before he composed himself and hid his feelings behind a neutral expression. It was his cop face, the one that hid who he really was. Charlotte worried her bottom lip and tried to fight the regret she felt. She wanted to say something to make it right between them, but words wouldn’t be enough, and she wasn’t ready to act on the passion burning hot and heavy inside her.

So she ran, instinct pulling her through the darkening shadows of the coming night and through the thin band of forest between his parents’ house and the beach. She hit the sand and sprinted across the shore toward the lights of Glen Vine. The lake churned beside her, hissing with what sounded like disapproval, which just made her run that much faster.

Chapter Sixteen

Kane came after her, of course, calling her name, and she ducked into the woods standing between the beach and the line of houses that ringed the area. Something sharp bit her foot and she stumbled. She dropped down to one knee, gasping with pain, then lurching upright, she kept moving, her ears telling her that Kane hadn’t given up. It was almost full dark now, with just the barest hint of grey, which meant she had to rely more on her ears than her eyes. Werewolf vision was sharp, but dark was still dark.

He can probably track me by scent alone, she thought ruefully. Was there even any point in running? I can’t go back. I want him too much. Gritting her teeth with determination, she pushed her body to go faster.

A root tripped her, slamming her to the ground at the same time something burst with a loud pop in the air above her. Even though she had no idea what the noise was, some latent instinct for danger kept her on the ground. She froze and held her breath, ears straining to hear what the noise had been.

The ground in front of her face suddenly exploded in a spray of dirt, and she jumped to her feet, running into the deepest shadows she could find. Pressing herself against the trunk of a wide oak, she held her breath once more, pretty sure she was dealing with bullets. Again.

Who knew there were so many people just itching to shoot her?

Silence filled the night. Even the mosquitoes stopped whining through the air. A branch cracked and leaves rustled. Charlotte carefully took a sip of air, not wanting to breathe so heavily that she would be heard, and tried to figure out her next move.

Without warning, a hand came out of nowhere and wrapped around her wrist, dragging her out from behind the tree. She pulled against the grip, but it was her bad hand, the one with the broken bone that, while almost healed, still wasn't a hundred percent. Her nose registered a scent that didn't belong to Kane. Whoever had grabbed her smelled like anger and metal.

"Let me go!" She smacked at her captor with her good hand.

"Shh," said a man as he batted her hand away and pressed a cold gun barrel to her temple. "Stay still. I don’t want to miss."

She froze, more out of fear than obedience. Widening her eyes, she strained to see him, but he was just beyond her peripheral vision. "Who are you?" Although with sinking dread, she already knew. There was only one man still looking to kill shifters like her.

"The hunter, and you’re the hunted," he said, proving her right. There was a click as the safety released.

That galvanized her into action. A distant memory of a college self-defense class came to her and she thrust her arm in an upward block as she ducked out from under the gun. Spinning on her heels, she darted off in a random direction, too panicked to make a conscious choice….and ran smack into a sapling tree that both tripped her and slapped her in the face as it recoiled.

Just her luck. She wasn’t just a werewolf, she was a clumsy ass one.

She clutched her eye and kept going, heading in the general direction of the homes in the area. The hunter was on the verge of catching up. She could hear him tearing through the forest behind her, which she knew meant there would be more bullets.

Whipping around a copse of bushes, she caught sight of a house and raced toward it. A shadow appeared in her peripheral vision. The man after her had gained ground. She fought to go faster, to outrun him, but she was too slow. He tackled her and brought her down.

Clawing at his face, she screamed at him, "Get off me!"

In response, he clapped a hand over her mouth. "Shh, Char, it’s me, Kane."

She blinked and then sniffed, inhaling his scent. "Oh, thank goodness," she mumbled behind his hand. Then, pushing his hand off her face, she said, "The hunter’s out there, and he’s coming. We have to run."

Kane helped her up. "I know. I heard the shots." Keeping her hand in his, he pulled her after him. "Here, this way."

"Where are we going?"

"My house. You’ve come almost full circle."

She stopped and resisted him. "We can’t. Your parents…"

"Have guns," he said, yanking her forward. "Come on. We don’t have much time."

She nodded and struggled to match his speed, her shorter legs having to move twice as fast as his. A bullet whined in the air like an oversized and extremely bloodthirsty mosquito. She ducked and yelped as it hit a tree right next to her.

Kane kept her moving, refusing to let her stop. "We’re almost there." He changed their trajectory so they jumped to the side as well as raced forward. The next bullet didn’t even come close.

A second later, they burst through the woods and into his parents’ front yard. Bounding up the porch steps, they rushed into the house, slamming the door behind them. Charlotte dropped to her knees, chest heaving as she fought for air.

"Oh, my God," she gasped.

"Dad, get the guns," Kane shouted, disappearing into the house.

"What’s going on?" Wanda walked over to Charlotte and helped her stand. "Come sit over here."

Charlotte resisted as Kane’s mother tried to escort her into the living room. "No, we can’t. There are windows there. He’ll see us."

"Who will see us?" Wanda frowned at her, puzzled.

"The man trying to kill me."

"Someone is trying to kill you?" The furrow in Wanda’s brow deepened.

Charlotte gave a weak smile. "It’s sort of how your son and I got together." She left out the part about how it was the second guy shooting at her in the same week. The goal was to be the worst girlfriend ever, not the girl most likely to get Kane killed….even if the latter was actually true. Kind of.

Kane and his father came into the living room, their hands full of guns. "You know how to shoot?" Kane asked her.

"Yes," Charlotte said, grateful her injured hand wasn't the one she shot with. The pain was almost gone so she assumed the bone had knit back together already, but it was still too tender for a gun's kickback. She accepted the revolver he offered her and checked the chamber to verify it was loaded.

"I’ll take the Glock," Wanda said, holding out her hand. "And someone please tell me what the hell is happening?"

"Some whack job is shooting at us," Kane said. "We need to take him out before he gets us."

"Shouldn’t we call the police?" his dad asked as he loaded a rifle.

"I am the police, Dad. The response time for anyone else is going to be too slow." He waved his hand in an impatient gesture. "Now listen. I’m going to sneak out back and come up behind this guy. Your job," he pointed at all of them, "is to keep him too busy to notice. Got it?"

"How do we do that?" Charlotte asked.

Wanda went into the living room, her mouth a grim line. "By shooting at him." Raising her Glock she pulled the trigger, shattering the picture window. They all ducked.

"What are you doing?" Kane’s dad yelled.

She gave her husband a cool look. "If there’s one thing cancer taught me, it was when you’re fighting for your life, you can’t be afraid to do what needs to be done." Aiming the gun, she squeezed off a shot into the front yard. "And when it comes to my family, I don’t play, dear. You should know that." She pinned Charlotte with a sharp gaze.

Charlotte shifted her weight from foot to foot and tugged at her dress self-consciously. Wanda's disapproval bothered her more than she'd thought it would, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from apologizing for pretty much everything she'd done that night.

Her husband nodded. "Damn straight." Lifting his rifle, he shot into the yard, too.

Not wanting to be left out, Charlotte followed suit, comforted by the fact that, for once, she was the one slinging bullets at people.

But whoever was out there reciprocated, the bullet burying itself in the living room carpet as they all jumped back out of the way.

"Let's make it harder for this idiot," Joe said going over to the front door. He flipped a few switches, turning off all the lights inside the house and then hit more which turned on exterior flood lights that filled the front yard with light so bright, Charlotte blinked. "There. Good luck seeing us through that."

"And to think I complained they were too bright when you installed them," murmured Wanda, shaking her head.

"I told you they would come in handy." Joe smiled at Wanda who bowed her head toward him, the movement almost regal.

"All right, keep shooting. I’ll go as fast as I can and take him out from behind." Kane ran out of the room without waiting for a response, heading for the back door.

"I hope you have enough ammo for this," Charlotte said as she emptied her gun in the general direction of where she thought the shooter was.

"I stockpile it," Joe said. "We’ll get by. I just wish I’d picked up that grenade launcher at the gun show last year." He fished in his pockets and handed Charlotte a box of ammunition.

"I think bullets will work just fine, dear," Wanda said, squinting as she aimed her gun. "If he would just move a bit to the left, I think I could get him."

"I had no idea Kane’s parents were so badass," Charlotte said.

"Lots of people mistake nice for weak. However, the reality is we’re prepared for any emergency out here," Wanda said as she quickly dropped the spent cartridge and loaded a new one into her Glock. "And I’ve been shooting since I was a kid. My daddy taught me how."

"My dad taught me, too," Charlotte said. She bit her lip as she tried to decide where to shoot next. She’d been hitting a lot of trees so far and figured that wasn’t a good way to go. The last thing Kane’s family needed was a bunch of dead trees falling in their yard. If only she could tag this asshole, that would solve a lot of problems.

"Your parents are good people, which is why I can’t understand where that dress you’re wearing came from." Wanda gave her a sharp look.

Heat flushed Charlotte’s cheeks as Kane’s mom called her on the carpet. Still, she lifted her chin and said without any remorse, "Actually, I borrowed it from my mom."

Wanda’s lips thinned and she started to say something, but Charlotte cut her off as she caught a glimpse of Kane slipping through the woods. Her eyes had adjusted to the floodlights by then, and she could make out his shape. "Time to lay down a blanket of bullets, I think. Kane’s close."

Wanda and Joe both peered out their broken living room window and then nodded as one.

"Let’s do this," Wanda said.

Charlotte took cover at one side of the window while Wanda took the other. Joe dropped to the floor and army crawled up to the center of the window, careful to keep his head out of the line of fire.

"Aim into the ground. We don’t want to hit Kane, okay?" Wanda asked.

"Got it," Charlotte agreed.

"Ready, set, fire," Wanda said, thrusting her gun out the window and letting the bullets fly.

Charlotte joined her, careful to make sure her shots went into the grass. As for Joe, he went slower, taking time to try and hit whoever was out there.

"How’s it going? Can you see anything?" Charlotte had to yell in order to be heard over the gunfire.

Wanda quickly peeked out the window and then flattened herself against the wall. "I don’t know. I don’t see anyone. We might be shooting at nobody."

As if the shooter heard them, a quick succession of bullets flew into the living room, ripping apart the logs that made up the wall behind the couch. Charlotte covered her face as bits of wood sprayed the room.

"That’s not nobody," Joe said, looking back at his wife.

"No shit, dear," Wanda said. "Come on, we’ve got to give Kane some cover." Her jaw tight with determination, she went back to shooting.

Chapter Seventeen

Kane ran out the back door, gun clutched tight in one hand, extra ammo jammed into his back pocket. The one day he didn’t carry and look what happened. Also, how did Charlotte have the luck of always being shot at? This marked the second time he’d come to her rescue. He shook his head as he ran. Poor girl should never go anywhere without him. She needed all the help she could get when it came to staying alive.

He slowed his pace when the scent of the shooter first hit his nose, knowing that meant he was close. The guy smelled like gunpowder, hot metal and hate. The emotion poured off him in waves of sour stink. Kane wanted to cover his nose with his hand, but resisted the urge. He wanted both his hands free for when he came face-to-face with this jackass.

Recalling the men the hunter had killed in the back of his cruiser, Kane couldn't help but thirst for revenge. His wolf boiled under his skin, wanting to jump out and fight. This hunter didn't care about anyone's life, human or not, and Kane was more than happy to stop him from ever hurting anyone again.

Walking silently, he circled around the shooter’s scent and slowly crept up behind him.  The guy was taller than a basketball player and wide as a football defenseman. Thanks to his dad's flood lights, he could see the hunter's army fatigues were faded and streaked with dirt. He was so focused on shooting at the house, he didn’t sense Kane behind him.

Raising his hand, Kane leaped for the man and clocked him in the side of his head with the butt of his gun. The hunter went down with a surprised grunt and laid still.

Kane kicked away his gun and frisked the man, finding several knives and another handgun, all of which he threw into the woods. He would come back for them later. Rolling the unconscious man over, Kane took off his own belt and used it to secure the hunter’s hands behind his back.

Feeling like things were safe enough, he yelled out to his parents and Charlotte, "I’ve got him. You can stop shooting now."

One last bullet flew through the air, followed by someone saying, "Oops."

Kane shook his head and, grabbing the hunter by his feet, dragged him into his parents’ front yard. Charlotte came flying out of the house, her hair streaming behind her and her brow furrowed with worry.

"Are you okay?" She hovered close to him, as if she wanted to touch him but was afraid to do so.

He nodded, unable to miss the way her chest heaved in the skin-tight dress she wore. "Yeah. He didn’t even see me coming."

"Is he…dead?" She cast a doubtful look at the guy.

He forced his gaze to look down at the hunter. If he kept staring at Charlotte, he was going to tear that dress off her body and fill his hands with her curves. His wolf still ran high inside him, and the urge to fight was changing into a need to fuck, especially now that Charlotte was right there in front of him. "No. I knocked him out good, though."

His parents came outside and joined them, looking at the shooter with curiosity. "Who the hell is this guy?" asked Joe.

"I don’t know," Kane said. "But I’m going to find out." He dragged the man over to his car and heaved him into the back seat. Looking at Charlotte, he said, "I’m going to take him in and I’d like you to come and give your statement too."

"What about us?" asked Wanda. "Should we drive down to the station too?"

Kane shook his head. "Don’t worry about it. I’ll send a deputy down to take your statement. Since Charlotte seems to be the target, she’s the witness I need right now." To Charlotte, he said, "You ready?"

She nodded and made her way to the passenger side of his Charger. "Thanks for having us over," she said. "I’m sorry about everything."

Wanda waved a hand. "We’ll have to try again, when things are calmer."

"We barely got a chance to talk to you," said Joe. "You didn't even eat."

"Maybe we can do dinner next week," Wanda offered.

Charlotte gave Kane a wild look that said ‘Help me,’ and he stepped in, saying, "We’ll see. We’re both pretty busy." Yeah, he wanted to spend more time with Charlotte, but not at his parents’ house with her pretending to be his psycho girlfriend. If he brought her home again, he wanted it to be real, not this awkward façade they’d concocted. Preferably without the werewolf weirdness as well.

His mom crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "I’ll text you some dates and you can pick one."

Kane gave a weak smile, knowing his mom wouldn’t let it go. Whether they’d planned on it or not, Charlotte would be continuing in her role as his girlfriend. Why he'd thought their charade would be a one-and-done deal, he didn't know. His mother had the tenacity of a barnacle. She didn't let go of anything, ever, but he decided that might not be so bad. It would give him an excuse to keep seeing Charlotte, and maybe find out where these feelings he had for her went.

***

Charlotte settled into Kane’s car, limp with relief. Well, that was the worst date ever. Which had been the goal, but still, it had been awkward and uncomfortable to the point where she was almost grateful to the hunter. He’d broken up a bad scene.

She buried her face in her hands, recalling the way she’d tripped over the coffee table and then followed that brilliance with the need to shoot out the windows in Kane’s childhood home.

"Oh, man," she groaned into her palms.

"What? What is it?" Kane touched her shoulder lightly. "Are you okay?"

She peeked out at him from between her fingers. Damn. Why did he have to be so handsome? And perfect? And amazing? And always saving her? Shaking her head, she slumped in her seat. "Do you have any idea how bad the gossip is going to be? Everyone is going to know."

"I hadn’t thought about that." Kane muttered a swear word under his breath. "We won’t be able to hide this. We’re going to have to go public. There will be an investigation…the pack…" He trailed off.

"You’re worried about him? He's going to go away." She dropped her hands from her face and jerked her head in the direction of the hunter in the back-seat. "I’m the one who’s still going to be here when he’s gone, and I’ll never live this down." She gestured to her dress.

"You said you wanted to do this." Kane gave her a puzzled look.

"I’m also, apparently, not that bright." She leaned her head against the glass of the car door, taking small comfort in the cool surface.

"You were trying to help me," he said, his tone kind. "Not everyone would do that."

"Because they know better." She turned her head to glare at him.

He shook his head. "I don’t think so. I think it’s because most people are selfish. And if you’re stupid, so am I. Remember, I thought this was a good idea, too."

"We probably shouldn’t hang out," she said, frowning. "We’re just an explosion of stupid waiting to happen."

"Well, our brand of stupid caught this hunter guy. We’re not a total waste. Come on, Char. Don’t be so hard on yourself." He turned onto the road that would take them to Audrey and Tao’s place. Then, handing her his cell phone, he said, "And do me a favor. Call Tao and let him know we’re coming and why."

She nodded and quickly navigated to his contacts, which she studied for a moment, as she noted his extensive list of numbers. A sudden jealousy burned through her veins, making her wolf want to bare her teeth and rip out some throats. "Wait. What are all these girls doing in your phone?"

Despite his tan, Kane managed to flush. "Just friends."

"You have a lot of friends who are girls." She scrolled through his contact list. "Judy, Julia, Joanna, July. Wait, July? Who names their kid July?"

He refused to make eye contact. "July is an informant, actually."

"Oh. So…just friends and police informants?" She scrolled on to the letter M. There were ten of them. Five Marys, a Marla, Mariah, Mara, Myra and Maia. "Huh. I didn’t even know we had this many women in Glen Vine. Are they all our age, or are some of your friends Mrs. Harris’ age?"

"It's not like that," he said, his ears turning red.

"I know I'm a big girl, and you said you want more, but what you have in your phone is way more than I could ever do for you." She shook her head.

"I said it's not like that."

"Then what is it like, Kane?" She crossed her arms and looked at him through narrowed eyes.

"Just call Tao, please." He sounded a little desperate, and his face was almost maroon now. Good. He should be embarrassed. He was a wolf, not a tomcat. Her wolf growled deep inside her, angry and possessive.

"Sure, just have to get past all these friends of yours."  She made her way to the letter T and finally hit Tao’s number. Not so much to put Kane out of his misery, but to keep her wolf in check. She was all riled up, and Charlotte didn’t want to shift in the front seat.

Because she wasn’t jealous.

No way.

She was single for the foreseeable future. Her heart was locked up and the key lost. The last thing she needed was a player like Kane, and no matter what he’d said earlier, she was pretty sure someone as curvy as her wasn’t his type. At that thought, she tugged on the hem of her dress, trying to make it cover more of her generous thighs. You could turn a man into a werewolf, but you couldn't stop him from being a dog, right?

"Hello?" Tao’s deep voice filled her ear.

"Tao, it’s me Charlotte. I’m here with Kane, and we’ve got the hunter."

"Where are you?" His voice vibrated with authority and concern.

"We’re on our way to your house."

"Good. I’ll call my brothers."

The phone went silent in her ear as Tao hung up. Charlotte handed the phone back to Kane.

"What did he say?"

"Not much. He’s waiting for us. That’s about it." She glanced back to their prisoner, who was still dead to the world. "What’s going to happen to him?"

Kane shrugged. "I don’t know, but all that gossip you’re worried about is going to be a problem. There’s no way my mom won’t tell people about meeting the girlfriend who started a shootout in her living room."

Charlotte sighed. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me."

"The bigger problem, the one you’re not seeing, Char, is we can’t hide this guy. There’s no sweeping him under the rug. If word gets out, the police will wonder why I didn’t call in a forensics team and bring him to jail." He grimaced. "We have to do this one by the book."

"So why take him to Tao at all?" She liked the idea of dumping the hunter in jail. It sounded simple and neat.

"Because we have to protect ourselves. I trust Tao more than I trust humans right now." The car lurched as he floored the accelerator. "We can’t let anyone find out what we are. Worse, this guy might know more people like him and call them in as back-up."

"I didn't even think of that." Charlotte hugged herself. "Can you imagine more of him? It would be a nightmare."

"Tell me about it," Kane said, his mouth a grim line.

"But we can’t hide him either, and he knows we’re wolves." Charlotte’s stomach sank as she realized jail wasn’t a solution. "What a mess."

"We sure do seem to have our tails in a pinch here. Let's hope Tao has a way out."

Chapter Eighteen

Tao was waiting for them on the porch of the ranch house he and Audrey called home. When they turned into the driveway, he jogged over to Kane’s car and looked in the back seat. "So we got him," he said as Kane stepped out of the driver’s seat.

"Yep," Kane said.

"Everyone okay?" Tao glanced at Charlotte, who nodded.

"We're fine. No injuries."

"What happened?"

"He went for Charlotte, and I intervened." Kane hesitated for a second, not liking the next part. "We exchanged shots. My parents had to help."

"So they know about him." Tao rubbed his chin, his expression thoughtful.

"But not why he was shooting."

"Well, that’s a small mercy, I guess. Come on. Let’s move him to the garage. I want to add some duct tape to that belt you’re using. I don’t trust him to not find a way out of that." Tao opened the Charger door and pulled the man out by the ankles.

"Watch his head," Charlotte said, her voice high pitched.

Kane frowned at her. "Why? He doesn’t care about ours."

"If he dies, it’s just a bigger mess, right?" she asked.

"Let’s try to keep him alive. Murder isn’t the plan here." Tao nodded toward the garage door. "Will one of you open that for me?"

Kane lifted the garage door and Tao lugged the hunter into the garage. He set the unconscious man down on the slab concrete floor and, grabbing a roll of duct tape hanging on the wall, began winding it around his ankles. Ripping it off, he then wrapped several loops around the hunter’s wrists. "That should keep him." He put the duct tape back.

"Now what?" asked Kane.

"We go inside and figure out the next step, because I have no idea." Tao waved them forward. "At least I ordered pizza. Five different kinds. Something for every wolf."

"I take it Audrey’s not home," Charlotte said.

"Nope, and I got the meat lover’s special, too." He gestured to both of them. "For my guests, naturally."

Charlotte laughed. "You’re a terrible vegetarian."

Tao frowned at her. "I am more vegetarian than any other werewolf on the planet."

"Except for Audrey," Kane said.

"Except for Audrey," Tao echoed, bowing his head in agreement. "But she’s perfect, and I’m…well, I’m me."

They traipsed into the house and settled at the oak dining set in the eat-in kitchen. Charlotte flipped open one of the pizza boxes, her stomach growling, while Kane peeked at another one.

"Do you mind if we have some?" she asked, not wanting to be rude.

"Help yourself," Tao said. "My brothers should be here any minute."

"What about the rest of the pack?" Kane asked. The second he finished talking, he shoved a piece of Hawaiian pizza in his mouth. Charlotte did the same with a slice of what looked to be double cheese and double pepperoni. She hadn't been able to eat at Kane's house and the stress of dealing with the hunter had left her starving.

Tao paused in the process of picking up a slice. "We’re keeping this small for now."

"Why?" Charlotte covered her mouth with her hand.

"Because we don’t do things the way humans do. I’m not sure how comfortable people will be with the decisions we make today."

"But you already said you’re not going to kill him," she said, confused.

"True." Tao piled three slices of pizza on his plate and she noted it appeared to be a veggie pizza, which made her feel bad about her earlier ribbing. It also made her wonder, for a fleeting second, what it would be like to love someone so much you would change that much for them.

Tao shrugged. "You guys are such new wolves, I don’t want to get bogged down in a lot of debate. We need to act quickly and decisively here." He settled into a chair and began shoveling pizza in his mouth. Closing his eyes, he made a humming sound deep in his chest.

Charlotte and Kane followed suit, eating in relative silence until Kai and Leo's arrival interrupted them.

Zeroing in on the pizza, Leo said, "You think of everything, brother." He snagged two pieces of each kind, his golden eyes shining with happy anticipation.

Kai hung back, more reserved, his expression closed. Looking to Kane and then Charlotte, he said, "So the hunter becomes the prey."

Kane nodded. "Yes."

"He’s still alive?" Kai looked thoughtful.

"Yep," Charlotte said, taking the initiative to consolidate what was left of the pizzas into one box. She stacked the empty boxes and set them on the kitchen counter, clearing the center of the dining room table. Kai seemed to approve, because only then did he take a seat.

"What are we going to do with him?" Leo asked before stuffing an entire slice into his mouth.

"That’s the big mystery," Tao said. "We’re not going to kill him. Not after everything we’ve been through."

"I still don't understand why your old pack's alpha wanted to kill all of us," Charlotte said. The idea of other werewolves wanting to kill them just because they'd been bitten was sick. Is that what being a werewolf did to people? Made them quick to kill and without remorse? Was she going to end up like that?

"He thought it would protect the pack. You have to remember, Nick’s bite didn’t just turn you, it made you his slave. He could tell you to do anything and you would have no choice." Tao’s hands folded into fists. "He forced Audrey to…do things."

"Oh wow," Charlotte said. She hadn’t realized Nick had done more than bite Audrey. Her heart went out to her friend who had been through so much. They all had. She got up and went to the fridge looking for something bubbly to settle her now churning stomach. Talking about Nick always got to her. Finding a soda, she returned to her seat and popped the tab on the can.

Tao looked to Kai. "Are you ready to rearrange this hunter's brain?"

Kai shifted in his seat, his expression grim. "I don't think I can fix this hunter like that."

Tao's eyes widened with surprised. "But earlier, we discussed—"

Kai cut him off. "I was wrong when I said I could do this for the hunter. I have come to know that he was born this way. It’s who he is and I can’t change that. Just like Nick."

"How did you find out?" Charlotte asked.

Kai tapped his ear with a finger. "I listen to things that do not speak, but they still say many things."

There was a moment of silence where everyone absorbed that. Charlotte wondered what it was to be Kai, to have such power. Being a werewolf, she felt she had some experience with magic, but then Kai said things that revealed there was so much more, and it ran deeper and darker than any of them realized. If he didn't always talk in sideways riddles, she would ask him about it. As it was, she didn't have the patience to try and decipher his true meaning. At least his brothers seemed to understand him and could be relied upon to translate.

Tao rubbed his forehead. "Well, there goes my plan. Now what?"

"We can’t set him loose then," Kane said with a frown. "He would just keep coming after us."

"Right," Tao said with a nod.

"And we’re not killing him, and Kai can’t do his mojo thing to him, so…" Charlotte trailed off, looking at the brothers in turn, hoping they would have a solution. She’d come to depend on them since she’d been bitten. They all had leaned on the strength and knowledge of the three werewolf brothers. The idea they may not know what to do made her anxious.

"We could put him on a plane to Africa or something," Leo offered.

"He would just come back," Kai said. "His spirit compels him to kill us, and he won’t leave us alive if he can help it."

"Too bad we can’t just lock him up," Charlotte said.

"Wait a minute," Kane said, straightening in his chair. "I think we can lock him up."

Everyone looked at him.

"All we have to do is make sure those murders stick, and he’ll be going away for a long time," Kane said.

Tao drummed his fingers on the table, his expression thoughtful. After a moment, he said, "That could work, but," he held up one finger, "we don’t want to do this here. We’ve got to get him out of Glen Vine."

"Yeah. I hate to think of him getting out on bail," Charlotte said.

"That and we need to keep this out of the papers," Kai added. "Other hunters might read about the silver bullets, which is basically a ‘Werewolves Here’ signal among their kind."

"There are states that have high bail amounts for murder," Kane said. "High enough this guy likely won’t be able to get out. The only thing is, we’d have to move the bodies, too and stage some kind of crime scene."

"We can manage it. We’ll use the truck from the two men the hunter shot. You game for a field trip, brother?" Tao looked at Leo, who gave a small nod.

"So, the story would be, he came around here shooting at us," Kane pointed to himself and then Charlotte. "Then he took off with the truck and two hostages, crossed state lines and killed them both. That should get him out of our jurisdiction and put the story in another town."

Charlotte shook her head, knowing it wouldn't be that simple. "But how do we keep him from coming back? Kai said this is what he does, and it’s not like he’s going to forget us."

Kai held up a finger and everyone fell silent, waiting for him to talk. Instead, he closed his eyes and breathed in and out.

"What—" started Charlotte, but he opened his eyes to glare at her.

Putting his finger to his lips, he shushed her. "I’m listening."

She mimed zipping her lips and gestured for him to continue. He closed his eyes again and breathed some more, sounding more like he was running a marathon than meditating. His breaths were ragged and strained. It reminded Charlotte of an asthma attack her friend had at a sleepover years ago. Glancing at Tao, she raised her eyebrows, but he shook his head and made a sharp motion with his hand, indicating she should do nothing.

After several long minutes, Kai opened his eyes, which were now red and bleary with fatigue. In a hoarse voice, he said, "I can’t change him, but I can hide us from his memory, put another place in his mind."

"Make it somewhere far away," Leo said.

"Are you okay?" Charlotte asked, alarmed at Kai’s appearance. She and Kane exchanged glances, and the sheriff looked just as concerned as she was.

"I’m fine," Kai wheezed.

"What happened?" Kane asked. "You were fine, but now you look and sound like hell."

Kai shrugged. "Magic isn’t easy. I have paid a precious price to buy our safety." He pushed his chair back and used his hands on the table to push himself to his feet. "Show me this hunter and I will remove the threat to our pack. We have to be fast or else we'll all be in danger."

Chapter Nineteen

They all trailed after Kai into the garage, which smelled faintly of oil and gas. The cages Audrey housed her rescues in were stacked against one wall, all empty, which Charlotte knew was a good sign. It meant all the injured animals had healed and been returned to the wild. A new wave of critters wouldn’t come in until spring when, Audrey had told her, lots of animals found trouble, more so than at other times of the year.

"In the winter, animals hunker down and hibernate," she’d said as Charlotte helped her clean the pans at the bottom of each cage. "They aren’t as active, so they don’t get hurt as much."

Charlotte hoped that was true for werewolves as well. She could use a little hibernation, some kind of break from the werewolf weirdness that had taken over her life.

Aside from the cages, there was a long tool bench, which she knew was Tao’s domain. And in the middle of the floor, on top of an oil stain that spread out like old blood, laid the hunter. He was still unconscious, his stomach moving up and down as he breathed.

"You’re sure he won’t come back for us?" Charlotte asked. A chill went up her spine as she looked at the unconscious hunter, fully realizing how tall and wide he was for the first time. He gave Tao a run for his money, and Tao was a giant.

Kane moved next to her and put an arm around her, pulling her close. "It’ll be okay," he said. "Between Kai and our legal system, he’ll be lucky if he ever sees a McDonald’s again, let alone the werewolves of Glen Vine."

"I hope you’re right," she murmured.

"Silence," Kai said, his voice sharp despite the hoarseness that still plagued him. He kneeled at the hunter’s side and lightly slapped the man’s cheek. The hunter moaned and his eyes fluttered open and then shut again. Kai put more force into the slap as evidenced by the increase in sound when his hand connected with the hunter’s flesh.

Now the hunter’s eyes stayed open, and he looked at all of them in turn, a bitter hatred burning in his eyes. Behind his duct tape gag, he mumbled something at them.

Hating herself for doing it, Charlotte edged behind Kane. She didn’t want to feel the man’s gaze. Dodging the bullets had been bad enough. Kane reached back and cupped her body with his arm and hand, pulling her up against him.

"I’ve got you," he whispered as he looked over his shoulder at her.

She leaned into him, peeking around his broad physique as Kai did whatever it was he did in these situations. It involved more heavy breathing, closed eyes, and, this time, a monotone hum.

Something rushed over her skin. Usually it was her wolf, but this didn’t feel all that hairy. It was…power, she realized. Lots of power. Enough to make it seem like there was no oxygen in the air. When she did breathe, it flooded her system with the energy charging the garage. Her head began to swim, and even Kane had to take a step to keep himself from falling. The hunter screamed, his body bowing up off the floor, eyes rolling back in his head, but Kai didn’t stop. If anything, his humming grew louder until it stung the air like a hive of buzzing bees.

Charlotte and Kane dropped to their knees in unison, unable to stand against the power pressing down on them. She clutched his shoulders and he laid one hand over hers. Only Tao and Leo remained standing, somehow strong enough to keep their feet under them. Charlotte wasn’t surprised by that, though. She’d heard Tao say he could lift a truck and Leo was no slouch in the brute strength department. After a pack run, she’d seen him pick up a tree that had fallen across his path and hurl it back into the woods like a toothpick.

After several minutes, the weight of power in the air lightened and Kai stopped humming. Charlotte took a deep breath, relieved to be able to breathe just regular air.

"That was crazy," she said to Kane, her voice hushed.

He nodded, but didn’t speak, his attention focused on the hunter. Kai was trying to stand up, but kept falling down to one knee. Leo stepped forward and helped him up.

"Is it done?" Tao asked.

Kai nodded. "It is. A greater magic I have never worked, but he will not know where we are. This place will be lost to him, and he will not find it no matter how hard he looks."

"How?" Charlotte asked. "How do you know this? How do you do this?"

Kai gave her a tired look. "I know because of what I am. I do this because I was born for this work." Looking to Leo, he said, "The hunter will sleep until you wake him." He pulled a feather out of  his hair. "Put this under his nose when you’re ready for him to wake."

Leo stepped forward to take the feather. Tucking it into the back pocket of his jeans, he said, "Got it. Thanks."

Kai kept his hand up, now reaching for Leo. "I need to rest, brother. Please take me inside."

Leo slung Kai’s arm over his shoulders and started walking with his brother to the door leading back into the house, but both stopped short when the hunter on the floor groaned, the sound harsh and full of agony. Everyone looked at him and then took a step back.

"What the Hell?" Charlotte whispered to herself. The hunter’s back arched off the floor again and then slammed down, the skin making an audible slapping sound on the concrete.

He writhed and rocked, eventually rolling onto his stomach and then back onto his back. When she saw the duct tape binding his hands rip apart, she pointed at him and yelled, "He’s breaking free!"

Leo left Kai and ran to the hunter, Tao moving in tandem with him, but it was too late. The duct tape snapped in a succession of staccato beats and the hunter was free. With the strength of a gymnast, he jumped to his feet, his fists swinging before he was even upright.

It was going to be the first time they’d met all over again.

"How is he so strong?" Charlotte asked, watching as the hunter landed solid punches to Leo and Tao’s faces. The force of the hits caused both men to stagger back.

Kane pushed her toward the side of the garage. "Stay here. I’m going to help."

"What about your gun?" she called after him.

He held up his empty hands. "Didn’t bring it." And then he was diving into the action, while she and Kai watched on the sidelines.

It freaked her out how similar the fight was to the last one. "This shouldn’t be happening." She looked around the garage, thinking maybe there would be a gun somewhere, but there was nothing but empty animal cages and Tao’s work bench. The tools looked like they could do serious damage, though. Charlotte fingered a wrench that was as long as her forearm. A mallet sat next to it, and farther down lay a row of screwdrivers.

No guns, but lots of possibilities. A sudden silence behind her caused her to turn around to see what had happened.

It wasn’t good. Both Tao and Leo were on the floor, not knocked out, but close to it. They moved slowly, their eyes glossy, as if about to pass out. The hunter advanced on Kane, cracking the knuckles of his enormous hands as he did so.

"Here, wolfie, come to your master," the hunter said in a low rumble.

Kane edged back, glancing from one side to the next as he took in the situation. Tao and Leo were coming, but not fast enough. Kai was upright, but only because he was leaning against the wall. Charlotte noticed his face was white as if he’d been drained of blood.

"Kane," she hissed, grabbing a screwdriver.

He turned to look at her, and she threw the tool to him. He caught it and brandished it at the hunter.

"What are you going to do with that toothpick?" the hunter snarled. "Clean my teeth?"

"We don’t want to kill you," Kane said. "You can still walk away. Just stop, and no harm, no foul. We each go our separate ways."

"That’s the plan. You go to hell, and I keep on living." The large man flashed a predatory smile. And then he lunged, picking Kane up by the front of his shirt and throwing him across the garage.

Charlotte screamed as Kane came crashing down on top of the tool bench. The wood snapped at the force of his landing and tipped over, dumping him on the floor. The tools fell, making a loud metallic clanging noise as they bounced on the concrete floor. She caught the wrench before it fell, not knowing what she would do with it, but finding its weight comforting.

The hunter launched himself into the air with a powerful jump and landed on top of Kane. The two men rolled across the floor, punching and kicking. Blood streamed from several cuts on Kane’s face, one hitting him directly in the eye.

"Do something!" Charlotte screamed, her hands flailing in the general direction of the brothers.

Tao and Leo were on their feet now, but unsteady, their faces grey and bloody. They headed for the hunter, but he sensed them coming and reared up with two back fists, which hit them directly in their throats.

Clutching their necks, Leo and Tao made horrible noises as they fought to breathe. Despite the injury, Tao had the presence of mind to grab the hunter by the back of his shirt and yank him off Kane. The men scuffled after that, piling on top of the hunter, who eventually threw them all off, emerging from the bottom with the screwdriver in his hand. Murder shining in his eyes, he turned toward Kane, who was face down and had no idea he was in danger.

"No!" Charlotte threw herself toward the hunter. She had no clue what she was going to do, but damned if she would let this asshole werewolf hater hurt anyone she knew.

The hunter saw her, but somehow she was faster, fueled by adrenaline and desperation. They’d fought this human garbage how many times now? She was over it. Time for this to be done.

The wrench cocked behind her ear, she slammed it down on the hunter, aiming for his face, but only hitting his shoulder because he moved. The moment the metal connected with his body, a jarring recoil travelled up her arm, threatening to shake it out of socket. Pushing through the pain, she immediately brought the wrench back up for another hit. This time she got the bridge of his nose. He’d ducked the wrong way, which worked in her favor.

There was a crunch, and then the hunter bent over, hands over his face, howling.  Charlotte slammed the wrench down on the back of his neck. That dropped him to the floor, but he was still moving, so she rained blows down on the same spot on his neck. A dull thunking noise sounded, timing itself with her heart-beat, which roared in her ears.

The hunter tried to get away, tried to hide, and when that failed, he tried to fight, but Charlotte had the upper hand. Wherever he went, she followed, and when he struck out at her—slow and clumsy now because of her blows—she easily sidestepped him, continuing to rain precise blows down on the man.

She hit the back of his neck again and again. Harder and harder, fueled by a desperate need to be safe. Blood began to spatter, then run in rivulets to pool under the hunter’s body, but still she didn’t stop. Raw fury howled in her blood and her vision tunneled, seeing the strike zone and nothing else. Her wolf was angry and wanted the threat annihilated. Nothing less would do.

Hands pulled at her then, and a voice murmured in her ear. Charlotte shook them off, but they wouldn’t leave her alone. In fact, they became more insistent, finally catching her wrist and refusing to let her hit the hunter anymore.

She blinked as someone peeled her fingers off the wrench and took it away.

Her vision went dark for a brief moment and her body began to fall apart as her wolf tried to emerge.

"No, Charlotte," came a deep voice ringing with authority that her wolf could not ignore.

She blinked. Her vision cleared and her body's borders snapped back into place. "Wh-what happened?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Shh. It’s okay. Everything’s okay." This was Kane. He gave her wrist a tug, trying to pull her close, but she balked and twisted free of his grip.

She looked down. The hunter lay in a pool of blood at her feet. The back of his neck looked like chopped steak with bits of white bone shining through the red.

"Oh no, no, no." She backed away, her stomach clenched and her heart stuttering. Collapsing to her knees, she clutched her head. "Who am I?" she whispered. A college student? A werewolf? A killer? She didn’t know.

"You’re Charlotte. My amazing friend," Kane said, kneeling next to her. "That’s all that matters."

"I-I-I k-k-killed him. D-d-d-didn’t I?" She was shaking now, barely able to get words past the shivering.

Kane rubbed her back. "You saved me, Char. That’s what you did."

"You saved all of us," said Tao, coming to stand on her other side.

"M-m-me? You guys are the s-s-strong ones." Her teeth tried to chatter and she clamped her jaw tight.

"You’re strong, too, Charlotte, and I’m proud to have you in my pack." Tao stooped down and took both her hands in his to pull her to her feet.

"W-w-we w-w-weren’t g-going to k-kill him." She couldn’t stop shivering.

"He had different ideas, apparently." Tao nodded to Leo, Kai, and Kane. "Let’s go into the house. We all need some distance from this."

He started to lead her toward the door that opened into the kitchen, but Kane stepped forward. "Let me."

Tao backed off. "Sure thing." The three brothers filed into the house, followed by Kane and Charlotte.

"You’re in shock, so don’t try to go it alone. Just lean on me," he said.

She nodded and did as he suggested, finding comfort not just in his physical presence but also his scent. His warmth seeped into her and she inhaled his musk, needing that just as much as oxygen. Kane's closeness made things better, easing her fear and horror until she could finally take a deep breath again.

Chapter Twenty

Kane helped Charlotte into the house, worried she would pass out. She looked whiter than snow and slumped against him as if she lacked the strength to stand. Her jaw chattered, too, as if she were cold and couldn’t get warm. She was in shock, and it was his fault. If I’d been stronger or faster, she wouldn’t have had to do what she did.

"We’re almost there," he said as they entered the dining room. "Just a little farther."

She collapsed into a chair around the dining room table. Kane took the seat next to her. Kai, he noted, looked pale as well, and dark hollows shadowed his eyes.

"What the hell happened, Kai?" he asked, his voice gruff.

The slender man shrugged, but said nothing.

Kane wasn't about to let it go. "You were supposed to make it so what just happened didn't happen. Your magic didn't work."

Kai stiffened and slowly turned his head to meet Kane's gaze. "My magic always works, wolf."

"Then why did he wake up?" Kane growled. He nodded to Charlotte. "Do you even know what you've put her through?"

"Kane..." she protested, laying a hand on his shoulder.

He shook her off. "We need to know if Kai's magic is reliable or not."

Tao stepped in. "Kane, stop. Kai did everything he could."

He met the alpha's gaze, taking on the power that radiated from the man like wind and refusing to blink. "I won't stop, Tao. People could have died tonight, and we can't risk that again."

"I think the hunter had his own magic," Kai said slowly. "I will have to dream on it, but it's possible he had some kind of shield against what I did. One I could not detect." His shoulders slumped. "So yes, Kane, I suppose my magic did fail." Pushing his chair back, he shuffled out of the dining room, Leo hovering at his side, ready to catch him if he fell.

"Is he going to be okay?" Charlotte asked as she watched Kai disappear into the living room.

Tao spoke for him. "He’s just tired. From what he’s told me, magic is about moving energy and it can be like lifting a heavy weight. What he did today is more than he’s ever done. He’ll need to rest, but I’m sure he’ll be fine. He wouldn’t let it go too far."

Leo returned to the table and sat next to his brother. "Kai is tough. He’ll be all right."

"But will we?" Kane asked, shooting a concerned glance Charlotte's way. With Kai out of the room, his anger had calmed.

"We'll get past this," Tao said. "It was self-defense and there's no dishonor in that."

"We tried not to kill him," Leo added, returning to the dining room. "It was the hunter who demanded violence, not us."

"Well, we're out of danger but now we have three dead bodies," Kane said. He wasn't sure he agreed with Tao and Leo, but what was done was done. He was too pragmatic to argue about the past. It was better to focus forward. "What are we going to do with them?"

"Bury them in the pack clearing," called Kai from the other room, his voice ragged as a dull knife.

"That would be the traditional thing to do." Leo gave a nod of approval.

"And what about their families?" Kane asked.

Tao grimaced. "That’s the flaw in our plan."

"Not to mention we haven’t even finished buying the pack lands. The bank is still drawing up the paperwork," Leo said.

"We’ll keep them here for now," Tao said after a moment’s hesitation.

"They’ll start to smell," Kane warned.

"I know," Tao said. "The mortgage papers should be ready soon. Once we sign, we can move them."

"Audrey won’t be happy," Charlotte said, her voice steadier now. The tension in Kane’s stomach eased a bit. She was going to be okay.

"I’ll work it out with her," Tao said.

Leo stood up. "I’ll go wrap the hunter in a tarp and clean up, so at least that will be done."

"Thanks, brother." Tao held his hand up and Leo clasped it in his.

"No problem."

Charlotte turned to Kane."What are we going to do about your parents?"

"I sent Danielle to take their statements, so we'll control the paperwork from beginning to end. We’ll keep what really happened quiet," Kane said.

"And that’s it," she said, blinking. "It’s over."

"Yes. It’s over. We’re safe now. You protected all of us." Tao confirmed, laying a hand on her shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. To Kane he said, "You did good. Thanks for all your help."

"Well, it was either help or let this guy kill people," Kane said. "There wasn't much choice in the end. Like you said, it was self-defense."

"Maybe so, but you’ve got a head for leadership. Who knows, you might even lead this pack someday." Tao stood, extending his hand and Kane followed suit.

"I don’t know if I’d make a good leader or not, but thanks for the compliment." The two men shook hands.

"Now, take your girl home," Tao said, flashing a smile at Charlotte.

His girl. The words sang through Kane. If only she were his. His wolf twitched under his skin, hungry for her scent. He looked down at her and wondered what it would be like to call those luscious curves his own.

***

Kane was staring at her. Suddenly, she remembered her tiny spandex dress, which covered almost nothing. Heat flushed her cheeks. Oh jeez. Talk about making an impression. And she’d been…doing whatever she did in the garage, all while dressed like a hooker high on bad taste. Great.

"I’m not his girl," she finally said, stammering.

Tao raised his eyebrows, pinning her with his gaze. "No?"

She shook her head, and beside her, Kane fidgeted as if uncomfortable.

Kai appeared in the arched entrance to the dining room. "You smell like you belong together." He lurched toward them, where he grabbed each of their hands. "I’m not really up for this, but it needs to be said," he said.

"What are—" Charlotte started, but Kai cut her off.

"Shh," he said, his expression stern. "I need to concentrate."

So they waited in silence while Kai did whatever it was he did. Charlotte worried her bottom lip, wondering what he would learn. Did Kai’s magical powers extend to mindreading? Would he see right into her head? Eep. That was not a pleasant thought.

After what seemed like forever, but was probably just a minute or two, Kai opened his eyes and glanced at Kane. "You know, don’t you?"

Know what? Charlotte wondered as she watched Kane’s mouth drop open and then snap shut as he nodded, acknowledging Kai’s words.

Turning to Charlotte, Kai said, "You’re still fighting with your old boyfriend. Kane is not him. Move on." With that, he dropped both their hands like they were on fire and then stumbled back to the living room.

"Wh-what was that about?" Charlotte said, rubbing her hand, which tingled like she’d been given a mild electric shock.

"I think we need to talk," Kane said.

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," Tao said, adding his support.

"Okay," Charlotte said, crossing her arms. "So talk."

Kane shook his head. "Not here. Not now."

"Then when?"

"I’ll swing by your place tomorrow morning. Tonight, I’m afraid I have to clean up the human side of this mess." He looked to Tao. "Do you mind taking her home so I can get a jump on all the paperwork I have to do at the station? I want to be there and make sure no one escalates this whole thing into an investigation everyone is watching, you know?"

Tao nodded. "Glad to." Then he slipped back into the kitchen under the guise of cleaning up the mess from their meal, but Charlotte got the impression the alpha was giving them some privacy to talk.

"So is it okay if I stop by tomorrow?" Kane asked.

Charlotte shrugged, undecided as to how she felt. She liked having Kane around, but that didn’t mean she wanted a mate just then. "I want to go back to school," she said. "Finish my degree. Have a career." Have a normal life.

"There’s no reason not to go back."

She arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

He arched an eyebrow right back. "What? Did you think I was going to make you stay in Glen Vine?"

Charlotte crossed her arms. "I have plans, Kane. Things I want to do. I might be single, but I’m not exactly available."

Kane smiled and leaned down until their noses almost touched. "I’m in no hurry, Char. I can wait until I’m a thing you want to do. But here’s the thing, you can tell yourself you aren’t interested all you want, but your body says otherwise. I can taste it on your lips. You might find I’m a big part of your plans." Straightening up, he said, "I’ll see you later, okay? I’ll bring Java Jump."

Speechless, Charlotte let him go. She wished she had something witty to shoot back at Kane, but the truth of his words rang through her, rattling her bones and making her heart beat triple time. What if he was right?

Chapter Twenty-One

Tao's gaze pressed on Charlotte as he turned his head to look out the rear window. Putting his big pick-up in reverse and backing out of the driveway, he said, "You know, the way Audrey and I met was kind of crazy, too."

"Yeah, I know," she said, hoping her lack of in-depth response would cause him to drop the topic. She was all mixed up inside and didn't need a lecture.

But Tao persisted. "Kane’s a good guy."

"Uh-huh." She narrowed her eyes at the big man.

Holding up one hand in surrender, he said, "Okay. Sorry. Just trying to be helpful. Sometimes our wolves know what we need better than we do. Don’t ignore that instinct. It’s an important one."

"How do you know it’s the right instinct?" she asked. Is that what had happened to her in the garage? Had instinct just taken over and caused her to kill someone? She swallowed, nauseated by the whole idea.

"I just do."

"I haven’t been a wolf long enough to trust it, and I don’t know if I want to stay here, Tao." She leaned her head against her window and stared outside.

"Where would you go?"

"I don’t know. Lots of places. I want to go to Europe. Maybe get a job in a big city like New York, but now I’m stuck in Glen Vine, turning furry with you guys." She waved a hand. "Kane is a distraction I didn’t ask for or want."

"And yet you two have been inseparable the last few days. What’s that about?" Tao asked, his voice deep with challenge.

She shrugged. "It’s a coincidence. That’s all." Yeah, Kane smelled nice and saved her all the time and was a super hot hunk of man candy, but she'd felt that way about Colton, too, and that hadn't ended well. Kai could hold her hand and wave his mojo at her all he wanted, but she wasn't going to fall for it. Not on his say so. What did he know about relationships anyway? The guy made out with wind, not women.

Tao turned onto the route that would take them to her house. "Well, you’re not trapped here."

She huffed in exasperation. "Yes I am. I can’t even keep myself from shifting without help. How am I going to go off on my own? I mean, forget Europe, how do I even finish school?"

He sighed. "Come on, Char. This is a temporary phase. It will pass, and you’ll be able to go back to school and travel if you want."

"And stumble into hunters or whatever else is out there that doesn’t like what I am? Is the world even safe for me?" She crossed her arms and looked at him with wide eyes.

His gaze met hers and, uncomfortable with its weight, she turned away. Tao sighed. "Look, I know things have been…intense the last few days, but it’s not the norm. Everything is going to be fine. Just give it some time. This is a big change."

"You really think I’ll be able to go back to school?" She thought of her classmates in high school. Most had opted out of college and stuck close to home. On the reunion website, she saw the birth announcements of second kids. They had families, and she couldn’t even get to class. Damn werewolves to hell and back.

He nodded. "Yes, I do. We’ll need you to go back, anyway."

"Why?" She tried to figure out what her college degree could do for him and came up blank.

He flashed his brights as they neared a sharp curve. There were no streetlights this far out in the boonies of Michigan, just darkness full of deer. Smart drivers tried not to surprise them. "Because what betters you, strengthens the pack."

"I’m a library science major," she said, her voice dry. "You plan on having a pack library?"

"No, but education is never wasted, and who knows? With everything that has happened, maybe you’ll decide to change majors."

"To what? Fantasy? Magic?" She frowned. Was there a spell out there that could reverse Nick's bite? She made a mental note to check.

Tao shrugged. "How about law, or medicine, or finance?"

She grimaced. "How about, no way, not happening, and bad at math?"

He just smiled. "Never say never."

Charlotte shook her head. "I’m not living my life for you or anyone else."

"That’s easy to say, harder to do. The truth is, we all need each other to survive now. If we didn’t work together, that hunter would’ve picked us off one-by-one and, instead of college, you’d be headed for a grave." He gave her a pointed look. "The way to what you want is through your pack. Kai calls it the moon's law. What strengthens one, strengthens all. What weakens one, weakens all. We are bound together by the moon and I'm afraid her rule over us is absolute. You’ll need our support, Charlotte, and we’ll need yours."

Charlotte worried her bottom lip and nodded. She didn’t like it, but he was right. She could try to lie to herself, but then she would shift and the truth would be right there in her face, full of fangs and fur. She couldn't do it alone, not if she wanted any control over what form her body took.

"So don’t be so quick to shut Kane out. Maybe he’ll be the best thing that ever happened to you."

Now she was the one shooting pointed looks. "Yeah, okay. Sure, Alpha." She had to work to keep from snarling his title at him like an insult. Is nothing going to go right for me?

He pulled into the gravel drive that led to her house. "Just keep an open mind."

She hopped out of the truck. "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem." Tao waited until she got the front door open before backing his truck out to the road. With a quick honk, he revved his truck’s engine and zoomed off.

Charlotte greeted Midas and let him out to relieve himself. Then, she ditched the minidress in favor of an oversized t-shirt and her slippers. Curling up on the family room couch with Midas at her feet, she put on a home remodeling show and zoned out, too tired to worry or wonder about anything. Before she knew it, she was half sleeping, her eyes closed but her ears following the long narrative about installing bathroom tile. The noise drowned out the memory of being grabbed in the dark by the hunter and the fight in the garage. It also helped her to not think about Kane. Soon, she didn’t hear anything as she succumbed to the fatigue of the day.

Being the werewolf girlfriend from hell hadn’t been as simple as she’d expected it to be.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Kane said his goodnights to the third-shift patrol, his shoulders aching with tension. He'd lied and then lied some more. Fudged paperwork. Conspired with Danielle to cover up what had happened at his parents' house until, officially, it was a hunter with a malfunctioning rifle, too much alcohol, and a bad temper. They'd put in the report that he'd run off without being identified. Of course his parents would know that wasn't what happened, which meant he would have to lie to change the story with them.

He hated every second of the deceptions forced on him. Danielle didn't seem to be a fan either, her mouth pinching tighter and tighter with every detail they changed or made up.

The phrase 'necessary evil' came to mind. His whole life, he'd lived on the right side of the law and hadn't been one to ever believe that the ends justified the means. Becoming a werewolf had changed all that. Good was bad, bad was good. These days, his moral compass spun fast enough to take flight.

Kane didn't regret the latest round of lies, though, no matter how much they made his gut ache. He would do anything to protect Charlotte. She'd saved his life. And Tao was right, they couldn't risk anyone else deciding to come poke around Glen Vine to see if they could find any shifters to kill. Secrecy was paramount. Whatever it took, they had to stay off the radar.

Leaving the station with one last wave to the clerk at the front desk, he headed for the parking lot. Sinking into the driver's seat of his Charger, he just stared up at the night sky for a second. The moon glowed silver above him and he felt its light stir his wolf. He understood, for the first time, that he was connected to the world in a whole new way. The moon pulled on him and formed his fate. There was no use fighting it. He was a werewolf, and pack had to protect pack. This was what it took to survive.

His phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. He fumbled to pull it out of his pocket, frowning when he saw his mom's number flash across the screen. With a sigh, he answered. "Hey, Mom."

"Hey. I hope I'm not calling too late. It's just I didn't hear from you after you left and I got worried. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. The guy got away though, and I've been at the station doing paperwork." He decided to get it over with, and give her the new story now as opposed to later.

"He got away?" Fear laced her voice.

"Don't worry. He won't come back."

"How do you know?"

Kane snorted. "Because he was a drunk, angry fool. I don't think he even knew where he was."

"But you said he was after Charlotte." Now she sounded confused.

"He was an old boyfriend of hers." Kane started his car and pulled out of the station's parking lot. He could tell this conversation was going to take a while, and he might as well multi-task. "He's been bothering her for a while, but I think we scared the stalking out of him tonight."

"Oh. I see." She hesitated for a second, and Kane could tell she was about to change the subject to one he probably wouldn't like. "About Charlotte..."

"What about her?" He couldn't keep himself from growling at the judgment in his mother's voice.

"She seemed...nice."

"She is." He turned into the gas station and hopped out of the Charger to pump some gas.

"It's just...well, is there a reason why she was dressed like a hooker on steroids? And being so rude? I mean, I've known her and her family for years, Kane. She's never been like that before."

"I thought she looked great," Kane said, tapping his foot as he watched the gas meter.

"You would," his mother sniffed. "Call me old-fashioned, but the Charlotte I saw tonight is not the kind of woman I hoped you would marry."

"We're not getting married," Kane said after a moment's deliberation.

There was stunned silence on the other end of the phone followed by, "What do you mean you're not getting married? I thought—"

"You thought Mrs. Harris knew what she was talking about," he said, cutting her off. "Well, she doesn't. She's the biggest gossip in Glen Vine, and as far as I'm concerned, I don't believe a word she says. She could read from the Bible, and I still wouldn't believe her. She has a way of twisting things until they make trouble. Charlotte and I are friends. That's it. So don't get your hopes too high, Mom."

"Oh." His mother's voice was soft. "Why did you bring her home then and parade her around like she was your girlfriend?"

"Because you started texting me about meeting her and Charlotte thought it was a good idea." The meter stopped and he returned the nozzle to its hook.

"I see, so you lied to me." His mother's voice became clipped and her hurt feelings throbbed in Kane's ear.

"I told you the truth first, Mom, but you didn't want to hear it." His heart clenched in his chest. He hated hurting his mom, but he also had to get through to her or else there would be nothing real about their relationship.

"All right." She went quiet for a long moment and then sighed. "Okay. I hear you now, loud and clear, but why did you bring her home, Kane? You say it was because I wanted it and Charlotte wanted it, but why did you do it?"

"Because..." He trailed off.

"Kane," his mother said, her tone chiding. "No lies this time."

"Because I like her. I kind of like her a whole lot." He slapped a palm to his forehead. Oh crap. Why had he said that? Flustered, he said, "I gotta go. Talk to you later. 'Kay. Bye." He disconnected the call and shoved his phone into his back pocket. Well, hell. He'd just told his mom he liked a girl. She would be insufferable now. Especially once Charlotte stopped with the girlfriend-from-Hell shtick. Damn.

"You okay, man?" The gas station attendant leaned out the glass door, his expression curious.

"Yeah. I'm good," Kane said with a start, realizing he'd been standing in the middle of the gas station long after he was done pumping gas. He looked past the attendant, his gaze falling on the freezer section, which was well stocked with ice cream. Taking it as a sign, he went inside. Maybe the night could still have a sweet ending.

***

A little later, Kane knocked at the front door of Charlotte’s house. It was past midnight, and he knew she was probably asleep, knew he would drag her from bed, but he couldn’t wait for breakfast. For one, he’d had too much coffee at the station and the caffeine hadn't worn off yet.

Two, he didn't want to be alone and three, he had about ten pounds of ice cream that needed eating. His mind was a mixed up jumble of Charlotte, the hunter, and his mom. He wouldn’t be able to sleep until he sorted it out. Besides, he wanted to check on Charlotte and make sure she was okay after everything that had happened in Tao's garage.

He knocked again. "Charlotte? It’s me, Kane."

A dog barked, and Midas' face appeared in the narrow window that flanked the front door.

"Hey, Midas," Kane said in his friendliest voice.

That earned him a growl and a howling bark.

"Well, excuse me." Kane growled back, and the dog froze for a second, his eyebrows high and ears perked. Midas woofed again, sounding a bit uncertain this time.

Kane leaned down until they were eye-to-eye. "Yeah, that’s right. I’m a bigger, badder alpha than you."

The yellow lab huffed at him and dropped his gaze out of respect.

The door swung open and Charlotte blinked at Kane, her eyes bleary with sleep. She looked adorable with her tousled hair and a short shirt that barely reached the tops of her thighs.

Leaning against the door jamb she asked, "Are you talking to my dog?"

"Uh, yeah. Sorry." Kane ran a quick hand through his hair and put on his most charming smile. He knew he didn't look anywhere near as good as Charlotte, but he hoped he held some appeal. "Hi. I know I said breakfast, but I couldn't stop thinking about ice cream for some reason." He held up the bag in his hand. "You made the whole flavor sampling thing sound like so much fun."

She rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Late," he said. "I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to go home alone. Not tonight. And I hate the idea of you by yourself after everything that's happened. Can I come in?" He gave her his best puppy dog eyes, which made Midas growl at him again.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Charlotte shushed the dog and, grabbing him by the collar, she opened the front door wide. "Sure. Come on in." Earlier, she’d wanted to be alone, but now that Kane was in front of her, she felt the need for his company. Plus, there was ice cream. No matter how bad life got, ice cream was always good.

"You got spoons?" He held up his shopping bag, the cylinder shape of the pint containers visible through the blue plastic.

"Yeah. In the kitchen." She waved for him to follow her.

They sat at the small table to the side of the large kitchen. Charlotte put Midas in the laundry room again while Kane took the ice cream out of the bag and set it on the table.

"How are you doing?" Kane asked.

She shrugged as she dug through the silverware drawer looking for spoons. "Okay, I guess. I still can’t believe it all happened." She closed her eyes as a vision of the moment she’d taken someone’s life filled her mind. Then with a deep breath, she shoved the memory far away from her conscious mind. With some effort, she forced herself to stay in the present.

"It gets easier," Kane said as he pried the lids off the ice cream.

"Why? Have you killed someone?" She plopped in the seat across from Kane and handed him a spoon.

Kane sighed and poked at a pint of chocolate ice cream with his spoon. "Yeah. My first year as a cop."

She gave a sympathetic wince. "Did it suck as much as killing people because you’re a werewolf?"

"I don’t think it’s ever easy, no matter what the circumstances are. But you get past it. You figure it out and move on." He popped a spoonful of the chocolate ice cream in his mouth.

"What happened?" She pulled a pint of strawberry cheesecake toward her and stabbed it with her spoon. Finding it rock-hard, she set it aside and focused on Kane. Despite the fatigue shadowing his eyes, he was still handsome enough to make her heart speed up. She took a deep breath to steady herself. No matter what anyone said, they were just pack mates, right?

"My partner and I busted a gang member with a kilo of cocaine in his backpack. He was on a motorcycle, making a delivery from Chicago." Kane paused for a moment, a distant look in his eyes. "We missed his back-up piece and he started shooting at us."

Her eyes widened."Wow."

"More like ‘oh, shit.’" Kane chuckled. "Anyway, my partner was in front of me and the bullet would’ve hit him in the chest. I pulled my weapon and shot the guy first."

"You saved your partner’s life."

"I know. And you saved mine today."

She fidgeted in her seat, knowing he was correct, but still not feeling right about causing someone’s death. Picking up her spoon, she twirled it in the ice cream, slowly skimming thin layer off the top.

"It’s true, Charlotte." Kane reached out and covered her hand with his. "You can’t regret saving someone’s life. You were a hero today."

"I don’t want to be a hero," she said, her voice soft. "I want to be a librarian, damn it. I like books, not turning all fangy." Charlotte looked at him with sudden horror. "Do you think...are we going to get hairballs and stuff like that?" She gagged just thinking about it.

"No. I think that's more of a cat thing." He waved a hand. "We're more related to dogs, right?"

She slumped in her chair, struck by a new thought. Something worse than hairballs. Way worse. "Do you know what happens to dogs?"

Kane shook his head and gave her a questioning look.

"Their anal glands get all stopped up, and you have to take them to the vet and get them expressed." She wagged a finger at him. "They stick fingers up the dog's ass and squeeze," she pinched her fingers together, "to fix it. Midas goes in every couple of months so they can clear him out. It smells like rotting zombies."

Kane set his spoon aside and swallowed hard. "I...umm...I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen to us. Tao would've mentioned something about it by now if it was a problem."

"I hope you're right." She crossed her arms and worried her bottom lip. "How would we go to the vet for that anyway? Take turns shifting and playing each other's owner? Can you imagine?"

"We're not dogs, Char. We're werewolves and that's a whole different category." Kane's voice rang with certainty. "It'll be fine. And anyway, we can’t go back. This is who we are now." His mouth a determined line, he picked up his spoon and ate some more ice cream. Swallowing, he said, "You know, I replayed that traffic stop over and over again. It kept me up for months."

"How did you ever sleep again?"

Kane thought for a second, and then said, "I realized it was inevitable. At that moment, someone was going to die, and I made sure it wasn’t me or my partner. Obsessing about it wasn’t going to change anything." He shook his head. "And you’d better believe I practically strip searched suspects from that day on. My partner was the one who patted the guy down, but we both learned to be more thorough."

"That guy paid a hell of a price to teach you that lesson," she said, filling her spoon with more ice cream.

"Yeah, but he didn’t have to pull the gun. He had a choice, and he opted for murder." With a heavy sigh, he added, "The deaths that are going to bother me are those two men the hunter killed."

"It wasn't your fault," Charlotte said.

"Maybe not directly, but I left them there and, because of me, they died." He stared into his ice cream. "It's not a good feeling."

"Like you said, you can't go back. We both have to let it go, I guess. I'm just not sure how." She sighed and poked at the chocolate chip cookie dough with her spoon. Now that she'd stopped thinking about anal glands, her mind was full of the man she'd killed. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block it out. It was a good thing Kane was there. As always, he made things better.

Kane took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Straightening up in his chair, he said, "I say tonight is the first step forward. Talking about it helps, I think. I feel better at least."

"Yeah, me too." She gave him a small smile and resumed eating her ice cream, forcing herself to think of nothing but eating it. "Sugar doesn't hurt, either."

Kane switched from chocolate to birthday cake ice cream. "Mmm. This is amazing. Have you had this?"

"No, not yet." She looked at the carton with interest.

He held the pint out to her and she took a scoop.

Swallowing, she said, "This tastes like a birthday party."

"Lots of icing," Kane said. "Mmmm. I love icing."

"Me, too."

Their spoons hit each other as they both went in for more. They laughed, and Kane's gaze caught hers, full of heat that made her flush.

Charlotte broke eye contact first and reached for the strawberry cheesecake ice cream. "Do you ever feel normal again after something like that? Or are you forever different?"

"It took a while, but I did move on. So you will get past this. Just try to focus forward, don’t let yourself get stuck in that moment. It was what it was. You can’t change it, and you shouldn’t let it change you. Go be a librarian if that’s what you want."

"And a werewolf." She shoved a huge spoonful of ice cream in her mouth, wishing it could numb the bitterness that welled up inside her when she thought of her future as a werewolf.

"It is what it is. I didn’t plan on spending my life howling at the moon, but here I am."  He ran a hand through his hair. "Shit. I’ve lied at work to cover all our hairy asses. It’s crazy."

"I never thought about that." Charlotte gave him a sympathetic look.

"Yeah. I’m keeping secrets from everyone." He paused and his gazed settled on her. "Everyone but you."

"I'm honored, I guess."

"We’re in this together, you know? And," he cleared his throat, "I don’t want to let you go."

"Meaning?"

He pushed his chair back and stood. Coming around to her side of the table, he pulled her up and against him. "I want to kiss you. I want your scent in my nose, and your body wrapped around me."

"You do?" She gave him a hard look. "What about all those girls in your phone?"

"They were from before I met you." He fished in his pants with one hand and pulled out his phone. Handing it over to her, he said, "See for yourself."

She went to contacts and scrolled through. The list of names had shrunk by more than half. "You deleted them?"

"Yeah." He took the phone from her. Angling the screen so she could see, he scrolled down to W and then to her name, Charlotte Wills. "And here’s where you are."

She peered at the phone screen. "Oh, wow. I don't know what to say. You did that for me?"

"I would do more than that, if you let me." He held her gaze for a second and she had to look away, unable to withstand the desire burning bright in his dark eyes. "I know you were mad about all those girls. But I met them only because I hadn't found you yet. If I'd met you first, your number would've been the only one in my phone."

Clearing his throat, he continued, "I gave you your own ring-tone, too." He tapped the screen and wolf howls filled the kitchen. There were two of them, going back and forth. "I heard about them online. They're from Yellowstone. They've been mates for over a decade and never leave each other's side. Her alpha was caught in a trap, and she not only fed him so he wouldn't starve, she went and found a park ranger to help. She saved his life. Just like you saved mine."

Charlotte’s breathing hitched. This was possibly the sweetest thing any guy had ever done for her. He'd really put some thought into it. Something she'd never seen from her ex, who treated her like she was a pizza he could order in whenever he felt like it. "Thank you, Kane," she whispered.

His hand cupped the side of her face and he dipped his head down until their eyes were even. "Talk is cheap. This is so much better." His lips descended on hers and fire raced from her mouth to sear the rest of her body. She’d always known Kane was hot, but his touch was like an open flame, dancing and licking over her as it burned.

"Oh, Kane," she breathed.

"Shh." He shushed her and then deepened their kiss. His tongue stroked hers, and his teeth nipped at her bottom lip, which he followed up with sucking the whole thing into his mouth. Charlotte’s knees went weak and she pressed into him, leaning into his strength.

After a moment, he pulled back, his breathing ragged, his eyes dark pools of seduction. "What do you think? Can I be part of your plan?"

Charlotte froze for a moment, considering his question. Her ex had never kissed her like that. She couldn’t even call what Kane did a kiss. It was more a brand, one that marked her as his. She could deny it all she wanted, but it wouldn't change the fact that deep down in the dark place where her wolf lived, she wanted him.

It might be a disaster. It was probably a bad idea, but that didn’t matter. They'd been through too much to not be together. Instinctively she knew they needed each other. It wasn't just about attraction, it was about healing and holding each other up until they could both stand on their own again.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Kane groaned as their kiss deepened. He cradled Charlotte in his arms, wanting to treasure the moment as much as the woman he enjoyed it with. Her scent filled his head until he was dizzy with it. His whole life, he'd been chasing the wrong idea of beauty, but with one bite, that had all changed, and while he wasn't a hundred percent sold on being a werewolf, finding Charlotte was a check in the pro column.

She filled his hands with her soft curves, her body yielding to his touch. His ears picked up the way her heart quickened when he reached down to squeeze her ass and grind his cock into her pelvis. That he had that kind of effect on her made him even harder.

He pulled at her shirt. "This. Off. Now."

Charlotte resisted. "You first." She yanked at the buttons on his shirt, growling softly when they wouldn't give way.

Annoyed, he swatted her hands away and ripped his shirt off with one quick jerk. Buttons clattered to the floor. He'd probably ruined his shirt, but he needed her now or he was going to lose his mind. She bit her lip at the sight of him, and then reached out to press a hand against his chest. "You're built like a body builder. How do you find the time to work out?"

He caught her hand and placed it at his groin. "I think of you. That's all the exercise I need." Crushing her against him, he drove his tongue into her mouth, doing everything in his power to lap up every last bit of her scent and swallow it inside him.

Coming up for air, he said, his voice low and ragged, "Get that shirt off before I rip it apart."

Charlotte's breathing hitched as they locked gazes. Her eyes were wide pools, deep enough to drown a man should he fall in. She did as he asked, her hands going to the shirt and lifting it over her head. Save for her lace panties, she was naked.

Kane just looked at her for a moment, reacquainting himself with her curves. The glimpse he'd had of her earlier had burned itself into his brain and he found his memory accurate. Her skin glowed, pale as cream, and her pink-tipped breasts were glorious. He would hold onto her wide hips as he took her, pulling her as close as he could.

"You're beautiful," he said, hefting one breast in his hand. "I wanted you the second you knocked me over. Did you know that?"

She shook her head, her eyes glazing as his thumb found her nipple and flicked it into prominence.

"It's like you knocked some sense into me and I saw you for the first time." He leaned down and sucked her nipple into his mouth, teasing its twin with his other hand.

"I-I didn't know." Her voice came out breathy as she responded to his touch. He could smell her desire in the air and knew a slick wetness waited for him between her legs. His pants were tight enough to split around his hardening cock.

"I'm glad your ex was an idiot," he said, his tone sharp. "Because you were meant for me." With that his hands went to her panties and he ripped them off in one swift movement. Nuzzling her neck, he carefully folded what was left of the lace and put it in his pocket. He'd never done anything like that before, but Charlotte was special and he knew he was going to want to remember their first time together.

***

Charlotte leaned into Kane, her mind whirling from both his touch and his words. When he moved in to kiss her again, she turned away.

"What is it, Char?" He'd been growling commands at her the last few minutes, but just then, his voice was quiet, tender even.

"I feel broken, Kane. What I am. What I've been through." Her voice caught and a tremor shook her body. Did monsters deserve love? Was that even what she was?

"You're not broken." He gave her a little shake and then lifted her chin up until her gaze met his. "Do you know what I see when I look at you?"

Mute, she shook her head.

"You're brave, loyal, and gorgeous. There's no one else I want to be with." He leaned down and nibbled her earlobe for a second before saying, "What we've become, who knows what will happen with that? But what we have? You and I? That's a good thing, and I'm not letting it go."

"Do you think that's true?" She wanted to believe him.

"Yes." Kane pulled her tight against him. "You're mine. And I'm yours, if you want me." He captured her lips with his then and kissed her until her lungs burned and her heart throbbed with need. When he let her breathe, he said, "Tell me you want me. Let me make you happy, Char."

"Yes," she sighed. She did want him. Needed him even. His touch felt right when everything else around her was wrong. It had been that way since she'd run into him that day on Glen Vine's Main Street. "I...just..." She trailed off.

"What? Tell me, and I'll make it happen." There was a deep fierceness in his voice that told her he meant every word.

"Just don't leave me, Kane. I don't think I could bear it." Her heart already threatened to break in two at just the thought of being dumped again.

He shook his head. "Don't you know?"

"What?"

"Wolves mate for life. This isn't just one night, Char. I think it might be forever." He walked her back toward the kitchen counter and lifted her up. Kneeling down, he spread her knees. "I know your ex hurt you, but tonight, I'm going to make you forget he even breathed on this earth. It's my name that will fill your lips, and that's the only one that matters, you hear me?"

He nipped at her thighs, alternating between lips and teeth. She shivered and gasped as he neared the nexus between her thighs. Before he touched her, he lifted his head to say one last thing. "You're going to scream my name until it echoes in your soul. There will be no room for anyone else ever again."

With that, he thrust his tongue through her nether lips. Charlotte fought not to melt into a puddle of sexual ecstasy, but it was damn difficult with a man as hot and alpha as Kane between her legs. Forever would be awesome if it was full of Kane touching her like this.

He wanted her.

Not those other girls, the ones she knew he'd been with before, but her.

The pain she'd carried since her ex had dumped her evaporated. Kane was right, her ex hadn't been the one for her. He'd just been a stepping stone on the way to finding Mr. Right. She felt the truth of that in the pleasure Kane's tongue sent rippling through her.

Kane was who she was supposed to be with. Her nose had been trying to tell her all along, but she'd been too hurt to listen.

Kane flicked the sensitive bud at her core with his tongue and slipped his fingers inside her. Charlotte threw her head back as her hips writhed on the counter, not caring that she was covering the granite with her juices. She would clean it up later. After Kane was done fucking her senseless.

Reaching for his head, she held tight to his hair, urging him to go harder and faster. Her body pulsed and quivered as pleasure gained momentum. Before she knew it, she was keening and shuddering into Kane as an orgasm hit her so hard it left her stunned and barely able to breathe.

"Kane, Kane," she whispered, struggling to find air and the ability to think.

"That's right, baby. Say my name." He helped her off the counter, catching her when she stumbled, her legs numb and leaden. Sweeping her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing, he headed upstairs.

She pointed to her bedroom door. "There."

He shouldered the door open and tossed her onto the bed. She watched as he shucked his pants and boxers, enjoying the view of his sculpted physique. Most hard things hurt when you ran into them, but when she'd slammed into Kane that day on Main Street, the feel of being pushed up against him had made her body sing. And tonight, she would take all the hardness he had to give.

Naked, Kane jumped on top of her, covering her curves with his lean strength. He kissed her, and she tasted her essence mixed with his. She gripped his shoulders and deepened their kiss, wanting more. Their tongues tangled and they nipped at each other's bottom lips.

Giving her lip one last hard bite that left her gasping, Kane moved down her body, gathering her breasts in his hands. Sucking her nipples in turn, he didn't stop until they were hard, aching points.

"Spread your legs," he said, his hand going to her thighs, seeking the heat at her core.

She let her knees fall open, sighing as his hard length slid inside her. He was so big she felt her body stretch to fit him.

His head fell back and his eyes closed as he sank all the way into her. "You're so tight and wet, Char. I need you."

"Yes, Kane," she hissed, hands reaching for his shoulders and pulling him close. "I need you, too," she whispered in his ear.

He went for her breasts, pulling the nipple almost savagely with his lips. Charlotte gasped in surprise and then moaned as the momentary discomfort melted into pleasure. Kane thrust into her as he played with her breasts, pulling on the sensitive tips and then biting them until Charlotte thought she would burst into flames.

She'd never had a rough lover before, but she liked what Kane did. Maybe it's the wolf in me. Her wolf ran close to the surface, drawn by the frantic tangling of their bodies and the pleasure that pounded through her heart.

She had the urge to sink her teeth into Kane, to plant herself in his flesh and taste his blood. That definitely has to be my wolf.  But she didn't fight it. Instead she reached down and yanked Kane up by the hair, covering his mouth with hers. Their kiss this time was hungry and fierce, full of hard edges that fought for dominance.

He pushed his hands under her back, lifting her upright into a crushing embrace. The change in position allowed him even deeper inside her, and Charlotte moaned as he made the darkness within her come to life. Pleasure sparked all over her body, zooming through her system faster and faster. She undulated her hips against him, struggling to take more of Kane.

They clung together, rocking and thrusting as one until she cried out. The orgasm rocked her, stealing her breath. Her core fluttered around Kane until he succumbed to his own climax with a harsh yell. They didn't stop though, the need to be one was too great. They held onto each other, their bodies shaking with the power of their coupling.

Charlotte rested her head on Kane's shoulder, breathing in his scent. "Wow."

"Yeah. That was amazing."

She turned her head and looked up at him. "You sound surprised."

He was silent for a moment, his gaze searching her face. "It's never been that good, Charlotte."

She couldn't keep from smiling, pleased she'd outdone all his previous lady friends. Point for the curvy girl. "Same here. What do you think that means?"

"That you're mine." He dipped his head and bit her shoulder. She startled, surprised by the bite, but then gave into her earlier urge and sank her teeth into the meat of his shoulder. It felt almost as good as sex, scratching some instinctive itch only her wolf understood.

They collapsed side-by-side onto the bed after that, chests heaving, completely and utterly spent.

"So now what?" she asked, staring at the ceiling.

Kane reached for her hand. "I have no idea, but I know one thing."

"What?" She looked at him, curious.

"Once you've been bitten, you can never go back." And then he was kissing her, claiming her as his once again.

Epilogue

They gathered at the new pack clearing at the next full moon, intent on christening the space. The mortgage had come through, and it was time to celebrate a new beginning. Overhead, the moon cast a luminous, magical glow over the world and stars twinkled in the distant sky. Fall had passed into early winter, the temperature dropping with the last of the leaves.

Leo breathed in the cold air, feeling at ease for the first time in weeks. He and Kai had been living in a tiny apartment in Glen Vine for the last several months, the press of the human world around them feeling a lot like having their fur rubbed the wrong way. With the pack land officially theirs now, they would be able to build a cabin out here and finally have some peace. He couldn't wait to just roll out of bed, shift and go for a morning run. Speed cleared his head and kept his wolf content. He needed to run like he needed to breathe.

Audrey and Tao stood at the center of the clearing, welcoming people as they crunched through the first snowfall of the season. The couple stayed close to each other, constantly reaching out and touching one another, the love between them obvious.

They weren't the only love birds. Charlotte and Kane were just as bad as his brother and his mate. They passed through the threshold of pine and birch trees ringing the clearing and, with a nod to everyone, went to stand off to the side, opposite Leo. They didn't stop touching each other, either. If one stepped away, the other followed, as if unable to bear being apart.

Leo looked away. He was happy for them, but it made his life here in Michigan feel empty. The new pack wasn't home. Not yet. And he was alone, even among his brothers. Tao was too busy with Audrey and their upcoming wedding to go for runs these days. And Kai was ruled by his magic. As for the humans newly made into werewolves, they seemed uneasy around Leo, and he didn't like to bother them unless he had to.

He missed having a place and people that he not only called his own, but who claimed him in turn. Yeah, their home pack hadn't exactly embraced them with open arms, but they'd belonged. Here, no one really wanted them.

Not that Leo blamed them. He and his brothers had been wolf born, which had been hard enough, and he could only imagine how difficult it was to go from human to not human in the snap of a jaw. The fact it had been his own brother who had bitten everyone and turned them made it all worse.

Leo could see it in their eyes sometimes, knew they thought 'Here is a brother of the wolf who attacked me.' And it stung because he'd done nothing wrong.

He took a breath, savoring the pine scented air and gave himself a little shake. Tonight was going to be a new start. Kai had said it earlier and it seemed to Leo that he could sense whatever it was in the air that told his brother these things. The cold breeze filling the clearing seemed to sweep away emotions, giving everyone a clean slate.  Despite his gloomy thoughts, hope stirred inside him.

The pack land had potential. Maybe it didn't feel like home yet, but he had no place else to go. He would just have to make the best of things and hope that someday, he would find his other half, just like Tao and Kane had.

A hand landing on his shoulder made him jump. "Have faith, brother," came Kai's voice, low and solemn. Kai squeezed Leo's shoulder before letting him go.

"Faith in what?" Leo asked.

"That the winds that move our lives know what we need. That the moon will light our way." Kai lifted a hand to the silver orb in the sky, almost saluting the celestial body.

Leo rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay. Sure." He knew the power Kai's magic held, but the cryptic way his brother wielded it made it hard to take him seriously sometimes. Looking closer at Kai, he said, "Are those rocks in your hair?"

Kai lifted a strand, showing off a smooth round stone tied to one end. "Yes. The lake gave them to me. We are anchored here, Leo. Tied to this pack for the rest of our lives."

"So we're stuck here?" His wolf jolted to attention at the idea and a sudden urge to roam made his legs ache. He pushed his animal back and sucked in more cold air. The scent of summer carried a ripeness that stirred his blood, but winter soothed and calmed sometimes to the point where his wolf almost hibernated inside him. It often annoyed him, because he loved to run on four paws, but just then, he was grateful.

"Sometimes it is good to be stuck, brother." Kai nodded to Tao.

Watching Tao sweep Audrey up in a kiss and hearing her giggle of delight, Leo thought with all his heart, 'I want that, too.'

"Run with the wind and you will arrive at the right place," Kai said, seeming to read his brother's mind. He clapped Leo on the shoulder again and ambled off to greet the pack. After a moment's hesitation, Leo followed suit.

Tao opened a bottle of champagne and Audrey passed out glasses. Leo took one and stood with the rest of his pack, waiting for the toast.

"To our new pack clearing and the wolves who will call this place home." Tao held his glass high as his bass voice boomed loud in the night.

Leo clinked his glass with the rest of the pack and then downed the champagne in one gulp. People were already shedding their clothes, preparing to shift. Leo returned his glass to the tray Audrey had left for that purpose and quickly shucked off his clothing. The shift washed over him, reforming his bones and easing the aches that came with carrying human burdens.

With a long howl at the moon, he bounded off into the darkness around the clearing, chasing after the rest of his pack. A sharp wind came up on his back and he smiled as it pushed him forward. He would throw himself to the wind and trust it to take him where he was supposed to go.

~The End~

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed Moon's Law. If you haven't read First Moon (which was a bestseller with more than 50,000 copies sold) yet, I strongly encourage you to pick that up next. (Oh, and don't forget to join my newsletter. I have a free read for you!)

First Moon...how it all started!

BLURB: Audrey Levine thinks being bitten by a wolf is just another day on the job. She couldn’t be more wrong.

A wildlife rehabilitation specialist, Audrey usually does all the rescuing, but now she's the one who needs help. In ten days, she’ll be covered in fur and howling at the moon while the wolf who bit her is out there, waiting to claim her as his own…whether she wants to be his or not.

The biggest problem? The curvy beauty doesn’t know any of this.

Werewolf Tao Black is the strong, silent type, which is an asset in his role as pack enforcer. Hot on the trail of a wolf gone bad, he runs into trouble and is saved by Audrey. Realizing her situation, he vows to protect Audrey from the wolf who bit her, no matter what it takes.

But that means going against his alpha’s orders…which might get them both killed.

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About Michelle Fox

NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author Michelle Fox lives in the Midwest with her husband, kids, the occasional exchange student, and two sweetly disobedient dogs. She loves fantasy and romance, which makes writing paranormal romance a natural fit. Occasionally, she goes through a maverick phase and writes contemporary romance. In her spare time, she's been known to shake her bon-bon at Zumba, make spectacular cheesecakes, hoard vintage costume jewelry, and eat way too much ice cream (Ben and Jerry’s Karamel Sutra for the win!).

Between Two Wolves

A BBW Werewolf Ménage Paranormal Shifter Romance

Catherine Vale

Chapter One

Sweat dripped in my eyes, but I knew if I used the half-second that it would take to brush it away, Jack would be on my ass. So I kept up my rhythm, feet moving between punches, hips and legs limber, my fists slamming the big bag as hard as I possibly could. From behind the bag, I heard Jack grunt, but I didn't lose focus. He was almost as big as the bag, and I knew the grunt was one of disapproval, not from the force of my punch. I didn't think anything I threw could possibly rattle him, but I still tried. He'd been an amateur boxer since before I was born, a light heavyweight with a face that bore the scars of years in the ring.

And he was a total hard ass.

“Less power, Red. Breathe...and stop staring at the damn bag. You’re not focusing.”

I absolutely hated being called Red; only Jack could get away with calling me that. My name is Risha Reynolds. Being a redhead meant that for most of my life, people went for the easy jab of Risha Red. Yeah, I also got hit with the typical ginger you-don’t-have-a-soul comments, but that shit didn’t bother me. Being called Red however, made my fists clench, and my blood boil. I’m not sure why the knee-jerk reaction to hearing that, but it just bothers the hell out of me.

Like I said, Jack was the only one who could get away with calling me that.

I punched again, landing a hit that sent the bag quivering like it was having a seizure. It felt good. Really good. Some of the anxiety that had been swirling around in my chest faded, that itchy feeling at the base of my spine that had been plaguing me since... Since that fucker Harrison left me.

I stayed light on my feet, in an easy bounce, and then imagined it was Harrison, the asshole, in front of me, instead of the bag. Harrison, the jerk that had left me for a college room mate. Bounce again, hit again. Harrison was on his knees now. Left, right combination, and Harrison was begging for a second chance.

The bag was suddenly coming at me. I took a startled step backward, dropping my hands. Jack reached around the bag, slapping his hand against the side of my head. It stung, but I was more embarrassed than hurt. Jack scowled at me from behind the bag.

“Whatever you're thinking about, it isn’t this.”

I stared at Jack. “What did you do that for?”

“Because you're wasting my time, and yours. If you want to pay me while you daydream, find someone else. I want to train, not stand here watching you fuck around.”

“Okay. Okay.” I threw my hands up. “Sorry. It's just...”

“I don't care what it is. Here...” He reached for my hand, big fingers working quickly over the laces. “I'm paid to be your personal trainer, not your personal therapist.” The glove hit the floor. I held up my other hand, and he went to work on that one.

“I'm sorry. You're right. I'm a little out of it today.” A little was an understatement. “It won't happen again.”

“Damn straight.” He dropped the second glove, reached out and tapped a stubby forefinger against my forehead. “Whatever is up here, Red, leave it out there. You got about a quarter of an hour. Use it if you want, or hit the locker room. But I'm still charging you for it.”

I watched him walk away. He was right; he was always right. I'd known Jack for a little over six months, and even though he was a hard-ass, and more often than not treated me like one of the guys, he'd given me the best advice about Harrison, by not saying a damn thing. And usually, like today, that advice had been a slap alongside the head, and a refusal to let me wallow in self-pity. Or at least not wallow on his time, even if it was my dime.

The day was a wash, as far as training went. I scooped up the gloves, and my water bottle, and headed to the locker room. From across the ring that dominated the center of the room, I caught Jack's eye, and the slow shake of his head. I could read him from here: wasting time again.

So I detoured, dropped the gloves and bottle, and climbed onto the treadmill. I'd walk out the last of my session here, maybe redeem myself a little. I punched in a short program, and started walking.

But this was worse than the bag. There was nothing to distract me from myself. I tried watching the guys in the ring, and focusing on their motions. The cute guy with the black hair was sparring with someone new, and for a minute I watched them circle and dance, jab and weave. But even that wasn't enough to hold my attention. It drifted again. Back to Harrison.

You need to get your head on straight, Risha.

Jack was right. To let what happened with Harrison still bother me after all these months was crazy. But he'd been the guy I thought was the love of my life, my soul mate, the man I was going to marry. And I thought he felt the same way about me. That is until he told me he thought we should see other people. And then topped that off by casually mentioning he was dating my old college roommate. I called it quits.

The timer buzzed on the treadmill, and I stepped off. The cute guy was gone from the ring, and Jack had already started training with his next client. Everyone was busy, getting on with their lives. I gathered up my gear and headed to the locker room. Jack was right: I needed to move on already.

* * *

“I think getting away is a good idea, but why the middle of nowhere? Can't you get Harrison out of your system at a spa, or a resort? Some place with indoor plumbing?”

My best friend Maggie was curled on my couch, sipping a Cosmo. She'd just binge-watched an entire season of Sex and the City, and she was channeling her inner Carrie Bradshaw. But it suited her personality. She's a girly-girl through and through, and a complete opposite of me. Maybe that’s why we’ve been friends for so long.

“I like to hike and camp, you know that.” I plopped down in the chair opposite her. “It's only for a couple days. Nothing’s going to happen to me, other than bug bites and maybe a case of poison ivy. I took a sip of my beer.

“I'm just tired of everything that reminds me of Harrison. I’m tired of…” I waved my hand in the vague direction of pretty much everything in sight. We’d shared this apartment, and while I'd gotten rid of most of his personal belongings, the things we'd bought together, like the couch I no longer sat on, were silent reminders of him, of us. Of what was no more.

“I need a vacation. And it’s been ages since I’ve gone camping. I miss being out in the woods. And hey, it’s a two-person tent, if you want to come along.”

Maggie was already shaking her head. “Oh, hell no. Not me. I’m a city girl, and you know it. I’m lost if there’s anything other than concrete beneath my feet. If I go longer than a few days without retail therapy, I go into shock. You know this.”

“And that’s exactly why you need a two bedroom apartment. Just so you have enough room for your shoes.”

“And that’s why I’m a very happy girl.” She laughed. “Retail therapy. Works every time.”

“Well, I’m glad you found your bliss. Mine is outside. Alone with nothing but nature, and myself.”

Maggie’s laugh faded. “Yeah. About that.” Her expression suddenly changed, and I knew where this conversation was headed.

“So, why can’t you think here? Why not just hole up with a gallon of Ben & Jerry’s, and a bunch of movies?”

“Because there’s email and phones, and clients with deadlines…and interruptions.” And reminders around every corner, and in every drawer, and in every closet. Basically I lived in a haunted apartment with my ex as the resident ghost.

“But why the need to live amongst the wild? Can’t you just unplug everything, and disconnect from the world for a bit? Even I can do that.”

“Not the same, Maggie. Do you want another Cosmo?” It’s hard to derail Maggie when she gets like this. But she wasn’t taking the bait. I went and got another beer, bracing myself for what was coming next. She waited until I was back in my chair before she started up again.

“Rish, I’ve said this before. You spend too much time alone. You work from home, you order groceries online, have take-out delivered. Who do you actually see, besides me?”

“Jack, at the gym…” I wanted to say the other guys at the gym, but I had to admit, even to myself, I really didn’t even know their names. “Clients.” It sounded lame, even to my ears.

“Clients. Rish, you’ve never even met most of your clients. For all you know, Hannah in Canada might be a middle-aged man in Florida. You don’t know these people, other than as an email address or Skype name.”

“That’s unfair. It’s not like that, and you know it. This isn’t online dating, this is my business. I’m a ghostwriter. It’s not like I have to know my clients personally. They send me an outline, I complete the work, and they pay me. I don’t exactly have to be their friend.” But I did have to admit; I had doubts sometimes about who really was on the other end of the email address. As a ghostwriter, all of my business took place via the Internet, so I would never really know. But quite honestly, I didn’t care. I kept my head down, and did the work.

“My point, Rish, is you’re alone. A lot. And I don’t know that it’s a good idea for you go off and be even more alone than you already are.”

“This is different.”

“How so? Alone is alone, either here or in the middle of nowhere. You’re still alone.”

“I asked if you wanted to come with me, remember?” I figured that would shut her up. “Besides, I’m my own best company. I have an active imagination. And hey, there are a whole lot of people living in my head. They’ll keep me company.” I gave her my best smile, but she wasn’t buying it.

“That’s another thing; you write strange stories, about werewolves, vampires, things that go bump in the night. You asked if you could duct tape me to a chair just last week to see if I could escape!” She shook her head, and I laughed. I’d asked her to do that as research, and she’d flat out refused to be my guinea pig. I couldn’t say I blamed her.

“It’s just that I worry about you.”

“Yeah, I know. I worry about me too, sometimes. But this really is different. There’s something special that happens in the deep woods…something, elemental. I always feel as though I belong out there somehow. Like I’m going home.” I shrugged. “Sounds weird to you, but it’s my bliss, being out there. I miss it.”

Maggie rolled her eyes, but I could tell that I was getting through to her.  “Well, you were always the hippie chick.” She grinned at me over the edge of her glass. “I suppose running naked through the woods would do you some good. At least you'll get rid of that indoor pallor, get some sun. You never do see the sun, do you? With the vampire hours you keep...”

It was my turn to roll my eyes. “I'm not a vampire; I work from home. And I don't tan, you know that. Red hair...” I ran my hand through my hair, fanning the strands over my shoulders. “Freckles, all of it...I'm doomed to be pale, regardless of my work schedule.”

All this flaming red hair—which only flamed brighter as I got older, not dimming as my mother had said it would as she tried in vain to console me, while I'd cried over its brash color—red hair is really difficult to manage, which meant that I wasn’t exactly a popular kid. It had taken years to finally come to terms that I would always stand out in the crowd, and through it all, somehow I learned to love the hair and freckles that made me different.

Maggie sighed, a sound of resignation. I hoped we’d come to the point, just like we did every time we had a variation, of this conversation, where she just gave up. I didn’t like the confrontation, and this was as confrontational as we ever got.

“So when are you going off to play forest fairy?”

“This weekend, I think. If I can get caught up on work, I can take off Thursday and Friday, and be back Sunday night. I'm only going up to the hot springs at Big River.”

“Oh, see? You'll be skinny dipping, too! I’ve heard all about the sort of things that go on up at those secluded hot springs.” Maggie giggled, finishing her Cosmo. “Too bad you don't have someone to take along...” She winced. “I'm sorry. I mean, some random guy you just met, you know, for a wild weekend fling in your two-person tent. Maybe you'll meet your hippie soul mate up there. Heaven knows you'd have more in common with the guys who hang out up there, than the juice pigs at the gym.”

“No wild weekend flings. I want to meditate, do some yoga, sit in the springs, and just think.”

Maggie leaned forward, setting her glass on the coffee table, her smile fading. “You just can’t do things like everyone else, can you?” Apparently, she hadn’t quite given up yet. “It's the same thing with the boxing. Why not a membership at a regular gym? Instead you go to the extreme, hanging out with a bunch of guys who like to beat the shit out of one another. And still, no dates.”

I rolled my eyes, probably for the tenth time in the last hour. We'd had this conversation before, too. “I didn't join the club looking for a date, Maggie. I wanted to get in shape...”

“You can get in shape at a better place than a fight club, Risha.”

“It's not a fight club...”

Maggie was already holding up her hands in mock protest, but she was smiling. “I know, I know. Boxing is a great work out, great for cardio, gets you strong...I've heard the sales pitch before.” She laughed as she stood up and grabbed her purse, then leaned over and kissed my cheek.

“Listen, Rish, you do what you need to do. You've never done the conventional thing, so if heading into the woods, and bending yourself into a pretzel is what you need, then go for it. Personally I think a weekend at Bloomingdales would be a great way to forget an ex, especially if you happened to still have one of his credit cards. But then again, we never do see things the same way, do we?”

“I guess not,” I replied with a smile. Maggie drove me crazy at times, but I know she always has my best interests at heart.

“Have fun,” she said, hugging me. “Everything is going to be okay. Harrison was a jerk… you know you’re better off without him. So go and zen out until you feel better. I love ya, girl.”

“I love you too, Maggie…”

After Maggie left, I slumped back into my chair, avoiding the couch, shifting around until I got comfortable. Maggie had known me since grade school. We'd seen each other through boyfriends and college, jobs and first apartments. She knew me better than anyone, even if it was clear she didn’t understand me.

But she was right; I wasn't conventional, never had been. And that was fine with me.

Chapter Two

I was headed to Big River, which ran down the backside of Black Wolf Mountain. Most of Black Wolf, and the mountains around it were part of the Seven Mountains State Park, but the ridge that ran north along the backside of Black Wolf belonged to a huge tract of land, over several hundred acres that stretched all the way to the Canadian border, which everyone assumed belonged to a private party. It was crisscrossed with disused logging roads, some that ran up to the park land. Most were posted with No Trespassing signs, blocked off with chains and padlocks, and over the years small trees had sprouted, further blending the roads back into the surrounding forest. There were rumors the land had belonged to a recluse. Or currently belonged to a cult. Or aliens landed there frequently. It all depended on whom you talked to, and on what day, and on how much the storyteller had to drink.

According to local lore, and then translated through stories that got passed around among hikers who used the springs, there had been sightings of big animals—wolves, mountain lions, bears—bigger than any ever sighted in the park. Most of those stories were told around the campfire, along with a bottle or three of wine, or something stronger, shared with novice hikers coming up the mountain for the first time.

The logging road that ran up the back of the mountain wasn't on park land, and there hadn't been any logging in the area for decades. It had always been rough, but this year there had been torrential rains, and the road turned from washboard, to rutted, to washed out far below where the trail to the hot springs began. So I parked my car, dragged out my gear, and locked up. I always worried I'd come back to find the car gone, but in all the years I'd been coming here it was always right where I left it. The only problem I'd ever heard about was when a bear had attacked a friend's ancient Subaru to get after some food that had been left on the dashboard. He'd come back from a week in the woods to find the roof torn off the car, and the food long gone.

I stopped to look around, breathing in the cool air. I closed my eyes and smiled. It felt like the first time I'd smiled in a long, long time. Or at least the first time in a long time the smile felt authentic, not forced for a client on Skype, or a cashier at the market, or a cab driver. It occurred to me that there might be more to think about on this weekend besides Harrison. Maybe it was time to think about the bigger picture, rather than just the missing piece to the puzzle.

After hiking halfway up the mountain to the turn off to the springs, I was sweating, breathing hard, and very glad I'd only brought enough in my pack for a long weekend. The idea of setting up camp, kicking back in one of the hot springs as the sun went down, and then having a simple dinner by the fire with some wine, was looking more and more enticing. I dropped my pack for a minute, loving that fleeting sense of weightlessness that happened after shedding all that weight. I stretched my arms and rolled my shoulders. This was going to be a great weekend. I would be one with nature, live in the moment, stop dwelling in the past. Maybe I'd come home with my own tall tale from the forest, my own lore to add to that of my camping friends.

The forest ahead of me was deep, dark green. I always loved this part, stepping off the road, out of the sunshine, and into the cool darkness of the woods. It was magical, like stepping into a fairy tale. I thought of Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and the other stories I'd read as a child. If I could build a house anywhere in the world, it would be here, on the edge of the unknown, just over the line from civilization. Not so far over that I'd have to give up plumbing and shaving my legs, but just enough to ease out of the rat race.

So I shouldered my pack and took one last look back down the road. There was no one in sight, no other cars, no sounds of traffic, nothing but a lone hawk circling overhead. I felt like I was alone in the world. And that was fine with me. Out of habit I dug my phone out of my pocket. I had it out, and checking for messages, before I remembered there was no service up here. I chided myself for bringing along this last bit of technology. I held it for a minute, and considered flinging it off the edge of the mountain, but I wasn't quite ready to divest myself of all the trappings of civilization. I shut it off, and jammed it into my pocket.

The woods were cool, the path covered in pine needles. I was on level ground for the next couple miles, and then I'd find a gentle descent to Big River and the springs. My steps were muffled, almost soundless. I could already feel the tension, and anxiety of the past months ebbing out of my body. I was pretty sure by the time I reached the springs, got my little camp set up, and made dinner, I'd be exhausted, in a good way. A soak in the hot springs, and a little wine, and I'd be too tired in body and mind to obsess about Harrison. And tomorrow, maybe a sunrise session of yoga, a nice breakfast, and then I'd sit and think.

The pines here grew so close together they almost touched overhead. The path wound in and out of shafts of sunlight, and for a time I was conscious of the difference in warmth against my skin, then the chill as I stepped out of the light. My senses seemed heightened, every detail popping out at me. I started to notice my footfalls, the shushing sound my boots made, the wind above me. I was in my zone, living in the moment. This was going to be a great weekend.

Something was off though. The hair on my arms stood on end. I stopped, thinking there was someone on the path ahead of me, or behind me. Or in the woods. I listened carefully, but the only things I heard were the wind, a few birds in the trees. Maybe I wasn't as relaxed as I thought I was.

I did a slow circle, but I didn't see anyone. A bird sang somewhere close by, another answered. The forest seemed just as it always did, filled with its usual flecks of color. I shook my head, laughing at myself. Maybe I'd turned into a city girl, buffered by traffic noises, city sounds, and now freaked out by a little silence.

But standing in the middle of the path wasn't going to get me to those hot springs. With one last look back down the path toward the road, I turned around. And stopped dead in my tracks.

The wolf stood in the middle of the path. It was big, really big, but also amazingly beautiful. It stared at me, and I was mesmerized, unable to look away. And then I panicked. Staring at them was a sign of dominance, or aggression, or something. But I'd be damned if I was going to take my eyes off the wolf.

But it didn't seem vicious. Like I would know what a vicious wolf looked like.

It looked more curious than anything, standing in the path with its head tipped to the side, dark eyes on mine, as if it were analyzing me. And it was stunningly beautiful, dark fur tipped with silver, big eyes. I stared at him, and he stared back, and for a moment I had the sensation of having my mind read, or my soul searched. Or the living daylights scared out of me.

“Hey, boy...good boy.” Oh my God, my heart was beating wildly in my chest. It tipped its head further. Progress. I babbled on. “Oh, yeah. Good boy...”

The wolf took a step forward, pink tongue showing in a doggy grin. I took a step back. No one's going to believe this. Oh, shit. Take a picture. Slowly I eased my phone out of my pocket, eyes never leaving the wolf. I turned on the phone, dropped my eyes from the wolf for the split second it took to take the picture, then looked up.

The wolf whined, a low soft sound. But what did that mean? Was it camera shy? Had I upset it? Reflexively I clicked off another couple of pictures. The wolf whined again, and I let my arm fall to my side as it took another step forward. Every cell in my body told me to run, but I held my ground.

“Okay. Okay. I'm done. No more pictures. Good boy...” The wolf stopped, ears pricked forward. Then it advanced another step.

I held up my hands. “Whoa...stop.” The hair on the back of my neck stood up. “Please stop.” My voice came out in a desperate whisper.

The wolf stopped, eyes still locked with mine. They were blue, like a husky dog. Maybe that's what he was, just someone's pet, off its leash. I let out a sigh of sorts.

“Would it be too much to ask for you to sit?”

Behind it, the tail started to wave back and forth in slow motion. And then, to my amazement, it sat down in the middle of the path. So it was someone's pet.

“Hello?”

I spun around. A man was walking toward me, wearing a park ranger uniform. Relief washed through me, and along with a wave of giggles. This must be the ranger's dog.

“Boy, am I glad to see you. Your dog...” I was already pointing, and I turned back to the wolf. But the path was empty. No dog, or wolf, or anything else was visible in the shifting patterns of light and dark. My giggles faded away.

“Sorry, ma'am. Did you say dog?” His friendly expression took on a hint of concern. “I don't have a dog. None of us do.”

“There was a dog...” I was still pointing to where the animal had been. “Or a wolf...”

The ranger walked past me, then crouched down at the spot where the canine had been. “There's tracks here, ma'am, but I can't really say what made them. Hard to tell when it comes to this stuff.” He brushed his hand over the spot, scooping up a handful of pine needles. I watched as he lifted them to his nose and inhaled. His face took on a strained expression, a look briefly crossing his face, blotting out the friendly neighborhood ranger concern. I'd have to say it was a look of recognition, followed by one of pure hatred.

But when he tossed away the needles and stood, all that was gone. I blinked, not sure what I'd seen, replaced by a bland expression, a noncommittal smile. Maybe I was still spooked by the phantom wolf, or the light and shadows were playing tricks. He smiled down at me.

“It was probably just a coyote, chasing a rabbit. The altitude, the light, the isolation...if you're not used to being out in the woods, it can play tricks on you.”

I frowned. “It was a wolf...or a big dog. I'm not a novice. I've been up here before...”

He cut me off. “We haven't had a wolf sighting in the park in decades.”

There was something programmed about his response, dismissive in a way I didn't like. It felt as though the guy was hiding something.

“Okay. Then it was a coyote.” I shifted my pack, settling it on my shoulders. “I should get going then. I've got a way to go before I set up camp.”

“You're headed to the springs then.” He stepped to the side of the path. “Then I'll let you get on your way. Don't wander off the path. Wouldn't want you getting lost.” He touched the brim of his hat, and I stepped past him.

“Thanks.” I walked down the path, looking down at the spot where wolf had been. If there had been any sign of paw prints they were obliterated now. Somehow the disturbed pine needles looked like a broken window in a church. I wanted to put it all back in order. But I walked on.

I'd only gone a couple yards when I had the urge to turn around, to see if the ranger was walking away. But I knew he wasn't, and I knew when I turned—which I did—I'd find him watching me. And he was. He waved again, still smiling. When he finally turned away, and headed back down the path, I let out the breath I'd been holding.

Some of my excitement had dimmed after the encounter with the wolf. And the ranger—something tugged at my mind about the whole thing, something was off that I should have noticed. It wasn't until I was almost to the springs that it dawned on me. He hadn't been wearing a name badge. And he hadn't told me his name.

Chapter Three

I arrived at the springs in the late afternoon. The trail dipped down close to the river and the springs, before climbing back up to high ground. Things looked familiar, although it had been years since I'd been here. Trees had grown, some had fallen down, but the whole placed felt like a place I'd been before. The springs, as usual, were totally different. But that was normal. Nature was capricious and nowhere was that more evident than down by the river. I dropped my pack and took it all in.

In early spring, when the snow melted off the mountains, the river that ran through the area rose, tumbling down the mountain, moving rocks and sometimes boulders. And each spring the first hikers in, and sometimes locals, worked to rebuild the rock walls around the places where the hot springs bubbled up, creating ledges for sitting, and filling in the bottoms of the pools with sand. Most years there would be many small pools, each big enough for just one, or two people.

This year there were several smaller pools, and one big party-sized area in the middle of everything. It could easily hold a dozen people, and as I set my pack down, I marveled at how many rocks it had taken to construct this beautiful creation. I walked around, noticing seating ledges, a sandy bottom, and an actual set of steps built out of flat rocks. It made me think a group of engineers had shown up to create this masterpiece. It was an even more impressive feat when I thought that it would be gone next spring.

I grabbed my pack, and went to find a place to set up camp. The park maintained a few wilderness areas on this side of the mountain. There was a clearing that I was particularly fond of, and I hoped nobody would be there. Since I hadn't seen any cars, and since it was still early in the season, I was pretty confident it would be free.

And it was. I breathed out a sigh, and set my pack down for the last time today. There was something very special about this place, the way the trees formed a lacy ceiling overhead. There were hardwoods, oaks and maples mostly, and right now the leaves were still that bright green that made the clear light seem magical. It was perfect.

I sat for a minute in my cathedral of trees, just breathing in the cool air, enjoying the silence, and not having my pack on my shoulders. A weekend spent here would do me a world of good. I realized I was still smiling, and that it felt wonderful.

First things first. I needed to set up the tent, which was probably my least favorite chore. But if I didn't have a tent, and it rained, which it usually did, I'd be miserable. Best just to get it done.

So I fought with the slippery nylon and the flexible rods that held it all together. It was fiddly, and I muttered under my breath. Harrison had never enjoyed camping, and gradually I'd stopped going on solo hikes. So over time I'd given away most of my good gear to friends. No one had wanted this old tent, and I'd never gotten around to getting a new one. Not that I'd have ever used it while we were together...

Enough, Risha. You came here to forget about him, not look for things to remember.

I sighed, sitting down on a log someone had moved into the clearing as a seat, the tent in a forlorn pile at my feet. I wanted to forget, but there were so many things that reminded me of a conversation with Harrison, or more likely an argument. The tent, a piece of art he'd left behind. The one I’d bought for his birthday. The couch. The apartment we'd shared. I'd thought about moving, but I realized there was only so far I could go in getting Harrison out of my life, and my mind.

The sounds of the river caught my attention. The sun was getting lower, and I made a sudden decision. I would go down, take a soak in one of the hot springs, leave the tent until later. The slices of sky that showed between the trees were clear, and I could set the tent up when I got back.

Rummaging through my pack, I dug out an old pair of shorts, tattered and full of holes, and indecent for any place public. But they were perfect for the hot springs. I'd learned a long time ago that no matter how carefully they tried to make the ledges and seats comfortable, the rocks could still rough on my tender backside, and would inevitably ruin any good pair of shorts I wore, so I had decided to pack along my old, worn out ones.

I cast a slightly nervous glance around the clearing. There was no one around, and I knew that. But since I'd left the ranger, I'd had the disconcerting feeling of not being alone. Not exactly of being watched, but that there was someone close by. I'd done a lot of long distance hiking in college, and I'd discovered this weird kind of sixth sense that happens when there's someone ahead of you, or behind you on the trail. There's no sign of them, but you know before you hear or see them that they're there.

But there was no one here now, except for a blue jay that was really unhappy that I'd invaded its territory. It cawed and carried on, scolding me loudly. I shook off the eerie feeling of being watched, tugged off my jeans and underwear, and pulled on my shorts. Reaching beneath my t-shirt, I undid the clasp on my bra and wiggled out of it, sliding my arms in and out of the sleeves of my shirt. I dropped the bra on top of my jeans. I tucked a thermos filled with white wine in a towel under my arm. The jay scolded again from the pines, and I jumped.

It's just city girl nerves. You're out of practice, that's all.

The walk to the springs had one of the most spectacular views in the area. From beneath the dark branches of the pines, the path suddenly turned, and I stepped into the bright sunlight at the edge of a drop off. Below was the river, an emerald strand tumbling over boulders the size of my car. The water was full of shifts in color and translucency from its mad rush over the rocks, churned white in some places, almost clear in slower moving areas. It was stunningly beautiful. Everything I'd been worrying about fell away, as I stood and took in the view.

There were several pools along the riverbank this year, some small ones, one or two larger ones. The water in them was a kind of cloudy blue gray from the minerals in the water. I'd never quite understood where the hot springs came from. Every time I saw them I vowed to find out, and then I fell in love with them all over again with the magical feeling of sitting on a rock in hot water while watching nature, and then I forgot that I cared where they came from. All I cared about was that they were there, and someone took the time to make it easy to access them.

I scrambled down the path to the river and the pools, trying to decide which one to sample first. The temperatures could differ radically between pools, with some being just above the chill temperature of the river, and others so hot I could only stay in a few minutes before feeling like a boiled lobster. I wanted something warm and comforting, a pool I could melt into, and stay in for hours.

So I dipped my toe in several of the pools, testing the waters. Some were hot, some were cool, some were steaming. I laughed at the image, me walking from pool to pool, feeling a little like Goldilocks, wandering around until I found one that was just right. Easing down the bank, I stepped into the pool. The water was perfect, almost too hot to stand, but I knew I'd get used to it quickly. Uncapping the thermos, I poured the cup full of wine, taking a long healthy swallow.

I sat down on a rock, the water swirling around my legs, curling my toes at the heat. Across the river was the edge of the land that didn't belong to the park, and I tried to see into the darkness of the pines. Even though it was only twenty yards or so away, it seemed like another country, vaguely foreign, slightly spooky. I thought of wolves, and woodsmen, and witches with poisoned apples, living in gingerbread cottages. I was mixing up my fairy tales. And it's only my first glass of wine.

Scattered all over the bank were small stones, polished smooth by years in the river. Picking up a handful, I choose a dozen or so that felt good in my hand, or looked interesting, or were just plain pretty. I'd learned a little ritual ages ago, something to help clear the mind. I held up one stone, wishing I'd remembered to bring something to write with. I'd have to improvise.

“This is the painting Harrison didn't like. Take the memory and wash it away.” I threw the stone into the river. It barely made a sound as it hit the water. I tried to visualize all the hurt attached to that image washed away in the river. I picked another stone.

“For the time he missed my birthday party.” I flung the rock. It skipped once on the water and disappeared. I took another sip of wine. I wasn't sure if it was the ritual, or the Chardonnay, but I suddenly felt better.

I went through the rocks one by one, letting go of a little pain with each one, throwing the rock into the river. Finally I was down to the last. It was different, bigger and black, polished to a high sheen. I wondered what kind of rock it was. But again my knowledge of geology failed me.

“For my father. I miss you, Dad. More than you can imagine.” I held the rock, thinking about my father, about him and me—just him and me—for as long as I could remember. Maybe this rock should be for my mother, who left us when I was seven. But I'd given up being angry at her a long time ago. She'd made a choice in her life that didn't include her husband or her daughter. I didn't—couldn't understand why. But being angry with her had torn a hole in my heart. I'd given up the anger, and tried to patch up that hole.

But my dad...missing him was a palpable thing, an ache somewhere deep inside. I didn't want to forget him, but the pain of missing him was just as sharp as if he'd died yesterday, instead of two years ago. I wanted the memories, just not the pain.

I held the rock, weighing it in my hand. Closing my fingers around it I raised my arm, ready to toss it into the river. But I couldn't unclench my fist. I brought my arm down, opened my hand, and looked at the rock through a curtain of tears. Maybe this was the wrong time, wrong place for this. I found myself crying, tears plopping onto the rock, making the black surface glisten. Not today. Finally I slipped the rock into my pocket.

After a minute or two I scooted to a lower rock, pouring another cup of wine. The water rose up around my waist, heat sinking into my core. I slouched down, stretched my arms along the rocks at the edge of the pool, and let the water rise up almost to my chin. I was in heaven.

I lost all track of time as the water moved and danced around my body. My muscles relaxed bit by bit, and then all at once it was perfect. The water was the perfect temperature and I couldn't really tell where I ended and the water started. My body floated, and my mind went blank. Maybe the rock tossing ritual had actually helped.

There was a bird singing somewhere in the middle distance, a low whistle that repeated twice, then paused, then picked up again. I counted the repeats, waiting through the pauses, then started whistling back, trying to see if the bird would answer. It did, giving me a long series of whistles in response to my amateur attempts. I giggled, and took another sip of wine. I was nicely buzzed from the heat and the wine, and by now, more than a little giggly.

“That's pretty good. You must spend a lot of time up here.”

I sat up too quickly, slipped in the water, then splashed around for an awkward minute, while trying to see who was talking to me. The sun was in my eyes, and all I could make out was a dark form towering over me.

“Sorry. I startled you.” The form moved around to the other side of the pool. I pivoted, watching him turn from a dark faceless shape into a man with longish dark hair and piercing blue eyes.

“You did.” I'd stopped splashing now, and I sat on the edge of the rock, watching as he walked so the sun was shining on his face. My heart was still thumping away in my chest. There was always the possibility of other hikers showing up at the springs, but still, he’d scared the daylights out of me. And no matter how nice hikers could be, I was always uneasy when I was out here alone, and a lone guy showed up. I like to trust people, and give them the benefit of the doubt, but I’d heard enough stories over the years to be wary. He seemed okay, so far. But I sort of regretted being buzzed on wine, and out here all alone.

“Sorry again. I thought you heard me walk up. I crashed through the underbrush like a moose. Anyway, can I join you?” He dropped his pack and smiled at me. For a minute I lost the thread of our brief conversation. The smile was dazzling, all white teeth set against tan skin. I managed to look at the rest of his face, bright blue eyes framed by long dark hair curling around his shoulders. The moment stretched on, and then I remembered he'd asked me a question.

“Oh, yeah. Sure. There's lots of room.” Actually, there wasn't. It was one of the smaller pools. But it would hold two. I pulled myself upright, the air chilling the skin on my arms, and my upper chest. It cleared a bit of the logy feeling in my head.

Why did he have to choose my pool of all the ones around? I suddenly felt so awkward, and uncomfortable.

“Great.” If possible, the smile got bigger. He pulled off his black t-shirt, and started undoing the buttons on his jeans. I realized I was staring, then quickly dropped my eyes. Some people liked to skinny dip, and while I didn't have anything against skinny-dipping, I wasn't sure I wanted to be in a pool with a naked stranger. A stranger...this stranger, maybe; but not necessarily a naked one.

“It's okay. I'm wearing trunks.”

My face flushed, but I looked up at him, managing a smile and an apologetic shrug. “You never know at the springs. A girl can’t be too careful.”

He was right; he was wearing trunks. But if he'd been naked he couldn't have looked any sexier. It had been a long time since I'd looked at any guy with the least bit of interest, but I couldn't look away from him. He was all long legs, tan skin, broad chest with just enough dark hair to keep him from looking too man-scaped. I swallowed hard, managing to keep the smile on my face from getting any wider.

“So you've been here before then?” He slipped into the pool, the water distorting his shape as he sank below the surface. There was an eddy in the pool, and I swore it carried an extra wash of something, besides heat, against my body. My arms flushed with goose-bumps, and I was suddenly conscious of my wet t-shirt, how it clung to my breasts. How little was left to the imagination, his imagination. I sank slowly into the water, the heat of it against my cool skin sending a shiver through me.

Don’t get all excited here. He’s still a stranger. Just stay cool, okay? Don’t embarrass yourself.

“I've been coming here since college...I used to come with friends on breaks, and then started coming alone after that.”

“Oh, hey. I'm so rude. My name is Colt.” I thought I heard an accent, not Canadian, certainly not American. He leaned across the space between us, hand extended. I hesitated, then reached out, fingers just brushing his. I scooted forward a little more, and that's when I lost my balance.

I slipped off the rock, going face first under water. For a minute the world was very hot, and very murky. Water went in my mouth, and up my nose, the odd taste of minerals heavy on my tongue. I flailed for a moment, unable to get a grip on anything solid, unable to get my footing in the small pool. Then a hand grabbed my upper arm, pulling me out of the water.

Sputtering, I finally drew a breath that wasn't full of water. I blinked, and spit out a mouthful of warm water. It tasted bitter, metallic. The guy pulled me up onto his lap with a strength I found quite surprising, more than a little alarming, but strangely appealing. I wiped the last of the water out of my eyes, coughing. I was sitting on this stranger's lap. There could be worse places to end up after falling into the pool though. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me against his chest. I was at a loss as to what to do with my hands, just barely resisting the urge to run my fingers through all that chest hair. I finally ended up with my hands folded primly in my lap. If my heart had been beating hard before, now it practically shook my body with every beat.

“You okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Just embarrassed. I'm not usually this clumsy.”

“It's okay,” he chuckled, and I was immediately captivated by the sparkle in his eyes. “Do over? I’m Colt.” He held out his free hand. I took it, shook it, pulled away...but he held on. “And you are?”

“I'm Risha. Rish to my friends.”

“Can I call you Rish then? Do I qualify for friend status yet? I did save your life, after all.”

“You did. And you do. So, yes, Rish is fine.”

“Or Red. I think you look like a Red.” He reached up, fingering a strand of my hair between his fingers.

I stared at him. A flash of resentment at that old name rose up, but I bit back my retort, and looked closely at his face. There was no malice in those dark eyes, obviously nothing intended, other than him looking at my hair, at the strand wound around his fingers. But I was a little freaked out by the intimate gesture, even if it seemed innocent.

“Yeah. I've been called Red.” In the past. But I didn't add that. I was moving on, and he sure wasn't part of my past, although I wasn’t sure right now what he was, or what he really wanted. Or what I was doing. I should be back on the other side of the pool. Or out of the pool.

“It suits you. You look like a Red.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “And what does a Red look like?”

He tugged gently on my hair. “I bet when this is dry it blazes like fire.” His eyes moved languidly to mine. “And I bet you're just as fiery.”

The hand on my waist slipped down to my hip. My t-shirt had ridden up, and his fingers brushed over my bare skin. I gasped, then coughed to cover the sound.

Colt let go of the strand of hair and reached up to touch my cheek. “You okay? Do you need mouth to mouth, or anything?”

I had no choice but to laugh. “Do you think it's a little late to ask? I'm talking, and...” His fingers slipped to the nape of my neck. “...breathing...” I might be breathing, but those breaths were coming in short little gasps. His eyes moved slowly from mine, down to my lips. I swallowed hard.

“Yeah. But, you know...” He pulled me closer. “Better safe than sorry.”

I pulled back. “Speaking of safe...” His pack lay behind him and I eyed it warily. “I'm not exactly sure...”

“You're not exactly sure if this is the right thing to do? If I'm dangerous? Or if you can trust me?” He raised an eyebrow. “I'm not dangerous. I can tell you that you can trust me, but those are just words. You'll have to make up your own mind about me.” He looked over his shoulder at his pack. “If you can reach it, toss it where I can't. If that makes you feel better. I won't be offended.”

I looked between him and the pack. Without too much trouble, I snagged the strap, tugging it around to the side of the pool. Colt watched, his expression open, easy.

“Better? A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right?”

Before I could answer, his lips touched mine, softly, but not tentatively. Behind the gentle touch was an energy, something powerful, but restrained. I'd never felt anything like this in my entire life, and it wasn't just that I was kissing a stranger.

Oh, wow...I was kissing a stranger.

I tried to pull back, but Colt's fingers tightened on the back of my neck. I should have been...not exactly scared, but at least a hell of a lot more cautious. I should have pulled away. But I didn't. I might regret this later, but right now, I wanted this...whatever this was, or wherever it was going. I wanted Colt.

The kiss deepened, his lips parted, and I was right there with him, my tongue meeting his, dancing between his mouth and mine. I raised a hand from my lap, touching his neck, his jaw, moving to wind my fingers into all that dark hair. It was curly and soft, and I couldn't help running my fingers through it.

Arousal washed through me and my fingers tightened against his head, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss even further. I felt Colt's lips curve in a smile against mine as his fingers worked beneath my wet t-shirt, tugging it higher, up the curve of my ribcage, stopping just short of where I wanted his hand to be.

He broke the kiss, pulling back just enough to look into my eyes. “You seem to be breathing just fine, Red. You sure you need any more mouth to mouth?”

“You're kidding, right?” I wiggled in his lap, felt his thighs tense and flex, felt something else tense beneath the thin fabric of his trunks. “I'd think we both want the same thing, Colt. Unless there's something else...”

Colt laughed, pulling me back until my forehead rested against his. “Yeah. Okay. Just wanted to make sure. I get the sense this isn't your usual method of approach. Mine either. But...”

“I'm sure.” I might not do this often...or ever. But I was sure of what I wanted, even if he was right about me.

I kissed him, moving on his lap so I could wrap both arms around his neck. He shifted in response, his erection rising up against my hip. I wiggled again, just to feel the hardness of it, and to see what Colt would do.

Colt didn't miss a beat. Without breaking our kiss, he grabbed my hips, sliding me back off his lap. I pivoted, legs apart, so when he pulled me back, I was straddling his lap. I was sitting face to face on his hard thighs, with his erection sliding up between my legs as the hot water swirled around us. He pulled me closer, until my breasts were pressed against his chest. He slid his hands down my back as he broke the kiss, slowly, teasing my lower lip between his teeth. When he released me I was weak and shivery with desire, glad I was sitting down.

He cupped my ass, pulling me hard against his body, making waves in the pool. “You really are ready for this.” I couldn't tell by his smile if he thought this was amusing or confusing, if he was asking a question, or making a statement.

“Yeah...are you?” I rolled my hips, grinding against Colt. “You want to change your mind?”

This time his smile told me everything, his words the icing on the cake. “Like hell. It's not every day a gorgeous, barely dressed woman practically falls into my lap.”

“I did fall into your lap.” I ran my hands through his hair, returning his smile. “You saved my life. I'm just showing my gratitude.”

“I like how you think, Red.”

I wasn't sure I was thinking, or that I wanted to. I wanted to feel, to just go with the flow. Somehow as crazy as this all was, it felt right, and that's all I cared about right now.

“Yolo.”

“Hmm?” he murmured, his eyes wild with desire.

“You only live once.”

He pulled me back against him, capturing my lips with his. Birds sang around us, the sound of the river catching the edge of my consciousness. All of that faded as Colt kissed me, the sound of his breathing, the soft moan he made as I shifted against his erection, the only things I heard. I was lost in a sea of arousal and sensation swirling through me.

Colt's hands moved up my back, tugging up my shirt further, exposing my breasts. It was my turn to moan against his mouth as he cupped my breasts, working his thumbs over my wet nipples. They puckered up hard and tight, and my moan turned into a full-throated cry of pleasure as I broke away from Colt, head tipping back.

“Oh, god.”

Spanning my torso with his hands, Colt pushed my breasts up and together. He looked down, and I arched my back, pushing against his hands. Colt responded, fingers tightening against me, kneading my flesh. I bit my lip, unable to stifle back a second cry.

“Watch me, Red.”

I looked down at him, meeting his eyes as he lowered his head, flicking his tongue over one hard nipple. Something close to an electric shock ricocheted through me, and I jerked in his arms. I saw the corner of his mouth turn up as he moved to the other breast, circling the rosy nipple with the tip of his tongue. The feeling was exquisite, sending another shock wave through me. Watching him made little tendrils of excitement curl through my stomach. Having him ask—demand—that I watch him, heightened everything.

So I watched as he pulled the nipple into his mouth, sucking gently at first, then gradually more forcefully. I wound my fingers through his hair, holding him against me. I pretty much fall apart anytime a guy touches my breasts, and I was already miles down that road before Colt even bent his dark head to work his magic.

Watching was one thing; I needed to participate. I reached between us, fumbling for a minute with water and fabric, until I found Colt among the swirling warmth. There was a brief pause in the movements of his lips and tongue as I wrapped my fingers around him. The swim trunks muffled contact; the close proximity of our bodies limited my movements. It didn't take long for Colt to begin shifting restlessly beneath me. Finally he lifted his head, dark eyes meeting mine.

“As much as I'm enjoying this, Red, I think we could do better.”

“I agree. We need a change of venue. And a change of clothes. Or less clothes.” I squeezed him through his trunks, and he grunted out a breath, the corner of his mouth curling up.

“Actually I like the venue. You're right about the clothes though.”

He reached down, undoing the snap on my shorts, fingers working the wet fabric over my hips. But he didn't get very far. “Stand up.”

I did, resting my hands on Colt's shoulders while he tugged my shorts over my hips. They slid down my legs, sinking beneath the surface as I stepped out of them. Leaning forward, he kissed my stomach, tracing a circle around my navel with his tongue. I shivered as a breeze wafted over us, over my exposed breasts. The sun was setting somewhere behind the tall trees, the air getting cooler. I looked over his shoulder, half-expecting to see a hiker or three enjoying the show. Colt turned his head, following my gaze.

“No one there.” He turned back, fingers tracing over my skin. “Goosebumps. Come here...”

“Not till you get rid of those.” I pointed to his swim trunks. “I'm not going to be the only one naked here.”

Colt chuckled, and lifted his hips. I remained standing, hands on his shoulders, as he pulled off his trunks. I couldn't help but grin at the momentary difficulty he had in getting the wet fabric over his erection. The water was opaque enough that I couldn't get a good look at him, just tantalizing glimpses. I bit my lip, trying not to stare, but not succeeding. Colt tossed the trunks onto the edge of the pool.

“Better?” He grabbed my hips, fingers playing over my skin. There was an insistence, an urgency to his touch, an impatience that matched what was building inside me. I glanced around, scanning the woods again.

“If you're worried about being seen...”

“No… not really.” I couldn't help but look back into the woods. The feeling I'd had on the trail surfaced, the sense that someone was watching me...us. The last thing I wanted was company.

Colt's hands slipped around to my ass, fingers probing uncharted waters, distracting me from whatever it was I couldn't see.

“Red, if there is someone there, you're giving them a really good show by standing there...”

Before he could finish that statement I leaned down, kissing him hard. I straddled his thighs, settling down into the water. This time, with no pesky trunks or shorts between us, it was just him, and I, and all that warm swirling water.

I reached between us, fingers wrapping around him, guiding him into me. He slid home easily, as if he'd been there before, as if this was second nature for both of us. There was none of the awkward fumbling of first-time sex between strangers. It was...as if we'd done this dance many times.

Any musings I had about all of that faded away as I sank down onto him. Colt flexed his hips and I replied, rolling my hips against him. I settled my arms around his neck. The water rose around us, buoying my breasts between us.

“This is nice.” Colt touched my hair, brushing a strand back. I laughed.

“Nice?” I ground my hips down. “That’s not what I was going for.”

I claimed his mouth with mine as something wild and primal took control of me. I rocked and swivelled, shimmied and swivelled. Each movement brought a new noise from Colt, from moans through grunts, all of them sweet music to my ears, all of them mixing with mine.

The water around us swirled and sloshed as our movements increased, as I found footing with my feet against the rocks, giving me leverage. Pushing with my legs, I had control and I could move up and back, sliding him out of me, holding him, poised over him. He broke away with a ragged sound, hands gripping my ass.

“You're a tease, Red. I thought you might be.”

“Is that a bad thing?” I wiggled a bit, teasing both of us. My body wanted him, with a need I'd never felt with any man. But I liked the heady sense of control I had, and I wanted to prolong this moment for as long as I could stand it.

“Not at all. I like a challenge. But...”

With a rush of swirling water Colt stood. I clutched his neck, yelping in surprise. There was no choice but to wrap my legs around his waist or risk another dunk in the water. And in that flurry of movement, he drove himself deep inside me.

“And in the end, I like to be in control.” His voice was a low growl. Our eyes locked as he turned, surefooted, not a slip into the water in sight. With that strength I found arousing, he eased me down on a flat rock, his thick cock still buried inside me. He leaned over, hands planted on either side of my shoulders.

“And I'll show you what nice is really like. And what it's like to be teased.”

He pulled back, hips flexing in short strokes, giving me just enough of himself to remind me of what I wanted. I arched and twisted beneath him, but he held back. I tried to pull him closer, with arms and legs, but he was remarkably strong, and I couldn't do much but struggle beneath him.

“You're enjoying this, aren't you?” I was breathing hard both from my efforts, and from mounting frustration. “You're getting off on this whole control thing.”

He grinned down at me. “Of course I am.” His body blocked out the sun, and I looked up into his blue eyes. Strands of hair, damp with water or sweat, curled around his face. God, he was so damn sexy.

“Do you want me to beg?” I wiggled against him, hoping it would be the trigger that brought him home. I was poised on the edge, so close, but so very far away.

“No, Red. Not that. Never beg.” He lowered his head, kissing me hard. When he pulled back I was gasping. “Never beg. Because I want this as much as you do.”

When he drove himself into me, I screamed. Birds scattered out of the trees, and the sound of their startled flight was lost in my next cry as Colt thrust himself hard into me, his body coming down onto mine, pressing me into the rocks and sand. I didn't care that there was something sharp poking my ass. All I wanted was Colt. And I got him.

He thrust hard and fast for several moments, his head dropped onto my shoulder, open mouth pressed against my neck. I wrapped arms and legs around him, pulling him hard against me. We moved as one, his thrusts matching my arching and bucking beneath him.

I'd been waiting for this, waiting to move with Colt, to bring each of us together to the height of pleasure, to bring both of us to wherever this experience was leading. I didn't want to rush, but once we'd started, there was no holding back.

I came suddenly, but not unexpectedly. Clutching Colt desperately, I let go, let my body take over. The orgasm that we'd created shook me to the very core. Nothing I'd ever experienced could come close to this.

From the depths of my pleasure I heard Colt cry out, felt his body tense in my arms. And then there could be no other way to say that he melted against me. Arms went around my back and waist, one hand sliding down to my ass. There was a hot rush inside me, but there was no way for me to tell what came from Colt, what came from me. And I really didn't care. It was bliss, pure and simple.

After a long time Colt rolled onto his back. The sun was behind the trees, shadows creeping across the river. The birds had come back to the trees, apparently over the startling experience of watching Colt and I. I traced a finger across his chest.

“That was crazy.”

Colt lifted his head, giving me a lopsided smile. “It was.” He turned, propping himself up on one elbow. “And amazing.”

I sat up. It felt strange to be lying naked on the rocks. In all my years camping, of coming here, I'd never been one to go skinny-dipping, or even wander around undressed in camp. But here I was, buck naked, lying under the sky in the fading light. But I was getting chilled, and even though lying next to Colt, looking at all that gorgeous man, the aftershocks of sex coursing through me, I wanted to be in the water.

I leaned over, kissed his cheek, and sat up. With more grace than I'd displayed all day, I slipped back into the water. Colt sat up, sitting on the edge, dangling his feet in the water. I leaned against his knee. He, ever obsessed with it, ran his fingers through my hair. Occasionally he met with a tangle, gently working it free with his fingers.

“Figured I'd find you with a woman.”

I jerked around, splashing water into my face again, and Colt’s. Colt's fingers snagged in my hair, jerking my head back. I desperately wanted to sink beneath the water, but until Colt let go of my hair I was stuck above water, exposed. And more than a little freaked out. He finally let go, and I slid down as far as I could beneath the surface of the water.

“Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you. Hey, Colt.”

Deja vue washed over me. I looked up at the guy standing by the edge of the pool. I tried not to stare, something I'd been failing at miserably all day. Truthfully, I wanted to bolt out of the pool. But I was hardly dressed for a dash across rocks to the safety of the woods. Even my towel was out of reach. I was pinned down.

“You two know each other?”

The other guy, a blond giant who could easily have passed for a Viking nodded. He dropped an enormous pack on the ground, and kicked off his shoes. Colt slipped into the water next to me, like it was normal for him to be naked in a hot springs with a strange woman who was cowering in the water.

“This is Jericho.” He nodded at the blond giant, who was still towering over me. And I noticed, with shock, that he was dropping his shorts, leaving them at the edge of the water. I didn't stare this time. I just closed my eyes, wondering what alternate universe I'd wandered into. But then, it was the springs. Maggie had pegged it.

The water level rose, but only to the underside of my breasts. “We hiked up together, then he went off to look at some...what did you want to see?”

“There are some Indian carvings in one of the caves on the other side of the mountain. Wanted to get some shots of it before the light left.”

Someone splashed water in my direction, and I opened my eyes. “And you are?” He held out a hand. “Nice to meet you, whoever you are.”

“Risha.” I stretched out my arm, just able to reach his hand. There was no way I was going to stand up, sans shorts and shirt. I could see the shorts, snagged on a rock. Just out of my reach. Jericho let go of my hand. By sitting back, stretching out my leg, I could barely touch the waistband of my shorts. I had no idea where my shirt had gone. If I could just hook a belt loop with my toe...

“These belong to you?” Jericho reached down into the water, picked up the shorts, and held them out to me. With a smile. A smile that told me he knew exactly why they were snagged on the rocks, and why they weren't on me.

“Yeah...um, thanks.” I reached for the shorts, arm stretched full length, the other arm automatically covering my chest. My fingers touched the wet denim, just as Jericho twitched the shorts out of my reach. “Hey...”

“Just wondering if you're sure you want to put these back on...yet.”

I lunged for the dripping shorts, my feet slipping on the rocks. My head went under—again—water going up my nose, into my mouth. And again, hands grabbed my arms, pulling me up to the surface. I came up sputtering—again. I was face-to-face with Jericho.

“You okay?” He relaxed his grip on my upper arms. “You're gonna have bruises here...sorry about that.” The death grip he had loosened, but he didn't let go.

“I'm okay.” My hair hung in my face, a wet curtain obscuring my view. Jericho reached up, pushing the wet mass aside. I turned, looking at Colt for…help? Another rescue? Reassurance? He only smiled at me.

“Jericho’s okay. Really. A little aggressive maybe. But I’d trust him with my life.”

A recommendation from a slightly-less-than-stranger, for a brand new stranger. I wasn’t sure how I should take that. I turned back to Jericho.

“I’m okay.”

“You said that. But that’s okay. Okay is good.” He shifted beneath me, and damned if there wasn’t something hard poking against me.

My heart rate was up again into the triple digits. Without moving from this pool, I’d gotten enough cardio to make Jack very happy.

I stared into Jericho’s eyes. His eyes were blue; not the bright clear blue of Colt's, but a gray-blue that matched the color of water swirling around my hips...my naked hips. And my naked torso.

I should have been pushing away, slipping back under the water, struggling into my shirt and shorts. Anything but sitting naked on a stranger’s lap. Again. But the longer I looked into those eyes, the less anxious I felt. There was something calming, something almost mesmerizing about his gaze. Somehow sitting on a stranger’s lap seemed perfectly accepted, even naked.

But then again, this wasn’t my first time today.

Colt. The guy I'd just had sex with was less than four feet away, watching all of this. I jerked my head around. I expected the worst, expected to see Colt, red-faced and angry, fists balled, ready to fight. Or if not that, at least find him looking annoyed.

But Colt was anything but angry or annoyed. He slouched in the water, arms spread across the rocks behind him. And he was smiling, that same sexy wolfish grin I'd seen before. I turned back to Jericho.

“You...I shouldn't...we shouldn't...be like this. This is all wrong.”

“It's okay. Colt and I are pretty good with sharing. If you're interested.” His grin was as wolfish as Colt's. Then it hit me.

“You were watching? You watched me...with him...us?”

He shrugged, one eyebrow raised. “No,” He was still holding my arm with one hand; the other moved down to my hip, then sliding lower, fingers playing over my ass. The movement was slow, deliberate, and I drew in a breath. “But I can smell his scent all over your beautiful body.”

The feelings inside my belly, the arousal Colt had awakened earlier, all sprang back to life. Something else he said...

“Sharing...you mean...you share...you'd share me?” That was the last thing I expected to hear. But then again, these guys were strangers. I knew nothing about them, except that they were different in looks as day and night, but were both sexy beyond all expectations. They had the same distinct accent.

“Colt and I have been friends a very, very long time…almost like brothers.”

I stared at Jericho, lost myself for a minute in those gray-blue eyes, confused by his words. I felt like I'd had way more than just a half a Thermos cup of wine. Some things just weren't adding up.

“Almost like brothers?”

“We're not related...best friends though. And we have the same tastes…in many things.”

There was movement behind me, water sloshing up against my back. Hands settled on my hips, lips brushed against my ear. Colt. Something vaguely familiar, in a very strange and surreal place.

“You however, would be hard to share. A man could get very greedy with a beauty like you.”

Jericho let go of my arm now that I was basically pinned between him and Colt—not that I was going anywhere anyway—his hand sliding up my torso. He glanced up at me, his look holding a question, but it was pretty clear he already knew the answer. But I nodded anyway.

Colt's hands moved to my waist, caressing whatever bare skin Jericho wasn't touching. Maybe Colt felt he had a proprietary claim on my breasts, and it was fine with me if he wanted to have a return engagement with them. I was already missing my shorts...and there wasn't much left that Jericho hadn't seen. But there was something tugging at the back of my mind. Best ask the question before these two distracted me even more than they already were.

“So you share? Like...everything?”

Colt grabbed my hips, and the press of his erection against my ass reminded me of what we'd already done. He leaned forward again, lips nuzzling my neck.

“We share things we find...interesting. Or that we like. We share a cabin up here. We share...” His tongue slipped along the line of my jaw, lips nibbling my earlobe. “Women, on occasion.”

Jericho slipped a hand between my legs, fingers moving over me beneath the surface of the warm water. There were enough residual aftershocks from my interlude with Colt coursing through me that I went a little weak in the knees at Jericho's touch.  I searched his eyes again.

“Do you share all your women?” I wasn't that far gone that I missed the look Jericho gave Colt.

“Some.” He thrust a finger into me. I tried to bite back a moan, but was unsuccessful. “It's not like we have a different girl every night. Or week. We like women...” He added a second finger to the mix, curling them inside of me. I gasped, closing my eyes as desire swirled through me. “But they need to have something special about them, something that excites us. It's not often we find that.”

“You have that something special.” Colt's voice was close to my ear, his breath warm against my damp skin.

A burble of nervous laughter rose up inside me. “I do?”

“Oh yeah, you certainly do. Colt and I don't sleep around. This isn't something we do on a routine basis, you know. We don't haunt the springs looking for willing partners.”

“Girlfriends? Wives?” I wanted to get this straight in my head before things went too much further. Although they'd gone pretty damn far already.

“Neither. We're lone wolves.”

At that, I laughed out loud. Colt's fingers cupped my breasts, pushing them up, together, fingers rolling my hard nipples. Words were getting stuck between my mind and my tongue. “Lone wolves...” I tipped my head back, sighing between words. “There's more than one of you.”

Colt's laugh was low, sexy. “A pair of lone wolves then.”

Jericho looked up at me with heavy-lidded eyes. “Any other questions? Your curiosity satisfied?”

Not in the least...but... “Yeah...no... no more questions.”

“Good. Now kiss me. Colt got a head start.”

I was already leaning down, ready to kiss those chiseled lips. He reached up, wrapping his hand around the nape of my neck. “It’s my turn.”

His kiss surprised me, the softness of it when I was expecting something a little more rough around the edges. The kiss still took my breath away. I started to sink down onto Jericho's lap, ready for a repeat performance with a new partner. But he grabbed my hips, pushing me back. Startled, I broke away from his lips.

“I thought you wanted your turn.”

“I do. But I want something different.”

Jericho stood up. I took a step backward, running up against the hard warmth of Colt's body. He still held my breasts, cupping them in his big hands.

I didn't care if I stared, and I was pretty sure Jericho was perfectly happy to have me look at him. The way he stood, the way he looked down at me, he certainly enjoyed the attention. So I gave it to him, letting my eyes travel over his gorgeous body.

Jericho was taller than Colt by an inch or so. Overall he was less heavily muscled, leaner, built like a sprinter, where Colt was built like a fighter. But he was no less sexy for it.

I'd finally looked at everything above his waist, and now I let my eyes linger below. I wanted to gasp, or applaud, or...something. Because he was simply stunning. And very erect. I'd never had a man stand and let me admire him. Clearly Jericho loved the attention, and I loved giving it to him.

But looking was far different from touching, and it was clear by Colt's restless movements behind me that he was a man of action. He'd gotten a little aggressive with his fondling, moving on to an almost possessive touch. The attention was welcome, but my breasts felt heavy and tender. I reached up, setting my hands over his.

“Nice and gentle, please.”

“Sorry. Or not.” He laughed against my neck. “You're too luscious not to maul.”

“She is a luscious girl, isn't she?” Jericho reached out, pulling me against him. “Curvy, and perfect for the taking.”

I tipped my head up, ready for his kiss. But instead he pulled me around so I was facing the edge of the pool, my back to him. With one hand on my back, one hand on my hip, he pushed me forward. I put my hands out, catching myself.

There was a splashing behind me. I caught sight of Colt climbing out of the pool beside me, sitting on the edge. To say he was on full display would be an understatement. It was clear he was just as interested in looking as he was in being looked at. I couldn't help but notice he was fully erect, his cock rising up from a trimmed thatch of dark hair, a long trail that ran up his stomach, melding with all that glorious hair on his chest.

With a graceful move he slid over. I lifted one hand, and he moved beneath me. There was no mistaking his intent, and I was going to be happy to oblige.

But behind me Jericho was making his intentions abundantly clear. He'd grabbed my ass, fingers tightening against my skin. I wiggled in his grip, giving him a clear indication I was ready and willing for whatever he wanted to do.

He thrust his slick cock between my legs, the thick shaft rubbing against my already-sensitive folds. I shivered, from the chill in the air, and from the force of Jericho's touch.

“I bet they call you Red, right?”

I caught Colt's look. “Yeah. I get that from time to time.” I looked back over my shoulder. “And yeah, you can call me Red.”

His laugh was louder than I expected, and the bird’s overhead chattered in protest. But I didn't have a chance to say anything else. Jericho wasted no time thrusting into me, hard and fast, more brutal than Colt.

Jericho wasn't interested in teasing. He was interested in one thing; setting up a wild pace. I rocked back and forth, teetering on the edge of falling into Colt's lap. I looked up at him, knowing I'd see that sexy smile, knowing what he was waiting for. And that I was more than ready to give it to him, as soon as I caught my balance and my breath.

“Ease up, Jericho. You're going to wear her out before her time.”

Behind me Jericho growled, but he slowed his pace, at least enough so that I wasn't being jolted back and forth. Colt leaned back, giving me more than enough room to move.

I shifted my weight, reaching for him, wrapping my hand around his shaft. As I lowered my head, he flexed up into my hand, and into my mouth. This was another first for me. There was a moment of awkwardness as I moved, trying to get comfortable, and Jericho counter-moved, trying to hold on to my slippery ass, and Colt shifted beneath me, trying to...well, keep himself in contact with me.

We finally got the perfect arrangement of limbs, the perfect pitch in this weird dance of ours. It was amazing, simply the most erotic situation I'd ever been in.

The heat inside of me that was left over from Colt ignited under Jericho's touch, under the force of his body slamming into me. Being taken from behind by this blond giant who obviously knew how to give pleasure, and having Colt spread out in front of me sent me into overdrive in about sixty seconds flat. There was no way I could hold back this orgasm, no matter how long I wanted to keep this going. I came, and I came hard.

I lost my grip on the world, and on Colt. But he wasn't ready for that. He sat up, grabbing my head, pulling me back down, forcing himself back between my lips. I wanted to scream, or tried to, all my sounds muffled against the hardness of Colt's erection. But I took him back into my mouth, even though I could barely breathe, because I wanted both of them in me at the same time, both of them taking their pleasure as they gave me mine.

For a split second I had an image of us, Jericho holding my hips, forcing himself into me, his body pressed against my ass, Colt sitting, legs spread, feet in the pool, fingers wound through my hair as he held me, as he forced himself into my mouth. And in that split second, I thought about what Colt and Jericho were seeing, how this all looked to them.

And how arching and bucking between these two hunks, my body wracked with the most intense orgasm of my life.

From behind me Jericho bellowed. There was no other name for the sound. It startled me out of my own little erotic world for a moment. A thrill ran through me as he gripped my ass, his body slamming into me so hard I jerked forward, almost swallowing Colt. There was no complaint from him, just a loud moan as his cock hit the back of my throat.

Jericho's next bellow was only slightly softer, but he was clearly headed for his own major experience here. He dug his fingers into my hips, and I knew there was a pretty good chance I would have fingerprint bruises as a memento of this event.

With a final cry he drove himself to the hilt in me, filling me with heat as he came. I bucked against him again and again, a second—or third?—dizzying wave of orgasmic joy flooding through me as he grunted and thrust into me.

Whether it was watching Jericho, or me, or both of us, Colt's trigger was tripped. He tightened his grip on my head, fingers digging into my hair. It hurt a little, but the pain only served as a counterpoint to everything else happening in my body.

The flex of his hips was accompanied by a low moan, almost a growl, and he came. I've never been a big fan of oral sex...but this blew my mind. He tasted rich and salty, and slightly odd, and totally foreign. But at this moment it was right, all of it. It was messy and sloppy, uncontrolled, and wild. And yeah, it was mind-blowing.

Colt finally released his death grip on my hair, flopping onto his back on the rocks. Jericho's manic thrusts slowed, his hands relaxing, until I felt him slide out of me, away from my body. I sank onto my knees, the water rising up around my ass, swirling between my legs. I winced as the hot water washed against me, but it was soothing.

Jericho sat beside me, rubbing my shoulders. Colt sat up and slipped onto the rocks on the other side of me. I knelt between them, resting my head on my arms, eyes closed. We were in the shade now, and even though the air was cool, I felt heated from the inside, like I was a little glowing ember.

“You okay, Red?”

I opened my eyes, looking at Colt, although it was Jericho who was talking. I was too sated to even lift my head.

“Yeah. I'm great.” I smiled, and Colt winked.

“She seems fine to me, Jer.”

“Glad to hear.”

I closed my eyes. “You guys okay? I know you do this all the time, but...”

Jericho shifted beside me, water rising gently against my legs. “We don't do this all the time. What did you tell her Colt? That we have random sex with every woman we meet?”

“He didn't say that.” I turned to look at Jericho. This was awkward, and I was getting sand in my mouth.

“I don't want you to get the wrong impression about us. When we said we share, that doesn't mean we're players.”

I sat back, spitting out the sand. “I don't know you guys, so...you know.” I shrugged, pushing back from the edge of the pool, sinking down into the water like a hippo, until the water was up to my neck. The rest of the pool was taken up with Jericho and Colt's long legs. I kind of nestled between them, breathing deeply, enjoying the swirl of the water around me.

Colt sat forward until we were almost eye level. “I said we share what we find interesting. And that does include women. But...” He ran a finger along my cheek. “Those have been few and far between.”

“Oh.” I had the sense there was a lot more than a few, and the far between carried a whole lot of history. But I was willing to let it all go for now. I was relaxed, in that good way you get after great sex, but sitting in the hot water was making me sleepy. I sat up without slipping under again.

“I'm ready to get out, if you guys are.” For some unknown reason I was hoping for a little privacy to get dressed. Sex was one thing; getting dressed another. It seemed oddly intimate to get dressed in front of the guys, guys I probably would never see again.

They took the cue, climbing up out of the pool. They were less shy about getting into their trunks, and I averted my eyes for that brief moment.

“Where are you camped?” Colt shouldered his pack. “If you want company, that is.”

“Oh...yeah.” It hadn't even occurred to me there might be more to this than just...this. “Up the path, on the left. You'll see my stuff...” I guess I did want their company.

“We'll walk slow, give you a chance to get dressed.” Colt nodded his head, and he and Jericho skirted the pool, heading toward the woods

“I won't be long.” I stayed in the water, the eddies, and currents matching the swirling emotions inside of me.  I waited until they were out of sight, then climbed out of the pool. My shorts were there, but it took a minute to find my t-shirt. I was wet, the clothes were half-dry, and everything was covered in sand. I smiled. Just what you'd expect on a camping trip.

I grabbed my stuff, and headed up the trail. I could hear them talking up ahead, but I didn't make the effort to catch up. It was nice knowing I had company, even though it took away the me-in-the-wilderness-alone theme to the weekend. But what the hell, maybe this was what fate had set up for me. Maybe this was what I needed.

As far as testing my limits and my boundaries went, I was chalking up new experiences, right and left. First sex with a stranger, then sex with another...and then both at once.

What the hell was I doing?

But I'd thrown judgment out the window, self and otherwise. This was my weekend, and I was going to follow wherever this oddball path took me. At the moment, that path seemed to be dragging me through a whirlwind of crazy sexual adventure.

Chapter Four

The sun was almost down by the time we reached my little campsite, if an abandoned tent, and a lone pack could be called a campsite. It was much darker beneath the canopy of trees. The pines added a green bulk that seemed to soak up the last of the sunlight. We all had flashlights, and Colt and Jericho made a complete circle of the area. I stood in the middle, a little bemused. I'd never seen anyone do that before, except in rattlesnake country. But we didn't have rattlesnakes here. I chalked it up to idiosyncratic camper superstitions.

“Nice tent. You want some help setting it up?” Colt dropped his pack beside the pile of nylon and fiberglass, picking up the pieces I'd left in a heap.

“Help yourself. It was what drove me down to the springs. I'd given up trying to puzzle it out.” I picked up my pack, ferreting out matches and my fire starter kit. “I'll get the fire going...”

But Jericho already had a tiny flame cradled in a bunch of pine needles, and I watched as he tenderly set it among a pile of tinder, carefully feeding it small twigs, the flame growing quickly. He glanced up, catching my gaze, grinning at me over the flickering flames.

“I got a merit badge in camping when I was a kid.”

“I see.” I dropped the stuff back into my pack. “Is there anything you guys can't do?”

“Not if it involves living off the land.” Colt stepped away from the tent. It seemed like it had materialized out of nowhere. “We've been roughing it in some way since we were kids. Both of us grew up near here, spent most of our time messing around in the woods.”

“Or getting into trouble.” Jericho added a larger branch to the fire. The flames licked around it, turning blue and yellow. Jericho dropped to the ground, leaning his back against the log. He gave me an encouraging smile...hell, he gave me a smile that could have lit a fire without matches. But I stood for a moment, debating where to sit. Suddenly I was shy, like I was on a blind date, not sitting around the fire with two guys I'd just had sex with in the hot springs. Two guys who certainly had an affect on me, and my libido. I perched primly on the log.

“I'll round up some more firewood.” I just caught a glimpse of Colt as he disappeared silently into the woods. Jericho tugged his pack closer, pulling out a thermos. After a minute he handed me a metal cup. “Here. Brought enough for all of us.”

I took an experimental sniff, then a sip. It was bourbon, I thought. Whatever it was, I was pretty sure it was the strongest thing I'd ever tasted.

Jericho stretched his legs out toward the fire. We watched the flames for a minute. Somewhere in the woods a night bird called, its mate answering. Then it went still, and the only sounds were that of the crackling fire. Jericho stretched again, looking up at me over his shoulder.

“What's your game, Red? You're a good girl.... you're not someone who sleeps around. So, why the sudden ménage in the hot springs? Feel like taking a walk on the wild side?”

The fire crackled, sparks rising against the backdrop of the dark trees. Above that was the deeper black of the sky, brilliant stars pinpricks in the dark. The fire caught Jericho's eyes, and for a startling moment I swore they glinted red. I blinked, and blinked again. But the moment was gone.

“I don't...I'm not.” I shifted on the log, took another sip of bourbon. It burned like proverbial fire. I swallowed hard, tried not to cough, and wasn't entirely successful. The last thing I wanted to look like was a lightweight in front of these guys. There was something about them that brought out my competitive edge, among other feelings, or urges, or desires. I shrugged, trying for nonchalance. Like this is normal for me: sex in the afternoon; drinking the hard stuff at night.

“Let's say I stepped out of my life for the weekend.” I looked down at Jericho, but he was staring into the fire, for which I was profoundly grateful. I wasn't sure I could stand that piercing gaze at the moment. “I needed a change, needed to do some thinking.”

“I'm all for getting away from it all, looking inward, doing a bit of soul searching. And for you, if that means a weekend fling, so be it.” He took a swallow of his drink. “Anything I can do to help you...” He glanced behind me. I turned to see Colt materialize from the forest carrying an armful of firewood. “Anything we can do to help, just let us know.”

“Help who?” Colt dropped the wood, grabbed a branch and added it to the fire.

“Red. She's on a voyage of self-discovery. I told her we're here for her.”

Colt crouched in the glow of the fire, poking it with a stick. The fire roared up briefly, then settled back. I caught the smile on his face, and was eternally grateful for the darkness around us, and that if either of them noticed my blush, they'd think it was a rosy glow from the fire, or the fire of the bourbon. Both of them had already gone a long way to helping me do whatever it was I'd come here to do.

“I don't want to pry, but there must have been something that prompted this weekend away. Care to share?”

I took another sip of bourbon. It was kind of growing on me, the warmth sliding through my body. The last little bit of shyness melted away. There was no reason not to tell these guys the reasons I was here; chances were pretty good I'd never see them after this weekend. Might as well get the truth out there, get it out of my system.

“A couple of months ago my boyfriend...my fiancé, actually, cheated on me. He'd started dating my college roommate...” I took another shot of liquid courage. “He wanted an open relationship; I wanted nothing to do with him.”

“So you took to the wilderness to clear your head?” Colt nodded. “Sounds like a good plan. Hard to think when you're surrounded by reminders of the guy.”

“Exactly.” I waved my arm, intending to point at Colt, but managed only to slosh a bit of bourbon on the ground. Jericho reached up, gently taking the cup out of my hand.

“Maybe you've had enough for now.”

“Oh...sorry. I've never been good at holding my liquor.” The warmth in me was making the world a little fuzzy around the edges. It was a pleasant fuzziness. “And I had some wine before...”

Jericho laughed, a nice sound. I could get used to that sound. “It's okay. You just do what you need to. We'll watch out for the big bad wolf, make sure you're safe while you sort out your life.”

“Oh, hey...that reminds me. Did you guys see a wolf today? A big black wolf...don't know if it was bad...” I reached behind the log, digging in my pack for my phone. “Here...I took pictures.” I flipped open the phone, scrolling to the shots of the wolf on the path. I leaned forward and held it out so the guys could see it.

“See?” I flipped through the photos. The first one was clear. The rest wouldn't win me any awards. “He sat when I asked him to, but I didn't get a picture of that. I thought he might have been the ranger's dog, but the guy said...”

I got the feeling no one was listening to me. I glanced at Colt, then to Jericho. Neither were looking at me or the phone. They were looking at each other, and the look they exchanged was one I couldn't miss, even in my happy state. Something was wrong, very wrong.

“You did see it, right?” I slumped on the log, then slid down onto the ground between Jericho and Colt. “I think the ranger thought I was crazy.”

“Ranger?” Jericho's voice had an edge to it. “What ranger?”

Colt coughed, then turned away as he fumbled for...something. “Yeah, Jericho, there was a ranger...” His voice was muffled.

I turned to Colt. “Were you on the path ahead of me? You must have been, if you saw him, and then showed up at the springs when you did. Or did you say you came from the other way?” Wine, bourbon, and the afterglow of sex had muddled my recollection of what he'd said when we first met.

“Yeah, I saw the wolf.” Colt sat up, absently poking the fire. “And I saw the ranger.”

Jericho tensed beside me, leaning forward to look past me at Colt. “Were you going to tell me? Or just wait till he showed up here? What the hell were you thinking? Or you weren't thinking, were you?”

I sat perfectly still between the two of them, confused, the fuzzy feeling fading. The air was charged with tension, everything changing. I wasn't exactly scared, but I was no longer drifting in a comforting haze of alcohol and sex.

“What did I say? Did I say something wrong?”

The tension held for a moment, then shifted. Whatever was going on between them, they'd let it go, at least a little. Jericho finally stood up, making a point of stretching, even though I knew he was far from relaxed.

“You're fine, Red. This is between Colt and me. Nothing to do with you.”

“You're not going to fight or anything, are you?”

Jericho moved around the fire, heading for the trees. “No. Just guys being guys. No fighting. I'm going for more firewood.”

I relaxed bit by bit. Maybe in my muddled state I'd misunderstood whatever had just happened.

“So, you did see the wolf? Big, black...blue eyes...” I looked into Colt's blue eyes, at his dark hair. It had dried now, and it curled around his shoulders. In the light of the fire it looked tipped with deep red. But in the sun...Would it be tipped with silver?

Colt turned to me. “Big black wolf. Yeah, I think I've seen him before.”

I stared at him, almost unable to look away. Blue eyes, black hair...

“You've heard the stories, Red? The legend of Black Wolf Mountain...the rest of it, the territory to the north, all the wild stories.”

I nodded, not looking away, unable to even if I wanted. But I didn't want to look away. It felt like I could look into those eyes for a long time...forever. If only.

“So do you believe them, the stories you heard around the campfire?” Colt reached out, winding a strand of hair through his finger, tugging lightly. “You know, I could really fall in love with this hair.”

“Obsessed much?”

“Yeah. Pretty much. Is that a problem?”

I shook my head, leaning toward Colt, following my strand of hair. His gaze slid down to my lips, a look so sexy I almost felt the caress of him against me. Swoon was never a word I'd have used to describe how I felt with a guy, before this. I closed my eyes, swooning. But his words tugged at me, and I stopped leaning forward, stopped swooning. He tugged on my hair, but I pulled back, the strand held taut between us. I opened my eyes.

“Wait...stop distracting me. You asked if I believed in the stories. What stories?”

“Red...Risha...there's something you should probably know about me, and Jericho. Something that might change how you think about us.”

“Oh. Okay.” Married? Girlfriends? I thought we covered all that.

He let go of my hair, watching it as it fell against my shoulder. “It's not what you think...none of that.”

The instant his eyes met mine I knew it, in my heart, in my soul, in every cell in my body. I went cold, then hot, then felt that swooning feeling again. Only it was more sickening than sexy this time around.

“You're the wolf.”

He didn't answer, didn't have to. It was written clear on his face. My heart took off like a racehorse out of the gate, and I dug my fingers into the sandy dirt under my hands. This was worse than a girlfriend, or a wife. Oh my fucking God.

“It's okay, Red. Really. I'm not the big bad wolf of legend. Neither is Jericho.”

That snapped me out of wherever my head had gone. “Jericho? He's a...thing like you?”

“Don't say it like that. We're not things.” He actually sounded hurt. And I actually felt bad for...what? Insulting his heritage?

“Then what are you?”

“Right now, I'm just a guy. Like I was before, at the springs. Just a guy sitting around the fire, enjoying your company.”

“Then who or what were you before? On the trail?”

“That was also me. Only in wolf form. We call ourselves shifters. We can change shape. And in our case, it's from human to wolf, and back.”

“Are you serious? This sounds crazy.” I could barely breathe, my head swirling in colors of black and grey, and I felt as though I might almost pass out.

I looked closely at Colt, at the face of the man who I'd had sex with just a few hours earlier. I thought having sex with a stranger was way outside my comfort zone, but what he'd just told me pretty much blew all that right out of the water. My instincts kicked in, and I felt just like I did on the path. The urge to run was almost overwhelming. He was either telling the truth, or he was completely and absolutely insane. At the moment, either or both was just as chilling to think about.

But this wasn't the wolf...or it was. But it was also Colt. And I happened to like Colt. I liked Colt very much. It was obvious the dynamic between us had changed; the light-hearted banter was gone. The sexual tension was still there, but it was overlaid with something a lot like fear.

“Okay. So let's say I can suspend disbelief long enough. You're a wolf in human clothing?”

He cracked half a smile. “You could say that. It's a little more complicated. There's a history with Jericho and me, and a back story that's a bit long in the tooth.” His smile widened. “Sorry. Couldn't resist the pun.”

I managed something of a smile, I think. I wasn't sure. Most of me felt numb. “Why were you a wolf when I saw you?”

“I wasn't sure who you were yet. Friend or foe. When I'm in wolf form, I see things differently. Literally. My senses are heightened—smell, hearing, sight. I get a better view of who I'm looking at. A more accurate view, in most cases.”

Some of the tension seeped out of me, despite hearing Colt explain he was a wolf. Listening to him, hearing his voice, the calm way he was talking to me, somehow made it seem okay. Maybe even believable. Somehow, some way.

“You're hypnotizing me, aren't you?” I made the effort to shift my gaze to the fire. “That's a thing you can do, right? I watch television, you know. I know how this works.”

He laughed softly. “Red, if I was into mind control, my life would be a whole hell of a lot easier. And television usually gets it wrong. Vampires don't sparkle; shifters don't use mind control. At least not all the time.” He stretched his arms over his head. “Believe me, life as a shifter isn't easy. This has been one of the better days of late.”

“Oh.” I wasn't sure if that included me, or something else. My mind was spinning, too many questions piling up, fighting to be the first one asked. But before I could pick the front-runner, Colt stood up.

“Something's wrong. Jericho should be back by now.”

Bewildered, I scrambled to my feet, tripping over the little pile of firewood. Colt was already on the other side of the fire, heading toward the gap where Jericho had gone.

“What do I do?”

“Stay here.” Colt turned back, face set in rigid lines. For a moment the wolf played over his face, the eyes glowing in the light of the fire, his hair catching the slight breeze.

“But what...”

A howl cut through the soft night air. The sound chilled me to the bone. I stepped backward, tripped over the big log, landing hard on my ass, the wind knocked out of me. Colt stopped, half turned toward me, half turned toward the forest. If he saw what was coming out of the forest almost on top of him, he never flinched.

All I saw was a ball of gray fur wrapped around what looked like a big rag doll. I screamed and struggled to sit up, to catch my breath, to get my bearings. For a moment everything was obscured by the fire, the figures blurred, red-tinged. I finally got to my feet, and what I saw wasn't any less chilling from that vantage point.

The figures separated, the rag doll taking the shape of the nameless ranger. The gray fur resolved into another wolf. From the way Colt swung around, teeth bared at the ranger, eyes narrowed, I knew this wolf wasn't just any wolf. This was Jericho.

The ranger and Jericho faced off briefly on either side of the fire. Jericho snarled, exposing brilliant white fangs, advancing stiff-legged around the flames. The ranger crouched, moving in the opposite direction, keeping the fire between them. There were rips and tears in his khaki uniform, some of them edged with blood. Colt looked strangely hesitant, poised halfway between Jericho, the ranger, and me.

I realized, a split second too late that the ranger and I were on a collision course. He realized it a split second before I did. I went left, he went right, but I couldn’t avoid him. He slung an arm around my neck, pulling me against him.

He smelled awful, not just of dirt and sweat, but of something rotten. I wondered vaguely if he was some kind of shifter as well. But it was getting hard to breathe, and the world was going gray and fuzzy. I struggled, but the man was much stronger than I was. Struggling just got harder and harder, so finally I gave up, concentrating on breathing. And even that was getting harder by the second.

“Let her go, Weatherly. She's not the one you came for.”

“Yeah. But she's the one I've got.” Ranger Weatherly jerked me upright so hard my feet left the ground. That just made everything worse, made breathing next to impossible. I went limp, not by choice, but because I had no choice.

“Back off. And call off your dog, Colt. You know what I want, why I'm here. And if I can't have you, then I'll take this one. You know I can snap her neck in a heartbeat.” Something cold tickled the skin below my jaw. Colt's eyes narrowed and Jericho whined. I guessed Weatherly had added a knife to the mix to back up his promise to break my neck.

The world was really going black now, the ranger's voice getting faint. My head fell to the side, and through half-closed eyes I saw Colt on the other side of the fire. Jericho stood by his side. Their expressions were identical, anger mixed with fear, mixed with confusion. Those weren't looks that instilled confidence in me.

But I couldn't blame them, didn't blame them. I tried to tell them that, tried to talk, tried to send telepathic messages. I was leaving the conscious world and the last thing I wanted them to feel was responsible. Silly thought...

Chapter Five

I jerked awake. My neck hurt and I tried to lie still until the zings of pain in my body stopped, not sure what, if anything, was broken. I tried to open my eyes, then realized they were open, but I couldn't see. For a really long horrible moment I thought I'd died and this was purgatory, that I was stuck in a place where I was unable to see or hear or speak. But then I realized I wouldn't have this much pain if I were dead. Slowly bits and pieces came back to me: the fire, of Colt and Jericho —sex—the ranger. Weatherly. It occurred to me that I finally knew his name. I was on something more or less soft, and something was stuck in my mouth. So I was blindfolded, gagged, and lying on a smelly mattress. And I was alive.

“Hey, you're awake.” The voice was close, sounding absurdly happy about the fact.

I jerked again, another wave of pain shooting down my arms. My hands were tied behind my back, but I could wiggle my fingers. They worked. The pain meant I was alive, and that even if I was injured, I wasn't paralyzed. It might have been a small thing, but I was suddenly very happy to feel pain.

But why Weatherly had me, and what he intended to do, that I wasn't very happy about.

“Let's get better acquainted.”

Hands touched me, my face, pulling my hair hard enough to make my eyes water. I grunted...I was pretty much over reveling in pain now. All I wanted was to see and to be able to sit up. The blindfold came off. I looked up at Weatherly.

I wanted to laugh, which was impossible with the gag. Weatherly looked far worse for wear than I felt. Whatever happened before they tumbled into the clearing, Jericho had gotten in few good scratches and bites. Weatherly's uniform was shredded in places, the edges caked with dried blood, torn skin visible beneath a few of the bigger tears. And if he smelled bad before, he smelled even worse now. Sweat, old and new, dirt and blood. And I sensed the sharp tang of fear on him. Not a pleasant combination. But what the hell did he have to be afraid of? I was the one tied up and gagged, not him.

Weatherly wrenched the gag out of my mouth, pulling my hair again, my scalp aching. I glared up at him, mustering up as much bravado as I could.

“Listen…Weatherly…I don’t know what your game is, but I’m pretty sure Colt and Jericho aren’t going to just let you take me. They’re probably on their way here, right now.” At least I hoped they were. How much loyalty did an-almost stranger garner?

“I’m sure they are. And that’s just fine by me. The more the merrier.”

“What do you want with me?” The whole disjointed conversation by the fire, the part about Jericho and Colt - all that could wait. I wanted to know what my part in this was. And I wanted him talking, so I could find a way to get my hands free, or get him to untie me. I wanted to take a swing at him so bad I could taste it.

“I don’t want you…or I didn’t. Until I saw you on the path. But then that damn wolf showed up.” He loomed over me for a minute, then must have decided it was awkward bending over to glare at me. Grabbing my shoulders, he yanked me upright. I had no balance, wavered from side to side. And then fell backward, my head hitting the wall. I closed my eyes as a new pain added itself to the mix.

“The wolf showed up.” I heard a footstep and opened an eye, watching as Weatherly turned, pacing across the small room. It gave me a chance to look around. There wasn’t much to see. The room was bare, just the mattress I was sitting on, a few chairs sitting at random angles, a table shoved in the corner. All in all, not someone’s permanent residence. Probably a deserted rental cabin from the 50s, long forgotten, long-abandoned. Perfect place to keep a hostage.

“The wolf showed up. The wolf I was after, one of them, anyway.”

“So why bother with me?”

Weatherly paced a few steps toward the door, twitching open the tattered curtain that hung on the window. He stared out into whatever was out there, whatever he could see in the dark. Then it struck me. He was a wolf…a shifter. He could see in the dark, just like Colt and Jericho. And that meant he could change, just like they could. And with him as a wolf, I didn’t stand a chance.

I wiggled my hands, turning my wrists. The rope bit into my skin, burned like hell. But I thought there was some play in them. Maybe it was my imagination, but it was the only thing I had to hold on to right now.

Weatherly moved to another window, looked out, then turned back to me. I froze, my wrists screaming in pain, my shoulders rotated at some unnatural angle. Something changed in the way he looked at me, something darker crossing his features.

“You were going to be collateral damage, at first. Get you out of the way, nasty hiking accident. Didn’t matter if you knew what any of this meant. You just needed to go away. But then…you hooked up with those two. How the hell did that happen? I tracked them forever, and there’s never been a woman. But now, there’s you.”

“I’d be happy to just bow out right now. No harm, no foul…”

“Not so fast. Plans change.” He crossed the little room, almost standing on my feet. “I can use you.”

He grabbed me again, pulling me upright. “Those guys used you. I can use you too.”

I was pretty sure his idea of use wasn’t going to be anywhere as fun as what happened with Colt and Jericho. I struggled, trying to disguise my attempts at freedom with frantic wiggling. Something loosened in the ropes around my wrists, one loop slipping. Weatherly apparently wasn’t very good at knot tying.

“Use me how?” Did I really want to know?

“I can make you one of us, like me…” He leered at me, baring his teeth. They were the same brilliant white as Colt’s and Jericho’s, a little longer than normal, far sharper than any human teeth should be. I jerked back, trying to get away from him.

“Bite you, mark you, make you mine. You’ll be mated to me, and I can have what they have.”

Whatever he was saying was lost on me. I’d stopped paying attention after the mention of bite. I didn’t want to be bitten, not by Weatherly, or anyone else. My heart galloped wildly in my chest, and I struggled not to go into full-blown panic mode.

Another loop of rope fell away, and for a surprised second I felt hope that I may actually stand a chance of getting away. Then I let fear replace exhilaration. It wasn’t hard. I heard Jack’s voice in my head, telling me to wait, look for my opening, to keep my eyes open. That I just needed to focus, to be patient.

But Weatherly had other ideas. He pulled me against him, his big hand grabbing my hair. For an instant I wished I’d chopped all this hair off, given myself a buzz cut. That way men wouldn’t be able to yank me around by it.

He pulled my head back, eyes drifting from my face to my neck. He smiled, if that’s what it could be called. My body had gone numb, limp, partly by design, mostly out of my control. The only thing really moving was my heart, thumping along at a dizzying pace.

“It’s not going to hurt…” He was focused on my throat, his arm slackening against my back. Just stay cool…don’t telegraph…

Weatherly dropped his head and I was out of options. I brought my knee up, aiming for his crotch. I hit his thigh instead, and it was like kneeing a tree. But it gave me an opening. I pulled against the hand holding my hair, setting my scalp on fire, and swung for the moon with my left. I hit him, hard, in the side of the head.

The blow didn’t do much damage, but it did startle him. He took his arm away from me, but held on to my hair. I swung again, a wild right that whistled through the air past his face. I could hear Jack’s snort of disapproval in my mind. Waste of energy, throwing useless punches.

“Knock it off, little girl. I’m not impressed with your little hissy fit. Just accept…” He pulled me up by my hair until I was standing on my toes. I sucked a breath through my teeth, trying really hard not to scream at the pain.

“Not so tough now, are you?” He dragged me backward toward the mattress. “I think there’s a better way of doing this. Giving you swinging room is dangerous.”

He pushed me down onto the mattress, following me, his big body covering mine, finally letting go of my hair. I hit him wherever I could, pounding his back, his shoulders. It was like punching stone. I wanted to scream, but he was crushing my chest with his, and getting air was getting harder.

I brought my knee up again. This time I connected with something that brought a reaction from Weatherly. He grunted, his hands stopping in the middle of the act of tearing off my clothes. I tried again, but Weatherly reared back, slapping me across my mouth. I tasted blood, and for a horrible moment, everything went black.

“You know, I like a fighter, but this is ridiculous. You’re being downgraded to collateral damage again.” Weatherly fumbled at his belt, and the cold sharpness at my throat snapped me back to reality.

“I’ve been chasing these bastards long enough. They’re the last of their clans, and I’m the last of mine. They’ve taken everything from me, my land, my clan…and left me out in the cold. I’m tired, and I’m tired of you. You’re not worth making a mate; you’d be nothing but a thorn in my side.”

He slid the knife against my throat, and for an instant I wondered if he was joking, or if this was just some weird sort of foreplay. But he pulled back, grinning, a terrible expression full of lust and hate, and so many clashing emotions that I had to look away. I tried to turn my head, and then I felt the warm rush of blood seeping from the place he’d cut me.

“There. Just lie there and die.” He pushed off of me. I wanted to sit up, to scream, to do something. But a tiny part of my brain told me I was probably better off just being still, and for once I listened to that little voice.

I reached up, almost tenderly, touching my neck. When I pulled my hand away, there was blood, so much blood. Too much blood, it seemed. I closed my eyes, putting my hand over the cut, praying to every deity I could imagine to let me live, to end this nightmare.

The door crashed inward, and I opened my eyes, watching as it shattered into a thousand rotten splinters. Behind it was Colt, as wolf, followed by Jericho, as human. Colt shook himself briefly, eyes locked on Weatherly. Weatherly still held the knife and he rushed the wolf, bringing the knife around in a big arc. It all looked like slow motion. His footing is off…wild punch…won’t connect…

It didn’t. Colt ducked easily, coming around, snapping at Weatherly’s legs. He bit hard, teeth sinking into Weatherly’s thigh. Blood ran down his dirty uniform, mixing with old blood and dirt. I took grim satisfaction that Weatherly was bleeding too. But I didn’t have the energy to do much more than think about it.

Jericho circled Colt and Weatherly, kneeling beside me. Weatherly’s grunts, and Colt’s growls filling the air. Jericho met my eyes, and it was pretty clear from the look in them that what he saw frightened him. I smiled, or tried to, tried to sit up.

“Stay still.” Jericho’s voice was low. “Just stay still.”

There was a crash behind Jericho, and I didn’t stay still. I wanted to see, to watch Colt. To know he was okay. Jericho sat down near my head. He’d torn off his t-shirt, and held it to my neck. I wasn’t sure if it was to stop the blood, or keep from having to look at whatever damage Weatherly had inflicted.

Weatherly was down on the floor, Colt standing on his chest. One massive front paw held down Weatherly’s arm, now a bloody and torn appendage, but still clutching the knife. The other paw was on Weatherly’s neck. I gave a silent cheer at the sight of it.

“Give it up, Weatherly. You’re done for.” Jericho’s voice seemed far away, really far. The room’s perspective seemed stretched somehow. Blood loss…you’re losing it…hold on…

“Fuck you. Fuck both of you. And your hell cat.” For being pinned by a wolf, the man had spunk. Colt growled, shoving his face into Weatherly’s. I was pretty sure the growl was a returned “fuck you.” Then he lunged.

“Don’t watch.” Jericho reached down, covering my eyes. I closed them, not because he said so, but because it seemed easier this way, to just lie here and rest. Suddenly I was tired. Sleep…just go to sleep…

There was a terrible crunching sound, and a gurgle that filled my ears. Then there was nothing, just the sound of my heart beating out its last rhythm. At least you met some cool guys…had a good weekend…

“She’s not going to last long. We can’t take her back to the cabin.” That was Jericho. My blonde Viking…

There was a snuffle, and a wet tongue licking my hand. I opened an eye, almost on the same level with Colt. He nudged me again, whining low in his throat. I wanted to tell him I was sorry, that I wished I’d met them under better circumstances. Maybe when I wake up…

“Colt…you gotta do it. Before it’s too late.”

There was movement, someone lifting me, holding me upright. I opened my eyes to see Colt beside me. He nuzzled my face, his wet nose in my ear. I wanted to laugh because it tickled, but it seemed like a whole lot of work. So I tried to smile.

I was cold, bone cold. I knew I was more or less sitting on Jericho’s lap, that his arms were around me, but I couldn’t feel anything. Not the warmth of his embrace, or the solid presence of him behind me. It seemed like everything was growing colder around me, and I half expected to see my breath. But it was still summer.

Colt’s muzzle brushed against my neck. He whined again, a tentative sound.

“Do it…now, Colt.”

There was a blinding flash of pain. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to scream, succeeding only in making a muffled groan. Then again, more pain, and Colt’s body pressing me back against Jericho. What the hell were they doing to me? They were supposed to save me!

Heat flooded through me, intense, almost unbearable. I could feel everything, arms, legs, fingers, toes…in a way that I really didn’t like. It was like being dumped head first into one of the steaming hot springs. I wanted out of my skin.

“Red? Hey…can you open your eyes? Look at me.”

I forced my eyes open, looking up at Jericho. “Yeah…okay.” The room was brighter now, things coming into focus. But there was a roaring in my head that made his words garbled, indistinct.

“Can you hear me?”

I nodded. “Yeah…shhh…” His voice only made the roaring louder. “I’m okay. Just don’t talk right now…”

“You’re not okay. But we need to get you to our cabin. I’m going to pick you up now, okay?”

I really didn’t have a say in that decision. I was lifted in the air, flying I thought, even though I knew that was impossible. People didn’t fly. But then we were out in the forest, the cool air a blessed relief against my feverish skin. Maybe I was dead, and an angel, flying through the forest. I closed my eyes again, or they were still closed, I wasn’t sure. I decided I’d completely lost it, and that taking that nap now might be a good idea. I let go of reality, and let myself go someplace else, someplace far away. The roaring faded, and everything went silent and black.

Chapter Six

Everything was silent. The roaring in my head was gone, replaced with a migraine. I could tell, without opening my eyes, that it was light outside. But eyes closed were fine for right now.

I was in a bed, so that must mean I was in Jericho and Colt’s cabin. Some snippet of conversation came back, something about bringing me here, after…after what?

“Oh, geez…”

After Colt had killed Weatherly. After Weatherly had tried to kill me. And come damned close. I reached up, touching my neck. There was a bandage wrapped around my throat, a really big bandage. Weatherly must have done quite a number with his knife. I let my hand fall back onto the bed.

“Hey…you awake?”

I opened my eyes enough to look toward the voice, toward Colt. He stood in the doorway, hair pulled back in a low ponytail. I smiled.

“Yeah.” My voice came out a weak little croak. “I’m awake.”

He crossed the room and sat on the bed. “You’ve been out for a few days.” He took my hand, chafing my fingers in his. “We’re glad you’re back with us.”

“Me too.” I tried to sit up, but my body didn’t really want to cooperate.

“Here…you’re going to be weak for a while.” Colt helped me sit up, propping pillows behind me. “Better?”

“Yeah. Better.” A wave of vertigo sent my head spinning. I swallowed, my dry throat clicking. “Can I have some water?”

“Yeah. Here…” He poured a glass from a pitcher on the bedside table. “Drink slow. Your throat’s probably a little bruised.”

The water was cool, felt like heaven, but he was right. It reminded me of having my tonsils out as a kid. All the ice cream you want…except you can’t swallow it.

“What happened?” I handed him back the glass.

“Hey, you’re awake.”

I looked past Colt at Jericho. He smiled, crossed the room and sat on the other side of the bed. Same thing, took my hand, held me as if I was made of fine china.

“She wants to know what happened.”

I wasn’t that out of it that I didn’t catch the glance between the guys. There was a long moment of weighted silence. Jericho finally blew out a sigh.

“Yeah. Okay. It’s complicated. I don’t know what Weatherly told you… And you should probably eat something first. You’ve been out for days…you’re weak.”

“I’ll eat in a bit,” I replied. Right now I needed to know what happened, and why I felt so different.

“He said a lot of stuff about you guys, none made much sense though. I got the feeling he thought you two had something he wanted. And then…” The feel of the knife was back, the pressure, the non-pain of the cut. “He wanted me, but then he didn’t.” I shrugged, at a loss to really explain anything else. Colt nodded.

“Weatherly’s been after us for a long time. We live here, on family land…Jericho’s family to be honest; the land that’s not part of the park. I was raised on the other side of Black Wolf. The mountain’s named after my clan. But shifters lead a very dangerous life, even on land that’s pretty inaccessible. Weatherly’s from north of here. Long story short, clan rivalry, clan betrayal. Jericho and I teamed up; Weatherly decided he’d rather be the proverbial lone wolf, than join a clan that’s not his.”

“So he’s…was…a shifter too?” I was relieved that I used the right term this time.

“Yeah. We’re all that’s left of three different clans. I think being alone took a toll on Weatherly, sent him off the deep end, into some dark place that he couldn’t get out of. There was some really nasty stuff that happened in his clan, near the end. It wasn’t good, from what we heard.”

“What happened to your families?” It hurt to talk, but there were questions I wanted answers to. “You’re the last of your clans?”

Jericho nodded “Yeah. We’re it. We decided a long time ago that two against the world was better odds than going it alone. This land…my clan’s land…has never been part of the park. It goes back a long, long way in my family, further than even Colt’s claim to his lands. The deed’s structured in a way that whoever occupies the cabin, as long as they can prove they’re part of the family, owns the land. Someone was smart, a long time ago.” He gave me a crooked smile. “Smarter than the average wolf, I guess. Colt wasn’t so lucky though. Or Weatherly.”

“My family’s land ended up being taken over by the state. Eminent domain. Turned Black Wolf into a park. I still think of it as my land, even though it’s full of hikers and backpackers. Ruffles my fur to see them, present company excluded.” He squeezed my hand and smiled at me, and I squeezed back.

“Thanks for that. So he’s been after you just because…”

“Because he could, because he’d gone round the bend? Because he was jealous, wanted something he thought was better than what he had? Who knows? Weatherly was just plain crazy, either from isolation or because he drove himself there, on his own. The man was full of hate.” Colt shifted on the bed so he was sitting beside me. I moved a little, sharing the pillows. Jericho took the cue and sat on the other side. Sandwiched between them, I felt safe and warm and less out of my body than I had. But something was still off.

“So Weatherly tried to kill me, right? With a knife?”

“Yeah,” Colt said. “We got there too late…”

“And saying we’re sorry is never going to make that better.” Jericho squeezed me, hard enough to almost pull me over. “We messed up, big time. But we’ll never do that again.”

“You didn’t get there too late. You got there in time, or I wouldn’t be here, right?” I touched my neck again. “You saved me.”

From the silence between them, I knew there was more to the story. Colt was the first to say anything.

“About that…you’re right…we saved you. It wasn’t exactly what we’d planned, but it was the only way to save your life.”

Something inside of me clicked, words that Weatherly had said coming back to me.

“He said he was going to bite me…bite me, mark me, make me his.” It sounded like a demented chant. “What did he mean?”

“Red…” Colt coughed, started again. “Red, to make someone who isn’t a shifter into one, we bite them. Bite them while we’re shifted. It…does more than just make you one of us. It also can save someone. Like you.”

“Save me? From Weatherly?”

“No. Save you from dying. Weatherly cut your throat. You were bleeding to death when we got there. The only way to save you was to change you.”

I twisted around, ignoring protests from both of them. I faced Colt. “You bit me? In that shack?”

I’d never had anyone look at me like Colt did. There was a hopelessness to that look, but there was something beneath that, a stubbornness that said he’d do it again, given the chance. And a lift to his chin that dared me to challenge what he’d done.

“You saved my life.” Not a question about it. No challenge to his actions. His face relaxed, his smile returning. “I’m one of you now. A shifter?”

“Yeah. I did. You are.”

I looked at Jericho. “I’m part of his clan, right? Not yours. Does that change anything between us?”

Jericho shook his head, and chuckled. I could see the look of surprise and relief on his face that of all possible questions, that was my main one. “It doesn’t have to. I really don’t mind. I just want to be with you…I don’t care about anything else.” He looked a little confused. “You seem awfully calm for someone who’s just been told she’s been bitten by, mated to, and turned into a shifter. Most people, from what I’ve heard, tend to be a little more…agitated, maybe…with that much information.”

I sat for a minute, looking out the window. I could see trees and what I thought was probably the top of Black Wolf. It was nice, this room, this view. I could do worse.

“Red? You okay?”

I looked back at Colt and Jericho. The guys I’d met yesterday, or the day before, or the day before that. I wasn’t sure when, really. My head hurt, worse than any migraine I’d ever had. But I knew they’d risked their life for me, and they’d taken it on faith that doing what they did was the best thing for me. It seemed only logical that I take it on faith that it was the right thing.

“If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m not like most girls.” That got a laugh from Colt, and a sound from Jericho that just made me shake my head.

“Could be that I’m a writer. I’ve written stuff that’s stranger than fiction. Although this is right up there with strange. But I’ve thought about what other kinds of lives would be like. Obviously I thought they were all fictitious, just stuff I made up. This is like finding out the fairy tale is real.”

I sank back against the pillows. Exhaustion swept through me like a summer breeze. I yawned, a rather inelegant gesture, considering.

“I’m tired. Is that normal?”

Jericho slid out from beside me. “Yeah. You lost a lot of blood. And Colt’s bite was on the aggressive side.”

“Hey…I’ve never done this before. And it wasn’t under ideal circumstances.” Colt replied, defensively. He sat up, easing me back onto the pillows. I sank into them, breathing out a sigh. I could feel consciousness dissolving, sleep taking over.

“Are you able to eat something? We can make you some soup.” Jericho asked, clearly concerned about me. “I’d rather you eat before you go to sleep again.”

“I can’t eat right yet… I’m just so tired. I’ll eat when I wake up. Please don’t worry. I just need to sleep a little longer, and then I’ll be good as new.”

“Just rest, Red. We’ll be around, checking on you. If you need anything, just let us know.” Colt’s voice was deep and soothing, and I found myself drifting off quickly.

“How will you hear me?” I closed my eyes. Hands tucked the blankets around me, pulled the curtains, and doused the bedside light.

“Red, we’re wolves. We can hear you breathing.” Jericho replied.

I smiled, imagining them sitting somewhere close by in the dark, counting my breaths, my heartbeats. It put my mind and heart at ease, and I fell asleep knowing I was safe.

Chapter Seven

There were noises…crashing...things breaking. The scent of rotten wood, splinters in my fingers. Splinters in my neck. Clawing to get them out…someone cutting them out with a knife. My Dad used tweezers…when I was a kid…

Everything hurts…my neck…my body. I want Colt…Jericho…teeth.

I thought I was awake. Or that I was dreaming.

I screamed. And again. And then fell into something not really close to sleep, but further away from death than I had been.

* * *

The next time I woke up—really woke up—it was dark. Someone was sitting in the chair in the corner, snoring softly.

“Jericho?”

“Hey…” He sat up, the chair creaking. “How do you feel?”

“Tired. But better. Not so wiped out though. My head is all fuzzy. I think I had a bad dream.”

“You mumbled a lot, screamed sometimes. We’ve been taking turns sitting with you, to wake you up. But you were really out of it.”

I nodded. Out of it was a pretty good description.

“Are you hungry yet?”

I sat up, adjusting the pillows. Jericho turned on the lamp beside his chair. There were dark circles under his eyes, and I wondered how long he’d been sitting there, watching me sleep.

“Starving. What time is it?”

“Late…not far off dawn, I think. I lost track of time. I do know you’ve been sleeping for the better part of twenty-four hours.”

I stretched, easing the kinks out of my shoulders and neck. “You know how you feel when you go to the movies in the afternoon, and it’s dark when you come out? Kind of disoriented? I feel like that.”

Jericho laughed, stood up and crossed the room. “Yeah. It’s been a long time since I’ve been off the mountain, but I know what you mean.”

“Can you get Colt? I want to talk to you guys. Together.”

“Yeah, sure. But then you need to let me make something for you to eat.”

I sat in the dim light, listening to Jericho going downstairs, then outside, to his and Colt’s voices. I could hear them, from up here. The guys came in, and then there were footsteps on the stairs, louder as they came down the hall.

“Red. You okay?”

“I could hear you, hear almost everything you said, even outside.”

Colt broke into a big grin. “See? You are one of us now.”

I started shaking uncontrollably, my mind spinning. “One of you? I thought…that was all true? I thought I dreamed all of that…stuff about being bitten…being changed.”

Jericho sat on the edge of the bed. “It’s true, all of it. Do you remember the rest of it? Weatherly…”

“Yeah. I remember him…the knife…blood…” I touched my neck. There was a bandage…really just a big bandage, nothing like I thought I remembered. There had been something bigger around my neck.

“And Colt biting you?”

I stared at Colt. “Yes…” Teeth…

“Yes. You bit me after Weatherly…”

“Tried to kill you. With a knife.” Jericho said the words so carefully, as if saying them again would actually hurt me. Tears welled up in my eyes.

“Yeah…he did. Then there was a lot of crashing…”

“Colt broke down the door.”

…splinters…

“As a wolf. And you were there…” I reached for Jericho’s hand. “But not as a wolf.”

“No. I didn’t shift, in case we needed to get you back here. Which is what happened.”

“You killed Weatherly.”

Colt was still standing in the doorway. I held out my hand and he crossed the room, dropping onto the bed beside me, taking my hand.

“Yeah. I killed Weatherly.” His voice was low, almost inaudible. “I’ve never killed anyone before.”

His hand trembled, and I squeezed back. “Thank you. You saved my life.”

“He saved your life by biting you. By making you one of us.”

I glanced at Jericho. “That’s the part where I lost the thread. The part that I thought I dreamed. But that’s true?”

“It is. I bit you…it was the only way to save you. You’d lost so much blood. We thought we were too late. It was the only thing we could do. You can’t know how hard it was…knowing that you didn’t have a chance to decide yourself. That we decided your fate.”

“But you saved my life. I can’t be angry over that. I can be confused—and I am—but I can’t be angry.”

Colt squeezed my hand, then slid his arm around me, pulling me against his chest. “You’re one of us now. Part of the clan.”

I let him hold me. Jericho rubbed the spot between my shoulders, and we stayed like that, all wrapped up in each other, until my mind started coming up with more questions. I pushed away from Colt.

“And I’m part of Colt’s clan, right? I remember asking you this already, but I feel like I need to make sure that I understand.”

Colt nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”

I turned to Jericho. “And you’re sure we’re okay?” Just days ago these two men were complete strangers, and now it felt as though they were the most important people in my life. The thought of being away from them made me panic.

Jericho nodded, his lips curved into a bright smile. “You’re a shifter, a wolf…right now that’s all that matters. Your blood line isn’t pure anyway, since you were created, not born to this.” He shrugged. “Frankly, the least of my worries is if Colt bit you or I did. The only thing I…and he…care about is that you’re alive and in one piece.”

“Weatherly called it, a what? A bite to make me his?”

“Mating mark. And you’re mine, if you want to get technical.” Colt leaned back, the sexy half-smile I loved turning up the corner of his mouth.

“But I’m not one to get too hung up on technicalities.”

I punched Colt lightly on the shoulder. We sat for a long time, watching the darkness outside, me hearing things I’d never heard before. I was getting sleepy again, a good kind of sleepy, not the zoned out feeling I’d had before.

But there were things that needed to be figured out, at least for me. I was changed, marked…a radically different girl than the one who had arrived to spend the weekend doing yoga. I was a completely different animal now. But I was an animal who didn’t know where she belonged.

Finally Colt gave words to the thoughts running around in my head like a caged squirrel.

“You’re welcome to stay, if you want. I want you to stay.”

I punched him harder this time. “You said you don’t use mind control.”

“I don’t.” He rubbed his arm, winking. “But I can read them. You don’t know where to go…what to do. Stay here, think about it.”

“Like Colt said, you’re welcome here. For as long as you can stand us. Hopefully that’s longer than just the rest of the weekend.”

Then the important thing finally surfaced. Maggie. “What day is this?”

“Sunday. Or it will be when the sun comes up.”

“I’m supposed to go home today. If I don’t…people will worry. My best friend…she will be frantic.” I kicked aside the sheets, but there was too much masculinity holding them down. “I need to call…”

“Settle down. You shouldn’t get up yet. Besides, it’s not even light yet. Lay back, think about what you want to tell her. You’ve got time.”

“Can I get cell reception up here?” The thought of hiking to my car, then driving down that damned bumpy road to somewhere civilized seemed too exhausting to even contemplate. Plus there was my stuff, my gear… my tent.

“Whoa…slow down.” Jericho set a hand on my shoulder, pushing me back against the pillows. “One step at a time. First, what are you going to tell her?”

“I’m going to tell her…” What the hell was I going to tell her? That I decided to just up and move in with a couple guys I happened to have sex with? Oh, and by the way, I’m a wolf?

“I can’t tell her the whole truth. You don’t want others…her…to know about this, do you?”

There was a moment of silence. Even though I couldn’t actually read their minds, it was pretty clear there was no debate on the answer to that question. A big fat no.

“Yeah…I thought so. No. So I won’t tell Maggie the why.”

“Wait. You’ve decided to stay?” There was a little more than a hint of surprise in Jericho’s voice. He sat up, turning to face me. Colt was in a similar state of shock apparently. I glanced at him, almost laughed at look on his face, but didn’t have the heart.

“Did you really think I’d leave now?”

“Red…you gotta admit this all happened to you so quickly. We don’t expect you to stay…we want you to…but…”

“It’s a lot to ask.” Colt finished Jericho’s sentence.

“But you did ask. And I accepted.” I heard my voice speaking the words, and wondered what I had just agreed to. It was totally off the wall, totally out of character for me, but then again, nothing about my former life seemed to fit anymore. I was a completely different person – half woman, half wolf – and I knew there was no possible way that I could return to life as it once was.

This is where I belonged. With Colt and Jericho. Between two wolves.

“There’s nothing conventional about my life. I work from home, I write strange stories. I don’t have any family…not that no one would miss me, but still. I can work from anywhere…as long as I have some kind of Internet access at some point. There are ways to work around that…”

“Hey, take a breath.” Jericho reached over, putting his hand over my mouth. “One thing at a time. You’ll stay?”

I waited until he took his hand away. “Yes… I want to stay.”

“You don’t know how happy that makes us, Red. Later today we’ll take you out to the clearing. There’s a place where I’m pretty sure you can make a call.”

“Okay. Alright. I’ll tell her I met you…both of you…that right there should keep her occupied with questions for about a week or so.”

The guys laughed, and I joined them. It felt good to laugh. It felt right.

“After that…I’ll think of something.”

Chapter Eight

I had thought of something to tell Maggie. I told her about Jericho and Colt, and meeting them in the springs, and after many prying questions from her, gave her a play-by-play of exactly what happened in the springs, minus the near-death-experience, and of course, no mention of what I had become. She seemed particularly interested in the graphic details of my threesome, and asked me a torrent of questions, giggling after I answered each one. The battery on my phone was almost dead before I got around to telling her that I was staying…that I had planned to move into a cottage with my two lovers.

“You’re not coming back? Ever? That’s crazy!”

“I really don’t know, Maggie. All I know is that, somehow, this feels right. I can’t leave them. I feel alive when I’m here, like I’ve never felt before. I have never been so at home, as crazy as it sounds.” I looked out past the edge of the clearing, down toward the river, and beyond. “It’s so beautiful here, Maggie. So peaceful.”

“Are you happy, Rish?”

“Happier than I have ever been.”

“Then do what you need to do. I’ll be here, always…I love you.”

“I love you, too…”

The battery went dead, and I shoved it in my pocket. There’d be a time when I was in town, or somewhere there was a signal, and I’d call her back. We’d figure it out. We always did. It wasn’t goodbye, that was for certain.

I turned back to the cabin. There were lights on downstairs, voices, scents. I closed my eyes and breathed in all of it. I was exactly where I belonged.

* * *

It was a little before dawn a few days later, and I’d crawled into bed in Jericho’s room. It had taken me a little while to adjust to sleeping in a different bed every night, never quite sure who was going to show up. Most often than not it was all of us piled into one of the guy’s beds. But I kind of liked the big communal feel of sharing beds and men. I was rarely alone at night. We are a nocturnal race, us shifters, and being up till dawn became the norm. I still wrote best in the middle of the night, and the guys were used to prowling around in the darkness. All in all, our lives meshed together pretty seamlessly.

“Well, we aim to please. You know that. If there’s anything else…”

I was pillowed on Jericho’s shoulder. Colt was still downstairs, closing up the cabin, locking the doors and windows, closing out the day. I was drowsy, but not really ready to fall asleep. Something stirred inside me, a lazy tendril of desire uncurling in my stomach, a flutter of arousal. I didn’t think I’d ever get tired of this feeling, of the anticipation of being with Jericho and Colt.

Some of it was the human side of me, the desire to love and be loved—lust and desire, the same feelings I’d had in other relationships. It was familiar, if not multiplied times two. I knew, more or less, what to expect. The progression felt pretty standard. After all, it had been the way I’d acted in relationships since my first kiss with Stevie Smith in grade school.

But overriding all that was the wolf in me, and that part was growing stronger by the day. The feelings I had for Colt and Jericho were nothing short of all-consuming, powerful—primal. To say that I would kill for them would be an understatement. I would fight for them, tooth and nail, heart and soul, just like I knew they would for me.

So add that level of commitment to our love life, and the result was way beyond simple multiplication. I knew the little tendrils of desire curling through me now were going to explode into a white-hot fire, a desire to take and be taken, to mate with Jericho and Colt over and over. To be consumed by my wolves. To be consumed by love.

“Hey, you still awake?” Jericho prodded me, not entirely too gently, poking my shoulder. “You want the bed to yourself?” He started to sit up, but I rolled onto him, my breasts pressed against his chest. The sheet was caught between us, but it didn’t do much to conceal Jericho’s erection. I wiggled my hips, loving the feel of it

“Like hell.” I smiled down into his face. Even in the soft light of the lamp the details of his face stood out. The blood of his clan was so clear in him, so strong. A wave of sadness washed over me. He was the last of his clan, like Colt was the last of his. I was the only link now, between extinction for either clan.

“Stop thinking about it. It’s fine. Really.” His voice softened as he reached up to brush back a strand of hair. “You can’t change how things are right this very minute. Give it time.”

I touched his cheek, ran my finger down the bridge of his nose. “I know. I’m just…impatient.”

“You know we live longer than humans, right? Unless someone like Weatherly comes along again. Otherwise, we’ve got time. Lots of time.”

“Time for what?”

I glanced over my shoulder. Colt stood in the doorway, stark naked. I’d gotten used to that right away. It was one of the perks of living with guys who had no inhibitions, and who were used to shifting at the drop of a hat. I still got dressed more often than not. As far as for me shifting…

“Time for her to save us, save our clans.”

Colt crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “You’re not ready yet, anyway, Red. You know that.” He leaned down and kissed the back of my head. “You’ve been a shifter for less than a month. It takes time to sink into this life, to let your body go through all the changes.”

He tugged at the sheet, the part that covered my ass. “Besides, you haven’t shifted yet. We’re not sure…” He leaned over, kissing my shoulder, his hand moving to the small of my back.

“Not sure…of what…” I tried to sit up, but Jericho wrapped his arms around my shoulders. Colt had a way of distracting me from pretty much everything.

“Not sure if you’re able to yet. We’ve had this conversation before.”

“Yeah. I know. I need to shift…” They were right. I did need to shift, or at least try. I’d been, well, hesitant. I’d watched Colt and Jericho, but most of those times had been under less than ideal circumstances. In fact, some of those times had been downright scary. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go through that whole drama—and frankly, what looked like trauma—with my body. But I was supposed to think about it…or something…

“But not right now. Right now…” As usual, Colt read my mind. He slid his hand down over my ass, fingers probing between my legs. I arched under his touch, my legs sliding down over Jericho’s thighs. Jericho responded instantly, hips flexing upward, prodding me with his cock. Not to cross my shifters, but I was practically purring under Colt’s touch.

“Right now you need to stop worrying, okay? It’s just going to distract you from what’s really important.”

“And what’s that?” I wiggled again, and Jericho twitched the sheet out from between us. It was, as always, glorious to feel his skin against mine. He was hot, as always. It still amazed me how warm both of these guys were. I imagined us in winter, snuggled between them, toasty warm without even needing blankets.

“What’s important is us…this…” Colt’s fingers slipped lower, playing over my swollen folds. “No pun intended, but I get the feeling…” His fingers pushed further. “This is something you’re looking forward to, just as much as we are.”

“Yeah, well, I am.” I drew in a sharp breath as Colt probed, one finger sliding down, rubbing my clit. I made a little yelping sound, a new sound that had started cropping up in my symphony of noises during sex. I assumed it was part of my new identity. In response he thrust harder, the palm of his hand cupping me, his thumb pressing into the cleft of my ass. I arched further, loving the touch of him, the proprietary way he touched me.

While Colt was doing a great job of taking my breath away, beneath me Jericho was making inroads in making a frontal attack, his cock sliding against my inner thigh.

“You two going to fight over who gets there first?” I pushed up against Jericho’s chest, letting my knees slide apart on the bed. There was always a hint of competition between the guys, subtle, never interfering, mostly good-natured. I’d long gotten over worrying they’d come to blows over me. But the game was still there, the hint of it adding a little spice to the whole thing.

“I think I won this time.” Colt curled his fingers inside me, finding that magic spot that drove me wild. My body jerked and I gasped as a primal rush of arousal speared me. Not that I wanted to, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to this, the intensity, how everything seemed heightened, my senses sharpened, every sensation taken to the max.

“I think not.” Jericho flexed his hips quickly upward, almost flipping me off his body. Behind me Colt laughed, his fingers slipping out of me. Jericho grabbed my hips, getting me back into position, the head of his cock taking the place of Colt’s fingers.

“Always a pleasure, Red.” Jericho’s entry into me was exquisite. He had a way of taking me that was slow and languorous, but edged with something raw that sent a thrill through me like no one ever had. It wasn’t exactly fear. I knew in every cell in my being that this man would never hurt me, would fight for me like I would for him. But still…

Colt was moving behind me, the bed dipping and shifting. He reached out, grabbing my hips, pulling me up and down. I sat back, Jericho’s cock sliding further into me, my thighs tensing against his hips. Colt moved his hands up my torso, reaching up to cup my breasts. I leaned against him, his broad chest pressing against my back. He nuzzled my neck for a minute, his breath hot, his scent washing over me. I never realized how good men could smell until I got mixed up with these two. I closed my eyes and inhaled, and something coiled inside me, like a spring that got wound tighter. And when that spring sprung, all hell was likely to break loose, in a strictly sexual sense.

But until then, until I couldn’t stand it anymore and came so hard I thought I’d break apart, yeah, this was exactly where I wanted to be.

Jericho ran his hands up my thighs, fingers playing over my skin. He moved them higher, until his hands reached the apex of my thighs, until his thumbs reached that certain spot between my legs. He spread the edges of my swollen folds, one thumb circling over my clit. I jerked again, but there was nowhere for me to go. I was held fast against Colt.

He tightened his hands on my breasts, moving from caressing through fondling to frankly mauling me. I bit my lip, looking down at his hands, dark against my oh-so-pale skin, loving the contrast. Behind me was the unmistakable thrust of Colt’s erection moving against my ass. For a moment he rubbed against me, hot and hard. Then he shifted, his cock sliding against the cleft of my ass. This was still uncharted territory for me, and as close as we’d come on several occasions, we hadn’t explored this, um…area yet.

“Like the view?” Jericho grinned up at me.

“I like the view very much.” I reached up, covering Colt’s big hands with my much smaller ones. “Do you like the view?”

“Very much. From here, you look sexy beyond all belief. Good enough to eat…if I didn’t have my cock in that lovely…”

“Okay. Okay. I get the picture.” I’d never be able to match these guys for braggadocio, or for a slightly dirty way of looking at the world. I loved it, but it made me blush. Like now.

“I love that color on you, Red. You look pretty in pink.”

I felt myself going six shades pinker. “You can stop now.”

The guys had an instinct for knowing what to say to get under my skin. I think it was a form of foreplay.

“Go easy on her, Jericho. You know when she comes, she flushes all over. Not just her face.” Colt took one hand away from my breast, turning my face to his. “Right? You could light up the night.”

Before I could say anything he claimed my mouth in a messy kiss. I twisted in his grip, wanting more of him. I got it, as he thrust his tongue between my lips, and the kiss went from messy to wet, and over-the-top sexy. It was the kind of kiss I’d always dreamed of having, but never got. Now, with Colt, and Jericho, kisses were wild and passionate, and sometimes very messy, in the best possible way.

Beneath me Jericho’s movements were getting just a little bit out of control, a little bit erratic. It meant he was close, or he was teasing me…again. Or trying to get my attention. I broke away from Colt, looking down at Jericho. Colt teased his fingers along my jaw, the other hand still occupied with my breast. He’d begun rolling my hard nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Little jolts ricocheted through me, sharp and penetrating, contrasting with the heat building lower down.

“Colt, want a turn?”

“Hey, I’m not a video game controller you pass back and forth.”

But Jericho was already sitting up. Colt let me go with a little push as Jericho pulled me toward him. I wrapped my legs around his waist, throwing my arms around his neck. We were face to face, our noses almost touching.

“You’re a hell of a lot more fun than video games. Besides, I outgrew those a long time ago. I like grown up games now.”

He kissed me, something between rough and gentle, that strange combination that always took me by surprise, threw me a little off guard, and back to day one. And I always hesitated, the tiniest bit hesitant how to react. I mean, I reacted to the kiss. My body reacted, melting into Jericho like I always did. But I never knew if I should go aggressive, or play up the gentle. So I just let him lead the way.

This kiss was anything but gentle. He grabbed the back of my head, pulling me into the kiss. It deepened. Impulsively I pulled his lower lip into my mouth, sucking briefly. And then I did it. I bit Jericho’s lip.

He growled, but didn’t pull away. I did, tugging his lower lip with my teeth. I opened my eyes to see him looking at me from beneath hooded eyes. I bit down just a little harder, and his eyes widened just a bit. Then I chickened out and let go. Jericho reached up, rubbing his lip.

“You’re getting better. You still pull your punches though.” He gave me a lopsided grin. “You’re a wolf now, Red. You can act like one.”

Colt’s breath was hot against my ear, his hands moving up my back, thumbs working into the hair at the nape of my neck. “So can I.”

Before I had a chance to think of a comeback, Colt grabbed me from behind. With a surprised yelp I let go of Jericho. Colt was quick, far quicker than I was. I found myself on my knees, practically falling onto my face. Colt was already pressed against my ass, his cock sliding between my legs. My body was still humming from Jericho’s attention to that part of my anatomy. Then Colt was there, sliding into me. It was different; he was different.

I managed to push up, against the pressure of Colt pushing me forward with each thrust. It was a struggle, but I finally got up on my hands. I was panting, from exertion, from arousal. From the desire to want to turn and snap at Colt, to taste him, like I had Jericho.

I shook my head, blinking in surprise. Something wasn’t right. Or maybe something really was right.

“Jericho…” My voice sounded harsh, choked. “Jericho, something’s happening.”

I saw panic in his eyes, and then he was leaning over, pushing back the hair from my face. Then I was moving, lunging forward on the bed, fingers gripping the sheets. Colt was beside me, trying to stroke my hair. But I shook him off.

“This is it, right? It’s happening…but why? I don’t want it…”

A force like nothing I’d ever felt before shook me. And I mean shook. All I wanted was to curl into a fetal position, to hold myself from splintering into a million shards. It was like every cell in my body was set on some high pitch vibrate mode. I closed my eyes, gritted my teeth, and tried to hold on.

“I guess this means you’re ready.” There was a mixture of apprehension and excitement in Colt’s voice. I forced myself to look at him.

“I am not. I am not ready. This isn’t…I don’t want…” Whatever the hell I wanted to say got lost in the growl that tore from my throat. My voice rose to an almost-howl, then cracked, turning into a guttural moan.

“This hurts.” I was sweating now, my body running hot, very hot. I uncurled myself, rolling over onto my back. The room spun around me, and for a horrible minute I thought I was going to be sick.

“Fuck this hurts…is it always like this?”

Colt loomed up next to me. Everything was distorted and I blinked, trying to make him come into focus. He knelt beside the bed.

“Yeah. It does, at first. It gets easier. But we’ll get you through this, and from then on, it’ll be a breeze.”

I blew out a breath. A breeze, right. My body felt like it was going through a meat grinder, my mind being blown to pieces. There was no way they knew what I was going through. I was alone in this.

Alone…

I jerked my head around. “Wait. You’ll be there, right? I can’t do this alone.” I shot a look at Colt, then to Jericho, standing behind him. “You’ll be there?”

“We will, Red. Right beside you. But…” I got that grin from Colt, the crooked one, the one that drove me insane sometimes.

“But what?” I gasped out what I was pretty sure were going to be my last human words for now. Maybe forever.

“Well, we can’t talk as wolves. And we don’t know if you’ll be able to…communicate as a wolf.”

I gave up trying to understand him, and gave in to the pain. Another blast of whatever the hell this was tore through me, and I knew this was it. My arms were in agony, felt like they were being stretched, bent backward, and torn out of my sockets. I screamed.

“Jericho, we need to get her outside. She can’t stay in here.”

“She can’t walk downstairs. I’ll carry her.”

There was a roaring in my ears, the pain in my arms traveling down to my legs. I wanted to lie still, very, very still, not be picked up and carried bodily downstairs. But that’s what was happening. Colt slid his arms under my shoulders and knees, picking me up easily. I turned my face toward his chest. For the first time since I’d known him, Colt’s skin felt cool against my heated skin. I closed my eyes and hung on as he carried me out of the room and down the stairs.

Chapter Nine

Colt set me down on the soft ground beneath the pines. It was blessedly cool, and for a moment I just lay there, pain wracking my body. It was too strong for me to fight, even if I wanted to.

Something was changing inside me. Not just my body, but something deep inside my core. I wanted this, I wanted to change. I was afraid of the pain, but the desire to be a wolf was growing stronger than the fear.

“Colt…” I tried to sit up, but I could only make it to my hands and knees. I stayed there, head down, gulping in the night air. “Jericho?”

“We’re here, Red. Right here. We’re not leaving you.”

“Will you change with me?”

“We will…”

I looked up at Jericho, Colt standing behind him. “Promise?”

“Red, we wouldn’t miss this for all the world. We’ll be right there beside you, every step.”

Some kind of seismic wave of pain took my breath away. I arched up onto my knees, head back, screaming my pain into the night sky. The sound went from human to wolf, and this time stayed there.

Jericho said something, Colt answered, but their voices were muddy, muffled, words making no sense. My hands hurt, the tips of my fingers felt like someone was cutting them open with knives. I made the mistake of looking down.

My nails were splitting, the ends of my fingers widening, shortening, pulling back into my palms. Claws emerged, thick, sharp, wicked looking. I wanted to scream, but frankly I was mesmerized. Thick hair appeared, reddish blonde, and within minutes my hands—my feet—were covered. It moved up my arms and legs, and I looked down at my body. I was completely covered.

There was more, more pain, more changes. My jaw cracked, stretching. It was agony and I threw my hands up to my face, scratching my skin with my claws. The pain was nothing compared to the torture in the rest of my body. I tried to lower my arms, but they refused to cooperate, and I fell forward onto my newly formed paws. I wanted this to end, to be whatever I was supposed to be.

There was another burst of noise in my head, the roar deafening now. Someone touched me and I turned, snarling, snapping my jaws—and my very sharp new teeth—at the hand on my shoulder. It was Colt.

“She’s one of us.”

The roaring was gone. I could hear everything, see everything. Smell things I could not identify. I was a wolf.

* * *

Something pushed at my other shoulder. I turned, teeth bared. It was a yellow wolf…it was Jericho.

“It’s okay.”

I shook my head. It sounded for a minute like radio static, or bees buzzing. But then the noises cleared. The voice was his, in my mind. And he was there, standing next to me, a wolf.

“Think it, and you can talk to me. You’ll have to work at it.”

I wanted to tell him I was okay, or at least that I thought I was okay. But it was like being in a dream, where you want to scream, but it’s all muffled, like screaming into a pillow. A brief sharp pain lanced through my head, and I whined in protest.

“It’s okay. Just take it slow. You can understand me, right? Just wag your tail.”

Even as a wolf, he could make me smile. If wolves could smile. And wag my tail, right…but there was something behind me, something I could control. I glanced over my shoulder. I did have a tail, a big, lush tail, blonde tipped in red. An experimental wiggle of my back end brought a yip from my left.

“Wag your tail, not wiggle your ass. As much as I like that ass…”

I spun around. The big black wolf I’d seen on the trail in the park was sitting, head cocked, watching me with bright blue eyes. Colt. I snapped at him.

“You can wag your tail however you want.” It was Jericho again, clearer this time.

“Screw you.”

Colt and Jericho barked what I assume was wolfish laughter. “Good job, Red. You got it.”

“Leave it to Colt to make you mad enough to talk.”

“You feel like taking a walk in the woods?” Jericho wagged his tail and turned. “Follow the leader.”

I took a few experimental steps. Four legs and a tail, on a woman who had a hard time walking and chewing gum at the same time. But one step led to another, and another, and within minutes I was loping down the path behind Jericho. Colt followed. I could hear him, every footfall on the pine needles clear and sharp. I could smell him too. And Jericho. Their scent was even more intoxicating like this, mixed with trees, and foliage, and decaying leaves. It hit me like a physical blow, some place near my heart. These were my wolves.

The path I’d walked on before was suddenly full of things I’d never seen, or even knew existed. Everything was interesting. I heard something in the leaves, and couldn’t help pouncing on it. Turned out it was a shrew. I caught it, tossed it in the air. Then I backed away, my mouth filled with something that tasted horrible. Jericho’s laughed echoed in my head.

“You’ll learn what’s edible, what’s not. Those are not.”

I headed off the path, deeper into the forest. The guys flanked me, never pushing too close, but always there. I snuffled through leaves, listened to earthworms burrowing, beetles moving invisibly under cover. All of it was fascinating. I moved through a clearing, a space beneath the pines. I stopped, taking it all in. It was like a cathedral, a sacred space almost in our backyard. I wanted to come here again, as myself…or as my other self.

“Come on. You’ll love the river.”

Colt veered off, heading down the ravine. I’d never been here, couldn’t have ever walked here. It was steep and rocky, but I worked my way easily between boulders and fallen logs. If nothing else, I loved being graceful and surefooted.

The river shimmered in the dark, the surface giving off colors I never even knew existed, sounds I’d never heard with my human ears. I stood, open-mouthed, with what I thought was probably a wolf-like grin on my face.

“Beautiful, right?” Colt brushed against my shoulder, a bold move since I’d tried to bite him earlier. But the desire to snap had faded. Maybe I was getting used to being in this new skin.

“Yeah. Beyond beautiful.”

“More fun to play in. Come on.” Colt nudged me with his nose, pushing me forward. But I didn’t need any prodding.

“Race you.” But I was already sprinting toward the river. I looked over my shoulder, my two wolves right behind me.

I ran into the water. It was cold on my paws, but it ran off my fur. The rocks beneath me were slippery, but I clambered over them with ease. Water hit my muzzle, and I turned. Colt jumped from a nearby rock, water splashing over me. I barked…I think it was something like a bark. It was a sound of perfect joy.

We played in the water for a long time, jumping, splashing each other, veering off to turn over a rock in search of something hidden beneath them. I discovered a crayfish, nosing it with interest. Until it clamped one claw on the end of my nose. I pulled back, snorting, shaking my head until it came loose, sailing through the air. I heard it hit the water with a little plunk.

Colt crossed the river, and Jericho and I joined him. We started up the other side, into the park. It was the first time I’d been here since I’d met Colt and Jericho at the hot springs. It seemed a lifetime away now.

We skirted the campsites. The scent of burning wood was acrid, foreign, made me sneeze. Underneath that was the tantalizing smell of food. I lifted my head, sniffing the air, salivating. It was irresistible and I turned, following the aroma.

Jericho cut me off, a low grow rippling from his throat. I stopped. Colt stepped up on the other side.

“No.”

A single word, spoken by both. My hackles rose. I wanted what I wanted.

“We can’t risk being seen.”

I heard the words, let the meaning sink. I backed down, stepped away. It was hard, but I turned toward the river. The guys followed. And we went home.

Chapter Ten

“I never want to go through that again. At least not the first part. The rest...yeah, definitely. But not right now.”

The guys were hovering around the bed, pacing, not quite giving each other high fives. But they looked extremely pleased with themselves. Or maybe they were pleased with me. Actually, I was pretty pleased with myself. But I was also exhausted.

“This pacing stuff has to stop, okay? Sit or something.”

Colt perched on the edge of the bed. Jericho hovered a moment longer, then sat down on the windowsill. They still seemed full of energy. Annoyingly so.

“It’s hard coming down sometimes, for us.” Colt reached out, pulling the blanket up over my arms. “But for you, it was different.

“You think?” I turned toward Colt. Every inch of my body hurt and I winced.

“You didn’t grow up like this. We did. But you did good, Red.” He leaned over and kissed my forehead. “Real good.”

“So I’m one of you now, for real?” I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open. Colt was fading in and out, Jericho behind him just a big familiar shape backlit by the light from the window.

“For real. You’re a shifter. One of us.” Jericho came into view over Colt’s shoulder. “You’re our shifter, Red.”

“Well, your shifter wants to sleep.” I pulled the blanket higher, unable to keep my eyes open any longer. And not wanting to. I wasn’t going anywhere, and I knew they weren’t.

“We can do a play-by-play later.”

The last thing I heard was Colt’s soft laugh, and the door clicking shut behind them.

* * *

I opened my eyes. It was dark, really dark. The usual house sounds were absent, and for a minute I panicked. The only clock in the house was downstairs, the big antique in the front room that didn’t keep very good time. I could just hear it ticking. Cellphone.

But I had no idea where that was right now. Tossing off the blankets I sat up. A wave of dizziness made me reconsider, but I shook my head. I was still in Jericho’s room, but like my cellphone, I really wasn’t sure where my clothes were. It really didn’t matter.

My eyes took almost no time to adjust to the total darkness. I stood up, waited through another wave of dizziness, and then decided it just might be from hunger and not some bizarre after effect of becoming a wolf for the first time. The rest of me felt pretty normal, except for the lingering aches in my joints.

I snagged a robe from the bathroom and padded downstairs. Before I’d reached the bottom I heard Colt and Jericho’s voices through the open door. They were on the front porch.

“Hey, Red. You’re back with us.” Colt was sitting on the ancient wicker sofa that seemed on the verge of collapse. He patted the cushion beside him. Jericho was leaned against the wide porch railing.

I dropped down, thankful for the softness of the cushions. My hips and knees ached, but I was starting to take a perverse pleasure in the pain. It was a badge of some kind. Shifter: Achievement unlocked.

“You feeling okay?” Jericho had a beer, held it out to me. I shook my head.

“Not bad, considering.”

“You were amazing, Red. Seriously. You did really great, for not being born to it.” Colt wrapped an arm around my shoulder, rather more gently than usual. He kissed the top of my head. “And you’re just as stubborn as any shifter I know.”

“And you were beautiful. Wish we could have gotten a picture. But…that’s not something we do.” Jericho finished his beer, set the empty on the railing, and joined us. “Your coat is like honey and fire, amazing. Can’t wait to see you as a wolf again.”

I thought about that, about the pain. “Will it always be like that? Will it always hurt?”

“Can’t say. You’re not born as a shifter. Colt and I were shifting before we even knew what that meant. It’s just how we’re wired. For you…” Jericho took my hand. “It’s a steep learning curve.”

“Why did it just happen…out of the blue?”

Jericho laughed. “Might have been the heat of the moment. Your inner wolf gets excited by strong emotions, strong desires. And you, Red, are full of strong desires.” He shrugged. “The wolf rises to the surface. In your case, it got away from you.”

“It’s something you’ll learn to use to your advantage.” Colt ran his fingers through my hair. His fingers snagged in a tangle, and I cringed, suddenly aware of how unkempt I must look.

“Just take your time. There’s no rush. You seem to think there’s some kind of clock running, like you need to prove yourself to us. Or to yourself.” Colt took my other hand. “There’s nothing you need to do, other than be here with us.”

“About that…” I held their hands, my guys…my wolves. “You said—one of you said—that until I shifted, we wouldn’t know if the mating biting thing had worked. So, now that I’ve shifted…that means…”

Colt lifted my hand, kissing my knuckles. “That means you’re a shifter, through and through. To the bone.”

“I’m glad to know I’m one of the pack.”

“What you really want to know is if you have our pups, will it be a shifter? The answer is yes.”

I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath until I breathed out a sigh. “Yeah. It’s what I really wanted to know.” Something heavy and dense felt like it was lifted from deep inside of me. I smiled, a silly loopy smile that I tried to hold back. I’d wanted this, from the start. From Colt’s first bite, from the time Jericho’s teeth sank into my flesh. I wanted to give them both a fighting chance at having a clan again. And now I knew I could.

Jericho wound his fingers through mine. “Red, hold on. First, we’re not asking you to do anything. Not to continue our clans, or make things right, or anything else. I’d…we’d…never ask that of you.”

“I know. But I want to…I can do this for you, for both of you. It’s like this…it’s…I mean…” I stumbled over the words to explain the excitement running through me. Part of my brain was still working on wolf-time, and I had the desire to wag the tail I didn’t have at the moment. Or yip and jump. I took a breath, looked between the two of them, at the identical bemused expressions, and shrugged.

“Call it instinct. Or something like that. For the first time I have a clear idea of my life. And this is it.”

Jericho held my hand, and Colt held me close. I took a deep breath, breathing it out slowly. Time stood still in one of those rare perfect little moments. The sun was rising, like it always did. And it would set, and the moon would rise, over and over, again and again. The river would rise in the spring, wash away the pools at the hot springs, and then people would come and rebuild them. Everything kept keeping on.

Something clicked inside me, like someone tuned on—or off—a switch. The chatter in my mind, meaningless static, disappeared. It was like seeing my place in the universe, touching the great wheel, and for a moment—a beautiful exquisite still moment—knowing how I fit into all of that.

And for the first time since Weatherly took me, since they’d come to get me, since they’d made me theirs, I realized not only were they right, but why they were right. There was time. Time to get used to this new life, this way of living. There would be time. Time to save their clans, time to do whatever I could, if that’s what was going to happen. Everything was going to be okay.

“Okay. No rush.” I lifted both of their hands to my lips, nibbling on their knuckles. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t start now, right?”

* * *

The guys pulled off clothes as we made our way up the stairs and down the hall, dropping shirts and pants, on the floor. It took ten seconds for Jericho to untie the sash on my robe, letting it fall to the floor. We tumbled into the closest room, and onto Colt’s bed, Jericho claiming my mouth with a brutal kiss even before I’d caught my breath. It was right, the harshness of it, the force, the weight of his body pinning me to the mattress. For a long moment I let him weigh me down, let him plunder my mouth, his tongue sweeping my mouth, probing, exploring.

But inside something roiled and moved, paced and stalked. Someone had called it my inner wolf, and she was on the move. She wanted out. But I wasn’t ready for her yet.

The power inside me grew, the urge to bite and snap, but I held it in check, working with her, taming her. I let my wolf know I was in control, but I let her know she was welcome to join the party.

I pushed up against Jericho, rolling him over…or he let me. Either way, it was my turn to pin him to the bed, to straddle his hips with my thighs. I broke the kiss, sitting up, a wave of triumph and arousal flooding my body.

“God, you’re beautiful, Red. I can see your wolf…feel her, taste her. Keep her in check, but don’t muzzle her.”

I leaned down, kissing him again, tugging his lower lip between my teeth. I felt his smile as I bit harder. I held onto him until he made a sound like a whine.

I ran my finger over his lower lip. “You sure about that muzzle? This might get dangerous, for you.”

“I think Jericho can handle himself.” Colt climbed onto the bed beside Jericho. I looked down at him as he stretched out, all long legs, broad chest…and a very obvious erection. It still amazed me that the guys were comfortable with this, that both were self-confident enough, or self-aware enough to be like this, with me.

“And we know Red can handle both of us.” Jericho sat up, tipping me onto my back. “Right, Red?”

I squirmed beneath him, shimmying my legs up his body. His erection slid along the insides of my thighs, coming dangerously close to where I wanted him to be. I tried to pull him closer, but he was stronger than I was, and he held himself just out of reach.

“Impatient, aren’t you?”

“I want you…like crazy. You know that…” I was panting, arousal making me hot, hotter than I’d ever been in my life. I wanted Jericho inside me, Colt right after him.

“I do know that.” Jericho flexed his hips, the head of his cock grazing my swollen folds. That brief, teasing contact had me crying out as if he’d thrust himself into me to the hilt. If being a wolf-in-training made every part of me this sensitive, this attuned to even the slightest contact, then being with these guys might just challenge my sanity.

“I want you too, Red.” Jericho rolled his hips, sliding into me, inch by inch. I rolled my hips up to meet him, lifting my ass, claiming as much of him as I could, as much as he would give me.

“But I want you on my terms. My wolf wants control.”

I snarled up at him, showing him my teeth. A rush of adrenaline shot through me, and for a moment I felt like I could easily overpower Jericho, rise up and take him. The thought amazed me, even scared me for a second.

But Jericho’s mind reading must have been fully operational. Before I had a chance to draw a breath, he thrust into me, burying himself to the hilt. I arched up beneath him, my body humming with energy. I was so ready, so close that it took all my willpower not to come right then and there.

Colt was beside me, his lips against my neck. When he spoke, his breath tickled my ear.

“Let it go, Red. If that’s what you want to do. Your power is endless…” He reached up, caressing my breast, rolling my hard nipple between his fingers. An earthshattering wave of ecstasy flashed through me. And my mind was suitably blown.

I screamed, or howled, or both. The sound was otherworldly, but I didn’t care. I let loose, head back, body arching up beneath Jericho. The strength boiling inside of me was incredible, and Jericho wrapped one arm beneath me, hanging on like I was a bucking bronco. I was pressed against him, crushed against his chest, his hips grinding against me. The wolf in my body took over, howling for all she was worth as I let go, like Colt said.

The world around me was spinning like mad. I closed my eyes. My mind was filled with sounds, music, wordless poems, and colored lights. It was crazy beautiful, and I think I laughed out loud.

From above me came the unmistakable sounds of Jericho joining me in this wild dance. I opened my eyes, watching Jericho’s face, each and every nuance of what was going on with him clear on his face.

And then I felt what he was feeling, heard what he was thinking. It meshed with the waves crashing through me, dovetailed perfectly with everything I thought, I felt.

There was no choice but to give in and let it wash me away. I lost touch with everything except Jericho and I. If Colt was there, I wasn’t aware of him at all.

After a long, long time I washed up on some shore, calm, still. I was almost afraid to move, to break the perfect moment. I opened one eye, looking up at Jericho. Only he wasn’t up, he was beside. I turned my head.

“Hey, my sweet wolf.”

“That was pretty amazing.”

“Beyond amazing.” He brushed a strand of hair away from my face. “For me too. Truly. Not just saying that so you’ll sleep with me again…that was…”

“Yeah.” I touched his face. “It was.”

Something warm touched my hip. I turned my head to the other side. Colt had his head propped up on one elbow.

“You got anything left for me?”

“Always.” I rolled onto my side.

“Are you sure about…” I put a finger to his lips. “You’re so beautiful, Colt. Let’s find a better use for that mouth besides asking questions.”

He grinned. I slipped my finger between his lips, and let him suck gently on it. He swirled his tongue over my finger, teasing me, pulling me deeper. I reached between us, finding his cock, wrapping my fingers around him. He moaned softly, hips flexing, sliding himself into my hand.

“Is that what you wanted?”

He bit my finger, not all that gently. I pulled it out slowly, very slowly, never looking away from Colt’s eyes, stroking him forcefully as I did.

“You aren’t going to be satisfied with just this, are you?” I gave him a little tug at the end of that stroke. “I know I’m not. I want more…much more of you. Mate of mine.”

Never letting go of him, I sat up, swung one leg over Colt’s body as he rolled onto his back. I straddled his hips, holding him, squeezing him. He bit his lip as I brought my body close to him.

“You want this?” I moved again, until the head of his cock touched me, touched my wet pussy. Just the soft brush of his hot silkiness sent a wave of desire through me, almost brought me to the edge again. It also brought my wolf howling to the surface. It was all I could do to fight her back, to keep fangs and claws from tearing through my flesh, tearing into Colt.

“She’s powerful, isn’t she? Hard to control…” He reached for me, hands resting on my hips, moving higher. I leaned into his hands, letting him cup my breasts. “I love the wolf in you, Red. But it’s you I want. And I want you now.”

He thrust up as I pulled my hand away. I gasped, throwing my head back, as he filled me. It was all new, all pristine; as if this was the first time I’d been with any man. My mate, the wolf who’d bitten me, was claiming me. I was over the moon.

I rode Colt hard, forcing him deeper, beyond any place any man had ever been. I took him, and I loved every second of it. In that minute everything else faded away, including Jericho. There was nothing in my world except Colt and me, coming together as one. Coming together forever.

My body arched and shook, my hips moving to some ancient rhythm that I seemed to know without even trying. Colt matched every move, every twist, grind, shake and thrust. We moved in perfect harmony.

We came together, the peak we reached higher than any I’d ever climbed. I closed my eyes, threw my arms wide, and howled my climax for the world to hear. Then it was all too much, and my mind gave in, gave up trying to hold onto reality. I cried out names, Colt’s…Jericho’s…and then everything went black.

Someone was holding me, easing me onto the bed. I opened my eyes to find my guys looking down at me. I was relieved to find I was in one piece, more or less. At least my body felt like it was still intact. My mind though was another matter.

I sat up, a little too quickly. Colt put an arm behind me, and we rearranged arms and legs until the three of us were sitting against the head of the bed. I looked at the tangle of sheets—some torn—and blankets, most of which were on the floor with the pillows.

“Guess we’re sleeping in Jericho’s room tonight?”

“Yeah. We might have to rethink the bedroom arrangements.” Colt looked around at the devastation that was his bed. “If we keep this up, we’re going to run out of sheets.”

I glanced at Jericho. He looked…fine. But I wasn’t. Other than a major case of afterglow, which made me feel sublimely relaxed, I was slightly upset with myself. I took his hand.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

He looked down at me. “Didn’t mean to what? Have a hell of a good fuck with Colt?”

I blinked at his choice of words, and at the smile on his face. “Well, yeah. I mean…it was…different. Not necessarily better than with you…but…”

“Different. And it will be. He’s the wolf you’re mated to. Can’t change that.”

“And that’s okay with you?” I was having a hard time wrapping my head around this. The sharing thing was still hard enough to grasp, but this was something else.

He shrugged, lacing his fingers through mine. “It’s going to be different with you and him. It has to be. I’m okay with that. If I’d been the one to mark you, the tables would be turned.”

Colt had been silent. I reached out and took his hand. “So you two really are okay with how all of this is working out? Really truly?”

“Cross my heart and pinky swear, if that’s what will make you happy. But yeah, it is what it is. You have something different with Jericho that I’ll never have. And what we have…it’s colored by the mark.”

“It’s not going to change how I feel about you, Red.” Jericho leaned close, kissing my cheek. “I love you no matter what.”

“I love you, too.” Colt kissed the other cheek. “You need to stop worrying about us. We appreciate it, but we’re a lot tougher than you think.”

For the first time in a long time I was speechless. Two men, men who’d fought for me, had told me they loved me.

“I love you both so much.” I looked between my wolves.

We hung out in Colt’s room for a little while longer, talking about everything and nothing, the way people talk who’ve just told each other they love them. A little shy maybe, a little tentative. Testing the waters. Which seemed a little odd, since we’d just destroyed a bed with our lovemaking. I felt like I was already in the deep end of the hot springs, loving every minute of it.

Chapter Eleven

The sun was just coming up over the top of Black Wolf on the other side of the river, setting the trees on the other ridge alight. The leaves had changed almost overnight; fall was here. There was a tang in the air, crispness, like biting into an apple. I’d never been a fan of autumn; it had always seemed to me things ended in the fall. The garden my father had loved to putter around in on weekends was giving up its last tomatoes, the flowers fading, setting seed. And when I was a kid, it also meant back to school, the end of the summer. Fall always made me sad.

But this year was different. It was a beginning. My heart did that thing I’d only read about in overwritten romance novels: it swelled with emotion. I’d never felt it before, and it took me a minute to realize what it was, that I liked how it felt, that I was comfortable with so many new emotions. And I realized something else. For the first time in a long, long time, I was truly happy. I wasn’t really thrilled about being awake this early though. I was more accustomed to going to bed at this time. But my schedule, and the rest of the world’s had rarely meshed, and now it was even more obvious, living here with my wolves.

Jericho and Colt were sound asleep. I’d wanted to leave early, get done what I needed to do, and be back before dark. Some of my errands were purely chores; getting the last of my things out of my apartment. Maggie had called, and the couple subletting my apartment wanted to move in a week early, willing to pay extra for most of the furniture that I no longer needed. What was left wasn’t much, but it was all personal, books and journals. Photos of my dad. The bare essentials, sentimental and otherwise. My clothes I’d brought up over a couple weekends; everything else remaining with the sublet. And that included the artwork Harrison never liked.

Colt and Jericho had made the transition into my new life with them a little easier. For one, they'd cleared the path down the mountain so I wasn’t continually being hit in the face with branches and underbrush. They'd hacked out a parking space for my car too, so I could pull off the logging road that led back to the main road.

I headed down the path. It felt really strange to be awake in the daylight. It seemed far brighter than I remembered for this time of the year. The shifter in me dug through my purse, fishing out sunglasses. The guys had told me there were things that took some getting used to, and I suppose this was one of them.

The car was covered in leaves and pine needles, pretty well camouflaged against the undergrowth behind it. I brushed off the windshield, unlocked the car, and got in. This was the first time I’d started it up in weeks. I crossed my fingers. It seemed to me that my dad had told me cars needed to run on a regular basis, or they stopped working.

I turned the key and the engine purred. Smiling, I managed to turn the car around on the narrow road, heading back toward the city.

It was a very surreal experience speeding down the Interstate. The fastest I’d moved lately had been at a sprint through the forest as a wolf. Piloting a car at the limit, even though I’d done it thousands of times before. Before my new life.

I took the exit to my street, slowing down as my apartment came into view. Maggie’s car was at the curb. My heart did a little jump at the thought of seeing her. I missed her more than I thought possible. We’d blithely assumed phone calls, and text message would be enough. But the service in the mountains was a fickle mistress, and even though I could get a bar or two if I walked out to the edge of the clearing below the cabin, it wasn’t reliable. Colt had been amazed there was any signal at all. Not that either he or Jericho had cell phones, or computers.

The light was out in the hallway, like it always was. That was something I wouldn’t miss; conversations—more like arguments—with the super, trying to get him to replace the bulb. No longer my problem.

I took the stairs two at a time. Since I’d started shifting on a regular basis, and gotten over the whole being exhausted every time, I’d had more energy than ever. Back in my old life these stairs had seemed insurmountable. Now, they were a piece of cake.

“Risha!”

The door to my apartment was open, Maggie leaning out into the hall. “You made good time.”

“I did.”

She pulled me into a big hug and I squeezed her back. She squeaked out a little sound, and I backed off, forgetting for a minute she wasn’t a wolf like me.

“You go away and turn into some muscle woman. You’ve lost weight. Don’t those guys feed you?”

She dragged me into the apartment before I could pick a question to answer. There was food on the counter, bagels and cream cheese, fruit, juice and coffee.

“Are you expecting company?” I poured a cup of coffee and took a sip. Maggie stood, hands on hips, watching.

“Only you. All your favorites. And since when do you drink your coffee black?” She nodded at the cream and sugar sitting on the counter. “You’re a sugar maven. Have been from the first cup you ever had.”

“Guess my tastes have changed.” How much else had changed? And how much of those changes could I talk to Maggie about?

“Well, even if you’ve given up cream and sugar, it’s still great to see you.” Maggie perched on one the kitchen counter stools. I’d had them in storage; Harrison thought they were great. I tended to fall off of them during dinner. Maggie had brought them back out in her attempt to “stage” the apartment when she’d helped me find a sublet.

“Thanks for finding…what’s their names?” I took another sip of coffee. “I really appreciate all your help.”

“They’re the Spaulding’s. Deena and David. Sounds like high school sweethearts, our age, married for ages. Fell in love with the apartment as is, down to the art on the walls.”

Maggie slid an envelope across the counter “Here’s all their contact information, the signed agreement, and a copy of the lease. You’re lucky there are only a couple months left on the lease. The Spaulding’s are looking to stay after the sublet is up, so hopefully that works out, and they don’t stiff you on the rent for the next couple months.”

“I trust your judgment. You’re pretty good at reading people.” I spread a generous layer of cream cheese on a bagel. My stomach had been growling for the last half hour. I took a bite. But something was wrong. I love cream cheese and onion bagels. It tasted…off. Wrong. I set the bagel aside.

“Not hungry?”

“I ate before I left.” I hated lying to Maggie. But there was no way I could tell her what I suspected, that the wolf in me wasn’t a big fan of dairy.

“You okay?”

I glanced up at Maggie. She could read me like a book, knew me better than anyone. Well, except for Jericho and Colt.

“Yeah. Just…tired. From the ride.” But I could read her too, and I knew she wasn’t buying it.

“Risha…come clean. What is it? Is it the guys?” That little line appeared between her brows, the one that told me she was worried. I hated seeing it.

“No…yes. Sort of. But it’s not what you think. It’s nothing bad.” I wasn’t sure what to call it…how to tell her I wasn’t the same person she thought I was.

“I’ve made some changes in my life, Maggie. Some really major changes.”

“That’s pretty obvious. You went away to clear your head, and you ended up moving in with two guys. That’s a pretty major change, especially for unconventional you.” She gave me a smile, but the worry was still there in her eyes. “Are you telling me there’s more?”

“It’s a different kind of life, Maggie. Radically different.” I pushed up the sleeves of my sweater, propping my chin up in my hands. “I’m not sure I can explain it.”

Maggie reached out, touching my arm. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Yeah, there is. “No…”

“You’re scratched…and bruised.” Her eyes were locked on my arms. I looked down, then pulled down my sleeves.

“Risha, are they doing that?”

“Oh, no. God, no. Jericho and Colt would never hurt me. We do live in the wilderness, you know. Lots of hiking, bushwhacking, lots of me falling down. These are just…sort of a daily occurrence.”

She still wasn’t buying it. I reached out and squeezed her hand. “Listen. Come up to the cabin. I want you to meet them, and them to meet you. You’re the most important person in my life. I want you to see that I’m okay up there. Really okay.”

After a minute she squeezed my hand. “Okay. Deal. Before it snows, I’ll come up and meet your guys.” She giggled. “I still can’t believe you ended up living with two guys…it’s just…so…”

“Crazy?” I winked. “It is. But it’s right for me.”

“I was going to say sexy. But if you want to stick with crazy, that works too.”

Chapter Twelve

My last stop was the gym. There was nothing there for me to get, but I wanted to say good-bye to Jack. I felt like I owed him something, an explanation, or a thank-you. He’d been in my life for only a short time, but it was his voice I heard most often. Could be that he reminded me of an older version of my dad. Or it could be he didn’t take any of my shit, and I appreciated that.

“Hey, Red. About time you show up. You missed some sessions.”

I leaned on the counter, watching the guys in the ring. Jack came around, stood next to me.

“Yeah. About that. I need to cancel the rest of my contract. I’m moving.”

He looked down at me, and I swear the air between us changed. I thought he was going to yell, or give me the silent treatment. But after a moment he broke into a smile. I had to admit, it was the first time I’d ever seen Jack smile. He leaned forward, and I tensed, expecting a smack to the back of my head. But instead he kissed my cheek. I wasn’t sure which startled me more, the smile, or the unexpected show of something resembling affection.

“About time you found your pack, Red, whoever they are. You’ll fit in just fine.”

He stepped back. I stared. Had I just heard him say what I thought he’d said?

“You heard me.”

I stared harder, a ripple of energy rushing through my body and I felt goosebumps crop up on my arms. I’d heard his words, but I swear his lips hadn’t moved. He simply smiled, and walked back behind the counter.

“Just let me get the cancellation form, and you’re good to go.” He shuffled papers. I watched, stunned, a million questions on the tip of my tongue. But I knew I couldn’t ask them. I signed the form he pushed at me.

“Forwarding address? You might have a refund coming.”

I shook my head. “Not…really.” I didn’t think our road even had a name.

“Off the grid. I understand.”

“Here…” I scribbled Maggie’s address. “My friend. She’ll see that I get it.”

He glanced at the paper. “Works for me. Listen, Red. You take care of yourself. It’s a different life, but if there’s ever been anyone who can handle it, it’s you. You’re one of the toughest broads I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.”

Someone in the ring called Jack’s name. He nodded.

“I got a client waiting. Take care, Red.” He smiled at me again, and then he was gone.

* * *

I was back at the cabin just before sunset, which made the walk up the trail much easier. The boxes from my old apartment could wait until tomorrow, until Colt and Jericho could help me. My guys…my wolves.

Even though I’d only been gone twelve hours, I missed them terribly. Missed their scent, the way they moved, looked…the way they looked at me. Touched me. I was smiling long before I saw the cabin, before I saw Jericho and Colt sitting on the porch.

They came down the stairs and I got the biggest bear hug. Or I guess wolf hug would be the proper term. Whichever, it was just what I needed.

“Glad you’re back. We missed you.” Colt kissed me on one cheek, Jericho the other. The kisses might have been chaste, but their hands were making it clear they had something a lot less innocent in mind. And that suited me just fine.

“I missed you guys, too.”

“Where’s your stuff? Do you want to bring it up? We cleared room in the loft.”

“Boxes can wait.” I pulled Colt close, kissing him hard, a big wet kiss with plenty of tongue. Before he could say anything, I did the same to Jericho, tugging his bottom lip, putting just enough pressure on him to remind him I’d bitten him before.

“But I can’t.”

“Whatever you want, Red. Inside or out?” Colt spun me away from Jericho, pulling me into his arms.

“Out. And I know a place…” I pushed away from Colt, skipping out of his grasp. I ran around the cabin, following the trial we’d taken the first night I shifted. I wanted to be in that space with them.

Colt caught me easily, grabbing me around the waist. I was laughing as he pulled me down onto the soft pine needles that carpeted the ground. It smelled cool and fresh, like Christmas warmed by the sun. I rolled onto my back, looking up at Colt, backed by the clear indigo of the coming twilight.

“Your eyes look silver at night, did you know that?”

“And your eyes shine like diamonds.”

“Isn’t she the most beautiful thing in the world?” Jericho dropped down onto the ground beside us. “You’re a beautiful woman, and you make a beautiful wolf.”

My face went hot. “You’re making me blush.”

“And it makes you all the prettier.”

“Did we come out here to talk, or did we come out here for something else?”

It turned out we were there for something else. I let the guys take the lead, my wolf content to bask in the attention and the love. It was darker, but I could still see if I wanted to, if I kept my eyes open. But I closed them, seeing them in my mind’s eye as they worshipped my body.

They took turns, moving over me, nuzzling and kissing, sucking my breasts until my nipples were hard and aching. I arched against them, winding my fingers in their hair, holding them against me.

Jericho broke away, moving slowly down my body, leaving a trail of fire on my skin with his kisses, his tongue, his sharp teeth brushing against the edge of my navel. He moved lower, and I gasped as those lips and tongue, and sharp teeth brushed against something else, something far more sensitive.

Hands spread my legs, but I was already letting them fall open. Fingers caressed the soft skin of the insides of my thighs, playing over my heated flesh. I grabbed at the pine needles beneath me, crushing them, the smell of pine filling the air. I wanted those fingers to move higher, to touch me at my core. But they only teased me, only fanned the fire they’d started. I could have begged them, silently, just with my mind. I didn’t. I let them play.

A kiss softer than a butterfly’s wing touched me, and I drew in a sharp breath. The kiss was followed by another, lips firmer, pressing against me. Then the flick of a tongue, at the edge, closer. But not there yet.

The other stayed at my breasts, sucking, stroking, gently, in time with the kisses between my legs. I shuddered, slowly my breathing, unable to slow my heart. It bounded, and leapt in time with the touch of the man between my thighs, with the one at my breast.

And then there was more, kisses becoming deeper, the flick of a tongue, circling, testing. Then suddenly plundering, probing, delving deeply into me. I sighed, ass pressed against the ground, fingers wound through thick hair.

Deeper and harder, licking and sucking at me until I couldn’t stand it. I arched violently, digging my fingers into the earth, but didn’t cry out, didn’t scream my ecstasy to the sky. I kept it inside, kept the power contained, turning it inward.

My wolf danced with me in sheer joy, feeling everything I did, loving every second of my pleasure. She wasn’t controlled or contained, held back, or held down. All was as it should be.

I opened my eyes, watching the stars overhead, turning on the great wheel in the sky. I’d touched that wheel, thanks to Colt and Jericho. I smiled and my wolf did as well.

She and I were one.

About Catherine Vale

Catherine Vale has been writing fiction for as long as she can remember, but it wasn't until she wrote her very first paranormal romance story that she found herself hooked on the raw, edgy love affair of shifters, vampires and other dominant alpha males, and the captivating women that love them.

Catherine Vale writes both contemporary and paranormal romance for readers who are willing to take a walk on the wild side of love. Her stories always include powerful alpha males, smart and sassy heroines and a happily-ever-after (even if she often puts her characters through hell to get there!)

Do you want to know when there's a new release? Special offers, giveaways, free books and more! Find out more at http://www.CatherineVale.com and subscribe to her newsletter to receive notifications whenever a new book is released!

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Other Books By Catherine Vale

Untamed Hearts

The Wolves Next Door

A Touch Of Vampire

Her Two Bears

Double Trouble

Taste Of Honey

Scent Of A Mate

Wolf Bite

Awakening The Bear

On The Prowl (Jaguar Series)

Kiss Of Fire

To Catch A Cheetah

See full list of available books at http://www.CatherineVale.com and join her newsletter for updates, new releases, appearances, giveaways, and more!

Lyric’s Accidental Mate

Iron Wolves MC Book

By

Elle Boon

Dedication

To the best crit partner and truly the greatest lady I’ve met in this industry…Caitlyn O’leary. You are without a doubt the best partner in crime. Look out world, we are so going to take over. I honestly don’t think I’d be as sane “snort” as I am without your support, friendship, and endless supply of help. I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done for me and for all the late night, early morning, phone calls you’ve taken from this erratic gal. You are my “brain” lol. Tell your hubby thanks for sharing you with me (hehehehe). Truly, I LOVE YOU SOOO HARD <3

There are so many people I’d like to thank, beginning with my awesome beta readers Debbie Ramos, Trenda London, and Jenna Underwood. BIG HUGE thank you to Kate Richards of Wizards in Publishing, you are truly fabulous, and went above and beyond on this book for me. Y’all totally rock and without your input, and help, I’d still be at square one with this book.

Many thanks to my hubby for his unwavering support, my oldest, Jaz for being so damn awesome, and to my Goob who is still my baby even though he’s six-foot tall. Without their love and support I’d never be able to do what I love, write.

To the amazingly talented cover artist Valerie Tibbs of Tibbs Design. I love this cover sooo hard, and I know I am now marked down as “that client” with squinty eyes, I Love You.

Chapter One

Lyric Carmichael eyed the trio of giggling women on the dance floor, then looked at her best friend Syn Styles. “Tell me again why we hang out with them three?”

“Should I count them off, or do you just want the number one reason?” Syn sipped on her margarita, laughter sparkling in her blue eyes.

They both knew the main reason they came in a group was their big brothers would never let them come to a nightclub alone, but they also loved the three women. Renee shimmied her ass in a tight red leather skirt against the groin of a random dude, making him grab her around the waist. Lyric watched the couple for a few seconds, making sure her friend hadn’t gotten into a situation she couldn’t get out of. Only when Renee tossed her long brown hair back, laughing, and the grabby dude eased off, did Lyric turn back to Syn.

“Maybe we should rescue them?” Lyric pointed her beer bottle toward Magee and Jozlyn, who were the center of attention of what looked like a frat party.

Syn looked at her like she’d grown two heads. Renee—better known as Nene—Magee, and Jozlyn were great friends, but they definitely didn’t need anyone to rescue them. They’d come to party wearing tiny bits of fabric, while Lyric had on a pair of comfy jeans similar to Syn’s that fit like they’d been made for them. Strategic rips kept both just this side of decent. While Syn wore a tight V-necked T-shirt, Lyric wore a tank top with a lace back. Since they’d driven their motorcycles, she and Syn had worn boots, unlike their friends, who were sporting heels that screamed fuck me.

“Excuse me, but I like my freedom. Could you imagine the look on Kellen’s face if he saw me try to walk out of the house dressed like that?”

She thought of Syn’s brother Kellen and the look of horror he’d have, if he saw his baby sister dressed in a miniskirt short enough to show her ass and a crop-top barely covering her voluptuous breasts. Kellen wasn’t only the head of the Iron Wolves MC, but he was also their alpha. What he said was law, and nobody, not even Syn, crossed him. Her own brother, Xander—better known as Xan—was his second-in-command, and was just as scary if not scarier. Both stood at over six feet two inches tall, but that’s where the similarities ended. Kellen was black haired and blue eyed. He and Syn looked very much alike in their coloring and tall stature, while Xan had blond hair and brown eyes.

“I think we’d have to go into the witness protection plan if we tried it.” Lyric laughed.

Raising her glass, Syn clinked her drink with Lyric’s. “True that,” she agreed.

Lyric got up from the table. “Let’s dance, girl.”

“Bottoms up, baby.” Syn downed the rest of her drink before standing. Their shifter metabolism kept them from getting drunk, but they enjoyed the slight buzz they got from the alcohol, even if it was only short-lived.

They ignored the college guys who called out from several tables as they passed on their way to the dance floor. Lyric was tempted to flip a few of them the bird, or toss a couple backward but restrained herself. “Seriously, do they think yelling hey baby, come sit on my face, will get them laid?” Lyric asked, scooting between the tight tables.

“I’m thinking the answer is yes,” Syn tossed over her shoulder.

The DJ played a mix of country, hip-hop, and rock. The song that came on was for a popular line dance that had half the people on the floor sitting down, including Renee, Magee, and Jozlyn. Syn shrugged her shoulders and got in line. Lyric smiled as their three friends flipped their middle fingers from one of the tables, even though she couldn’t hear what was said over the music. She got lost in the dance steps, enjoying the beat and movements.

Several songs later, all five of the girls were on the dance floor. Lyric loved letting loose; she loved feeling the loud bass vibrating all the way up, from her toes to her head. She rolled her body with the music, imagining what it would be like if she was with a lover, and thought of the amazing orgasms it would cause. Of course, living with her older brother, she’d not had the chance to experience anything of the sort with anyone, other than her trusty vibrator.

“What’s put that frown on your face?” Renee asked.

She bit her lip, but a nervous giggle escaped. “I think it’s time for me to get my own place.”

Jozlyn and Magee stopped dancing, their eyes looking ready to pop out of their heads. Only Syn seemed to understand her need for independence, since she had just recently been given a cabin by her older brother. It was still on his property, but not in his home. Kellen was giving his sister a little breathing room, unlike Xan, who Lyric swore still thought she was in grade school.

“Xan will never allow that,” Jozlyn and Magee said at the same time.

Syn growled at both younger girls. “And when did either of you become so in the know when it came to the second of the MC?”

Oh shit! Lyric recognized the anger blazing in her best friend’s blue eyes and was shocked to see it aimed at their friends. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think Syn was jealous. Which was absurd, since they each thought of both Kellen and Xan as brothers.

Renee stuck her finger in her ear and shook it. “Excuse me, but did you just growl at us?”

Before a fight could erupt, Lyric stepped between them. “I gotta pee. You need to go with me.” She jerked on Syn’s arm. By the time they wound their way through the throng of gyrating people and into the bathroom, Syn seemed to get herself under control.

“What the fuck was that all about?” Lyric jerked her thumb toward the closed door and the club beyond.

A deep sigh left Syn in a gush as she leaned against the counter. “I have no clue. There’s this wild feeling inside me that seems to be growing lately. I feel like I’m going to snap, and if I’m not careful, I’m liable to bite someone’s head off. Ya know?” She placed her palm over her heart, tears swimming in her eyes.

Lyric did the only thing she knew how to do and wrapped her arms around her best friend. “I understand, truly I do. Maybe that’s what I’m feeling, too.”

“You should move in with me.” Syn pulled away, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.

Laughing, Lyric shook her head. “You think Xan would let me?”

“If it’s safe enough for me, then why not you?”

The logic wasn’t lost on her; however, she wasn’t sure her brother would see it the same way. “When do you move in?”

“Next week. Well, I guess it’s more like nine days, but who’s counting.”

“You owe the Bitches an apology.” They were all referred to as the Bitches by their friends; each one had a nickname that ended with Bitch.

“Fuck me running, I know. I was such a beotch.” Syn’s voice sounded chagrined.

Lyric walked back toward the last enclosure, she really did need to go to the bathroom. She shut the stall door and let the silence stretch.

“You know, you could’ve disagreed with me,” Syn groused.

“We pinky swore when we were kids we’d never lie to each other.” Lyric laughed when her friend kicked the door on her way out, calling her a name as she went.

Straightening her blinged-out belt, Lyric stared at her reflection. People always assumed she colored her blonde hair—having dark brown eyes and tan skin it didn’t seem natural—until they met her brother, Xan. He shared her coloring. Even in wolf form, they were blonde wolves, a rarity in the wolf world. Syn and Kellen were both black as night with the bluest eyes. Alpha eyes. Although, Xan had the same brown eyes in his human form, when he shifted to his wolf, his eyes also turned a beautiful shade of blue, while hers shifted to amber. Had he wanted to be alpha, Lyric had no doubt he could’ve been, but Xan was happy being second. Their parents had been best friends with Kellen and Syn’s, who’d all been killed ten years earlier.

She shuddered and pushed the memories away, grateful her brother, along with Kellen, had been there to protect her. Xan, all of twenty-five at the time, had been left to raise his fifteen year old sister. Now at twenty-four years old, Lyric felt like the world was passing her by. She’d gotten her degree at the local college instead of going away. Texas was a huge state, but with the club being so tight-knit, and shifters even more so, she’d wanted to stay with her pack. Now she wished she’d at least gone off to one a couple of hours away.

The MC built custom bikes on one side of the shop and was the local mechanics on the other. She and Syn ran the office, while she did more of the creative side of the business.

She planned out what she’d say to her brother about moving in with Syn, and before losing her nerve, pulled her phone out of her back pocket. Knowing him, he’d be with his flavor of the week and not see it till the morning, but at least it would give him a few hours to simmer down before she had to face him, since she was staying overnight at Nene’s. Once she hit send, she turned her phone off, and put it back in her pocket.

Butterflies danced in her stomach as she walked out into the dark hallway.

When she got bumped from behind for the third time, she finally turned around and met the steely gaze of a truly mean-looking wolf. She had smelled him and a few of his pack when they came in earlier but hadn’t thought anything of it.

“Excuse me, darling. Can I have this dance?”

She saw the way he looked her up and down, stopping at her chest and continuing down to her boots and then back up. “Sorry, I was just going to get a drink.” She pasted on a fake smile, trying to step away from him.

His quick-as-a-snake reflexes caught her bare arm, squeezing hard enough to bruise. “Now, that’s just rude. I watched you shaking your ass for the last half hour. I think you can dance just one more.”

Looking around the crowded dance floor for Syn, Lyric knew she was no match for the wolf, even in his human form. “You are so fucked if you don’t let me go. Do you know whose territory you’re in?” Although she wasn’t strong enough to take him on, any wolf with an ounce of smarts knew better than to come into another’s territory and threaten their members. She was technically property of the Iron Wolves; therefore he’d just stepped over the line. If she could get Syn’s attention and a little help from her friends, he’d move along, and all would be well. Or she hoped he would.

He leaned in close. “Your little friends ain’t gonna help you, bitch.”

Lyric tried to pull away from him, coming up against another solid form behind her. “What is wrong with you? Do you know who my brother is? Do you know who the Iron Wolves are? If you let me go now, there will be no harm, no foul. I’ll pretend like you don’t exist. But, if you keep fucking with me, I will bring the wrath of my pack on all your asses.” The last wasn’t an empty threat. Her brother Xan would kill any man, or wolf, for putting his hands on her without permission, some even if they had her permission.

“Do you hear her? She’s gonna call her big brother.” He sneered.

At some point during her struggle with the large man, they had maneuvered her closer to a side hall. If they got her outside, she had two choices. Let her wolf out and fight, or run. Either way, she had little chance of escape. Pack law stated you couldn’t show yourself to humans, and the bar was filled with way too many for her to shift inside. She opened her mouth to scream for Syn, or anyone to help her, but one of the men slapped his hand over her lips before she could make a sound.

She counted three men with the leader, but the smells from the bar made it hard to be sure. Lyric pretended to be docile, allowing them to maneuver her outside, while she planned what she’d do as soon as the door opened. She’d only have one chance, and that was a slim one.

The lights from the parking lot speared into her face as someone opened the door before they could drag her outside. “Excuse me, boys, looks like you got a problem there,” a man said in a deep rumble.

“Mind your business, punk,” the leader growled.

Lyric felt the hair on the nape of her neck stand on end. The man standing by the door was tall and muscular, but was one hundred percent human. She wanted to ask him to help, but changed her mind at the simultaneous growls surrounding her. Although the newcomer was every bit as big as her brother and Kellen, in a fight against a group of wolves, he’d be massacred.

The man held the door open like a gentlemen, nodding as they passed. Lyric had to tilt her head way back to look up at him. The arms holding her captive didn’t allow her to do any more than get a quick glimpse of black eyes. She tried to memorize his features, breathing deep to take his scent in before she was shoved outside and the door was shut behind them.

“Beck, I don’t think this is the best place for us to take care of business.”

She stumbled when the man named Beck released her, shoving the one who’d just spoken against the wall. “Are you questioning my leadership, Raul?”

Claws erupted from Raul’s fingers. “Get the fuck off me, Beck. I’m pointing out the fact we should just take the bitch back to the hotel and have some fun with her.”

“I agree with jackass, for once. Let’s just simmer down. We can take the chew toy and play with her for a while.”

Beck released Raul. “Kristof, go get the van and take Raul with you while Dean and I get acquainted with our toy. Call Marcus and have him get word to her brother. I want him to sweat knowing his baby sister is with us, and there’s nothing he can do.” He turned his cold gaze back to Lyric, licking his lips. “I was just going to kill you and leave you for Xan to find, but plans have changed.”

“Over my dead fucking body, asshole,” Lyric snarled, unsheathing her claws.

The door to the bar opened and slammed shut. “I don’t think the lady wants to go with you.”

“Be a smart man and go back inside where it’s safe. I won’t give you another chance.” Beck turned his back on Lyric.

Seeing her opportunity, Lyric nailed Dean in the nuts with her knee and swiped him across the throat with her claws. The wound would be deep enough to immobilize him, but not kill, she hoped. She wasn’t sure how long before Raul and the other would be returning with the van, but since the parking lot wasn’t huge, she assumed minutes at the most.

Beck turned at the sound of Dean’s gasp. “You stupid cunt.” The animalistic growl he emitted scared her worse than the thought of what her brother would say if she exposed what they were to humans.

“I’ve already called 911. I suggest you pick your buddy up and go.” The man from the hallway started walking toward them, cell phone in hand, bringing Beck’s attention back to him.

“Run,” Lyric yelled.

The sound of an approaching vehicle had Lyric sprinting away from the downed wolf and the open drive, putting her closer to Beck. An enraged werewolf was unpredictable, but she couldn’t allow him to hurt a human. Xan and Kellen had made sure she and Syn had trained with their best fighters, and while she knew she didn’t have the strength to take on a group of shifters, she prayed she was able to hold her own against one.

Beck had his back to her, but she could see he, too, had done a partial shift and was facing the gorgeous human. The thought of him harming the man was not something she was willing to allow. Using his distraction, she went low and took out his feet with a swift kick. Man, and wolf, tended to underestimate her because she was small and acted docile. Beck was no exception.

“Aw, fuck,” the human rumbled.

At the same time she felt the air stir. Their window of opportunity had passed, and the other wolves had returned.

“Go back inside and find Syn Styles. Have the DJ call for her. Tell her what’s happened. Go. Now.” Lyric rocked on the balls of her feet, pushing him toward the door with her back to his front.

He snorted. “Sure thing, gorgeous. Just as soon as unicorns fly by.”

His big hand came around her, trying to switch their positions. Lyric wanted to snuggle into him. She also wanted to shove him through the door and into safety. As Beck got back to his feet, and the others helped the downed wolf to the van, she thought they were going to leave.

Beck sprang at them with all the speed and strength of a full-grown werewolf on a rampage. She placed herself in front of the human, knowing she could regenerate faster than he could. His hand came around her, trying again to place her behind him. She watched in horror as Beck brought his paw up, claws extended, and hit her with the full force of his strength on the side of her head. Lyric flew across the pavement, head slamming into the concrete wall, making stars appear before her eyes. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but it wasn’t to see her guy ready to take on a shifter. Whoa, slow your roll. She didn’t even know his name. The hit to her head must have done something to her brain.

Seeing the other two men coming back from their vehicle, Lyric picked herself up. Her main goal was to help the man and hope they got out alive.

Surely, Syn was looking for her by now? The last thought gave her pause. Her best friend would never have allowed her to be gone for so long unless something had happened to her, too. She let more of her wolf out, hearing seams rip and not caring she was ruining a favorite pair of jeans.

* * * *

Rowan swore when the beautiful woman was thrown against the building. Fear for her safety had sent him outside to check on her; seeing her being manhandled by the obnoxious man who needed a shower, sealed the deal.

He’d come to the bar to get a drink or two and get laid. Looked like he was going to get in a fight, and need more than a few bottles of alcohol to erase the images of what he was seeing. Nine, maybe ten-inch nails extended out of the man’s fingers, and the last time he’d checked humans didn’t have that much hair let alone fur, and the guy didn’t have either on his body earlier. In all his training, the wars he’d fought, not a single foe compared to what he was facing.

“What the fuck are you?” Rowan asked, thinking he should’ve brought his gun from his truck.

Three men advanced on him, looking more like something out of American Werewolf in London.

“You should’ve stayed inside like a good boy,” the half-man growled.

Rowan felt the woman step up beside him, easing his fear that she was hurt from being tossed aside. Like all good country boys, he pulled the knife he had strapped to his side. The blade was longer than their claws, which he hoped was enough of an equalizer. She squeezed his free hand, sporting her own set of extra-long nails. Although she was on his side, he hoped.

“Since the lady doesn’t want to go with y’all, why don’t we skip the pissing contest and forget all about this?” Rowan released her hand, watching the body language of the three man-beasts. They were not experienced fighters, which gave him an advantage.

“There’s no reasoning with them. You should’ve run when I told you to.”

He didn’t take his eyes off the men as they fanned out in a semi-circle. “Darlin’, there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell I was gonna leave you out here to fight off these…whatever they are.”

The sound of gravel shifting beneath the man to his right’s feet, had Rowan kicking his steel-toed boot into his knee, followed by a roundhouse kick to the head. When he looked down into the face of the man, no longer was there any indication he was human. Gone was the shape of a human face, replaced with the muzzle of what appeared to be one of his worst nightmares. Without hesitation, he grabbed the thing by the hair and cut his throat from ear to ear.

“You will pay for that.” One of the beasts’ garbled words cut across the night. Before he could hop off the dead creature, he was hit so hard in the side, Rowan was sure a rib or two was cracked.

In his line of work with the military, he’d suffered a lot worse damage and had learned to suppress the pain. His training served him well as he rolled, keeping a firm hold on his serrated knife. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the woman fighting with amazing skill.

He landed with a thud on his back, momentarily stunned. The large animal on top, snapping at his neck. Rowan grunted in pain from the weight on his ribs, knowing he needed to get the upper hand quickly or he’d be a dead man. What were wolves’ weaknesses? Never had he thought he’d need a silver bullet, or wondered if that was a myth or truth. Either way, he was going to die if he didn’t get out from under the snapping jaws.

Using all his strength, he heaved, bucking until he finally knocked the wolfman off. Claws slashing his chest as they fought. The burn, like acid eating his skin, made it hard to focus.

Rowan waved his knife hand. “Come on, pussy, is that all you got?”

An enraged howl, and then the animal came at him with more force than cunning.

Rowan sidestepped, slashing upward with his knife, slicing through fabric and tissue. He turned, giving a hard kick to the beast while he was doubled over. Erasing the distance between them, he snapped his neck.

A roar shook the ground. Rowan spun to face the leader, watching in horror as he tossed the woman aside. With a quick assessment, he saw her chest rise and fall.

“I understand it’s hard to get laid when you look like you were dropped from the ugly tree, and hit every branch on the way down, but really, there has to be someone out there for you,” Rowan taunted him, needing him to come closer, away from the woman. All of the men had partially shifted into part wolf, part man, a seriously grotesque combination.

The beast growled and lumbered on his jacked-up legs. If he made it out of this alive, Rowan was sure he’d be needing therapy for months, maybe years to come.

His side no longer burned, but had started to turn to more of a kill me now ache, the likes of which he’d never experienced. He’d been held prisoner for over three months in a foreign land, had been tortured for days on end, and had never wanted to die. Those days and nights were nothing compared to what was going through his system right now, but he fought the pain back. One more to dispatch then he could fall down.

He switched the knife to his left hand, using his right to shield the injured ribs, keeping his eye on his opponent. Basing his decision on the way he hadn’t reacted to Rowan’s words, except to growl and come closer, Rowan moved forward. A mistake, he realized a moment later, when he was within leaping distance and found himself with a two hundred-plus pound enraged beast on his chest. His knife flew from his hand. All the air left his lungs in a big whoosh, and then the large, gaping mouth that could easily enclose his entire skull, was heading straight for his throat. Rowan reached up with both hands, trying to stop the inevitable, but against the supernatural strength, he knew it was useless.

Not willing to give up and turn his neck for the thing, he stabbed his thumbs into the beast’s eyes. Howling, the beast shook him off, but blood ran from the now empty right socket, making Rowan happy he’d at least caused it some damage.

The last thing he saw was razor sharp teeth coming straight for his face. As he grappled with the leader’s head, he turned and felt the hot breath on his neck and then pain so immense he yelled out. Black dots swirled in his vision, and then the heavy weight was knocked off him. Rowan tried to get up, but his body wasn’t listening to his mind. The sound of fighting brought him out of the daze and or darkness trying to swallow him. He saw the woman holding his knife, her back to him in a fighter’s crouch, protecting him. From her posture, he could tell she was ready to kill. His nature wouldn’t allow him to lie there and let a woman fight his battles. With the last of his strength, he rolled to his knees. The fight seemed to have gone on for hours, when it could only have been minutes. The sound of a car coming down the gravel drive had all three of them looking in the direction of the noise.

“Your days are numbered, bitch.” The leader scooped his two fallen buddies up in a fireman’s hold and tossed them into the still running vehicle, speeding away in a spray of gravel.

“We gotta get you outta here.” His angel knelt next to him, her cool hand brushing his hair back. Rowan thought he would just lie back and let the darkness envelop him, but she had other plans. “Come on, big guy, I’m going to need you to help me. You’re way too heavy for me to carry.”

Grunting was his only acknowledgement. What didn’t she understand about him wanting to lie down and rest?

“Lava is running through my veins, darlin’. Find my phone and call 911. Find out why they didn’t send a car out when I called. That’s the only thing that’s gonna help me.” His voice sounded raspy to his own ears, and lacked conviction. He knew he was dying from the injuries he’d sustained and wondered how she was going to explain to the authorities what had happened.

“Shit, you’ve been bitten. Fuck, fuck, shit.” She leaned forward and sniffed his neck, ripping his flannel and T-shirt down the front.

On the verge of dying, Rowan was amazed to feel his dick harden when the woman licked at his wound, easing the pain. In the next instant, he nearly shot off the ground when her teeth sank into his already wounded shoulder. Instead of more pain, ecstasy rolled through him.

Rowan grabbed the woman around the waist, uncaring about his injuries, making her straddle his thighs. The last time he’d dry humped a female was in junior high with a girl three years his senior. Like then, the girl on top of him panted and climaxed right along with him. Only difference was then, he could get up and get a towel to clean himself. Rowan wasn’t sure he could move, let alone get up. Clearly, his dick hadn’t gotten the message they were in danger, the way it still pressed against his zipper.

“You two need to get a room for crying out loud.” A man’s laughing voice jerked him out of his musings.

“Don’t move. Wait until he goes inside so he can’t see the blood on you.”

Rowan didn’t want to tell her he didn’t think he could move even if he’d tried, so gave a brief nod and stared into her beautiful brown eyes. Her golden-blonde hair fanned them like a curtain, shielding them from others. He wondered what she’d look like spread out naked on his bed and had an answering jerk from his cock. Damn, the thing had never perked up quite so fast before.

Chapter Two

Lyric couldn’t believe she’d just had her first orgasm with a man, fully clothed and in public for crying out loud, having just fought off four full-grown shifters. She needed her head examined, but first they needed to get the hell out of there. She didn’t bother telling him the police tended to ignore calls unless a fatality was reported. At this point they needed to get him somewhere safe.

When the door to the bar shut behind the couple who’d brought her out of the lust filled haze, she noticed the man beneath her was staring.

“My name’s Lyric. What’s yours?”

He cleared his throat. “Rowan,” he answered. “Listen, I’m not sure what’s going on, but we need to file a police report.”

She shook her head. How was she going to explain what she’d just done, or what had been done to him. Had she allowed the other shifter’s venom to continue flowing through his veins, Rowan would have become connected to him, a part of his pack, whether he wanted to be or not. Lyric had done the only thing she knew would fix it, making him part of her pack. From the moment she’d seen him in the hallway, her wolf had sat up and called to the man, but Lyric had pushed her back. Now, she’d gone against pack law and would have to face not only Kellen, but her brother Xan.

Her wolf beat at her to mark him and claim him as her mate.

“We can’t. You know what you saw can’t be explained. They’ll think you’re crazy and lock you up at best. Worst, they’ll arrest me and possibly make a lab experiment out of us.”

Rowan’s grip on her waist tightened almost painfully. “Never. Nobody will ever hurt you.”

The fear knotting her stomach lessened, but the urgency to get him as far away from the bar as possible was paramount. She needed a few minutes to figure out where to go that was secure for them both. Somewhere he’d be safe for the change, before she had to face her alpha and her brother. Then she’d offer to let him go free.

She wouldn’t mate him. Her wolf whined.

“Come on, help me get you up, big guy.” Lyric eyed the gorgeous man beneath her, trying to think how she could maneuver him into a vehicle. The man had to be taller than both her brother and Kellen, putting him at over six foot two. She imagined him on a motorcycle with her wrapped around him. The thought of the tight fit made heat rise to her face.

“If you don’t quit looking at me like that you’ll be under me in ten seconds flat.” His black eyes flashed.

Lyric laughed. “When you’re all better, I’ll take you up on that offer. Now, let’s get out of here.” With the agility of her kind, she hopped off him. “Did you drive?”

He got up with a lot less finesse than she’d seem him move with earlier. The wounds from the wolves were already healing, but she had seen humans turn, and he was going to be hurting sooner rather than later. Lyric wanted to find the ones that got away and turn them over to her brother. A shiver raced up her spine. Xan was going to kick her ass.

“Of course I drove, darlin’.” Rowan’s Texas drawl seemed thicker.

For crying out loud, his voice was panty melting.

“Lead the way, or do you need me to?” Lyric asked.

She snorted at the outraged look he gave her. The overly large four wheel drive pickup truck he led her to, gave her a lady boner. Big trucks, hot cars, and motorcycles were things she enjoyed. Thankfully, the MC had a lot of toys for her to play with. Rowan’s truck would definitely fit in. Back up, girlfriend. She needed to quit thinking about keeping him like he was hers.

Eyeing the huge leap into his rig, Lyric had visions of her needing some sort of equipment to lift him into the vehicle. He shocked her by expertly maneuvering himself into the passenger seat without groaning or showing the least bit of pain.

Lyric shook her head and went around to the driver’s side, happy he had running boards installed, making it easy for her to climb in. Once inside, she held her hand out for the keys. His way too sexy lips tilted up in a grin, before he reached into his tight denim jeans. Her eyes followed his fingers as they dug into his pocket, seeing the bulge still straining against his fly. Licking her lips, she tore her eyes away, only to meet the heat in his. Quick as a snake, his free hand shot out and pulled her to him. Their lips met in a clash of teeth and tongues. There was no finesse, only a deep hunger fed by the fans of heat within her body and his.

Rowan pulled back, blinking to peer at her through heavily glazed eyes. “Darlin’, you better start this truck, or I’m thinking we might be christening the backseat.”

His words were teasing, but his brow was furrowed and his expression tight. His entire body seemed poised as if he’d toss her over the seat and follow through on the threat at a moment’s notice.

A wicked thought of doing exactly what he’d said at a later time—especially since he’d used the words christened, meaning he’d never had another woman there—had her smiling slowly. “Another time, big guy.”

She took the keys from him before she could change her mind, pulling to the back of the club where her bike was parked. Making a quick decision on how to load her precious baby without the use of a ramp, Lyric circled to the side of the building. After backing up to the ditch that bordered the edge, she quickly climbed out, pulled the tailgate down, and released a sigh. Her calculations were spot on. Hurrying over to her Harley Davidson Sportster, which was far from original, she started the Harley before easing it into the back of Rowan’s truck. It took longer than she’d have liked, strapping it with tie-downs.

The poor man in the vehicle had fallen into a restless sleep, not even stirring when she opened the driver’s door. “What am I gonna do with you?” She had an insane urge to run her hand over his beard-roughened jaw. Instead, she put the truck in gear and pulled away from the bar.

Syn had mentioned the cabin on Kellen’s land, but that was too close to the alpha for Lyric’s peace of mind. He’d smell Rowan on the first stiff wind. She needed time to get him through his change and give him a choice. Stay or go. Mate or no. Even if the last made her wolf whine like a little bitch.

“Where you thinking of taking me?” His voice rasped.

Lyric maneuvered his truck onto the busy highway traffic. “I’m trying to figure that out. I don’t have enough cash for a hotel and not sure if that’s really a safe place anyways for your first time.”

Rowan straightened to look out the window. “Darlin’, I’m far from a virgin.”

She nearly slammed into a BMW at his words. “Not…that first time. I mean, shit, I can’t do this on a six-lane highway.” She smacked her hand on the steering wheel.

A pained groan filled the extended cab pickup, followed by a deep exhale. “I know what you mean. My place is a couple miles down the highway. I think my truck has a mind of its own,” he tried to joke.

She glanced over to see his expression in the low dim lights from the dashboard. “You’re an ass,” she said smiling.

He gave her the directions, but she wasn’t properly prepared for the place he called home. Yes, his truck was top of the line and new. However, she didn’t expect his home to rival the size of a lodge. “Is this your home?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The man was one shock after another. First with the way he’d handled three full-grown shifters, then the fact he was still alive and talking while being bitten, and now as she stared at the million dollar spread. Kellen and Xan were going to flip their collective lids. “I’m so in deep shit.”

Rowan turned his head. “I’ll protect you.” His tongue peeked out and licked his lips; teeth sharper than normal appeared.

Shivers raced down her spine at the thought of him placing his canines in her throat, or anywhere on her body. She’d heard mated pairs talk about the eroticism of having their mate bite them during sex. She’d love to wear his marks, and wondered if he’d want hers. Her own teeth ached to grow. The bite she’d given him had been to erase the other packs venom—a mating mark was a whole other ball game. One she didn’t want to push on him even though her wolf was chomping at her.

“What the hell do you do, Rowan?”

The tree-lined drive was lit up with security lights, but the most breathtaking view came from the wraparound porch. Several wooden rocking chairs with tables between them sat invitingly on one half, while a huge swing hung on the other side.

“Pull up in front. We’ll worry about putting this in the garage tomorrow.” He sounded exhausted, and she felt guilty for putting him in the position he was in.

“What about my bike?” She never left Pixie out in the elements.

“Shit, I forgot about that. Keep going around to the back.”

She did as instructed. The rear of the property was every bit as impressive as the front, with a four-car attached garage. From the middle of the console he pulled a controller and pointed it at the big bay doors. As they opened, she stared slack-jawed at what all he had inside. The boys at the MC would definitely want to come over and play with his toys. If they didn’t kill him first.

“Ease in beside the Lexus.” His voice came out in a rough whisper.

Thank gawd there was only one open space big enough for his truck. Like she knew what the fuck a Lexus looked like. She was completely out of her league.

With a nod, Lyric coasted Rowan’s truck inside. She was so fucked.

* * * *

Rowan had felt Lyric pulling away from him when they’d drove onto his property. He was puzzled by her actions since most women couldn’t wait to explore and put their stamp on his home. He wanted to reach over and reassure her, wanted to take her into his arms and tell her everything was going to be fine, but his insides felt like they were on fire. His skin ached from his fingers to his toes. Hell, even his ears hurt. The lights spilling in through the windshield felt like ten thousand watts burning straight into his retinas.

The doors shut down with another press of his finger to the opener. Before he tried to get out on his own, Lyric was there to help him down. Much to his consternation, he needed the extra help. “Thank you. I swear I’m not usually so needy.” Rowan groaned.

Her scent tickled his nose. Sweet strawberries dipped in sin. He loved strawberries covered in whipped cream. Imagining her spread before him, ripe like the sweetest berries, dripping with her own cream, had him pressing her against the side of his truck. “You smell so damn good,” he growled.

“Inside, big guy. Let’s go.” She raised her hands to press against his chest.

He wanted to protest going anywhere that didn’t include him in her, until another round of pain hit him. Rowan swallowed the bile trying to rise in his throat and took a step away from the delectable scent of Lyric. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her injury if he lashed out in a moment of weakness. He listened as Lyric gave a brief outline of what to expect. The story sounded like something straight out of Hollywood, but he’d seen the truth for himself. Now, with agony lighting up his insides, he was sure either death was upon him, or she was telling the truth.

“Follow me. I’ll show you to a guest suite, and then you should probably lock yourself in for the night.” His words came out less clear than he liked, but he held his head up and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. He placed his hand in front of the scanner, gaining access to his home, and then remembered he had Lyric with him. “Put your palm here.” He grabbed her tiny wrist and placed her palm on the screen. A few adjustments, and his system now recognized her palm print as well.

“What the hell was that?” she asked.

“I’m thinking I may be out of it, right?” At her nod, he continued. “Now you can open the doors without alerting the security company of an intruder.”

Lyric rubbed her hands together but didn’t say another word. Rowan wasn’t sure he had it in him to explain further. Hell, he wasn’t sure what to expect other than he was going to be turning furry shortly, and if he survived the change, he could still be killed by Lyric’s pack.

“You’re not going through this alone, Rowan.” Her soft hand on his back burned through his flannel.

It took everything in him to continue walking, lights coming on as they entered the kitchen. What did she want him to say? He was raised to protect women and children, not place one directly in harm’s way, and the way he was feeling, he was sure she was in danger. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, darlin’.”

“Quit calling me that. My name is Lyric. Not darlin’, sweetheart, or any other bullshit name you call some nameless, faceless woman,” Lyric growled.

Rowan spun at the challenge in her tone, seeing the glowing amber eyes staring back at him. “Lyric.” Her name sounded right rolling off his tongue. “No matter what I call you, the name doesn’t matter. All I can seem to focus on is your scent. What did you do? Roll around in a vat of strawberries?”

He watched her expression go from angry, to wary, to alarmed in a matter of seconds.

Her hands rested on the top of the counter. “Shit, this is happening faster than I’ve ever heard of before.”

Lyric put the large granite surface between them, and in his head, he calculated how quickly he could eliminate the space. “I’m going to go shower. You can…make yourself at home,” Rowan said.

Lyric nodded but didn’t say a word. Rowan could smell her fear and anxiety mixed with the arousal and her own unique scent. He wasn’t sure if he’d been hit too hard on the head and all of this was one big hallucination, or if he was dreaming. One thing was for certain, and that was he needed to get away from the woman in his kitchen before he did something he’d probably regret. Like rip their clothes from their bodies and fuck her senseless. Rowan wasn’t sure he could actually follow through with the amount of pain he was in, before he fell to his knees in agony.

* * * *

Lyric stared after Rowan as he left the kitchen. Good lawd, he was something. She knew the war he was waging within himself. She just didn’t know how to help him if he didn’t let her. Being a born shifter, she was strong, but he clearly was going to be an alpha. Already she saw the way his black eyes flashed to blue and couldn’t wait to see him shift.

Her ears picked up the sound of running water. She’d never actually helped a human through the change, but from what she’d been told, it usually took a couple days before the full turn. Obviously, they’d never dealt with the likes of Rowan. Damn, she didn’t even know his last name.

She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and cursed at the cracked screen and no power coming on. “Shit. What am I going to do? Syn is probably going apeshit right about now.” Grabbing the phone off the wall, she quickly dialed her best friend’s number. When voicemail picked up on the first ring, Lyric left a brief message outlining what had happened and told Syn she’d call back in the morning. She hoped the other girls were okay and hadn’t already called in some reinforcements, and she really wished her phone wasn’t fucked up. Another deed to lay at the feet of the rogue wolves. She then dialed her phone number to see if Syn had called and left her a message.

As her voicemail came on, she dialed in the code and listened to several frantic calls from Syn and Nene. Lyric blew out a relieved breath that turned to panic when Syn told her she’d called Kellen. She wasn’t scared of her alpha, much. More like freaked he’d put her and the others on lockdown until they found the ones responsible for the attack on her. “Just what the doctor ordered, not. Stuck at the Club with a bunch of overbearing big brothers.”

Without pausing to stop, she walked into the living area, lights coming on like they’d done in the kitchen when she stepped into the open space. Modern tech meets country living. The floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace held no family pictures, nothing to show who or where Rowan had come from. When she left the room, the lights went out, leaving the room in darkness. Following the hall leading to where she presumed his bedroom was, she could hear the shower running. The thought of him naked and slick with water made her break out in goosebumps. Never had the image of a wet and naked man brought on such arousing thoughts that she had to force herself away from going to him.

An open door caught her attention before she could act on her impulse to check on Rowan. He had several computer monitors set up on an L-shaped desk. Either the man ran his business from home, or he was a computer geek. Even the image of him wearing a suit and tie didn’t lessen her need for him, nor her wolf’s. When she moved farther into the room, the lights came on revealing, unlike in the family room, he had pictures lining the walls.

The first one she came to was of a group of soldiers standing next to a military vehicle. Lyric fingered the frame, easily picking out which one of the young men was Rowan. Out of all the smiling faces, his stood out to her like a beacon. Several more framed pictures featured the same group of men, until the last two. Her breath caught in her throat at the images of the men who were no longer smiling, holding a flag for their friend who was no longer with them.

“I see you’ve made yourself at home.” Rowan’s voice broke into the quiet room.

Lyric spun on her heel. “For crying out loud, you move quieter than a ghost.”

Rowan’s smile flashed. “That’s what we were. A ghost team.” He prowled into the room, sucking the air out of the space with his presence.

She stared at the healing wound on his side, transfixed by the already knitting skin and the amount of bare flesh he was showing in the low-riding jeans. Lyric wasn’t sure what the hell was going on, but she didn’t think Rowan was normal. Or maybe not completely human. “Rowan, is there something more to you than just…you know, human DNA?”

“To my knowledge, up until about two hours ago, I was all human. Now, I don’t know what the fuck I am, except ready to claw my way outta this skin.” He held his arms out at his sides.

Not a single tattoo or piercing marked his smooth flesh. She circled him, looking for old injuries from his time in the military. Surely he’d gotten a cut or something that would have left a scar. “Have you ever broken a bone or needed stitches?” she asked.

“I’m pretty tough, I guess. My mama always said I was too ornery to get sick or hurt. She obviously didn’t expect me to get bitten by a werewolf. That’s what you are, right?” Sweat popped out on his forehead.

He was fighting the pain and stress of shifting. Lyric wanted to call an elder or a council member. Heck, she was willing to call Kellen and ask him for help if it would save Rowan more pain. However, the only thing that would help him now was shifting.

“Rowan, I’m going to need you to trust me. Do you think you can do that?”

He shrugged his massive shoulders. In his shifted form, he would be at least twice her size and could easily dominate her. “Usually this is done with the pack surrounding the new member. The alpha is the one who helps all shifters through their first transition because it’s difficult for one to control their beast. I should’ve taken you to Kellen, but I was stupid and thought we’d have a day or so before I had to admit my mistake to my brother and the alpha. Now, I don’t think we have time to do anything except get you through the shift.”

He braced his feet apart. “What aren’t you telling me, Lyric? Don’t mince words or pussy foot around. Tell me what I need to know so I can be prepared.”

Taking a deep breath, Lyric laid it out for him. “Once you shift, you will want to hunt. You will want to fuck, and you will most likely want to kill. I don’t know in what order you will want these things, but there you have it.”

His eyes widened. “What the fuck will I want to hunt and kill? Am I going to go out and take down Bambi, fuck it then kill it and follow up that grand adventure by eating it?”

Lyric laughed. She seriously couldn’t believe the things that were coming out of his mouth. “Oh my gawd. You are hilarious.” She wiped the tears streaming from her eyes, not realizing he’d began stalking her across the room. Her back hit the wall next to the pictures she’d been admiring.

“Are you laughing at me, darlin’?” Rowan nudged her legs apart, putting one of his between hers.

Looking up into the black eyes of Rowan, she licked her suddenly dry lips. “No, not laughing at you, laughing at what you came up with. I mean, you would probably want to hunt down a deer or two and kill it, but even in your wolf form, you’d never want to have sex with a deer. I don’t think even mated pairs have sex in their wolven forms.” If they did, she’d not heard them talk about it. She’d never gotten turned on by seeing any of the men in their shifted forms. Beautiful? Yes. Sexy as in she wanted to hump them? No.

“So, you are in danger of me wanting to fuck you after I shift?” He lifted his leg into the V of her thighs.

“Not me, per se. Just that most who are turned tend to get a little out of control.” She shivered as he rubbed her in the exact spot that was begging for attention.

“Let me ask you another question.” He leaned in and nuzzled close to her ear. “As a shifter, is my sense of smell heightened?”

Lyric tried to keep from rubbing on his steel-hard thigh and to concentrate on what he’d asked. “Everything is heightened. Sight, smell, hearing. Why?”

He braced his arms on the wall, bracketing her head. “Because I can smell your desire. If I was to reach down between your legs, I’d feel you dripping for me. Am I right?”

Knowing her face was bright red and that he could easily see it, she wedged her arms between them, shoving him off her. The movement caught him by surprise, if the look in his eyes was any indication. “Excuse me, but if I was to reach down between your legs, I’m pretty sure I’d feel something hard and it wouldn’t be a banana in your pocket. Oh, wait, I don’t need to reach down. The little guy is pointing due north. So what?” Fake it till you make it, was her and Syn’s motto. “It’s called chemistry. Our wolves are calling to each other. It’s no big deal. Once I help you through the shift, it’ll dissipate.” Lyric hoped his sense of smell hadn’t become so acute he could tell a lie from the truth like a born shifter.

Rowan turned away from her. “Damn it, I’m being an ass. Forgive me, Lyric. You should go take a shower and then you can help me through the shift or whatever.”

She’d hurt him with her dismissal, but his actions scared her. What did she know about him other than he was her mate? Her wolf sat up and yipped at the acknowledgement. Unable to look him in the eye, she walked toward the door.

“For what it’s worth, it’s a big deal. I’ve never done this before, Rowan. You called to me when I first saw you in that dark hallway. I’m sorry I got you mixed up in my mess.” She fled from the room before he could say anything, hiding the tears streaming down her face. She followed his scent to the last room he’d been in, closing and locking the door to first his bedroom and then the bathroom. The tiled room was like the rest of the house, masculine and top of the line, and showed her just how far out of her league he was.

Lyric fell against the door and slid down until her ass hit the floor. She folded her arms around her knees and let herself cry for a few minutes, then got up and shook out her limbs. “Time to put your big girl panties on and get ’er done.” She stripped off her clothes and entered the shower, staring at the high-tech gadgets around the enclosure. “Oh, for crying out loud. Who needs five showerheads?” After figuring out how to turn the water on, she took the quickest shower in history. One day she’d have loved to spend time letting all the different water spouts pummel her body.

Luckily, Rowan had a towel on the heated shower bar. She didn’t want to put her dirty clothes back on and figured she’d be having to get naked shortly to show Rowan how to shift, but coming back out with nothing on felt too brazen.

After scanning his bedroom, she pulled one of his T-shirts out of the dresser, and a pair of sweats three sizes too big. He was waiting for her in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water, looking too good for her peace of mind.

Chapter Three

Rowan had to grip the glass in order to not drop it when Lyric returned wearing his clothes. He felt his teeth grow, and the uncomfortable urge to toss her on top of the counter and mark her was nearly overwhelming. The new sensations were taking him out of his comfort zone, and he was never out of control. His world was built on structure and organization. He had a feeling letting Lyric into his life would upset it more than a F5 tornado would.

“Are you thirsty?” His words came out sounding more gravelly than he’d hoped.

Lyric held her dainty hand out and swiped his glass. He watched as she turned the cup and sipped from the spot he’d drunk from, her pink tongue licking where he’d had his lips.

A growl more wolf than man rumbled out. “Girl, you don’t want to tempt me too much right now. I don’t have a tether on this beast that seems to be growing inside me.”

She nodded. “I can feel him reaching out to mine. I’ve never felt the need to play the way I do right now. Like I want to rub up on you and see how far I can push before you take control.” Her head tilted back as she drank the rest of the water.

Rowan tracked her movements, utterly transfixed at the sight of her swallowing, something he’d never found sexy unless the woman in question had his dick in her mouth.

“My skin hurts like a motherfucker, Lyric. Honestly, I can’t stand the feeling of anything on me, except I think I could handle having you pressed against me.” He smiled when her eyes widened and her scent permeated the air.

“Let’s go outside and attempt to get you through your first shift. But, Rowan, I need you to try and remember I’m not the enemy and I’m not up for fucking.”

Hearing her say words that belied her body language, Rowan took the glass from her hands. “First of all, darlin’, I know you’re not the enemy. I’d never want to screw them six ways to Sunday. Second, I’ll only fuck you when you are one hundred percent ready and willing. Your body is telling me one thing, your mind another. You are as safe as a nun in a convent.” He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, hearing her breath catch in her throat and her heartbeat increase.

She grabbed his hand. “Come on, big guy.”

They stepped outside in companionable silence, his palms sweating while the rest of his body was ready to implode. “Is it like in the movies, where you’ll hear all my bones popping and see shit looking all fucked up like?”

“Oh, it’s so much worse than that. The first time you’ll feel every little snap, crackle, and pop. For those of us who are born shifters, it’s not so bad because we shift as kids, and our bones are softer. I’ve only seen a couple humans change, and let me tell you, I think they wished for death.”

“You’re not making this any easier.” She shrugged and didn’t say anything else. The moon wasn’t full, so he figured that was another falsehood the movies portrayed. “How about clothes?”

“We most def want to be naked when we shift. Of course, there are times that you aren’t able to control your emotions, or so I’m told, and then you end up ruining your favorite outfit.”

Rowan looked her up and down. “You mean like you did earlier?”

“That was me protecting you, asswipe. Now, shut it with all the questions, and focus. Your wolf is probably itching to get out.” She motioned with her hands.

Rowan felt the other being below the surface but didn’t feel threatened by it. “Yeah, it’s like he’s crouched and waiting for something.”

On his back porch, he had a large open area with a fire pit surrounded by low chairs. Off to the side, he had a built-in barbeque grill and pizza oven. He eyed the best spot for his first shift and decided the open yard was the smartest choice. Never one to be self-conscious about his body, he stripped out of his shirt and jeans, leaving his boxer briefs on until Lyric joined him.

A deep exhale and she was next to him, shrugging out of his sweats and tossing his shirt onto the grass, standing in nothing but her perfect, unblemished skin. Rowan couldn’t help but stare as she held her head high and her gaze pinned him in place.

“Eyes up here,” Lyric said.

He rubbed his hand across his mouth. “You went commando.”

Standing there with her hands on her naked hips, Lyric narrowed her gaze. “Your underwear wouldn’t have fit me, and there was no way I was putting on dirty ones.”

The word dirty, coming out of her mouth conjured up all kinds of naughty thoughts, and caused an immediate and noticeable reaction in his briefs. “Eyes up here, darlin’.” Rowan teased.

“Kinda difficult when that thing is ready to spring out and bite someone.”

“Don’t make promises you ain’t willing to follow through.”

“Stop thinking with your little head and focus. You do not want to end up stuck, shifted in between man and wolf.”

Rowan couldn’t tell if she was telling the truth or not. Erring on the side of caution, he tore his eyes away from her hard-tipped nipples. He listened as she instructed him on how to find his wolf, and how to let the beast have control, but not to lose himself inside. To say he was scared was putting it mildly.

She agreed to go first, hoping her wolf would be able to communicate with his. Rowan wasn’t convinced, but he felt a stirring in his mind. The creature was ready to come out and tried to reassure him. As he watched Lyric shift, he didn’t hear her bones popping, but it wasn’t a pretty sight to behold, either. It didn’t take but a minute before a blonde colored wolf stood where she’d been standing. Before Rowan could reach out to touch her, his own wolf began taking over. He took a deep breath and let go. The pain was worse than he’d expected.

What seemed like hours later but couldn’t have been more than a few minutes, he found himself lying in the cool grass, looking down upon paws. There was another being in control of his body, where he was more of a backseat passenger. Rowan remembered what Lyric had told him about asserting his dominance, ensuring the wolf didn’t take over completely. An instant recognition flowed inside him.

Once he was sure he could stand without falling over, he got up. He smelled the familiar scent of Lyric close, yet far enough away he was aware she was leery of what his reactions would be. Hunt, kill, and fuck she’d said. He lifted his nose and scented prey near the back forty of his property, close, yet he wanted to run in his new form.

With what he hoped was a nod, Rowan headed off in the direction he wanted to go. They spent a long time running, and then stopped to get a much needed drink at a creek that bordered his land. He nudged Lyric when she got too close to his neighbor’s electric fence, scared she’d get injured. Her answering nip to his flank had him turning to nip her back, only to come up short when he scented other wolves. Their howls made the hair on his back stand up, and he sensed Lyric’s worry. He wanted to shift and reassure her all would be fine, but those howls were heading straight for them. From Lyric’s body language, she knew who was coming, and although they weren’t the bad guys, she obviously wasn’t prepared for them.

Rowan knew the land like he knew the back of his hand, but, being new to the shifter world he wasn’t sure what they could do that he couldn’t. Hell, he wasn’t positive he could shift back to human yet, let alone on command.

He stood next to Lyric, her smaller wolven body barely reaching his belly, waiting for whoever was coming. They didn’t have to wait long before two huge wolves stalked into the clearing by the creek. Rowan assumed the large blond one was Lyric’s brother, since he smelled similar to her. The other was a huge black wolf that exuded power and strength. He had no doubt the two men were the most powerful wolves of the pack. He would not show fear to them. The military didn’t allow such thoughts, and he wouldn’t betray his training tonight.

The black wolf shifted almost seamlessly. “Lyric, I suggest you shift now, girl. You’ve got some explaining to do.”

Not liking the way the big dark man spoke to his woman, Rowan shifted first, blocking her from their view.

* * * *

Kellen raised his eyebrows at the show of protection. The other man was a little taller than he and Xan, with muscles upon muscles, and not a tattoo in sight. He wondered what the other man was thinking as he stared back at him. Kellen made no apologies for his looks or his behavior. From what they’d learned in the last couple hours, Rowan was a military man with a long list of honors behind him. He’d inherited his home and land and ran some sort of security business. Basically, he was the polar opposite of Kellen and his pack.

“Hello, Rowan. Welcome to my pack. I see you’ve shifted,” Kellen said, indicating the sweat rolling down the other man’s temple. Although he was putting up a really good front, shifting hurt like a motherfucker for newly made shifters. Kellen usually connected with his packmates during their first shift and helped them through the pain, taking some of it on himself. As the alpha, he was the only one with the ability to do so, although Arynn, their omega, could also to an extent.

“I don’t know the rules. Am I supposed to do something here? Do we see who can piss longer or what?”

“Xan can piss longer, as a matter of fact. Can’t you, Xan?” Kellen had felt his best friend shift, but he’d also seen the way Rowan had subtly moved his body, keeping both he and Xan in his sights.

“Let’s stop playing games and get this show on the road. Are we gonna kill him or slap him on the back and welcome him with some good ole boy drinking? I’d say fucking, but I don’t think I could let him live if he touched my baby sister back there.”

Kellen had smelled no mating between Lyric and Rowan, which was good for the new shifter. He didn’t think he could keep his second from killing the man if he’d done the dirty with Lyric. Of course, Kellen wouldn’t have blamed the man. Lyric was one of the most gorgeous women he’d seen. Sweet, sexy, and sassy wrapped in a small package sure to kick your ass, just like his sister Syn.

“Shift back so we aren’t standing with our junk hanging in the wind,” Kellen said. He waited for Xan to shift, knowing his best friend was laughing. “You go first, and I’ll help you, and before you say something manly like, I don’t need help, believe me, you do.”

“You really will need his help, Rowan. I can’t do what he does as our alpha.” Lyric’s soft voice broke through their silent stare down.

“Girl, you are so gonna get your ass beat by brother here if you don’t quit pressing your naked ass against his naked ass.” Kellen warned.

“Technically, it’s my naked front against his naked ass,” Lyric said but shifted before Xan shifted back to human and followed through with the threat.

Her brother’s growl was more anger than menacing, which Kellen understood. If Syn was getting up close and comfy with some nude dude, he’d want to take a bite out of the man’s hide, too.

Rowan shook out his hands and rolled his head around like he was getting ready for a fight. He exhaled loudly and then inhaled. Kellen wasn’t sure what the fuck the guy thought was going to happen. He’d always been the less talk, more action type guy himself. Without pausing, he opened himself to Rowan, barreling into the mind of the wolf and took over the shift. Fuck! Three shifts in one night, and he still had to do it again when they got back to the house. Rowan was probably crying like a bitch and wishing for death right about now. Only Kellen didn’t find him cowering in the corner of his mind. The man was trying to handle the pain without showing any outward signs. Obviously, Uncle Sam’s training was paying off.

After he made sure Rowan could hold the shift, he opened a connection to all three of his pack members. All right, my minions, follow me and don’t fuck around. I’m not in the mood to hunt, kill, or fuck Bambi. Dude, that is messed up on a level even Bodhi ain’t messed up on.

Xan nudged him in the side. Who wants to fuck Bambi? Unless she’s some new hot chick?

What is going on? Why can I hear you in my head? Rowan asked.

That’s the power of the alpha. Sorry, I sorta screwed you by not taking you to him for your first shift. I just thought we’d have a few days. Lyric’s voice sounded apologetic.

We will talk about it when we get to Rowan’s. Kellen didn’t allow any room for arguments. With Xan taking the lead, he nipped Lyric, letting her know without words he wanted her to follow. Rowan, still in protective mode, would follow, of that Kellen had no doubt.

He understood more about Rowan in the moments he was inside his mind than he’d ever get talking to the man for days or weeks in a deep interrogation session. The man was definitely in lust with Lyric, and, if he wasn’t missing his mark, they were meant to be mates. Things were about to get interesting. He kept his chuckle to himself, knowing his best friend was gonna be one pissed off big brother when he realized his baby sister was about to be mated.

At the back deck, Xan shifted quickly, holding out a blanket for Lyric as if he wanted to hide her nudity from Rowan. Kellen wanted to laugh at the audacity of his second. They were naked more often than not, especially when they shifted. The fact he was acting like the big brother who was protecting his sister’s virtue was comical. Kellen wondered if Lyric would do the same if roles were reversed. He pictured what she’d have done if she’d seen Xan fucking the chick before they’d gotten the call about the attack at the bar. He already knew what Lyric would’ve done, and the answer was the same as Syn. Nothing. They’d walked in on more than one woman bouncing on their brothers’ dicks and done nothing more than tell them to wear protection, or lock the door next time.

Lyric ignored Xan’s outstretched arms and pulled on what was obviously men’s sweats and shirt. Xan growled, but she folded her arms and glowered at him. Kellen ignored them and focused on helping Rowan do his final shift of the night. The man may be the most stoic male he’d ever met, but he was still newly made. Using his connection he took on some of the pain and helped Rowan focus on becoming human once again.

They shifted at the same time. Kellen was there to catch him when Rowan stumbled, his strength finally giving out.

“Fuck, I feel like I was waterboarded and left for dead.” Rowan scrubbed a hand down his face.

“That happen to you often? The waterboarding thing?” Xan asked.

“Shit, I…forget I said that.”

Lyric handed Rowan his jeans, as a mate should do, in Kellen’s mind.

“All right, let’s take this party inside.” Kellen swiped up his own pants, putting them on and checking his cell phone. “Shit, we got trouble.” He showed Xan his phone. They had a text from Arynn that one of their females was missing. “Change of plans, kids. Lyric, I know you’ve got Pixie here somewhere?” At her nod, he looked at Rowan and knew the man was in no condition to drive. “You want to leave her here and drive him, or you want Xan to drive your guy back to the clubhouse?”

“I can drive myself. Or, better yet, I’ll just stay here,” Rowan said.

Kellen looked down where Rowan had parked his ass on the first step. “Sure thing, and flying monkeys are coming out of my ass. What’s it gonna be, Lyric?”

“How did you find us?” she asked.

“We have a locator on all the vehicles. Before you ask something that will more than likely piss me off, no, we don’t check up on you girls. It’s for emergencies only.” Kellen took in her mutant expression.

“I never unloaded my bike from his truck, so I’ll drive us.” Lyric dug her toe into the ground.

He nodded. “You will follow me, and make no detours, little girl.” Kellen didn’t think she’d disagree with him or challenge his authority, but, just in case, he made sure she understood it was an order.

“Do we have time to pack him a bag, Alpha?” Snark rang clear in her voice.

She didn’t wait for him—he didn’t expect her to. Rowan watched her stomp into the house, and Xan couldn’t hide his amusement either.

“Someone needs to put her over their knee,” Kellen growled.

Rowan pulled himself up off the step. “Nobody will be touching her.”

Kellen laughed as Rowan got up in his face; his threat held real heat. Yeah, he was going to make a great addition to the pack, once he found his place. “Boy, you ain’t big enough to take me on today. Now, settle down and wait for Lyric to come back with a bag so we can scat.”

“Shit, he’s got some balls. Maybe we need to see how he does in the ring against one of us.” Xan rubbed his hands together.

Kellen grunted.

* * * *

Lyric heard her brother talk about getting in the ring with Rowan and thought they’d all be in for a big surprise if they did. Xan was a dirty fighter, but her guy was tough as any she’d seen. He’d definitely give them all a run for their money.

She wondered if Syn was aware they LoJacked their asses? In Rowan’s room, she found a duffel in his closet, quickly grabbing a couple pairs of soft jeans and T-shirts, throwing in a few pairs of socks and boxer briefs. The man may go commando, and look great naked, but she didn’t want him to think she was a perv. A smile curved her lips.

“What’s got that smile on your face, darlin’?”

“Shit, I told you not to sneak up on me.” She dropped his bag. “Here, since you’re clearly well enough to carry your own stuff. I haven’t gotten any of your bathroom supplies.”

Rowan bent and picked up the duffel. “I’ll just grab a few things. I think I’m ready to wake up now.”

“What?” Lyric asked.

He shook his head. “This whole thing seems surreal, and although I find you to be the embodiment of sexy itself. I really think I’m over this dream.” He turned and walked into his bathroom.

Lyric watched him enter, her heart breaking at his words. He’d only wanted to help a woman out, and instead, his entire life was turned upside down. Now, he was wishing he’d never met her. He may not have had a choice in becoming an accidental shifter, but he didn’t have to be her mate. She would let him go, even though it would kill her to watch him pick another. Now that Kellen had accepted him and was willing to teach him everything, Lyric would let Rowan choose his own path. Nobody wanted an accidental mate thrust upon them. She wanted a man who chose her, not one who didn’t have any other choice.

With her decision made, she wiped her fingers under her eyes and strolled out of his bedroom for the last time. By the time she got to his big truck, she had her breathing under control and her mask of indifference on.

There was no way he was going to be able to drive. She’d seen his hand shake when he’d picked up the bag. Climbing into the driver’s seat, she waited for him to make his way out. Her breath caught as he emerged in a fresh pair of jeans and another button-down. He’d also put on a pair of boots. Gah, she loved cowboy boots on men. As he engaged the alarm system by the garage opening, his back was to her, and she watched the flex of his ass in the denim. She was going to lose her sanity if she had to watch him hook up with one of her friends. Or she’d end up killing the woman, or women who made a play for him.

“I see you’re doing the driving?” He raised his right brow.

Lyric pressed the button on the door opener. “Obviously. Buckle up, buddy.” No more using cute little pet names. She was putting him in the friend zone.

Sitting idle in the circle drive were Kellen and Xan with their custom bikes rumbling. They were enough to keep her mind on the task at hand. Kellen’s skullcap and facemask covering was scary as fuck, partnered with Xan’s, and most people on the road gave them a wide berth. She laughed at Rowan’s shocked expression.

“Aren’t they worried they’ll get pulled over when someone calls in about bikers wearing skull and crossbones on their faces?” Rowan asked.

“Nope, they’ve been pulled over many times. The masks keep the dirt and dust out of their eyes, nose, and mouth. Police can’t argue with logic.” She followed the bikes.

His grunt had her thinking of other times he would make that sound. To stop her mind from going there, she turned the radio on, tuning to her favorite station that played rock. He relaxed in the seat, the stress from what he’d gone through finally catching up with him. Kellen’s bike pulled first onto the highway, while Xan hung back. They were making sure nobody was following them. Something she’d not thought to check on since seeing them. This late in the evening, there weren’t a lot of vehicles on the highway, but still enough it made it hard to discern if anyone was tailing them. She was glad her brother had her back. Rowan, for all his strength, was in no shape to take on anyone at the moment, and she couldn’t truly fight off more than a wolf or two and hope to survive.

Lyric had fucked up by taking Rowan home instead of to the Iron Wolf. Kellen wouldn’t have punished her or Rowan for what was done. Her wolf wanted him, and she’d been too stupid and selfish to think straight. Now, he was paying for her selfishness. Had she taken him to see Kellen, he’d have been welcomed into their society with open arms. He’d have been helped through his first shift by the alpha, cutting down on the pain and agony and wouldn’t have had to go through so many shifts in one day. Instead, she’d fucked him over royally, and he didn’t get to do the top three things all shifters wanted. Hunt, kill, and fuck.

“What’s wrong, Lyric?” Rowan asked.

His words jarred her out of her thoughts. “What? I thought you were sleeping. Are you okay?”

Rowan’s hand settled on her thigh, making her tremble. “I could feel your…I’m not sure what it was, but it made me and my other aware. Does that make sense?”

Lyric jerked her eyes from the road to look at Rowan’s glowing blue gaze. “Don’t look at me like that, Rowan.”

“Like what?” He licked his lips.

She put her hand over his where it lay on her thigh. “I didn’t mean to wake you. We’re almost to the clubhouse,” she said, not answering his question.

He turned his hand over, entwining their fingers. “Tell me what to expect once we get there. Are they going to put me through my paces and make me fight for my place? You know, like only the strong survive or some shit?

His thumb rubbing along her palm almost made her forget what he was asking her. “What? God, no. Rowan, you are pack now. I know you didn’t want this, and rest assured we don’t go out and just turn people. As a matter of fact, it isn’t done. Usually there is a process and a petition before a human is ever turned. I’ve never heard of this happening with someone without their consent and knowledge. The only time someone becomes one of us is if they are mates. Had that other wolf not bitten you, I’d never have…done it. I couldn’t allow him to make you his. You saw how Kellen could go into your mind?” She waited for him to squeeze her hand. “The other wolf, if he was the alpha, could’ve done the same at any time. If he wasn’t the alpha, then whoever was his alpha could’ve done the same. They can control you to an extent. You are strong, so I don’t think you personally would’ve been susceptible, but imagine some weak human.”

“Holy shite. I never thought of that. Do you think he can still get into my head?” Rowan released her hand. The loss of his warmth made her ache.

“No. Kellen would have felt another presence inside you when he took over your shift.” She wished he’d reach back out and touch her, but he stared out the passenger window, lost in his own thoughts, or so it appeared.

“I want to find that fuck, and kill him,” he growled.

Lyric nodded, but they were pulling into the lot of the MC. Dozens of bikes and cars were still there. Lights flooded the parking lot with music blaring, letting her know there were still many of the members partying. Exactly what she needed.

Syn stood with Nene near the entrance, their worried expression easing as they saw her driving the truck and her bike in the back. Rowan sat up straighter.

“Stay by my side, Lyric. Don’t leave me, okay.”

Her heart melted at the plea in his voice. “I’ll do my best, but remember Kellen is the alpha. I have to listen to him and so do you.”

She pulled his truck into an open spot and turned the key off, gasping when he pulled her over the console in the middle to sit on his lap. “I don’t give a flying fuck what he is. You are mine. You stay with me. We clear?”

The electric-blue eyes worried her. Alpha eyes. She couldn’t let him go into the Iron Wolf showing signs of an alpha like he was ready to challenge Kellen. “Rowan, listen to me. I want you like none other.” She shifted, straddling his lap. “Inside the club, Kellen is top man. We all listen to him. He won’t make me or you do anything that puts us in danger, nor will he do anything he truly doesn’t think is best for all of us. Right now, you only think you want me. Remember what you said back at your house? Give it time. We will see what you really want. Just don’t do anything that pisses Kellen, or Xan, off. Okay?”

The heat from his body under her was stirring things inside her she wished they could act on. Her canines ached to sink into him again, only this time marking him for the world to see.

“You mean like rip your clothes off and fuck you senseless?” Rowan asked.

Damn, her pussy actually pulsed at the imagery of his words.

A growl brought both their heads around to the driver’s side. “That would definitely get you in some serious trouble,” Xan said.

Lyric stared at her brother, could see he was deadly serious. “Oh, for the love of all that’s holy, Xander. I’ve caught you too many times to count, so stop acting all…whatever you are.”

“You’re my baby sister. The last thing I want to see, hear, or think about is you getting fucked. Now, let’s get inside and I’ll have one of the guys unload your bike.”

She looked around for Kellen, figuring he might be around to talk some sense into Xan, but their fearless leader was nowhere to be seen. Choosing the safer route, she pulled the door open on the passenger side and climbed out ahead of Rowan, smirking over her shoulder at Xan.

Bodhi was at the door, looking as menacing as always. With his bleached-blond hair shaved at the sides and spiked on top, and his dark skin and tattoos, he looked exactly what he was. A total badass ready to kick ass now and take names later. He was also a total sweetheart when it came to the ladies. He flashed his pearly white smile and twin dimples. Since coming back from the desert with his smokejumper friend Slater, he’d been a little more protective of all the women in the club. Lyric couldn’t wait to meet the men she’d heard about who had the ability to read minds, create fire, and other cool shit. She figured they might need them in the future.

“Good evening, sweets. I hear you’ve been out causing trouble as always.” He pointed one thick finger at her. The rings he wore on his right hand, had, on more than one occasion, caused a lot of damage to men too stupid to watch their mouths. “Kellen and your friends are in his office. He said to bring our new member along.” He looked Rowan up and down. “You need some ink.”

“Thanks, Bodhi. Did Syn and Nene seem okay?” She put her body in front of Rowan. Bodhi had always enjoyed watching her and the other girls dance. She hoped he would focus on her instead of Rowan. The tilt of his head let her know he saw right through her actions.

“Syn, of course, was worried. Nene, too.”

The way he said Syn’s name had her taking a second look at his expression. He’d never let on that he was interested in any of them, other than he appreciated beauty. Bodhi was a ladies’ man, which was why they all steered clear of him. He never had just one woman on his arm, or in bed, it was always two or three. Lyric and her friends did not share. Ever. If he had his sights set on Syn, she’d have to warn her best friend to watch herself.

Chapter Four

Rowan could feel the stares of everyone as he and Lyric entered the bar. The Iron Wolf MC was more than just a motorcycle club. They clearly had their own bar, and from what he’d seen, they did custom bike and car work in another building. He’d have to do some investigating, if he lived long enough. The one named Bodhi was a big son of a bitch. His assessing once over didn’t seem to miss anything. He’d not smelled any interest in Lyric coming off the man. How he’d been able to decipher that particular scent, Rowan wasn’t sure, but it settled his wolf enough he was able to look the other man in his shades-covered eyes.

In the darkened atmosphere with the flashing lights and the heavy pumping music, Rowan wondered why Bodhi had the shades on in the first place. The black T-shirt with the clubs logo stretched tight across the man’s muscles. He assumed he was the bouncer, and since he had to top Rowan, and his muscles seemed to have muscles, he was probably pretty effective. The huge stainless steel rings on his hands probably hurt as much as the punch, if the man decided to throw down. Rowan filed all the info away for future reference. At the mention of Rowan getting a tattoo, he balked. In the military, they never put anything on their bodies that the enemy could use to identify them. He was no longer in covert missions, but the training was there nonetheless.

“Come on. Let’s go see what Kellen has to say.”

Seeing Lyric hold her hand out to him, he took it and pulled her into his side. Bodhi may not have looked at her with lust in his eyes, but he saw several others staring at her like they’d like to eat her up. He liked that she was wearing his clothes, carrying his scent.

She melted into him, making both man and beast relax.

“Lead the way, darlin’.” He released her hand to hug her, his arm going around her waist to rest possessively on her hip.

He’d felt her pull away from him at his home, and he didn’t like it one little bit. He wouldn’t allow her to put space between them, figuratively or physically. If he had to chain her to his side, he would.

She sidestepped the crowded dance floor, which was as different from the other bar as night was from day. Here, the scantily clad bodies did more than just bump and grind. He was sure there might have been some actual fucking going on if he was to look closer. Possibly some threesomes. Rowan heard more than a few moans and some fuck yeah, babies. A few other words and expletives had him making a quick decision, Lyric wasn’t allowed to come here alone ever again. Not without him. She took them down a long hall and stopped outside a huge door with a wolf carved into the wooden surface. Knocking three times, she entered without being told it was okay.

Inside, Kellen sat on a black leather sofa, his arms stretched across the back, looking relaxed, one booted foot crossed over his knee. His eyes, however, held a different message. “Have a seat, both of you.” He indicated the couch across from him.

Rowan took in the room filled with a total of four black leather sofas and a leather coffee table in the middle. He wondered how many couples had been back here and then decided he really didn’t want to know. Off to the side, a big desk with a state-of-the-art computer sat, indicating the MC Pres was up-to-date on technology at least. His jeans had been swapped out for a pair of black leather pants that laced up the front, and a matching vest with a wolf’s head on the upper right corner. The club’s logo was above it with the word President in block letters below, letting everyone know exactly who and what he was.

As soon as they entered, her friends jumped up and pulled Lyric from him. Rowan wanted to protest, but with the intent look on Kellen’s face, he relented. She gave him a quick introduction, which he filed away.

“Now what?” Rowan looked Kellen in the eye.

“Did you recognize the men who attacked you?” Kellen asked.

Rowan shook his head. “No. Never seen them before. I’d gone to the bar for a drink and had just gotten there when I spotted Lyric being strong-armed out by four men.”

Kellen rested his elbows on his spread knees. “How did you know it wasn’t a lovers’ spat?”

He heard the other women gasp, but ignored them. “There was desperation in her body language. I’m trained to recognize these things. I decided I’d let them think I was no threat and continued on into the bar and let them take her outside. I figured I could easily take on four men. Of course, I had no clue they’d be turning into wolves ready to tear my guts out.” He copied Kellen’s relaxed posture, resting his arms across the back of the sofa.

“Kellen, it wasn’t Rowan they were after. I was the one they were specifically targeting in the bar.” Lyric spoke up, telling them about the incident on the dance floor. She sat next to Rowan, close enough her thigh pressed to his.

The one named Syn raised her hand. “I got distracted because someone had drugged Magee. Luckily our systems don’t react the way humans do, but she was violently ill. I assumed you were on the dance floor still. I’m soo sorry, Lyric. Had I thought you were in danger, I’d never have left you that long.”

“Where is Magee now?” Lyric tried to get up, but Rowan held her to him with one arm around her shoulders. Kellen’s eyebrows rose at the display.

“She’s at home resting,” Kellen answered.

The door opened and in walked Xan. He kicked the door shut, unfazed by the glower on Kellen’s face. “Please respect the door, brother.” Kellen waved his hand imperiously at him.

“Screw off,” Xan said heading over to the opposite side where a small semi-circular bar sat. The chrome design fit in with the black furniture.

The door opened again, and a gorgeous blonde with purple and pink curls walked in singing the lyrics to “Sex Metal Barbie” by In The Moment, looking every bit the part.

“Really, Breezy. Don’t you know how to knock? And, for the love of all, who let you out of the house in that?”

Rowan was sure he could hear Xan’s back molars grinding together. He glanced at the new woman named Breezy, and had he not had eyes for only Lyric, he was sure he’d have been drooling over this one. Her white corset pushed her ample breasts up while showing off her tiny waist. The miniscule denim jean skirt looked like it had been cut off, but it covered her ass. It was probably the knee-high stockings that did it for Xan, with the lace tops playing peek-a-boo when she walked. Her hips swayed as she sang the words about being a harlot and a homicidal queen.

She batted her obscenely long lashes at Xan. “Why, my daddy even gave me a pat on the head and told me to be a good girl tonight. I told him I was always a good girl.”

“Enough you two. I don’t need your version of foreplay tonight.” Kellen pinched the bridge of his nose. “Breezy, is there a reason you came to see me?”

“Yes, Alpha.” She walked over to where Kellen sat, pulling something out of the top of her corset.

Rowan heard Xan moving before he saw the other man actually clear the space. One minute he was a good ten feet across the room from Breezy, the next, he was beside her, taking her hand in his.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Xan asked.

Rowan couldn’t see her expression, but he felt Lyric tense.

Breezy elbowed Xan in the stomach. “This note was left on my windshield. I was waiting until you got back here, Alpha, to bring it to you. You must’ve slipped in while I was…busy.”

“Busy doing what?” Xan gripped her by the arm.

“Listen, Xander Mother-Fucking Carmichael. You don’t own me. You have no right, so back the fuck off me.” Breezy twisted in Xan’s grip.

“Not on your life, bella.” His hand tightened.

Rowan was ready to come to her defense, but Kellen spoke up first. “Xan, leash your wolf. Breezy, let me see what you got. Did you notice anyone around your car?”

The blonde shrugged away from Xan. “I didn’t, Alpha. I’m sorry. I ran into the store to get some gum and came out to find that note.”

“Sit down. You’re both making my neck hurt.” Kellen sat forward and read the note. “What the fuck does this even mean? Your blood will become my blood?”

“Why didn’t they try to take her, like they did Lyric?” Rowan asked then watched as Breezy spun and nearly toppled over before planting herself next to Kellen, much to Xan’s displeasure.

“Oh, crap. I never thought of that. Do you think they followed me here? Or are waiting for me to leave? I mean, the store parking lot was full of people, so maybe that was why they didn’t try anything.” Breezy’s voice shook.

Kellen patted her knee. “It didn’t matter at the bar where they tried to take Lyric, but maybe a parking lot full of humans who weren’t intoxicated stopped them. Do you remember anything out of the ordinary?”

“I remember the feeling of being watched, and looking around before I spotted the note. I thought some guy was trying to hit on me.”

“Does that sort of thing happen to you a lot?” Xan sat on the sofa arm next to where she sat.

Breezy adjusted her top. “More often than I like, yes.”

“Do you think it has anything to do with the way you’re dressed?” Xan questioned, curling a strand of pink hair around his finger. Rowan watched the tightening of the blonde’s shoulders.

“I had a jacket on over the corset, zipped up, for your info. Besides, I should be able to go out wearing this and not have to fend off some asshat. You should be whipped for suggesting I brought on any bullshit by the way I dress.” She jerked her hair free.

“Bella, I like to do the whipping, and I promise you’d enjoy the fuck out of it,” Xan said.

“Back to the problem at hand. Whoever left the note was probably watching you, Breezy. More than likely, they watched you come here, but that’s okay. It’s not like we hide our club. Bodhi would’ve recognized a strange shifter walking in.” Kellen drew their attention back to him with his growled words.

Rowan agreed. The man at the front door looked as if he’d not miss a damn thing, but Rowan wanted to check over the entire premises. He wouldn’t trust Lyric’s safety until he was able to ensure it himself. Shit. He was already becoming possessive of the woman. He hoped she didn’t mind because he didn’t see it changing any time soon. He’d even let the man named Bodhi ink him if it meant he could lay claim to Lyric.

“Can I go home now? I’m feeling kinda ill.” Breezy got up off the couch.

“Have someone follow you, and let your dad know what’s going on. He and your mom need to be on guard. I know you work at the hospital, but be alert when you come and go. Don’t go anywhere alone. You hear me? If I have to, I’ll put Xan on as your guard.”

She nodded. “Coti said he’d take me home.”

“Fuck that. I’ll take you home.” Xan stood.

“Xan, I need you here since Taya’s missing. I need you and Bodhi, along with Arynn. He can sense her, and so can I. That means she’s still alive.” Kellen pinned Breezy with his blue eyes. “Coti is to take you straight home, no fucking off.”

“He’s my friend, nothing more.” Hurt laced her words as she pushed up from the couch.

“Then he shouldn’t have any problems getting back here quickly,” Xan said.

Breezy walked around the ottoman, ignoring Xan. “I’m glad you’re okay, Lyric. Welcome to the pack.” Her friendly smile was genuine as she looked at Rowan.

“Thank you, Breezy. I’m sorry my brother is an ass.” Lyric squeezed her hand.

“It’s okay, I have become immune to his lack of charm.” Tears sparkled in her eyes before she blinked them away.

Rowan could smell the lie and hear the hurt in her voice. At the door, Breezy looked over her shoulder. “By the way, it’s not Coti you should worry about me fucking, Xan.” With those words she walked out the door, her head held high. Rowan hoped like hell he never pissed Lyric off to the extent that Xan clearly had Breezy.

“Who the hell is she talking about?” Xan asked Lyric and Syn.

Syn lifted her shoulders in a negligent shrug. “We don’t necessarily run in the same circles, you know. Breezy and her girls are a few years older, and are a little more…adventurous than we are.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Xan snarled.

“I don’t give a flying fuck,” Kellen roared. “Stop thinking with your goddamn dick, and either let the woman bounce on your cock, or deal with the fact she’s one hot piece of ass any man, or woman would be glad to have.”

Rowan felt Kellen’s power flood the room. No wonder nobody questioned the man’s right to rule. Rowan felt like turning his head and giving him his neck. He barely restrained himself, but noticed Syn and Lyric weren’t so brave. Xan met his gaze across the room. He lifted one blond brow.

“Looks like we have another alpha, Kellen.” Xan stared at Rowan.

Kellen smirked. “If you’d had your head outta your ass, you’d have noticed that earlier.”

Xan lifted his middle finger and then went back to the bar to pour himself another drink. He held up the bottle, and Kellen nodded.

“You want one? It’s the good stuff, Maker’s Mark,” Xan said.

“Throw it over some ice for me.” Lyric leaned forward with a smile.

Syn got up and poured another drink while she got Lyric’s. Rowan nodded and then accepted the glass.

He went over the events again from when he’d spotted Lyric and the men at the bar, to the fight and what the van looked like. At the last moment, he remembered the downed man hadn’t been killed, only two of the four.

“Was there any signs of the altercation at the bar when you left?” Xan asked.

“Only the faint scent of blood. Whoever these guys are, they called for a cleanup crew. Meaning they had this planned.” Kellen looked over at Lyric.

“They didn’t plan to take me, though. They called me a chew toy and specifically said they wanted to get word to you, Xan. Like this is a personal vendetta.”

“Fuck!” Xan slammed his fist on the counter.

“What aren’t you telling me, Xan?” Kellen asked.

Xan downed his glass of amber liquid. “Taya and I’ve been seeing each other. Not exclusively, but I did stay at her place night before last.”

“Who the hell did you piss off? It seems this is aimed at you. First they take Taya, then they attack Lyric and leave a note for Breezy. How the hell do they know who you’re connected to?” like he was ready to spit nails.

“I’ve no damn clue. Taya and I are casual. Lyric is my sister, and I’d kill for her. Breezy is…well she’s just a chick in the club. I’d protect her like I’d protect any pack member.”

Rowan wanted to snort.

“Is there any other casual relationships that these fucks might target?” Kellen got up and started pacing.

The glass cracked in Xan’s hand. “Don’t act like you don’t have a different woman every night, Kellen. I’m single, healthy, and can’t help it if there is a line of ladies willing to, as you so eloquently put it, bounce on my cock. You’re exactly the same, so don’t even think to condemn me, brother. Just tell me what I need to do. You want a list of every woman I’ve fucked or had suck me off? Give me a pen and paper.”

Lyric got up off the couch. “I think this is our cue to go.”

“I want you both to stay here at the clubhouse in one of the suites. Don’t worry, there are some that are freshly cleaned.” Kellen smirked.

Rowan got up to stand next to Lyric. “How safe are we here?”

“Safer than you are away from here.” Kellen answered.

A deep growl echoed around the room. “They’re not staying in the same suite.” Xan moved around the bar.

Kellen got in front of him. “You and I have some work to do and a lady to find before someone else gets hurt. Taya may not be your mate, but she’s someone’s. Let your sister help Rowan get settled while you use your nose and head.”

Xan inhaled, making Rowan think he was ready to explode, only his eyes flared and then rested on Lyric who flushed a rosy red.

“Motherfuckingsonofabitch,” Xan said.

“Exactly.” Kellen slapped Xan on the back.

“Well, all right then. We will go find that clean suite. Err, thanks for the hospitality,” Rowan said.

There were some undercurrents going on, but for the life of him, he had no clue how to decipher them. Lyric grabbed his hand and led him from the room, but not before her friend Syn kissed her cheek and hugged her. Rowan didn’t understand these wolves and their touchy-feely selves.

He was onboard for touching and feeling Lyric. The idea sprang into his head as they left the office and wouldn’t leave. They didn’t go back through the crowded bar. Lyric kept hold of his hand that didn’t have the duffel bag. He felt a little panicked at not having a hand free in case they came up against any threat. She clearly knew where they were going, taking a few turns through the darkened hallway, steadily going down until they hit a steel door with a keypad. He watched her enter the code, memorizing the number.

Rowan adjusted her stance. “You need to make sure you put your body in front of you when you enter the code. That way anyone around or behind you can’t see what the access number is. I now have the key to get in should I want to come back.”

“Jeezus, what are you, some sort of security expert?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Seriously?” she asked, pushing open the heavy door.

Rowan approved of the security they had in place; they only needed to teach everyone how to enter the code without broadcasting what it was.

To the right of the dimly lit hallway was a reception area manned by an elderly couple.

“Hiya, Mrs. McCartney. How are you feeling this evening?” Lyric smiled.

“Lyric, you know how it is. Today is good. You wanting a suite for your friend?” Mrs. McCartney asked.

Rowan suppressed his chuckle. “Evening, ma’am. My name is Rowan. Kellen wants us to stay here for a day or two. I hope you don’t mind.” He tipped an imaginary hat at the elderly woman. He was sure she saw all kinds of comings and goings through these halls.

“Well, now, missy, why didn’t you say the alpha sent you both down here. I have the perfect suite for you. Not one of the ones the boys usually use, either.” Mrs. McCartney sniffed.

“Now, honey. You know them boys are just playing until they find them someone like you. They gotta look under a lot of pots until they find their gold.” Mr. McCartney winked at Rowan.

“Hmm. How many pots did you look under, dear?” Mrs. McCartney opened a safe and pulled out a key.

“Not many. You were waiting right there, my love. I’ve been living in bliss ever since.” The old man winked again. Rowan turned his head and coughed into his hand.

“You okay there, young man?” The older man asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

“What? Oh, yeah. Just had a little something in my throat.”

The woman gave them a key and explained there was water in the fridge. Lyric thanked her and pulled him along the tastefully done hallway. He couldn’t imagine Xan or Kellen bringing strange women past the elderly couple.

“You’re wondering how Xan and Kellen could bring some piece of ass past those two, right?

“Yep,” he said as he followed her into their rooms. He looked around the space they were to share for however long Kellen decided. A large living space with a couch and two chairs opened up to a kitchenette with a counter doubling as table, with two barstools in the main room. There was a door off to the side he assumed led to the bedroom, and when Lyric opened it to deposit his bag, he saw the huge king-sized bed.

“Are you hungry? There’s a full service kitchen that will make us anything from burgers, to steak, to mac and cheese and such. Don’t expect gourmet shit, but they can whip up some really tasty barbeque.”

“What are the sleeping arrangements, Lyric?” Heat raced through him just thinking of sharing a bed with her.

“Um, since you’re bigger than me, you can have the bed, and I’ll take the couch.” She nodded.

“What if I wanted the couch?”

Her puzzled frown made him want to laugh. “Why would you want the—”

Rowan closed the space between them, and took her lips in a kiss that he’d been dying for since the last time he’d tasted her. She tasted like the whiskey they’d drunk. He traced her lips with his tongue, dipping inside and rubbing alongside hers.

He pulled back. “I don’t want the fucking couch. I want you, Lyric. God, do I want you.” The admission was ripped from him.

She licked her lips. “I want you, too. So much it hurts. Are you sure? I mean, it could just be your wolf.”

“Back at my place, I felt him clawing at me, but he’s quiet now. It’s me who wants you. Is it you or your wolf who want me?” If she said her wolf, he wasn’t sure if he could pull back.

“Me. I mean, my wolf wanted you, too, but she’s not saying a word right now.” Her face flushed.

“Good. Hold that thought.” Rowan wasn’t sure how she’d react to what he did next. Years of training didn’t allow him to relax until he’d checked out the area. He did a perimeter check. Only one way in and one way out. He placed one of the barstools under the door handle as an added security measure. Lyric stood rooted to the spot he’d left her in.

“All secure, soldier?” She stood at attention.

Rowan placed a hand on either side of her ribs and lifted. “Only as secure as you want it to be, darlin’.”

When Lyric wrapped her legs around his waist and locked her ankles at his back, he swore nothing was sexier.

“I like living dangerously.” She tugged his T-shirt off and tossed it to the side.

Her beautiful, bra-less breasts were too much for him not to take into his mouth. Her intake of breath pushed her closer to his face, and he took that as a good sign. He released her nipple with a loud pop.

With her wrapped around him, he took them into the bedroom. The bed had been done in a red, white, and black color pallet. The black wood furnishings looked heavy and expensive, with a white bedspread, several red throw pillows, and other splashes of red throughout.

“I hope you like the room?” Lyric asked.

He realized he stood holding her for far too long, making her apprehensive. “Darlin’, the room could be a dirt-floored shack, and I wouldn’t notice as long as you were there.”

She blushed. “Do you realize you make me wet with your words alone?”

“Let me get you out of these sweats and see for myself.”

Rowan laid her on the bed, but when she went to remove the pants, he stopped her. “Let me. It’s like Christmas. I get to open up my present.”

Lyric tossed her hand above her head. “If you take too long, I might just start without you.”

“You know what happens to bad girls?” Rowan tugged off one of Lyric’s shoes and then the other, before he tucked his hands into her elastic waistband and pulled, knowing she had nothing on under them.

She shook her head at his question.

“They don’t get to come. In fact, they get spanked. Have you ever been spanked, Lyric?”

He could smell her arousal increase at his words.

“No. I mean, my dad did once, but—” Lyric let out a gasp.

Rowan blew on her exposed pussy. He loved that she hadn’t waxed or shaved herself completely bare on top. Spreading her lips apart he found her clit was already exposed and red, and he knew she’d come apart with only a few swipes of his tongue. Her inner thighs were soaked. He ran his fingers through her sweet cream, tracing the outer edges before testing her readiness.

She bucked against him. He tapped her mound, making her still. Going back to tracing circles around her clit, he carefully avoided touching the bundle of nerves.

“Do you want to fuck my fingers, Lyric?”

She squirmed at his words. He wondered if any of her previous lovers had ever talked dirty to her. Using his index finger, he scraped his nail across the top of her clit.

“Fuck me, Rowan. With anything. God, I just want to come.”

He settled down between her thighs, spreading them farther apart. He lapped at the juice running out of her pussy like a starving man. “Not yet, darlin’. I don’t think you’re ready yet.”

“The fuck.” Lyric reached between her legs.

Rowan stopped her palm from coming between him and his treat. “What did I say?” He held her hand in one of his, while he gave her mound a firmer tap. “Now, keep your hands above your head, or I’ll tie them up.” More of her sweet arousal permeated the air. She may have never played before, but she enjoyed what he was saying and doing to her. Rowan rewarded her by licking a long swipe from her pussy to her clit.

“Yes, oh, Rowan. Right there.” She panted.

“If you do as I instructed and be a good girl I’ll make you come so hard you’ll forget your own name.” Her entire body shuddered, but her hands stayed in place.

Rowan nipped her inner thigh then licked at the mark, tasting her there. He could become addicted to all the flavors of this woman. He worked his way up her legs, licking and sucking every bit of flesh he came into contact with. Her pussy lips were so smooth, he wondered if she’d had waxed or had some sort of hair removal, Rowan wasn’t sure which, but was grateful. He made sure to pay proper homage to each one, taking it into his mouth and licking with care that had her thrashing on the bed.

By the time he inserted one finger into her pussy, the inner walls were already clenching. She was so tight around the one digit, he wasn’t sure how he’d get his dick into her. A few orgasms, he hoped, would make it easier because only an act of God could keep him from fucking Lyric.

He pumped in and out and sucked her clit into his mouth at the same time.

“Fuck, yes, I’m coming,” Lyric screamed.

Easing a second digit in, Rowan scissored them back and forth, stretching her little by little while she rode out her orgasm. He kept his fingers inside, but released the bundle of nerves, knowing it would be ultra-sensitive. He looked up Lyric’s body and would have sworn his heart stopped beating in that moment. Her arms were thrown above her head, a beautiful smile graced her lips, and her eyes were closed. A woman who trusted her partner would catch her if and when she fell. Rowan wanted to be that man for all time. His wolf woke up and gave him a silent nudge. His gums ached like he should allow his teeth to grow. An overwhelming urge to crawl up Lyric’s body and slide his cock deep inside her pussy and bury his teeth in her neck nearly had him pulling his fingers out and doing just that.

“Again, Lyric. I need to feel you come again.” She was so tight, he feared hurting her with his size.

“Inside me this time, Rowan.”

Rowan pumped his fingers, adding a third. “I need to make sure you’re ready.”

She gripped his hair. “I passed ready a few minutes ago.”

Chapter Five

Lyric looked down at the man who appeared prepared to spend the rest of the night between her thighs. Lying on top of the white comforter, she thought of all the debauchery they were going to do and hoped Mrs. McCartney forgave her. His large fingers felt great inside her, stretching deliciously, but she wanted his big cock. She wondered if she should tell him she’d never been with a man before.

“What about protection?” Rowan asked, swiping his tongue across her again.

Fuck, how can the man think of practical things? “There are things you’ll learn. One, we aren’t susceptible to human diseases. Two, we are only fertile twice a year. You and every other wolf will know when a female is in heat. It’s very similar to other canines, only we don’t need a dozen wolves to service us. We are just able to get pregnant at that time. Now, can we proceed?”

Heat lit his gorgeous eyes. “We will revisit this conversation later.”

She liked his possessive attitude. The way his words rumbled against her was another sensation in itself. “Okay, so will you fuck me now?”

“You are so going to get your ass spanked.” He growled.

“Promises, promises.” She squeezed her inner muscles around his fingers, hoping it would get him to move up her body. His eyes flashed from black to blue, and she feared she’d pushed him too far.

“Up,” he ordered, removing his fingers and body from hers. She felt herself being lifted and the coverlet being tossed to the foot of the bed. “Lie in the middle, and don’t touch yourself.”

Wow. Rowan was a totally demanding lover. She had never had a man, or wolf, tell her what to do like he was, but found she loved it. She’d never had a lover, so maybe they all did this. Somehow she doubted they all were like Rowan.

Watching him strip off his shirt, she was amazed at the flex and play of muscles. He tossed the flannel to the side then lifted his arms and pulled the undershirt over his head from behind. She loved how guys did that, the way they crossed their arms and effortlessly did the task was sexy as all get out. His jeans came next, and, with a tug, he pulled the sides apart. Gasping as his cock sprang free, Lyric licked her lips, imagining wrapping them around the mushroom-shaped head.

“Don’t do that or I’ll come all over your tits and then you’ll have to go get clean and I’ll have to start all over.”

“That doesn’t sound like a threat to me.”

He groaned. “You’re going to fucking kill me. Maybe your brother should’ve locked you away.”

Lyric grabbed her breasts and tweaked her nipples. “What fun would that have been?”

Rowan’s grip on his dick looked painful, but he placed one knee on the bed and then the other. “Darlin’, I’m beginning to think I didn’t know the meaning of fun before you.”

His words sent warmth through her.

He settled on top of her, and she shifted her legs farther apart, raising them to rest against the back of his thighs.

Rowan held himself up on his elbows, looking down on her with a strange expression.

“What are you looking for?” she asked.

With a shake of his head, he brought his mouth down to hers. Lyric had been kissed before. Many times, but none had ever felt like a claiming the way Rowan’s kiss did. He turned his head and changed the angle of the kiss, sucking her lower lip into his mouth, and then did the same to the top. Good, lawd, the man was making love to her mouth.

He shifted, and she felt his cockhead brush against her pussy. She thought he was going to push into her, had hoped he would, but the diabolical man had other plans of torture. He continued to kiss her as if he had all the time in the world, rubbing her pussy with his dick, waking up her nerve endings all over again. She shifted, trying to force him to enter her.

Rowan chuckled against her mouth. “So impatient, luv.”

She didn’t take his word to heart. It was too soon, but she was sure she was on the cusp of falling hard for this man. Her wolf, and her own silly self, wanted to claim him for their own, but she made a promise. She would give him a chance to…decide what he wanted. Even if that was another woman, Lyric wouldn’t kill the faceless bitch. She’d try really hard not to hurt her too badly.

“Hey, where did you go?” Rowan asked.

She smiled and tried to shake off the fear he’d choose another. “Nowhere. I was just worrying about everything.”

“I must not be doing this right then.” He sighed.

Lyric wanted to tell him it was her not him, but then he began nibbling on her neck. She loved having her neck bitten just right. Nobody had ever done it the way he was, with just enough pressure she actually felt her body responding with little tremors. “Oh, fuck me.”

Rowan chuckled like he knew, which he probably did with his heightened sense of smell.

He didn’t break the skin, but Lyric felt his teeth and was aware she’d have a visible mark and loved it. When he moved down to her upper breast and bit down again, she shivered. If he continued, she’d explode into a million little pieces. His stubbly chin scraped across her nipple, eliciting a moan and another streak of heat went straight to her core. Lyric was on the verge of begging him to bite her, mark her, and fuck her as he sucked the tip of her left breast into his mouth. She howled and was sure everyone in the compound heard her. Her back bowed off the bed; her nails raked down his back. He did the same to the right one, scraping across her nipple.

Lyric couldn’t handle any more. She rolled them, using her strength and his distraction to her advantage. “Can’t take anymore. Need you inside me, now.”

“Take what you need, darlin’. I’m all yours,” Rowan said, holding Lyric by the hips as she gripped his dick.

She guided the tip to her, taking him inside. God, he was so big. She pressed down, taking a little more, then lifted back up. Her hands on his chest, she rocked back and forth with his hands on her hips, helping to guide her.

“Too slow, Rowan. Help, me. I want all of you.” She was panting.

Sweat beaded on his brow. “Is this your first time, Lyric?”

Her teeth tugged on her lower lip. “Technically, yes. I mean I have BOB, but he doesn’t really count.”

Rowan nodded and flipped them, his cock sliding out of her. “It’s okay. Trust me.”

With her on her back and him looming over her, she saw how tightly he was holding himself in check. He braced one arm next to her head, the other he used to guide himself into her. Slowly he worked his way inside, his thumb flicking her clit with each pass, taking her close to the edge again. The man was a fucking god in bed. She flinched at the sting of pain which was quickly erased as Rowan worked his magic.

Once he’d worked his entire length in, Lyric stared into his dark eyes. “You feel so good inside me.” Her battery operated boyfriend was getting the boot when she got home. The pain was subsiding as her body adjusted to his size, making the need for more apparent.

His cock twitched. “My dick agrees. I don’t want to move.” He rested his forehead against hers. “I’d ask how you stayed a virgin so long, but I’m chauvinistic enough to be one happy motherfucker right now. Plus, I’ve met your brother.”

Panting, Lyric nipped his chin. “Let’s not speak of the devil.” She swiveled her hips. “Hmm, I kinda like having you right here, but I really need you to move.”

Rowan laughed. “Your wish is my command.”

Lyric thought she was ready for him to move, but nothing could’ve prepared her for the sensations he awoke as his dick moved in and out of her. His arms came down and wrapped around her shoulders, bringing them chest to chest. Her nipples lit up at the contact, making her pussy squeeze in counterpoint.

“Fuck, don’t do that. I won’t last,” Rowan growled.

Pulling his hips back, he set up a fast and furious pace she met with her own. She couldn’t hold back the orgasm that washed over her, any more than she could her teeth from coming out. Rowan’s eyes widened, and his own teeth appeared. She tried to tell him it was normal, that she had been told it happened during sex, but he growled a deep animalistic sound.

“Mine,” he said and then bit into her shoulder. Another orgasm, harder and even more intense, rolled through her.

“Yes.” Lyric agreed. Her own wolf yipped and struck into his exposed shoulder.

Rowan howled, his hips slamming into her, and he shouted as he came. They each licked the other’s wounds, their bodies shuddering in unison.

Lyric wasn’t sure what to say to him. How to explain they’d just marked each other and were forever mated. He didn’t understand the way of their kind. There were no divorces like humans. She’d just royally fucked up, and he was already growing hard again. Her body responded, wanting him again.

He rolled. “Ride me, this time. I want to see these bounce.” He tweaked her nipples.

She knew it was the coward’s way out, but they couldn’t undo it and he had bitten her first. Tomorrow she’d tell him what it meant and hope he forgave her. Everything always looked better with the sun shining.

“With pleasure.” She smiled wickedly, moving back and forth in a slow glide. Every movement made her more aware of the way he filled her so completely.

By the time they fell asleep in an exhausted heap, Lyric had it worked out in her mind what she would say to her mate when they woke up. She wouldn’t beat around the bush, she promised.

Lyric woke with a start, knowing instinctively something was wrong. She looked around the dark room for Rowan. The silence that greeted her had unease skating down her spine. She didn’t call out for him like a damsel in distress, knowing he was not in the suite.

Opening her senses, she half shifted to allow her wolf out in order to sort through the layers of smells and noises. The older couple were sleeping soundly, if the noises coming from the large apartment were any indication.

She dressed in her discarded clothes from the night before when there was no sign of her mate. He’d fucked her into the wee hours of the morning, yet he had the audacity to leave without a word? Her wolf wanted to rip his nuts off, but her human heart felt like it had been ripped out.

The door he’d wedged a barstool under was locked, but not secured like he’d left it the night before. Another pang hit her heart that he didn’t take measures to secure her like a mate would. She tried to tell herself he didn’t know all the rules of shifters, but the excuse was lame even to her own mind.

Rowan’s faint scent didn’t head back the way they’d come; his trail led toward the outer doors that were so heavily coded she was sure he’d be there since he didn’t have the access to get out. The lights flickered in the dimly lit hallway, an eerie sense that something was not right warned her to sound the alarm, and then the smell of Rowan’s blood hit her.

Her mate was in trouble. She tried reaching him through their bond, coming up blank. The thought that he was too injured to answer had her stumbling against the wall, then common sense made her reassess the situation. Rowan was still newly made and hadn’t fully bonded with his wolf. Taking a deep breath, she centered herself.

Kellen had strict rules when it came to pack. Her mate, new or not, was one of theirs. She took a moment to call out to Kellen, their link as strong as if he was right in front of her.

After ensuring the pack was made aware there was trouble at the MC, she looked out through the camera screen mounted on the wall, searching the empty parking lot for any sign of a disturbance. Seeing nothing, nor any indication of where Rowan had gone, she threw the door open, coming to a stop at the small drops of blood. Her mate had been injured outside the sanctuary. She kept her back to the door and squatted, seeing the clear imprints of several boot prints. The fact they were boots, and not paws, led her to believe it was men, not wolves.

Her alpha’s presence floated over her long before he actually stepped out the door.

“What the hell is going on, Lyric? Where’s your mate?” Kellen’s blue eyes flashed as he scanned the darkness. She’d never truly been scared of her brother’s best friend and the alpha of the Iron Wolves. Being eleven years older than her twenty-four years, he was like another big brother. Kellen was the alpha everyone feared. His six foot two frame had already began a partial shift, making him even larger. Black claws that could rip a person’s head from their body extended from the tips of his long fingers. His deep voice sent a chill that had nothing to do with the night air down to her toes.

Voice quavering, she answered. “I woke to find Rowan gone. When I followed his scent, it led me here.” She pointed to the blood and scuff marks.

The tunnel leading back up through the back entrance shouldn’t have been found by anyone, not even another shifter, unless someone from their pack had betrayed them.

“It doesn’t look like he shifted, but I can smell wolf other than your mate. I want you to go back inside and set the alarms. Do you understand me? That means everyone inside is to go on lockdown.” He touched her arm, the contact gentle, yet commanding.

Lyric wanted to protest that it was her duty to follow Rowan, that she’d brought him into the pack and mess, but Kellen’s grip tightened slightly as if anticipating her refusal. She nodded slightly, praying Rowan was safe. If anything happened to him, Lyric would never forgive herself.

* * * *

Rowan’s wolf was restless. Lying next to the woman he already knew owned him body and soul, he decided to stretch his legs and maybe let his wolf out. Knowing he was able to become a furry beast, and accepting the fact was becoming easier with each passing second.

He slid out of bed, admiring Lyric’s naked form. His body responded to the sight of her luscious curves. The thought of sliding between her thighs and waking his mate back up almost had him doing just that, but a feeling something wasn’t right made him dress in record time. Easing out into the hallway, he wished there was a way to bar the door, other than breaking the lock, but he didn’t want to prevent Lyric from getting out in case of an emergency.

His wolf scratched at his mind, wanting to be let out. Rowan allowed the beast to surface, just enough to help him navigate the halls he’d never been in. The dimly lit walkways inclined as if they were leading back toward the surface a bit. He came to a halt outside a huge steel door where another state-of-the-art keypad was located. The camera showed him several men in camo searching around the surface near the entrance. Rage threatened to consume him at the thought of them breaking into the safe house where he and his mate were sleeping.

He punched in the code Lyric had used to access the other door, unimpressed when the thick door’s bolts could be heard unlocking. His wolf’s hearing picked up the men above moving down the hidden entrance toward him. Making sure he locked the door behind him, Rowan let more of his beast out, preparing to meet them. He’d protect what was his, and the people behind him were his, especially Lyric, his mate.

“Hello, boys. Can I help you?” he asked, his voice more gravelly with the wolf half of him taking up residence.

Four men skidded to a halt on the wet leaves, their camo proving they’d planned to blend into the foliage.

“We only want to talk to the leader.” One of the men held a black nightstick, tapping it against his thigh.

Rowan grunted. “And you thought sneaking around in the dark would get you an audience with the alpha, much less would get you a sit down that didn’t include him beating your ass?” Rowan kept to the shadows, knowing they couldn’t see his face or the fact he’d partially shifted. He couldn’t scent shifter on any of them, not like he could when he’d first met Lyric’s pack.

“We were told if we proved ourselves, they’d allow us to become one of them.” A younger man said hesitantly.

The man with the long rod knocked it against his thigh, and a crackling sound reached Rowan’s ears. With speed, he struck the man closest to him in the throat, lifting him into his arms and launching him at the man with the nightstick. The youngest of the group saw what was clearly the leaders go down and reached for his own Taser. Hating to hurt the young man, Rowan backhanded him. He felt a shock hit him in the back and twisted to see the last man standing, a look of triumph on his face. Rowan ripped the prongs out of his back, pulling the man to him. The man began to struggle, jerking a knife from his belt faster than Rowan had expected.

“I thought this was supposed to be a…gathering intel mission,” he spat. “But, it’s you or me, asshole.” The knife swung in a wide arc, slicing into Rowan’s chest. The burn left in its wake was minimal, enraging more than anything.

“Ah, little man, they should’ve sent more than pups in after the big boys,” Rowan taunted, letting the man see his contorted face for the first time. “Now, you will take me to the men who sent you.”

The faint scent of urine hit Rowan’s nostrils. “What are you?”

Rowan grabbed the zip ties from the man’s belt, shaking his head at the absurdity, and tied him up. He then checked for a pulse on the two unconscious men and the youngest one who couldn’t be more than a teen.

“How did you get recruited?” Rowan asked.

When the only conscious one didn’t answer, he squatted down and looked him in the eyes, pulling his wolf back so he faced him as a man. “Listen, I didn’t know anything about shifters until I was attacked outside a bar a couple of nights ago. I think the men who sent you after me are the ones who did it. If we work together, maybe we can stop another from being hurt, or worse, killed.”

His voice shook. “You aren’t going to kill me?”

Rowan took a deep breath, wishing he didn’t have to smell the man’s piss, but no scent of lies permeated the air. He’d been good at telling if someone was lying before he’d been changed, now he had an added helper. “As long as you tell me the truth and don’t try to hurt those I care for? No.”

With a jerk of his head, the younger man nodded. Rowan slung two bodies over one shoulder, the other he dragged up the incline, shaking at the knowledge they’d come so close to where he’d been sleeping with Lyric.

At the top, he looked back and forth, waiting for the kid to indicate which way they’d left their vehicle.

“I can’t remember which way we came.”

His heightened senses smelled no untruth. The men shifted in his arms, and Rowan made a snap decision. He’d picked up their Tasers and shoved them into the waistband of his pants. Dropping them, he tasered first one and then the others, making sure none would wake up. Signs of the men’s trek were visible to him as he looked closer. Rowan wasn’t sure if they were amateurs or if it was all a setup. The men from the bar were much more organized and a lot tougher than the four he’d faced here. He looked at the kid again, a growl rising in his chest. “Boy, you’d better start being straight with me or I’ll rip your fucking throat out and shit down your neck.” His beast pushed to the front, needing to protect what was his.

“We were told where to find this hidden place. Our job was just to come and see if it was really here. You shocked us all when you came out of there.”

No change in his scent. Either the guy was a good liar or he was telling the truth. A sudden rush of power washed over him, making him smile. Kellen wasn’t one for subtlety, although Rowan didn’t hear the other man until he was almost on top of them. Something not many people could do.

“What’s doin boys?” Kellen’s deep rumble filled the night air. The young kid dropped to his knees. Even non-shifters couldn’t fight an alpha’s power.

Kellen’s right brow lifted as Rowan stood his ground. “I felt something was off and went to investigate. What I found was these yahoos.” Rowan explained what had happened after he’d opened the door. Had the men he’d tasered still been conscious, Kellen would have probably beat them down. His fingernails lengthened to deadly black claws, igniting fear in the only man who could give the answers they needed.

“What’s your name, and if you lie, or do anything I don’t like, I will cut you.” Kellen brought his claws up for him to see.

Audibly swallowing, sweat dripping down his brow, he opened his mouth then shut it.

“You think I won’t?” Kellen lifted his arm that had shifted into more wolf than man.

“They weren’t lying. You’re really a wolfman?”

“Oh, yeah. Wanna see how big my teeth are?” Kellen smiled, flashing fangs much larger than humans’.

“Mike. My name is Mike. I thought this was a recon, not a capture or whatever, man. I swear. I didn’t sign up for this, and they promised us backup.”

“Who promised you these things, Mike?” Kellen asked, his wolf back under the skin. Rowan was impressed with how easily the alpha shifted seamlessly.

“My fraternity.”

Rowan looked at the downed men and then at Mike. “That doesn’t make sense, Kellen. This kid looks young enough, but these guys…” he said, thinking about waking one of them. “They are too old to be in college.”

“Listen you little fuck, I’m done playing games. Do you know you can live without a dick? They’ll call you a eunuch, or a chick, but I don’t give two fucks what you’re called. Last chance.” Kellen grabbed the kid by the throat, easily lifting him off the ground.

Rowan’s ears picked up the sound of approaching men. His body stilled as he half shifted. “Kellen we got company coming at us from the east.”

“That would be Xan and the boys.”

He wondered how Kellen knew but assumed it had to do with their sense of smell. Yeah, he was still getting used to the whole wolf thing.

“Please tell me you aren’t swinging for our team now, Alpha.” Xan came up like a silent wraith. Rowan was sure he was with the men he’d heard coming from the east, only he spoke right next to the downed men, coming out of the woods from the west.

“When I drop this kid, I’ll shove something up your ass if you want, Xan.” There was no heat to either of their words, letting Rowan know they joked with each other all the time.

“Guys, I really don’t want anything up my ass. I’m sorry I came here. I swear it. I don’t know what’s real or fake. I feel like pieces are missing.”

Truth. Rowan could hear it and wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“The guys who tried to take Lyric were very organized. I’d say they had the ability to wash these guys. That’s what this seems like to me.” He stopped at the questioning looks on the men’s faces. “That means they are dispensable.”

“Ah, shit. You’re military. Have you seen this before?” Xan asked, and pulled up the larger man who had started to wake. “I think you killed this one.”

“Coti, did you go to medical school?” Kellen asked.

“Does fucking a chick while she was in nursing school count?”

Xan punched the man named Coti. “If it worked that way, I’d be every fucking profession known to man, and some that haven’t even been created yet.”

The bald man had a few inches on both the alpha and Xan, yet he tilted his head as if thinking. “So you’re saying you are a manwhore.”

“I’m saying you’re a dumbass. However, I won’t deny having my fair share of women.”

“Can we get back to the matter at hand, children? Namely, who wants to kill the boy here for lying to me? I’ve met my quota for the week, and I’ve got two women waiting on me back at my place. I don’t need blood on my hands when I slide between them.” Kellen held the young man out as if in offering.

“Fine, give him to me. I’ll do it.” Coti held his hand out. Rowan wondered if they were seriously going to kill the kid and the other guys. He’d skated the line in the military, but here at home, he wasn’t sure he could turn a blind eye. Insta-wolf didn’t make him lose his values.

“Alpha, I found their vehicle. They’ve got a tracker, too.”

“Good job, Wyck.”

Rowan was having a hard time keeping track of all the men coming out of the woods. He hadn’t even sensed the huge African American man Kellen called Wyck. His ghost team would kick him out without a backward glance.

“Don’t beat yourself up, bro. Nobody can hear Wyck except for the alpha,” Coti explained. “Am I killing the kid or what? I need pussy, and I don’t see any here, so let’s get this done.” The man shook his head, and, in moments he’d shifted to the thing of nightmares. Half man, half wolf.

“Fuck, I hate when he does that. You know that’s what they based the movie An American Werewolf in London off of right?” Wyck crossed his arms over his chest.

Kellen growled. “Coti, you got babysitting duty for the kid. Wyck carry the douche nozzles back to their vehicles. Let’s see what happens when they get back inside. Any word on Taya?”

“Wait. There was a woman. I remember a woman with long red hair and tattoos. They had her chained to a bed. I asked about her, but the boss said she was into BDSM and not to worry about it. Only she looked scared and her screams didn’t sound like one of pleasure.”

Like this kid knew anything about giving a woman pleasure.

At his words Xan knocked the boy out of Kellen’s hands, falling to the ground with a thud. The ferocity of the act startled the alpha so much, he fell on his back as Xan wrapped his hands around the throat of the kid.

Rowan feared his mate’s brother would kill him before they could find out what the hell was going on. Who Taya was to Xan was a mystery to him as well. Shit, this was a clusterfuck. He needed his own team that he trusted.

A big hand landed on his shoulder. “You can trust us. I know this is a lot to take in, but we are your family now.” Wyck nodded toward the men on the ground.

Kellen grunted then jerked Xan up and off the kid. “We need him alive, jack-off.”

“If he knows where Taya is then I’ll beat it out of him.” Xan’s voice sounded more wolf than human.

“If you kill the little fucker, he won’t be able to tell us shit, so get control, or I will.” Kellen’s power lashed out—even Rowan turned his neck along with Xan. The other wolves dropped down to one knee until Kellen pulled back.

“Fuck me running. I hate when you do that shit, man,” Wyck complained.

“Taya’s not my mate, so get that outta your head. She’s seeing a dude whose family isn’t all that accepting of her. I was just an ear these last few months. Yes, I’ve fucked her a few times, but it’s been a very long time. Now, let’s move this circus along.” Xan brushed the dirt and leaves off his clothes.

“I know where the house is. I’ll show you,” Mike said.

“Kid, you tell us, and we will go there. If you’re screwing around, I’ll let Coti kill you slowly.” Kellen spoke as if he was saying the sky was blue.

With chattering teeth, the young man held out his hands. “I only know how to get there, not how to tell you how to get there. I mean, that doesn’t make sense, but I can see it in my head, I just can’t…I don’t know how to tell you.”

Kellen looked up through the towering trees, looking for what? Rowan wasn’t sure, but he wished they’d figure this out because he wanted to get back to his mate.

Chapter Six

Lyric had moved past worried to freak the fuck out. She’d expected someone to come back and tell her all was okay. Or have her mate come sauntering through the door so she could kick his ass and then kiss his boo boo. As the minutes turned to a half hour and then an hour, she became even more worried. Their location had been compromised, and her mate was out there bleeding.

She thought about calling out to Kellen, or her brother Xan, but fear for their safety if they were in the middle of a battle kept her in check. Knowing her friends were locked up in their own safe spots, she had nothing better to do than pace back and forth. Rowan’s scent still clinging to her body made her ache for him.

Mr. McCartney eyed her with a look she couldn’t decipher. His wife sat behind him, chewing on her thumbnail.

Several of the high-ranking wolves had taken up residence in the lower levels under the club. She could see the McCartney’s didn’t care to have that much testosterone in one space without their attention directed elsewhere. All unmated females had been accounted for, except for Taya, and steps taken to ensure the weaker were safe until the threat was taken care of. So why then was Lyric feeling as if something was off in one of the safest places?

A look around at all the familiar faces didn’t turn up anything out of place. Her wolf itched to get out and protect her. Lyric had learned early on to listen to the other half of herself, and allowed a partial shift, one that would go unnoticed. Her brown eyes became those of the wolf, and beneath her blonde hair she allowed her ears to shift along with her nails. The men may be a lot bigger and stronger, but she was faster and smarter. If there was a threat amongst them, she would not be an easy target.

Her ears twitched at the sound of static coming from the office of the older couple. The noise reminded her of the walkie talkies she and Syn had played with as children. Why they would have such archaic devices, Lyric had no clue.

Not wanting to alert them to her plans, but needing to find out if they had betrayed the pack, Lyric entered their space. The static was even louder now that she was in there. Most of the wolves had no reason to enter where the McCartney’s spent their time, and Lyric could count on one hand the occasions she’d come inside. The sound came from Mrs. McCartney’s purse. Lyric looked around, hating to snoop through another woman’s personal belongings, but saw no way around it. As she stood there contemplating what to do, she noticed several other disturbing things. A picture of a man who looked very similar to one of the men who had attacked her outside of the club, was tucked away in the corner, almost hidden. Any bit of guilt evaporated. Knocking over the plaid bag, and watching the contents spill out, Lyric bent to pick it back up.

The walkie talkie had been turned down too low for most to hear. With a small adjustment, the device beeped, and then a man’s voice came across.

“We are five minutes out. How many are there? Just push the button if you can’t speak with the number.”

Anger threatened to overwhelm her good sense. They had five minutes to get out or prepare to defend themselves against an attack against who knew how many. In the tunnels, they were sitting ducks, but if they got back up to the club, they at least had a fighting chance.

Grabbing the little black walkie talkie, Lyric stepped out of the office. Arynn the omega was there along with Bodhi the beta. She walked up to the beta, and, in as few words as possible told him in a whisper, too low for the others to hear. The immediate change in Bodhi had her stepping back.

“You two, over here now.” Bodhi pointed at the McCartney’s.

The other pack members formed a band around them, making sure the elder couple couldn’t escape. They didn’t need to know why Bodhi was ordering them to him, only that he’d taken the place of Kellen in his absence.

Mr. McCartney was the first to comply, while his wife’s face contorted into one of loathing. “You and your filth use this pack and this club like a whorehouse with a swinging door. Your alpha is a sadist who takes pleasure in hurting the females of the pack, and yet they can’t wait to come crawling back. I would never allow my family to become part of such depravity, and when my nephew and his pack wipe the likes of you from here, I’ll be revered, instead of used as a gatekeeper of a whorehouse,” Mrs. McCartney spat.

The depth of her hate resounded around the space.

“The man on the other end said they were five minutes out about a minute ago. We’re sitting ducks down here, not knowing how many he’s bringing, especially not knowing where he’ll come at us. I suggest we go up to the club, and change the master lock key code. Kellen can still override it, but I’m assuming they gave their nephew access. If we change it now, it may buy us a few extra minutes.” Bodhi’s voice came out more like a growl.

Arynn nodded before taking off at a jog toward the computer room.

“Since I don’t have the authority to kill you, yet, you are both coming with us, but I do have the right to do this,” Bodhi said, knocking Mr. McCartney unconscious in one swift move. The look he gave Mrs. McCartney said he’d like to do a lot worse to her. The older woman’s scent had changed from defiance to fear the moment Lyric had produced her way of contacting the other pack. It increased even more at the hate coming off of Bodhi.

Lyric stepped up to the older woman. “You’ve betrayed the pack and will be sentenced as such. You know Kellen will not let you go just because you are a woman and an elder. Bodhi is clearly too much of a gentlemen to do it, but I don’t share his problem.” With a flash of her fangs, Lyric hauled her arm back and punched the older woman.

“Damn, girl, I knew I loved you.” Bodhi eyed her up and down. “Too bad you done mated another. Now, let’s head up. Time’s a-ticking. Bring the traitors with and tie them up; use extreme force.”

“Kellen and the boys are on their way back. Bad news, their time frame is longer than five minutes. They were taken on a wild goose chase, it seems.” Arynn growled. Being the omega, he could communicate with all the members without disrupting them because he was attuned to their well-being.

Lyric grabbed his hand. “Is Rowan okay?”

“Oh, your mate is fine. Pissed beyond belief, but fine.”

Dread coiled within her as she pounded up the walkway back to the club. No doubt they’d be facing an army of wolves out for blood, whether they were ready or not. Fear was like a knot in the pit of her stomach. The other wolves took up places in front and behind her, acting as protectors.

Bodhi’s face could’ve been carved in stone. “Don’t even think to move from the spot we put you. If I tell you to stay put, you stay put. If I say jump….” He raised his eyebrow.

“I’ll say, how high,” she answered.

He took a step closer, handsome features darkening as his body towered over her. “No, you will already be jumping. I say this not to be an overbearing ass, but because it could be the difference between life and death. Kellen and Xan have entrusted me with your life, and now your mate has done the same. I will see to your safety, and you will do as I say.”

She swallowed what she worried was the beginning of a sob. All these wolves would give their lives before they allowed anything to happen to her. “Bodhi, I will hide in a box if it means I am not a distraction. I promise you this, though. I am a fighter. Both Kellen and my brother made sure Syn and I could fight off an amorous wolf.”

Arynn’s voice interrupted them. “The codes are changed.” He looked around the large bar. “Every exit has been blocked, which means they have to come at us from the front. Or we will know when they breach the inner sanctum.”

The tables were bolted down for the occasional—or frequent—brawl. While they waited, the guys gathered the chairs and stacked them against the walls, clearing the space for the upcoming battle. Several men had already shifted, using their heightened senses.

Lyric shifted from one foot to the other. Hesitation and concern increasing her worry for all their safety. Most of the men who’d been called in were unmated and had vowed to always put pack first. What had happened in the first place that could cause an all-out war?

“Should I shift?” she asked gravely.

Bodhi frowned at her; his need to take action burned through his gaze. “It doesn’t matter what form you take, you will be no match for a dominate wolf, chérie.”

The usual pain knifed through her, but she wouldn’t allow it to defeat her purpose. They had never seen her in action. She and Syn were always treated as cosseted princesses, so his words didn’t surprise her. She lifted her chin. “Tell me what you want me to do and then go do your thing. I can and will fight, Bodhi. Surely they will be beating down the doors any minute.”

A muscle twitched in his jaw, a sure sign he didn’t like her words or her actions. “Go behind the bar. If they make it through the front line, you get into the safest position you can, and you do your damndest to stay alive. You hear me?”

“I hear you.” she snapped.

His voice dropped to a low timbre. “I lost my baby sister years ago. I won’t let that happen to Xan’s if I can help it.”

Though her heart ached for his loved one, Lyric wouldn’t stand back and allow the men to die while she hid in fear. His eyes held the misery of years, and she silently vowed to stand her ground.

Thunder rumbled outside, almost drowning out the noise of incoming feet. Flashes of lightening lit up the windows, allowing the shadows of their enemies to be seen for seconds at a time.

Everyone inside the club took up position, watching the silent figures slither closer. Not a soul dared breath. They had enemies coming from two sides. If her nose was correct, over fifteen shifters approached, ten from the front, five in the tunnels. They were outnumbered.

She saw what Turo, one of the bartenders, called the equalizer, strapped under the counter. He’d probably want to beat her ass when he learned she used his precious AR-15, what the hell ever it was, but Lyric could give two shits. All she cared about in that moment, was that he always kept a full magazine in it, and Turo said that it was thirty percent more accurate than his AK-47. The lightness of the weapon almost caused her to drop it. She’d been shooting rifles for years and felt secure that her aim was good enough.

When the first door collapsed under the barrage of wolves, chaos reigned like the storm outside. Like the hounds of Hell they were, spittle falling from their jaws, they attacked en masse.

Lyric sat with her back to the wall. Her one glance around the corner had sent her scuttling back with her borrowed gun in her lap, and she felt like a coward. The sound of growls and battle was louder than the booming thunder outside, drowning out the sound of her beating heart.

A crash alerted her to the front door breaking down; the scent of moisture blowing in with the wind combined with the stench of their enemies. Her body jerked with each of her pack members’ howls. Alerted by murmurs of approaching wolves coming around the bar, she tucked herself into a tight ball, inwardly cursing her cowardice.

One hand clasped the gun while she peered out of the small space. Not two feet from her was a mangy wolf that looked diseased. His yellow eyes rotated this way and that, before he lifted his lips in a snarl, distracted by the smell of liquor. Behind him, another wolf looking just the same nudged him, swiping at his side with claws not quite as deadly as her own. The biggest challenge was shooting the gun in a half shift.

Eventually, they moved away, returning as if they sensed something was amiss. Taking a deep breath, Lyric made sure the gun was ready to fire.

The sound of howls and growls increased.

Even through the mayhem, the two wolves now stalking her weren’t deterred from their search. It was as if they’d been given her scent. A knife came sailing by, impaling the wolf closest to her. He jerked, and his fetid breath reached where she sat. Turo stomped past, coming from the opposite direction, twisting the downed wolf in one beefy arm before jerking his knife out of the carcass. The other wolf reared back on his hind legs as Turo motioned him forward, his big body between her and the wolves. He grunted as the deranged wolf attacked, the small claws leaving a trail of blood across his forearm. And still she kept to her corner and stayed motionless and quiet.

“You stay down and keep my baby safe. Fire at anything that looks like those fuckers. However, I’m gonna have your brother buy me the next box of bullets.” His gravelly voice was barely above a whisper.

Turo leapt over the counter in one smooth move. Whatever had drawn his attention howled in pain and then went silent.

The sound of large claws clacking against the cement flooring had her swiveling to the left. She raked her gaze from the black claws of a male wolf up to the towering face of pure evil. He was clearly an alpha with no sense of morality, and he knew exactly where she was. His eyes didn’t skitter back and forth searching, just zeroed in on her hiding spot, she jerked back, hoping he didn’t see her, but knew it was useless as the sound of his footfalls came closer.

Lyric jumped up, abandoning her sanctuary, with the AR-15 pointed straight at his chest, which was eye level with her head. Fuck, he was bigger than Kellen and Xan. Keeping her back to the wall, she looked expectantly off to the side.

No savior in sight.

Two more leapt over the bar, startling her. The gun wavered and then her will to live and fight kicked in. She smiled the same shit-eating grin that always got her in trouble, a look that set her brother’s back teeth on edge. The big bad wolf snarled while his two minions scrabbled for purchase. Lifting the gun to her shoulder, she fired, her aim true. The kick knocked her off balance for a moment, a distraction that cost her leverage.

A rousing chorus of howls rent the air.

Her grip on the machine gun didn’t ease, even as the larger wolf jumped on top of her, with the barrel pointing toward the wall, she eased off the trigger not wanting to accidentally hit one of her pack. His hatred for her was palpable. Blood dripped onto her from a wound in his side. She wanted to cheer at the damage she’d caused.

“You’re a coward, wolf. You may be the alpha of your pack, but you will never be a real alpha. You can kill me, but what does that get you?” She spoke to the wolf, knowing he could hear and understand her. “I won’t turn my neck. You don’t deserve that distinction,” she spat.

* * * *

Rowan’s heart was threatening to burst out of his chest. The Iron Wolf Club looked like a scene straight out of a horror movie. The truck he’d been riding in hadn’t come to a complete stop when he’d jumped out, the scent of death and blood assaulting his senses.

Seeing the doors ripped off, he and the other men ran through, some shifted, others half-shifted. Rowan searched for Lyric through the fighting. Kellen had told him to follow his nose. He wasn’t sure what the other man meant until he’d come face to face with an onslaught of wolves he’d never met. Instinct and scent told him which were on their side.

He ducked as a wolf came sailing over his head. The lifeless body one of the enemies made him breathe easier.

Abrupt gunfire brought everyone to a grinding halt. The sound was one he was familiar with from his combat days, but wasn’t sure who had fired the deadly weapon until the petite form of his mate was the only one near the sound still firing. She held the black gun, shooting at two large wolves as they charged her.

His eyes widened when another wolf, larger than any he’d seen, leapt on top of her.

Rowan would kill the wolf. He shifted, uncaring of his clothes ripping. The brown wolf had Lyric caged beneath him while she taunted him. Oh, he was so gonna spank her, or bite her. The big gun looked ready to bend beneath the pressure of the wolf, a sinking feeling of being too late entered his mind. He wouldn’t allow it. She’d saved him. It was his turn to save her. Then he’d bend her over his knee and spank her beautiful heart-shaped ass, after he made love to her.

His wolf pushed the human side of him back, snarling a warning at the larger wolf. With Xan coming at the wolf from behind, Lyric was in a very precarious position. He could see the metal giving, her strength no match for man or beast as she used the gun to keep the wolf from getting to her throat. And then she shocked him by shifting. The swiftness of the action startled the wolf, as well, allowing Lyric a chance to shimmy out from under him.

Lunging across the space, Rowan slammed into him head on. The gun went off, causing everyone to jump except Rowan. Blood oozed from wounds on the other wolf; he swung his head back and forth, looking for a way out. With Xan blocking one end and Rowan the other, he had no chance of escape.

Rowan flicked his wolven tongue out and licked his fangs, taunting the other beast. His focus narrowed down to what the other would choose to do now that he was cornered. His opponent’s hind legs shifted, a slight twist. A bullet had hit him in the left leg, making the leap over the bar almost impossible. He looked to be thinking of trying, and then turned toward Xan, barreling into Lyric’s brother with all his might. The action was swift and vicious as he swiped a huge paw aimed to take out Xan’s jugular, only his mate’s brother was faster.

Xan’s growl was chilling. He knocked the brown wolf to the side, but fell in the pool of blood.

Rowan glanced around to check on Lyric. Her wolf stood proud, shaking debris from broken bottles from her fur. Acceptance of what he had to do shone in her amber depths.

Stalking the beast that tried to kill his mate across the cement floor, Rowan snapped his teeth, growling out a challenge. A huge man, with tattoos on both arms, and two other men, equally as big blocked the door, grins on their faces that did not make them look any less menacing.

The brown wolf turned around, his gaze taking in what was left of his crew. A howl of rage flew from him. Rowan’s howl was louder.

Not knowing protocol on wolf fights, uncaring how they should go, Rowan charged the wolf. His injuries too severe, the brown wolf didn’t put up much of a fight. The light of battle had already began to dim as Rowan locked his jaws around the other’s throat. He took pleasure in ending the wolf’s life, not repulsed by the blood in his mouth. His wolf shook its head back and forth, making sure the enemy wouldn’t get up.

“You can let go now, my love.” Lyric stood behind him, her face streaked with grime.

“You, little missy, owe me an AR-15. Do you know how much they cost?” Turo walked up holding the pieces of his gun.

Rowan wanted to smile, but, in his wolf form, found it didn’t quite look the same.

“You scared of being naked in front of all these boys?” she asked, scratching his head.

Yeah, his woman was in so much trouble. He shifted, uncaring of his nudity.

“I’ll get you the newest model.” Rowan looked up at the man standing far too close.

“Rowan, this is Arturo, but he goes by Turo. Turo, this is my mate.” She shifted from foot to foot as she realized what she’d called him.

Her words caused his wolf to settle.

“Dude, put some clothes on. You’re gonna make Xan jealous and shit.” Kellen slapped him on the back, a pair of sweats landing at his feet. They obviously kept supplies of extra clothes everywhere. His shoes were trashed, but he’d walked over a lot worse.

“Pretty sure I ain’t heard no complaints, bro. As a matter of fact—” he stopped laughing as Lyric tossed a piece of metal at him.

“If you value your manhood, I suggest you don’t finish that.” Lyric glared at him.

Turo nudged Xan aside. “Shut it. This guy was just explaining how he was replacing my baby.”

The light that shone in the otherwise harsh face was almost comical.

“I can get you a replacement. No problem.” Rowan waved away his concerns.

He recognized the woman with flowing black hair that would stop traffic in any major city strolling through the door. Her blue eyes reminded him of the clearest ocean. If he wasn’t already head over ass in love with Lyric, he’d have fallen in lust at first sight. As it was, his mate elbowed him in the side, a smile on her beautiful face. “That’s my best friend, Karsyn Styles, Syn to her friends, trouble with a capital T to her brother, Kellen. Oh, and here it comes.”

He was going to question what she meant, but her meaning became obvious in less than twenty seconds. All the wolves in the room stopped what they were doing, stood straight, and stared toward the entryway.

Kellen’s shoulders stiffened, his hands flexed into tight fists. “Karsyn, did I tell you it was safe to leave?”

Syn flicked her long hair over her shoulder. “Kellen, did I ask you for your permission?” She drew his name out in a long drawl. “I don’t believe I need to ask you if I may leave my home. The alarm was lifted, hence I’m here.”

“She’s itching for a fight,” Lyric whispered.

Rowan had figured that out. Why, was the question?

Placing her hands on hips exposed by her barely there daisy dukes, Syn stared her brother down. Her gaze raked over him then around the room. Who she looked for, Rowan wasn’t sure. Testosterone levels increased so much, his wolf itched to push Lyric behind him. Several growls echoed around the otherwise quiet space.

“I came to tell you the police have heard of a disturbance. Luckily, I was dating the chief a couple weeks back, and he called to see if I was okay. You know how they hate coming this far outside the city. However, the sheriff’s department doesn’t have such an affliction.”

At the mention of her dating, or whatever, the big man named Bodhi stomped out from behind the bar. “What the fuck do you mean, you were dating the chief?” he asked, his dark eyes blacker than the blackest night.

Syn shrugged. “Let’s get this place cleaned up, if we plan to open any time soon.” She didn’t so much as walk, but sashay across the blood-and-dirt filled room, carefully stepping over bodies as if it were an everyday occurrence and she was the queen of the castle.

“Um, baby, do you dress like that?” He tilted his head in the direction the other woman had disappeared.

Lyric laughed. “I’m not sure where she found those shorts. I think they’re from like ninth grade, but they got the response she was looking for.”

“If you mean she has her brother ready to rip every man’s head off and Bodhi’s blood vessel in his right temple ready to explode, then, yes, mission accomplished.”

They worked as a team cleaning up the mess left behind from the fight. He was surprised when the fallen wolves didn’t shift back to men, until Kellen explained if you died in your shifted form then that was how you stayed. The biggest problem with that was they were unable to learn their identities, making the question of why they were attacked an unsolved issue.

“Did you find Taya?” Lyric asked as they loaded up into his big truck.

Rowan turned to look at the bar, a scowl on his face. “Yeah, she’s a little worse for wear, but she’ll recover.”

Lyric shook her head. “Xan cares about her, but she’s not his mate. I’m glad she’s okay. She’ll probably head back home to Mystic, South Dakota. That’s where she’s originally from.”

“Is there another pack there?” Rowan asked, thinking he really needed to learn more.

“Yes. I don’t know all the details, just that she has family there.”

Rowan felt sorry for the other woman, but his first worry was for his own mate.

He wanted to get her back to his place and shower the stink of fighting and death off both of them before he made love to her. He’d heard the word mate bandied about, saw the flash of fear in Lyric’s eyes every time. Rowan knew what it meant on some levels. His own mind had flashed the word to him earlier. His wolf wanted her and no other, and so did he. They both needed to let their woman know she was it for them. Mate. She was their mate. Their woman. His wolf settled as he accepted it.

Rowan laced his fingers through hers. They’d both washed their hands and faces, however, their clothes, and everything from their necks to their toes, were covered in dirt and grime.

When he pulled into the garage, Lyric’s fingers loosened, but his tightened, pulling her across the seat and out his door. After the night he’d had, the fear of what could’ve happened to her, Rowan wasn’t sure he could let Lyric out of his sight for the foreseeable future. She didn’t seem to mind, wrapping her legs around his waist as he maneuvered them through his quiet home. His bare feet left traces of what they’d been through on the tile and wood. How he’d explain the mess to his housekeeper, he had no clue, nor did he care.

Ignoring the big bed that dominated his bedroom, he carried his precious woman into his en suite. The luxurious room was one he’d spared no expense on.

“Do you like this outfit, darling?”

“Oh, fuck, no. Get it off me.” Lyric locked her legs around his waist, pulling her T-shirt off, trusting him to hold her up.

The tiled shower drew him, but he could also picture setting her on the double vanity with the mirror behind it. The height would be perfect for him to sit Lyric on the edge while he fucked her, or he could bend her over and watch her expression in the mirror as he pounded into her from behind.

“What has that look on your face?” Lyric bit at his lower lip.

Rowan captured her mouth with his own, telling her in explicit detail what he’d imagined doing to her.

“Holy fuck me running. You keep that shit up and I’m liable to come in my panties.”

A growl escaped at her words, and the smell of her arousal let him know she was telling the truth. Rowan used his strength to unlock her feet from behind him, stripping the remaining clothes from both of them. “Why, you little liar. You don’t have any panties on.” He swatted her behind. The playful tap had the fleshy little cheek bouncing. A pink flush covered her face.

“Oopsie, I must have left them back at the clubhouse.” She blinked over her shoulder at him, smiling playfully.

Damn, he loved her and her dirty mouth. “In you go.” He watched her look at the large, decadent shower with the wide shelf built into one wall. When he’d had the blueprints drawn up, he’d had it designed with the sole purpose of sex in mind. The builder had raised his eyebrows, probably doing a little math and coming up with the exact height of Rowan, but he didn’t care. He’d wanted to be able to set his wife on the ledge, and be at the perfect height to slide between her legs.

With a press of a few buttons, the multi-head showers came on, and he allowed a few minutes for the water to warm up before he settled Lyric in front of them. Taking the time to wash her and then himself nearly killed him. Her breathing had turned into little pants.

His mate was clean, and his dick twitched to be inside her. He sat her on the platform, wedging his hips between her legs. Her pussy was right there, glistening with arousal all for him.

“Mate. I like it. No.” He shook his head, water droplets flying. “I love that word. From what I know about wolves, that means life. Right?” His cock poised at her entrance. Her startled gasp had him smiling.

Chapter Seven

Lyric reached out and touched the rough jaw of her mate. He knew about their status. She inhaled and tested the air smelling nothing but truth. It felt wonderful to be able to brush her finger over his skin. The heat of longing rose in both of them, from their connection it increased her arousal.

A wondrous look came into his black eyes. She’d put that look there.

“You gonna do something with that big boy, or you just planning on teasing me?” She gestured toward the twitching dick between her thighs; her fingers brushed the head.

He crowded her, forcing her back against the wall. His dominance didn’t scare Lyric. His cock nudged against her opening, pressing forward and then retreating. He seemed intent on torturing her slowly as he loomed over her, those midnight dark eyes of his staring down as his body took possession of her.

Their bodies welcomed each other, just as their wolves did. She could feel her wolf relaxing, that constant war, an itch to get out after a scary situation, needing a way to burn off the excess energy dissipating under Rowan’s love.

“I love you, Rowan. You don’t have to say it back. For wolves it’s different than humans, but I have to say it or I’ll explode.” She couldn’t stop the words from flowing out of her mouth any more than she could stop a hurricane.

Rowan’s mouth dropped open as if he wasn’t sure what to say or maybe her words had shocked him.

She shook her head, tears clogging her throat. “Please fuck me.”

He pulled out, despite her tight grip around him. “Holy shit, woman. I’m head over ass in love with you.” He punctuated each word with a slam of his cock into her.

She gasped, his actions were so swift and his words so startling she couldn’t protest either of them. The sound of wet bodies slapping increased in tempo. Her eyes watered, ecstasy and happiness combined lighting every inch of her being and making her feel more alive than ever. She wasn’t sure where she began and he ended, but one thing she did know, he was it for her.

He took control as her orgasm washed over her, his mouth latched onto her nipple, making her arch into him. The water pounded around them, but she felt positively sheltered from it, surrounded by him as she was. When he licked her nipple then bit down on the tender flesh, Lyric swore she saw stars behind her closed eyelids, like he knew just what to do to make her body come alive for him.

Holding onto control by a thread, she wanted to feel him coming with her. She pried her eyes open, feeling him swell deep within her as his movements never ceased. His hips slammed back and forth, swiveling, pressing her against the tile, making Lyric feel helpless and small yet protected from the world.

When he switched to the other breast, giving it the same attention as the first, she gave up, mini quakes shaking her body. She locked her legs around his waist holding on for all that she was worth.

His big cock pounded inside her, and then he was kissing her. Lips and tongue plundering. She couldn’t get enough of him, couldn’t imagine a time she ever would. She slid her tongue along his, wrapped her arms around his neck as he moved his finger down her stomach.

“You’re so tight, so hot. I want to feel you come around me. Come with me.”

Trapped between the man she loved and the tile wall, she finally felt like she was home. Lyric had found a mate, an accidental mate who loved her and made her feel safe.

Rowan covered her from head to toe, seated to the hilt, he pulled back and thrust back in. Over and over again. His cock rubbed the G-spot inside while his finger brushed her clit. He had her ready, body primed, and her orgasm threatening to go off any moment.

“With you. I want to come with you,” she panted.

His mouth came down on hers again, his tongue seeking entrance, fucking into her mouth in the same rhythm as their bodies. His hands on the cheeks of her ass were almost bruising, forcing her to ride the beat he set up.

Lyric’s nails bit into his shoulders as the pressure built, and finally he pushed her over the edge.

Rowan released her lips, roaring out his own release. She felt his cock stretching her, his semen spilling inside her, and still he stayed seated deep within long after the last of his come had left his body, shudders racking them both.

His hands stroked over her body. “Did I hurt you?”

She felt pleasantly sore and a little weak from exhaustion, but hurt was the last thing she was. “I’m pretty sure I left deep scratches on you, babe.” Her pussy did feel a little stretched but eager for more. Her hand lifted to run across his scalp, she watched his eyes close like a domesticated kitten. She laughed.

“Why are you laughing?” he mock growled.

“I just thought you looked like a sweet kitten.”

Rowan hummed. “Well, I do like to lick cream.” His tongue came out.

Lyric giggled, then whispered his name when he dropped to his knees, placing both of her feet on his shoulders, and proceeded to show her his version of what a kitten would do.

Lying in his large bed, Lyric thought about her best friend, Syn. Their plans had been carefully laid out until Rowan had come barreling in, or out as was the case, the bar door. She wondered what her friend was doing and if she was truly okay with Lyric’s recently mated status.

Rowan stirred, his head rising from her chest. “I must not have done a very good job if you’re awake before me.”

A smile curved her lips. The man had more stamina than a teenage boy. “Trust me, my love, you will hear no complaints from me.”

He stroked his palm down her arm. “Then what has put those frown lines on your forehead?”

She wrinkled her nose at his description. “Puh-lease, don’t tell me I’m getting wrinkles. I was just thinking about Syn.”

Her mate snickered. “Again, I must not be doing a very good job if you’re thinking about someone else in my bed.”

Hiding a smile behind her hand, Lyric ran her thigh up Rowan’s. “Wow, does someone need a little convincing he’s all that and a bag of chips?”

Rowan huffed and rolled to his back, his dick hard as a spike, almost touching his belly button. “It’s not me who needs convincing.”

Lyric knelt, grasping his dick. “Oh, really. Who needs convincing?”

“He does.” Rowan nodded at his cock.

She couldn’t help it; she laughed out loud.

“Hey, it’s not my fault. You know most men have two brains. This one and that one.” He pointed at his head and then gripped his hand over hers, showing her the pressure he liked. “However, now I have a wolf inside me. I guess that means I have three.”

Lyric had a feeling Rowan was going to use his manly attributes to his advantage, and she couldn’t wait. She let him lead her hand up and down his shaft, loving how relaxed she was with him already. A drop of pearly fluid beaded on the tip. As she bent to taste his essence, he gripped her hair in his hand and held it back. She turned to watch him while she swiped her tongue across the mushroom-shaped head. His flavor burst across her tongue.

“Mmmm, breakfast in bed.” Lyric licked him.

“Flip around, and we can both enjoy a little snack.”

Her stomach flipped.

“I’ve never done that.” She looked up at Rowan.

* * * *

Rowan could smell her arousal, loved it, and wanted to smell it every day for the rest of his life. He helped her maneuver over him, her perfect pussy pink and wet, her cream dripping down her thighs. He swiped his tongue up her inner leg, capturing as much as he could before moving up to lick at her pussy. His sweet mate took him into her mouth, trying to make him blow, but he was made of sterner stuff.

He let his tongue trace circles around her labia, loving the unique flavor. Her tight cunt constricted as he fucked her with his mouth, her little mewling moans egging him on. He used his thumbs to hold her open, swiping back and forth, licking at her clit in quick yet not quite satisfying motions. Her cries and pleas went straight to his cock.

He’d planned to play with her, to extend their play, however Lyric had other plans. She used her mouth and hands, twisting them in tight fists, taking him to the root, all the way to the soft part at the back of her throat and swallowing.

He pulled her farther down onto his face, spreading her thighs wider so he could fuck his tongue up into her, his chin brushing her clit, sending her hips moving against his face. He pushed her up, dragged the flat of his tongue across her engorged clit, and pressed his thumb against her back hole, pressing down and stimulating the nerves back there.

She was on the edge, her thighs quivering.

He licked her from clit to ass, rubbing his thumb across her anus, knowing she’d never had a man there either, sucking one labia into his mouth and then the other. Pressing one then two fingers into her pussy, curving them up and finding her special spot. He pulled her clit into his mouth, felt the first pulse of her orgasm strum through her, and fucked and sucked until he felt the last twitch of her body. When she stopped squirming against his tongue, face, and fingers, he was surrounded by Lyric. Her taste, her scent, and her body.

His cock was ready to burst, but he was fine with it. His mate, on the other hand, was not.

“Oh, I think you have a boo boo,” his mate murmured, and a gush of air blew across the tip of his dick. He hadn’t even realized she’d released him.

He was ready to come within seconds of her tongue playing with his cockhead. There were no light sucking passes. No, his mate took him straight to the back of her throat and swallowed, her hands balanced on his thick thighs. He couldn’t help but rub his nose in her pussy.

Over and over, she bobbed on his dick, using her tongue like she would if she were riding his cock, fucking him with her mouth. She sucked him down again, and all coherent thought fled his brain.

“Shit, I’m going to…”

Her hand tightened on him, the other gripped his balls. Any chance of pulling out evaporated. Lyric milked him of his seed, drinking him down and then licking him clean.

He felt utterly spent.

Lyric climbed off him, twisting until her head lay on his chest. “Best breakfast, ever.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and then heard her stomach growl. “Come on. I think I can whip us up something else to eat.”

She made him weak in the best way possible. As he watched her get up and saw her wince, he knew he hadn’t been the tenderest of lovers, but he didn’t regret one moment. He’d just take extra care with her today, and tonight. The sparkle in her eyes as she turned to look at him had him hard all over again. “If you don’t quit looking at me like that, I’ll have your ass lubed up and take you there.”

“I’m going to take a quick shower and meet you in the kitchen in five.” She held up her hand.

Heat lit up her features; arousal filled the air. It took everything in him to slip on a pair of sweats and leave Lyric in his bedroom.

Seated at his state-of-the-art kitchen counter was Syn. He looked around, wondering how his mate’s best friend had gotten into his home. The gorgeous woman wore a much more appropriate outfit than she’d had on the night before. Her shapely legs were crossed Indian style on the barstool as she watched him stroll into the room.

“Thank God. I thought you two were gonna fuck like bunnies for days or some shit.” She held a paper cup from one of the local coffee shops in her hand. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t smelled the fresh brew.

“How the hell did you get in?” Rowan pulled the fridge door open. If the woman was there to kill him, he figured she’d already have done it.

Syn sniffed. “Puh-lease, you think your little alarm system could keep one such as I out.”

Whatever else he would have said or asked was lost beneath the feminine squeals. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for whatever trouble his mate and Syn had up their sleeves. The image of the huge man named Bodhi popped into his head. He was a newly mated male after all. Didn’t he deserve a honeymoon or some shit?

“I so don’t like that look, Mr. Shade,” Lyric said.

Syn clapped. “Oh my gawd. We can totally say and mean it while crowd surfing, Hey, we’re throwing Shade.”

A roaring started in his ears. “There will be no crowd surfing, mate.”

Lyric patted his head. “Yes, dear.”

Rowan grabbed Lyric around the waist, nibbling her neck where he’d marked her. “There will be no more accidents where you’re concerned, if I have anything to say about it.”

The End

About Elle Boon

Elle Boon lives in Middle-Merica as she likes to say…with her husband, two kids, and a black lab who is more like a small pony. She’d never planned to be a writer, but when life threw her a curve, she swerved with it, since she’s athletically challenged. She’s known for saying “Bless Your Heart” and dropping lots of F-bombs, but she loves where this new journey has taken her.

She writes what she loves to read, and that is romance, whether it’s erotic or paranormal, as long as there is a happily ever after. Her biggest hope is that after readers have read one of her stories, they fall in love with her characters as much as she did. She loves creating new worlds and has more stories just waiting to be written. Elle believes in happily ever afters, and can guarantee you will always get one with her stories.

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Author’s Note

I’m often asked by wonderful readers how they could help get the word out about the book they enjoyed. There are many ways to help out your favorite author, but one of the best is by leaving an honest review. Another great way is spread the word by recommending the books you love, because stories are meant to be shared. Thank you so very much for reading this book and supporting all authors. If you’d like to find out more about Elle’s books, visit her website, or follow her on FaceBook, Twitter and other social media sites.

Other Books by Elle Boon

Erotic Ménage

Ravens of War

Selena’s Men

Two For Tamara

Jaklyn’s Saviors

Kira’s Warriors

Akra’s Demon’s, Coming Soon

Shifters Romance

Mystic Wolves

Accidentally Wolf

His Perfect Wolf

Jett’s Wild Wolf

Paranormal Romance

SmokeJumpers

FireStarter

Berserker’s Rage

A SmokeJumpers Christmas

Mind Bender, Coming Soon

MC Shifters Erotic

Iron Wolves MC

Lyric’s Accidental Mate

Xan’s Fiesty, Coming January 26, 2016

Contemporary Romance

Miami Nights

Miami Inferno

Miami Blaze, Coming Summer 2016

MacBrun, Bearly A Nip

Katalina Leon

Dedication

MacBrun, Bearly a Nip is dedicated to the lovely Michelle Fox. I’m so grateful for her friendship, generosity, and support.

Chapter One

Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, California

Thunder growled on the ridgetop. Rain gushed from the heavens with the force of a burst fire hydrant. Most sane drivers would say, for God’s sake, it’s time to pull over, but not Andi—she bravely drove on.

The windshield wipers flicked back and forth at a galloping tempo, failing miserably to keep up with the downpour. Everything a hundred feet beyond the windshield remained a mystery. Road signs warned the snaking mountain pass was prone to seasonal rockslides. Even for the most devoted daughter in the world, the conditions for a memorial pilgrimage were lousy. Yet she headed toward the mountain summit, determined to face the elements in all their raw power.

Before embarking on this expedition, an insensitive coworker had hinted that it was crazy for a… ahem… plus-size lady, used to sitting at a desk all day, to attempt such a challenging trek into rocky wilderness.

Her reply had been that the journey to the scenic roof of the Sierras provided a dose of the positive kind of crazy and was good for her soul.

Actually, the CrossFit fanatic coworker, who doubted her mountaineering skills, had used the annoying words, “plucky undertaking,” and “highly-admirable effort,” which she’d interpreted to mean, “big softie sure to die above the tree line.”

Mr. CrossFit wasn’t the only one who’d questioned her preparedness for this trip. When others in her office expressed similar disbelief in her ability to tackle the elements, she’d laughed confidently and shown them her new custom-made orthotic wafflestomper hiking boots.

Her coworkers said no more. A wise move on their parts, because she was the boss and no one sasses the boss lady to her face.

No one.

Yes, it seemed nutty for her to buy an off-road vehicle, despite the fact she did 100 percent of her driving in stop-and-go city traffic. Or buy a professional-grade backpack and camping equipment then head into the mountains at the first signs of spring, when she’d never shown the least bit of interest in anything outdoorsy. But that was where her mother wanted to be.

It had been her last wish.

Andi glanced at the plastic box nestled in the center of the passenger seat and gave it a gentle pat. The rectangular case with a tight-fitting lid contained her mother’s ashes. “I’m sorry, Mom. I don’t think we’re going to start the summit today.”

Mud trickled down the canyon walls. Pebbles hit the asphalt and bounced into the air, scraping the paint on her new SUV. Ping, ping, ping.

“Damn,” she muttered. “I haven’t even had the truck for two weeks and it’s going to look like I buffed it with a chainsaw.”

A sign loomed ahead: RANGER STATION. TURNOUT. ONE MILE.

Hallelujah. The moment of truth approached. In a few hundred yards, she could turn around and go back the way she came, risking a dark slippery highway as crooked as a dog’s hind leg, or stop and ask the ranger about road conditions ahead. With luck, the ranger might grant her permission to sleep in the truck without receiving a citation for camping without a permit. Even though she was prepared to do it, she really didn’t want to sleep in the backseat. What she wanted to hear was that a secret full-service spa lay ahead with a fully stocked wine cellar and a handsome boy-toy masseuse on call.

It had been ages since her last massage and even longer since her last sexy adventure. Right now, both sounded pretty damn good.

Squinting through the windshield, she lifted her foot from the gas pedal. “Where the hell is the turnout?”

A tremendous rumble from the cliff face above brought a stream of mud onto the road. The hillside shifted. Large rocks bounced onto the pavement, smashing the windshield in a spiderweb of crackling glass.

Her heart raced. Avalanche!

Stomping on the gas, she clutched the steering wheel, hoping to outdrive it. An ominous growl roared from above. A huge boulder tumbled down the hillside and rolled in front of her truck. Andi slammed on the brakes and gave the wheel a sharp crank. The truck skidded sideways with squealing tires.

The boulder came to rest in the middle of the lane and then bolted upright. It reared onto its hind legs, snarling.

Holy crap! The boulder had transformed into a towering bear. The enraged creature stood in the center of the highway.

The brakes locked, the truck swerved. The front bumper almost clipped the bear.

With fangs bared, it swiped a broad paw at the side mirror as she zipped past.

The truck hydroplaned across the road and spun. First the back tires careened off the shoulder, then the front. The SUV slid over the side of the steep embankment and struck a rocky outcrop with a jaw-snapping jolt.

Boom! The air bag detonated in her face. The plastic shield flew past, scratching her forehead. Eternity froze. With detached fascination, she had all the time in the world to watch the creamy pillow burst open like a giant kernel of popcorn. The explosive cushion pinned her to the seat. With jarring speed the truck tipped onto its side and rolled.

Crunch. Thunk. Crunch. Thunk. The SUV struck a ledge, hovered midair for a second, and then plunged down the slope, landing on a riverbank. With a rocking motion the vehicle settled onto the soft earth. Rushing water thundered nearby. The smell of gasoline hung in the air. She and the truck were trapped belly up with the fuel tank leaking on top of her.

Andi pushed against the air bag, but it remained inflated. Reaching for the seat belt, she released the latch and tried to wriggle from behind the bag with no success. She flicked the door handle, but to her dismay, the dented frame prevented the door from opening.

The muddy bank gave way. In a heart-stopping motion, the SUV lurched onto its side and drifted into the river. Frigid water trickled in through the cracked windshield. She slammed her shoulder against the door to escape, but no matter how hard she shoved, it didn’t budge. The inflated bag held her tightly in place. The morbid thought dawned: the same device that had saved her life now threatened to drown her. She panicked.

To add to the tragedy, her mother’s ashes had been knocked off the seat and were lost beneath the swirling waters in the flooded half of the vehicle.

“Help!” she shouted, hope faded. “Help!”

A growl echoed above the roar of the river. The bear appeared at the driver-side window. It hunkered down and stared at her through the shattered glass.  A spark of fire shone in its dark eyes.

Too terrified to scream, she froze. This had to be the ultimate unfair break.  She’d been spared death by rockslide, driving off a cliff, a leaking gas tank, and possibly drowning, only to face a brutal animal attack. Where the hell was her fairy-fucking-godmother when she needed one?

The bear batted at the partially open window. Using its powerful forearm, it broke the pane free of the frame and reached into the cab.

“Oh, God!” Her throat tensed. Here it comes—death by mauling. “Make it quick, bastard. Snap my neck first!”

The bear pounced on the air bag. Its claws shredded the material and it deflated with a pop! A powdery haze of accelerant hung in the air.

Cowering, she tried to slide under the dashboard. “No!”

With a hardy shove, the bear stuck its head inside the cab and looked around. It placed its huge paws on the frame and violently rocked the SUV until the jammed door opened.

The motion dislodged the SUV from the shallow eddy and set it free. The vehicle took on more water as it drifted with the current. With her teeth clattering, she tried to climb out of the floating ice bucket that was her car, but the damn bear blocked her way.

So, it’s to be death by drowning after all.

The bear made soft, grunting sounds as it grabbed hold of her collar with its teeth and dragged her from the cab. The edges of its sharp fangs nicked her skin, but didn’t do a fraction of the damage she’d braced for. The creature’s forearms wrapped around her and pulled her close to its shaggy belly. Gripping her in its paws, it stood on powerful legs and lifted her to its chest. Had it not been so terrifying to be locked in the arms of a vicious predator, she might have taken comfort in being held against a large, heat-radiating body.

Standing on its hind legs, the bear lumbered through the rushing river, holding her safely above the chilly current. With her eyes squeezed shut in horror, she squealed the most desperate, high-pitched scream of her life, while the bear carried her with surprising tenderness, as if she were a cherished cub.

The obvious question was, how long would the bear’s gentle treatment last? When the hulking omnivore reached the bank, would it dash her against the rocks, gut her with its dagger-like claws, and then begin to feed?

The bear stepped onto the bank. Its warm breath flooded over her face. They approached a flat boulder. She cringed in fear that the rock might be the bear’s favorite place to dine. Convinced the final moments were near, she mumbled a prayer, hoping the beast would kill her with a clean blow and not leave her to writhe in agony.

Bowing forward, the bear set her carefully on the rock, then dropped to all fours and stepped back.

She stared in suspense, waiting for a massive paw to lash out and strike her down, but no threatening moves were made. The bear remained still, seemingly serene. In the low light, a sheen of raindrops glistened like diamonds on its coarse fur. It opened its muzzle, exposing ivory canines, and growled. The booming sound resonated deep in its chest and echoed through the ravine.

The bear didn’t lunge or threaten. Instead, it cautiously sniffed her clothing.

Gazing into the creature’s calm face, she became convinced it would not attack—at least, not yet. Perhaps not ever. A reassuring expression glowed within its sparkling, maple-syrup-brown eyes. The full impact of the moment hit at the same second her body slipped into shock. The blood fled her limbs and left her fingers tingling. With her mind racing, she collapsed onto the rock, unable to move.

Padding a step closer, the bear hovered over her. A glint of intelligence in the creature’s eyes hinted at the possibility it was attempting to communicate an important shred of information. As if by telepathy, she sensed the bear was male and was as surprised by this intense encounter as she.

“Are we sharing a thought?” She almost laughed hysterically at the incomprehensible situation. Hot tears trickled down her cheeks. “Maybe I’m already dead and just imagining this?”

The bear touched its wet muzzle to her face. A snort of what might have been concern crossed its lips. A wave of dizziness overcame her, and the world around her faded as she blacked out.

She woke up wrapped in a thin sheet of lightweight material, which rustled every time she moved. Andi opened her eyes just enough to glimpse a steel-gray evening sky. Icy drizzle and body aches proved more than she could cope with. At the first chilling sight of reality, she instantly retreated into the security of the dream state, and dozed off.

“Miss, are you okay?” A man knelt beside her. His callused hand brushed her cheek. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

A half-hearted groan was all she could muster.

“Open your eyes.” The voice comforted her, and all she wanted to do was curl into a ball and sleep.

“Nope. I’m not letting you slip away.” He gave her cheek a brisk tap.  “Time to get up. We can’t stay here.”

Like a siren’s song, oblivion called to her. She ignored him.

The tap became a light slap. “Lady. Wake up!”

She awoke with a gasp. “What? What do you want?” The silhouette of a large man leaned over her. Viewed against the drizzling gloom, his shadowy face appeared featureless.

“Do you know where you are?” A rich bass voice, dark and heavy as molasses, flooded her senses.

Shifting on the rock, she saw a foil emergency blanket was the source of the rustling sounds. Raindrops hit the taut surface. Plink, plink, plink. “I’d say, I think I’m dead, but every inch of my body aches.”

“You are definitely alive.” He sounded worried. “Do you remember what happened to you?”

She glanced around. During the fall, she’d banged her knees on the dashboard, and bitten her lip, but other than the faint taste of blood in her mouth, miraculously she was still in one bruised but functional piece. “I’m on a riverbank. I had an accident involving a rockslide and a bear.”

“A bear?” His clipped words were businesslike. “What’s your name?”

“Andi Brunell.”

“Andi.” With a softer tone, he spoke slowly. “I’m going to check for broken bones, and if I don’t feel any, I’m going to ask you to trust me and be very brave.”

The name Andi meant brave, but she wasn’t in the mood to live up to her name. “Uh-oh. Why do I think this is going to be bad?”

“We’re at the bottom of a narrow gorge and the river is rising fast. At sundown, the temperature will drop. I have to get you out of here, and it’s just me. The road below is covered in mud. Emergency helicopters can’t fly after dark in this weather. Do you understand what I’m saying? With possible injuries, it’s unwise to move you, but we don’t have a choice. Do I have your permission to check for injuries?”

She nodded. “Yes. I’m a little achy, but I think I’m okay.”

“Let’s make sure before I lash you to the winch.”

“Lash me to the winch?” It sounded so extreme. “Jesus!”

“My truck is parked on the road. I ran a cable into the gorge. We’ll do this together, okay?” He reached for her ankle above the boot and cupped it in his palm. “Wiggle your foot.”

Tipping her foot back and forth, she rolled her ankle. “It’s sore. I banged my knees pretty hard but I feel okay. Everything is moving as it should.”

He cupped the other ankle. “And this one?”

“It’s fine.” She rotated her foot. “I’ve got thick Scottish ankles, don’t I?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think so. In my opinion, you’re quite lovely.”

Glancing up, she froze. “Would you please move away from me?”

He pulled back. “I’m sorry. I was just making conversation.”

She held her hand to her brow to block the steady drizzle. “No. That’s not it. Your features are lost in shadow. I can’t see your face.”

“Oh.” He turned and moved to her side. “Better?”

Their gazes met. Her breath caught. He was stunning, with a thick head of dark hair sprinkled with a few sparkling strands of silver at the temples. Fine lines fanned the edges of his brown eyes, lending them a friendly, approachable appearance. A strong jaw and long nose added to his attractive features. He was built like a linebacker with a broad chest. Adding to the fun, a patch of silky hair peeked over the collar of his rain-drenched plaid shirt. Her secret fetishes included lush chest hair. The soft tendrils she glimpsed fascinated her so much, she couldn’t stop staring. “Where’s your coat? Aren’t you freezing?”

A brilliant smile bathed his face. “You’re wearing my jacket.”

She grazed her fingertips against the unfamiliar-feeling garment laid across her shoulders. “Oh.”

“Your clothing was soaked. I covered you with my rain slicker and a Mylar blanket.”

“Thank you, Mr.—?”

“My name’s Michael MacBrun—rhymes with prune. It’s an ancient Scottish name. Easy to remember, or make fun of.” He had a broad smile that burned bright as a flare. “If you like, you can call me Mac. I’m the park ranger assigned to the Sierra Portal station. In a few minutes, I’ll get you out of the cold and under a dry roof. Does that sound like a plan?”

“Yes.” Planting her hands on the rock, Andi rolled onto her side and pushed herself to a seated position.

His jaw dropped in alarm. “Let me help you. What are you doing?”

"Ouch! Climbing out of this gorge will be a challenge.” She offered her hand. “But I’m ready. Let’s get out of here.”

He grasped her hand. “Be careful. You could have injuries you’re unaware of.”

She waved him off and rose. “Don’t fuss. I’m bruised, but feel fine.”

The raging torrent ate at the sliver of silt they stood upon and a chunk of riverbank washed away.

“Hold on!” He placed a hand on her back to steady her. “It’s a huge no-no to move an accident victim, but I can’t allow hypothermia or rushing water to whisk you away.”

She hobbled a step and clutched her side. “I can feel where the seat belt bit into me. I’ll bet it leaves a monster bruise.” Glancing up, she noticed Mac’s considerable height. His majestic proportions made her feel downright petite, which was a wonderful novelty.

Squinting, he leaned closer to touch her throat. “What is this bloodied mark? How does it feel? It looks like an animal bite. I see evenly spaced tooth marks.”

“You won’t believe this.” Her voice quaked. “A bear saved me.”

“Really?” He wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her toward a steel cable laid across the bank. “A bear had you by the throat and you lived to tell the tale? It sounds unlikely. Maybe you imagined it?”

“I don’t think so. I had wet fur pressed against me, and warm animal breath on my face, as real as you standing beside me. The bear freed me from my damaged SUV. It opened the driver-side door, which was jammed. I might have drowned if the bear hadn’t picked me up and carried me to safety.”

Something between a surprised huff and an exasperated snort burst past his lips. “A bear carried you in its jaws?”

She did not like his dismissive tone. “No, in its arms.”

His brow furrowed. “You’ve been through a lot. Stress can cause the psyche to break from reality. I’m concerned you might be in shock.”

“Why are you arguing with me?” she snapped. “You’re the one who noticed the tooth marks.”

“You’re right.” Worry darkened his face. “I don’t like the look of the bite. It’s reddened and appears almost hot to the touch.”

“You don’t think the bear could be rabid, do you?”

Offering a slight shake of his head, he frowned. “Hopefully, there won’t be any lingering repercussions. When we get to the ranger station, I’m going to clean the bite with antiseptic.”

Her teeth chattered. “Fine. I’m all for getting out of the rain.”

Mac picked up the end of the steel cable and wrapped it around their waists, locking it with a clamp. Then he fished a pair of leather work gloves from his back pocket and slid them on. “Andi, let the cable and me do all the work. You’re just along for the ride.”

“Okay.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “Loop your arms around my neck and hold on.”

Lifting her hands high to drape them over his shoulders caused enough pain to make her whimper. “I’m going to have some souvenir bruises on my ribs, for sure.”

“Do you think they could be broken?” He sounded concerned.

“They’re not that bad.” Glancing toward the road, she saw the front grill of a large pickup truck parked above. “My SUV fell from up there?” she squeaked. “My God, it’s a miracle we’re having this conversation.”

“Yes, it is.” With a gentle touch, he brushed a wet strand of hair from her cheek. “Ready?” From his pocket, he pulled out a keychain with a tiny remote control, and clicked. The motor of the winch attached to the front of the pickup hummed. The cable pulled taut. With one hand gripping the cable, he wrapped his other arm around her. “Here we go.”

A strong tug from the cable pushed them closer together. Cradled in his embrace, Andi ascended the side of the gorge.

“I’ve got you.” Mac’s voice was calm. His heavy boots stomped across each boulder as it approached. “Pretend you’re walking in a sunny park and everything’s fine.”

“A vertical park?” She peered over his shoulder at the turbulent river and mass of jagged rocks below.

“Andi.” He was quick to stop her. “Don’t look down. Look at me.”

Her gaze lifted from the raging waters to meet his. His dark brows were beaded with raindrops. His expressive mouth had a sensual quality, and his chin a fetching cleft. Glancing lower, she saw a few rogue curlicues of dark hair peeking over his collar. The sight hijacked her attention.

“Twenty more feet. You can make it.”

“I hope so,” she muttered. The motor made a high-pitched whirring whine. “That sounds bad. Should we be worried?”

He stomped up the hillside, his boots leaving large imprints in the wet soil. “No. The cable’s getting shorter, that’s all.” His grip on her tightened. “See? We’re almost there.”

True to his words, soon they were at eye level with the road and the undercarriage of the pickup became visible. The moment they crested the top of the gorge and planted their feet on the gravel shoulder, she stumbled forward, still drawn by the spinning cable.

With the remote poised in one hand, he clicked and brought the motor to a halt. In a flash, he unlatched the clamp and freed them. The remaining length of steel cord fell laxly to the ground.

He turned toward her and clasped her shoulders, searching her face with his gaze. “Are you okay? Did we make it up here in one piece?”

Looking into his dark eyes, she felt an unexpected spark of excitement. Considering what she had just gone through, she should feel wrecked, but instead, an odd sense of elation washed over her. “I’m glad to be out of the gorge.”

“I want you to take those wet clothes off next.” A big grin made the edges of his eyes crinkle. He lowered his gaze bashfully. “I meant, I’ll find you some dry clothes.” With his palm placed gently on her back, he steered her toward the passenger side of his truck and opened the door. “Let me help you.” Taking hold of her elbow, he gallantly assisted her into the cab. He even buckled the seat belt for her, as if she were a child. “I know your ribs are sore, but I want you to be safe. We have to drive another couple of miles up a twisting grade to reach the ranger station.” He shut the door and walked around the front of the pickup to retract the remainder of the cable by hand.

She settled into the seat, feeling grateful to be out of the rain. The storm had broken and the last light of day faded behind a western ridge.

He approached the driver side and opened the door. Climbing inside, his big frame filled the cab. He reached for a radio on the console and clicked it on. “Sierra4, Sierra4, come in.”

A burst of static crackled through the air.

“Sierra4 here.” Another calm male voice hung in the air.

“This is Sierra Portal station—”

“Mac! Is everything okay?” The calm was shattered. Whoever was on the other side of the transmission sounded amped-up.

Turning to face Andi, Mac caught her checking him out. Her guilt-tinged gaze met his like two powerful magnets connecting. The provocative hint of interest in his eyes lingered.

“Hi, Warren.” Mac sounded cool and collected. “So far, so good. I reached the vehicle and was able to bring the female occupant out of the gorge.”

“You moved an accident victim? Dude, that’s bad. You’re not a medic. There’s a lot of sneaky shit that could be going on that you can’t see. They can appear fine, smiling, healthy, and then, boom! Blood clot to the brain. It’s over in a jiff. They’re dead as those dried-up fly carcasses on my windowsill.”

“Warren, I had to. The river was rising fast.” He paused. “By the way, we’re in the truck. She’s sitting right next to me.”

“Now?” Warren yelped.

“Hello, Warren!” she boomed confidently.

“Whoops.” Warren sounded embarrassed.

With a gentle tap to get her attention, Mac offered her the radio. “Tell him your name.”

“Andi Brunell. I’m thirty-two and a resident of West Los Angeles.” As she wrapped the thermal blanket around her, it crinkled loudly. “Just for the record, Mac did the right thing. I was soaked to the skin and possibly in shock. I needed to get out of the situation.”

Mac held the radio to his mouth, which she accepted as a clear indication she didn’t need to say another word. “Would you get a crew up here ASAP? A culvert that drains beneath the highway became clogged with rainwater and debris then burst. I was trying to dig it out when a mudslide covered the road a quarter mile before the turnout. We’re trapped. I need you to alert CalStar air ambulance to fly at first light and take Miss Brunell to the hospital.”

“Will do,” Warren added.

Andi interrupted, “I don’t need to go to a—”

Mac held a finger to his lips to shush her. “One more thing.” He stared out the windshield. “As soon as the road is cleared, we are going to need a heavy-duty crane to get Miss Brunell’s SUV out of the ravine. The vehicle appears totaled and it’s leaking gasoline. We can’t leave it in the riverbed.”

“Okay. Radio if you need anything else. I’ll schedule a chopper to fly tomorrow.”

“Thanks.” He clicked the radio off.

The full impact of events hit. Her purse was in the truck, her clothing and gear, and so much more. She clamped a hand over her mouth in horror. “My mother’s in the front seat!”

Mac’s brows shot skyward. “What? There was someone else? I only caught your scent!” He pushed on the door handle, poised to leap from the pickup.

“Wait!” He’d scented her? What an odd thing to say. “I meant my mother’s ashes. They’re in a plastic box. I brought them here to sprinkle on the summit.”

“Oh.” He relaxed. “You scared me. I thought I left a woman behind to drown.” A nervous laugh gushed. “A plastic box? She might still be in the car. I promise I’ll go back as soon as I can and look.”

“God no. I wouldn’t expect you to do that.”

He put the key in the ignition and turned the engine over. “We’ll worry about it after you’re in front of a warm fire and wearing dry clothes, okay?”

“Deal. But I don’t have any dry clothes. All my stuff is in the SUV.”

“You can borrow something from me.”

Glancing at her reflection in the windowpane, she caught herself smirking. “With my luck, your clothes will probably fit.” The feeling of shock lessened. Except for general achiness, she almost felt like herself again. “By any chance, do you drink white wine? A glass of chardonnay sounds really good right now.”

“White wine?” He wrinkled his nose. “No. Scotch only.”

“I’ll take scotch without complaint.”

Chapter Two

Mac steered the truck onto the highway, grateful the rain had stopped. On the slow, steep ascent to the ranger station, he remained on the lookout for fallen rocks on the road. He cranked the heater and directed the warm airflow toward Andi. Tilting his head, he gazed through the windshield. On the eastern ridgeline, the clouds thinned and the sharp tip of the waning moon peeked over the summit.

He glanced at Andi. Her eyes were bright and she seemed alert. Turning on the overhead light, she snooped around, looking at everything inside the truck. He was no expert, but she didn’t appear to be someone suffering from internal injury or shock. Still, nothing could be taken for granted. Her vehicle had been subjected to a heart-stopping series of rolls down a steep grade. Any number of risks could be lurking below the surface. One issue in particular remained top of his list of worries. Without question, he was ill-equipped to deal with the shit-storm likely coming. What was done was done. Now, he’d have to do his best for her.

She opened the glove compartment. “Do you have a mirror?”

He flipped the passenger visor down and lifted the cover on the hidden mirror. “There you go.”

“Oh!” She tilted the visor to her eye level. “I looked there first and missed it.” With an exaggerated grin, she looked into the mirror and smiled.

He noticed she had a big, bold smile with a slight overbite that lent her an affable appearance.

“I bit my lip and tongue, but I didn’t chip my teeth. That’s a pleasant surprise.” Smoothing the damp hair from her forehead, she gazed at her reflection. Gliding her fingertips along her hairline, she frowned. “At least the scratch from the damn air bag cover isn’t deep. It won’t need stitches. I guess I’ll wear my hair in bangs for a while.” She tugged her collar lower and stared, slack jawed. “Oh, my God! Look at that. I see every tooth mark. Bruising. Redness. Holy shit. Every place the bear’s teeth touched me is on fire!”

Terrified his wrongful act showed on his face, he snapped his attention to the road, not daring to look at her a second longer. Guilt, fear, and, weirdly, hope warred equally for a place in his thoughts. What had he done? In a moment of weakness, the lonely bear in him had seen a prime opportunity and taken it. The worst part was, he didn’t even remember doing it. His initial impulse had been to save a soul in need, but Andi’s enticing scent, her soft curves, and fiery dark eyes had proved too tempting. The man in him would never have bitten her without her informed consent, but the bear, ruled by instinct and a desire for a life mate, chose to act alone.

With a ragged groan, he swore silently to never again allow his inner bear to make life-changing decisions, for himself or anyone else.

“What’s wrong?” She tapped his arm. “Are you okay?”

“I’m worried about that bite.”

“You scared me. The look on your face was so dire, like you glimpsed a psychotic Sasquatch sneaking up behind me wielding an ax, or something horrible. Are you worried about what your friend Warren said? I’m pretty sure everything is fine. I refuse to go belly-up from a minor injury. I’m too ornery for that. In fact, I’m starting to feel really, really good, like I’m fully awake for the first time in my life. Joyful even. Isn’t that weird?”

“It’s not so strange.” He swallowed hard. “This could be an aftereffect of shock. You should be joyful you’re alive. It’s a completely normal reaction. By the way, Warren worked search and rescue for seventeen years. He’s seen it all. The dude knows what he’s talking about. If he says to take it easy and call an air ambulance in the morning, that’s what we’ll do.”

“I understand your concern”—she shook her head—“but I don’t want to be billed for a helicopter ride I don’t need.”

“Miss Brunell—”

“Miss Brunell? When did we revert to formal titles? Call me Andi.”

“Andi.” He struggled not to feel responsible for the frown forming on her pretty face. “The area immediately below where your SUV spun out is covered in a hundred yards of waist-deep mud. Short of a tank, the road is impassable. Depending on the weather, it could be days until the road is cleared. A helicopter is your only ticket home. When they show up, take the ride. I’ll talk to Warren. We might be able to work something out with the county.”

She paused to mull over what he’d said. “How did you know my SUV spun out? Were you there? Did you see the bear standing in the road?”

He gripped the steering wheel so tightly the blood fled his fingertips. “From my angle, I couldn’t see a bear.” Technically, he spoke the truth, but he didn’t feel good about lying. “I saw your tire marks in the mud.”

“Oh.” Disappointment shone on her face.

“It’s possible you saw a bear on the road. Maybe that’s why you later had the impression one saved you from the wreck?”

“I swerved to avoid hitting a bear, and a bear rescued me from a damaged vehicle. Period.”

“Wait a minute.” He attempted to inject some humor and doubt into her tale. “I thought I rescued you?”

“You did, but the bear got there first. Odd behavior for an animal, don’t you think? First it caused an accident and then lumbered into a ravine to check on the victim’s welfare?”

“Maybe the bear wanted to eat you, but lost its appetite?”

“That doesn’t sound very nice. Look at me.” She slapped a hand against the top curve of a luscious thigh. “After a lean winter, I’m a lot more than a snack. Why would a male bear pass me over?”

His gaze narrowed. Everything about her was scrumptious, especially following a long lonely stretch of his life with no lovers at all. He wanted to take her to his bed so badly his mouth went dry just thinking about it. “How do you know the bear was male?”

“I gazed into its eyes and sensed it.”

“Gender-sensing? I’ve not heard of that Girl Scout badge before.”

Tugging her collar aside, Andi displayed the bite marks. “I suppose I imagined this? Come on. Who are we kidding? Once I’d been freed from my car, the bear could have snapped me in half. Instead, it picked me up and carried me like a baby. I’m telling you, that creature meant no harm.”

The ranger station loomed into view at the top of the ridge. His heart pounded so fast, his temples throbbed. In a few minutes, he would be alone with her in his home. Soon, she’d shed her wet clothes, don his, and stretch across his couch to relax. At all costs, the bear within must be suppressed. What he’d done wasn’t ethical and could in no way be excused. Biting a woman without her consent was despicable. Taking her to his den was ill-advised, yet unavoidable. Feeling shame, he huffed a long deep grunt. Some days he hated being a werebear.

“What was that impatient-sounding grunt about? I must sound crazy talking about a bear. By the way, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Thank you.” Sliding the Mylar blanket off her shoulders, she leaned closer to the heater vent. “I’m chilly.” Shivering, she hugged herself. Her damp shirt clung to the lush swell of her breasts. A rut in the road jarred the truck and made her breasts bounce. “I can’t wait to ditch these clothes and knock back a scotch.”

He had to look away. “You should go light on the drinking—if at all. A car on the rocks and scotch on the rocks don’t mix.” This could get bad fast. How the hell would he resist the temptation to deliver a second bite and formally claim her as a mate? He didn’t know the first thing about her, nor she him. Okay, that wasn’t completely true—he knew her age and where she lived. He loved her smile and knew she felt like sin in his arms and smelled like vanilla. She’d not mentioned a husband or a boyfriend to contact, nor any children, but it didn’t mean there weren’t any. Bottom line, she wasn’t some stray pet he was entitled to keep.

He pulled up to the front of the Sierra Portal ranger station. A single light burned on the porch. Turning off the engine, he set the brake. “We’re here.” He hoped he sounded more composed than he felt. “I have a radio. We can call dispatch and give them your information. Is there anyone you need to check in with?”

“Nope.” She released the seat belt. “That’s funny, the bruises on my side don’t hurt nearly as much. Wow.” She touched her ribs. “The ride couldn’t have been more than ten minutes. No one heals in that short a time. How is that even possible?”

He stepped out of the cab and shut the door. “Let me help you.” Rushing around the front of the truck, he strode to the passenger side. With a chivalrous gesture, he opened the door and offered his outstretched hand. “Go slow.”

Clasping his hand, she turned and looked directly into his eyes. The sparkle that shone in their depths left him breathless. “Are you always such a gentleman?”

He broke the gaze. What sort of ‘gentleman’ bites a woman and then hangs back like a hungry hyena waiting for her to transform into what he is and then go into heat? “You’ve had a bad day. A little kindness is the least I can do.” Taking hold of her arm, he guided her toward the porch. A curl of dark smoke from the chimney confirmed the fire remained lit. “Watch your step.”

She leaned against him and patted his arm. The telling gesture conveyed trust. He sensed she liked him too. Poor thing had no idea.

Turning the knob, he pushed the unlocked front door open and motioned for her to enter. The station’s sparse décor was purely utilitarian but cozy. Bookshelves and a sturdy secondhand leather couch and comfy reading chair dominated the living space. The radiant-heat iron stove glowed against the far wall.

“Oh, it feels so good in here.” Andi made a beeline toward the stove, holding her hands in front to soak up the warmth.

“I’ll find you something dry to wear.” He ducked behind the partition that separated his bed from the rest of the cabin. Riffling through a chest of drawers, he located a pair of flannel pajamas he’d brought to the station and forgotten. Returning to the living area, he handed the nightwear to her. “You’re in luck.”

She accepted the offered garments with a smile, running her fingers over the royal-blue fabric. “Ah, I haven’t worn fuzzy PJs since I was a kid. I usually just sleep in a T-shirt.”

“To be honest, I’ve never even worn them.” His face heated at the thought of curvaceous Andi wearing only a tissue-thin layer of cotton with all the sweet treats showing through.  “I sleep in boxers.”

“Oh.” She blanched.

“Not that I’ll be sleeping in boxers tonight.” An awkward silence hovered between them. “I’ll keep my pants on.”

“You don’t have to.” Her face flushed. “Oops, that sounded awkward. I just meant, this is your place and I don’t want to put you out. Please feel free to do what you would normally do.”

He knew he was staring, but couldn’t look away. The side of her fair cheek was embellished with a smattering of bronze freckles that looked exactly like the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Just a crazy coincidence, or was he losing his mind? He almost said something, but thought better of it.

Andi glanced around. “Where can I…?”

With flourish, he pointed toward the bathroom. “Second door. The first door is a closet.”

“Ever walk into your closet at night by mistake?”

“I have.” He laughed.

A shy smile crossed her lips. “I could really use a drink.” She opened the bathroom door and disappeared. The sounds of running water and a faint moan were followed by, “Good lord!”

Alarmed, he stepped closer. “Are you okay?”

“The bite looks awful! It’s doing something weird.”

He shuddered.

“Do you have any antiseptic? Get it now.”

He darted to the station’s mudroom, which doubled as equipment storage, and searched the shelves for the big red box. “I have a first aid kit.”

“We‘re going to need it.”

After pulling the kit from beneath a stack of woolen blankets, he carried the steel box into the living area and set it on the veneered surface, which performed the dual duties of kitchen table and work desk. Opening the kit, he removed a tube of antibiotic cream, cotton swabs, and breathable bandages and set them in a neat row. He stared at his meager supplies in despair. All of it was literally just superficial dressing. Nothing in the kit could make a dent in the deeper issues at hand. Events had been set in motion. In a moment of abandon, his lonely inner bear had lashed out at a female stranger and started the process of creating a mate, without consent. In many ways, he’d been victimized too. Years of isolation, denial, and finally, fleeing to the mountains to live apart from temptation had come to this—the bear in him went behind his back and chose a mate for them.

A sliver of hope remained—self-control. If he avoided flirting, bonding, or God forbid, sexual contact coupled with a true claim bite to seal the deal, Andi might escape transformation and live a normal existence. If not, the unwitting beauty standing in front of his bathroom mirror was in for one hell of a life-changing surprise.

“Hurray!” She squealed with joy behind the closed door.

A nervous laugh broke free. “What’s that for?”

“Your pajamas don’t fit. They’re way too big for me. I’m rolling up the cuffs. Jeez, how tall are you?”

“Six-four.”

“A tower of power. I like tall men.”

He squeezed his eyes shut and tried his damnedest to tune out the encouragement he heard in her voice.

The bathroom door opened. Andi stepped out, looking radiant with her cheeks flushed rose. Her damp hair had been finger combed away from her face and fell in a graceful wave, obscuring one eye. The deep V-neck of his pajamas exposed a glimpse of shadowed cleavage.

She glanced at him.

He stared at her. A moment of tense silence reigned, interrupted only by the crackle of wood in the iron stove. For a few seconds, he found it difficult to breathe and wished a divine hand would scoop him up and carry him far, far away from temptation.

With a hip-rolling gait, she headed straight toward him. “Let’s get the hardest part over with. I know I’m going to whimper and moan.” Perching on the edge of the table, she gathered up her hair to bare her throat. “Do it, Mac, before I dread it.” She heaved a heavy sigh that lifted her bosom. “Clean the bite.”

He gazed at the bite with concern. In contrast to her fair skin, each tooth mark was a vivid russet hue and glowed like a firebrand. For certain, the internal clock of bear transformation had been primed and mustn’t be set off.

“Ready?” Soaking a cotton pad with sharp-scented antiseptic, he pressed it to the wound.

She winced. “Oh! That’s cold. It smells worse than Lysol.”

“The alcohol will evaporate.” Dabbing the pad against her skin, he thoroughly cleansed the bite until the cotton dried. He reached for a fresh pad, doused it, and repeated the process. “This should have been done immediately. I’m sorry we waited.”

“Don’t be sorry. The bite’s not your fault. Blame it on the big bad bear. I still can’t get over the fact I was bitten by a wild bear and lived to joke about it.”

With a fresh pad, he cleaned the slight wounds on her arm and the scrape on her forehead. Tossing the used cotton onto the table, he looked her in the eyes. “Anyplace else?”

“Here.” She tugged the pajama collar aside, revealing the top of a lush breast. “I may have actually clawed myself trying to release the seat belt. I barely scratched the skin, but it’s a little red. I think we should clean it just to be safe.”

Drawing a tense breath, he leaned over to bathe the faint abrasions, trying like hell not to think too much about how close he and Andi were. Everything about her pleased his senses. “Even after a dunk in the river, you smell nice,” he blurted.

She balked. “How can you tell over this nasty stuff?”

“I have a good nose.” The bear in him could smell an open tube of toothpaste a quarter of a mile downwind. “Your skin has a smoky vanilla scent.”

“That’s my mother’s perfume—Tahiti Royalé. She loved its earthy vibe. I wore it today in honor of her. God, I feel so awful her ashes are still in the car.”

“Try not to worry. As soon as daylight comes, I’ll check your SUV.”

“Thanks, Mac. You are so kind.” She looked at him and smiled, provoking a jolt of conflicting emotions. He wanted to pull her close. Ride her hard, treat her tenderly, but most of all, he wanted to run for his life before things got any more complicated than they already were. What the fuck had he set in motion?

He forced himself to pull away. “Where are your wet clothes? I’ll run them through the dryer.”

“Where is my scotch?” She giggled. “I’m joking. The wet clothes are in the bathroom, hung over the tub.” Standing, she took a shaky step. “I’ll get them.”

“Wait.” He took hold of her arm. “Why don’t you sit on the couch and relax. I’ll collect your wet things and get you a drink. Okay?”

Nodding in agreement, she allowed him to lead her to the couch. She plopped onto the leather cushions. “That wasn’t very graceful was it? I’m sort of lumbering around. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

“Don’t move.” He rushed into the bathroom and gathered her belongings from the floor. “This will just take a minute. I need to change out of my damp clothing too.” Crossing the floor, he approached the iron stove.

“My boots can’t be too close to the fire,” she called.

“I know.”

“Of course you know. Jeez, I’m being an idiot. I’m just used to being the boss and making sure everyone knows what to do.”

He loosened the laces and set her boots a safe distance from the stove. “What do you do?”

“I manage a chain of boutique hotels.”

With long strides, he headed toward the cabinet where he kept the scotch. “I’m a ‘sleeping bag and tent’ kind of guy. What makes a hotel ‘boutique’?”

“Boutique is a code word for a high-quality, small hotel with decor that won’t leave patrons feeling seasick from all the mismatched patterns.” She paused. “Big headboards too. For some reason, every room has a massive headboard.”

He pulled a pair of clean jam jars from the cabinet and set them on the countertop. “Do you like it?”

“Do I like headboards? Yes, of course I do, but they don’t always have to be the size of a city bus.”

Reaching for the scotch, he twisted the cap open. “I meant, do you like your job?”

“I used to love my work. Lived for it actually, but lately, not so much.”

He poured a small amount of amber liquid into each jar. “What changed?”

“Watching my mother battle cancer and pass away far too young changed me. You can’t see that sort of thing unfold in front of you and not ask the bigger questions. My work is very competitive. A lot of people want my job. Even taking a week off to scatter my mother’s ashes is a big deal, but I knew I had to do it. When you asked if I had anyone I should call, my first reaction was ‘hell no! Don’t let them know I’m injured or might be away from the helm for a while.’ Under the guise of looking after our clients, Mr. CrossFit would be snooping in my contact files so fast….”

Offering her a jar, he sat on the couch at her side. “Mr. CrossFit?”

“It’s a stupid nickname for one of my colleagues, William Crossman. He’s gunning for my title.” She examined the jam jar. “This is cute, I like it.”

“It’s practical. I didn’t bring any highball glasses up here.”

“You don’t entertain often?”

“I don’t entertain ever. You’re my first guest.”

“I’m honored.” Andi held the oak-fragrant scotch to her lips and sipped. The liquor burned going down, but not as much as her curiosity to know more about Mac. The crooked grin on his handsome face was just too charming. Her bad luck meeting men had turned to good with the flip of her car. Next question, why was this hunk alone? If he worked in her office in West Los Angeles, there would be a block-long queue of eager women, and likely a few hopeful men, trying to get closer to him. But here he was, alone on a mountain ridge. His bathroom cabinets betrayed no signs of a female companion. Yes, she’d looked. So what? “Mac, how long have you been working the Sierra Portal station?”

“Almost three years.”

The scotch flooded her with warmth. “You’re here all seasons?”

“No, the road leading to the Sierra Portal closes in winter. Thanksgiving through March, I work ski patrol at the Sierra Ridge Resort eight miles down the highway.”

“I know that area! That’s why I’m here. When my mother was young, she worked at the Sierra Lodge. That may have been where she met my father, but I’m not certain. He remains something of a mystery. My mom could really ski. Total athlete. But not me. I’m not cut out for the cold or the tight pants. Never got the hang of it.”

A pensive expression creased his brow. “Are you sure there isn’t somebody who needs to know where you are and that you’re all right? I can radio Warren and he’ll pass the message along.”

She huffed. “No one in particular. I have a few friends, but mostly my coworkers are my friends.”

“Someone must be worried?”

“I doubt it.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I’m a bit of a loner. At work, I’m the boss, not a buddy.”

“I guess I’m in the loner category too.”

“It’s different when you’re a woman. Nobody respects it. I’m the youngest manager Five-Star Hotels has ever hired. It’s been a fast, all-consuming ride. There’s no time for extras. You could say I’m sort of driven.”

“What’s an ‘extra’?”

“You know, a boyfriend or a family. Maybe later.”

Setting his scotch down on a squat stack of books masquerading as a coffee table, the edges of his mouth curled. “Ambition is great. But when your car slides over the side of a cliff and a bear pulls you from the wreckage and there’s no one in your life who needs to be told you survived, it might be time to slow down.”

Tipping the jar, she sipped her drink. “You sound like my mother.”

“Did she scold you?”

“No, she pushed me. She’d say, ‘Andi, you’re the only one who can set a speed limit on your life. Go for it.’ I was encouraged to succeed. We had it rough, especially when I was young. It was just my mom and me. Sometimes she worked two jobs to support us and pay for my college. She believed in me like no one else. But this last year, things changed when she started bugging me to slow down and get a life. It’s sort of hard to shift gears.” Placing the empty jar next to his, she glanced at the floor. “Why am I boring you with this stuff? I’ve been chattering non-stop, haven’t I?”

“You’re not boring me.” A radiant smile lit Mac’s face. “You’ve been through a lot in a short space of time. I think this is the adrenaline talking.”

She nodded. “You’re probably right. The scotch is working its magic too. I’m starting to chill.”

He glanced at her empty glass. “I’d offer you another, but I think you should put something solid in you first. When did you last eat?”

“Let me think.” She toyed with the cuffs of the pajamas. “I’ve been driving all day. Drank a lot of coffee. Nibbled on some trail mix. Late last night I got Chinese takeout, moo shu pork….” A quick glance out the window confirmed a skinny crescent moon lit the sky. “What time is it?”

Pushing his sleeve back, he glanced at his watch. “It’s 5:47. Dinner time.”

“Dinner time? Ha! I usually eat at nine, if I’m lucky. Ten thirty is typical.”

“I eat early and go to sleep by nine.”

“Oh.”

“Do you like pasta?”

“I love pasta.”

“Good. I’ll make dinner for us.”

“You’re going to cook for me? I’m honored.”

Amusement shone in his eyes. “We can’t order takeout up here. There are no eagles willing to deliver a pizza. Besides, I like to cook.”

“I hope I’m not being a pest.” She picked up the jar and sniffed. “I’m surprised I like this. I must be appreciating scotch through your eyes. The scent is triggering images in my mind.”

He paused with his head tilted. “What sort of images?”

“Corny stuff. What you’d expect from a beverage with scotch’s history. A landscape of rolling heather, bagpipes, knights, and castles. Would you pour me the tiniest smidge more, just so I can smell it?”

“Okay.” A hint of hesitation in his voice raised concern. “But sip slowly. Dinner is going to take at least twenty minutes.” Taking hold of the jar, he rose from the table to refill her drink.

She watched Mac’s every gesture with intense interest. For a big man, he moved with smooth confidence. His long strides carried him across the floor in half the time it would take her. He removed the scotch from the cabinet and twisted the cap off. Mac had exceptionally broad, masculine hands. Silky hair covered his powerful forearms, which looked strong enough to lift a car. When he glanced at her, she realized she’d been staring.

He held the bottle poised above the rim of the jar and poured a trickle. “Good?”

“That’s fine.”

After resealing the bottle and setting it inside the cabinet, he returned the jar to her.

“Thank you.” Holding the scotch under her nose, she sniffed the subtle fragrance. “I can see why you like it. I didn’t notice it the first time, but aside from the obvious smoky-oak notes, I also smell moss.”

“Do you?” He rubbed his chin as if he were deep in thought. “Most people miss that detail.”

She sniffed the air. “I smell honey too.” Rising from the couch, she strolled into the kitchen area. Passing the cabinet where the scotch was stored, she opened its neighbor and looked inside. “There it is.” Taking hold of a sticky mason jar, she held it under her nose. “Yum. It smells so good. This is clover honey, isn’t it? There really is a big difference in the varieties, isn’t there?” Gripping the metal cap, she tried to unscrew the lid, but it didn’t budge. “I know I’m being a bother, but would you mind if I put a little honey in my drink? It sounds fantastic.”

An odd expression crossed his face. “Sure.” He reached for the honey and gave the lid an effortless twist before handing it to her. “Here you go.”

Tipping the container, she drizzled the honey into her drink. “It’s so thick. This is taking too long to pour. I want it now.” Lifting the mason jar to her lips, she was just about to sip honey straight from the jar when she smelled something else sweet and fruity. “Where are they?”

Turning in a slow circle, she sniffed. “I smell fresh blueberries.” She headed toward the refrigerator and flung the door open. “There they are. Oh, they look gorgeous. Can I have a few?” Without waiting for his answer, she reached into the bowl. Grabbing a handful, she ferried them into her drink.  “This is going to be fabulous!”

She glimpsed her reflection in the kitchen window. The sight of another female in her territory was enraging. Baring her teeth, she growled. “Oh, my God! What am I doing? I’m snarling at myself.” Setting the jar of honeyed scotch and bobbing blueberries on the countertop, she backed away.  “I’m riffling through your kitchen like an animal.” She sighed. “What’s wrong with me? Mac, I apologize. For a minute there, I sort of lost control.”

Mac took hold of her arm and led her back to the couch. “It’s okay.” His voice was soft and full of patience. “I understand that you’ve been through a lot.”  He stroked her arm. “Just have a seat. I’m going to make dinner. Would you like me to get your drink?”

She stared at the jar on the counter. “I’m not sure. Maybe I’m not a scotch drinker after all. I feel weird. This is not my normal behavior.”

“You rolled your car down a ravine. You’re in a stranger’s home. None of this is normal. Anyone would be unsettled by this situation. But I promise you, the worst has already happened. We’re going to have a nice meal, and by tomorrow morning, things will look different.”

She gazed into his expressive eyes. “God, I hope you’re right.”

Mac returned to the kitchen to wash a cutting board.

Andi sat on the couch, watching him prepare dinner. With every heartbeat, her mood grew stranger. Colors in the room intensified. The scent of a bar of soap on the bathroom sink teased her nose. She recognized the citrusy notes from earlier. How she was able to smell it in the next room remained a riddle. A series of bizarre images whirled in her head. An overwhelming desire to rummage through the kitchen cupboards, throw all the food on the floor and roll on it, almost seemed like a good idea.

He set a stack of plates on the countertop and then glanced at her. “Are you okay?”

Visions of ripping open cereal boxes and having cornflakes fly through the air like confetti came on strongly. She muttered an unconvincing, “Yeah.”

His brows sank. “Are you sure? You look a little loopy.”

She paused. “Do you have any bacon?”

Placing his hand on the sink, he stopped what he was doing to observe her. “I do have bacon. Shall I cook some?”

With crystal clarity, she imaged herself in the form of a hulking animal draping strips of bacon over its snout and toying with them. “No. I want it raw.”

He scratched his chin. “What do you want it for?” His tone was cautious.

“I was thinking of rubbing it on something.” A low rumble rose from her throat. She parted her lips and released a booming growl. “Damn! Did that come out of me?”

Chapter Three

When he’d said the worst was behind her, he’d meant to be kind. Instead, it amounted to a colossal lie. Mac knew if Andi’s immediate reaction to the bite was this intense, what lay ahead would be extremely challenging for both of them. “Sit still and let me do the kitchen work.”

“Mac?” She patted her hand against the bandage on her throat. “Would you take a peek and see if everything is okay? My skin feels warm. I’m a little dizzy too. To be honest, I’m too freaked out to look.”

“I’m sure everything is fine.” Leaning close, he peeled the paper tape away and stared. What he saw disturbed him. The bite glowed scarlet like a neon sign. The crescent moon was so distinct it resembled a tattoo. Even though he’d not consciously done so, this was without doubt a first-stage claim bite and not a mere injury. The sight of her graceful throat bared to him provoked a possessive reaction. He fought the urge to take her to his bed, wrap his arms around her, and bite her again with slow, sweet agony that would carry them both over the edge. With a single swift motion, he covered the mark with the cotton pad and resealed the tape. “For now, I think it’s best to just leave it alone and let it heal. New rule. Leave the bite covered. No touching, absolutely no touching.”

“You mean don’t clean it?”

“Let’s definitely keep it clean.”

“The bite?”

“Everything.”

Her eyes widened. “You look worried. How do you think that makes me feel?”

His gut twisted with remorse. Yet, as bad as things were, they could get much worse. There was still a chance Andi might ride out the early stage of transformation and avoid his fate. He owed it to her to be selfless and resist his inner bear’s inclination to take her as his mate.

Choosing his next words with care, he tried to sound more confident than he felt. “I know this is not an ideal situation, but you have my word, you’ll survive the night and make it off this mountain in one piece. So don’t give in to worry. It’s going to be all right.”

“You’re not just saying this, are you?”

“Andi, you have my word. I will not allow matters to get out of hand. You’re safe with me. Tomorrow, a doctor will offer you real help if you need it.”

She took hold of his hand, brought it to her cheek, and nuzzled his fingers. Her sable-brown eyes flooded with emotion. “Mac, you’ve got to be the kindest man I’ve ever met. There’s just something special about you. The minute I get myself worked up, you calm me down. It’s not even what you say. It’s just you. I wish I could bottle that serene quality and take it with me.”

His heart slammed against his ribs. “That might be the nicest compliment I’ve ever received.” He pulled away from her, feeling like a total cad for putting her in jeopardy in the first place. “I’m going to get dinner started.”

Walking into the kitchen, he headed toward the sink and filled a tall pot with water, adding a generous dash of salt. He set it on the burner and turned the gas flame on high. “Water takes forever to heat at this altitude. Are you sure you don’t want your drink while you’re waiting?”

She stared at the wall with a vacant expression. “What was that? Were you talking to me?”

He slipped a spoon into her drink and carried it over to the couch. “Here you go. You don’t have to drink it if you don’t want. You can just play with the blueberries.”

Reaching for the jar, a sweet expression flooded her face. “Thank you.”

“Is everything okay? For a moment, you had a faraway look going on.”

“I was thinking.”

He sat beside her with his knees splayed and his hands clasped in front. “About what?”

Her mouth twisted into a frown. “Do I have to say it? I’m so embarrassed. A few minutes ago, I growled in your face and asked for raw bacon. I have no idea why that crazy crap came out of mouth, and I hope to God it will not be repeated.”

Looking at Andi seated on his favorite side of the couch and seeing what her feminine curves did for a boxy pair of men’s pajamas really drove home how lonely he’d become. At thirty-eight, he’d long passed the age at which most men of the MacBrun clan took a mate. Most married young or missed their chance. Solitary by nature, he had been reluctant to seek out one of his own kind. By the time he made the journey to Scotland to attend the secret, once-in-a-decade Highland gathering of the bear clans, he’d been shocked to see how few women were in the group. All the eligible females were quickly spoken for. The MacBruns had the unfortunate tendency to breed mostly males. A trait, which had served them well during their early days as warriors, punished them in times of peace. He’d resigned himself long ago to being a member of a vanishing breed. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I never have company at the station, and I’m thrilled to be entertaining you tonight.”

She dismissed him with a wave. “You deserve a better dining companion than a woman who confessed to wanting to rub your bacon.”

“I’d let you rub my bacon anytime.” He laughed.

A shy smile fanned the corners of her eyes. “This is nice. I can let my guard down and joke with you. This never happens at work. Even when I’m trying to be friendly, no one forgets I’m the boss. People are always cautious. I guess my authority vibe never takes a day off.”

“Do you like it that way?”

Her nostrils flared as she drew a tense breath. “I used to cultivate it. You have to understand, not only am I a woman, I started at a high level so much younger than anyone else. In my field I was sort of an anomaly, and scared I wouldn’t be taken seriously.”

“Are you taken seriously now?”

“Hell yes! So much so that I….” She picked at one of the wrist cuffs on the pajamas.  “Never mind.”

“Go ahead and say it. I’m listening.”

“Poor man. You should charge me for a therapy session. A moment ago, I was thinking how today’s events really brought my life into focus. A freaking bear carried me to safety this afternoon, and I don’t have anyone to share that with. You’re totally right. That’s just sad. My office is crowded. I make at least forty person-to-person calls a day, and I’m always on the road meeting new colleagues, but when it comes down to the raw details, I’m just as isolated as if I were stranded on this mountain. My office and your ranger station are different settings, but my mindset is the same. I’m a loner trapped on the outside, and it doesn’t feel right anymore.”

“Which part? Going to an office or being a loner?”

Breaking eye contact, she looked away. “I’m not sure how to answer that question. I need to think about it.” Gathering her knees to her chest, Andi curled forward. Blinking, she slumped over the arm of the couch. “I’m so tired all of sudden, like somebody flipped my off switch.” She yawned. “I could hibernate for a month. I’m going to close my eyes for a few minutes and see if it helps.” Her head wilted, and within moments, she fell fast asleep.

He rose from the couch and grabbed a down comforter from the bed. With a light touch, he placed the cover over Andi and left her to snooze on her side. She needed the rest. Now the bite would do its thing. With every heartbeat, more of his bear pheromones reached new cells in her body. The spirit of the bear would assert its powerful presence and change her.

In the old days, it was perfectly acceptable to coerce or even kidnap a bride. An initial bite would be given to start the process and a decisive claim bite delivered on the wedding night would complete it. The women were chosen for their ability to keep a secret. In exchange, the brides of bears were cherished. To the mother of bears! remained a favorite drinking toast. Women with nothing to lose, orphans, widows, and war prizes topped the list of preferred brides. Through this strategy, the MacBrun bloodline survived largely unnoticed for over a thousand years.

Taking soft steps so he wouldn’t disturb her, he returned to the kitchen. The potted basil on the windowsill got plucked bare, and the fragrant leaves rinsed in cool water. Next, he raided the freezer, locating a sealed bag of diced tomatoes grown in the improvised greenhouse he’d built onto the side of the station. A packet of pancetta completed the recipe.  He’d been saving the smoky treat for a special occasion, and this was it.

Slicking an iron skillet with deep green olive oil, he set it over the flame. Bits of salty pancetta were added and stirred until they glistened and turned golden brown. As the tomatoes were swirled in, a light sauce formed and started to bubble.

He glanced toward Andi. Her lashes flickered and her breath remained steady. A caramel-hued wave of glossy hair swept her cheek. She looked peaceful and so beautiful. No wonder his inner bear wanted her at any cost. In truth, he wanted her too. How could he resist? If a woman with Andi’s strong spirit and luscious curves had shown up at a MacBrun gathering, his kin would have fought to the death over her. No doubt she was what his fading bloodline needed. He’d never met a better candidate to take the honor of Ursa Regina, the queen of the bears.

Concentrating on the task at hand, he struggled to keep his thoughts on track. Over and over again, he reminded himself Andi was not a stray cub to adopt. The MacBruns no longer lived by the rules of a medieval village, but some ancient guidelines still applied. Secrecy remained a priority. Only volunteers joined the ranks. Claim-biting an unwilling woman remained an unethical thing. No one in his extended clan would tolerate such risky behavior. Worst of all, his mother would be appalled by his actions.  He owed it to his ancestors to treat Andi with respect and preserve her free will.  The initial bite, delivered in a careless moment, must be allowed to wear off and the mistake not repeated.

The water came to a subdued boil. He plunged two generous fistfuls of linguini into the pot and stirred it with a wooden spoon. A quick glance out the window revealed the crescent moon hovering in the center of the sky; its outline exactly matched the mark on Andi’s throat. The bear pheromones would be active in her bloodstream until the next full moon. If she had no further intimate contact with him, Andi would not become a she-bear.  She could return to her normal life, possibly unaware she’d come so near an uncanny fate.

She’s ambitious and has her life well underway. The right thing to do is let her go. Don’t force her to carry your burdens.

His thoughts wandered in circles, always returning to the same tragic point. If he’d not bitten her, could a woman like Andi ever be interested in a man like him? Sadly, he’d never know. That brought him back to the heart of the problem, and he’d start the cycle again.

Lifting the pot off the stove, he tipped the steaming contents into the steel colander he’d set in the sink. He preferred draining the pasta a minute early and then allowing it to finish cooking to al dente in its own heat. Once drained, he stirred the firm pasta into the light sauce he’d made. As a final step, he added a bit of butter and folded in the pungent basil leaves. He heaped the pasta high onto a platter and carried it to the table.

Andi rose on one elbow. “Wow. Something smells delicious. I’m so light-headed, for a moment, I thought I was dreaming.”

“Dinner’s ready. You’ll feel better after you eat.”

She pushed the cover aside and sat. “My God, I slept so hard. I forgot I was wearing your pajamas.” Rising from the couch, she adjusted the fabric and walked to the table. “This looks fantastic! You made all this? Wish I could cook. How long have I been asleep?”

“Not long. Less than thirty minutes.”

“I feel like I slept all winter.”

Pulling a chair out for her, he motioned for her to sit. “I’m sure you needed it.”

“Your couch is comfortable.” When the platter of pasta caught her attention, her stomach growled. “How embarrassing!” She laughed as she sat. “Take it as a compliment to the chef.”

Picking up two large spoons, he served her first, piling her plate with a generous mound of steaming linguini dotted with crimson tomato and emerald-green herbs.

A lovely smile crossed her face, lighting her eyes. “I can’t even remember the last time someone cooked for me. It was probably my mother.” She waited until he sat and served himself before she picked up her fork. “It’s not a very ladylike thing to say, but I’m hungry as a bear!”

He winced, grateful she hadn’t looked directly at him when she said it.

“Your meal looks great.” She speared a portion of pasta and twirled it onto her fork. “So fragrant.” Sampling the first bite, she closed her eyes. “Yum. I crave these flavors. When I order a pasta dish in a restaurant, it’s never this simple or fresh.”

The pleasure on her face pierced his heart. He’d made her happy. For far too long, the sweet sensations of sitting at a table across from a smiling companion had been absent from his life. At that moment, his self-imposed exile from a mate or lover wore dangerously thin. The bear growled in the back of his thoughts, We want to keep her.

He forced himself to taste the food, feeling much too nervous to eat, but it wouldn’t look good if he didn’t even attempt to share the meal.  In reality, his appetite solely focused on her. “Andi?” He said her name and then forgot what he wanted to ask.

She swallowed a bite and dabbed her mouth with a paper napkin. “Yes?”

Setting his fork down, he looked at her. “Before your car accident, what were your plans?”

“In general, or for my day?”

He noticed she had a tiny dimple in her cheek when she smiled. “Tell me anything.”

Andi stalled, not knowing where to start. “Let’s see. How many ways did I screw up this trip? Jeez, I lost track.” The attentive look on Mac’s face did a number on her emotions. “First, on the drive up here, I didn’t pay attention to the flood warnings. I thought the warnings were directed at the low-lying canyon areas and not the summit. My late start this morning really messed me up because I now know there was no way I could have reached the summit turnout and set up camp before nightfall. I planned to spend the night either camping or in my truck and start hiking the portal trail at sunrise. My mother asked to have her ashes sprinkled on the summit.”

A long sigh escaped him. “Are you prepared for that? You know the running joke, don’t you? Search and Rescue calls it the portal trial. That route has a well-deserved reputation for being treacherous. It starts off easy but gets rough. We rescue hikers every year. There are steep walls and unmarked sections of path with lots of boulder hopping required. The north face is dotted with rivulets of melting snow and mossy rocks. It’s nicknamed the ankle grinder. That’s usually where the helicopter picks them up.”

She knew her answer wouldn’t put her in a good light. “I’ve been warned I couldn’t and shouldn’t do it.” She smacked her hand against her plump thigh. “Especially because of my obvious lack of athleticism.”

“I didn’t mean that. I just want you to know what you’re getting into.”

The unsettling thought occurred that she really did care about his opinion. “My mother said, ‘Sprinkle my ashes on a mountain top.’ She didn’t say which one. The portal trail leads to the highest peak in this range, and it’s the closest to the ski resort where she likely met my father. That’s why I chose it. She didn’t tell me to do something crazy that might get me hurt. I just want the best for her. She sacrificed constantly to make sure I got the best. It wasn’t easy for a single mother with a headstrong daughter. I’m sure I gave her a lot of grief.”

“I can imagine she was very proud of you.”

“Maybe. I’m determined to do it. Once I set a goal, I can’t stop. I figured I’d go slow and hang close to another hiking group.”

“It’s early in the season. There’s still snow on parts of the summit. The mudslide guarantees no one will be driving up this road until it’s cleared. I strongly suggest you come up with another plan.”

“I really had my heart set on the portal trail.” She groaned. “I’ve been looking at pictures of it for weeks. It’s so beautiful, like a stepping-stone to heaven. I suppose it’s a moot point. I’m not going anywhere. My truck is overturned in a riverbed and my mother’s ashes may have already been washed downstream. I’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

“If you’d like…” He toyed with a forkful of pasta. “I’m totally cool with going back to your SUV tonight. Maybe I can find the box with the ashes? Would that put your mind at ease?”

“Now?” Her appetite waned. She pushed the plate away. “Mac, I wouldn’t ask you to take the risk at night, but thank you for offering.”

“I’d do it. Just say the word. I get emergency calls at night all the time. I’m used to it.”

Looking into the depths of his warm brown eyes, she blurted, “How has a nice guy like you remained single?” She clamped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, my God, I’m so rude. I didn’t mean to say that.”

He laughed. “But you thought it and the words slipped out?” A big, bashful grin made his eyes crinkle at the corners. “I’ve been thinking the same thing about you.”

Straightening in the chair, she composed herself. “Dinner was delicious. You’re a hero—”

“Oh, I like that title.”

“You are! You prevent forest fires and lash damsels to the winch. Since my mental filter seems to be broken, I’ll also say you are easy on the eyes. Seriously, what’s the catch? Are you just a solitary person?”

Breaking from her gaze, he glanced at the tabletop. “Wow. My turn in the hot seat. I live alone because”—he set the fork down and clasped his big hands together—“I’m a little different from most guys. I don’t… I can’t casually date women. It’s not my thing.”

Wishing she’d held her tongue, she covered her mouth. The plaid shirt and the perfect amount of beard stubble on his strong jaw should have tipped her off. Lumber-sexual Papa Bear. “Oh! I’m so dumb. Sorry to put you on the spot.”

For a moment, he stared at her. “You didn’t put me on the spot.”

“Well, now I know. There’s nothing wrong with being a little different and not into women. I’ll stop flirting and we can be friends. I can always use another friend.” Picking up her fork, she spun a length of linguini around the tines and popped it in her mouth. Damn, he had such a beautiful hairy chest too.

His brows buckled in the middle. “I’m not gay. Is that what you think? You misunderstood me.”

“You don’t need to explain anything.”

“I think I do.” His face flushed. “I love women and I want one in my life, but with my situation—”

“What’s your situation?” she mumbled, between mouthfuls.

Mac swiped his palm through the air. “This situation. I’m perched in a little cement-walled bunker most of the year waiting for wildfires to break out. It’s not exactly New York or Paris.”

“Do you like your work?”

He speared his pasta as if he were attacking it. “It suits me. The mountains are my home. I can’t live in a city. I know because I’ve tried.”

“I’m a city girl.”

“See?” He wagged a finger at her. “That’s my point. The only interesting women I meet are the ones who drive off the side of the road. Once everything’s made right, you’ll go home. As you should.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

“What does that mean?”

She mopped up the final smidge of sauce with the last strands of pasta. “I’ve got my eye on something. There’s a small hotel below the Sierra Ridge Ski Resort that’s consistently underbooked. The owners are elderly and they’ve let it get run-down. I’d like to buy them out at a fair price and turn the hotel into something special.”

“Are you talking about the Bluebell Motor Lodge off the highway?”

“Yep. They even painted the rocks surrounding the wishing well baby blue. The inside is a disaster. My best guess is the ground-in stains on the lobby carpet date from when Reagan held office. I’ve been communicating with the owners online, so I know a sale is possible. Today was the first day I actually saw the property. That’s why I was so late driving to the trailhead. I spent quite a few hours there. You have to inspect things in person. A photograph or a website can hide a lot. For instance, the roof was much worse than they let on, but the view was fantastic. Even in the rain, it took my breath away. I almost drooled just thinking about renovating the place.”

“What would you do with it?”

“I would keep the footprint small and blend it into the environment. No mega box structures. The site would lend itself well to a sport chalet in winter and a spa resort during the summer months. I’m going to put a proposal together, and if Five-Star isn’t interested, I’m thinking of branching out and doing it myself.”

“It’s going to cost a lot. Do you have the money?”

“No, but I have contacts with investors who trust my instincts and know my track record. It’s worth a try.”

“Sounds like you’re going to be very busy for the next several years.”

She pushed her empty plate away. “Hopefully, yes. By the way, I loved your pasta. Thank you.”

He dabbed his mouth with a napkin. “Would you like some tea?”

“That sounds great. What have you got?”

“Herbal tea.” He walked to the kitchen counter and picked up a sealed tin. Unscrewing the top, he approached her and held the canister under her nose. “Do you like it?”

She sniffed the aromatic contents, which instantly brought a spring meadow to mind. “Nice. What is it?”

“I make it. The mint is from my greenhouse and I planted the chamomile in a flowerbox on my front porch. There’s lavender, raspberry leaf, and a few wild herbs I pick when I’m out. No two batches ever turn out alike. I will say this blend came out especially well. Shall I brew a pot?”

“Yes, please. I would love some.”

Returning to the sink, he filled a kettle and set it on the stove to heat. He took a ceramic teapot from a high shelf, rinsed it, and filled it with a generous amount of earthy green herbs and tiny white flowers.

Rising from the chair, she joined him at the sink. “You cooked. I’ll clean.”

He dismissed her offer with a shake of his head. “No way. You’re my guest.”

“Guest by default. I want to be useful.”

He chased her away with a soft grunt. “You should be taking it easy. Sit on the couch and relax.” A look of concern creased his brow. “How does the bite feel?”

She explored the bandage with the light tap of her fingertips. “Better. It feels warm, but doesn’t hurt. I could describe the sensation as almost pleasant, as if someone has gently placed their palm against my throat. I’m aware of it, but not bothered.” Stretching her arms above her head, she groaned. “Um. My back is stiff.”

Picking up a bottle of dish soap, he squeezed some on a sponge. “That’s not surprising. You were in a car accident.”

Wriggling her shoulders, she bent forward to touch her toes. “Hey, look at this.” Hunching forward, she placed her hands on the floor. “Oh, it feels good to stretch. I usually can’t reach the floor with such ease. For some reason, I can do it now. Isn’t that funny, even after all those hours in the car?” Planting her palms firmly on the area rug, she started walking on all fours. “It’s such a shame humans can’t move around like this now and then. It feels great! My balance is so much better. Can you imagine what it must feel like to run down a steep hill, or leap onto boulders and land on four big paws? The physical confidence must be wonderful. I feel so strong. You know what? I think I could do a push-up.” She dropped to the floor and rose on bent arms with her back plank-straight. “Oh, my God, that’s the first military push-up I’ve done since junior high! What the hell? Who would have thought…! Let’s try some more.”

Mac tossed the soapy sponge in the sink and hurried toward her. With damp hands, he grabbed hold of her arm. “Watch out. Don’t overdo it.” He gently led her to the couch and motioned for her to sit.

“No.” She refused to sit. Frustration flared at having her newfound feat of strength interrupted. She bared her teeth and growled in his face.

Stepping back, he appeared startled. “Whoa! What was that for?”

Clamping her hand over her mouth, she gasped. “I’m so sorry! I don’t know why I did that. It like there’s a big grouchy animal inside waiting to get out.”

The look in his eyes was impossible to decipher. “It’s okay.”

“Mac, it’s not okay. For a moment, I almost believed I was stronger than I actually am. I wanted to run on all fours, climb things.” She gulped a deep breath and swayed. “Oh boy. Now I feel dizzy. Something doesn’t feel right. Maybe I did overdo it. Time to sit down before I fall down.” Staggering a step, she wilted onto the couch.

With a light touch, he placed a hand on her shoulder and sat beside her. “Andi, I’m going to make you a cup of tea. After you’ve tried my tea, everything is going to get better. You’ll see.”

A nervous chuckle slipped out of her. “You think pretty highly of your tea, don’t you? I’m acting like I belong in a zoo and you’re offering me a cuppa as the remedy.”

A crooked smile added charm to his face. “It’s worked miracles for me.”

“I hope it can soothe the savage beast because that’s what I feel like. Cross my heart, this overwhelming desire to run on all fours keeps sneaking up on me. ‘Run’ might be the wrong word. I want to lope. Lope!” She smacked the couch cushion with her hand. “Who lopes? Does that sound normal to you?”

The kettle whistled.

“Wait here,” he said with quiet authority. Rising, he strode into the kitchen to turn off the stove. He poured steaming water into the red teapot and gave it a swish. Leaning against the counter, he faced her. “This needs to steep several minutes.”

The faint scent of lavender hung in the air. “It smells nice.”

“You can already smell it?”

“Easily. It’s very distinct.”

“Damn,” he grumbled.

Wary that he had grown tired of her strange behavior, she pursued his comment.  “What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

Looking around the room, she noticed a piece of black-and-brown tartan framed and hung on the wall. “That’s interesting. I’ve never seen a Highland tartan with a pattern quite like that.”

He beamed. “You know about tartans?”

“A little. I’m a Brunell. My mother’s side of the family is Scottish and very proud. I hear there are not many Brunells left in Scotland. They all spread out into the world.”

Pointing at the frame, he stood guard over the teapot. “This is a piece of my ancestor’s kilt—Michael MacBrun, whom I’m named after. He is a legend in my family and said to have been a great warrior among great warriors. He was the first MacBrun to reach America and fought in the Revolution.” He paused. “Unfortunately, he wore a red coat. When he realized he’d fought for the wrong side of the cause, he switched. Afterward, he couldn’t go back. Michael melted into the backwoods. Loved it. Took an Algonquin woman as a wife. They say he was an especially big man for his day. The Algonquin called him ‘Makwa’—the bear.”

“Oh!” She rubbed her arm. “I got the chills when you said ‘bear.’ That’s the theme of the day, isn’t it? Bear. I can’t seem to escape it.”

“You might. We’ll see.”

“I’m sorry, what did you say? I didn’t hear that last part.”

“I’m just muttering.” Picking up the teapot, he poured the pale green concoction into two mugs and brought one to her.

She held the heavy earthenware mug below her nose. “Lovely. I can smell the chamomile.” A brief sip revealed a complex grassy flavor. “You’ve been an amazing host.” Tucking her feet beneath her, she shifted on the couch. An interesting art print of a castle in ruins caught her eye. “What’s that picture on the wall? Where is that? Something about it looks familiar.”

“That’s a popular art print from Victorian times. It’s part of the Highland pride revival.” He stood near the couch, sipping his tea. “The subject is Tor MacBrun. It served as a medieval armory and stronghold. The artist is Joseph McMahon. To be fair, the painting is pure flattery. I’ve been there. The sun never made an appearance and the ‘castle’ is little more than a crumbling maze of walls without a roof. But the structure’s lack of grandeur is irrelevant compared to the sacredness of the land. The place is heavily enchanted or haunted, so they say. It’s the place the MacBrun clan came into being.”

“Did you enjoy your trip to the Highlands?”

He dipped his chin and looked away. “Not especially. A bit of an eye-opening disappointment, if you must know.”

“Why? All that history. I would have been enthralled.”

“Too much history. I went with high expectations, but returned home empty-handed. In the end, I found nothing there for me.”

“I’d love to go. Scotland is a place I’m deeply attracted to. At least in theory. I travel a lot, but for some reason, I’m never sent there for work. Five-Star currently doesn’t own any properties outside London. If I had my way, that would change.”

“You’ve got a lot of ambition, don’t you?”

“Is that a bad thing? Sometimes I think it is. My mother used to say I was as driven as a long-haul trucker.”

“No father in your life?”

“None I ever met. He became a sore topic with my mother.”

An intense sparkle lit his eyes. “No brothers or sisters?”

“No to that as well.”

“So, technically, you’re an orphan?”

“I never thought of it that way, but yes, I suppose I am. I’m an orphan, but I ain’t no waif.” She tilted the mug and drank a gulp of fragrant tea.

Chapter Four

Another wave of guilt slammed into Mac. What had he done? This lovely woman, who would make a perfect mate, would soon piece together that she’d been deliberately bitten by a very horny bear and then slowly seduced and lied to until the bite took effect. Any hope of winning her over with her freewill intact was running out. Once she realized what he’d done, she’d hate him and want to flee as far from him as possible. The key now would be to put some space between them and keep it there.

They exchanged quiet glances. Staring at the peaches-and-cream glow to her skin, he asked himself if she had gotten prettier or if he’d fallen deeper under the mating thrall. At this point, he couldn’t tell and it probably didn’t matter. The urge to tangle his hands in her flowing hair and kiss her luscious mouth grew stronger. To be safe, he moved his chair back another arm’s length.

She seemed to sense his discomfort, and still holding the mug of tea, she rose from the seat. With aimless movements, she circled the cabin, stopping in front of the art print to study it. “Do the MacBruns still own this land?”

“Yes, why do you ask?”

“Just a little brainstorm firing in my head.”

“What were you thinking?”

“For starters, what a great setting. Look at the stunning panorama of the moor. I wouldn’t touch the ruins—”

“They wouldn’t let you.”

“I guessed that much. But there must be available land nearby, within sight of the castle. Wouldn’t it be fun to build a functioning reproduction of Tor MacBrun and run it like an historical destination? Offer modern amenities, like heated floors and plumbing. There’s no need to go overboard and get too medieval. Tourists will insist on Wi-Fi and phone chargers, but mostly I’d make it an off-the-grid experience. No cars allowed on the immediate property, horses and lorries only. A blacksmith’s hut. Battle reenactments—for fun. Wedding parties could be booked there. Arrange mock bridal kidnappings, with the bride’s full consent, of course. Grooms in kilts. Hell, you could earn back the initial investment from rental fees on a gothic wedding chapel and a photogenic dining hall alone. Who wouldn’t want some handsome wedding photos taken on horseback with a castle in the background? This one is a no-brainer. The biggest problem would be all those good-looking men in kilts. The bridesmaids would never go home. They’d want to go kilt chasing and grab a husband for themselves.”

“Based on a single art print, you’ve put my ancestors’ land into redevelopment and married off the locals?”

“That’s how my mind works. Is it crass? I’m just daydreaming.”

“It’s good to dream. There’s nothing wrong with that.” The thought clicked that he wasn’t the only MacBrun male to walk away from a gathering without a mate. Far from it. In fact, enforced bachelorhood had become the bane of his generation. “You keep mentioning brides and grooms. Are all the Five-Star properties geared to the wedding industry?”

“I didn’t even realize until you said it, but Five-Star is focused purely on hospitality. They have no real presence in the wedding industry. This idea would probably sound risky to them. If it happened, I’d have to make the proposal on my own. But, there is no way I could raise that sort of capital, so forget it.”

“Andi, if I contacted some relations of mine, would you like the opportunity to pitch your idea? They have funds to invest. No guarantees, but I’m almost certain they would give you a fair listen.”

She beamed. “You honestly think it’s a good idea?”

“I do, for a number of reasons.” The MacBruns had been steadily dwindling in number. In the modern world, there was no polite way to say to a woman, “May I bite you and turn you into a she-bear?” Ancient clan rules prevented any sort of casual exposure to outsiders. But if adventurous women voluntarily entered MacBrun territory and saw the MacBrun men at their best doing what they’d been bred for, riding horseback, working a forge, wielding a claymore, then nature might take its course.

“Mac, if you could introduce me to the right people to make a pitch to, I would be so grateful.” She lifted her mug of tea in a toast. “To a possible partnership.”

He tilted his raised mug toward her. “I’ll drink to that.”

“How soon can you contact your relatives?”

No way in hell did he expect to introduce voluptuous Andi to his heartsick male family members before the bite wore off and he had a chance to gauge if Andi had any real interest in him. “My goodness, you move fast. I’m not sure. The first month or so of spring thaw brings a crowd to Sierra Portal. I’ll be too busy. It would have to be early summer.”

She sighed. “You’re right. I won’t pressure you.” Setting the mug down on the counter, she glanced out the window. “Pretty moon tonight.”

“We call a skinny crescent like that a bear-claw moon.”

“Really? Who does?”

“The MacBruns. Brun means bear.”

“I knew that, but I didn’t make the conscious connection. See? It’s another synchronicity. Somebody once told me Brunell means brown bear in Gaelic. Isn’t that funny? Do you think the bear that rescued me today is my guardian angel? Maybe my mother sent the bear?”

“Who knows? Life is full of mysteries.” Tonight’s biggest mystery remained how he could resist scooping Andi into his arms and carrying her to his bed. He wanted to kiss her lips until desire made her soft in his arms, and caress every inch of her satiny skin. She was perfect for him. His bear had chosen well. But she was a strong woman. Once she discovered what the bite of the bear fully meant, would she react with rage, feel manipulated, even hate him? Such things had happened to others in the clan. In the past, unwilling she-bears had rebelled, run away, and, most painful of all, fled to another’s bed. He needed her consent and silently hoped there would be no more provocative comments tonight and no further she-bear behavior. If it happened, he was sure to lose his mind.

She wandered toward a doorjamb. “I’ve got one of those devilish little itches between my shoulder blades.” Pressing her back to the frame she rubbed up and down.  “Ah. There it is.” Bending and straightening her knees, she groaned. “Feels great. Is there a tree out back I could scratch against?”

“Andi, don’t!”

“I’m sorry. I’m being weird again, aren’t I?”

He covered his face with his palm and fought the impulse to stare. “I meant, don’t go outside. It’s too dark to walk on a muddy hillside.”

“I just can’t stop making a fool of myself, can I? I wish I knew why I keep doing this nonsense.” She glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. “Oh well. It’s a quarter to nine,” she mumbled. “Almost your bedtime. Let’s call it a day. I think I should sleep on the couch. You wouldn’t have an extra toothbrush would you?”

“I do have an extra toothbrush, still in its package.”

“I’m going to brush my teeth and stop saying stupid things.”

He got up to fetch the toothbrush. “Can I tell you something?”

Her gaze tracked him across the cabin. “Sure.”

Searching the bathroom medicine cabinet, he found the unopened toothbrush and set it on the edge of the sink. “I’ve loved having your company tonight.”

“Thank you, Mac. You’ve been a great host.”

“I was thinking, if the deal on the Bluebell Motor Lodge goes through, maybe you could visit me this summer?”

She flashed a flirty smile. “It might happen. So could the Tor MacBrun proposal. We might be seeing a lot of each other in the near future.” She walked past him, all the while looking into his eyes, the sparkle of interest in her gaze unmistakable. “Excuse me. I’m going to brush my teeth.” The door shut and the faucet ran.

He moaned. “Now what?”

“Did you say something?” she called out.

“No.” He made himself busy locating two extra blankets in the closet, and tossed them onto the couch and froze. Did he want Andi on his couch when she could be a warm, soft companion in his bed? The image of her tumbling onto his sheets and her silky hair fanning across his pillow filled his mind. It had been so long. His cock rose. “Stop throbbing!” He willed himself to relax.

She turned off the faucet. “Okay, that time I’m pretty sure you said something.”

“I’m all right.” He fished for a rational excuse. “I stubbed my toe.”

“And you ordered your toe to ‘stop throbbing?’ That’s wishful thinking. You’re starting to sound as kooky as me.” She exited the bathroom. Walking a slow circle around his living area, she stopped in front of a bookcase. Tilting her head, she scanned the titles. “You like to read?”

“This is a lonely job. It’s a necessity.”

“There’s a lot of variety here. History, political thrillers, Stephen King—I could not read anything of King’s at bedtime. I’d be awake all night. Wait. What’s this? A History of Clan MacBrun.” She reached for the battered leather volume.

He hurried over to stop her. “It’s very old. Don’t open it. The binding might crack.”

“Sorry.” With care, she slid the book back into place. “I hoped to learn a little something about Tor MacBrun.”

Without doubt, she’d learn too much. The book contained a partial registry of bear knights and the women they’d taken as wives.

She headed toward the couch and spread a blanket over the cushions. “You must be exhausted. I suppose I should say goodnight and let you go to bed.”

He gulped a ragged breath. “We should try to get some sleep.”

Arching her back, she stretched her arms above her head and yawned. The deep V of the pajama neckline revealed lots of cleavage. “It’s going to be very hard.”

“What’s going to be hard?” A touch of guilt crept into his voice.

“Hard to sleep.”

“Oh.” He sighed. “But try.”

She rolled her shoulders. “My muscles are so tense. I couldn’t talk you into a back rub, could I?”

Every fiber of his lust-starved body screamed, Yes. He fought the impulse to pounce and pin her beneath him on the couch. The impatient bear within growled in protest, wanting him to take decisive action. Feeling conflicted, he didn’t make a move.

Lowering her gaze, she frowned. “You’re right. I can see you’re tired. I shouldn’t have asked. I’m being a nuisance, aren’t I?”

A long night of temptation lay ahead. Having Andi so near would be difficult enough. Hearing her make provocative comments and veiled invitations as his self-control wore paper-thin could be disastrous. At least if she were asleep, he could police himself. What he’d done to her wasn’t fair, and he mustn’t take advantage. For all he knew, under normal circumstances, she might be a reserved person who wouldn’t flirt or make suggestive comments to someone she’d just met. This could be the bite talking, and he had to take ownership of that.

Wrapping a blanket around herself, Andi lay on the couch. “Good-night.”

“Good-night.” Who was he kidding?  Sleep wouldn’t arrive anytime soon. He went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Squeezing a bit of minty paste onto the bristles, he realized his cock just wouldn’t go down. It pressed hard against the snug fabric of his jeans. He scrubbed his teeth vigorously, creating a mouthful of foam that made him look like a rabid animal. His cock rose higher. “Damn.” The bear warned him, this would be his constant state until he claimed Andi as his mate. He stared at his reflection. The face in the mirror appeared harried and a wee bit wild-eyed. It did not bode well. “This isn’t the twelfth century. We don’t bite strangers and turn them into mates against their will. Got it?”

“Mac, did you say something?” she called.

“I’m just talking to myself.” He turned on the faucet and rinsed the brush. Her hearing had possibly been amplified by the bite. Too bad. That meant he couldn’t risk unsnapping his pants, taking hold of his shaft, and giving himself a few vigorous strokes to take the edge off. In his current mindset, he’d probably grunt like the territorial bull bear he was, or shout her name. How embarrassing would that be?

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

He braced his hands on the sink. “Ask.” His voice cracked.

“Do you think you could fall asleep with a light on?”

“I suppose so.”

“Great. I’d like to stay up a while and read. Maybe a book will help me relax? I’m feeling all wound up.”

“Go ahead.” He gazed at his reflection in the mirror and gave himself a much-needed pep talk. Andi is an ideal woman. She’s worth the trouble and the wait. Don’t move too fast and blow it. Let her come back to you in one month’s time and see if that sexy spark is still twinkling in her eyes. If not, it wasn’t meant to be.

“I’m sorry to bother you again, but did you say my name? I could swear you said my name.”

“No, sweetheart, I didn’t say anything.” Damn it! Gripping the edge of the sink, he winced. He’d called her sweetheart. It just flew out of his mouth. Now he looked foolish.

“You called me sweetheart and it didn’t sound the least bit sarcastic. I like it.”

“You’re not my sweetheart. I didn’t mean to say it. I don’t want to sound weird.”

“Actually, now you sound rude.”

“Andi, I apologize. I’m not used to company.”

“No one’s called me sweetheart in a long time. I didn’t think it was weird. I thought it was nice. We’ll let it go, okay?”

“Okay.” Deciding, for safety’s sake, he had better sleep in a pair of buttoned jeans, he tugged his T-shirt over his head. Bare chested, he opened the bathroom door and made a dash for the bed. The final steps were taken at a sprint.

At the last second, she glanced at him. “Wow. What a chest. You really keep yourself in great shape. I should probably go to the gym someday. Nah, maybe not.”

Throwing the covers aside, he leaped into the bed and drew the sheets over his head. “Good-night!”

She laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay on the couch with my book. I promise I won’t take my top off and parade around like you just did.”

A hearty laugh rumbled out of him. “What book did you choose?”

“A musty old Tom Clancy thriller. I’m pretty sure I read this one on a plane years ago. I don’t know how long it will hold my attention.”

He peered over the top of the sheet. “Isn’t it supposed to put you to sleep?”

“I’ve reread the dust jacket twice and forgotten it. So, yes, I’ll probably hit the snooze button immediately.”

“Sweet dreams.”

“Have fun counting sheep.”

For several minutes, he stared at the underside of the sheet, which hovered above his face like a tent. It got stuffy fast. The down comforter trapped in all his body heat. He wondered if Andi would be warm enough, or if he should get up now and put another log in the stove? He thought it better to stay put.

Beyond the partition, he heard her get up and walk around the living area. A book was set back on the shelf with a quiet scrape. Apparently, Tom Clancy and his Cold War plotlines couldn’t hold her interest after all. She moved a few books around before returning to the couch. The swoosh of the comforter being lifted and patted into place was followed by a deep sigh as she settled.

He wished to God he weren’t so tuned in to every tiny thing she did. His hypersensitive nose couldn’t ignore the enticing scent of her warm skin. He wanted her so badly it hurt. It took all his self-control to not toss the comforter aside and invite her to join him in bed. Shifting uncomfortably on the mattress, he adjusted his balls. His cock just wouldn’t take a hint and call it a day. If he survived with his personal ethics intact, this would be the longest night of his life.

Minutes dragged. Time passed. By some miracle brought on by genuine exhaustion, he drifted off.

He woke up to a soft hand brushing his cheek.

“Mac?” Andi whispered. “Are you awake?”

The mattress flexed. A warm body stretched out beside him. The tangy scent of female arousal teased his senses. His cock stirred as his eyes bolted open in alarm. “What?”

He grabbed his pillow from beneath his head and held it awkwardly in front of his erection. “Is something wrong?” Scrambling upright, he scooted away from her and leaned against the headboard.

The lights were out and the moon had set. Andi’s dark silhouette claimed half the bed. “I did something I shouldn’t have done. I scared myself, and now I can’t sleep. Can I stay next to you for a few minutes?”

“What did you do?” He hunched over the pillow.

“I started reading Stephen King’s Cujo. I know I shouldn’t have. It’s good. You can get sucked in fast. Before I knew it, I was wide-awake, listening for the sounds of a rabid animal creeping up behind me, and then it really did get crazy. I started hearing things outside the cabin. Snuffling noises. Digging. Tiny footsteps crunching leaves.” She shuddered. “I stopped reading and turned out the lights, but the noises got louder. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.”

A gentle laugh crossed his lips. “You were reading Cujo? Does this have anything to do with being bitten by the bear?”

“Oh, gosh, I didn’t even think of that.”

He hoped he sounded reassuring. “Andi, I’m pretty sure you won’t get rabies and everything is going to be okay. Those footsteps outside the cabin are a troop of raccoons that show up every now and then to ransack my greenhouse. A big mean one has developed a taste for tomatoes.”

A quiet laugh bubbled out of her. “I should have known it was something like that. I just couldn’t shake the creepy feeling something was wrong.”

“You should try to get some sleep.”

Rising onto her elbow, she brushed a lock of hair from her face. “Can I tell you something?”

Having her so close racked his nerves. He clutched the pillow harder. “Sure.”

“It might sound a little nutty.” She groaned. “Maybe I shouldn’t say anything? Oh, what the hell, I’ll just tell you. I keep feeling like I’m a bear—a real bear. I know what you’re thinking, just because I was bitten by a bear, now I’m being dramatic. But wait. If I close my eyes, I can see the world through a bear’s eyes. It’s sort of fun. I can easily imagine I’ve got this big, strong body and I’m moving around on four huge paws. It’s a good feeling. Like nothing can stop me.”

“Wow.” He had no idea what to say.

She touched the bandage on her throat. “It’s hard to put into words, but I feel like the bear chose me for something special. Does that sound crazy?”

“Not at all. You are something special.”

“Thank you, Mac.” She gazed at him with a wisp of expectation on her face.

He sensed she waited for an invitation to remain in his bed. She wanted him and God knew how much he desired her. He whiffed the warm notes of sexual arousal beneath the sharper scent of fearful excitement. It would be so easy to draw her against his chest, kiss her sweet mouth, nip her throat, and then shred the damn pajamas to pieces. But that sort of activity would lead straight to trouble’s door. In his current overwrought state, the touch of bare skin on skin would quickly escalate. Abandonment would lead to penetration. Penetration would lead to a full-blown claim bite. A claim bite would lead to: You bastard! What the fuck have you done to me? His hands trembled. “You better go back to the couch and cover up before you catch cold.”

“Now?” she squeaked. Disappointment flooded her face.

“Try to get a little sleep.” He glanced out the window. On the eastern ridge, the night sky had lightened to cobalt blue. “It will be morning soon.”

With a hand on her heart, she rose from the mattress, looking perplexed, if not downright peeved. Taking slogging steps, she returned to the couch and threw herself down with a soft thud.

Now he felt like a prick. He’d left her hurt and confused, and she hadn’t misread anything. He liked her a lot. “Liked” wasn’t the word he was looking for. “Over the moon enthusiastic” was a better description. What was more, for once, his no-nonsense bear instincts cut past the chaotic jumble of human doubts and insecurities and just blurted the truth—his future lay with her. The bold assertion arrived in his heart as undeniable fact. He’d just been struck by the fabled cosmic yahoo. Others had alluded to how great it felt to find one’s fated mate, but hearing about it didn’t carry the same chilling thrill as feeling it seep into the marrow of his bones and knowing saucy Miss Andi Brunell could be his companion, lover, and the mother of his future children. Now all he needed to do was treat her fairly until his bite wore off and see if she felt the same.

He waited with keen ears trained toward the couch. She muttered something under her breath, and he knew she wasn’t sleeping any more than he was. Oh, well, it was for her own good—their own good. He already thought of them as a couple and wanted their first time and the decisive claim bite to be delivered in a sober state of mind with Andi’s full consent. Not something sneaky that lurked below the surface. Even though the current situation tortured him, he knew she’d be worth the wait.

With a string of restless motions, she made a lot of noise. She tossed and turned and punched the pillow.

A twinge of guilt needled him. He’d done this to her. The bite had heated her blood and made her receptive to all the fiery temptations he longed to share with her. He knew exactly what she wanted, but this wasn’t the time. “Andi?”

“Yes.” Her voice floated over the partition. “Am I making too much noise?”

He sat. “Do you want to talk?”

“I’m keeping you awake, aren’t I?” She sounded defeated. “You’ve been so kind, and I’ve been a weirdo. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I’m sorry.”

Drawing his knees to his chest, he rocked. “Tonight opened my eyes.”

“Uh oh.” She sounded wary.

“In a good way. I’ve enjoyed your company. Do you… Would you consider visiting me again, maybe next month?”

“Are you sure you’d want me to?” Her voice rose with surprise.

“Very sure.”

“You’re a long day’s drive out of my zip code.”

“I know.” He sensed it would be best if Andi had a solid reason to return in a month’s time. Things would feel more natural. “What could I say that would convince you to drive a treacherous mountain road?”

“Say the word ‘pasta.’”

“I can speak to the owners of the Bluebell and make sure they’re primed to sell. As soon as the road is cleared, I’ll pay them a visit and grease those wheels.”

“That’s right. I have to come back and meet with them.”

“So is that a yes? You’ll visit again?” If she wouldn’t come to him, he’d have to contrive an excuse to drop in on her in West Los Angeles, though the bear in him wanted their courtship to proceed in the mountains.

“Mac?”

“Yes.”

“May I ask you an awkward question?”

He braced. “Go ahead.”

“You’re asking if I’d make a six-hour drive to visit you.” Her halting words were drenched in uncertainty. “Unless I’m wildly misreading the signals, I sense there’s chemistry between us.”

“There is.” Her understatement took his breath. “I think you’re amazing.”

“Right now, I’m not a day’s drive from you. I’m only a few yards away on your couch.” A touch of doubt crept into her voice. “Why haven’t you even tried to kiss me?”

His eyes closed as his heart leaped against his ribs. The bear inside snarled and berated him as a fool for being so cautious. But the man in him knew—the wrong word, a misstep, could send his dream woman fleeing. “This is stupid!”

“What?” She sounded shocked.

He flung the covers aside and jumped out of bed. In a flash, he strode around the partition, crossed the floor, and stopped in front of the couch, well aware that even in jeans the bulge in pants was obvious.

She stared at him, wide-eyed.

“Get up.” The words were as subtle as a fistful of gravel striking glass.

Andi froze.

He yanked the blanket aside and bent down to scoop her into his arms.

She squealed as he picked her up and lifted her to his chest. “What are you doing? Put me down!”

A moment of frenzy ran riot inside. He’d never felt this out of control with a woman. Andi whipped him up like a brush fire.

“Mac!” She squirmed in his arms.

He had not meant to scare her and was now afraid he had. He set her down next to the wall. The moment her feet reached the area rug, he pressed himself against her. Her lush curves and warm flesh made him harder. Taking hold of her wrists, he brought her arms above her head and pinned them there. With labored breath, he brushed his chest against her, feeling her soft breasts through the flannel and wishing his hands were free to rip the buttons away. Parting her thighs with his knee, he pressed against her. His cock rose so high, he thought the snaps on his fly might explode. “Does this feel like a man who doesn’t want to kiss you?”

Tilting her head, she gazed at him with languid eyes. “Do it.”

A burst of radio static broke the spell, followed by the sound of spinning helicopter blades thundering on the horizon. Whop, whop, whop, whop.

Turning his head, he glanced out the window. The first golden ribbon of dawn had arrived and so had the Search and Rescue helicopter that looked like an acid yellow locust skimming the ridgeline.

The radio crackled. “Mac, pick up.” Warren’s voice boomed into the cabin. “I should have called a few minutes ago and given you some warning. We are having one hell of a morning. Lots of storm damage. Chopper-4 is on the way.”

Mac released his grip on Andi and reluctantly drew away. Parting from her was as difficult as separating two thick strips of Velcro. He walked toward the radio console and clicked the speaker on. “Sierra Portal station. We’re here.”

“Good, you’re awake. This is one of those gotta be in two places at once sort of days. Have Miss Brunell ready to go. We’re going to fly her straight to Sierra Memorial for evaluation, and head right back out to look for motorists stranded by mudslides.”

Andi’s dark eyes turned liquid. A complicated mix of emotions shone on her face. She reached for her boots, set near the iron stove.

“I’ll get your clothes from the dryer.” Mac walked into the mudroom and retrieved her things. He returned and handed her the jumbled bundle of fabric.

“I’d better get dressed.” With a somber expression, she entered the bathroom and shut the door.

With a deafening hum, the chopper landed on the concrete helipad uphill from the cabin, kicking a cyclone of debris into the air.

An EMT wearing a helmet and bright yellow vest leaped out of the chopper. Hunched low, he crossed the parking area behind the cabin, holding a collapsible cart.

Mac recognized the EMT as a guy named Sam. They’d crossed paths a few times during fire season.

When Sam reached the cabin, Mac opened the door for him. “You’re flying early today.”

A look of concern tugged at the edges of Sam’s gray eyes. He unfurled the cart. “I wish we could have flown last night. Where’s our guest of honor?” he shouted, above the drone of the idling engine. “How severe are her injuries?”

Andi exited the bathroom, dressed, with her hair finger combed away from her face. She walked to Mac’s side. “Not severe at all. A few bruises and an animal bite. I’m ready to go.”

Sam’s cool gaze snapped into focus. “What sort of animal?”

“A bear carried me from the wreckage of my SUV.”

“The SUV in the ravine?” Sam gave Mac a brief but potent glance that said, Dude, is she drunk? He collapsed the cart and offered Andi his hand. “Be sure to tell your doctor about that. We have several missions to fly this morning, so let’s get you to the hospital fast.”

Andi hovered at Mac’s side. Her lips parted, and for a heart-shattering moment, he thought she might lean close and kiss him good-bye. He both craved and dreaded his reaction to her touch.

Her lips nearly brushed his. “Thanks for everything,” she whispered.

Sam took hold of her arm and drew her away. “Gotta go.”

She clung to Sam’s hand as he crouched low and led her to the chopper. Mac watched Sam shout directions to her, but could not hear what was said. Andi’s golden-brown hair whipped around her face. With his hand on the small of her back, Sam helped her inside and buckled her into a seat. A minute later, the high-pitched whine of the engine roared and the helicopter lifted into the air, banked in a sharp arc, and flew west. He kept staring long after the big yellow grasshopper disappeared over the ridgeline.

Chapter Five

Ten Days Later

Bathed in spring sunlight, the Sierra Portal highway looked lovely. Andi had been driving the luxurious rental sedan for over a week, but still didn’t like it. She missed the outdoorsy feel of the SUV. The hardy truck had come to represent a whole new way of life.

It might have been triggered by her mother’s passing or the accident, but in recent days, she had changed so dramatically, she no longer recognized herself. In some indefinable way, Mac and the encounter with the bear had cut the tether on everything familiar, so much so it had been painful to return to work and face an existence that had lost its luster.

She craved time outdoors. The new sense of adventure had become wildly incompatible with her job, which required endless hours at a desk with a headset strapped on. Even stranger, for the first time in her life, she actually wanted to do push-ups and had no problem pumping them out in brisk sets of twenty. With her old life suddenly gone stale, something had to change.

First, she needed to find out where things stood with Mac. She’d left multiple messages with the county dispatch office in several failed attempts to communicate with him. He never answered. She even hunted down his buddy, Warren, in Search and Rescue and begged him for an e-mail or PO Box address. None were forthcoming. Worst of all, she feared she was on the border of being a stalker or a pest and worried that the special something she’d sensed between them had been the wishful residue of a scotch-addled mind.

Mac had been an angel. The morning she’d left, he’d repelled into the ravine and salvaged her gear and even her mother’s ashes from the overturned SUV then made sure they safely reached her. He had them shipped to West L.A. In a single terse note, he made it clear he wanted her to visit in one month’s time, but how the hell could she last an entire month without some sort of meaningful contact? The suspense was killing her. So, with feverish preparation, she played hooky from work, filled a backpack, then got in the car and drove. Most of all, she needed to look into Mac eyes and see for herself what was going on.

The road wound higher. The sign came into view: SIERRA PORTAL RANGER STATION. TURNOUT. ONE MILE.

Glancing toward the scarred hillside covered in sandbags, she realized she’d arrived at the exact spot where the bear had rolled in front of her SUV and she’d gone skidding over the side. Silently, she promised herself that later she would climb down the grade and see the place where the bear had fished her from the river. Every time she thought of the bear, her heart swelled with gratitude. Her furry savior had taken on almost mystical proportions.

The turnout loomed ahead, along with the steep road that lead to the ranger station. She made a left and started up the bumpy grade. In a car with such low clearance, the ride was a gas-tank scraper. At that moment, she vowed that as soon as her insurance company settled, she would replace the plush upholstered luxury sedan with a vehicle fit to take on the elements.

When she reached the station, quiet reigned. The blinds were shut and Mac’s truck was nowhere in sight. She turned off the engine, opened the door, and got out. “Mac!” she called, not expecting an answer.

She peered inside the tiny greenhouse. Rows of newly potted plants with fresh shoots lined the shelves. Strolling along the deck, she came to the front entrance of the cabin and knocked. No answer.

A yellow note tagged to the mail slot caught her attention. The note read: Warren, I’m working the east slope, regrading the fire roads. Back on Thursday. Mac.

Damn, it was Wednesday. She’d planned badly. Looking out at the eastern ridgeline, she was stunned by the panoramic view. The trip didn’t have to be a complete washout. For a moment, she considered driving down the mountain to speak with the owners of the Bluebell, but the soaring vista of green trees leading up to the portal trail called louder.

“Yep, I’m gonna do it,” she mumbled.  “Today’s the day.” With quick steps, she returned to her car and unlocked the trunk, which was jammed full of groceries she’d intended to leave for Mac and a stuffed backpack. She unloaded a cardboard box of groceries first and set it inside the greenhouse. None of the food needed refrigeration. The cache included a special bottle of aged scotch, several varieties of gourmet olive oils and pastas, a tin of pastel-colored macaroons, and other assorted luxuries to stock his pantry.  She’d even tucked a bottle of white wine in the box for herself.

Digging through the glove compartment, she located a pen and notepad with the rental agency’s information printed on the top.

She scrawled a brief note: Mac, I hid a box of treats for you in the greenhouse. I hope the raccoons don’t break in and steal the linguini.  I’m going to attempt Sierra Portal’s north face. I hope to see you when I return. She almost wrote love Andi, but thought better of it and simply signed Andi.

Returning to the front of the cabin, she secured the note to the lip of the mail slot with a clothespin. She knelt to retie the laces on her hiking boots and retrieved her backpack from the trunk. After locking her car, she glanced toward the portal trail. The clouds parted and like a divine compass needle, a beam of sunlight lit the summit. She started walking with the plan to follow the river to the trailhead.  It would be a little out of the way, but she had something important to do first.

The stroll downhill went fast. Soon she found herself at the highway and gazing over the side of the ravine at the spot where her SUV had landed on the muddy bank. Everything looked different today. The river ran clear and calm, and was half the width she remembered. She glimpsed no sign of her SUV. Warren had told her it had been lifted by crane from the ravine and hauled away.

Below the road, she spotted a boulder and walked toward it. She stopped and removed her pack, choosing this as a good place to set up a thank-you shrine to the bear. Opening the backpack, she rummaged through it.

Mac wasn’t the only one who deserved a treat. The bear had become an obsession as well. She’d always liked bears, but now she loved them. The bear had become her living good-luck charm, and a symbol of a new way of life. The creature even worked its way into her dreams, arriving nightly as a big protective presence that dominated her heart.

Cautious to not appear crazy, she’d told no one about it. Even more unsettling, she’d started writing what amounted to love poems addressed to the bear. A therapist might call her behavior shock induced, or a coping mechanism. Whatever name it went by, she knew the intense fixation needed to end and hoped today’s offering would quell her preoccupation.

Removing a small parcel from the bottom of the pack, she opened it. A wooden box filled with golden honeycomb was set on the ground. The creamy beeswax had a delicate, sweet scent. Next, she grabbed a package of jerked buffalo and set the dried meat beside the honey. In her first real attempt at baking, she’d fashioned a dozen hunched gingerbread bears and arranged them like a circle of guardians surrounding the rock. She stepped back to view the effect. A stack of poems she’d written for the bear were added last.

For a moment, she worried what others would think if they happened to notice any of this and almost snatched the poems back. Then the reassuring thought occurred that the shrine’s impermanence made discovery unlikely. The boulder was not visible from the road. In no time, the bear or ants would come and help themselves to the food and the sun would quickly bleach and crumble the rice paper she’d used to write the poems. The wind and rain would wash the final bits away. Nothing aside from the balsa box would outlast the summer.

Holding the image of the bear firmly in her mind, she whispered, “Thank you.” What confused her was the moment she thought “bear,” the image of Mac’s face intruded into her thoughts as well. The sparkle in his brown eyes loomed vividly in her imagination. In daydreams, his gravelly voice replayed caring words again and again. She feared she couldn’t trust her memory and might be exaggerating her experience. Mac had been on her mind so much it had become a real worry. Where he was concerned, her emotions were amplified and zoomed out of control. The feelings were uncomfortable, even disturbing to someone like her, who’d always kept a cool head and put her career first.

Another reason why a challenging hike might do her some good. She’d fallen in lust with a man who lived his life the complete opposite of her. Could she make such a profound change in her lifestyle? She couldn’t wait to see him again and find out if they actually made sense as a couple, or if this was just an overheated fantasy swirling around in her head. For now, she’d take her newfound desire to be an outdoors type of gal for a test drive and see if she could tackle the portal trail by herself.

Hoisting the backpack onto her shoulders, she walked toward an obscure brown sign with white lettering marked: Trailhead 0.4 Miles.

Mac finished grading a steep section of road. It had been a tough job lifting and emptying so many bags of pumice and filling the worst potholes and deepest ruts. He’d been glad to do it early in spring before the sun baked the dirt to hardened clay. With fervor, he performed two days of work in one. All the material had been used. He might as well go back. It made no sense to spend the night on the eastern ridge. Now he’d have to look for the next exhausting task to throw himself into to avoid thinking about Andi.

They were only ten days into the danger zone. Andi was still at the mercy of his bear pheromones. In their situation, peril was a two-way street. He felt tortured. She haunted his days and dominated his nights. Eating, sleeping, and living in general had become complicated. Worry came and went with regularity. What if she didn’t like him once the initial bite wore off? It could happen, and what then?

His reaction to Andi shocked him because at his age, he’d thought he’d made peace with his unmated status, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. With all his heart, he hoped the damn Bluebell Motor Lodge sale would go through and that she’d spend a good portion of the coming months on his mountain. They could get to know each other, and with strict self-restraint to avoid another bite, he might even risk taking her to his bed. God, how much would he love that? If he could maintain his patience and things went as well as he hoped, maybe in a few months’ time, he’d share his secret and let her know exactly what the deal was.

Climbing into the truck, he turned the engine over. The truck rolled slowly downhill. The afternoon sun beyond the dusty windshield made him squint. Daytime remained bearable, but the night intensified his longing for Andi. He’d spend the evening wanting her and moping around the cabin in a grouchy mood. He’d not even trusted himself to contact her in any way, not even an e-mail, and he still had eighteen nerve-shredding days ahead until they were in the clear. The moment the next bear-claw moon rose in the sky, he needed to see her, and he’d considered the possibility of surprising her on her own turf. He was confident that if he really put his mind to it, he’d think of a plausible excuse to visit her in L.A.

When he reached the ranger station, he thought it looked extra lonely. Then he saw the silver town car parked near his greenhouse and hoped it belonged to some tourists who’d stopped to ask directions. Somehow, he guessed that wasn’t the case. His heart and mind flew into panic mode at the same instant. He opened the door and leaped from the truck so fast, his boots hit the ground before it rolled to a complete stop. “Andi?” he shouted.

No answer.

He ran over to the sedan and peered through the windows. The neat interior betrayed no clues to the identity of its driver. Placing his hand on the hood, he noted the sun had warmed the metal but the engine beneath had cooled. Hours might have passed. He wondered if she could be waiting on the front porch. Taking long strides toward the cabin, he couldn’t reach the front door fast enough. Turning the corner, he saw no one there, but a larger piece of paper had been pinned next to the note he’d left for Warren.

Snatching the clothespin away, he unfolded the note. A faint whiff of vanilla perfume covered the paper, along with the enticing hint of female bear in season. Holding the paper to his nose, he inhaled the enthralling scent.

Matters had progressed. The scent of she-bear was many times stronger than it had been the night she’d spent with him. His hands trembled as he read and reread the note, trying to grasp the message. She’d been here earlier today. He glanced west. She was on foot heading toward the portal trail.

Holy fuck, why had she done this? He doubted she’d be prepared for how demanding the trail could be. At this time, there was no way in hell he could be anywhere near her and not behave like a randy bull bear. A disaster of epic proportions brewed, and to make it all worse, he knew the scent of she-bear heat on her skin might attract the attention of an actual male bear. Just last autumn, two bulls had been tagged in the area. Poor Andi—precarious situations awaited her at every turn, and she had no idea.

He retrieved the box of treats from the greenhouse. Hurrying inside the cabin, he threw a few essentials into a pack he’d modified to be worn on his back or carried in his mouth when in bear form. The rubberized padding on the pack’s straps made it possible to have clothing, food, and keys handy for those times he planned to travel as both a man and a bear.

Andi likely had a head start of many hours. In a cloud of anxiety, he locked the cabin and set off, confident his long legs and better conditioning would help him overtake her before sundown. The journey started at a brisk pace, almost a jog. Could Andi hike this fast over steep terrain? He doubted it and smugly reasoned that at his current blistering pace, he’d catch up to her in no time.

When he reached the highway, he raced past the turnout on his way to the trailhead. The sugary scent of sun-warmed honeycomb brought him to a halt. He sniffed the air, salivating. Where did the honey come from? There had not been a bees’ nest near the turnout when he’d passed this way yesterday.

Following his nose, he headed toward the ravine. There were still scars dug into the ground where the heavy crane had been braced against the boulders to retrieve Andi’s wrecked SUV. Glancing over the side of the road, he saw a line of bear-shaped cookies set like sentinels around a boulder. A smoky scent greeted his nose as well. He climbed over the edge to investigate. His boots landed on a flat-topped rock. There he saw the group of offerings. He leaned closer to inspect a marching line of bears and saw wedged between the rocks a stack of dried meat set beside a box of glossy honeycomb. It looked delicious and he almost snatched it from its hiding place. The entire area had Andi’s distinctive scent all over it. She’d left gifts for the bear. Her affectionate gesture filled him with so much hope he wanted to shout for joy. Instead, he reverently broke a gingerbread bear in half and tucked the souvenir into his pocket.

Then the envelopes gained his attention. They were pale rice paper bundled together with jute. With care, he slid a single envelope from the stack and opened it. The handwriting was neat and feminine. Andi had beautiful penmanship. He scanned the page, at first confused by the content, but soon realized he was reading poetry directed at the bear. His gaze skimmed the lines that read like an abstract confession of lust and fear.

Conflicted, he froze. He had not been invited to read this personal glimpse into Andi’s thoughts, but he was grateful to know how she felt. Then an irrational touch of jealousy welled. She’d presented him with a bottle of good scotch and some pasta, which he loved, but she’d offered the bear her heart and soul. There were at least six envelopes in the stack. With misplaced envy bedeviling him, he reached for the poems, planning to open each envelope and read them all.

“No.” He didn’t feel good about snooping behind her back, and returned the envelopes to their sheltered niche. These were private sentiments between Andi and his bear. If she had something similar to say to him, he hoped she’d say it to his face, preferably while pressed against him and gazing into his eyes.

Rising, he stepped away from the spot made sacred by Andi’s loving presence. The ultimate prize awaited him farther up the trail. With evening coming, he couldn’t leave her on the mountain alone.

He climbed back onto the road and walked a quarter mile to the portal trail, which wound in zigzagging switchbacks toward the summit. The path was shaded by pines and clearly marked. Any hiker of moderate skill could make good time. A light drizzle the night before had left the clay path impressionable. A far daintier pair of boots than his had pressed a distinct hearts, clubs, and diamonds pattern into the damp ground.

Every now and then, he caught a faint whiff of her. Sometimes it was a mere hint of scent left on a branch she had brushed against, or on a patch of wild flowers she’d stopped to admire. He imagined what the trail must look like through her eyes. Was she enjoying the cloudless vistas, or wondering if she’d taken on more than she could handle? He had no idea. More relevant, when he caught up to her, would she be happy to see him or peeved at his intrusion? The farther he walked, the more apprehensive he got.

The trail grew steeper and made a sharp turn. On the west face, Mac had a clear view ahead. Moving fast and breathing hard, he gazed across a rugged gorge and miles of twisting trail. Andi remained nowhere in sight. He’d expected to see her immediately. Where was she? His keen gaze scanned the landscape. Thankfully, there were no bodies in plain sight, nor were there shrieking ravens circling above. He worried that by now she would be nearing exhaustion and barely trudging.

Then a speck of red on the distant horizon caught his eye. He paused to remove his binoculars from the top pocket of the pack. Squinting, he honed in on the moving object. On a sun-drenched slope on the farthest edge of the western face, he saw her. He was shocked to see how far she had traveled. She marched at a brisk clip, back straight, chin held high, and would soon be nearing the north face switchback where she would move beyond view.

“Oh no, you don’t.” He slipped the binoculars back into the pack, zipped it, and broke into a sprint. “I’m going to keep my eyes on you.” Grunting like an angry bear, he sped along the trail, but soon had to admit he was tiring. Andi had made good progress by anyone’s standards. It both impressed and worried him. Now faster and stronger, she’d gone she-bear on him. The closer he got, the weaker his willpower would get. He raced toward personal folly, and he’d doomed Andi. He’d been snared in the ultimate no-win situation.

If he maintained a runners’ pace, Mac might catch up to Andi within an hour. His lungs ached just thinking about it. Then again, Andi might stop to make camp. He prayed she would. It would give him a chance to ease up and get himself under control so he didn’t race up on her at nightfall, panting like a wild man.

Putting one boot in front of the other, he pounded along at a steady gait. As the trail got even steeper, he slowed. Andi disappeared from view around a bend. The sun skimmed the ridgeline. The sky turned peach, and purple shadows were cast over the trail. He didn’t have time to stop and fully appreciate the panoramic beauty of a spring sunset on the Sierras. Choosing each step with care, he plodded forward.

Then, in a soft patch of dirt on the side of the trail, he saw them. Bear prints, big ones belonging to a bull. “Goddamn!”

The animal had clawed the ground to hoist its great bulk up the steep side of the canyon and traversed the trail at several points. The heavy scent of male musk hung in the air. Following the prints, he saw the bear had chosen to climb back down the canyon wall and take a shortcut along the western slope.

Obviously, the bear had caught Andi’s scent and now tracked her.

Mac braced for a disastrous game of beat-the-clock against another male bear. “Andi!” He burst into a sprint. All exhaustion fled as his heart jackhammered inside his ribs. “Andi!” He shouted her name even though he knew there was no way in hell his voice could carry the length of the gorge. At that moment, he hated himself for biting her and putting her in such danger. He’d been foolish to believe the she-bear in her would stay put in the city. He should have guessed she’d want to roam in the wild.

Halfway to the goal, his stamina faded. Slowing, he wished he could take a short break. Just below the trail, he heard a loud snort. He glanced over the edge to the canyon below. Upwind of him, a large black bear ambled across a debris field of slate and shrubbery. The bear paused to sniff the air and then climbed the grade and scrambled back onto the trail. For a moment, the bear looked his way and stared, as if it were assessing the competition. Perhaps sensing a threat, the bear turned its back to him and broke into a lope, headed in Andi’s direction.

“You bastard!” He took off running. The race was on. The bear disappeared around the bend.

Chapter Six

Andi arrived on the north face, took one look at the jagged, bald peak above, and called it a day. Here, the trail had widened just enough to lay down a sleeping bag. Even better, as the guidebook had promised, an icy waterfall of freshly melted snow trickled over the rocks. This would be a good place to make camp.

She slipped the pack from her aching shoulders and stretched. Surprised she had done so well today, she sighed with relief. Even Mr. CrossFit would have been impressed. The obsessive stair climbing she’d been doing daily had really paid off. After the longest hike of her life, miraculously she wasn’t sore; though she suspected that could change by morning. Overall, she was proud. She’d pushed beyond her comfort zone, done something new, and it felt great. The view of the world from atop the Sierras at sunset thrilled her.

Too bad Mac wasn’t with her to make the moment over-the-top fabulous.

The temperature dropped. She unzipped her pack, grabbed a second polar-fleece hoodie, and slipped it over her head.  Then she took out her water bottle with the built-in filter and patiently filled it at the waterfall. Priming the pump, she gave the plunger several energetic strokes. The water in the drinking container appeared crystal clear, but the filter guaranteed any unfriendly bugs wouldn’t be invited to the party in her lower GI tract.

Flipping the top of the bottle open, she brought it to her lips and took a long drink. The water was so cold it gave her a brain freeze, but so delicious after her challenging afternoon march that she luxuriated in the feeling.

Her stomach grumbled. She set her rolled sleeping bag on the ground and used it as a seat as she dug through the pack for the double-sealed food sack. Once it was located, she unzipped it and pulled out carefully rationed bags of shelled nuts, dried fruit, her favorite tiny round cheeses dipped in red wax, and, the star of the show, bacon jerky. She grabbed a piece of jerky first. The smoky flavor made her mouth water. Untrue to its name, this jerky wasn’t dry. The texture was soft, chewy, salty, and sweet at the same moment, and so rich it melted in her mouth.

“When I buy the Bluebell Motor Lodge, I’m going to put this in every welcome basket in every room.” As she chewed, she dreamed of quitting Five-Star and going independent. “I could do this. I could live like this.” She laughed at her mumblings. “Listen to that rant! What the hell has gotten into me?”

After finishing the jerky, she unzipped the wax jacket from a mini round of cheese. The gouda was creamy and had a slight bite to it. The snacks hit the spot. She checked to see that the Belgian chocolate bar she’d stashed in the pack had not melted; it hadn’t.

The sky turned a brilliant shade of ruby and bathed all the mountain ridges beneath with hot pink. Her mother came to mind. The breathtaking moment was so beautiful she stared, with warm tears trickling down her cheeks. She gave into a hard cry, complete with wet gurgling sounds. It occurred to her this was what her mother had always wished to share with her—nature, the splendor of the mountains, a drink of pure water—but she’d been too disinterested or busy striving to get her career established to ever make the outdoors her thing. She’d been such a fool.

Situations changed. It wasn’t too late. Digging to the bottom of the pack, she retrieved a small box that contained a portion of her mother’s ashes. Looking into the scarlet sunset, she knew the perfect moment had arrived.

She stood and walked to the edge of the chasm. Opening the lid, she shook the ashes into the air. They shifted on the breeze like a foggy veil before sinking. “I love you, Mom. You’ll always be with me. Especially today.”

A grunt caught her attention. She turned. A bear lumbered along the path, headed toward her pack. With its head raised, the creature sniffed the air. It snorted as drool poured from its mouth.

She froze in overwhelmed awe. “Oh, God,” she muttered. “What do I do?” Standing on the widest part of the trail, at no point did she have more than five yards between a chasm and a cliff. Short of outrunning a bear, which she doubted she could do, she was trapped. With her pulse pounding, she slowly backed against an outcropping.

The bear ignored her and stuck its head inside her pack to root around. It gobbled food, plastic bags and all.

With great restraint, she stopped herself from shouting at the bear, and instead allowed it to plunder her pack. Folding her arms across her chest to make herself look small, she remained still. Could this be her bear, the one that had saved her? Perhaps she had nothing to fear. As majestic as this creature was, she remembered “her” bear as being bigger, browner, and far more dignified, almost human in its behavior. This bear made slurping sounds as it shamelessly chowed down on her trail mix. Grunting, it tore into a foil packet.

“Not the bacon jerky!” She had finally reached her limit. “Leave me something.”

Snarling, the bear turned on her with rubbery lips drawn and fangs bared. The bloodcurdling sight made her quail.

It took hold of her pack, shook it hard, and then flung the pack into the chasm.

“No!” she screamed as the pack arced high into the air and then plummeted from view.  Everything she needed to survive the night disappeared over the edge. “Why?”  Despair washed over her.

The bear focused its attention on her. Its nostrils dilated and sniffed in her direction. Something about the intense gleam in its eyes added to her worries that the bear’s interest wasn’t only in the contents of her pack. In a display of dominance, it reared onto its hind legs and released an ominous bellow. When its front paws smacked the dirt, it charged toward her with the explosive power of a speeding freight train.

“Oh, shit!” She stumbled a few faltering steps then ran, but trying to outrun a bear was like racing a lightning bolt. In several bounds, the creature caught up with her and pawed her ankles. She tripped and hit the ground hard.  In an instant, the bear stooped over her with its moist breath bathing her face. Drawing her limbs close, she curled into a ball.

With a clumsy step, the bear straddled her and snuffled its wet muzzle against her clothing. Locked between its forepaws, she whimpered and waited for the worst to happen. She tried to mutter a prayer, but instead, ended up holding her breath.

A booming growl warned her that a second bear had joined the first. It loped around the bend and paused to survey the scene.

Numb with terror, she noticed this bear was the size of a grizzly, shaggier than the black bear, with a broader head. Fiery menace glowed in its eyes. It snarled at the sleeker black bear, showing curved canines and switchblade-length claws.

The thought of being torn to ribbons between two warring bears made her gut lurch. She rolled out of the way to avoid being crushed by the quarreling giants.

Standing on its hind legs, the grizzly roared so loudly the canyon rang.

With a submissive whimper, the black bear stepped away from her with its muzzle lowered and its ears flattened against its skull.

The grizzly dropped to all fours, making the ground tremble. Swinging its wrecking ball of a head, it stormed forward and pounced, becoming airborne. With ease, the titan overtook its opponent, landing on the black bear’s haunches. The helpless smaller animal was shoved onto its side.

With a threatening growl and fangs flashing, the grizzly clung to the scruff of its enemy while forcing it to submit.

The whites of the black bear’s eyes showed. A pathetic high-pitched squeal whistled through its muzzle.

In a move that surprised her, the grizzly released its captive.

The black bear hobbled onto all fours, coat matted and stumpy tail tucked. With its shoulders hunched, it cowered. Whimpering softly, it scooted backward.

Subdued sounds of power, like the rumble of a diesel engine, rose from deep in the grizzly’s chest. A dismissive snort sent the vanquished one fleeing. The smaller bear scampered down the trail, continually glancing over its shoulder with frightened eyes.

The grizzly turned to face her.

In the fading light, it appeared to be a hulking silhouette against a red sky. With her back to a boulder, she lifted her hands. “Don’t,” she pleaded.

Padding to the edge of the trail, the grizzly gazed down. A moment later, it descended into the chasm and disappeared from view. The sounds of claws striking slate and shifting gravel echoed.

Astonished by the events, she remained immobile with shaking limbs. Now what? A hollow, cold feeling made her fingertips tingle and provided early warning she was slipping into shock. She considered gathering a few scattered items from the ground and attempting to hike back to the highway in the dark, but she didn’t trust her legs to remain solid beneath her. The thought of spending an entire night exposed to the elements and vulnerable to another bear attack brought dread. Lucky animal spirit or not, a double bear encounter was too much.

Another loud grunt alerted her that the bear had returned. Marshaling the last of her strength, she leaped to her feet, ready to kick, punch, and claw—anything but go down without a fight.

The grizzly’s massive snout was the first thing to peer over the side of the trail. What amazed her was the sight of her pack held gingerly in its jaws. It grasped the pack with care, as if aware the objects inside were precious. Using its claws, it hoisted its bulk onto the trail, strolled toward her, and dropped the pack at her feet. Then the beast stepped back and looked at her with bright eyes.

“Thank you,” she blurted.

The bear nodded and dipped low on bended forepaws to bow.

The gesture was so gallant and unexpected. “No way. You do not understand English.”

A bellowing snort cut through the air. The bear nodded again.

She gasped. “You do understand English?”

The bear offered a curt nod.

“If you understand my question, raise your right forepaw.”

One big paw, as wide as a dinner plate, lifted.

“Well, hell! What a clever creature. Be honest, am I going to end up grizzly poop?”

With an enthusiastic shake of its head, the bear denied it.

“Are you sure you’re not just telling me what I want to hear?”

Another dismissive huff burst free of the bear.

“A talking bear?” Placing her hands on her head, she groaned. “I think I’m finally riding the crazy train.”

A rude wet sound sputtered past the bear’s lips.

“Does that reaction mean you don’t think this is crazy?”

The bear shook its head with a growl.

“Of course you don’t see anything odd about this situation because you’re a freaking bear.”

With a shrug of its massive shoulders, the grizzly then turned and wandered over to the trickling waterfall and lapped a drink with its long tongue.

Watching from a few yards away, she realized she didn’t feel the least bit threatened. “You’ve got to be the same bear that saved me from the car wreck.”

A juicy snort crossed the thirsty animal’s lips.

“I’m in your territory, right?”

The bear’s muzzle went up and down so fast it flicked droplets of water all over her.

“Watch what you’re doing! You’re worse than a wet dog shaking after a bath.”

Turning its back to her, the grizzly continued to drink.

While the creature seemed distracted, she knelt and dug her hand deep into the pack. A sealed foil packet of bacon jerky that the black bear had missed came to hand. She opened it, releasing a delicious whiff of smoky fragrance. “Every guidebook and every sign in every national park warns hikers not to feed the bears. So why am I doing something so stupid?”

The grizzly swung its head to the side and looked over its shoulder with nostrils pumping.

“That’s right.” She sprinkled the jerky on the ground and backed away. “You’ve saved me twice. This is a reward. Thank you.”

Taking slow steps, the bear padded toward her and nibbled the treats off the ground, making happy sounds as it gobbled. Once it finished, the grizzly lifted its head and looked at her with an eerily frank expression. Something about the set of the eyes or the direct gaze reminded her of Mac.

The bear made grumbly sounds and the set of its mobile lips could almost be described as a smile.

She thought it odd that California reportedly had no grizzlies and questioned if this bear might be someone’s released-into-the-wild ex-pet. That would explain the creature’s ease with humans. No doubt there was a mystery here. “You liked the bacon jerky, didn’t you?”

Releasing a whistling snort, the bear nodded. This time, with its lips pulled back, it definitely appeared to be smiling.

“Of course you liked it. It’s safe to say all omnivores like bacon.” Reaching forward, she did the unthinkable. With her hand trembling, she stroked the thick fur beneath the powerful jaws. “Hello, friendly, huge, towering bear with daggerlike fangs.”

The bear wiggled its ears as if encouraging her to give its coat a firm scratch.

“I know you’re dangerous as shit, but you’re adorable when you do that.”

With the sun sinking, the temperature dropped. She patted her arms. Two layers of polar fleece wasn’t going to be enough now that night had arrived. “I don’t suppose you’d consider being on your way so I can make camp?” The thought of unfurling her sleeping bag, making a lot of noise, and then climbing inside and presenting herself to the grizzly as a human burrito didn’t seem wise. “I don’t suppose you’d allow me to light a camp stove, would you?”

The bear shook its head. Its loose lips sagged in a frown. With deliberate strides, it approached her, plopped its butt on the ground, and sat upright like a man seated at a kitchen table.

“I knew you’d say no.”  She swayed in place. “I’m cold. You should leave so I can start a fire and warm up.”

A soft snort was the only answer offered.

“So, it appears you prefer to stay. That’s unfortunate. Did I mention I left treats for you at the trailhead? There’s honeycomb and more of that jerky you seem to love. You should check it out.”

The bear blinked as if it listened carefully to each word, yet remained near. Then it rolled onto its side and stretched out, its long body almost as wide as the trail. Lifting a shaggy forearm, it curled its paw as if beckoning her to come closer.

“No thank you. I’m fine right where I am. Besides, I’d probably get fleas.”

“Grrru!” A huff of disdain sputtered out.

“You’re a big hairy creature. Fleas happen. Don’t take it personally.”

The grizzly dipped its muzzle and looked up at her with sad puppy dog eyes.

“Who taught you how to do that? Please, don’t look at me that way. It’s so unfair.”

Reaching out, the bear deftly anchored a claw onto her jacket and drew her between its paws. Hooked like a fish, she was forced to slide next to the bear.

“What are you doing?” Andi was astonished to be gently drawn into the creature’s arms and cradled against its chest. Once locked in the embrace, it was impossible to pull free. With surprising gentleness the bear licked the salty tracks of her tears from her cheeks. The earthy scent of fur filled her senses. The grizzly’s body radiated heat. Its barrel chest pumped air like a bellows as its heart thumped a soothing rhythm. The first tense moments passed uneventfully without a hint of danger. As her fears faded, she came to the reluctant conclusion that the bear provided a comforting presence, pleasant to be near.

She relaxed and allowed the bear to hold her. Perhaps the bear’s original owner was a woman who fawned over him as a cub? Maybe human contact was what he craved? Poor creature. She wondered how he ended up in the wild. With a cautious touch, she stroked its dense coat. The bear made soft puffing sounds when she dug her fingers into its fur and scratched her fingernails against skin. Minutes passed and no harm came to her. Soon, the sensation of being shielded from the cold by a big, protective creature lulled her into a twilight state. The bear fell asleep. It snored peacefully with its forearms encircling her. Against all logic, and perhaps from the effects of an exhausting day, she allowed herself to slip into a trancelike doze.

When Andi awoke, a half-moon sat high in the sky. The bear had released her, exposing her to the chill of night. Her skin pebbled. Squinting, she glanced around. Only yards away, the bear slurped another drink from the waterfall. When it noticed she was awake, it strolled over to the pack, picked it up with its teeth, and returned to her. Then it did something puzzling. Stretching its paws forward, it bowed like a sphinx at her feet.

She reached out to pet the top of its head. “What are you doing?”

The bear made eye contact. Moonlight reflected off its wet muzzle. The muscles of its back rippled, making the fur dance.

“Do you want me to scratch your back?”

The bear grunted and shook its head.

“What? I don’t know what you want. You seem to understand English, but I don’t speak bear.”

It hunkered low, wiggled its shoulder blades, and made the heavy ridge of fur along its spine shiver.

A shocking thought occurred. “You want me to climb onto your back?”

A growl of agreement boomed.

“Oh.” She recoiled. “I don’t know about that. My guess is it would be a mighty precarious ride.”

The bear scooted closer and nuzzled its head against her leg. With a gentle push, it pinned her against his side and gave her a firm nudge as if encouraging her to mount.

“Are you sure?”

The bear crumpled its brow.

“Promise me you will not walk too close to the edge of the trail.”

The bear replied with a loud snort and flattened itself to the ground, and waited.

Cautiously, Andi swung a leg over its back, grabbed hold of its thick scruff, and hoisted herself gracelessly astride with legs splayed. The bear drew a deep breath, making its massive ribcage swell. Squeezing her thighs against the bear’s haunches, she lay belly down and clung to its fur. The bear rose on all fours, swaying as it adjusted to her weight. She slid to the side and almost fell. “Whoa!” she called. “Slow down. Let me get used to this.”

Placing one paw in front of the other with regal dignity, the bear took leisurely steps.

Her fingers dug deep into the pelt to steady herself. “Oh, my God. Look at me.” She gasped. “I’m riding Smoky the Bear!”

Lowering its head, the bear scooped the straps on her pack into its jaws and lumbered along the trail.

Glancing over the bear’s humped shoulder, she observed what was happening. “You’re going to slobber soak that pack, aren’t you? Eh. Go ahead. The fabric’s water resistant.”

The first hundred yards were tense. With each ambling step the bear took, Andi expected to slide to the ground. Her fingers ached from holding on so tight. The great comfort was that the bear’s flanks were well padded. The thick fur provided a lovely source of warmth. Leaning close, she had all the heat she needed on the cool spring night. As the animal’s gait became smooth and steady, her grip relaxed and she even allowed her arms to dangle, giving her aching hands a rest. She snuggled her face into the fur. “Why aren’t we riding grizzlies all the time? This is pure luxury!”

As they rounded the bend, the western face came into view. Lit by moonlight, the canyon was bathed in shades of violet and frosty silver. A swath of stars glittered above. The beauty of the Sierras at night pierced her heart. What a way to see the world, from atop the back of a big-ass bear. She kissed the bear’s shoulder. “I could get used to this.”

Seemingly content with her company, the bear padded along.

Moving steadily downhill, they traveled at a brisk pace. In a fraction of the time, the bear was able to cover a distance that had taken her half a day to walk. With the moon still high in the sky, she saw the trailhead.

When they reached the road, the bear grumbled and dropped the pack. With forearms folded, it bowed to allow her to safely dismount.

“Is this the end of the line?” Andi slid from the bear’s back and gave it a pat. “Thank you,” she whispered. Taking a good look, she thought the creature especially handsome, with rounded ears and a broad face. With breathy exhilaration, she pointed toward the shrine. “I left some treats down there for you.”

The bear bumped its head against her hand in what might have been a gesture of gratitude.

“Tonight was pretty special. It’s the second time you’ve saved me, and I really enjoyed the ride.” She paused. “Oh, God, I sound pathetic, don’t I? I’m pleading with a bear to call me.”

Without warning, the bear turned and dashed into the brush at the side of the road. She heard a loud commotion as the creature crashed through the undergrowth, but the chaotic sounds made it impossible to tell in which direction it headed. Long moments passed and the grizzly did not return.

Dazed, Andi picked up her pack, damp straps and all, slung it onto her shoulders, and started the hike toward the ranger station. “I guess I’ll be spending the rest of the night in my car.”

As Mac charged toward the ranger station in bear form, the breath thundered in his chest. On all fours, he was free to avoid the dirt road and power straight up the side of the mountain, but he still had to be careful to stay out of Andi’s line of sight.

A thrill rushed through him. He’d spent hours with her and done nothing regrettable. She’d not been scared to be near him, and most importantly, this time he’d controlled himself in the face of temptation, wafting she-bear scent and all. He’d not given in to the impulse to bite her a second time without her consent. His good behavior proved nothing less than a miracle. The desire to claim her and flood her system with bear pheromones had burned fiercely, but knowing it was selfish to do so, he’d resisted.

The entire time he’d been walking with her clinging to his back like a cub, he’d thought, I’ve changed. Or more accurately, his bear had become more understanding and compassionate than he’d ever suspected. For years, he’d considered his bear to be the primal part of him. The piece of his soul that acted instinctually, but tonight, the bear had behaved as admirably as any furry, four-legged gentleman could.

Coming to her rescue in bear form had been a huge risk, but there had been no choice. He originally planned to stroll up on her camp at nightfall and make a lame excuse for being there. “Hi. Hello. How are you? I got your note and thought I better check in….” Then invite himself to stay and keep an eye on her safety. But the unwelcome appearance of the black bear made the discreet approach impossible. As strong as his human body was, he was no match for a horny male bear. He’d been forced to strip, shift, and race to the rescue. Once he’d appeared in grizzly form, he was trapped. He couldn’t shift back and stand in front of Andi naked and expect her to be okay with it. As matters now stood, he had a second hike ahead of him tomorrow to retrieve his pack filled with clothes from its hiding place on the western face. Inconvenient, but he didn’t regret following her one bit. She had bonded with his bear self, but the greatest hurdle remained. Would she like him for him, minus the effect of his initial bite, which obliviously still played havoc in her bloodstream?

When he reached the front porch, he bounded up the steps, shifted into human form, and lifted the flower box where he’d stashed an extra set of keys.

“Brr.” The night was too chilly to be running around bare-ass naked. It took a few moments to adjust to the sensation of using fingers again instead of paws. He fumbled to insert the key into the lock and kept missing the slot. “Come on,” he groaned. “I’m a big naked dude, stomping around on my porch in the middle of the night. This is not going to look good.”

Finally, the key slipped inside the lock and turned. The front door opened. He glanced over his shoulder. Luckily, Andi was nowhere in sight. He likely had a half-hour lead. Entering the cabin, Mac turned on a couple of soft lights, set a kettle on the stove to heat, and threw a split log into the iron stove.

Turning on the shower, he leaped under the steaming spray and washed the scent of bear from his skin with a bar of citrus-scented deodorant soap. By the time he got out of the shower, the kettle was whistling. He wrapped a towel around his waist and hurried to turn off the stove. Then he poured hot water and a large handful of dried herbs into the teapot.

The crunch of boots on gravel startled him. Andi had already arrived. He had way underestimated her speed. Opening the front door, he stepped onto the front porch, a cold breeze chilling his damp skin. “Hey!” he called.

She glanced up. “Hi! I saw your lights on from down the road. I was surprised. I thought you’d be out until tomorrow.”

“My plans changed.”

“So did mine. I’m not going to bother you. I’m in sort of a weird state of mind. I should probably just get in my car and drive down the mountain.”

“Don’t do that. Aren’t you exhausted?”

Her pace slowed, as if she were undecided about coming any closer. “I am. Yesterday, I hit the road at five a.m. My plan was to sleep in my car until sunrise and then go.” As she approached, a faint smile crossed her lips.  “You’re wearing only a towel. Aren’t you freezing?”

“Yep.”

“It’s got to be the middle of the night—way past your bedtime. What are you doing up?”

He laughed. “Technically, it’s morning. So ask me why I’m up so early.”

Slogging up the steps, she slid the pack from her shoulders and allowed it to drop onto the porch. “Why are you up so early?”

“Because the past ten days have been hell.”

Her gaze searched his. “Busy?”

“Yes.”

“Too busy to answer my phone calls, e-mails, and letters?” A note of hurt crept into her voice.

What could he say? I’m a bear and if I nip you again, you’ll be one too. The truth would send her running. He opened the front door. “Come in.”

“Are you sure? I feel like I should leave. Please don’t let me make a fool of myself.”

As she moved closer, he smelled bear fur on her skin, mixed provocatively with her own feminine scent. A jolt of inappropriate jealousy hijacked his thoughts. Andi had spent a couple hours affectionately hugging the bear with her thighs wrapped around him. How much would he have loved that? His cock lifted the edge of the towel. Damn! He willed it to stop, but it wouldn’t. The bear had been far less of a horndog than he was. Taking a shuffling step, he turned away from her to hide the rising bump beneath the towel. “I’m going to put some clothes on.”

“And I need to take some off.” She sniffed the fleece jacket and wrinkled her nose. “Musky.”

Mac led her inside and shut the door. “You look sleepy.”

Andi rolled her eyes. “I am.”

“Those pajamas you borrowed last time are clean. Why don’t I run a bath for you?”

“A bath?” She sighed. “That sounds heavenly. Yes, please.”

He made no mention that he wanted to be rid of his furry rival’s scent. “You didn’t get much dinner. Bacon jerky and a little piece of cheese isn’t enough. Why don’t I make us a snack?”

Eyes wide, she studied his face. “How do you know what I ate for dinner?”

The blunder could get him in a lot of trouble. “I didn’t. It was just a guess.”

Her eyes narrowed. “A damn good guess.”

On top of it all, his body reacted to her with riot force. For God’s sake, it had been easier to control himself in grizzly form. The bear had been respectful to Andi and had not given in to obnoxious behavior, like staring at her breasts while sporting a hard-on. If he weren’t careful, he’d make a total jackass of himself. With his dick sticking straight out in front, he turned his back to her and hobbled toward the bathroom. Turning on the faucet, he filled the tub.

She followed close behind and ran her finger down the fogged mirror on the medicine cabinet. “You just showered?”

Doubled forward, he hoped to keep his erection under wraps. “Yes, but don’t worry. There’ll be plenty of warm water.”

In an unexpected maneuver, she stepped in front of him and got in his face. The tip of her nose almost grazed his lips. She sniffed. “What did you have for dinner?”

His mouth remained shut. Deodorant soap wouldn’t mask what he’d eaten earlier. Again he’d underestimated her developing she-bear qualities. “Cereal.” His lips pressed tight together.

“Cereal?” She smiled. “Why didn’t your lips move when you said it? Are you practicing your ventriloquist act? By the way, was the cereal smoked with apple wood, because that’s what I smell on your breath?”

He remained silent. What could he say at this point that would support his cause? His bear wanted a mate and helped himself? He’d been lonely for years and wanted her too? Or the most awkward of all, blame it on fate and blurt something corny but true like, every time you smile—I fall deeper in love?

“Well? What did you have for dinner?”

“Cereal and a ham sandwich.”

“Oh.” She backed away. “That explains it.”

Andi bought it? For a second, he was tempted to cheer.  “That’s a relief.”

“What’s a relief?”

“That we are going to get you out of those stinky clothes and into a bath. Pee-yew.”

Worry tugged at her brows. “Do I smell that bad?”

“No!” Horrified at his blunder, he faked a laugh, but it ended up sounding like a strangled sob. “I just prefer your pure female scent.”

“To what? Your answers are a little weird. Mac, you seem really nervous. Is this too much? Should I just go?”

He hunched forward, twisting sideways to face her. When the tub was half full, he turned the faucet off. “How is the bite on your neck healing?”

“It’s okay. I still feel it now and then. Certain things trigger it.”

“What sort of things?”

She blushed. “Thoughts, feelings. It’s a little hard to explain.” Tugging her collar aside, she displayed the curve of her throat. “See? The russet darkened. It reminds me of a henna tattoo of a crescent moon.”

He stared. A flood of erotic images danced before his eyes, all involving voluptuous Andi undressed and willing. Witnessing his mark on his dream woman almost caused his self-restraint to mutiny. At all cost, he had to step away from her before he did something stupid, like grab her and kiss her—or nip her again. “Enjoy the bath.”

Bending to unlace her boots, she smiled. “I will.”

As he stood, the towel unfurled from around his waist and would have slid to the floor had it not caught on the tip of his thick erection, where it swayed like a flag on the end of a pole.

“Whoa.” Her gaze traveled up and down. “I’m going to take that as a sign I’m welcome.”

He clutched the towel, incredibly embarrassed.

Her gaze fixated on the towel. “Mac?”

“Yes?”

Blushing, she suppressed a grin. “What sort of snack are you making for us?”

“Grilled cheese.”

A smile quivered on her lips. “What kind of cheese?”

“Cheddar.”

She stared at the towel. “Cheddar is a hard cheese.”

“A very hard cheese.” An awkward moment of silence followed.

Andi unzipped the top of her fleece jacket. “May I wear your pajamas?”

Shuffling backward, he exited the bathroom. “I’ll get them.”

“Mac?”

“Yes?”

“Go ahead and put another log on the fire. We need to talk.”

Chapter Seven

Andi shut the bathroom door, undressed, and climbed into the tub. Mac had mixed the bath at the perfect temperature. She coiled her hair into a bun at her nape and allowed herself to slip below the surface, until the water lapped at her collarbones. After wearing hiking boots all day, the decadent pleasure of allowing her feet to float weightlessly soothed her.

Her thoughts raced. Mac certainly lived up to her first impression of him. Jeez Louise, what a dark-eyed hunk, even better than she remembered. He had such a warm and approachable quality. What she glimpsed beneath the towel? Hot damn.

She’d really flustered him too. Poor Mac. It had been ages since she’d gotten a man that hot and bothered. A smile spread across her face, lingering until her cheeks ached. Good for her.

Knuckles rapped on the door. “I’m setting the pajamas right outside the door.”

“Thanks!”

In the next room, she heard Mac’s heavy footsteps moving around. The sizzle and scent of butter browning coupled with the earthy fragrance of herbal tea drew her attention. She soaked until the bath cooled, then got out and toweled off. Opening the bathroom door a crack, she retrieved the folded pajamas and put them on. Feeling naughty, she left several of the top buttons undone. She unfurled her wavy hair, letting it skim her shoulders in a soft cascade. The sexiest man to ever show her interest waited in the next room. How wonderful was that? She wiped the steam from the mirror and winked at her reflection. “Be the vixen.”

“Did you say something?” Mac called from the kitchen.

Damn, Mac had sharp hearing. “I said, I like what you’re fixin’!”

“Then come and join me.”

As she exited the bathroom, a cozy sight greeted her. Mac stood near the stove, wearing jeans, but had left his plaid shirt unbuttoned with his beautiful hairy chest on full display. Only the kitchen remained lit. The rest of the cabin was blanketed in shadows, with the exception of the iron stove, which cast an amber glow through the grate. A teapot, mugs, and place settings had been laid on the table.

“These are ready.” Mac flipped the golden grilled cheese sandwiches onto a plate. “I kept them warm.” He turned, took a long look at her, and smiled. “I’ll bet people tell you you’re beautiful all the time.”

She walked to the table and sat. “Actually, they don’t. Thank you for saying so.”

He carried the plate to the table and served her first. Then he sat across from her. “Go ahead and start.”

Picking up a triangular half of the toasty sandwich, she bit into it. Gooey melted cheese coupled with perfectly cooked crispy edges played a pretty symphony on her taste buds. “Mmm,” she moaned. “This is so delicious. I don’t know what I could do for you that would be half as good as this grilled cheese.”

A hint of mischief in his gaze hid behind a subdued smile. “I’ll think of something.” He poured them each a mug of steaming tea. “May I raise a touchy subject?”

She stopped chewing. “Sure.”

“How are you feeling?”

“My feet are tired, but I’m surprised how well I did on today’s hike.”

“I meant, how are you recovering from the accident?” His mouth twisted. He appeared to be wrestling with his thoughts and losing. “And the bear bite?”

She grazed her fingertips against her throat. “In some ways, I feel better than ever. Driving over a cliff and walking away with only a few bruises and a bite really put my priorities in perspective. I’m physically stronger and more focused.”

He nodded. “You look great.”

“I can do push-ups now. It’s a first. My entire life, I’ve never been the least bit sporty.” She patted her broad hip. “I ditched PE all of middle school. Putting on some muscle isn’t the only thing that’s changed.”

Mac’s expression became wary. His heavy brows sank. “What else has changed?”

Reaching for the teapot, she poured herself another splash of tea. “My sense of smell is more sensitive.” She sniffed the rising steam, then sipped. “For instance, I can tell this batch of tea has more clover than chamomile.”

“You’re right. The chamomile in the flower box got picked bare, so I grabbed a bunch of clover growing behind my greenhouse. An enhanced sense of smell isn’t such a bad thing, is it?”

“Bad is not the right word. I’m puzzled by my new reaction to smells. Fragrances I once loved are now too much. I gave a bottle of green-apple-scented dishwashing liquid to my neighbor because the smell woke me up at night. It used to be my favorite. At work, someone stuck a pumpkin-pie fragrance plug-in air freshener in the break room. I marched to the end of a long hallway to immediately get rid of it. The aroma drove me mad and made me want to go on a rampage in a pie factory. Don’t even ask what happened when a colleague took a jar of honey from her desk, opened it in front of me, and stirred a spoonful into her yogurt. I lunged across her desk and nearly tackled her like a quarterback, then snatched the jar. Major apologies were offered. It has occurred to me that maybe I hit my head harder than I thought in the car accident and that’s why all these odd things are happening.”

He bit into his sandwich and mumbled, between chewing, “I wouldn’t worry. Cravings aren’t so strange. It was just honey.”

“Just honey? No, you’re missing the bigger picture. Using force, I wrestled the jar from her hands. When I got hold of it, I licked the rim. Everyone in my office saw me do it.”

“Oh. That does sound… memorable. After all you went through this past year, including losing your mother, licking a honey jar isn’t the worst way to let off steam. Look at the world around us, who can say what’s normal anymore?”

She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Every night, I dream I’m turning into a bear. Sights, sounds, a shaggy coat, and everything. The dreams are brooding and often monotonous. Not a lot happens. Sometimes I just lumber around the mountains for hours at a time, snuffling the ground.”

“What?” He nearly choked on a bit of grilled cheese. Coughing, he clamped his hand over his mouth with his eyes watering. “Excuse me,” he rasped, and turned away. “You’ve already started bear dreaming?”

Uncrossing her arms, she set the mug down. “See? I think I slammed my head on a soft spot and the doctors missed it. Not only do I dream about bears, I even write to them.”

Swirling the liquid in his mug, he then sipped. “Bears in general?”

“No, the bear—the one that saved me. I’ve gotten a little obsessed.”

Mac wadded his paper napkin and began shredding the edges. “So you made this trip to see the bear, not me?”

“I wanted to see you too, say thank you, and talk a little more about Tor MacBrun.”

He tossed the destroyed napkin aside. “I’m happy for a midnight visitor, but I’m a wee bit jealous the bear gets the love poems.”

She froze. “I never mentioned poems.”

“You said you wrote to the bear.” Shifting on the chair, he appeared uncomfortable. “I just assumed you weren’t sharing laundry lists.”

Leaning closer, she reached out to touch Mac’s face. “You know when you raise your brows like you did just now, you sort of look like the bear.”

“I do?”

“Yes. It’s a compliment. My bear is a very handsome creature.”

He glanced away with a big smile on his face. “Your bear?”

“The bear’s smart too. He can practically talk.”

“And you know this how?”

“I met him on the trail tonight.”

“A rendezvous with a bear?”

“Not a rendezvous, it was a surprise. You won’t believe this, but he saved me a second time. A black bear was trashing my backpack, and then this beautiful, bronze grizzly just charged out of nowhere and saved the day. I’m one lucky girl, eh?”

Retrieving the mangled napkin from the tabletop, he wiped a crumb from his mouth. “Bronze grizzly? Sounds like the Mr. Darcy of woodland creatures. Listen to yourself. You got it bad. Maybe Grizzly Adams will be next month’s centerfold in Playgirl. Buy a copy and you can drool over it all you like.”

She laughed, lifting the mug to her lips. “You’re just jealous because I’m already half in love with the bear. How could I not be? He’s a fucking four-pawed fur hero.”

“I’ll bet he even wiggles his ears at you too.”

“He does and it’s adorable.”

Mac sipped his tea while doing his squinty, sparkly-eye thing that he did so charmingly. “Why don’t you marry him?”

She swished her hand through the air. “It’s all too new. We don’t even know each other. It’s possible the grizzly already has a wife and cubs. Besides, he hasn’t asked me.”

“Ol’ Griz is a talking bear, so I guess he’ll get around to kneeling on bended forepaw to pop the question when the time’s right.”

“He doesn’t talk so much as grunt.”

“But he saves those soft, special grunts just for you, right?”

“I hope so.” She glanced at him sideways. “Do you want to know the truth?”

Doubt wavered in his gaze. “Sure.”

“I came today because I wanted to see you.”

“I’m very happy you’re here, but…” He took hold of her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “We were supposed to get together next month. Remember?”

“You wouldn’t answer my calls, so I had to come.”

“That’s right. You had to come here. You had no choice. I did something, and I have to be honest about it.”

“What?”

“I bit….” His face contorted. “Oh, God, how am I going to explain myself?” He paused, his expression growing somber.

The sudden change of mood alarmed her. “Say it.”

“Andi, I bit you. I didn’t mean to do it. I know my actions were disrespectful.” His hand covered his heart. “The man in me would never have done it, but the bear is more practical. It knows what it wants when it sees it. It was wrong of me to do it and then withhold the information from you—”

A weird little shiver raced down her arms and made the tiny hairs stand. “Slow down! You didn’t bite me. The bear bit me.” She tugged the pajama collar aside. “See? Look at the size of those marks. This is not a human bite.”

“It’s a bearserker’s bite.”

“It’s a what?” she gasped.

“I’m one of the last in a long line of bearserkers—men who can take on the shape of a bear.”

“Whoa! This is a MacBrun delusion, right?” She drew a rattling breath. How would she bring up the topic of Tor MacBrun without sounding like an opportunistic stalker, which she sort of was at this point? Every spare minute of the last few days had been spent googling records and reading anything she could find about the history of the area. The more she discovered, the deeper her fascination with the place became. “I’ve done my homework for Tor MacBrun and man, oh, man, from the late Dark Ages on those folks loved their bears. Obsessed was closer to the truth. Bears on the family crest. Bears emblazoned on shields. Bears carved into oak trees. Bears woven into the tapestries. Bears embossed on pewter tankards. Bears, bears, bears, bears…. What’s with the bears? Are the MacBruns so identified with bears that you actually believe you are one?”

The lines of his mouth flicked downward. “It’s true. I’m a bear.”

“This is a dangerous thing to say, but I sort of understand what you’re saying.”

“How so?”

“For the past ten days, I’ve almost convinced myself I’m turning into a bear. I feel like one. Every night is filled with restless dreamtime bear journeys, where I’m always looking for something I can’t have. What’s with that?”

Mac’s gaze fixated on her. “Without knowing it, I think you’ve eavesdropped on my dreams. I’ve been living alone in a cabin for the last several years, not because I want to, because I can’t trust myself. I’m thirty-eight. My life is slipping away. I’m not a complete hermit or virgin, or anything like that, it’s just I’m at an age when I want more. I want something real. I’m tired of hiding what I am and living in fear that the bear within will lose patience and bite someone.”

She touched her throat. “The bite is not a big deal. A little redness and a faint mark I can cover with makeup has been the worst of it. So, let me get this straight, you actually believe you can turn into a bear and bite someone? That’s the secret that’s prevented you from returning my phone calls?”

“Andi, there’s no sense in arguing. It’s simple to prove.” He stood and unfastened the top snap of his jeans.

Her hands flew wide. “Wait! What are you doing?”

“I’m taking my pants off.”

“Why?”

“I can’t shift to bear form wearing tight jeans.” He tugged the denim past the sweeping curves of his muscular thighs then kicked the pants aside. He stood in front of her, naked and hard.

Her face heated at the sight of Mac’s erection. “Oh, my God, you’re going commando.”

“Watch,” he demanded.

“Your naked ass is in my face. How the hell could I do anything but watch?”

Sinking to the floor, Mac hunkered on all fours. The muscles of his back rippled and the bones shifted. His hands clawed the rug before transforming into massive padded paws. Gingery brown fur shot across his torso and covered his limbs. He swelled in size and a muzzle with a shiny black nose projected from his face. With an eardrum-puncturing roar, he stood, towering in grizzly form. The bear’s heavy forearms flailed at the air and its head grazed the ceiling beams. Grrrrowl!

She slumped low into the chair and recoiled. “Holy crap! I can’t believe what I’m seeing.” Lurching forward, she placed her hand over her mouth. “This is too much.” The room spun. “Oops, I think the grilled cheese is coming up.” She gagged.

With a swift swoosh of fur and flesh, he transformed back into a man. He immediately grabbed his pants from the floor and stepped into them. In a flash, he was at her side, smoothing her hair from her brow. “Andi, are you okay? I shouldn’t have roared.”

“Noise isn’t the problem.” She chocked back a sob. “You really are a grizzly. Wow, I just got used to the friendly bear on the trail thing. Hold on.” Still reeling, she gripped the chair. “This one is going to take a moment. God, I hope I don’t throw up on you.”

Mac grinned. “I have a feeling you’re going to be okay. Andi, you are incredibly brave. I knew you would be. I’ve been waiting for a woman like you my entire life. Cross my heart, I’ve never shown myself in grizzly form to anyone outside the bear clan. You’re the first.”

“This is your secret? You didn’t call me back because you’re a bear? Wow, this is hard to wrap my head around. I did wonder why a guy like you was single.”

“It’s not something you can casually share on Tinder. ‘Swipe right. Let’s meet for a beer. By the way, I’m a bear.’”

“Yeah, that line probably wouldn’t work or would be misunderstood.” She drank in the sincerity shining in his eyes, and relaxed. “Mac, what are you exactly?”

“I’ve got a human heart just like you. I’m a man who wants all the things any normal person would want, yet I don’t get to be normal. I’ve been starving for someone to share my life with. I’d like to have a real home, not just a cabin provided by the county for seasonal use. For the past couple of years, I’ve been pretending I can live without these things, but I can’t. Keeping an ancient secret isn’t worth watching my life tick away.”

“Why me? Did I just happen to cross your path at the right time?”

“No. You’re something special.”

“I’m not fishing for compliments. I’m just trying to understand all this. What makes me special?”

“I think you’re absolutely gorgeous. You’re strong-minded and you know what you want. That’s the trait of a leader.”

“Being a leader has left me lonely too. To be honest, I’ve never met my match. I’ve dated a lot of great guys, and I was even engaged for a short time when I was just out of college. Big mistake. I wasn’t ready and he couldn’t handle a woman who wanted to be the boss.”

“Bossy doesn’t scare a grizzly. I love it.”

“I just watched you turn into a bear, so why am I telling you my dating history instead of screaming my head off?”

He drew a tense breath. “Because there is nothing normal about what is happening between us. We’re courting. You have to open up to me. In this case, you don’t have a choice. These are the pheromones talking.”

She leaped to her feet. “What?”

“That bite you received from the grizzly is having a physical and emotional effect on you.”

“No. I’m in control of me.”

“Nope, sorry, boss. It doesn’t work that way. Until the next new moon, the bear is in control. That tiny bite is still active in your bloodstream. You will do and think things you don’t normally do.”

“Like hike and do push-ups?”

“Yes. It set off a cascade of reactions that will make you more receptive to accepting the possibility of….” He smacked his palm on forehead. “I’m screwing this up so badly! I’m making it sound as stilted and awful as that fifth-grade lecture about the miracle of life, minus the squirm-worthy slideshow.”

“Oh, God. Where is this conversation going?”

“Andi, I want you. You’re perfect for me, but, sweetheart, my bear set you up.  You’re primed and giving off a she-bear mate scent. I am trying so hard not to scoop you into my arms and then toss you onto my bed.”

“Actually, I would like that.”

“But it wouldn’t be fair. I want to give you a fighting chance to get to know me and choose me without the goddamn bite interfering in your decisions.”

“Pheromones as in chemical attractant, the same sort moths use to lure other moths deeper into the jungle? Is that what we are talking about? You think the bite is affecting my mind?”

“I know it is.”

“Bear bite or not, Mac, I think you’re very attractive. I didn’t need to be bitten to notice you’re a hulky, hot filet mignon with hair on its chest.”

“There’s more. The bear wants a mate for life.”

“The bear or you? I’m getting confused.”

“We are one and the same and come as a package deal.”

“Can I mix and match? Say take the man as a lover and keep the bear for a hiking companion?”

He shook his head.

“Why?”

“After we’ve finished this conversation, I’m going to grab my keys, get in my truck, and drive.”

“You’re going to leave me?”

“It’s the only way. I can’t be this close and not want to touch you.”

She reached out and stroked his arm. “Touching is allowed. Mac, I’ve been thinking about you non-stop.”

“I believe you. I’ve obsessed about you too. It’s a trust issue. The bear has already bitten you once. I can’t trust myself. It would be so easy to get carried away, kiss your throat, and bite. Every cell in my body is screaming for me to do it.”

“You mean nip?”

“Andi, I would never harm you. But that second nip, delivered so close to the first one, is a one-way street.”

“To where? Temptation? I say we go there.”

“No, we’d be headed to Bearsville. The second bite will load enough pheromones into your system to cause the physical transformation to begin. You won’t just want to hike the hills. You’ll need to lumber around on all fours—at least part of the time. Andi, you’ll turn into a she-bear.”

“No fucking way!”

“Exactly. I was born a bear, but you would have to volunteer. I would never thrust something as extreme as bear transformation on you no matter how lonely I was.  Force never works. It would be a disaster. For centuries, MacBrun women have always been offered a choice about becoming a bear or not.”

“The MacBruns are all bears—bearserkers?”

“Yes. In 1173 AD, an ancestor of mine had himself and his brothers blessed by an enchantress before going into battle. The blessing was decidedly unchristian and done in secret. The men donned bearskins of the most powerful bulls in the forest and swore a blood oath to Ursulmar, the great northern god of bears.” Mac offered his forearm and pointed at a tattoo. “Do you see the shape that resembles a horseshoe and a claw? That’s the mark of Ursulmar.”

She grazed her fingers over his arm. “There’s so much hair here. I saw the tattoo, but didn’t recognize it.”

“On the battlefield, my ancestors fought like demons possessed. They decimated their foes with ease, but victory came at a high price. In order to fight with the frenzied strength of a bear, we were also compelled to become bears. You see, my ancestors didn’t realize until after the fact that the enchanted bearskins they wore into battle had melded with their souls. It became impossible to be parted from them. Afterward, the MacBrun clan and the bears were forever one.”

“Mac, you look so serious. I have to be frank, you’re scaring me.”

“You should be a little scared. It’s a normal reaction to something most people will never have to cope with. What started as an advantage on the battlefield soon became a liability. Can you image the horror of falling into battle rage and then never being able to get out of it? That’s what happened to my ancestors. As mercenaries, they slogged from one gritty, blood-drenched battle to the next, hiring themselves out to any lord who could pay—wishing battle would kill them before they killed again.”

“That sounds horrible. How did they get themselves under control?”

“They took wives. The same enchantress who cast the spell told them marriage would balance their bearserker spirits. At this point, the MacBrun warriors had accrued much wealth, but they were not welcome in established aristocratic bloodlines. They were still fur-clad, coarse, and half battle-crazed. Instead of facing rejection, they were instructed by the enchantress to choose wives from among women no one else would claim. Impoverished widows, orphans, or the plain girls who walked with a limp topped the list.  Those wives were taken in and cherished. You see, the enchantress who cast the spell knew if the MacBrun men could tone themselves down enough to be gentle with heartbroken women, they would regain control over themselves and their raging inner bears.”

How many times had she wished to be special in someone’s eyes and a boon to their life? Her throat ached from holding back unshed tears. “That is a wonderful story.”

“And it’s all true. Now here I am sitting across from you and scared to death. You’re beautiful, smart, and ambitious and you don’t need me for a single goddamned thing. I’ve even gone too far and done something you might hate me for later.”

“Mac, you haven’t turned me into a bear.”

“Not yet, but I want to. My bite will eventually wear away. You have until the next bear-claw moon to be free. The choice has to be yours. I’d never trick you or use force. That’s why I should leave.”

“Both you and the bear have been gentlemen.”

“If I kiss you or stay here a moment longer, good manners and gentlemanly behavior will go out the window.”

“Were you listening to yourself when you told me the MacBrun legend? You’ve been my hero twice and demanded nothing in return. You’ve treated me with real gentleness too. I’ll be candid with you. On my first trip up the mountain, I felt pretty broken. I’d focused my life on getting ahead with my career and taking care of my mother. The thought of ending up as vulnerable as she was scared the hell out of me. The anxiety left me socially crippled. I don’t really date. As soon as I sense a man is trying to take control of my time and freedom, I shut them down. I wanted to give my mother everything she never had. I did, and it’s over now. This past year, while I sat with my mom during her chemo treatments, as a distraction we’d talk about silly things.” She swayed in the chair. “At the clinic, they seat you in these big padded recliners and hook the patient up to an IV. The process feels like it takes forever. I tried to always go with her and keep her company. Several sessions in, I noticed my mother never mentioned the condo on the beach or the new car I bought her. In her most unguarded moments, she wanted to talk about things I had done when I was a baby, like covering the bathroom floor in talcum powder and using it to draw pictures. Of course, I didn’t remember any of it, but we laughed anyway. Movies we’d seen together came up often, or her fixing my hair into an overelaborate updo for my high school graduation, which required forty bobby pins to keep in place. Stuff like that. During one of those treatments, it hit me hard that if I ever take my turn in the chair, what would I have to talk about that wouldn’t bore someone else to tears?”

He reached out and held her hand. The callused edge of his thumb traced circles on her palm.

Andi looked into his eyes. His lashes were so dense and black they cast shadows on his cheeks. “Mac, I’m pretty sure you and the bear are my story. I doubt life will offer me anything better or more magical than the two of you. For the past ten days, you’re all I’ve thought about. Don’t say it’s simply the pheromones talking, because I choose to call it fate.”

So many conflicting emotions rolled across Mac’s features; she couldn’t decide if he was about to sob or smile. “Mac?”

“Yes?” He sounded rough and unsteady.

“Take me to bed.”

Chapter Eight

A log in the iron stove crackled and split with a hiss. She waited in silence while Mac wrung his hands and stalled.

“Andi, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to control myself.”

“I think you can. It’s time to believe in yourself. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve done everything right.”

“But I could lose it so easily and bite. It wouldn’t take much. The smallest nick will do. You need to understand that you’ll become what I am, and there is no going back.”

In exasperation, she struck the tabletop with her palm. “I couldn’t go back to my old life even if I wanted to. I don’t fit there anymore. My old life ended when I hydroplaned my SUV and drove over the cliff. What I need is a future worth living.” She paused, breathless. “Take me to bed.”

“Don’t think I’m not tempted! Why did you come back so soon, sweetheart? I told you to wait. Don’t make me feel any more guilt than I already do.”

“Do you bite women often?”

“Never.”

“That’s what I thought. Am I someone special?”

The tension melted from his face and his eyes glistened. “Oh, God, yes. More than I ever hoped for.”

“You don’t have to bite me now, do you?”

“Of course I don’t have to bite. I’m just afraid I won’t be able to resist.”

“Earlier this evening, the grizzly had every opportunity to nip me and didn’t. You’re a man—are you less trustworthy than the bear?”

“It’s a huge risk with no plan B if something goes wrong. One nick, and boom, you’re a she-bear.”

“Maybe I’m ready to be a bear.”

“Or maybe you just need to sober up from the pheromone cocktail you’re currently under the influence of before you make such a rash choice.”

“Mac, if you drag your feet a second longer, I swear, I’m ready to lunge across this table and nip you.” She rose from her chair and walked toward him. Standing in front of Mac, she placed her hand on her hip. “Well, are you going to offer me a seat?”

He slid aside so she could take his chair.

Thrusting her palm against his chest, she brought him to a halt. “I don’t want your chair, I want to sit in your lap.”

A heavy sigh escaped him. “Not a great idea.”

“Indulge me.” She slipped onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her weight settled across his muscular thighs and a solid bulge rose in between. Deliberately, she pressed her lush bottom against him. “You can’t deny that part of you is enjoying having me on your lap.”

His heavy arms locked around her waist. “All of me is enjoying being this close.” The tip of his nose grazed her hair. “You smell sweet and feel so soft, but is it wise to tease a growly bear with your gorgeous ass?”

Leaning close, she slowly, lovingly kissed the gritty edge of his jaw, then his forehead, and finally his mouth. As he closed his eyes, his breath stilled. The moment lingered. Andi pressed her lips to his and whispered, “I’m not teasing. I’m offering. I’m telling you the truth when I say I’ve never been this turned on in my life.”

“Andi, we barely know each other, but my instincts are telling me that you’re the one. I’m certain I’ll never find a better match. Just so you know, MacBruns mate for life.”

She glided her fingertips across the silky hair on his chest. “I can’t think that far ahead. Let’s become lovers and take one day at a time.”

“Sounds fair.” Mac scooped an arm beneath her and lifted her against his chest as he rose.

“Whoa!” she squealed, and held on tight.

Taking long steady strides, he walked toward the bed and tossed her gently on the mattress. She bounced and rolled onto her elbow to look up at him with a smile. “You are the only man who’s ever picked me up and carried me like that.”

“I’m happy to be your first.” A broad grin accentuated a dimple in his cheek. His brushy black hair had dried slightly rumpled and wild. Like a redwood toppling, he fell facedown onto the bed beside her, and then drew her into his arms. He stroked a strand of hair from her cheek and gazed into her eyes. “Are we crazy to let things move this fast?”

“Ask me later. I’ve never fallen in lust with a bear before.”

Tangling his hand in her hair, he pulled her close. “Andi.” Warm breath bathed her cheek. His mouth grazed hers in a featherlight stroke. “I’m a lot more than just in lust with you. I’m already in—”

“Hush.” She placed her finger to his lips. “Don’t say it.”

Gently, he drew her fingertip between his lips and sucked. As the heat of his mouth and the pressure increased, a thrill shot through her. Using just the edges of his teeth, he held the finger captive before releasing it with a quiet pop. With her hand now freed, she draped her arms around the expanse of his muscular shoulders. “Kiss me.”

His hand slid behind her head to cup her nape. Gathering her hair, he gave it a gentle tug, forcing her to lift her face to his. He held her close. His warm breath flooded her face, but their lips did not touch. Tension built and his muscles coiled as an ember of defiance burned in his eyes. “If I want to say I love you,” his voice was gruff, “I will. You can’t stop me.”

She nuzzled him, loving the light earthy scent of musk on his skin. In an act of willful abandon, she raised her arms above her head and surrendered to him.

In a sweeping rush, Mac’s mouth covered hers. The first kiss was whisper soft, but the next demanded her full attention. His mouth glided against hers as his tongue teased her lips apart. She melted beneath him, sharing his warm breath. He gave the lush cushion of her bottom lip a nip and then sucked the tender flesh between his teeth. The fleeting sting of his bite echoed the silent promise of more to come, and raised gooseflesh on her arms.

Deftly, he plucked several buttons on her pajamas free. Pushing the fabric aside, he bared her full breasts and strawberry-pink nipples. With a husky moan, he thrust the hard bulge in his pants against her thigh. Feral desire roiled in the depths of his eyes. Cupping her breast in his palm, he lifted it to his mouth. His tongue circled the nipple until it glistened and stood taut. Closing his lips around the tip, he sucked a slow, steady rhythm that registered deep in her core.

He unfastened the last button and pushed the pajama top from her shoulders. They lay skin to skin, the hair on his chest tickling her breasts. His hands grazed her waist. Untying the pajama bottoms, he pulled them down her hips, pausing to stroke the soft curves of her thighs. “You’re so luscious, Andi. You were made for me.” He motioned for her to raise her hips, and when she did, he slipped a pillow beneath her and tossed the pajama pants to the floor. She stretched across his bed with her hips arched high.

“I want to taste you,” he whispered, as his hands traced the length of her thighs and parted them.

Hooking a finger in his waistband, she gave it a tug. “Shouldn’t you take those jeans off?”

Grinning from ear to ear, he shook his head. “Once these come off, it’s all over for me.” Gliding his hands down each of her thighs with a featherlight touch, he lowered his face in between. He brushed his nose against her auburn curls and inhaled the distinctly female scent of arousal. “Your scent is so exciting. It’s really doing a number on me.”

He kissed her mons with a featherlight touch. Parting the lips, he gently explored her with his tongue. The first slick stroke ignited her senses like liquid fire. The second tantalized her by traveling in slippery circles until her clit ached. The light grain of Mac’s beard stubble teased her inner thighs as he rocked his head from side to side, bathing every inch of her pussy in wet kisses. The pleasure became so keen, soft, desperate-sounding cries floated free.

It had been far too long since she’d experienced anything close to the sweet ecstasy Mac offered. Without inhibitions, she thrust her hips in his face and begged. “The little spot next to my clit.” She wriggled, almost sliding off the pillow. “Suck it.”

His lips closed around her clit. The gentle pulse of his mouth built to a rhythmic throb that drove her crazy. The blood rushed between her thighs. It became impossible to remain still. She needed to move and rock her hips, but she didn’t want to bump Mac’s nose. Sensing her struggle, he intervened. His hands gripped her hips and held her tight as he swooped down, taking full possession of her.

Once captured, she allowed her mind to drift to every hot and dirty thought she’d ever had, now re-imagined and recast starring Mac. She couldn’t wait for him to fuck her and hoped he’d pump inside her deep and slow while sucking her aching tits.

He smacked his palm playfully against the side of her thigh, making a shocking sound. She leaped in surprise, her eyes wide. He gently penetrated her with a finger and made a coaxing motion that lured her toward the edge. With every nerve on fire, it was all too much. “Come for me, Andi.” A quiet growl rolled deep in his throat.

She shuddered. Her belly clenched. The first ripples of climax swept over her, growing stronger until she thought she might jump out of her skin.

“Mmmm.” He pressed his mouth hard against her. His tongue flicked. The low vibration of his growl sent her pleasure soaring.

As the fleeting moments of bliss carried her away, she melted against the sheets. Too stunned to move, she stared at the ceiling beams, noticing the light cast from the iron stove had dimmed to an orange glow. She reached for his shoulders and tried to haul him onto her, but he proved too heavy to budge. “Mac, you know what I need now. Do I have to beg for that too?”

Pulling away, he sat back on his heels. The ruddy glow of the fire cast half his face in stark shadow. His jawline glistened where it was still wet from her. “Begging is optional. But if you like it, go ahead.” He unfastened the top snap of his jeans and then the next. He stood to finish unbuttoning his pants, and then pushed them down his long legs and kicked them aside.

She allowed herself the luxury of looking at Mac. This time, minus the awed surprise of watching him shift to bear form, she saw how well-made he was. His body possessed the perfect balance between man and bear. Power and strength were on full display.

His gaze traveled the length of her. A wicked gleam shone on his eyes. “What if I lose control and bite?”

She rolled onto all fours and crept toward the edge of the mattress, allowing her breasts to sway. “You are gentle, considerate, and kind, and I am going to suck your cock like a shop vac, and prove that in this bed, you are the master, not the nipping grizzly.”

“You sound confident.” His voice was reduced to a gruff rumble.

“I’m not, but I’m going to do it anyway. Besides, I’m already sold on becoming a bear. It sounds amazing. So bite me. I want it.” She crooked her finger. “Come here.”

Taking a cautious step, he approached her.

Glancing upward, she smiled. “Do you want me sitting or kneeling?”

“Both.” The answer burst forth. “This whole thing is blowing my mind.”

She traced a delicate line around her nipple with her fingertip. “You sound nervous.”

“I am. I’m scared I’m going to bite you, grab hold of your hips, and fuck you too hard.”

“Again, it sounds great.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Now that we have your worst fears out of the way, can we have some fun?”

His lips parted in a lingering moment of silence. “I just don’t want you to have regrets.”

“No regrets. I’m in your bed because I belong here.” She reached for his hand and drew him closer. Mac towered beside her. Sitting back on her heels, she gazed up at him. Grasping hold of his shaft, she gave it a playful stroke from tip to base, feeling the heat of it against her palm. His eyes reflected the amber glint from the fire, lending him a slightly savage look. Leaning down, she placed a soft kiss on the glossy crown and then glided her tongue around the rim.

Mac closed his eyes and tilted his face upward. An innocent expression of surrender flooded his features. The heavy muscles of his thighs tensed as he swayed to avoid toppling.

Swishing her hair across his belly, she allowed the silky strands to cover him like a veil. The lemony scent of soap on his skin beside the darker hint of musk inundated her senses. Using tender kisses and the tip of her tongue, she teased his cock, licking the first salty bead of cum from the crown.

He responded with a low grumbling sigh, followed by a big hand gently placed on the back of her head, urging her to take more. Parting her lips wide, Andi swallowed as much as she could, simply holding him in the snug embrace and slowly sucking him deeper in increments. Her lips caressed the shaft and her tongue explored the crown as she barely moved. “Uummm.” The growl vibrated low in her throat.

He pulsed his hips against her mouth, but immediately stopped and withdrew. He slid free of her lips with a juicy pop. “Too much.”

“Not enough.” She held on to his shaft, guiding the slick head of his cock to her breast. It met her nipple in a wet kiss. She rubbed his cock in slow circles against her breast. The tip pebbled and flushed rose. “If you want to, come on my tits. I’d love it. Massage it into my skin when you’re finished.”

Conflict burned in his gaze and his jaw tensed. A slight tremor rippled through his thighs, warning he was close to pulling the trigger.

“But you want to fuck me instead, right? Come inside me like a real mate?” She used the provocative word “mate” deliberately. “You could flip me over, hold on to my hair, and pin me to the mattress while you ride me so hard and fast I scream your name. Or”—she grinned—“you could be polite about this and we’ll pretend we’re half asleep on a lazy Sunday morning. Your choice, just do it now.”

“You were born to tease.” Reaching out, Mac traced his hand across her cheek and brushed a lock of hair from her brow. “I think I’ll take you standing up. I want to look in your eyes.”

The thought of him locking his arms around her while she clung to him for dear life appealed.

“While I’m fucking you, I’m going to promise myself to become the man you keep. I’ll do whatever it takes because I don’t ever want another man touching my mate.”

She rose on her knees. The mattress flexed as she pressed herself against his chest. “Please tell me you have a condom.”

“I do, but we don’t need them.”

“Why?”

Taking hold of her waist, he drew her into his arms. With commanding ease, he picked her up and lifted her to his chest. “I’m half bear. As an enchanted being, I’m not susceptible to human diseases. I’ve never even had the flu.” Taking easy strides, he carried her toward the far side of the cabin and stopped a few feet from the radiant heat of the iron stove. He pressed her back to the wall as his solid thigh parted her knees. She wrapped her legs around his hips. The wood paneling at her back was smooth. For a moment, they remained almost at eye level. Neither blinked.

“Mac, what about me? I’m susceptible to a lot of things. For instance, babies. Someday, I’d love a family, just not tonight.”

His ropy arms supported her as she settled into his embrace. “Andi, the only way you can have a child with me is if we are both bears, and you aren’t a bear yet.”

“Oh, I see. So when I accept your final claim bite, I—”

“Accept everything and possibly, when you’re ready, you’ll become a mother to bears.”

“Bears, plural?”

“Likely twins. Expect two naughty little boy bear shifters.”

“Oh, God! How would I manage? Schedule my lobotomy now.”

With a playful nuzzle, he rubbed his face against her hair “We’ll manage as a united front.”

“Jeez. Things move fast with a bear. Agree to hot sex, and next thing you know, becoming a mother to twin boys is part of the deal too.”

With lashes dipped, he glanced away. For a split second, something like hurt or worry shone in his gaze. “If a lifetime commitment with a family isn’t what you’re looking for, say it now because, as a MacBrun, that’s all I can offer. I can’t help it. Stop me now, don’t let me fall any more in love with you than I already am.”

“Mac, when I get nervous, I say sarcastic things I don’t mean.” She stroked the edge of his chin, gliding a fingertip across the grainy texture. “Everything that’s happening between us feels like someone said, ‘Here’s the blueprint for the rest of your life, just follow the dotted line.’” With a light brush of her lips, she kissed his nose. “Mac, you’re so fucking intense. I need time to adjust. You need to learn to recognize when I’m making a joke, which I do a lot. Earlier, you stripped your pants off and turned into a grizzly bear in front of me and I didn’t run away blubbering in terror or piss myself. I deserve credit for that. For once, I’ve truly lived up to my name and been brave. Commitment? Yes, I want that too. Twin boys? I sort of like the idea, and I’ll deal with it like an adult if it happens. Is that okay, sweetheart?”

“You’re right.” He smiled as he lifted her to his hips. Reinforcing his hold on her, he pressed her hard against the wall and kissed her mouth. Her lips parted. The tip of his tongue skimmed hers.

Reaching down, he grasped his shaft. With a gliding motion, he rubbed the head back and forth against her until she was slick. Finding her warm, wet center, Mac paused. His gaze met hers.

She looked into the cinnamon sparkle of his brown eyes as he pressed himself inside. At such a steep angle, the first stretch took her breath. Tilting her hips, she relaxed as he slid deeper with ease. His palm planted against the wall and his arm tensed as if he were Atlas pushing the world away. With her hands locked behind his neck, she held tight.

He moved with long, slow strokes that coiled the heavy muscles of his buttocks and shoulders. His breath came in short bursts. She wished there were a mirror or a reflective surface behind him, because Mac’s powerful body plunging inside her woke every primal instinct she possessed, and she knew the sight of her magnificent bear taking her by firelight would be stunning.

She’d been so busy sliding her hands across his broad shoulders and imagining what he looked like from another vantage point, it surprised her to glance up and see Mac’s gaze fixed on her. The determined line of his mouth tensed as he gazed directly into her eyes. His hands gripped her thighs and he gritted his teeth as his strokes became wilder. Wrapping her legs tighter around his lean hips, she crossed her ankles and held on. Tipping his head back, he groaned a low throaty growl. He thrust deep and stilled with his eyes squeezed shut and lips parted. Taking the last short strokes over the edge, he came with a look of searing lust branded on his face. With a ragged breath, he whispered, “Andi.” Holding her securely, he allowed himself to lean against her for support.

Their breath mixed. Heat rolled off his skin, leaving her slick. The room was too warm for her to be locked in his embrace. Standing so close, their gazes wavered in and out of focus. Then he did something surprising. With a quiet grunt, he brushed the tip of his nose to hers and then bowed his head, reverently touching the top of his forehead to hers. She sensed the affectionate gesture was the bear’s sweet way of paying homage to her.

For several minutes, they did not speak. Nothing needed to be said. The loving expression in Mac’s eyes and his gentle manner revealed all she needed to know. She simply allowed herself to relax into the miracle of falling in love with a kind man, who was also a protective, territorial bear.

Mac broke the silence. “I want to carry you to bed, but if I move, I’ll slip free.”

She kissed his mouth. “So? Take me to bed and then slide back inside.”

He rolled his eyes. “Why didn’t I think of that?” Lifting her higher, he took a step. He did, indeed, slip free. “Damn. I knew it. We didn’t get very far, did we?”

Her thighs were sticky. “Why don’t you walk us to the shower?”

“Like this?” In an exaggerated stance, he squatted and stomped along with the grace of an ambling dinosaur. She clung fast to his shoulders. Taking exaggerated steps, he puffed his cheeks out. “Boom, boom, boom!”

Laughing, she held on tight. “You’re like the biggest little kid I’ve ever met in my life.”

Somehow, they made it all the way to the bathroom without tripping over the discarded clothing strewn on the floor. When he crossed the threshold, Mac set her down. Her feet alighted on cool tile.

He turned on the faucet. “When I saw the black bear tracking you, I was terrified you’d get hurt. I felt such guilt that I’d put you in danger and worried our story would end before it even started.”

“But you saved me. You got there in time.”

“As a bear, there will be more risks in your life. Both people and animals will react to you differently. Are you willing to face that?”

“Yes.”

“I want you to know what you’re getting into.”

Tapping his chest, she pushed past him. “First, I’m getting into the shower.”

He drew the vinyl curtain aside and motioned for her to enter. “The water’s warm.”

She moved aside. “I want to keep my hair dry.”

“Hold your hair above your head.”

Gathering her hair into a loose bun, she stood naked beside him. With her arms raised, her breasts thrust higher. “I’ll need my hands to wash with.”

“No, you won’t. Stand still and let me bathe you.” With a flick of his wrist, he adjusted the angle of the spray so her head would not be drenched. Taking her arm, he stepped into the bathtub and guided her to him. Then he drew the curtain.

The shower instantly cocooned her in a steamy spray and the heat of Mac’s gaze. “You’re staring.”

“You’re gorgeous.” He reached for a bar of green-and-white marbled soap and rolled the fresh scented oval between his hands until a thick lather formed. “I love your goddess curves.” With sudsy hands, he caressed her shoulders, slowly working lower to her breasts and the swell of her rib cage. Wet and slippery, his palms glided over her skin. “You feel heavenly.” He soaped her hips and slid his hands across the soft curves of her thighs, stopping for a moment to kiss her lips.

The warm water and Mac’s caring touch struck a chord deep in her heart. In the past, she’d been lusted after and even been loved, but she had never experienced such strong feelings that she was with the right person at the right place and time as she did now.

Turning her gently beneath the spray, he rinsed the soap from her skin. “Let me duck under there before we run out of warm water.”

She switched places with him and watched as Mac rubbed a brisk lather onto his hairy chest and between his legs, every motion swift and efficient. He set the soap down and rinsed, twisting under the spray. She got a good look at his broad back and the solid muscles of his buttocks. He glanced at her sideways, tiny droplets of water clinging to his lashes. “Now, you’re the one staring.”

The water ran cool and he quickly shut the faucet off. Reaching for a towel, he wrapped it around her and dabbed her skin dry. She stood like a child, allowing him to pamper her. When he finished, he enfolded her in a genuine bear hug and rocked her against his chest. Already hard, his cock prodded her thigh. His lips grazed the crown of her head to deliver a kiss. “Andi, I already care for you so much, and I can only see this getting better and better.”

“Me too.” Taking his hand, she led him from the bath and made a beeline for the bed. She clambered into the center of the mattress, feeling the springs flex as she glided across the sheets. Rolling onto her back, she stretched her arms above her head and grasped a pillow. Striking a provocative pose, she gazed up at him. Mac stood at the edge of the mattress, wearing an indefinable expression that looked like several of the seven deadly sins rolled into one.

“Mac, I thought about it, and I want you to do it.”

His cock lifted. “I’m going to do it all right.” He knelt on the bed and stretched out beside her, running his hand along her thigh.

Turning her face to meet his, she spoke as slowly and clearly as her racing heart would allow. “I meant claim me. Give me the final bite. I want it.”

“Andi, we can wait. There’s no pressure.”

The fire grate flooded the wall with flickering amber patterns that looked like spirits dancing on the paneling. “It’s not a logical thing that can be explained, but I know my fate and future is with you.”

“Sweetheart, I agree, but are you absolutely certain?”

“Yes.”

“Even though the first nip is still in your bloodstream?”

“Mac, what I feel for you is bigger than anything a nip of pheromones or even magic could explain. This is sacred. It feels right. I want to take the next step.”

Taking hold of her wrists, he rolled on top of her, resting his weight on his elbows. “Ursa Regina.” The words were mumbled as he placed kiss after soft kiss on her lips.

“What did you say?” Her voice faded.

He silenced her with a kiss so volatile it whisked all rational thought from her mind. His caress left her breathless as he gently parted her thighs with his knee. The tip of his cock was already wet as the head rubbed against her. She arched her hips off the mattress as he glided inside her in teasing increments. At this angle, the sensations were sharper than before, but she loved wrapping her legs around Mac’s hips and feeling every powerful muscle on his torso tense.

Entangled in each other’s grip, they moved together as one. Her breath matched his ragged gulps. Dipping his head, he took her nipple between his lips and sucked with slow, wet tugs that caused full-body bliss so sweet, her lashes fluttered. He took his time, each stroke providing a thrilling stretch. She closed her eyes and gave in to every stunning sensation offered. The pleasure built and a monster climax snuck up on her, starting with the ripple of her abdomen and ending with her toes curled.

Just as she was about to whisper his name, he bit. The edges of his teeth closed on her throat. An overwhelming tingle, like hot coals dropped on her skin, prickled her flesh. Every cell in her body exploded with blinding bright light. She thrashed in his grip, and the sting turned to a white-hot crescendo of pain. Arching off the mattress, she opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

Then it ended. The storm passed as quickly as it had appeared. Her body vibrated with a strange energy. Her heart pounded in a vacuum. Nothing felt familiar. She became so light-headed that, for a moment, she expected to float out of her body. Real worry struck, but she couldn’t rally her thoughts enough to think.

“Andi?” Mac’s voice was heavy with worry. His palm brushed her cheek.

Her eyes shut and refused to open. Too drained to move, she discovered she couldn’t even muster the strength to wiggle her fingertips.

“Andi, are you all right?” Mac sounded far away. “Please answer me.”

Chapter Nine

“Sweetheart?” Mac’s somber voice was drenched with concern. “Open your eyes.”

Andi awoke.

Mac sat at her side with his legs off the mattress. He leaned over her with a glass of water poised in his hand.

“You’re not going to throw that water in my face, are you?”

“No.” A warm smile made the tiny lines around his eyes fan. “Your lips are dry. I want you to have a drink.”

Licking her lips, she noticed how parched they were. She hoisted herself onto her elbows. “Why am I so thirsty?”

“The pheromones of my bite burned through every cell of your body.”

“How long did I sleep?”

He extended his hand. “A couple of hours.”

She reached for the water and emptied the glass in one gulp, and immediately gave it back to him. “Would you get me more?”

Mac rose and walked to the sink to refill the glass. On his way to the kitchen, he opened the front door. A cool draft blew in. “Aside from being thirsty, how do you feel?”

Peeking beneath the sheet, she realized she was still naked. She wriggled her fingers and toes. “I feel fine—completely normal.”

Returning to the bed, he sat beside her and handed the water to her. “Normal as you knew it is over. Let’s get you acclimated to the new normal as soon as possible.”

Taking her time, she sipped the second glass.

“Hurry.” Mac looked as excited as a little kid waiting for the adults to wake on Christmas morning.

“Why?” Still thirsty, she wanted more water.

“I want to slip outdoors while it’s dark.”

“I would like another glass of water, please.”

“You can have all the water you want, lapped directly from the river.”

Shaking her head, she growled. “No, Mac. No more hiking. Not now.”

He laughed and took hold of her wrist as he pulled the sheet away. “Come on. Get up.”

Clutching at the sheet, she snarled. “I’m sleepy! Let me stay in bed.”

“You can sleep all day if you want to, but we need to do this now.”

“Do what?” She was terribly grouchy. “I need sleep.”

His hold on her wrist relaxed. “Look at your hand.”

Her gaze fixed on her hand. “So? What did you want me to see?” The flesh shimmered. For a second, fur covered the back of her hand. The palm widened into a big padded paw and long ivory claws sprouted from where her fingernails had been. “Whoa! Look at this. Already? I thought this process might be a gradual thing that would take months or even years to accomplish.”

“Nope. Essentially, it’s magic.”

“Magic?” Tipping her paw toward the firelight, she studied the changes. “I wish I had a scientific explanation for this.”

“Maybe magic is just the only word we have for processes that can’t be explained by science. All I know is, you’re more than ready for your first shift. Your hands have been flickering back and forth between fingers and paws for the last forty minutes.”

She planted her palm on the mattress and watched as a furry paw replaced her hand. “I’m going to be huge!”

“You’re going to be a silvertip grizzly like me.”

“I always hoped I’d end up with a powerful man.” She laughed. “I just wasn’t thinking about the sort of power that could rip the lid off a dumpster.”

“Being a bear is pure freedom.” He coaxed her off the mattress. “Find out for yourself.”

She slipped out of bed, the sheet trailing in her wake.

He grabbed the sheet and tossed it back on the bed. Gathering her into his arms, he kissed her lips. “Ready?”

“I’m not sure. What do I need to do?”

“Look into my eyes. Relax. You’re bonded to me now. As your mate, I am your mentor, at least in the beginning. Open your heart and trust me. All you have to do is take a deep breath and let it happen.”

Her heart hammered in her chest and her knees trembled. “I feel strange.”

Mac’s face began to change. His nose widened and a muzzle protruded from his face. His ears shifted higher on his head and became rounder. Golden-brown fur washed across his features. In a crackling swoosh of color and motion, he transformed into a bear.

Her body tingled and, as if magnetized to an irresistible force, transformed as well. A pinch, a crackle of bone, and a heartbeat later, Andi found herself lumbering around the floor on all fours, feeling as powerful as a bull. The transmutation took place with astonishing ease.

Making eye contact with Mac, she gazed directly into his eyes.

He stared back. We can’t use human speech, but we have a type of instinctual telepathy.

She opened her muzzle and a loud snort came out.

Let’s have a little adventure. He led her out the open door into the darkness. The moon had set and blue-green Venus, the morning star, glowed brightly on the ridgeline. Padding down the steps, he headed for the dirt road. As soon as they were on the graded path, he loped at a brisk pace.

She sprinted to catch up. Her big, sure-footed paws seemed incapable of tripping in the dark. Glancing around, she noticed that, despite the shadows, her world seemed to be in sharp focus. Every pebble on the path shone in clear detail. The feeling of being in a big, strong body amazed her. Her heart pounded from the thrill of the situation as much as from the physical demands of running in bear form.

In little time, they reached the highway. Mac stopped to check for cars. At this hour, of course, there were none. He padded across the road and climbed over the side of the ravine. She followed, highly conscious that they were crossing the spot where they had first met.

Mac turned to grunt in acknowledgment.

She growled back. Who knew a mishap in a storm would lead to all this?

Hopping from boulder to boulder, they quickly reached the bottom of the ravine. On the riverbank, their paws pressed prints into the damp silt, obscuring the scars left behind by the crane.

Striding into the river, Mac splashed around and then lowered his head to drink. She waded into the icy water beside him and lapped up pure water with her very long tongue. Lifting her head, she licked Mac’s face as well. A shiver of pleasure rippled over his brushy coat.

Taking long strides, Mac led her farther into the tumbling water. She followed, her paws gripping mossy stones with ease. Like a pair of titans, they strolled upriver, relishing every new scent and sight. The ravine filled with chatter and song as the morning’s first birds skimmed the surface of the river.

Rounding the bend, Mac snorted and looked skyward. The silhouette of the summit loomed ahead. In the east, a golden ribbon of sunlight brightened the sky. A new day had arrived. Without need of words, she knew they had to return to the station. In silence and at the same moment, both she and Mac turned and went back the way they had come.

Mac walked close, affectionately bumping his shoulder against hers. Every now and then, he turned to glide his muzzle against hers or blow a puff of warm breath across her ears.

The presence of a mate at her side felt so right, her heart flooded with joy. This wasn’t exactly what her mother would have asked her to do with her life, but she had the strong sense that her mother was looking down smiling.

The End

Author’s Note

Did you enjoy meeting Michael MacBrun and Andi Brunell? Would you like to meet some more MacBrun bear shifters? Mac and Andi are a happily mated pair, but their lives together are just getting started. There’s a lot more to their story. Andi hasn’t lost her ambitions to refurbish the Bluebell Motor Lodge, but they are going to need a lot of help. Mac’s billionaire-financier twin brother is going to stick his bad-boy alpha-bear muzzle right in the middle of their business and stir the honey pot. Wait until you meet Hudson MacBrun. This playboy’s arrogance is unBearable! A private helicopter? Custom-tailored cashmere suits from Paris? Who the hell does this guy think he is? Find out what happens when a humble case of mistaken identity turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to this spoiled alpha billionaire, in MacBrun 2, coming 2016.

About Katalina Leon

Katalina Leon is an artist and author who can't commit to a single genre. Her favorite playgrounds are historical, sci-fi, contemporary, and most of all paranormal realms. Lately, she has wolf-shifters on the brain. Katalina brings a sense of adventure and a touch of the mystical to erotic romance. She believes there's a daring heroine inside every woman who wants to take a wild ride with a strong worthy hero.

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More from Katalina Leon

Portrait of a Lone Wolf, book 7, Black Hills Wolves, Decadent Publishing.

Uncaged, book 25, Black Hills Wolves, Decadent Publishing.

Dark Sky, Scorpio, Fated Desires Publishing.

Coming soon:

The Virgin and Her Wolf, 1Nightstand, Decadent Publishing.

MacBrun 2

Ravenscroft-Vampire Picnic-Tales of an Irish Vampire. Free read available January 6th

Preferred Prey: Bite Of The Moon

A BBW PARANORMAL SHAPE SHIFTER ROMANCE

(Sons of Fenris MC – Book 1)

Erika Masten

CHAPTER ONE

This whole plan wasn’t just a bad idea. It was the mother of bad ideas. It was the fanged and furred, snarly, growly, tear-a-girl’s-throat-out father of all bad ideas. And it was all Tabitha’s doing, with no one else to blame.

Maybe that fact wasn’t entirely apparent just from the way Jiminy, the overdressed club manager cum psycho concierge, bellowed at her all the time. “Taffy! Taffy, front and center!” Tabitha knew well enough he meant her.

Taffy? Seriously? In the three weeks she’d worked at the dive strip bar, he’d only gotten Tabitha’s name right twice, by accident. But Taffy? What was it about the plus-size but still athletic waitress who made a point of never smiling and never flirting that came off as a Taffy? Was it the blond hair? Because that wasn’t a bleach job, and she didn’t have a My Little Pony tramp stamp or even neon pink nails with matching frosted eyeshadow, honest.

Perhaps, then, her folly should have been clear when the manager pounded his fist on the bar and shouted again over the suggestively thrumming music. “Taffy, get your ass over to VIP. You’re serving.”

Instead of really listening to that order—paying attention to where Jiminy was sending her—Tabitha fumed as she glared over her shoulder at the red-faced man. His fleshy, clean-shaven cheeks practically glowed over the stiff collar of his dress shirt. Bluster in a business suit. She had to wonder if he actually got those shirts starched, the ones he wore with his absurdly professional navy blue suits and ties. A little overdressed for presiding over bikers and petty thugs buying cheap beer and lap dances on a hole in the wall on the bad side of town.

Tabitha stood behind the bar with Jim Neece—Jiminy, the anti-conscience of the bar patrons—not ten feet away, as she wiped down the poorly washed glasses for the night. He scanned the crowd for his staff and skimmed right past her. Story of her life. The girl was always just one more warm body, someone to serve drinks, someone to kick around, a notation on the memo line of a foster care check, but no one who warranted actual notice or a name of her own.

Shaking her head with an irritated swish of her ponytail along her shoulder blades, the waitress whipped her dishrag down onto the bar and snatched up her tray. She used up every ounce of restraint she had resisting the urge to smack Jiminy in the back of the head with the plastic disk.

“Taffy!”

“I’m going,” she said, snapping back at the man she knew would forget her minutes later. “And it’s Tabitha.”

Jiminy didn’t seem to notice that last comment or her use of the tray to shield herself from his scrutiny as she slipped behind and past him. For the last few nights, he’d been after her over her waitressing uniform not being tight enough or small enough. Like a thin white tank top and a pair of flouncy black shorts qualified as a uniform. Only in a strip club. As it was, one good yank from an aggressive patron, and Tabitha was in danger of joining the lineup of strippers. She just didn’t see that working out for a girl with a little too much curve and, by her own estimation, at least one too many X’s on the size tag of her clothing. Not that the crowd at Skin seemed to mind; all the most popular dancers there were big girls. Go figure.

The fact that Skin even had a VIP section, a cordoned off alcove centered on its own stripper pole, seemed ludicrous to Tabitha as she dodged and wove her way through the club’s obstacle course of booths, tables, and handsy patrons. A maximum security block would have been more in order. It was a biker bar, for chrissake. Not just any biker bar, obviously, or she wouldn’t have taken a job there even to keep herself from starving. Getting into Skin as either a dancer or a waitress were the only options Tabitha had if she was going to find the men she was looking for without becoming one of their victims—and even this route posed its risks.

And that was what Tabitha should have kept in focus as she hurried up the steps into the VIP section with her high heels clacking loudly on the black tile. The floor reflected dingy flashes of color from the neon stage lights. She tended to keep her eyes trained on her order pad and those lights, to discourage patrons who equated eye contact with a come hither invitation to grope.

How long do you think you can keep this up, Tabitha? She was hardly earning anything because she wouldn’t put out for these creeps. Carrying a baseball bat just to get back and forth from the club to her car. Did she really think getting tangled up with the Sons was going to change anything? Once a throwaway kid, always a throwaway kid. Maybe they just didn’t want or need another mongrel in their pack.

Anxious questions and doubts swirled in Tabitha’s head, but the only one she asked out loud was, “What can I get you?”

Avoiding eye contact as usual, she had asked the first pair of black motorcycle boots she’d found, on the VIP patron sitting closest to the steps up into the alcove. When she didn’t immediately hear an answer shouted gruffly over the music, Tabitha braced herself, pen poised. This was usually the pause before the smarmy pick-up line about whether or not she was on the menu. On bad nights, the rowdier clientele went straight for lewd propositions and graphic descriptions of what they’d gladly do to her in the alley behind the bar. With the way the guys in Skin behaved, a girl could have gotten to think that chubby was the new in thing. Or maybe that was just the nature of strip clubs, with the men there hitting on anything with a vagina.

Another few seconds passed with no response. That was the point when Tabitha looked up, and realized, and really truly entirely understood what a bad fucking idea all this was. With shaggy raven hair and shoulders out to there, Mick Lebeau, president of the city’s most brutal motorcycle gang—sorry, motorcycle club—caught Tabitha’s breath and heartbeat with the terrible intensity of a wordless black glare.

It was him. Them. The Sons. Shifters. Wolves.

Tabitha, for all the cruelty and beatings she’d taken in her life, had never flinched back just from a look, until then. His eyes did seem utterly black, though she knew they must have been very dark brown, set beneath a firm brow and careless waves of hair. Even knowing the man’s name, who he was and what he was, Tabitha hadn’t expected… any of this. Not the gleaming eyes or how much like prey she’d feel with them trained on her. Not the stony expression or the wide-set planes of his handsome face darkened by bristle so fine it was hard to tell stubble from shadow. Not the eerie motionlessness that so reminded her of a wolf studying a helpless deer.

A helpless deer. Yes, that was exactly what Tabitha felt like as she glanced quickly around her, judging how much space she had between this predator and herself. They were there with him, several more of the Sons, all watching one of the girls slithering up and down the VIP pole. Tabitha recognized Garik, the gang’s enforcer, black hair and light eyes and also too handsome to be entirely human. She had never seen that one live up to his role or his reputation, at least not in Skin, and that was just what put Tabitha on edge about him. He was never gratuitously violent with the other customers, and he never fucked any of the dancers openly for the entertainment of his pack brothers. Instead, the much burlier Jake and Vince, and the truly massive Ox when he was around, embodied pure biker trouble. With those three cracking skulls while Lebeau presided, no one forgot Skin was SoF territory.

Mick still didn’t say anything as Tabitha leaned away from him degree by degree, poised to flee, while he sat with only that broad chest expanding and relaxing with each measured breath. Beneath his unzipped leather vest, his gray t-shirt bore the image she had studied all those nights alone in her rented room designing this ill-conceived plan. The snarling wolf’s head that glowered back at her as silently as Mick Lebeau was the symbol of the SoF, the Sons of Fate.

In that moment, Tabitha was terrified that the man could tell she knew what SoF really stood for: Sons of Fenris. Descendants of the wolf Fenrir. The most savage breed of shifters hidden among—and preying upon—man. As beautiful as wolves, as wild, but more deadly for their mix of human blood and human vice with animal power and animal appetite.

Tabitha wasn’t sure which was more distressing, the flicker of crude appreciation in Lebeau’s dark eyes as his glance sized her up from ponytail to heels and back again, or the stony chill of his voice. “Jiminy took his sweet fucking time sending you back here.”

The first time Tabitha actually smiled at anyone in Skin and it was Mick Lebeau, because he terrified her and she had no other way to hide it. “I’m new, so I’m usually his last choice to work VIP. Guess he sent me ‘cause everyone else was busy.”

“He sent you because I told him to send you.”

Run, the good sense she had left screamed in her head.

Tabitha’s mouth went numb and awkward, her heartbeat throbbing hard enough to pulse in her temples and her tongue and the base of her throat. “Why’s that?” she asked in a breathless rasp before her brain could stop her.

The seconds pounded away in Tabitha’s head while Lebeau watched her with narrowed eyes. It couldn’t have been more obvious he was studying her reactions, reading her, maybe even gauging which way she’d flee when he pounced.

Run.

“Skin is ours,” Lebeau told her with a meaningful stare that drove his suggestion right into her belly. He meant both Skin the club and the skin that was hers. Deep inside Tabitha, a primal part of her that she did not yet understand stirred at the suggestion, wolf to wolf, perhaps. But this was not the right shifter, the right man, not the first, the one who….

Mick reclaimed that small sliver of Tabitha’s attention when he said, “You want to drink here, dance here, work here, or fuck here, it’s because the Sons say you can.” Every muscle in Tabitha’s body tensed when Mick included “or fuck here,” and he reacted to the flicker of anxiety she felt pass over her face by breathing out an amused chuckle. He held out his hands as though presenting the obvious. “And I’m the first son. Club president.”

The girl swallowed the knot in her throat. If she was going to stick to the plan, this was the moment to correct him. He could call himself club president all he wanted. What he really meant was pack alpha. Reveal that bit of knowledge when most humans didn’t even know shifters existed, let alone any of the terms for how a species organized itself, and he’d know Tabitha wasn’t there by accident. But what would Mick Lebeau and the Sons do with this little girl who knew their secret and had gone to an awful lot of trouble to find them and join them—at least long enough for them to trigger her own transformation?

For chrissake, run, Tabitha!

She took a deep, bracing breath before saying, “Sounds like you’re the man who gets only the good stuff Jiminy keeps under the bar. Black label?” Tabitha replayed her own voice in her head. Had she sounded impressed enough? Coy enough? Subtle enough? Or could he tell she was scared out of her head and just wanted to get away from him? Hell, could he smell it on her?

The massive shifter sat back slightly on the curved faux leather couch. “Bring the bottle.”

Tabitha nodded and spun hard to head for the bar, even though she had no intention of serving the alpha either Jack Daniels or herself on that plastic platter. Later, when she’d calmed down and faced the prospect of her wallflower doormat church mouse life stretching out year upon year ahead of her, she knew she might regret this, but not at that moment. The instinct to flee was pounding in her head, and maybe that was her latent wolf finally shouting loudly enough to make itself heard over the club music and Tabitha’s hormonal desperation. Something inside Tabitha knew better than to stand face to face with Mick Lebeau and think this was going to go down anything like she’d planned.

Having ducked behind the bar and traded her serving tray for her purse and keys, without so much as a glance Jiminy’s way, the woman used the distraction of darkness and music and the haze of lust to skirt the wall of the club unseen. Tabitha headed toward the hallway to the bathrooms and the back exit. She didn’t care how many strange men she smacked into as she pushed her way through the knots of patrons waiting for the men’s room or sneaking a cigarette in the corridor. She didn’t care that they cussed and leered at her. And she didn’t look at who was slipping in the back door as she flung it open.

His scent hit Tabitha a split second before his body did, and that wasn’t because of any special wolf senses. Latents didn’t have those senses activated. She just knew that scent, really knew it, from spending half her damn childhood cuddled up to it. For years, that smell had meant warmth and protection in group homes that were little better than holding pens for unwanted bastards. He exuded a mixture of rich earth and fresh loam sweetened with musky amber that could not be covered with the lingering biker cologne of gasoline, oil, and cheap women.

Tabitha’s body clenched: her throat, her chest, her stomach, her suddenly burning hot pussy. And that was before she stumbled back on her heels and landed on the floor on her butt, to look up at him.

From so far down below the man, before the shifter, Tabitha panted out her panic and the surge of lust she felt heating her skin. Slowly, her gaze climbed from his scuffed black boots to his faded and oil-stained jeans, up his hard-muscled thighs. No way Tabitha’s attention should have lingered on the telltale outline of his cock pointing up long and thick at a slight angle to his zipper but no way she could help it, either. The enticing, threatening swell of his cock brought back memories of the last time she’d seen him, how badly she’s wanted him, how badly he’d hurt her, and how the events of that night had set Tabitha on the path that now led her to Skin and the Sons. That led her to him, but hadn’t she always thought it would? Hadn’t she hoped?

When she finally looked up past the lean lines of his runner’s torso, his white t-shirt clinging to the pronounced definition of his abs and pecs, Tabitha bit back a sighing gasp. Of relief and distress. It was him, absolutely, but different. The smooth cheeks she remembered feeling against her own face were now shaded in brown stubble that did less than he probably intended to roughen up his pretty-boy face. God but his jaw was hard and sharp, like a high school girl’s YA wet dream, and eyes so green…. But what had he done to that beautiful long hair that used to feel like cool liquid sliding over her skin? It was cut ragged now and short except for the front part along the crown of his head. Long fringe hung to one side of his face, skirting his jawline and shadowing his eyes as he glowered at Tabitha. It was him, absolutely, looking like some wild neo-viking. Finn.

For one second, just one, his brow knit in… surprise, doubt, concern? He certainly wasn’t looking at Tabitha the way a road-hardened biker and a savage, practically feral Fenris-blooded werewolf looked at a clumsy girl who’d just barreled into him. He stared at her like a man who was seeing the ghost of a life he didn’t live anymore, in the form of the first girl he’d ever loved—or said he loved.

Then Finn McCaffrey, four years older and infinitely rougher than the man who had left Tabitha that night, wiped the recognition off his face. He curled his upper lip in an irritated snarl before stepping over the girl and stalking into the club.

“No,” Tabitha said in a disbelieving breath as she sat there alone on the grimy floor. “No, that’s not how it was supposed….” Finn was going to pretend he didn’t know her after everything? After his change had nearly killed her? After he’d ripped away the curtain that hid the world of shifters and witches and faeries—the Otherworld—from the everyday world of… of hustlers and foster kids and waitresses barely making ends meet?

“Oh, hell, no.” Tabitha clambered to her feet and snatched up her purse and keys. She traded them one more time behind the bar for that damn serving tray. “Hey,” she said to Jiminy where he stood head bowed over his cell phone trying to hear a call or message. “Hey,” she said again and jostled his shoulder.

When the manager looked up, predictably red-faced and cross, Tabitha cut off his tirade. “The good stuff. A bottle. It’s for VIP.”

CHAPTER TWO

“Finn, get over here.”

Go fuck yourself, Mick, Mr. President, pack motherfucking alpha.

As the club recruiter, probation officer, prospector, what the fuck ever, any road warrior title but what Finn actually was—the pack scout—he was used to being alone on the road more than anyone except a few nomads and their road captain, Ox. Alone on the road and out from under Mick. Finn wasn’t planning on earning any fucking red cross patches for sucking up to or sucking off the alpha whenever Lebeau got his hackles up, usually over some perceived insubordination.

Insubordinate as hell, Finn kept his back turned to Mick and his eyes on three mamas putting on a show in the Sons’ leather-and whiskey-stinking VIP area in Skin. Two girls pressed up to the stripper pole and rubbed on each other while another was on her knees going back and forth between blowing Jake and Vince. The bottle of Jack in Finn’s hand was down to a mouthful or two, but he barely felt it. That stamina and resistance was the nature of the beast, his beast. A second bottle probably wasn’t going to lift his mood, his dark fucking growly Fenris Wolf disposition, but maybe the third and a couple of mamas all to himself later that night….

“Finn!”

Fuck off, Mick. I’m drunk and thinking about sex, and the music is too loud, and I can’t hear you. La la la la la. Get it, you asshole?

In a real biker gang, a human one, Finn’s attitude issues toward his president and other officers wouldn’t have been tolerated, he knew. At minimum, a beat down would have been in order. But the Sons weren’t human and weren’t just any shifters. If a Fenris Wolf did what he was told one time in ten, and no friendlies got mauled in the process, he was practically paper-trained.

When the pack alpha did not persist in snarling orders, Finn sank back into his mood. He drank alone, slouched in a deep leather chair with his semi-hard cock throbbing in frustration in his jeans. The scout filled his mouth with the last swallow the bottle had to offer and wiped his bottom lip on the sleeve of his gray sweatshirt jacket. It was the one he always wore under the denim cut with his colors.

The lingering stink of old whiskey, of oil and gas, with the musk of wolf and stripper pussy wasn’t enough to cover the smell of her when she came up the steps into VIP. That was why Mick had stopped hollering; the asshole was scoping Tabitha.

That girl. Finn gritted his teeth and refused to turn his head to look. That girl was thick in the head to come here, to Skin and VIP and the Sons. Tabitha getting a job at the bar? The idea made Finn’s shoulders tense and tighten with the pain of his urge to shift and kill something. She was parading around the club week after week while Mick and Jake and Vince eyed all that and licked their chops? Just like Finn was trying not to do, as the muscles of his arms and thighs and his cock twitched, ready for the hunt he wasn’t going to let happen. What the hell was she thinking after… after everything?

Finn snorted and tried to take another drink from the now empty bottle. In a temper, he flung it out over the heads of the crowd beyond the alcove, followed by a muted crash and a lot of cussing. All of it hardly audible over the music and pounding of blood in Finn’s aching head, behind his temples.

Tabitha Vallins would not get out of his head. Girl was thick, he thought again, closing his eyes and rubbing his scalp. As thick in the head as she was in the waist, and wasn’t that just the wrong thought to think? Finn couldn’t stop picturing Tabitha’s curvy hips and that round ass and how pale and soft and perfect her skin was along her naked belly and thighs. She’d been a lush young girl coming into her physical beauty four years before. Now she was a woman with substance to those curves, just the way shifters liked them. Voluptuous and hapless and as yet unspoiled, Tabitha was the perfect example of a werewolf’s preferred prey. She was the equivalent of a lone doe, and what she thought being a latent was going to change about that Finn just plain couldn’t figure.

Don’t look, man. Stay out of it. You saved the girl how many times?

From beatings at one group home or other, from violation in one foster home or other. For ten years, ever since the first group home they’d ended up in together when she was eight and he was twelve. That was enough. Now she had come to the one place, the one group of people, of animals, he had warned her away from in the direst of terms?

“Come here, Tabbycat.”

Caustic as the delivery might have been, Mick had an endearment for Tabitha. After a month? Finn had been on the road her first three weeks at Skin, as she’d scoped out the Sons and as they, little known to her, had scoped her out, too. Like they couldn’t smell a latent from the minute she hit the door. Like she didn’t leave that mouthwatering scent of prime, unturned she-wolf on everything she touched. Finn very intentionally pressed the back of his sleeve to his nose, to cover the scent of vanilla and honey with the smell of Jack. Damn the appetites of a Fenris Wolf, the wild breed even among beasts. The combination brought his cock to full attention.

“So tell me, kitty,” Mick went on, knowing full well that Finn wouldn’t have had to strain to hear if the scout was listening, “what you think about being our club mascot?”

No, no, no. Not your problem, man.

“You know the difference between a club cutie or a mama and an old lady?”

In one fluid movement worthy of a wolf, Finn brought himself up from the chair while reaching out to grab the stripper sucking off Jake and Vince. With some amount of snarling but without missing a beat, they just took the two girls off the pole. One bitch was as good as another for them. The scout used his hold on the first stripper’s permed curls to fling her across the VIP area to the floor at Mick’s feet. Topless and flushed, she sprawled in a jiggling, tantalizing tangle of sweaty skin and tousled red hair. Finn himself had used all that long red hair often enough to rein in the wriggling dancer while he’d tied up with her from behind. That was what she was for the Sons, a mama, sexually available for any club member at anytime, by her own choice. And a cutie? That was even worse. That was a girl for a gangbang, and often unwilling. Not to Finn’s taste.

With a snarl, Finn glared at Tabitha where she stood stunned a couple steps back from the prone stripper, who was giggling up at the club president. There was higher status among mamas who established themselves as Mick’s favorite, so Finn had just provided her quite the opportunity.

“How about you stop flirting long enough to bring us another fucking round?” Finn suggested accusingly, even knowing the smell he caught coming off Tabitha was ninety percent fear and ten percent her body’s instinctive reaction to the presence of male wolf shifters. If he made her mad enough, maybe she’d throw that tray at him and flip him off and quit like any sane woman. Only problem with that plan was that she was herself a latent shifter—something Finn should never have told her.

Tabitha glared at Finn and flushed and opened her mouth to reveal gritted teeth.

That’s right, baby girl. Tell me to shove it and march out on those heels.

If he had to keep watching her strut around in that barely-there tank top and shorts, Finn was going to start something that more than one of his pack brothers would have expected to finish, publicly and brutally.

The sound of Mick’s guttural laughter interrupted Finn’s plan and Tabitha’s outburst. “Finally out of your stupor, pretty boy? I guess you drank enough to get over the haircut?”

Lebeau turned his attention to Tabitha to explain. “My boy Finn here is a scrapper. Isn’t that right? He might look like a sparkly vampire, but he fights like a motherfucker, and every chance he gets, too. We’re very proud. Thing is, he had all this long pretty brown hair. Flowing. Really, it was fetching.”

“Fetching? Fuck you, man.”

From far behind Finn, Jake and Vince and a handful of the anonymous prospects not important enough yet to warrant names hooted and whistled and made kissy sounds in the scout’s direction. Inside Finn’s head, the real problem was the abrupt rise of the memory of Tabitha running her fingers through his hair. All those nights when he’d snuck into her bed, no matter if she’d been down the hall or across town in a different group home, she had combed his hair hour after hour with her fingernails and a touch so light it made his scalp tingle—then and now just thinking about it. For her part, Tabitha looked stricken, eyes gleaming wet like she might have been ready to cry.

Was that memory running through her head, too?

Mick clearing his throat made Finn realize that he and Tabitha were staring at one another like the only two people in the club. “Pity,” the alpha said, sighing. “Finn here nearly got his narrow little butt kicked when someone got a good handful of that hair. Pulled a bunch of it clean out of his head. Had to cut most of it off after that.” Lebeau made a waving gesture to one side of his one face, the side where Finn’s hair still came to his chin. “Kept a little, ‘cause he’s sentimental that way.”

“Someone” was an Odin’s Wolf from the Central Coast Pack, most condescending werepricks imaginable. And Finn didn’t think so simply because they were the natural, mythic, sworn enemies of all Fenris Wolves just on principal.

“But before Finn so rudely interrupted us, kitty, we were talking about how much you’d like to be one of the Sons’ little mamas. You got the body for it; that’s for sure.”

Instead of telling Mick to stop leering at Tabitha, Finn surged forward and grabbed her by the shoulders to shove her backward. “Fuck, Mick. Bang the stripper already.” The scout lowered his head and glowered at Tabitha. “Jack. Black Label. Two bottles. Now.”

Despite her jaw dropping open at Finn’s tone, Tabitha looked like she might just possibly maybe stomp off—to get the bottles or to rant about him to the other waitresses or to tell Jiminy she quit, he didn’t care which. But the girl on the floor picked that moment to snake her hand up along the crotch of Finn’s pants and suggest she could take both him and Mick.

Her ego obviously bruised beyond toleration, Tabitha stood her ground. Glaring at Finn, she said, “I’m a waitress, not your slave.” Then to Lebeau, reining like the barbarian king on his throne of fake leather, she continued, “And I’m not here to be cute or someone’s mama or whore or whatever. I’m a latent, and I know you know what that means, and if you think you’re ever going to get me to join you, you all need to show a little fucking respect.”

She’d said all that with a steady voice and a stiff back that the wolf, the man, and the natural outlaw in Finn had to find impressive. The girl might also have just slit both their throats.

CHAPTER THREE

Skin felt spent and empty in those early morning hours after the bouncers had kicked out the drunken stragglers of last night’s crowd. Tabitha had never seen the place by the light of day; sunlight sifting through cracks and doorways had no color or warmth once inside the place. The barest little part of her wondered if that had something to do with the men convened around her in a threateningly silent semi-circle, a feature of their supernatural nature, but that was a pretty far-fetched thought.

The girl breathed out in mirthless amusement at herself. What was far-fetched anymore, really, in a world secretly inhabited by the supernatural species of faerie tales and nightmares?

Well, other than the whole idea of bluffing her way into getting the Sons of Fenris to help her realize her shift. By the flat, colorless, comfortless light of day, that alone did seem like a naïve fantasy now.

Time to face the reality of the situation she’d walked herself into.

From left to right arrayed before her, Sons enforcer Garik Hagen stood a step removed from the other men, his arms crossed and dark head bowed as he regarded Tabitha without comment from under his brow, with Vince leaning back on the legs of a wooden chair between Hagen and Lebeau. Then Jake crouched with bulging arms balanced on bent knees. This brought the burly shifter down almost eye-level with Tabitha where she sat stiff-backed in one of the VIP leather chairs. She kept her hands folded on her knees to keep herself from bouncing her heels anxiously. As though just for the occasion, the 6’5” bear of a man they called Ox, their road captain, had rolled in to help preside over this interrogation. Having seen an awful lot of bad behavior from Jake and Vince and Ox, wolf shifter biker behavior, she wasn’t near enough as far away from them as she’d have preferred to be.

The only more immediate cause of concern was Mick Lebeau himself, sitting square in front of Tabitha with his chair turned backwards and his arms folded at rest on the wooden back. Well, that and the fact that Finn had distanced himself as soon as she’d had her outburst. And what girl wouldn’t have reacted, even overreacted, with one man barking orders at her while the MC president kept angling the conversation in the direction of Tabitha putting out for the whole gang? The man who had been her childhood protector was now no protection at all. Off to the right, he faced away from her and leaned on the archway atop the steps down out of the alcove. Like he had no interest in what the rest of the Sons were going to do to her. Like he had someplace else he wanted to be and this matter of dealing with the female latent was just an irritating holdup.

The burning in Tabitha’s gut was adrenaline mixed with bile and fear. The ache in her chest and the base of her throat was the welling pain of finally getting the answer to a question that had hounded her for four years: had Finn McCaffrey disappeared on her to protect Tabitha from what he had become, or had the big bad wolf outgrown his attachment to the little girl he was always having to rescue?

“Tabitha.”

Another first, she thought, someone getting her name right in this place. Too bad it was Mick Lebeau and in that particularly cool, flat tone. No point in avoiding the very thing that had brought her to Skin. Tabitha pulled her gaze and her pained thoughts back from Finn with great effort and the determination not to give in to the tears welling behind her smoke-burned eyes. What a waste that would have been, crying in front of a pack of werewolves after she’s had the spine to snap back at them and pronounce herself a latent. The spin of telling them they’d have to work to get her to join them was a stroke of genius, but she hadn’t quite pulled that one off yet. It was crucial she establish her value to them as a she-wolf before they decided all she was worth was fucking.

Mick stared expressionless, but no less threatening for it, as he asked Tabitha, “What is it you think you know about us? And how?”

She concentrated on not glancing in Finn’s direction. “It was a few years back. I met someone like you.”

“Like what?” Garik interjected. His voice was deeper, gruffer, more thoughtful and more calculating that Mick’s. Was that a glare she saw pass between the MC president and his sergeant-at-arms?

Lay it all out, Tabitha. Tell them everything, except….

“Shifters. Werewolves. Fenris Wolves.”

Little twitches of tension in muscles and expressions among each of the men proved the truth of her information. It hadn’t been a dream or hallucination or a trick of Tabitha’s mind to deal with the only man she’d ever loved abandoning her.

“And what do you think that means?” Garik asked, again beating his leader to the punch and earning another black stare.

“It means….” Tabitha realized she didn’t know most of what it meant to be a werewolf. “Well, I know it’s not like the movies. You don’t shift because the moon is full. And you live in packs, with an alpha leading you.”

“And a Fenris Wolf?” the enforcer persisted. “What does it mean to be Fenris-blooded?”

Mick was just studying Tabitha now, eyes tracking every movement and expression. In fact, they all were. A quick, longing glance at Finn told her even he was holding his breath for her response.

At length, Tabitha shook her head. “I know it’s a mythological reference. The Fenris Wolf, Fenrir, fights the Norse god Odin at the battle at the end of the world.”

“And Odin Wolves?”

Tabitha shook her head again at the enforcer.

This time Mick spoke up. “Your helpful source wasn’t that helpful after all, was he?”

In the distance behind Lebeau, Finn stiffened. The muscles of his back flexed and bulged even under the gray hoodie and denim vest she’d heard bikers call their “cut” for the way they’d taken off the sleeves. Even with her stomach churning full of resentment, Tabitha felt the automatic urge to run her hand soothingly down his spine. She could practically still feel the smooth firmness of his body.

Was it odd that a werewolf didn’t have a hairy back and chest? Or just odd that the thought would occur to her at a time like this?

The MC president snickered. “Who was it exactly who told you about Fenris Wolves and, more specifically, who told you that was what we were? How’d you find us?”

“It was stuff he said about a biker g—.” Tabitha checked herself when she saw Mick and Jake both clench their jaws. “A motorcycle club and the neighborhood, about a bar where you all hung out. It wasn’t that easy to find you; he didn’t say a lot.”

“Who was it, Tabitha?” Lebeau demanded.

“I don’t know him. Just some guy.”

“And he told you this because?”

“Because I’m a latent, I guess. He knew that, too. He said he could smell it.”

The memory brought a twinge of pain to Tabitha’s belly, thinking about that last night. For weeks before, Finn had been so erratic and even wilder than he’d always been. More fights and impulsiveness. He had always been prone to disappearing for a day or two, but it had become a whole week sometimes. Then he’d come back that night drunk, enlivened, practically electrified by some private victory. And hungrier for Tabitha than he’d ever been, kissing and caressing her ravenously, raving about the smell of her—of a latent lupa, an unturned she-wolf. Tabitha had thought he was too drunk to know what he was saying, until he had shown her.

“So he was a varg?” Mick asked, jerking Tabitha abruptly out of her memories.

“I don’t know what that is.”

Smirking, the MC leader told her meaningfully, “A lone wolf. Even among our breed, we don’t tolerate vargs. A wolf has to have a pack. A were who bonds with pack brothers and then turns his back on them?”

Mick shrugged while Tabitha tried not to show distress at how symbolic it was to have Finn standing off from the rest of the gang. Could she keep her dread hidden, really, when all it took was the smallest flare of her eyes or nostrils or the flush of her skin to give her reaction away? Best she could hope was that they’d mistake her fear of revealing Finn for her fear of them. Did different kinds of fear have different scents? She’d have to survive this morning and her transformation to wolf if she was going to find out.

“We hunt vargs down,” Mick told her. “We put them down.”

This time it was Tabitha’s turn to shrug. With calculated feigned nonchalance, she responded, “Makes sense, I guess.”

“Glad you approve,” Mick said, caustic amusement below the growl in his voice. “’Cause he didn’t do you any favors sending you toward us.” Finn hadn’t sent her, really. Tabitha had always known Finn had told her what he knew in an excited rush, and largely in warning. “He didn’t even tell you how a Fenris Wolf becomes.”

“You’re assuming,” Tabitha corrected him, trying to summon up enough bluster to bluff her way through.

“So you’re saying you’re good with it?” Mick asked pointedly, head tilted slightly in doubt. The fact that Finn actually turned around to watch this exchange, fists clenched at his sides and an angry slant to his weight on one hip, set off alarms now screaming in her head.

Walked yourself forehead first into that one, Tabitha.

Last chance to back out, she thought, hands hot and damp with how long and how hard she’d balled up her fists under the mounting scrutiny of the shifters. Every muscle in her body had wound tight over the last few minutes, so subtly that she hadn’t even realized it was happening, and now…. Now an abrupt wave of weakness, confusion, and fatigue forcibly loosened Tabitha’s shoulders and arms. She was done for after that. Everything came undone, muscles, even thoughts. Tired, uncertain, and aching with the acidic gnawing of old memories eating away at her flesh and bones, she just wanted to go back to her dingy room and go to sleep. Completely unable to think straight, Tabitha was bound to say or do something stupid, and then the Sons would pounce.

“Yeah, sure I’m good with it,” she said numbly, and Tabitha heard her own weakness in her voice. More stiffly, she insisted, “Sure I am, or I wouldn’t have come here.”

Amid a chorus of growly snorts and chuckles, the circle of shifters broke, as the men and their tension loosened.

“You heard the girl. She wants it,” Jake said in an amused growl as he stood up, stretching, smiling. God, she hoped she hadn’t just promised herself to them for sexual service.

Distress flared in Tabitha at the sound of Jake’s beastly deep voice and even more so as Ox took a step toward her, saying, “I’ll do it.” Even Hagen looked concerned at this announcement.

Mick came up off his chair to put a restraining hand on the oversized shifter’s chest, and even then he had to shove Ox back—hard. “Not this time. If she’s not one of us, then….” The unspoken promise to the road captain brought Tabitha up fast from her own seat, ready to put the chair between her and Ox. As though furniture would have stopped him, or any of them.

Lebeau had ahold of her by the front of her top before she could take a single step. If she moved away now, it would mean leaving half her clothes behind in his grip, in front of this pack of wolves. Mick’s crooked smile said he knew as much. He was getting off on being able to hold her still by something as flimsy as a strip of cotton.

“Easy, lupa,” he growled like it was suppose to soothe her when they both knew that it wouldn’t. “You’ve been brave enough up to this point. Don’t let Ox there scare you.” When Lebeau clearly wanted to be the one to do that himself. “You have guts, Tabbycat. That’s what it takes to come in here.” She flinched and gasped, pretenses lost, when Mick used his other hand to trace a line along the side of Tabitha’s neck. “To take the bite.”

The bite?

From the corner of her eye, Tabitha saw Finn coming at them in a hard stride, like he was going to barrel into them. It was Mick who pulled him up short, too, and as effortlessly as the alpha had halted the girl’s retreat.

“Finn, you’re up. Deal with her.”

The angry shifter reared back and stared at the leader of the Sons, with Finn’s rich green eyes flared. Then finally, after a second of standing there panting in temper, he snarled.

“The hell I will.”

CHAPTER FOUR

In that fucking back hallway again, where Tabitha Vallins had smashed into Finn and stumbled onto her pretty round ass and right back into his life, the scout slammed her against the wall. She didn’t flinch when he punched the worn cinderblock beside her head. That made it worse. She’d sure as hell flinched for Mick, just the way the alpha liked it. Just the way Lebeau liked her.

Half a dozen curses tried to come out of Finn’s mouth at once, but there wasn’t room with his furious breath hissing through his clenched teeth. Why the fuck had she come looking for him—for the Sons? What in the hell would have made her think that transforming into a full shifter—a Fenris Wolf—was something she’d want? And why did her nerves dance and her heart pound when Mick so much as looked at her? Yet she could just stand there and glower at Finn’s temper with her bottom lip puffed out? Willful little lupa bitch!

When Finn brought his face right up to Tabitha’s, lording over her, instead of berating and threatening her, his mouth took hers with a fury that smacked her head back against the wall.

Tabitha’s whimper of shock and pain stabbed into Finn’s chest, like they were still teenaged lovers clinging to one another, like he was still her protector. Like he was still a stupid boy who didn’t know the beast within him was so much more than adolescent hormones run amok. As far away from all that as they were now, in this beer-stinking wolves’ den, Finn instinctively pulled back to keep from hurting her again. Without thinking about it, his hand slid up to cradle her head where he’d bumped her against the wall.

It was Tabitha who wouldn’t let Finn step back and break the kiss. Her hand in his hair made a fist to hold his mouth to hers. Her hot tongue met the challenge of his and slid between his lips.

Tabitha kissed like a fucking full-on she-wolf. Driving tongue, scraping teeth, rushing breath. But she tasted of herbs and musk and heat, just the way a doe tasted. Just like prey. If she was going to offer herself, Finn’s wolf was going to feast. The man, if he’d had anything to say about it… would have agreed.

Finn pushed forward again. His body grew more rigid with need by the moment. Firm, flexing muscle met the yielding softness of Tabitha’s form and burned for the familiar sensation of the silk of her skin against his. The hand that had cradled her head crept up those few inches to wrap her ponytail around his fingers. When he jerked back on her hair, her startled moan opened her mouth all the wider for him to drink in her lust and distress. She should have struggled when his other hand tugged at the shoulder of her tank top. Instead, she rolled her shoulder and her wide, lush hips as she groaned with desire.

It was second nature, the nature of the beast, for the biker to rip the flimsy material away and bare his female for his pleasure, for both their pleasure. The bliss of feeling Tabitha’s satiny smooth skin again was torment, too. It couldn’t ever be like it had been between them, not just because he was a wolf shifter but because he was one of the Sons. The value in that was the power and fear that came with the pack and its well-earned reputation. Finn wasn’t giving that up for Tabitha or anyone.

As quickly as the scout had stripped the woman half naked, down to those shorts and a bra so lace and thin that he could see the deep pink of her nipple as it stiffened and peaked, Finn shoved himself away from Tabitha. She mewed again, but it didn’t sound like it was from her shoulders hitting the wall. It sounded like a kitten when someone took away her milk.

“Damn but you have fucked us both, Tabitha,” he said and snarled as he combed his hands roughly through the ragged remains of his hair. Yes, and it was as sore a subject as Mick had hoped when needling Finn in the club.

She didn’t have the good sense to grab the scrap of her top from the floor to cover herself, so Finn had to turn his back, He breathed through the urge to tear the bra from the swell of her pale, gorgeous tits.

“So you remember me after all.”

Finn ground his teeth against the rise of his canines. Pouty little…. He wouldn’t—couldn’t—turn to look at Tabitha. “You have no idea how many different ways you have put us both in danger, and the worst is giving the Sons even the slightest hint that we know each other.”

“Because then they’d know you were the one who told me about them,” she concluded.

“Oh, more than that,” Finn barked and spun on the girl without meaning to let himself face her again. She just pressed every button he had. He had no control with her and damn sure no control over her. Tabitha stood glaring at him with those light eyes piercing him through as sure as an Odin Wolf’s claws. “They’d suspect there was something between us before, and Mick would try to use that to get to me. If there is a bond between us and something to it and I bite you….” Finn shook his head, shook out even the thought of biting the girl.

“Why didn’t you tell me that’s how wolves turn?” she asked, indignant, like her marching into Skin and getting both of them into this mess was his fault.

“It’s not how all wolves turn, and there’s no way to tell just from a latent’s smell what kind they are. It moves in the blood, so we’d have to know who in your family was a shifter and what breed they were.”

“But I don’t have family left.” Tabitha pursed her lips down hard on that statement before adding, “I don’t have anyone.”

There was no faster way to make Finn mad than to order him around, like Mick did all the time, or to try to make him feel guilty. Especially if it worked. Coolly, he told Tabitha, “Joining a gang of biker werewolves is no way to change that.”

Without missing a beat, she countered, “At least I’d be able to protect myself.”

Finn wasn’t expecting to see the least sense to her logic, but there it was. The same reason as his own. Reluctantly he nodded, his shoulders relaxing to a weary slump as he let his weight rest against the other wall, facing Tabitha. “Able to protect yourself from men, yes, from humans. But now? Now you’ve got the Sons themselves to worry about.”

Instead of seeming concerned, like she was beginning to really understand in the least why this couldn’t happen, the she-wolf in Tabitha came out again. She lifted her chin in defiance that made him want to strangle her as badly as he wanted to kiss her. “That just means we need to hurry up and get it over with.” She actually turned and tilted her head a bit to one side, like Finn was just going to do it there in the hallway at Skin. Yeah, right, with a janitor out sweeping the stage and Jiminy downing scotch over his ledgers in the office. It wasn’t going to be that clean or that quiet if he did it. Which he wouldn’t.

When Finn chuckled sarcastically and shook his head no again, Tabitha huffed and folded her arms. He couldn’t ignore the way the pose pushed up her breasts no matter how hard he tried, not with how hard the sight made his cock.

“There’s a way of it, Tabitha. There’s a process and timing to it. I can’t just do it here and now.” When she rolled her eyes, he added flat and low, “I’m not going to bite you, period. Not ever. I don’t care what Mick says. I’m not taking on this responsibility.” Not risking the bond between them turning out to be something more, something neither of them could ever take back. And a tool for Lebeau to use to control, confine, torment Finn in a way the scout swore to himself would never happen again. “I’m not your rescuer anymore.”

The look of pain that flickered across her rounded cheeks and pinched her lips again showed Finn that he’d hit his mark. Breaking Tabitha’s heart was the only way he knew to make her leave. So be it. If breaking it permanently was the only way to make her stay away….

“You’re the Sons’ recruiter. You have to do it.”

“That’s not the reason Mick wants to make me bite you, and, no, I don’t have to obey him just because he’s an alpha who calls himself president of a biker gang.”

Finn would have been telling the truth about most orders from Mick—obedience from a Fenris Wolf one time in ten. This was that one time. Finn was going to have to come up with one hell of an excuse for not biting Tabitha. Maybe he could make it look like she’d gotten scared and run from him when an attack from Odin’s Wolves or government hunters from the Agency had Finn distracted. That assumed he could convince the willful lupa to cooperate with the ploy. He did have some savings to give her to get her out of town.

Jesus, he was doing it again. Rescuing Tabitha was a way of life for Finn, an instinct. He tried to comfort himself by concentrating on the fact that he was saving himself as much as he was saving her from life among the Sons, as a Fenris Wolf.

Uh-oh, that puffed out bottom lip again. “Then Lebeau will order someone else to do it, and they will,” she said. She tried to whirl and march off down the hallway with that declaration lingering in her wake. Might have been handy if she hadn’t been topless except for a bra, but she didn’t seem to care at all. Even with the rest of the pack gone with Ox back to the Sons’ house to talk about the club’s next run, Finn wasn’t going to let her walk around like that.

He strode after the girl and caught her from behind by her arms. Finn dragged her back against his body, grunting briefly when the line of her sweet, round ass in those thin shorts pressed flush to the ridge of his hard-on through his jeans.

His lips brought to the curl of her ear, Finn breathed, “If one of them bites you and you don’t turn, if your wolf’s blood isn’t the right kind, they’ll kill you, Tabitha.” At this, the girl stopped wriggling and went still and completely silent. Finn’s wolf let him sense the pounding of her heart as though he could hear it in his own head as surely as she was listening to it in hers. “That’s why Mick wants me to do it. The way he’s caught us looking at one another, and knowing you’re holding back information…. He wants me to be the one to kill you, if it comes to that.” It was a torment and test of loyalty, two things that were big with Lebeau.

The statement, the reality of the situation, took a few seconds for that to penetrate for the girl. Then goose bumps rose along her skin. The shifter felt her blood go cold. Something he’d said had finally gotten through to her.

As true as Finn’s determination was to leave behind the job of protecting Tabitha, protecting anyone, he still wrapped his arms around her when she slumped weak and confused back against him.

CHAPTER FIVE

Three firm, slow raps on the door. Then a few seconds and another three. Then again. Tabitha knew who it was, from the deliberate and ominous persistence. The knocking never grew more hurried or more forceful. It just methodically wore on her nerves until she cracked open the door of the faded but well-kept bungalow to peer out into the morning sun.

“Hey, Mick,” she said, then paused to clear the rasp from her throat.

Maybe he’d just think it was too early for her, hard night, too much to drink. That had to be believable to a biker, and a werewolf, for that matter. But just as believable was the fact that the sight of him sent paralyzing dread shooting down her spine, now that she knew that Lebeau would see her dead if she didn’t turn out to be a Fenris Wolf. The really hard part for Tabitha to swallow was the fact that the latent in her reacted more and more like a tabby cat in heat to the proximity of the alpha shifter. Adrenaline and hormones gushed into her system at the sight of him. It was every bit as nerve-wracking as seeing Finn, just in a different way. At least Mick didn’t make her chest ache with loneliness.

“Finn’s not here.” That was the dismal truth. In the few days Tabitha had been hiding out at his house, she’d hardly seen him. Plenty of time alone to come to grips with what she didn’t mean to him anymore.

The shifter’s broad chest shook briefly with a snort of amusement. Under his black denim cut with all the biker patches proclaiming him a thorough badass, Mick wore only a snug white wifebeater. That left his arms bare and the faint scars of gashes and what she suspected were teeth and claw wounds clearly visible. The man was… a magnificent beast tainted by the mind of one dangerous and vaguely evil motherfucker—as Tabitha had heard Finn describe him.

“I’m not surprised to hear that,” the MC president told her. “Finn stays on the road as much as possible, nearly as much as Ox does. It’s just in his blood to….” Mick chose his words with deliberation. “To roam the pack territory. Did you know wolves in the wild often have areas they claim of a hundred square miles or more? They’re always on the move stalking what’s theirs so no other packs or predators come in to take it from them. Could get lonely for you, though, couldn’t it, Tabbycat?”

“I’m good, thanks,” she said sharply, trying to cut off the path of that line of thinking before it got to the point where Lebeau expected to “tie up” with the new pack prospect.

He pushed the door open and stepped forward as he agreed, “Yes, you are, and you’re not bound to let anyone forget that.”

The shifter stalked into Finn’s house and took a few seconds sizing up the clean but minimal décor. Finn had chosen all the furniture in predictably masculine shades of sand and brown, and lacking in the throw pillows popular with females.

“Ah, Finn, how fucking domestic,” Mick chided under his breath.

Tabitha left the front door ajar and stayed near it. “Not your taste?” she asked without intonation, which was itself a veiled expression of disdain. If she couldn’t pretend not to be scared—and Finn had assured her all the Sons could smell her fear and her lust—she could at least impress Lebeau with the sheer magnitude of her hatred for being treated like a biker gang mama. “What does a club president’s house look like?”

“You’ll see. Yes, you will, soon enough,” Mick promised. “The guys spend most of their nights at the clubhouse. The wolves’ den, I should say. Pretty much what you’d expect with a full bar, pool table, wall-to-wall pussy on tap for the pack.” When Tabitha winced but otherwise did not respond, he went on. “Most of the guys keep their own little pads like this for when they need to tie one on or sleep one off away from pack demands. But this….” Mick opened his arms in gesture. “This place is downright homey. I’ll have to compliment Finn on his interior design.”

As pack alpha, as MC president, as Mick Lebeau stalking around looking as tall, dark, and dangerous as he did, he must have expected more amusement or at least deference from Tabitha. She gave him civility and silence and stayed next to that open door. The breeze that swept in did the girl a favor by clearing her nostrils of Lebeau’s alpha musk of spice and whiskey and fertile earth.

Mick sidled a couple of steps back toward Tabitha, within claw’s reach, so to speak. “So you’re staying here with Finn until the full moon?”

Tabitha’s throat went dry. She tried not to dwell on the significance of the question, but it was ridiculous to think she could avoid the matter, especially with Mick. With a slight, quick nod, she said, “Yeah.”

Lebeau huffed out a suggestive chuckle. “M-hm, for bonding before the main event.” The man obviously assumed she was sharing Finn’s bed, but she wasn’t. The scout, when he had been there at all, had been sleeping on the couch to avoid her and the issue of biting her while he looked for a way out of the whole situation. “Finn explained all that to you, did he? Taking you under his wing as club recruiter and beginning to form that connection that will make you a real member of the pack?”

“And turning me from latent to shifter with a bite on the full moon. Yeah, he explained.” Five days down. Four days left until the culmination of the moon cycle, and they crept by as Tabitha suffered through Finn’s constant rejection.

The alpha peered at Tabitha, as though wondering if Finn had explained what would happen to her if she didn’t have enough shifter blood in her or was the wrong breed of wolf. She didn’t let on, just folded her arms over her t-shirt and the sweats she’d slept in and forced a small yawn. That made Lebeau chuckle again.

“Get dressed, Tabbycat.”

She felt her eyes flare despite her best effort to hide her spike of apprehension. “Why?”

“Not healthy for a wolf—even a latent—to be cooped up too long. I’m seeing to some club business today. You have to learn about that, too, if you’re going to be, well, I guess a daughter of the Sons. Finn’s not going to teach you that, for damn sure.”

Tabitha creased her brow at the reference she didn’t entirely understand, the suggestion that there were some pack activities Finn didn’t join in on. She didn’t say anything, though, just padded barefoot back into the bedroom and shut the door. Then she gathered her clothes and took them into the bathroom to change, shutting that door behind her, too.

Out at the curb, Lebeau’s Harley crouched in wait like a huge chrome beast itself. The biker handed Tabitha a helmet. “Safety first.”

Who the hell was he kidding? The least dangerous aspect of Tabitha’s next few hours was the fact that she was experiencing her tour of the worst ‘hoods in town from the back of a weaving, speeding motorcycle being driven by an alpha werewolf biker who wanted to fuck her and kill her, probably in that order, but she was just assuming. Worse was the unsettling sensation of cruising around on the huge vibrating bike with her thighs spread wide and Mick fitted between them.

“You follow my lead, stay close, and keep your pretty mouth shut,” Mick instructed each time they made a stop.

On the back stairs of an apartment above an Asian market, a kid who couldn’t have been more than ten years old handed Mick a thick envelope through the door while what sounded suspiciously like Mahjong tiles clacked in the background. A flurry of voices indicated far too many people inside for a casual game. A cut of gambling proceeds, for protection maybe, Tabitha speculated to herself.

In the alley two doors down from a gun shop, a scrawny redneck came out the backdoor to talk about modified custom assault rifles that didn’t have the annoying restrictions on rate of fire or magazine capacity required in California. Mick wanted a dozen and knew people who wouldn’t mind the mark-up, he said. Tabitha wondered if he’d keep a few for the Sons, or didn’t they need firepower with fangs and claws?

Amid a dingy excuse for a suburb of dilapidated matchbox pre-fabs with tarp for curtains and the disturbing stink of harsh chemicals wafting from the backyards, the Harley wound through dusty, unpaved alleys. Mick made more cryptic small talk over the fence with a guy who had to pull down his breathing mask to chat.

“What do you want for this batch?” the greasy tweaker asked Lebeau.

“This one is special, for the ladies.” Mick looked sidelong at Tabitha. “What do you think, kitty cat? You like cherry or grape better?”

“Cherry or grape what?”

“None of your business. Answer the question.”

“Cherry, I guess.”

Mick nodded to Tabitha and then the lank-haired stranger. “Cherry, it is.”

“Cherry,” the man repeated in affirmation. “Give me a couple days and send someone around to the skate park. Not your sergeant if he’s still being a pussy about this.”

The reference to Garik snagged Tabitha’s attention. In front of her on the bike, Mick’s back stiffened.

“My enforcer is my concern, not yours. Don’t open your hole about it again.”

Once the guy had disappeared in skulky silence back into the glorified shed of a house, Tabitha asked through gritted teeth, “What did I just participate in?” She’d heard about drugs coming in a variety of favors, meth in particular, when intended to hook women.

“Don’t get all moral on me now, kitten. You’re the one who came looking for the big bad biker gang.”

And wasn’t that just a cold, hard truth she wasn’t at all prepared to consider? Further proof that looking for the Sons to turn her was an insane idea. What she really wanted to know, though, as she rode with Mick to the next stop with her hands twisting the denim of his cut in tense fists, was how much of this Finn took part in. Had he knowingly supported moving illegally-modified guns? Drugs? The boy she’d grown up with hated that gangster culture than churned and burned through street kids and foster kids, turning them into users or pushers, victims or victimizers, all eventually used up and discarded. Even after the night things had gotten so out of hand, and Finn had disappeared, she still had that image of him in her head.

Deeply disconcerted, Tabitha was happy for the moment to herself when Mick left her with the motorcycle in a cool, dim, quiet underground parking garage in a nicer commercial district. No gangsta’s or tweakers there. Manicured trophy wives toting bundles of boutique bags and stockbrokers with slender designer briefcases meandered casually back and forth between the elevators and European sedans.

Even as Tabitha’s thoughts wandered back dismally over all the fantasies she’d had as a girl about marrying Finn and living in a big Tuscan-style villa someplace with bars on the gates instead of the windows, she was alert enough to pick up on the place going silent. The three large men in black suits who came out of the elevator car all together weren’t like the other people she’d seen. Where had everyone else gone?

Knowing from experience that the only faster way to trigger a predator’s instinct to pounce than open challenge was quick retreat, Tabitha slipped nonchalantly off Lebeau’s Harley. She headed toward a garbage bin that also happened to be in the direction of the ramp up toward the street. In her hand, she held Mick’s extra helmet loosely by the chinstrap, ready to swing it, if necessary. Tabitha didn’t run until she had several large SUV’s and a thick concrete column to block the view between the hulking men and herself. The flurry of pounding steps behind her confirmed her instinct to flee.

The girl had her head down, ears perked for the sharp footfalls echoing behind her. The men had spread out, making her veer one direction, then another. Adrenaline revved Tabitha’s heartbeat and made it throb in her head, distorting her senses when she needed to stay cool.

At least that was Tabitha’s excuse for scurrying toward the ramp only to smack into a white-haired man in yachtsman-style upscale dress—designer deck shoes that matched his All-American polo while his slacks matched his sports coat. That style often passed in California as the middle ground between full suit and business casual. It just had to be expensive enough, and his was. At the foot of a set of steps she hadn’t seen landing perpendicular to the ramp, the two huffed out the impact of their shoulder-to-shoulder collision.

“Oh, my dear, please excuse me.” He steadied Tabitha with his cool hands gently gripping her upper arms as he apologized for her distraction.

Between the abrupt silence that fell behind her in the garage and his calming manner, a cross between Old Hollywood leading man and Harrison Ford, Tabitha found herself almost jarringly subdued just that quickly.

“I’m sorry, sir. I wasn’t looking.”

Tabitha’s own regrets tumbled out of her with a chill of unexpected déjà vu. That moment might have been the first time, since she’d lost her parents to a violent accident almost before she’d had the chance to form any memories of her family, that she could recall her mother and the woman teaching her to call people sir and ma’am. In fact, the memory was so early that Tabitha could not picture her mother’s face. The feeling of a maternal presence had survived in her recollections only as a voice, a flash of a gold summer dress, a sense of warmth.

And how strange that the sense of warmth would automatically connect itself to the white-haired stranger—because he’d chanced upon her in a moment of distress, had steadied her, had smiled when he could just have easily barked at her over her carelessness in running into him.

“Please, I ask all the pretty young ladies to call me Thomas so I don’t feel so old. Mr. Poulsen, if you must be formal. Let me get a look at you now, dear,” he insisted. The senior made a peculiarly thorough survey of Tabitha, though without actually touching her and, thankfully, without even the least lascivious creeper vibe. “All in one piece? Nothing dropped? No scuffs or scrapes?”

Tabitha felt like a child getting the once-over from her grandparent after a trip and fall. The sensation was made doubly odd by the fact that she’d never known her grandparents so far as she could recall. Disarmed in both a comforting but fatiguing way, Tabitha just shook her head no to insist she was okay. It seemed like speaking or even taking a deep breath would have chanced too much, would have tempted a well of emotions too deep and too murky just then.

“All right, young lady. Off with you, then, but keep an eye on yourself down here. A person can’t be too careful these days even in nice places.”

Nodding, Tabitha summoned up the effort to reply, “Yes, sir. Thomas.”

Then she had to hurry up the steps to the street above and the courtyard amid high-end shops and offices, to make it look like she’d been rushing toward an appointment instead of fleeing strange men. No sign of them now. Warded away by the possibility of witnesses, she supposed. On another day, Tabitha might have felt intimidated by the area, knowing she couldn’t afford the price of a coffee—correction, a latte—in a place like that. On that day, for a minute, it was just good to stand quiet and mostly ignored among trimmed trees and clean paving stones, with no trash skipping along the gutter in a flurry that stank of the kinds of things people did in dirty alleys. She watched for the three strangely aggressive figures, but they never emerged from the parking structure.

When the sensation finally dissipated, Tabitha shook her head and wondered what the hell she was thinking wandering around window-shopping when Mick had told her to stay with the bike. In fact, Lebeau was stalking through the underground lot obviously searching when she hurried back down the steps.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disappear, but there were these—.”

Mick cut Tabitha’s explanation short with the back of his hand across her cheek so suddenly and so hard that she crumbled to the cold concrete floor on her butt in a daze.

CHAPTER SIX

Walking into a silent, empty house was the perfect illustration of why Finn didn’t want Tabitha Vallins in tow in his life anymore. The dull dread of not wanting to see her, not wanting to deal with the burning down low in his gut all night as he fought his attraction to her lush curves, turned to the dread of finding her gone. Then he caught the familiar growl of a Harley out front, and he knew.

Finn flung open his front door to find Tabitha shuffling up the front walk in the fading afternoon light. The purple cast over one cheek wasn’t shadow. Behind her, out at the curb, Mick smiled over one shoulder as he revved the motorcycle’s engine and watched Finn’s reaction. The scout feigned annoyance and jerked the girl inside by her arm with a grip much rougher than necessary.

With the door slammed shut behind him and the thunder of Lebeau’s bike receding down the street, Finn took hold of Tabitha’s face with both hands and made her turn her head to show him the bruise.

“What the fuck were you doing with Lebeau?”

“Well, it wasn’t my idea of a joyride,” she assured him caustically as she tried unsuccessfully to pull away from Finn.

It wasn’t lost on the shifter that Tabitha’s resistance sent a surge of possessiveness through him no matter how much he didn’t want her there. With his hands on her cheeks, thumbs curled under her defiantly raised chin, he drew her slowly but steadily closer. Finn growled low at her.

“Behave, Tabitha,” he said, his face angled over hers, an inch away. The heat of shared breath thickened into the languor of desire. The girl’s effect on him had always been intoxicating, even more so now that actual alcohol did so little for him.

Once Tabitha had stopped struggling, and when it was almost too much effort resisting the temptation to take her hot, sweet mouth with his, Finn let go of her face. He dragged her by the hand through the bedroom to the bathroom and made her lean back against the sink so he could get better light on her cheek. Above the bruise, by her left eye, a scrape had left dried blood and raw skin. Finn shook his head and cursed under his breath as he turned Tabitha’s head this way and that again to examine the injury. The shifter’s abs and arms ached with the tension of his anger, all while his groin burned at Tabitha’s nearness, her smell. She exuded the earthy sensuality of an unclaimed but ready lupa. The sensation was even worse—even better—than it had been four years ago.

Finn’s glance caressed the angles of Tabitha’s full face and pale, tender throat until his attention snagged on the reddish brown droplets of dried blood along the neckline of her t-shirt. In a huff, he tugged on the top. “Take this thing off,” he told the girl and peeled the shirt over her head before she could think to protest. He’d had practice undressing her, of course. And it was still Tabitha’s first instinct to lift her arms to help him.

Wadding the shirt into a ball and hurling it into a corner, Finn snarled. “That was Mick, wasn’t it? He’s not acting right about you. Something is going on with him. Why’d he hit you?”

“Why do they ever?” she responded with such a lack of concern. “I didn’t do what I was supposed to do, or I didn’t do it right, or I wasn’t happy about it.”

Unexpected heat, even greater than his anger, flashed over Finn’s own face. Years had passed with he and Tabitha bouncing around the foster care system, and years had passed since they’d aged out. Yet he still recalled every bruise and scrape and gash she’d ever suffered—from the other kids in the group homes, from this or that jealous girl who wanted Tabitha’s jacket, from the boys who wanted something else, from drunken foster mothers or kids at school who didn’t think anyone would care if they beat up an orphan. After hitting the system at six and all the fights Finn had been in, his whole life was just a blur of blood and dirt. There was nothing memorable about a street kid living moment to moment, fight to fight.

A life that made no sound and left no mark. Tabitha had said that once, to describe the lives they were leading as foster kids. The idea had made Finn sick then. It made him sick now, looking down at Tabitha’s bruised cheek. This whole sorry mess she’d gotten herself into was the only way she saw to break out of that life and make herself a new one. Could he really blame her?

Finn took swabs and alcohol from the medicine cabinet and made cleaning up Tabitha’s face as painful and unpleasant as possible. Yes, he could blame her for this mess; they were both neck-deep in it now. He was going to have to blame her and keep blaming her if he was going to keep himself from doing something fatally stupid to rescue her.

Tabitha tried to lean away from Finn and slapped his hand as he kept dabbing at her cheek with the alcohol. “Stop it. Ow, that hurts. You’re not taking care of me anymore, remember?”

“Hold still so I can clean you up. I don’t want blood in my bed.”

The girl snorted. “Like it’d be the first time.”

A Son was a Son. Finn wasn’t going to apologize for fighting or fucking like the Fenris Wolf he was. They weren’t the perfect pack, not like the damn Odin Wolves, but at least… at least it wasn’t a life that made no sound and left no mark. And he didn’t owe Tabitha any sort of fidelity. They weren’t a teenaged couple in love anymore.

“Why?” she whispered abruptly. “Why did you take care of me all those years? It’s obvious you don’t want to now.”

Tabitha didn’t look him in the face as she said this. She stared off at nothing, so melancholy. It was as though his mood and thoughts had bled and blended into hers. The possibility that such a thing could happen between them was disturbing for reasons he wasn’t going to discuss with her, ever.

“You were never looking for an angle or a handout.” Tabitha blinked at Finn’s response, her breath pausing as she seemed to turn the statement over in her head. He didn’t owe her any explanations, but she still deserved… something. She still deserved to know that over all those years someone had seen her.

“You know what I mean,” he told her. “Most of the others in the homes and in the system got to playing games. Playing on sympathies. You were never one of those girls who went in for being the damsel in distress to keep from pulling her weight. And you never tried to flirt or fuck your way into getting something more or something better than what everyone else had.”

Tabitha squinted at Finn as she followed his reasoning back over all those memories to a conclusion. “You took care of me because….”

“Because you were just going it alone, so strong no matter how small and weak you were.” Finn knew that was a contradiction, and he knew Tabitha would understand it anyway.

He wasn’t prepared for her nod solemnly and then fucking turn that all back on him as she said, “Going it alone. We all have to sometime. That’s why I’m doing this. That’s why you have to bite me.”

Gritting his teeth, the shifter flung the alcohol swab into the trash and stalked out of the bathroom, leaving Tabitha behind. “I’m not biting you,” he called back in a snarl from the bedroom. She followed him, so he marched out into the living room. “Why do you think I’ve been out on the road these last few days?”

Other than to keep himself from softening to Tabitha’s demands. To keep himself from that soft body and making her his as savagely and completely as a Fenris Wolf would. Last time he’d nearly killed her. Again she followed him, her arms folded and lip puffed out. Was she fucking doing that on purpose, looking that adorably impertinent? ‘Cause she was good enough at it that he couldn’t tell if he was being manipulated or she was just that fucking endearing. And delectable. Finn’s groin tightened, cock hardening and balls swelling heavy, straining at his jeans.

“I have been across our territory and up and down this whole fucking state looking for another way. Yet again, I’m trying to get you out of trouble, so you could at least cooperate and stop demanding I—.” Tabitha interrupted Finn’s pacing by planting herself in his path, arms still folded under her breasts. And she still hadn’t put on a shirt. “What?”

“So how’d that work for you?” she asked. “You find a way out of biting me?”

“No.” Man, that bristled, having to admit he’d found absolutely nothing. No one knew of a way to trigger a Fenris Wolf change without a bite, and Finn would not—could not—be the one to bite Tabitha on the full moon. Even worse, it was clear that Mick had formed some kind of odd, possessive fixation on her. Getting her out of town without Lebeau hearing about it and tracking her was looking doubtful, especially after whatever happened today. Mick taking Tabitha out on a ride? The MC president Finn knew would never have done that.

“Then you’re going to have to bite me and get it over with.”

“Over with?” Snarling, Finn grabbed Tabitha by her soft, bare arms and shook just enough to make her eyes flare. He tried to ignore the surge of lust he felt when her hands flew to his chest and her nails dug into his tensed pecs through his t-shirt. “Biting you and making you a Fenris wolf doesn’t make this over, Tabitha. Nothing is over once you’re one of them.” One of us, he corrected himself mentally. “The only thing that would be over is your life if the bite doesn’t trigger your change.”

She should have recoiled at the thought or regarded him with horror for the monsters they and he were. Or she should have torn herself away from him and run to hide and pout in the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Instead, Tabitha stepped up flush with Finn, lace and tits to his chest, warm inner thighs fitted perfectly to the ridge of the hard-on in his jeans. She brought her face and hot breath right up to his, making his skin burn and tingle. “I’m one of you, and you know it.”

That was it. That was enough from her.

Finn shifted his hold on Tabitha to grip her by the hair at her nape again. The other hand squeezed one lush breast roughly. The feel of her flesh, the weight and fullness and suppleness all at once, roused not just Finn’s cock but his beast. His hold on Tabitha grew rougher as Finn’s hold on his wolf slipped.

“Do you understand at all, little girl?” he demanded through clenched teeth, his lips brushing the full apple of her cheek. “Do you understand even a little what you’re doing?”

And he didn’t just mean trying to get in with the SoF long enough for them to turn her. He was so close to taking her the way a Son, a Fenris Wolf, took a woman. Pulling hard on her hair, Finn made Tabitha cry out and crook her head back as far as she could. The position opened her beautiful, full lips in a distressed moan. It bared the column of her throat.

“Is this what you want? To be an animal? To live like a beast? To be mated and taken by wolves every night?”

Because if she kept tempting Finn, it wasn’t going to be like it had when they were teenagers. He wasn’t going to be as sweet or gentle. His wolf had devoured that part of him, as Finn had discovered to his own shock that last night he’d been with Tabitha, the night the Sons had turned him in a brutal gang attack that would have horrified and broken this girl.

Finn’s hold on Tabitha tightened. He had to be hurting her. And it felt too goddamn good to him. “Is it, Tabitha? Is this the way you want it?”

She groaned, eyes glassy, and didn’t respond for a moment. Then she rasped, from deep in her chest as she breathed harder and harder. “Yes.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

The unfamiliar hunger was like a prickling itch creeping over Tabitha’s skin. The only thing that stopped it was the burning ache of need now throbbing between her legs and at the points of her painfully rigid nipples as Finn pinched and abused her flushed breasts. And she fucking liked it. How could she?

But that was a stupid question, she realized. This wasn’t some rough frat boy threatening date rape, and she wasn’t a virgin in distress. She was a wolf shifter as much as Finn was, or near as much as she could be until she could finally convince him to bite her.

He almost killed you once, a small voice reminded the girl from far back in her head. That night four years ago, when he had bared his fangs in the final throes of orgasm and only stopped himself from tearing into her throat by wrapping his fingers around her neck. But then he couldn’t stop himself from squeezing, strangling, from wanting to kill what he could not possess.

He hadn’t, though. Finn had torn himself away and fled Tabitha’s life, leaving her bruised and heartbroken, shocked and confused, but alive. And now… now she had learned that a bite was the vector for the transformation. Had Finn’s instinct to turn a latent she-wolf simply overcome him that night, when he hadn’t understood what was happening? Did he still not understand he had to do this? He had to bite Tabitha. He had to take her like a male wolf took his she-wolf and bite her.

Was Finn just trying to scare Tabitha when he forcibly put her face first over the arm of the couch? He used his hold on the base of her neck to push her cheek into the cushion. The shifter—the biker in him—made her stay that way, face down and ass up, as he kneaded her butt roughly and ground his massive erection against her. Hearing him snarl and growl low in his throat, hearing his breath catch when he thrust his hips a little harder and it got good for them both, had Tabitha biting back little mews of pleasure. Even to her own ears, she sounded far too much like a prey animal. Truthfully… she liked the way if felt deep in her belly, in her pussy, how shameful and guilty and good.

Tabitha heard Finn draw in a calming breath, and she wasn’t having it. Twisting her head just a little more, she saw the gorgeous wolf shifter had closed his eyes and set his jaw and had the intense look of concentration of a man trying to regain control of his beast. Oh, no you don’t. She spread her legs and arched her back to raise her ass, like she was presenting. Hell, that was exactly what she was doing, and she knew she’d made her point when Finn’s pretty green eyes flew open to glare down at her.

After wrestling swiftly out of his t-shirt, the Fenris Wolf jerked the button at the top of his jeans open. The material gaped as his cock jutted up in his black briefs. Whining lightly, Tabitha planted her hands on the cushion to help fight his control and grind back against him. God but she’d never seen anything as primal and exciting as how hard Finn’s muscles tensed when she rubbed herself against him. His sculpted shoulders, biceps, pecs all contracted and then bulged, the lines of definition between muscles deepening to pronounced furrows. His abs rippled like a bed of river rocks. Tabitha could imagine all those muscles flexing and rolling sensually, savagely, as he fucked her from behind. But she didn’t want to just imagine.

The girl gasped and grunted at how quickly Finn moved when he yanked her up from her bent position and spun her to face him. He kept her off balance, with the back of her legs angled over the arm of the sofa. She had to use one hand to grip the back of the couch, to steady herself, making her that much less able to resist when her jerked the straps of her bra down her shoulders to bare her breasts.

“Finn.” She couldn’t help keening his name when his lips fastened hard on one of her throbbing nipples and he began to suck hard at the nib and threaten it with the periodic pressure of his teeth. He made the rigid bud pulse in time with her pounding heartbeat. The other nipple he pinched and twisted between one crooked finger and the calloused pad of his thumb, making it almost hurt, start to hurt, before relenting and letting pleasure wash over her again.

Looking every bit the rough and ready biker, Finn released his mouth’s hold on Tabitha’s tit and raised his face to glare panting down into hers. The bright green eyes peered hard into hers as he slapped her flushed breast and made her jump not so much in pain as in surprise and in strangely exciting irritation. It was like being pinched or tickled or prodded and not liking it—but sort of kind of liking it and wanting more.

Finn slapped her breast again. “You like that?” he demanded in a husky breath. “You like being handled any way I want? Used for any pleasure I decide?” For once, Finn didn’t look like the roughed-up pretty boy. With his high, broad cheeks taut and hallowed and warming with lust and with his brow set low and serious, he was every bit the bad boy biker, the wolf, the predator.

“Do you, Tabitha?” he asked again, slapping the swell of her flesh again, sending bristling ripples of pain-pleasure washing over her chest and down her tensed stomach. “You like being used like a biker’s dirty little fuck? Do you?”

“Yes.”

The shifter looked like he was the one who’d just been slapped. “What?” He obviously hadn’t meant to ask; the stunned word had just fallen from his sensual, gaping lips.

“Yes, I like being touched by a dirty biker,” she told him, twisting his words, but still. “Yes, I like being your dirty fuck.”

In fact, something deep in the pit of Tabitha’s belly, something like a hungry she-wolf, loved it. Loved being grabbed and squeezed. Loved her skin being slapped until it was pink and tingling. Loved hearing that rough male voice talking to her like a bad boy, forcing her to acknowledge her barefaced desire to be dominated and possessed body and soul by an alpha male.

There was that moment when Tabitha realized she was winning the battle of wills between herself and Finn—when he shoved her down to her knees and stood with his groin right at her face. He still had one hand holding her by the head, by her now mussed and tangled ponytail. With Finn’s hips angled forward and his cock ready to push up past the waist of his briefs, Tabitha knew what he wanted. She reached with trembling fingers for his zipper.

“No, Tabitha. With your teeth. Use your mouth.”

The task required more concentration than the woman would have thought, but that was in part because of how distracted she was by her own body. Knees weak and thighs trembling from how hard and how long she’d kept them tensed without even realizing it, Tabitha steadied herself with her hands on Finn’s legs. Even through his jeans, she could feel the firm bands of muscle in his thighs and imagine too well the power they would lend to the furious thrusts of his cock when it came time to take her pussy. The thought added to the already feverish warmth that had heated her skin to a flaming pink, blood pulsing in her veins, nerves dancing.

Carefully, skillfully, Tabitha caught the metal tab of Finn’s zipper in her teeth and drew it downward. The musk of his sex was at once gut-wrenchingly familiar and unexpectedly foreign. There had been other men after Finn but not many and none like him, not even a little. Finn had always smelled and tasted uniquely earthy and natural and fresh. Now, however, there was something more musky and spicy about his scent. Was it the wolf in him? His transformation had changed his body and even heightened his animal temperament, so why not also his smell?

“Take it out,” Finn told her, jarring Tabitha from her concentration on his musk and earth and amber scent. Take it out. The order held such an ominous tone of promise and of threat.

Tabitha pulled Finn’s briefs down enough to free his jutting cock, thick and smooth and as tanned as the rest of him. The shifter watched her closely with his lust-glazed green eyes, peeking from beneath that tousled fall of brown hair veiling his brow and one side of his face. She watched him, too, studying the increasing intensity and anticipation of his expression as she leaned in to drag her tongue along his dick from base to tip.

Finn obviously fought with himself to keep from making a sound, but Tabitha still saw the rise in his chest and the tension in his cheeks as soon as her mouth and tongue and hot breath touched his cock. She knew there must have been a lot of other women in the last four years, women who drew their entire worth from their sexual skill, but Tabitha was going to remind Finn right now that he would only ever have one first love. No other woman’s touch was ever going to feel like hers.

And she started by reminding Finn what it felt like when she sucked the broad tip of his cock into her mouth while she swirled her tongue around and around the head. He couldn’t help abruptly sucking his breath in through his teeth, and Tabitha couldn’t help smiling with her eyes and with her lips around him.

Chastising, Finn tightening his grip on Tabitha’s hair until she winced, just as he pushed his hips forward. “You’ve got more to take, little girl. What you can’t get into your mouth you’re not going to get in your pussy.”

That was the only threat Tabitha took seriously, as badly as she needed to feel Finn driving every inch up into her as deep as he could reach. She licked and sucked his cock in earnest, all while looking up at his gorgeous face. Pleasure so good that it looked like it hurt to resist it played over his lips and brow.

Tabitha was a rag doll for the man as he jerked her to her feet before she could drive him over the edge of orgasm. Unrelieved, his cock remained fully engorged, rock-hard, jutting high as Finn dragged Tabitha out in front of the couch. He sat down hard, knees spread and feet planted, with his jeans nudged down enough to keep his erection free.

Finn narrowed his eyes at Tabitha where she stood between his legs. “Take your jeans off,” he ordered. When she reached first for the hooks at the back of her lace bra, he shook his head. “No, leave it on. Just the jeans and the panties. Get them off. Now.”

The woman could practically feel that last word, that commanding alpha tone, reverberating along the tightening walls of her sex like the prelude to a climax. It felt dirty and oddly, unnaturally thrilling to strip off everything but her bra.

“Come here,” Finn told her then and directed her to straddle his hips. As soon as Tabitha began settling onto his lap, she felt the wide head of his cock pushing between the flushed and sensitive lips of her sex. She clamped her mouth down over a whimper. With a rougher voice, he said, “Put it in. Show me you’re a biker’s bitch and fuck yourself on my cock.”

Tabitha’s moan as she did so wasn’t just from the thrill of how dirty Finn was talking to her. Or from they naught fantasy of doing everything this rough, sexy biker demanded. She had gone a few months without anyone in her bed or inside her, so the head of Finn’s cock flared the tight ring of her entrance with pain—a sudden, aching, burning pain that felt so damn good.

He breathed through it with deliberate concentration, that first inch, that first little thrust up into Tabitha’s pussy. She rode him carefully at the start, until he closed his hands over her full breasts and squeezed and kneaded and pulled, making her move the way he wanted her to. And he wanted her bouncing on his cock in short, fast, hard strokes that each ended with a little cry breaking from her throat.

“That’s it,” he groaned in approval. “That’s it, yeah. Take it deeper. Stretch for it.” He took a quick, wild, nipping kiss from Tabitha before telling her, “If you want to be a Sons of Fenris bitch, you’re going to take this cock every night and all the way.”

Tabitha nipped Finn back, pulling briefly on the plump pad of his bottom lip with her teeth. “I’m not going to be the biker gang mama. I’ll be one of you. A Fenris Wolf. You can be my bitch, if you want.”

And she meant it; Tabitha wasn’t going to be the club slut. But the statement was also a challenge, and one that Finn rose to when he started to thrust his hips up under her and pound his cock up into her pussy with increasing force and speed.

“Fucking little lupa,” Finn swore, shaking his head like he knew she was deliberately goading him into the ruthless, passionate fuck they both wanted. His reasoning for making Tabitha keep her bra on became clear when he pulled the straps taught behind her back, binding her and making her arch.

Arms bound, impaled on the biker’s pumping cock, Tabitha panting and then openly, freely whimpered through the hard fucking she’d asked for. She strained forward even as Finn made her arch her spine deeper and deeper. He let her get a breath’s distance from his lips, from a kiss, before pulling the straps taut again and tugging her backward. Finn smiled like the sexy goddamn bastard he was when Tabitha began to cry out in a nearly constant chorus of mews and gasps, delight and frustration.

When her climax overcame her as abruptly and ferociously as a beast pouncing on her, Tabitha’s whole body tensed, then writhed and shook. She bucked and squirmed and then slumped weak, her orgasm convulsing inside her. Then it pulsed again, throbbing in her clit, and she reared and rolled her head and then went limp again. Finally, Finn let her rest forward against his chest, her head lolling on his shoulder. She sighed at her slowly subsiding orgasm contrasted to the scratchiness of his stubbled face as he traced passionate kisses up and down her neck. His satiny lips, his warm tongue, his teeth….

Everything stilled for Tabitha in that moment she felt Finn’s canines rise and press into her naked shoulder. She held her breath. Had he lost control of himself in the passion of the moment? Were his instincts in control now? He said he’d never bite her, but….

CHAPTER EIGHT

She felt so fucking good, her pussy clenched around Finn’s cock as she came for him, her hot skin against his, her breath. She tasted so fucking good. Her skin was salty sweet with sweat and the vanilla honey sugar scrub she still showered with every day. And just beneath that… the suggestion of warm, coppery blood pulsing through her veins with a doe’s heartbeat.

Sinking his teeth into Tabitha would have been so easy. His fangs ached at the root to pierce that perfect skin. That was the way of it when wolves tied up, as well, for the male to bite the female and pin her in those final moments, to keep her still. Some of that was the primal pleasure associated with having that raw physical power over his lover. And some of it was for her safety, while the beast had its way, blinded and mindless with hunger.

The agony of pulling back his wolf and his teeth at just the moment both were about to taste Tabitha’s blood turned to aggression and outright anger. Finn used this to fuel his sudden movement, twisting to put the girl on her back on the couch, laid out for him to fuck with the full force of his frustration. Years of frustration, aggravation, denial. Years of guilt over losing control that night with Tabitha and hurting her, nearly biting her right then. Years of struggling to find another place that felt as much like home as her arms had. Finn pounded himself ruthlessly into Tabitha’s yielding body with the weight and fury of all that history behind every thrust.

She swooned as he came, her eyelids fluttering momentarily before her eyes rolled back and her head lolled against the cushion beneath her. As Finn’s body released its seed, its fury, and all that distress into her softness and warmth, the shifter went from restraining Tabitha to cradling her. From ravaging her to embracing her.

“Tabitha.” He panted and then sighed against her temple, trying to draw her back to him from her haze of ecstasy. “It’s okay, baby girl. We can do this. I can fix this.” This mess, this trap that had ensnared them and threatened to bind Tabitha to the SoF. “I’ve got you.”

Finn was kissing her cheek and her neck gently, with almost loving caresses of his lips against her skin. I’ve got you, he vowed to her again inside his head. I won’t let them make me kill you. His kisses down Tabitha’s neck turned passionate, as though his determination had renewed his hunger even so soon after coming inside her. She moaned lightly, rousing at the feeling of his tongue as he laved kisses along her collarbone to the graceful curve of her shoulder. Come back, baby girl, he thought to himself as he teased her with a nip.

Tabitha jumped and cried out when Finn bit into her. His fangs went in clean. In nature, predator to prey, it would have made for a good kill. The wolf would have held the doe immobile and waited for her to stop struggling, for her life to ebb away.

Finn hadn’t suspected in the least that his wolf would rise and turn on him like this or that the taste of Tabitha’s blood in his mouth would tell him things. Things he didn’t want to know. He fought, he fought his wolf so hard, to make the beast let her go. The shifter reared back to kneel above Tabitha, and his gut tightened at the sight of red streaks along her shoulder where he had torn her skin.

Four years. Four years he’d been running away from Tabitha and from that night, and it had all been for nothing. He’d bitten her anyway. And worse, now she belonged to the Sons.

So calmly, as though she was in shock, Tabitha touched her shoulder and then held her hand up to study the smear of red across her fingertips. It took her a second to even realize what it was, that she’d been bitten—that Finn had done exactly what he had sworn up and down he’d never do. She wasn’t angry or even scared. If anything, a wash of calm and relief settled in her chest, where there had only been the ache of knowing Finn didn’t love her anymore.

He’d wanted her to think that, to push her away from him, but how could she ever truly have believed he could just turn from her and stop caring and….?

And fuck if Finn should have known any of that. He shouldn’t have thought or felt what Tabitha was thinking or feeling even in the vaguest sort of way, but he did. It wasn’t just empathy between old lovers, either. Feeling his wolf reveling beneath the skin, and hating that fucking animal just then the same way he hated Mick Lebeau, Finn climbed off the couch and fastened his jeans while his gaze scanned the room for where his t-shirt had gone.

“What….?” Tabitha started to ask as she sat partway up and curled onto her side like some masterpiece an artist would have painted hundreds of years before. “Finn, what are you doing?” Urgency crept into her voice as he neared the door.

“I can’t be here right now. I’ve got….” You’ve got to do what, Finn? Figure out how to solve twice as many problems now as he had before he’d lost control and fucked and bitten Tabitha?

The languor of their mating dissipated, and Tabitha’s expression darkened as she drew her knees up on the couch and tried to hug them, tried to hide behind them. “I don’t get you, Finn, at all. I don’t understand why you would….” She shrugged and stared again at her fingers. “And then freak out and just leave. You’re not making sense.”

“Give it time,” he said with a caustic snort. “You’ll get me better than you ever wanted to, like it or not.” It was almost instant for Finn, that psychic and emotional connection to Tabitha. But she was latent—sort of. And now sort of not. It would probably take a couple of days before she realized half those thoughts floating around her head weren’t hers.

“So what is supposed to happen now? You bit me. Am I going to turn? We didn’t wait for the full moon.”

Finn paused at the front door, cut and keys in hand, to look over his shoulder at Tabitha. Goddamn if she didn’t remind him of all the stupid things he was sure he was going to do in the world when he was seventeen, eighteen, all those things he would never do. He was one of the Sons now. He was a Fenris Wolf.

And she wasn’t.

The shifter shook his head and shrugged at Tabitha. Callous as that seemed, it was as truthful as he could have been with her. “Just stay here, Tabitha. Keep the door locked, and don’t answer your phone unless it’s me.”

Fucker. That was what she was thinking about him—at him—as he walked out. Finn didn’t want to think about why he knew that.

As much as Finn didn’t want to deal with the Sons just then, their house was the one place he had left to go and the one place he needed to be. The ‘clubhouse’ wasn’t what most people would have suspected. Rather than a dive in a bad part of town, it was a sprawling if faded villa in Summerside, a part of the city that used to be old money. Now it was just old, with the movers and shakers preferring new and ever more pretentious developments on the north side. The mature trees lining Summerside’s residential streets, coupled with the high walls surrounding each house, made for the kind of privacy that came in handy for bikers and werewolves alike. An automatic gate at the end of the drive opened smoothly as Finn approached, without him stopping to punch in the code. That meant one of his pack brothers was watching the security cams and saw him coming.

The circular brick fountain that on party nights doubled as an ice-filled cooler now sat quiet in the middle of the circular drive. Most of the handful of guys who were there were just getting their shit together, chasing the previous night’s hangover with a bottle of whatever they hadn’t already killed. A couple of girls were still passed out naked on the pool table and another on the couch. There would have been a half-dozen more out cold in various bedrooms.

Finn had made it through the living room and into the hall, headed toward the back of the house, before an unwelcome voice hit him.

“There’s my boy,” Lebeau drawled. Finn, knowing he should have just kept walking and probably could have gotten away with doing just that, stopped and looked into the library that had come with the house. Mick kept it despite the Sons’ decided lack of bookishness. It appealed to his sense of irony and superiority. Whenever Mick was in a mood, as he likely was just then, he’d slump in the oversized leather chair with his feet up on the huge wooden desk and drink the cheapest, nastiest booze he could lay hands on. Such was the scene when Finn peered into the room.

“Dad,” Finn responded in his best Wally Cleaver voice.

“How’s our girl doing?”

This was it, the moment when Mick expected Finn to tell the alpha that Tabitha wasn’t their girl and not Lebeau’s girl for damn sure. As much as the MC president obviously wanted Tabitha for himself, Finn knew he’d have been damn near as happy to learn that Finn had a weakness for her. It was something to hold over the scout’s head, the way Mick tried to play on what he suspected was Garik’s weakness for a little Odin’s Wolf lupa from a rival pack they often tangled with these days. Mick would have given a lot to know how far that had gone—further than he’d have thought, and Finn knew that for a fact. Garik had killed for her—killed other Sons for her, men Finn wasn’t sorry to see dead.

Finn leaned in the library doorway and played it cool, making Mick wait for a response while the scout brushed back his hair and then folded his arms. “Taking up space at my place and making everything smell like girl,” Finn quipped, affecting mild irritation but otherwise unconcerned. “What’d she do this morning to get that shiner from you?”

And if you do it again, I’ll kill you. Might anyway, Mick, ol’ buddy.

Mick smiled. “She doesn’t know when to be afraid, does she?” he asked, like Finn would know. Like he knew Finn would know.

But the scout just shrugged. “Obviously not if she’s walking into Skin and just announcing she’s a latent.”

“Ah, yes, T minus four days and counting ‘til we see how that shakes out.”

Finn huffed out his breath dismissively. In truth, he was using every ounce of control he had to discipline any more telling reaction from his expression. If Mick found out Finn had already bitten Tabitha, what the bite had done, what it had not done, and what Finn suspected that meant, Tabitha would either be dead or locked up someplace never to be seen again. And Finn would be wearing a collar he’d never be able to take off with his leash in Lebeau’s hand for as long as the alpha wanted it that way.

Lebeau’s suspicion went unfed, so he just shook his head and chuckled. “Took her on rounds with me yesterday to see if she’s got the stomach for this. Already know she’s got the curves. Went to see a man about a horse, as they say, in Riverwood Park, and the girl didn’t know enough to do what she was told when I ordered her to stay with the bike.”

Of all that information—that Lebeau had shown the Sons’ seedier activities to Tabitha and surely without mentioning that Finn and several others weren’t all in agreement over being involved in that shit, that Mick still had his eye on the girl’s ass as a mama or worse, that he’d put her in harm’s way and then hit her—it was the location of that meeting that Finn had to pretend the hardest not to notice.

Down the hall a few minutes later, in the control room for all the security gates and cam, Finn sat down heavily next to Garik. “I think Mick is talking to Thomas Poulsen or someone who can get to Poulsen,” the scout told the club enforcer, also known as the pack’s second-in-command. This drew Hagen’s attention from the bank of television screens scanning the grounds. Finn would have bet Garik wasn’t actually looking for anything, just keeping watch while he thought, while he plotted and calculated the best time and best way to move on Mick and those loyal to the MC president—Finn not included.

“What do you know?” Garik asked, arms folded nonchalantly but eyes sharpening.

“Mick had business today in Riverwood Park.”

“Poulsen’s office.”

Finn nodded, having been the one to track the antiquities dealer down after the pack got word he was trading in very old Norse artifacts and weapons. “I don’t know if Mick’s still trying to find out who the buyer was for the Dainsleif sword or not, but….”

“Probably,” Garik agreed, his jaw stiffening at the mention of the mythic sword. That was still a sore subject, with the enforcer believing Lebeau wanted to get his hands on the supernatural weapon to use on Garik and anyone else who challenged him for SoF leadership. “But?”

“He took Tabitha with him, and that doesn’t make sense. She’s not a sworn member or even a turned wolf.”

The darker man frowned down thoughtfully on that bit of intel. “Mick is definitely unusually interested in your girl.”

“My girl?” Finn asked, taken aback.

“I don’t shit you about Rachel.” The Odin’s Wolf scout for the Central Coast Pack. “Don’t fucking lying to me about Tabitha. You two are practically wearing matching half-heart necklaces.”

“For chrissake, shut up before one of the others hears you. Fuck you, Garik.”

“Fuck you right back, pretty boy. Are we done pissing here?”

“No.”

Garik raised a black brow. “No?”

“I need a favor, and it’s big.” Finn paused, not to give the enforcer the opportunity to ply him with questions, which wasn’t in Garik’s nature anyway. Hagen was a watcher, the kind who stayed at a distance until he’d scoped the situation out; then he’d pounce. No, Finn needed a second to swallow down the distaste in his mouth. “Tabitha’s an Odin’s Wolf.”

No surprise or anger or distress. Ice cold and smooth, Garik asked, “How do you know? You can’t smell that.”

“But I can taste it.”

“You bit her?”

“Yeah, and she’s not one of us.”

“It’s not full moon yet. You can’t know she’s not a Fenris Wolf just because you bit her early and she didn’t shift.”

“That’s not it,” Finn snarled with mounting agitation. He’d have rather been talking about anything else.

“Then what is it?” Garik asked with equal annoyance. Finn would have done well not to forget that Hagen was just as much a Fenris Wolf as he was, just with stronger self-control. The strongest Finn had ever seen.

Finn slumped in his chair and rubbed his forehead, not wanting to look at Garik as he said it. “I know because when I bit her, we mated.” We mated.

Yeah, there it was. Garik, howling, with laughter. Misery really did love company.

CHAPTER NINE

Tabitha got off of Finn’s bike as soon as they’d come to a stop at the nearly deserted desert rest stop. They were inland east of the beach town of Moonstone, where everything had that upscale Napa feel no matter how poor. Dusty wooden benches stretched out under a shade tree to one end of the dirt parking lot. A small diner sat at the other, grape trellises shading the walls. Tabitha was pretty sure the place’s claim to fame was a 1950’s movie star dying in a car accident right in front of the place. That was California, as obsessed with the way celebrities died as how they lived.

Still astride his motorcycle, Finn pulled off his helmet and shook his brown hair back from his heated face. Damn if he wasn’t the perfect female fantasy of a biker. He’d talk and ride and fuck like a bad boy, all while looking like sin in oil-streaked jeans, but he wasn’t going to rape the teenaged hitchhiker beside the road or shoot a bar owner over whiskey that was too warm—probably.

He was just going to break the heart of any woman stupid enough to fall in love with him, Tabitha. But of course, she might have been just, you know, bitter over him fucking and biting her and then running out the door while she sat there alone on his couch all night wondering what happened. Wondering why she hadn’t turned, changed, or at least stopped loving him. Any or all of the above. Whatever.

“You can ignore me all you want, Tabitha,” Finn told her. And she had been ignoring him, actively. She hadn’t uttered a word to him since…. “But there’s someone here who’s going to help you, and you have to get onboard with it.”

There was some doubt in Finn about whatever this plan was; Tabitha sensed it in him, though she wasn’t sure how. She couldn’t question him, of course, if she wasn’t speaking to him, and she couldn’t be sure he’d tell the truth even if she did ask. So Tabitha just stood there with her arms crossed while she pointedly didn’t look at Finn and he just stared across the parking lot at the diner, waiting.

The stranger pulled up hard and fast in a puff of dust as her Jeep tires skidded a few inches in the dirt lot. Like Tabitha, the woman who perked Finn’s interest with her arrival was blond and chubby. Pretty, too, with a definite California edge to her with waves of naturally sun-streaked hair and the mirrored sunglasses.

“Come on,” Finn said, and he finally climbed off his bike. “We need to meet her in the middle, in the open.”

“Why the caution? She doesn’t trust you?”

This made Finn smile, if only a little. “Our breeds usually try to kill each other on sight.”

“She….?” Tabitha squinted at the curvy woman stalking toward them in a tank top, jeans, and sneakers, looking confident and athletic for her size. “She’s a werewolf?”

“An Odin’s Wolf. I explained a little about that. To boil it down, we’re the cool kids, and they’re the choirboys. We’re the bad guys in the black hats. They’re the anal-retentive law and order a-holes in the white hats. We don’t answer to anyone. They do everything their gods tell them to.”

“Glad we got that sorted out,” the woman said as she stopped about ten feet back from meeting them, her hands fisted firm on her hips. Sharp hearing, Tabitha realized. And Finn apparently hadn’t cared if the stranger heard what he’d said about ‘her breed.’

“Rachel Corey,” Finn said, greeting her in a voice that dripped with passive aggression.

“Fenris Wolf,” the woman responded, and Finn made a face like he’d been wounded by her refusal to use his name.

Grinning, Finn told her, “Garik says hello. He would have come himself, but there’s that thing about you swearing you’d kill him next time you saw him. I assume the last time you two fucked was just a stunning disappointment. Took that personally, did you?”

“Nice haircut,” Rachel said in smiling retort. “I’ll tell Lund it turned out nice.”

If Tabitha was connecting all the dots right, that meant one of this woman’s pack brothers was the wolf who had tangled with Finn and ended up ripping out hair.

The Odin’s Wolf folded her arms and leaned on one hip. “Niceties aside, Hagen went to a lot of trouble and personal risk to arrange this meeting and assure your safety—this once. Is this her?”

“Her?” Tabitha repeated and tilted her head. Irritation edged into her voice. Whatever issue this Rachel had with Finn, Tabitha didn’t appreciate inheriting it. The amused glance she got from the woman surprised her; it wasn’t entirely hostile.

There was a moment’s hesitation before Finn nodded and responded in a lowered voice. “Yeah, this is Tabitha. And don’t bother asking if I’m sure, because I am. She’s an Odin’s Wolf.”

Tabitha blinked and finally turned to speak to the man. “I’m what? Wait, why are you telling her when you haven’t even told me?”

“Because it doesn’t mean anything to you yet, not until… not unless she’s willing to help.”

Thoughtfully, Rachel nodded from behind those concealing shades. “I can see this is a tricky situation.”

Finn snorted. “Damn right it is. Mick is expecting me to bring her to him in three days and prove she can shift, but you know it doesn’t work that way for your breed. If he finds out what she is, or if we try to lie and say she can’t shift, he’ll have her killed. We can’t get her out of town. Even if she’d go—.”

Tabitha glowered at Finn and the constant references to her in the third person, like she was a child, a no-name again. “Which she won’t,” Tabitha put in as her contribution to the discussion.

“Which she won’t,” Finn repeated with an irritated wince, “Mick is keeping an unusually close eye on her. My gut says he’d find her. I took a lot of time and precautions and wrong turns even getting her out here without a tail.”

The she-wolf stood a moment, scuffing one shoe back and forth in the dust as she considered her thoughts. Then she asked Finn, “Why are you helping her if you think she’s an Odin’s Wolf? Why not just let the Sons kill her?”

Clearing her throat, Tabitha raised her brows. “You guys do know I’m standing right here listening?”

Under his breath, Finn growled and snorted, obviously straining to maintain his patience. “It doesn’t matter why I’m helping.”

“Well that’s just bullshit,” Rachel told him, and Tabitha agreed without saying so.

In truth, Tabitha was hot and dirty from the ride and annoyed with both of the shifters for talking over her head like… like she was a kid with no say over what happened to her. There it was again, Tabitha realized. This was a prime example of why she’d braved the folly of tracking down the Sons of Fenris and marching into Skin. Years were going by, and she was still the no-name victim under the care of people who either wanted something from her, like Mick, or wanted to be rid of her, like Finn. Make her a wolf and she’d stop being prey to the world and its whims.

“Why are you helping her?” Rachel asked Finn again.

“Look,” Finn snarled, took a step toward the blond Odin’s Wolf, then growled under his breath and shuffled back a step. “You know why. The same fucking reason you and Garik, for all your threats, haven’t killed each other.”

The female shifter abruptly came at Tabitha, reaching for her, and damn but she was fast. The only one faster was Finn, who put himself between the women. He did let Rachel touch Tabitha, though. Just the collar on her t-shirt. And Tabitha was too slow to react to either of them before Rachel had pulled aside the shirt to look at the wound Finn had left in his charge’s shoulder.

After a second, Finn slapped Rachel’s hand away and stood more squarely in front of Tabitha, shielding her. Tabitha wished it was sincere protectiveness and concern motivating him. In her wistfulness, she could imagine she felt that from him, that edge of fear for her. But that was all she could reasonably assume it was, her own wishful thinking.

Finn glared at Rachel. “Satisfied?”

“Why should I help?” Rachel asked.

“Because she’s one of you. Her blood is marked by your gods. They’re not going to let you turn your back on another warrior of Odin no matter how she came to be among you.”

Rachel shook her head. “No, I mean why should I help you, Fenris Wolf. Why shouldn’t I take her and get her the hell away from you?”

Tabitha was about to ask what made the woman think she’d agree to that, but Finn didn’t give her the chance to speak.

“Because this makes another favor a Fenris Wolf owes you and… you’d have one of your own breed on the inside of the SoF.”

And that idea made Rachel stop and huff her amusement and consider. “Don’t mind betraying your pack, Fenris Wolf?”

“I don’t mind undermining my alpha. He’s not the strongest or the smartest or the most calculating. Mick doesn’t deserve to be the leader of the SoF when the stronger alpha is your mate. Garik.”

Tabitha couldn’t help gaping. “She’s mated to Garik?”

“We’re not mated,” Rachel grated through her teeth, glaring and beginning to breathe heavier and faster as her temper strained.

“Right, not yet. Just fucking for now, but you’ll get around to it.”

Rachel was the one who took a step forward then. “You need to leave that alone before I walk away from you.” She included Tabitha in the scope of her glare. “Both of you.”

For Tabitha, it was like accidentally walking up on a confrontation between wild animals. Her own adrenaline started to rise, setting off her pulse and a tremor in her hands. One instinct told her to back away, but another—the one she obeyed—urged her to slide one hand up onto Finn’s shoulder in a visible demonstration that she was standing with him.

This time Tabitha felt, really felt, Finn’s relief. And his pride in his lupa standing up with him. Tabitha didn’t even know what that meant, let alone how she could be so certain of what was going through Finn’s mind.

“Fine,” he said abruptly, forcing down his wolf with so obvious an effort that it hurt Tabitha to watch. Like hearing nails on a chalkboard or a dentist’s drill. “Do this for her, and when and if the time comes, I’ll stand with Garik in whatever way you need. Tabitha….”

Finn paused to turn and glance over his shoulder at the woman he’d just named, at the woman who’d been the only person he’d cared about for most of his life. Tabitha could have sworn she felt a swell of affection from him.

“Tabitha needs this. I can’t have her hurt or… or worse. If she ended up held against her will somewhere…. If Mick hurt her, tortured her to torment or control me…. You can imagine it, Rachel, or maybe you can’t or won’t let yourself. Being caged? Like a lesser animal than what we are? I don’t know if you’ve ever actually seen one of us trapped like that, but I have.”

It didn’t matter if he’d been six; he still remembered what the other pack had done to his parents and how they’d just left him locked in the cage with their bodies never thinking he’d escape once he’d grown starved and emaciated enough.

Tabitha gasped. Where had that thought and those memories and that terrible swell of pain—of Finn’s pain—come from? How could she have possibly recalled his experiences and felt…?

“Okay, yes,” Rachel responded suddenly, as though she wanted to stop Finn from talking, from describing his fears any further. “I’ll work with her. But if she’s going to be expected to be able to shift on command, jeez…. I mean, it’s going to be hard.” She confronted Tabitha then, straight on. “It’s going to be physically exhausting in a way I can’t even prepare you for. You’ll have to do to over and over in just a few days. All the energy that you’ll need to work up to make it happen, then the cost to your body afterward? Most of us would sleep at least a day away after our first few shifts. You won’t have that time to use to recover. We’ll have to use and do whatever it takes to get you up and ready to shift again as soon as—.”

“I don’t understand,” Tabitha finally snapped, cutting Rachel short. “So I’m not the right kind of wolf or… or at least not the same kind of wolf Finn and the Sons are. Fine, but what? I don’t have the ability to shift at will like they do?”

Rachel shook her head adamantly no. “No, it not the same for us as it is for them. They can hardly contain their shift, especially when their transition is new to them. They get angry, they shift. They get horny, they shift. The wind blows too hard, they shift.”

And didn’t that explain a lot about what had happened four years before? Tabitha didn’t say that, but she thought it. Finn looked away sullenly as though he had heard what was inside her head.

The Odin’s Wolf continued, explaining, “For us, the change isn’t about our animal nature; it’s about our calling to Odin’s service inherent—inherited—in our blood. For you to be an Odin’s Wolf, those you descend from must have been in his service. When you put on the wolf skins of his ulfhedinn warriors, then… then you become one of Odin’s Wolves. I’ll give you a piece of one of the skins to trigger your shift. With enough time and practice, you get to the point you won’t need it.”

This was all too much for Tabitha to take in at once. The revelation of her nature, and the instruction about her shift, and the warnings about what would be expected of her mentally and physically. She could only nod, to at least acknowledge she was hearing all of it even if she couldn’t absorb it.

Then Rachel asked, “Are you ready?” And Tabitha just blinked at her blankly. “Tabitha, you’ll have to come with me, for a least a couple of days, until you absolutely have to go back with Finn to face the Sons. We have a lot of work to do, and I want you to meet the rest of my pack.”

Tabitha hesitated, feeling a flare of panic that slowly surrendered to a sense of resignation, once she began to suspect Finn’s other motive for bringing her to Rachel. “Is this what you want?” she asked him. “For me to go with her? With them?”

For me to leave and hopefully decide to stay with Rachel’s pack so I’m not your problem anymore?

“Yeah,” he said, but he was thinking hell no.

“It’s the only choice,” Rachel told her.

Tabitha nodded and paused awkwardly waiting for a word from Finn. Rachel just nodded and motioned toward the Jeep, and then Finn nodded without comment. And the little knot of people just broke apart, that simply. Tabitha walked away from Finn not asking when he’d come back for her or where they’d meet. If they’d meet.

At the Jeep, as they were getting in, Rachel tentatively squeezed Tabitha’s arm. “You can do this. I know what it’s like to be in your place, a female among the males and everyone else telling you what to do and what’s good for you. But you can do this, and then you’re your own animal, Tabitha.”

“Yeah,” Tabitha agreed, though halfheartedly at best. When she chanced a look across the parking lot, Finn was already on his bike and ready to leave. “For a minute, I thought he didn’t want me to go. My imagination, I guess.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Rachel took her sunglasses off and squinted at Tabitha, looking confused. “If that’s what you felt from him…. I mean, you’d know.” Again, Tabitha looked at Rachel blankly and shook her head. “Shit, that fucking Fenris Wolf didn’t explain mates to you either?”

CHAPTER TEN

There were three nights in Finn McCaffery’s life when he understood the wilding, the progressive loss of a shifter’s human side to his wolf until only the beast remained. Permanently. Three nights when Finn might not have been in the immediate danger of losing his human body to his wolf form but when his human mind was barely in control and only instinct remained.

The first night was one he didn’t entirely remember. He never knew if that was because six years old was too young for his mind to retain the details or because the particulars of spending days locked in a cage with the decomposing bodies of the wolves who had been his parents were too traumatic. Or maybe it had been the hunger devouring his mind as he’d starved. That had at first been an active part of the torture the rival pack had inflicted on him and later a feature of his utter abandonment in that cage. In the dark. In a vacant warehouse dripping rain as his only source of water. After that, who the fuck cared how ‘rough’ foster care was? Pussies.

The second night he recalled too well, when he’d just been turned by the Sons. It had been a gang initiation of the most brutal kind. The Sons weren’t just wolves; they were shifters by virtue of the blood of Fenrir himself running through their veins. When your dad or great-great-great fucking grandad was as close to a wolf god as the Norse had, a beast who could not be chained and had taken the hand off a war god, playtime was going to get bloody as a matter of course. The euphoria after Finn had been beaten and attacked by the Sons, after he’d had to fight for survival to prove his worth, was the closest thing he’d ever feel again to being drunk. Truly massive amounts of endorphins had been running through his system, pumping like fire through his blood, hardening his cock, scattering his thoughts. And the first place he’d headed for afterward was the last place he should have been in that frame of mind—to Tabitha.

The third night was this one, standing in a piss-stinking back alley listening to one of those fucking Odin Wolves as she explained how it was that Tabitha was gone.

No, not gone. Taken.

Barely hearing anything that was coming out of Rachel Corey’s mouth, Finn glared through the red haze of his stirring, building fury. In his head, his heartbeat thundered, interrupted only periodically by a whimper or a gasp overheard from inside Tabitha’s head—wherever she was. The Fenris Wolf scout took some small comfort in the fact that the Odin’s Wolf she-bitch was at least wearing the physical wounds of having lost a fight with the three-ton SUV that had raced away with Tabitha bundled half-conscious inside it.

“We were out in the middle of nowhere. It was the state park,” Rachel said in a self-defensive rush. “They shouldn’t have been able to find us or sneak up as close as they did.”

Wisely, Garik had positioned himself between his bitch and his pack mate. Finn guessed there was a moratorium in effect on the couple’s efforts to kill one another. Hagen must not have wanted Finn to kill Rachel for him.

The blond Odin’s Wolf winced at a particularly animated moment in her story and briefly touched her jaw. Angry half-healed gashes over one cheek and arm, when considering the accelerated healing rate of shifters, must have been a mangled mess a few hours before. And painful.

Good, Finn thought.

“We were pushing hard and getting a couple of shifts out of Tabitha per day, so we were just staying out, camped in the woods. Being out there gave us all the chance to run.”

And to bond, Finn knew. He wasn’t stupid enough to think Rachel and whomever she’d trusted to bring in from her pack hadn’t tried to convince Tabitha to turn her back on Finn and the Sons and let the chip fall on the Fenris Wolf’s head.

An edge of temper that Finn understood crept into Rachel’s voice as she described the attack, the kidnapping. “They moved into the area in military formation.”

“Wait,” Garik insisted. “Are we talking Agency? Government hunters?”

Rachel shrugged and shook her head in uncertainty. “They moved like it, absolutely, but they weren’t wearing standard commando gear. It looked like everything they carried was non-lethal.” Rachel nodded vehemently to the puzzled looks on the men’s faces. “I know. The Agency doesn’t do capture guns and paralytics, but that’s what they had. The chemical rounds were weak. Hardly did anything to me or my guys, even with a couple of us in wolf form and one in human. But when they hit Tabitha’s wolf with it, she went down hard and reverted to human form, so I’m guessing it’s experimental and only worked on her because she doesn’t have much control over her shift yet.”

“Like Agency hunters but not Agency hunters,” Garik said, musing.

“And too few of them for a field capture,” Rachel agreed. “There were only three of them that we could get eyes on. For the Agency, that’s a quick in-and-out strike team for assassinations. They’d never do a capture without at least one full team plus tactical support.”

Finn breathed through another eruption of his wolf trying to force itself up from inside his skin. Part of him thought that was what the fucking beast got for forcing Finn to bite Tabitha, forcing the mating that bound them body and mind to one another and made it physically painful and ultimately fatal for them to be separated for long periods of time.

The Fenris Wolf scout, in control for the moment, struggled to speak and have it come out as more than a growl. “So it didn’t look like Agency. Didn’t look like Mick’s work, either. Someone else has to be in play, then. Who else has a reason to catch a werewolf?”

Other packs, rivals. That was the nightmare Finn had already lived through once. But kidnapping and killing Tabitha wasn’t going to send some kind of message to the Central Coast Pack the way torturing and killing Finn’s parents had with their pack. And if they needed someone to question, it was their bad luck to have picked the shifter who knew the least of anyone about any of this. Finn didn’t believe in that kind of coincidence. Whoever they were, they’d gotten what they wanted—not blood or any other member of the Central Coast Pack, just Tabitha—and gotten the fuck out of there swiftly and efficiently.

Finn glared at Garik. “Which one of us is going to find out what Mick knows?”

“Leave it. He’ll be on guard with you because he suspects you have history with Tabitha you’re keeping secret from him. I’m not his BFF, but I’ll have someone else do the talking while I watch from the control room on the security cams. If he’s involved, I’ll see it in his face when he lies about it.”

Nodding, Finn said, “And I’ll cover every other source I have.” His information network would have been second only to Ox’s; they just couldn’t trust the bear shifter enough to pull him in to help.

And finally, to Rachel, he said, “And you’ll pull in every favor anyone owes you, too. You bullshit Odin’s Wolves talk about units and orders and service.” When Finn took a menacing step toward the blonde, Garik put himself in his pack brother’s path, shaking his head. Finn got that. Hagen had to get what this was for Finn, too, though. “Tabitha was in your care, Corey. She was your responsibility.” The words shredded their way up Finn’s throat, with him knowing that Tabitha had been his responsibility for far longer and he’d let her down far worse. “Just make all that BS mean something and help find her.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Cold in winter, hot in summer, rarely loved, always hungry. These had been the hallmarks of Tabitha Vallins’s life from eight years old to twenty-two. No value beyond what someone could get for letting her take up space that didn’t belong to her. Nothing of her own.

It was excellent preparation for finding herself locked naked in a cage by total strangers lord knew where.

Almost numbed by the blow of having her every fear and personal trauma rubbed into her face in one day, Tabitha sat on the floor of the cage with her knees pulled up to preserve what little sense of modesty she had left. The men had taken her when she was in wolf form—no clothing when she shifted back. She hoped that was the reason she was still nude. But would a blanket have been too much to ask?

Not that it wasn’t a nice cage, for a cage. Someone had made the peculiar choice of plating the bars in precious metal and including all the curves and flourishes to make it look like a human-sized aviary. Who did that kind of shit, outside of James Bond movies, anyway?

Tabitha stayed silent, watchful, carefully observing the three black suits keeping her company in what appeared to be a vacant loft. New, artfully distressed brick walls and gleaming hardwood floors. The bare windows looked out over Downtown, so they must have been in one of the old art nouveau office buildings being renovated into upscale apartments as part of the revitalization project. None of them were open for viewing yet, and most of the surrounding buildings were empty industrial, if Tabitha recalled. No one around to hear her call for help—and the way each of the men occasionally stalked past the cage, staring down at Tabitha as she tried to cover herself without making her discomfort obvious, made her think she had a valid need.

I recognize you, she was thinking but didn’t say it, just followed the familiar figures with her gaze. They were the men who had given her an odd feeling of being hunted in the underground garage when Mick had told her to stay with his bike and she’d ended up running into the older man on her way up the steps. Black suits, black shades, no voices or expressions, and yet they still conveyed menace and even a slight predatory feeling backed up by the fact that Tabitha was sure at least two of them got hard-ons from keeping a naked chubby girl in a cage. Other than keeping a close eye on Tabitha, her captors went about checking their cell phones and working on laptops they kept well away from her side of the wide, bare room. It was like they knew her hearing and vision would be sharp enough now to catch conversations, glimpse messages on screens.

Tabitha frowned. Big bad werewolf girl, locked naked in a birdcage. So much for not needing anyone to protect her anymore.

And yet, for a couple of days, it hadn’t been that way. Tabitha hadn’t been the wayward, helpless orphan. Five times—five—she had successfully shifted into a werewolf. An honest to god freaking wolf, not quite as blond as she was in real life, more tawny. But her wolf was sleek, fast, free as she raced headlong through the woods weaving around, dodging, leaping any obstacle. Deer and smaller animals ran from her. From her. Even now a deep breath recalled the loam and leaves against her face and fur as she rutted and rolled in the dirt and the meadow grass. The only dark thought that accompanied the memory was the worry that Tabitha was still wholly dependent on the wristband Rachel has given her—leather on the outside but lined with the fur of a wolf sacred to Odin and which triggered the shift in newly manifested Odin Wolves. The band she could see plainly sitting on the granite counter.

What counter, Tabitha?

The woman blinked and fussed with her hair, pretending to tuck several strands behind her ear, so it wasn’t so obvious she was looking around the room for the source of that voice. Finn’s voice. It sounded like it came from inside her head.

What counter is the relic on, Tabitha? Can you get to it? Can you reach? Answer me, Finn’s voice demanded. The men in the room didn’t react to the sound that Tabitha was hearing as clearly as if the Fenris Wolf was hunched down next to her in the cage. Tabitha!

Either I’m crazy or I’m really hearing voices, she told herself. Which means I’m crazy.

You can hear me, Tabitha, and you know damn well who I am. You can hear because it’s me, because we’re us. The connection is new and still growing. It only works when I’m close. I don’t know where you are exactly, but you have to be Downtown.

And what exactly about telepathy between werewolves was any less believable than their existence in the first place, Tabitha asked herself when she balked at the idea. Maybe she just didn’t like what a relief it was to hear and feel Finn near again, riding to the rescue despite his desire to be rid of her. Despite her desire to rescue herself. It was obviously a skill she didn’t have the hang of yet.

Can all werewolves hear each other think?

She heard a definite snort of bitter amusement from Finn’s end of the conversation, as it were. Ah, hell no, or Mick and I would have come to teeth and claws by now. It’s just us, Tabitha. Well, not just us. There are others who can hear only one another. There has to be a bond.

There had to be a bond. The thought echoed in Tabitha’s head. But Finn had spent the last four years tearing that connection apart. Hadn’t he?

With her heightened shifter senses, Tabitha caught the roar of a passing engine, despite the soundproofing materials used in the loft reconstruction.

I think I heard you, Finn. Did you just ride by one of the residential loft projects? One still under construction but mostly finished?

I did. Finn’s surge of excitement washed palpably over Tabitha, raising goose bumps on her skin that were entirely visible thanks to her nudity. Got you, baby girl. I know the building. I can find you. Do you hear me, Tabitha? I can find you.

Another bristle of excitement and relief prickled over Tabitha’s skin, but this time it was her own. Setting aside the question of whether she should have been so reliant on Finn to protect her, rescue her, she knew he would. He wanted to. He cared.

Finn, there are three of them. I know you’re a shifter, but they look… professional. I don’t know if you want to bring someone to help or—.

“Miss Vallins, how nice to see you again.” A familiar voice interrupted Tabitha’s concentration. Those goose bumps rose higher in her skin, as a chill ran along her back. She looked up and blinked, squinting, confused. “Whole and well and uninjured, I’m happy to say.” Then he added with a chuckle, “Though it does look like the air conditioning might be up a tad too high for your particular state.”

“Mr. Poulsen, sir,” one of the suited thugs said in greeting.

Tabitha gaped. That sweet older man? The thugs from the garage were with him? “Mr. Poulsen?” she repeated.

“Please, dear, I already gave you leave to call me Thomas. It’s the least I can do, considering what you’re doing for me.”

In the back of Tabitha’s mind, she felt a flash of distress and anger from Finn.

Poulsen? Thomas Fucking Poulsen? Then a lot of cussing.

CHAPTER TWELVE

There was no way around it. Finn forcing his energy and concentration into his psychic connection to Tabitha was going to give both of them one mother of a fucking headache. But that way, Finn could hear anything Tabitha heard and even catch an image now and again of what she was seeing. Those hit his mind like a stab from a shard of glass. For now, at least, the adrenaline and—very likely—a shift would cover the pain for the Fenris Wolf scout.

Living up to the scout’s role in the pack as the fastest and most stealthy, Finn hit the tenth floor of the building without alerting the high-end mercenaries stationed on the ground floor and at the tenth floor elevators. They all stood, moved, smelled like ex-Agency hunters turned private thugs. Those were the ones who valued the profit over the power. They killed supernaturals just as dead as their true-believer counterparts still serving in the government strike teams that kept the mundane world from finding out monsters lived among poor, innocent humans.

Innocent, Finn thought. Right. Like fucking Poulsen. What the hell was that flashy old bastard up to? More than selling old swords and antique jewelry, obviously. Finn had already come under the impression, a nagging suspicion, that the antiquities dealer knew he was moving extraordinary object and that his clients weren’t run-of-the-mill yuppies and dot com brats who’d cashed out before the bubble burst.

All the doors to the service stairs were locked, until the shifter broke off the handles and took the knobs apart. Finn followed his gut-level connection to Tabitha toward one particular apartment, luckily down the hall and around the corner from the elevators, far enough from the guards to avoid notice if the Fenris Wolf kept quiet. Even though he had a feeling that the door wasn’t locked as he crouched down beside it—after all, who was going to get past the guards with their modified ARs?—Finn stopped to breathe and steady himself and try to listen in through his connection to Tabitha.

So why couldn’t he hear anything? At all?

When Finn stood and faced the door, he knew. That they knew. The light from inside cast the slightest shadow under the door. A figure was waiting, waiting patiently, just beyond. Finn didn’t even have to turn the doorknob. He reached out and pushed it open with his fingertips to reveal a smiling Thomas Poulsen flanked by two armed ‘men in black’ types.

The white-haired bastard wagged a wrinkled, crooked finger at the shifter. “I have the files, haven’t seen the pictures, but I’m willing to bet that you’re Finn McCaffrey.” The shifter didn’t answer, bracing himself to shift and charge and try to take out all three men. That was, until Poulsen took a step back and half-turned to reveal… a cage? A huge gilded birdcage with Tabitha curled naked inside it. Finn hesitated not just because a chill hit his blood like all those memories locked in the mind of his six-year-old self but because another mercenary had an automatic rifle pointed at his mate’s head.

“Come in, please,” Poulsen insisted. “I believe you know Tabitha. Are you the werewolf who was helpful enough to turn her for us?”

“For you?” Finn asked as he stepped cautiously inside.

“Oh, yes, we’ve been keeping an eye on Tabitha since she came to our attention. Female werewolves are rare, as you no doubt know. Tough going for the males of your kind, right? With mating—not just sex but mating—being the only way most kinds of shifters avoid what the wolves call the wilding. Where you lose your human forms permanently, I understand.”

Finn snarled at the man, who seemed entertained, even excited at being threatened by a real live werewolf. “Why do you care about us or the wilding or about Tabitha? And what the fuck are you doing with her in that cage?” The scout tried not to look at the gilded pen and see the cold steel cage where he’d been trapped for so many days.

Poulsen, still offensively good-natured about kidnapping and imprisonment, shrugged and smiled. “The cage? That’s just packaging, at my client’s request.”

“Client?” Finn enunciated.

“Oh, yes, there are a number of extremely discerning individuals who have been in the market for a female wolf shifter but not a lot to be had.” As Finn’s rage began to rise to the point of his wolf breaking through, Poulsen motioned to another black suit who was standing behind the door unnoticed by Finn because the shifter was so fucking offended. “If you would please,” the dealer said to the guard.

Finn turned to look, ready to defend himself from a charge, just in time to get hit by a fine, even lacy metal mesh. The delicate wave instantly wrapped around the shifter and began tightening. “What the—?” he started, then lost his breath to the pain and rolled to his side on the hardwood floor.

“A Fenris Chain, they call it,” Poulsen said, standing directly over Finn and watching with open curiosity. “A couple of my employees used to work for something you would know as The Agency. This is apparently becoming standard equipment for that organization. Something to do with the chain that bound the wolf Fenrir himself, if you go in for mythology. I do, of course, but when you sell werewolves and magic swords to gods and giants, you get a real education on the subject.”

Again, Poulsen motioned toward Tabitha’s cage, and Finn could hardly make himself look over at her—as he was failing her again because Fenris Wolves just could not face a challenge with their brains instead of their balls out.

“That cage of hers is made of similar stuff. Not perfected yet, of course, but it does seem to be holding up just fine. Not that our lady Fenris Wolf has been a poor guest. Honestly, with the reputation of your breed, I was expecting her to be much less… cooperative?”

Another of his breed? Finn locked eyes with Tabitha, not letting himself linger on how frightened she looked or how much he’d missed those eyes for the last four years.

Did you hear what he said, Tabitha? He thinks you’re a Fenris Wolf. He doesn’t know. The weapons they have are more effective on my breed than yours, and the cage construction hasn’t been perfected. If you shift, you might be strong enough to break through it. They’ll be distracted by me if I act like this hurts—.

It does hurt, Finn. I can feel the pain it’s causing you. Stop worrying about me. Get out of that net.

Finn shook his head so slightly. I can’t, Tabitha. Then the Fenris Wolf groaned, as the first of his ribs broke.

Pointing down at Finn where he writhed in pain, Poulsen asked, “Is there a way to pause that? Make it stay that tight but no more? I don’t want to kill him until I’ve had a chance to contact my client and see if he’s interested in a male as well.” Then to Finn, the dealer said all too affably, “Not for the same purpose, of course, as he’s quite heterosexual. That’s why he’d like a female werewolf as his pet. But he might have a use for you, although, honestly, it would probably be to kill you for sport.”

“No… pet,” Finn snarled, breathlessly. Inside him, his wolf was in a frothing, mindless rage that grew worse the more helpless it became. Take away a Fenris Wolf’s ability to frenzy, and what was he? A victim like everyone else, like Finn’s parents, like Finn had been.

“What was that?’ Poulsen asked and leaned over Finn.

“She’s… not… p… pet.”

Behind Poulsen, across the room, Tabitha watched Finn being squeezed to death with tears pouring down those beautiful apple cheeks. She had come up on her knees, heedless of her nakedness, and gripped the bars of her cage, shaking them. Her gaze flittered briefly to the wristband on the kitchen counter—her trigger.

Fuck, Finn thought. She’s not strong enough to shift without the relic.

And everyone in the room knew it. That was why they weren’t watching Tabitha when they had Finn’s torment to enjoy with fascination and glee. That was why no one saw her jerking on the bars of her cage, pushing and pulling them, bending them as the shimmer of a shift started to set her gorgeous skin alight.

That’s my girl. You fucking show them what you are.

Finn rasped and choked as another rib broke. Goddamn Poulsen, so secure with all his guards and Agency toys, actually crouched over the contorted Fenris Wolf. “What did he say?” the old man asked, leaning closer to hear what he must have supposed would be Finn’s final words.

It was everything Finn could do to lift his face from the floor and look Poulsen straight on and not laugh. “She’s no pet.”

Poulsen shook his head. “I still can’t hear him.”

From behind him, in eight-foot-tall half form, the traditional werewolf of horror movies, Tabitha growled, “He said we’re not pets, asshole.”

When Tabitha swiped her claw across Poulsen’s throat and caught the nearest guard on the backswing, the small runestone-like controller for the Fenris Chain flew from the man’s hand and broke on the hardwood.

Instantly, Finn was free.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Tabitha came out of the bedroom, fresh from the shower, to find Finn leaning at the long walnut bar at one end of the beach house living room. The brown-haired Fenris Wolf was staring moodily out through the glass patio doors at the ocean and drinking disturbingly expensive whiskey without bothering to pour it into a glass.

His mate claimed the bottle from him. “What do you think this is, Skin?” she asked before winking at the man and swigging from the bottle herself.

Though sullen and quiet most of the morning, Finn huffed out an amused breath. “You’re drinking like a shifter now. At this rate, a week from now, that whole bottle won’t even get you tipsy.”

She took another drink and slowly licked an errant drop from her lips, knowing Finn was watching and knowing what the sight did to his rising cock. “Better enjoy it while I can, then.” Odd, she thought, that she liked the taste of whiskey now as a shifter when she’d hated it as a human. The burn didn’t seem to bother her as much. She clanked the metal bottle down forcefully on the bar and stepped forward to kiss Finn roughly. This time, it was her tongue in his mouth, her in control. She drew back only once they were breathless and whispered, “Do you at least still like the taste?”

“Goddamn right I do.” And she knew he wasn’t just talking about the whiskey.

Despite the nearly constant sex the two had been having over their last several days hiding out and recovering at the house, Finn was still quick to shove the fluffy white robe down Tabitha’s shoulders and take her bare breasts roughly in his hands. Instantly, as soon as her mate started to handle her that way, Tabitha’s skin and sex flushed, tingling and ready.

Their arms tangling, Tabitha resisted Finn’s advance, his scruffy cheeks and mouth and hands on her tits. She reached for the bottom his t-shirt to pull it up his lean torso and over his head. As soon as it was up past his face but still wound over his arms, Tabitha twisted it tighter to bind him.

Finn laughed low and growled and playfully resisted. “What do you think you’re doing, baby girl?”

Tabitha pulled harder to bind Finn’s arms and made up for the fact that the shifter could easily have torn the shirt by tangling up with him to trip them both panting and laughing huskily onto the carpet. The she-wolf pushed her mate onto his back and held him there, her hands planted on his shoulders, her hips astride his as she straddled his bulging groin.

“That’s Mama Wolf to you,” she said and kissed him again. Even with the lingering smoky heat of the whiskey, Finn always tasted of warm spice. She hungrily lapped the flavor from his mouth and nipped his lips for good measure at the end of the kiss.

Finn let her. He let Tabitha pull his hair as she sensually assaulted his mouth. He let her bounce herself tauntingly on his stiffened cock through his pants like the curvy little cock tease was going to get away with that. He let her sit up and strip off her robe while slapping his hands away when he reached for the belt or for her skin.

Tabitha was surprised how much she enjoyed being in control for a change, now that she felt herself coming into her power as a shifter. When she jerked Finn’s jeans open and pulled them down just enough, when she squeezed and stroked his thick cock to full attention, and when she put it inside her with her own hand, the fact that she could claim him and her own pleasure made her bristle with the thrill of it.

Gazing down at Finn and seeing the lust and appreciation for her every curve gleaming in his eyes, Tabitha grew even bolder. “So, Mr. Bad Boy Biker, is this how it felt to fuck all those mamas at the bar and the clubhouse?” She clenched the snug walls of her sex down on him, causing them both to catch their breath. “Were they as tight and hot as this?”

Stubborn and rebellious, Finn refused to answer, other than to buck up under Tabitha wildly to try to make her lose her balance.

“Behave,” she told him sternly, taking hold of his chin with one hand. Finn growled and nipped her. “Bad wolf.” Tabitha pinned Finn’s hands above his head, wondering if it was the first time a female had ever done that to him. Would he have put up with it from anyone but a she-wolf? And any she-wolf but his mate? She was grinding her hips down in circles on Finn’s cock, taking it deeper and deeper inside her even when she thought she’d taken it all, as she leaned over his face to murmur to him. “If you’re very good and say please, I’ll let you come.”

That easily, that hard, the biker reached the end of his patience and came up from under Tabitha in a surge of strength and speed she could not match. He spun her around onto her hands and knees and mounted her from behind in one brutal thrust that made the lupa cry out shamelessly.

“Don’t play with wild animals, little girl,” Finn snarled through his teeth as he set his concentration on building a punishing rhythm in and out of her aching pussy. It was one thing when she rode him but another when her wolf, her biker, her mate made her open up for him. One hand slapped her ass until it was hot and pink while the other alternately tormented her nipples and her clitoris with the rough touch Finn knew made her crazy.

For all the thrill of being a she-wolf now, with the senses and strength that came with it, Tabitha still went soft and warm with the dark bliss of Finn taking her like the alpha he was.

“Say it,” he growled. “Say I’m your alpha.”

No fair listening in on what I’m thinking during sex.

Fucking beg for your alpha’s cock, lupa.

Tabitha gasped at the force of Finn’s thought in her head. “Oh my god, fuck you,” she told him defiantly and loved the extra rough thrusts she got for it.

“Can’t,” Finn retorted. “I’m too busy fucking you. Isn’t that right, lupa?” Finn bounced his hips so he thrust his cock forward twice without withdrawing, then again, drawing twin cried of shock and pleasure from Tabitha each time. “You’re feeling that, aren’t you, baby girl? Say it. Say it, Tabitha.”

“No,” she rasped, twisting to look back over her shoulder at the Fenris Wolf shifter. Fuck but he was still the sexiest, prettiest bad boy she’d ever seen with that five o’clock scruff and the ragged waves of brown hair falling carelessly over one eye. With that smooth skin over lean, flexing muscle and a long torso leading down to that sinful V. And with a cock so big it hurt like heaven to take it every time.

“Say it,” Finn warned Tabitha again, “or I’m not letting you come.” The evil gleam in his eye said he meant it. To make matters worse, two of his calloused fingertips dipped between her thighs to rub her clit furiously, then stopped, then tormented her again.

“Oh fuck, please, Finn.” She tried to catch his hand by the wrist and make him keep his fingers where she needed them. Her climax was right there, crouched over her like a beast, but Finn wouldn’t let it have her. “Please, yes, yes. You’re my alpha. Please please please fuck me. Please fuck me with that big cock. Oh, please, Finn, make me come.”

The biker grabbed a handful of Tabitha’s blond hair for leverage as he kicked up the pace, riding her furiously. “See what happens when you beg, lupa? You get fucked as hard and fast as you can take it and you come until you scream.”

Finn wasn’t teasing or threatening or promising something he couldn’t deliver. The friction inside Tabitha of his flesh against hers, so hot, so hard, so fast, was all it took to push her into the throes of her orgasm. The bliss hit her so hard that the strength went out of her arms. She rode out wave after wave of pleasure with her cheek pressed to the carpet and her hands holding the short shag as best she could. Tabitha couldn’t breathe for a few seconds, just as Finn himself was coming, his hips pumping convulsively. He was filling her with his heat, and she didn’t want any sensation—even breathing—to distracted her from that feeling, that fulfillment.

And that—tied up with one another—was how Garik Hagen walked in on them. A week earlier, Tabitha would have panicked and covered herself and hidden. Now she took her time enjoying the languorous weakness in her limbs and slipping back into her robe.

“And good morning to you,” Garik said, unapologetic for interrupting the post-coital cuddling.

Without returning the greeting, Finn asked, “What did Eli say?”

“There’s a 4x4 in the garage with keys in the workbench. You two can take that. Head north up through Oregon and Washington into Canada. By the time you get there he’ll have a contact for you with….” Garik hesitated over his choice of words. “With neutral parties who don’t concern themselves with breed hostilities. It’s just about keeping supernaturals alive with them.”

Sensing the tension in both men, Tabitha had to ask. “Is Mick buying the story that Poulsen’s mercenaries killed us?” After all, after Tabitha had made her would-be slaver her first kill, there would have been enough blood splattered throughout that loft for ten mercs and more than a few shifters. She was still coming to grips with how bad she didn’t feel about that.

Garik snickered. “I don’t know that he’s had enough time to think about it. He’s busy right now posturing and beating his chest at the offense of someone daring to attack his club recruiter and their female prospect. It reflects badly on him, makes him look weak to some of the other Sons.”

The two male shifters clasped hands and bumped shoulders to congratulate one another on that development.

Finn turned then to eye Tabitha, his mood as heavy as it had been when she’d come out of the bedroom. “You sure you’re ready for this? To just go underground, maybe for good?”

“Do you mean am I having reservations about running from the Sons after I was dumb enough to walk in and try to join them?” she asked, nonplused with Finn’s recent anxiety. “Or do you mean am I okay with us being mated and not being able to leave one another’s side as we go on the lamb across the country, working our way through an underground railroad for shifters and faeries and bastard godlings?”

Even Garik made a thoughtful grunt at that idea. “Sounds like fun when she puts it that way.”

Tabitha closed the few steps of distance between herself and Finn and leaned against him the way a she-wolf would have rubbed against her mate. I’ll stop punishing you for the last four years if you will.

Finn stroked her cheek. That will have to be a point of negotiation, lupa. I’ve got a lot to pay for.

Do you love me, Finn?

The Fenris Wolf blinked in surprise at the question, taken off guard by how boldly she’d asked it. The automatic flood of warmth in his chest and then hers was an answer he couldn’t censor.

“Yeah,” he whispered.

Garik shrugged and shook his head. “Is that the private telepathic communication thing between mates, ‘cause really that’s just kind of creepy when you two do that and I only hear the last thing either of you say on a subject.”

“Says the man who can’t stop exchanging death threats with an Odin Wolf long enough to mate her,” Finn scoffed.

“Touchy, man,” Garik told him.

“Dude, it’s pronounced touché.”

“No, I mean it’s a touchy subject and you’re going to hurt my feelings. I think you two better pack your shit and leave. Seriously. Eli is going to want his house when he gets back.”

Tabitha agreed, “Fair enough. But I have to ask….”

“If you must.” Garik sighed and rolled his eyes.

“How is Rachel and her bunch going to react when they find out you got the Central Coast Pack alpha to help a wayward Odin’s Wolf and her Fenris Wolf mate escape both wolf packs? And… how did you get Eli to help us, anyway?”

Tabitha was surprised to see the flippant demeanor fade from the Sons enforcer. “There was a time when Eli was my alpha. The crossover you made, from thinking you were a Fenris Wolf to realizing you’re an Odin’s Wolf? I went the other way. Just about everyone thought Eli should have killed me. Hell, Rachel would still make that argument.”

“Yeah, well,” Finn reminded Garik, “she’s going to find out about all of this if you two ever do mate. Psychic link and all.”

Garik nodded and Finn and then Tabitha.

“I guess I’ll cross that she-wolf when I come to her.”

The End

About Erika Masten

Erika Masten is a lifelong writer and award-winning author in several genres. She combines her love of mythology and steamy love stories in her shape shifter erotic romances for the plus-size reading audience.

BBW PARANORMAL SHAPE SHIFTER ROMANCE FROM ERIKA MASTEN

Turning Wild (An Aesir Shifters BBW Romance Novella)

One Wild Night (An Aesir Shifters BBW Romance Short)

A Prowl On The Wild Side (An Aesir Shifters BBW Romance Novella)

Wilding (An Aesir Shifters BBW Romance Short)

Aesir Shifters: The Collection

Bad Hoss (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance: Windemere Stallions)

If Wishes Were Horses (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance: Windemere Stallions)

Preferred Prey (Bite of the Moon ~ Sons of Fenris MC)

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Bewitched by the Alpha

Bryce Evans

Dedication

I would like to acknowledge my mom, who passed away a few years ago; she told me to follow my dreams and never allow anyone to tell me I couldn’t achieve them.

Thanks to the love of my life, John, for making me a place to write and even taking up the slack when I was typing away in my own world. You helped to make my dream come true. It may be a small table in the corner, but it’s my corner of make believe, where dreams do come true.

Thanks to my beautiful kids, who keep me grounded and drive me crazy at the same time. I love you all.

Thanks to Janka Dustan, who agreed to be my PA and tells me now what to do and when to do it.  We have been figuring it out and having a great time at it.  Thanks, Janka for all of your help and kindness.

A special thanks to my friend Bobbi Kinion, who beta reads and gives me great advice. Also, thank you to all of my Nite Stalkers who have stood behind me throughout the good and bad times. Thank you, Bobbi Kinion, Kent Kinion, Kristina Galbert, Janka Dustan, Amy Bowens, Sara Gomez, Lori Backfire Twardokus, Ronda Reed, Debbie Raddatz, Lori Engelbrektso, Penny DeLoche, Christine Lease Wheeling, Tina Brunelle, Rachel Harrington, Cindy Harris, Kelley Hopkins, Helly Kasprzak, Carolyn Hall Brown, Kerry Anne Porter, and Pamela Altman Talley.

Thanks to the Bryce Evans Paranormal Society, who have helped me spread the word of my books and keep driving me.

A SPECIAL THANKS to the REBELS. You know who you are.

It’s a long road but it’s worth it!  We did it!!!!!!

Please be kind and leave a review on the site you purchased the book from.

Prologue

He didn’t notice he’d picked up a tail on his jog until he heard the pattering of feet hitting the leaves behind him.  Whoever it was meant to make enough noise to be heard.  He decided to pick up his speed and see if they could keep up, but the sound only got closer.  Finley’s mind flashed back to the war in Afghanistan, and being followed while on patrol.  His adrenaline picked up, making him run faster. The trail for Arden Dixon’s land was just ahead; maybe he could lose them there. But even as he made the turn, he could still hear the crunching steps of his pursuers.

As he rounded the curve, he found a big red wolf blocking his path.  He’d lived in New Hope all his life, and was used to seeing wolves and bears in the woods, but this wolf was different.  In fact, he looked like he had rabies.  His fur was matted together in places, with black smudges all over it. He wasn’t foaming at the mouth, but the crazed light in his eyes stopped Finley dead in his tracks.  Finley knew when a predator was getting ready to attack, and the wolf in front of him was crouched down, clearly ready to spring.

He knew he couldn’t outrun the animal, so he needed to show it that he wasn’t afraid. That was the only chance he had of coming out of this alive.  The wind blew against his face, and the scent of rotten eggs traveled up his nose.  Slowly he reached down and picked up a large stick lying by the side of the path.

That’s when he noticed the others.  A pack of wolves standing quietly by, watching him.  Shit, he thought.  If he were facing a man, he could handle that, but a freaking pack of wolves was something different.

Finley held the stick like a bat, getting ready for a fight.  He had to turn sideways in order to keep all the wolves in his sights. The ones at his back were coming a little too close, and he had no choice but to swing the stick.

Bingo. He hit one of the wolves, slamming it backwards into the dirt, but then another one charged him.  He had to swing to kill, because these wolves clearly meant to make a meal out of him. He was getting ready for another hit when he felt the sharp fangs of the wolf in front of him sink into his calf muscle.  If he jerked away, the beast could take a big chunk out of his leg.

He swung the limb with his other arm, but before he could make contact the wolf had let go and backed off.  In fact, they were all backing away from him.  Shocking him further, when they’d all moved a few feet back then laid down on the ground.

The pain of the bite was searing.  He must have rabies, because there was no other reason for the wound to hurt that bad.  His calf muscle was still intact; his only injuries were the puncture wounds from the wolf’s fangs.  Nothing else.

Suddenly all the wolves stood up and ran into the woods.   Finley shook his head.  For a moment it was as if he could hear a voice talking to him.  He shook his head again, trying to clear the words from his mind.  The wolf must’ve had rabies; that, or the doctors were correct and he was having some kind of PTSD flashback.

*****

Silas and Hannah Hoffman shifted behind the trees and watched as the man moaned in pain as the change started to take affect.

“It won’t be long before we have what we need, Sister,” Silas whispered.  Both could hear the Dixon pack coming in the distance.  “This couldn’t have turned out better.”

Hannah smiled.  “So it begins.”

Chapter 1

Arden waited for Charley to shift, but he couldn’t.   The little guy was thinking too hard.  He watched as the little boy struggled, eventually getting so frustrated that he gave up and stomped off, crying.

He waited, giving the boy plenty of warning that he was coming up behind him.  He didn’t say anything until Charley finally spoke.  “Why can’t I shift like the rest, Alpha?”

Arden smiled, and then patted the ground beside him.  Charley walked over and sat down.  The kid was breaking his heart as tears fell from his eyes.  Arden knew he was considered the runt out of all the kids, and the most picked on.

“I’ll tell you a secret Charley, but you have to join the Little Mites first.”

Charley’s eyes sparked with interest as he turned to face his Alpha.  “Who are the Little Mites?”

“Well, you see Charley, I was a Little Mite.  When I was your age, a group of us formed our own club.  It was me, Bane, Tate, and a few others who couldn’t shift the first time.  Man, we got made fun of for a whole week.  While everyone else went off and shifted, we went down to our clubhouse and hid out.  My dad found us about two weeks later.  He’d been so busy that he didn’t know that we hadn’t shifted and should’ve been at class learning to be a wolf.  I was the Alpha’s son, so I was expected to be the best, but I was having a hard time.”

“Just like me,” Charley said.

“Yep, just like you.”

“But…but how did you become Alpha if you couldn’t shift?”  Charley asked.

“Remember, Charley, you have to keep this secret.  Only the Little Mites know this secret, and only members know how to get people to shift.  So if you want to be a member, then you have to hold up your right hand and repeat after me,” Arden told him seriously. He waited for Charley to sit up straight and raise his right hand.  “I, Charley Nathaniel Ripken, do solemnly swear to protect all those who are weaker than me, and to keep the secrets of the Little Mites and only pass them on to someone else who is in need just like me.”  Arden leaned forward. “Say ‘I swear.’”

“I swear,” Charley repeated.

“I promise to train every day and never make fun of anyone bigger or smaller than me, and to always help those in need,” Arden continued.  ”And I promise to obey my parents and Alpha, and to do all my chores without any objections.”  Arden watched as Charley narrowed his eyes in surprise at the last part.  “Come on now, say ‘I promise.’”

“I promise, Alpha.”

“Then I now declare you a member of the Little Mites.  Congratulations, Charley.”

Charley’s smile was so big; Arden thought the kid’s face was going to crack.

“Alpha, I still haven’t shifted yet.”  Charley’s smile faded as he thought about it.

“Do you trust your Alpha, Charley?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then I want you to close your eyes, and when I describe something I want you to think about it and then reach out and touch it.  Do you understand?”

Charley nodded and closed his eyes.

“Remember last fall when we had the October fest and we let all of you guys run with the wolves?”  Charley smiled again, and nodded.  “That was a fun time, wasn’t it Charley?”

“Yes sir, it was the best.”

“Do you remember when I shifted and ran up to you guys and you all rubbed your hands up and down my fur?  I want you to reach out, Charley, and pet my fur.”  Arden let himself partially shift.  His arms sprouted hair as Charley reached out.  Arden stuck his arm underneath the boy’s hand so he could feel it.  “Now Charley, I want you to think about your fur and how it feels on your wolf.  You feel your wolf inside of you?”

Charley continued to rub Arden’s arm, then started smiling. Arden knew that he could feel his wolf.  His skin was starting to ripple, and he needed just a little more to push him over.  “Call to your wolf, Charley.  Let him out to feel the wind blowing through his hair. Jump over those logs.  Do you feel the pads of your paws hitting the ground?  Your Alpha is waiting to run with you.  Shift now, Charley.  Shift.”  And just like that, Charley shredded his clothes and shifted into his wolf.

“You’ve done it, Charley!  Great job.  Now let’s go have some fun.  Run with your Alpha.”

Arden shifted and took off running.  He could hear Charley behind him as they ran toward the other pups.  He slowed down, allowing the boy to run beside him as they came upon the clearing where everyone was playing.  The others stopped and stared, watching Charley as he ran beside the Alpha.  It was a big thing to be able to run with him, and now Charley was the big man among the pups.  Well, Little Mite, but he wore it with honor.

Even the bigger kids came up to him, and they all started playing.  What Charley didn’t know was that Arden had used the same words his father used on him.  He was a man with a lot of wisdom, and Arden missed him, especially at times like this.  Watching the pups brought a sense of purpose to his life.  He hoped that one day he would be able to watch his own pups when it was their time.

*****

Arden Dixon couldn’t shake the feeling that today wasn’t going to be a good day, even though the birds were chirping outside and all that crap.  He took one look at his Beta as he walked into his office and knew he was right.  Today was going to be a shit day.

“How bad is it?”  Arden asked, leaning back in his chair.

“Not good.”  Bane Cross sat down in the chair across from his Alpha.   His blond hair looked disheveled as he ran his fingers through it.  “Another human was bitten last night.  We got to him before they carried him off, and he’s in confinement until he gets through the change.”

“Who is it this time?”  Arden asked. He stood up, walked over to the window, and stared out at the lake, watching as ducks landed on the water.  He wanted to go outside and stretch his legs, and shift.  The vague sense of doom he felt wasn’t going away, though, and he was needed here.

When he looked back, Bane had leaned forward; his blue frosty eyes flickered with anger before he answered.  “Finley Egan, the police chief’s son.”

Arden swung around abruptly. “Fuck.  They have to be targeting certain people.  Finley is strong, and he just got back from the military.  He must have been picked because of that.”

Max Conell, Alpha of the Conell pack, had sent out a message to the surrounding towns that a rogue pack was targeting humans.  Two humans had been attacked; one hadn’t made it through the change.  On that occasion there was a witness who told Max what had happened.  Max explained that two friends had broken down on the side of the highway and were attacked by a pack of wolves.  One of the boys had a rifle with him, and he killed one of the wolves.  The rest of the pack ran off, but unfortunately the other boy was bitten.  Max didn’t have a clue why, but once the boy started going through the change, he died.

“We need to find out who the hell is doing this before the Council sends them.”  There were times he hated the Council.  They were a group of Alphas, made up of wolves, bears, witches, and wizards.  There was even a vampire on it.  He’d never seen the man himself, but Arden knew he was over five hundred years old.

Bane’s eyes narrowed.  “Who?”

With forced calm, Arden said, “The Death Hunters.”  Everyone had heard of the Death Hunters.  Their name sent chills up a wolf’s spine when it was mentioned.  When a problem became too much for a pack, or any paranormal family to handle, the Council would send in the Death Hunters.

Most of the time the Council was fair, but sending the Death Hunters out would only make his pack remember what had happened to his mom and dad.  It was a glimpse of his past that he didn’t want to be brought up again.  The Hunters were appropriately named; they brought nothing with them but death.

Just their name brought back horrible memories.  A local witch who lived in their town had cast a spell on his father, forcing him to shift into his wolf, and then kill his only son—Arden.  Arden’s mother got between them before he could succeed, and Arden’s father ended up killing her instead.

Arden was still a child when all that happened, but it felt like yesterday.  The Death Hunters had been sent by the Council to resolve the matter, and they had decided to kill both the witch and Arden’s father.

His father had been a good wolf.  The witch had acted out of revenge; Arden’s father had refused to change her daughter into a werewolf. It was forbidden to do such a thing; only human mates were lawfully permitted to be changed. The girl had been distraught, and killed herself on the pack’s land, leaving a note that said it was his father’s fault.

Ever since then, Arden had hated witches, and Death Hunters.  He’d been left without a mother or father, and that pain and anger hadn’t faded with time.

Arden shook his head to try to drive the thoughts from it.  “Let’s gather the pack and meet.  I want them to be on the lookout for anyone strange in our territory.  Tonight after the meeting we go out and patrol.  I’ll go with you to town; maybe we’ll get lucky,” Arden said. Bane nodded and left.

Arden needed to find out who was doing this, in a hurry.  If humans found out they were being targeted, it would be a disaster for relations between the town and the pack.  Most of the town folk knew about his kind, and so far they’d stayed on a common ground.  They helped each other out when they needed to.  When young kids got lost, it was pack members who found them.  Pack members owned most of the town, which kept the town in jobs.  It was an important balance, and Arden couldn’t allow anything to damage it.

Plus, the Council would think he couldn’t handle it and send in the Death Hunters, and nobody wanted that.

Now he needed to go and talk to Deaton Egan, the police chief.  Deaton was a good man, and knew about his pack.  They worked together whenever they had a problem arise, and most of the time he allowed Arden to handle problems regarding his pack. But this was different; Finley was the chief’s only son.  Not a lot of new people moved to their town, mainly because it was so small, but it was close enough to the city to bring in customers to the country store and Charlotte’s Closet.  New Hope was famous for its wildlife, and there were strict laws against hunting here.  The woods were packed with tourists who came for the nature walks.

Laughter brought him from his deep thoughts as the pups ran by his window.  He waved and smiled, and Charley stood up straighter, puffing his chest out.  He held the confidence that he needed, now.

Arden would have loved to join in their play, but he had a lot to do. First he needed to check on Finley and see how he was doing.

Eventually Finley’s father would be allowed to see him, but how soon depended on how well Finley’s body was accepting the change.  Arden had known Finley since he was born, and now he was a strapping twenty-seven year-old Marine.  Arden needed to make sure he was okay.

Chapter 2

Arden walked into the pack house, not expecting to see so many of his wolves gathered there.  Most of them had jobs, and yet here they were in the middle of the afternoon.  Something was wrong, and he didn’t like the fact that he was apparently the last to know.

“Bane?”  Arden yelled out.  He watched as the members all lowered their eyes, showed him their necks, and bowed as he walked past them.  Not one of them made eye contact with their Alpha.  Everyone knew Deaton, and now his son was one of them.  It had to be strange having the police chief’s son here in the pack house, the one place where they could usually be themselves and not hide from anyone.  Finley Egan being a turned wolf would bring unwanted attention to the pack.

He loved this house. They’d built it for the pack members who weren’t mated yet.  They’d built it approximately five years ago and everyone in the pack contributed to it.   They cut the logs themselves, put up every wall, and put in the plumbing and electricity.

Someone was always cooking something sweet in the kitchen; even now he could smell banana-nut bread cooking.  The kitchen was outfitted with the finest appliances, including a stainless steel stove and refrigerator.  It was a cook’s dream kitchen.  He made sure this house had everything a wolf or human could want, including a mudroom with a dog door big enough for a wolf to get through.  The house was built for wolves with tempers, and young pups who didn’t know their own strength.  Most of the walls were sturdy enough that even a wolf couldn’t kick a hole in them.

He and all his command staff, including the guards, had one wing of the house to themselves.  They shared a joint living area and a kitchen, but other than that it was quieter on his side of the house.

“Alpha, I’m in here,” Bane answered, standing next to the door to Finley’s room.

“What’s wrong?”  Arden demanded.

“Nothing’s wrong, it’s just...unusual.”  Bane was peering through the window in the door.

“What is?”

“I’ve never seen anyone change so quickly.  I would’ve thought the full moon tonight would have pulled it out of him, but look for yourself.”  Bane backed up so Arden could look through the glass.  Inside Finley Egan was leaning back in a chair, his feet kicked up on the table, watching the TV as if he didn’t have a care in the world. But as Arden looked closer he could see the tick in Finley’s jaw.

Finley Egan was huge, and now that he’d made the change he looked even bigger.  Those who hadn’t seen Finley since he got back from the military might’ve thought that the military had put the extra muscle on him, but Arden knew it was the wolf inside him.  Every human who changed would show an increase in muscle mass, and more extras than they could ever wish for.  They would be stronger, faster, and able to scent and see better than any human.  Finley’s blond hair had grown out a bit, and was sticking up like he’d just run his fingers in it.   Even though he was acting calm, Arden could see the wildness waiting to jump through.  It took great control to keep it under, but if Finley didn’t get it out soon, they would have a pissed off Alpha wolf on their hands—because it was obvious from Finley’s size and control that he was definitely an Alpha.

Arden could see the Marine tattoo peaking through the bottom of his shirt.  Finley had seen action while he was on active duty, and had lost a lot of friends.  His body might look in good shape, but Finley’s eyes showed the war raging as his wolf fought to break free within him.

“How do you know he’s changed already?”  Arden asked, his eyes never leaving his newest pack member.

“I watched him change, and then I ordered him to change back and he did.”  Bane snapped his fingers.  “Just like that. I’ve never seen anyone but you change that fast.”

“And you too, Bane.”  But Bane was right; it was strange.  His Beta was an Alpha himself, and could easily have his own pack, but he chose to stay with his best friend. Arden thanked his lucky stars every day for that.  Bane said he loved his pack and he liked being Beta, so it worked for the both of them.

Apparently, Finley had been an Alpha in his human life and it carried over with him.  The question Arden needed an answer to was whether Finley could be part of the pack, or would he challenge Arden constantly? Arden had a lot of challenges under his belt, but Finley was strong, and he knew how to win.

“Was he this calm after he changed?”  Arden asked, looking up at his Beta.

“Actually, he was excited and wanted to go and run in the woods.  I know we’re prohibited from changing anyone against their will, but Finley doesn’t seem to mind much.”   Bane answered.  “He acts like he’s enjoying this, and that’s what’s worrying me.”

“Open the door.”  Arden stepped back to allow Bane to unlock the door and then walked inside.  Finley glanced up at him, but didn’t move.  Arden could see in Finley’s grey eyes that he was a predator.  He showed no signs of being frightened of Arden, but watched him closely as he sat down in the chair across from him.

“Finley, how are you feeling?”  Arden asked.

“Strong,” Finley answered.  Arden couldn’t tell if the man was fucking with him or not.

“I’m going to see your dad in a few minutes and tell him what happened.  I’m sorry about this.  We don’t go around biting humans.  It’s not sanctioned, and I’ll need to get some information from you, if you can remember anything about the wolves who did this to you.”  Arden noticed that Finley continued to stare at him.  His father used to do that to him, to see if he could make Arden look away.  It hadn’t worked on him then, either. He had the feeling that Finley was testing him.  “That won’t work on me.”

“What won’t work on you?” Finley asked.

“The staring.  I’m an Alpha, son, and I have the feeling you are too.  I know that all your emotions are wreaking havoc in your body right now, but most young wolves don’t test the Alpha the way you are, unless they want their ass kicked.  Right now, I don’t know if you even realize what you’re doing, though.”

Finley blinked a couple of times, then looked away from Arden and back again.  “I’m pissed right now about getting my rights taken away from me.  My father told me about werewolves, but I assumed the old man was getting a little nuts.  I thought for sure he was crazy, but I was the one who was wrong.  I guess I never thought that it could be true, but I feel all this power inside of me, and it feels good.  I’m trying to control it, but it’s taking a lot out of me.  Why do I want to hit something, tear something up, run as fast as I can?  Shit, I feel like I could take on the world.”

“That’s natural for a new wolf after their first shift.  You’re an adult, and you’re an Alpha, which makes you stronger.  When we get you in the woods you’ll want to fight anyone—or fuck anyone who suits your fancy.  But believe me, this is normal Finley.  We’ll help you get through it.  That’s what a pack is for.  I need you to trust me right now, son, and believe that I will help you learn to live with this.”

Arden watched as the far off look came into Finley’s eyes.  “I remember a pack of wolves surrounding me on my jog.  I tried to outrun them, and when I figured out that I couldn’t, I picked up a stick and started swinging.  Fuckers surrounded me, and then the leader of the pack came up behind me while I was focused on the others.  The fucker bit into my leg, then sat down and waited.   I couldn’t believe they didn’t attack when my leg went out from under me.  I lay there waiting, but they all just lay down on the ground watching me.  It was the biggest one who bit me.”

“How many wolves surrounded you?”  Arden leaned forward.

“About five or seven, I think.  Some of them were behind the pack, but they were the smaller wolves.  At first I thought I got bit by a wolf with rabies, because the pain was so bad.”  Finley shook his head.   “I’ve been shot before and I didn’t hurt like that.”

Arden chuckled.  “That’s the change.  It’s not meant to be fun.  Some don’t make it; only the strong ones survive. And the wolves in the back were the females and kids of the pack.  They’re not allowed to fight; in fact, I wonder why they were there at all.  No pack should allow their females and kids to go out hunting with them.  They should be tucked away safely in their home territory.  You’ve probably noticed that no females or kids have been around since you’ve been here.  They’ve been kept away from the pack house for safety reasons until you’ve gotten adjusted to your new body.  Bane said that you’ve already shifted and then changed back.  That’s unheard of except for an Alpha, and from what I’m seeing you’re definitely an Alpha.  You’re stronger than most of the wolves, so be careful because you can hurt those who are smaller and weaker than you.  You have a lot of strength flowing through your body right now.”

“You’re not worried about me trying to hurt you?”  Finley asked.  Arden could tell that Finley was a good man who only wanted answers; he wasn’t trying to be threatening.

“Nope.  You’re strong, don’t get me wrong, but not stronger than me yet.  I’ve lived a long time, Finley, and I haven’t stayed Alpha this long without knowing how to fight.  I know you do too, but this will be different for you.  I’ll help you control those raging emotions you’re feeling, but nothing happens overnight.  I’m asking for you to trust me that I’ll get you through this.  So what do you say?”

Finley stayed silent, but Arden knew that he was thinking carefully about it, and that said a lot about the Alpha Finley was going to be.

“I trust you, but you’ve got to get me out of this room soon and let me box a little, or run.  I’ve got to get rid of some of this energy.”

“You got it.  I’m going to see your dad, then tonight we’ll run.  Try to rest until then.”  Arden chuckled when he saw Finley’s expression.

“Rest?  Hell I’m doing good not running around the room a hundred times.”

“Then do it.  Do as many push-ups and sit-ups as you can do, and then when you feel like taking a nap, do it.  Someone’s cooking now, and you need to eat.  Your body is burning a lot of calories just sitting there, and when you run around and exercise you’ll be starving.  So pack on the food.”  Arden got up and walked out of the room.  He had a father to see, and he wasn’t looking forward to it.

Chapter 3

Arden drove out of pack territory with Bane and his cousin Tate Dixon, who was his head enforcer.  It was starting to get dark by the time they arrived in town.  Not a lot of people were around, since Charlotte’s Closet had closed down last month. They used to get a lot of business from the larger city people wanting to stay at Charlotte’s bed and breakfast and then shop at her store.  Since her husband died, she couldn’t run both the store and bed and breakfast.  She’d told Arden that she was tired of trying to find the right items to sell in the store, so she’d put the store up for sale and decided to just run the bed and breakfast, which she was great at.  The woman could cook, and customers came back year after year.

They needed to get more shops in town, so they didn’t have to go so far to get supplies.   It was early fall, and since Charlotte closed her store the town looked a little sad. It was like a ghost town, with all the lights off and the clothes out of the windows.  Charlotte’s Closet had been the biggest store in town, with all kinds of clothes and knickknacks. Now they would have to order things online, or go to the city, and Arden hated going out of town.

Bane had called Chief Egan earlier to see when he would be at his office. He’d had to take a prisoner to the next county over for court, so they’d made an appointment to see him at eight o’clock that evening.

Tate’s stomach growled as they pulled into town. “I’m starving,” he complained.

Arden and Bane laughed, because Tate was always hungry.  The man was six-foot-five, and at least two hundred and sixty pounds.  Not one ounce of fat graced the wolf’s body—he was nothing but powerful, ripped muscles.

They passed Charlotte’s Closet, and noticed that the “For Sale” sign had been taken down and clothing had been placed on the mannequins in the store windows. Apparently Charlotte had found a buyer.  He needed to talk to her to see who she’d sold it to.

“Charlotte must’ve sold the store.  She didn’t tell me.  Wonder what’s going on?”  Arden mumbled.  He’d just spoken with her two days ago.  In fact, he’d been thinking of buying it himself, for any pack member who wanted to start a business in it.

“Shit, my fault, Alpha.  She called the office a couple days ago, but with everything going on with the rogues, I forgot to tell you. She said she sold it to a nice lady who already had a clothing business online and wanted to find a nice town to settle down in. Charlotte couldn’t pass up the money she was offering.  What was the woman’s name?”  Bane closed his eyes, thinking.  “Quinn something.”

“Her name is Quinn?”  Tate asked, laughing.

“Yep. I thought it was cool, that’s why I remember her first name, but the last name is funny-sounding and of course it popped right out of my head.”  Bane chuckled.

Arden snorted. “Did you at least do a background check on her?”

“Started it, Alpha, but I haven’t checked my e-mail for it yet.”  Bane cringed at his mistake.  “Sorry.  I’m off my game with all this going on.  I’ll check it at the restaurant.”

Arden just nodded.  They were all off their game. He needed to find out what the hell this pack was doing, and get rid of it.  He could feel in his bones that things were going to get worse before it got better.

“Send it to my e-mail too.  I want to see who this Quinn is.” He wanted to find out as much as he could about any newcomers.

The window did look pretty cool.  Tate slowed down as they passed, so they could all look inside. Whoever this Quinn was, she knew how to attract attention.  Fall was here, and the store reminded him of his childhood, when he and his mom would help decorate the whole town.  The kids loved it.  Hell, he loved it.  Pumpkins and fall decorations adorned the windows, and even the outside of the shop.

Apparently she was going to have a variety of items in the store.  He could see men’s, women’s, and children’s mannequins dressed up.  It looked like there were purses and jewelry on the walls and tables, along with candles and other decorative items.   It all looked great; he could almost smell the mulled cider heating on the stove.

“Alright, let’s go eat before we have to deal with Deaton,” Arden said as Tate drove past the store and parked behind the police station. They’d started walking toward Mick’s restaurant when they heard a growl and the clang of something slamming into some trashcans.    Arden was already running toward the back of Charlotte’s Closet when a woman started screaming.

Arden came to a stop and watched a woman slam her fist into the side of the wolf’s head.  He knew that this was the pack he was looking for.  There were only two wolves there, including the Alpha.  He started moving again, but before he could get to the woman the wolf latched onto her arm and bit down, releasing his saliva into her wound.

“You fucking piece of shit,” the woman yelled out, kicking the wolf until it released her.  By the time Arden reached her, the wolves had run away.

“I’ve got her.  Try to find them,” Arden yelled at Bane and Tate, who shifted and ran after the wolves.

The sight of Bane and Tate shifting caused the woman to go deathly still.  Her eyes widened, and she crab-walked away from Arden, but she wasn’t quick enough to get away before Arden leaned down beside her.

Putting her hands up, she yelled, “You get away from me!”

“I just want to help you.”  Arden stopped when he got a good look at the woman.  His heart actually jumped.  She was very beautiful, and very angry.

Fiery red hair hung down her back, but it was her piercing green eyes that grabbed his soul.  It was those green eyes that grew angrier from the moment she focused on him, burning with fire as he came closer.   All he wanted to do was comfort her.  She looked scared, even though she hid it well with her fury.

“You’re just like them.  What, you want to bite my other arm now?”  The woman tried to get up, but just then the transition started taking affect.  “Fuckkkk.”  She grabbed her stomach and curled into a ball on the ground, whimpering.  The change was happening fast.

“Breathe in and out and it will pass in a few minutes.”  Arden put his arm around her and picked her up.  “What’s your name?”

“My name’s Quinn.  What did he do to me?  Oh my God, do I have rabies?”

Arden smiled and chuckled. “No.  I’ll explain when I get you in the car.”  He couldn’t keep his eyes off her, but the moment he glanced up, she unleashed a punch to his nose, surprising him enough to loosen his grip on her.  This gave her enough time to jump out of his arms and take off running toward the woods.

Arden reached up to touch his nose and found it bleeding.  He smiled as he watched the woman whirl back around when Tate emerged from the woods in wolf form.

“I think I’m in love.”  She’d hit him hard, and it should’ve pissed him off, but instead he thought he could watch her in action all day.  Now she was running back toward him in a sprint—and boy, could she run.  Then the pain hit her again and she fell to the ground, moaning.

“Breathe,” Arden whispered, trying to keep his voice low and calming.

“Brea...the?  The pain is too much, you ass!”

Arden could listen to the woman’s velvety voice all day, even if she was being mean.  Before he could say anything else, she passed out.  He couldn’t help but smile at her.  Her temper matched her hair that was for sure.  And those green eyes were just as fiery.  He was enthralled with her the moment he saw her.  She was beautiful.

Arden picked her up and started carrying her back to his SUV.  Bane and Tate shifted and started putting on what was left of their clothes.

“Their vehicle was parked at the edge of the woods.  Someone was waiting for them, and they took off before we could get to them,” Bane explained.  “Is she okay?” he asked, eyeing Quinn, who was groaning in her sleep.

“She’s already started the change.  I need to get her back to the pack house.  Bane, you go explain to Deaton about Finley.  Tate will drive us back to the house so I can hold onto her.  Then get him to drive you out to the house.  I need to get her back before she wakes up.”  Arden continued carrying Quinn back to his vehicle without waiting for an answer.

“You got it, Alpha.  Here’s a purse, I bet it belongs to her.”  Bane picked it up and tossed it to Tate.

“Here, Alpha, let me hold her for you.”

“No!  I’ve got her.”  Arden had never felt such a possessive instinct for anyone in his life.  He’d never had a woman make him want to just hold her and gaze at her beautiful face.  He got in the back with her, but instead of laying her across the backseat, Arden held on to her as she snuggled up to him in her sleep.  Even her scent was unbelievably appealing.  He wanted to roll around in it and rub up against her until he couldn’t smell anything but her.

“Alpha, you okay?”  Tate asked.  Arden pulled her body closer and sniffed her hair before he glanced up.  “Your eyes have changed.”

Arden closed his eyes.  Her pheromones were unraveling him, and he knew that the woman in his arms was his mate.  Her body’s chemistry was already changing, even as he took in the different scents that made her so unique.  She smelled like vanilla and coffee.  He wanted to laugh.  Apparently, his mate drank a lot of coffee with vanilla mixed in, and chocolate too.

“Do I smell vanilla?”  Tate asked, scenting the air.

“She drinks a lot of coffee with vanilla and chocolate.”  Arden commented then pushed her hair behind her ears.  “She’s beautiful,” he muttered.

When he glanced up, Tate was watching him in the rearview mirror.  It didn’t matter to him how crazy he sounded.  This was his mate.  He’d waited for her for a long, long time.

As he watched, her body started shaking in her sleep.  The thought of the pain she’d have to endure to become a werewolf broke his heart. Quinn never asked for this, but she was still alive and that meant she was strong.  The change was coming on fast.  Arden held her closer, knowing that they didn’t have much time left before she woke up, and when she did she would be pissed.  It was the nature of the beast, and the fact that another wolf was holding her so close.  The type of wolf she would be was still up in the air, but from what he’d just witnessed, she was an Alpha.  She didn’t cry or freak out when the wolf attacked her—no, his mate fought back and held her own.  Arden figured she would try and fight him when she woke up, and in a way he was looking forward to it.

“Tell Rick to open up the other room and have it ready,” Arden instructed Tate, who was already on the phone.  The two rooms they were using to keep the newly turned wolves were usually small conference rooms where pack business was discussed.

The front gate was open, and Tate drove through.  Rick opened the door for them when they arrived at the pack house so Arden could carry in Quinn.  He could smell her wolf waking up inside her; he only had a few minutes before the fight was on.  He ran up the stairs and inside the house.

Finley was standing at the door, watching, as Arden ran past him to the other room.  He was a new wolf, and would quickly scent another wolf changing.  He laid Quinn down on the bed just as her eyes popped open.  They’d already turned yellow, and Arden backed up slowly.  Before he made it more than one step, she was up in a crouched position.

“Do you remember me?”  Arden asked calmly, being careful not to make any sudden movements. She nodded.  “My name is Arden Dixon, and I know this may seem impossible to you, but a wolf bit you and your body is changing.  You’re changing into a werewolf.”

He waited, letting that information sink in.  She didn’t make any noise until her nostrils flared and she scented the air.  Arden knew what was coming when she caught his scent.  Her eyes were switching back and forth from human to wolf, until those cold yellow eyes settled on him, where he stood blocking the door. Tate must have seen the look, too. He closed the door, locking Arden and Quinn together inside the room.  As the door closed he could see in her eyes she was going to go for it.  Like most young wolves, there wasn’t much common sense in her train of thought.  Survival was the only thing on her mind, and right now Arden was blocking her one escape route.

“I know you feel powerful right now, like you can take on the world, but you could really hurt someone, and I don’t think you really want to hurt anyone.  Especially me.”  Arden smiled, but Quinn didn’t smile back.  In fact, she started snarling.  “I’m here to help you get through the change, and then we can talk about what comes next.”

Arden knew what was going to happen when Quinn narrowed her eyes at him. She was getting ready to bolt, and if it took going through him she was sure going to give it one hell of a try.  He could see that she was scared, but he didn’t believe in sugar-coating what was going to happen.  Plus, she was his mate, and he planned to keep her safe—even from herself.

“Quinn, take it easy, baby.  Just take in some deep breaths.”  Quickly, Arden took his coat off and threw it to the ground before it could get ruined, then kicked his boots off.  Quinn’s eyes widened as Arden started stripping, and that was when the change struck.  She shifted quickly, but her clothes were hung up around her legs, hindering her from charging Arden before he got to her.  She needed to learn that he was the Alpha, and unfortunately she would learn it the hard way: by having his teeth sink into her throat.

His jaws wrapped around her neck as he pinned her to the floor.  His mate was strong. She flailed around trying to free herself from his grip, but Arden held on and tried his best not to hurt her too badly.  He could feel her sharp teeth digging into his leg as she tried to get him to let her go, but he’d been hurt worse. This was nothing.  She didn’t have any experience fighting as a wolf, which was a plus for him.

He could feel his teeth slicing further into her neck as he put more pressure on, and the taste of her blood flooded his mouth.  If he’d had any doubts that she was his mate, he didn’t now.  All he wanted to do was fuck her hard.

Finally she realized that if she continued to jerk away from him he could rip her throat out.  She gave up and went limp.  He licked at her wounds, and with her new accelerated healing the bite marks closed quickly.  The wolf had her eyes closed, trying to calm herself down.  Only Alpha wolves could control themselves so readily.

He kept her pinned; to make sure she wasn’t going to attack him again.  Within a few minutes she shifted back to her human form.  He shifted back as well, still covering her body.  She was still breathing hard, but at least she was calm.

“Get off me.”  Her voice was still angry, and he didn’t want to have to subdue her again. Reluctantly he slid off of her and sat back in a crouch, waiting.  He watched as she glanced over her shoulder at him, and then crawled over to the couch.  “I need some clothes.”

He wanted to run his tongue all over her body.  She was absolutely breathtaking.  She was breathing hard as she continued trying to relax her body, and he couldn’t help but stare at her large, stunning breasts.  All he wanted to do was suck on them, then bite down on her shoulder and make her his forever.  Before he had time to yell out to Tate to get her some clothes, the door opened and a bag was thrown inside. The door immediately slammed shut and locked again.

*****

Arden grabbed the bag and looked inside.  “It’s a t-shirt and sweatpants.  Sorry, but you’ll have to wait a bit to get undies.”  Arden laughed, but she wasn’t amused.  She rolled her eyes and leaned over to snatch the clothes from him.

Arden pulled them away before she could reach them.  “Not so fast.  I think we need to get something straight.  First, I wasn’t the one who bit you and turned you into a wolf, so you can quit being pissed at me.  I’m only trying to help.  Second, you can drop the bad-ass attitude, because right now you’re in a situation where you need my help.  I hold all the control.  And third, you could at least say thank you.”

All Quinn could focus on was the word ‘control.’  Her fingertips tingled, and she knew that if she called out inside for her wolf, claws would burst out.  Nobody would ever control her again.  Not this man, not her father, not anybody else who tried.

“Control?” Quinn laughed. “No man will ever control me.  Now give me the clothes so I can leave.”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t leave,” the man said.  What did he say his name was?  Arden Dixon, that’s it. “Yeah, well Arden Dixon, you can’t keep me here against my will.  I don’t care how much control you think you have.”

Quinn watched as the man snorted, dropped the bag down in front of her, then picked up his clothes and walked to the door.  The door opened for him then immediately closed again.  She could hear the lock click, and that was when she lost her temper.  She ran as fast as she could, ramming the door with her shoulder, but it didn’t even budge. Her shoulder didn’t hurt either, which surprised her.

“Let me out!” she screamed, but nobody responded.

*****

Arden and Tate were walking off when they heard Quinn’s body slam against the door.  Both of them jerked around as the woman screamed out.

“Shit.  Did you hear how hard she hit that door?”  Tate asked, but Arden was too busy glaring at it.  “Good thing we got those doors reinforced.”

Arden turned back around again, ready to walk out, when Finley stopped him.  “What’s going on, Alpha?”

Arden moved closer to Finley’s door. “Another person was bitten, and she’s a little pissed off.”

“Yeah, I can hear that.  She doesn’t like you much,” Finley said, then moved away from the window.

Arden didn’t know why, but the statement hurt him for some reason.  Quinn was his mate, and he wanted her to feel about him the way he was starting to feel about her.  It was too soon for anything as powerful as love, but he’d accept not getting his head ripped off.  Because if her anger toward him was as bad as the hit to the door indicated, he was in bad shape.

Arden was sitting down at the kitchen table with his head in his hands when Alice walked in and rubbed her hand down his back. “Hey there, lover.”

This was something—someone—he didn’t want to deal with right now.  “I’m not in the mood, Alice.”

“I bet I can get you in the mood, Alpha.”  Alice’s voice grated on his nerves.  She pushed her fingers through his hair, letting her nails scratch against his scalp.  She did know how he liked it, but now he’d met his mate, and her touch produced no reaction except irritation.

“Alice, stop!”  Arden pushed her hands away just as Tate walked in with an envelope in his hands.

“Leave, Alice.”  Tate gave her a firm stare. She started to walk off, but not before rolling her eyes at him.  Once she was gone, Tate handed the official-looking envelope to Arden.

“What is this?” Arden asked, then turned it over and saw the seal.  It was from the Council, and Arden knew what was in it before he even opened it.

He broke the seal, read the note, and put it back in the envelope.

“What did they say?”  Tate sat down across from him.

“They’re sending a few Death Hunters to help with the search for the rogue pack.  ‘Before it gets out of hand,’ they said.”

“Fucking Death Hunters?  Damn, they’ll just come in and kill everybody, innocents included,” Tate raged.

“Tate, I need you to calm down.  If we panic, the pack will pick that emotion up and they’ll be scared too.  We can’t allow them to see that we’re upset. We have to find this pack before it’s too late and the Council sends a whole squad. Right now it looks like they’re only sending two. When they get here, put them on the other side of the house from the pack.”

“That’s where we stay, Alpha.”

“I know that, and I want them close to us.  I want to know what they’re doing at all times. Understood?” Arden put his hand on Tate’s shoulder, sending soothing emotions through their bond.  He needed for Tate to cool down and understand that they were still in charge.

Tate closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “You got it, Alpha.”

“Now you go take care of making sure that the rooms are ready for them when they get here, and I’ll go check on Quinn to see if she has calmed down.”

Arden put on the rest of his clothes, but before he went back to Quinn’s room, he remembered something and ran off to the kitchen.  “Where do they keep it?”

“Keep what, Alpha?” Jade Cross asked. Arden smiled at Bane’s little sister, although she wasn’t so little anymore.  She was a beautiful lady who he’d watched grow up and considered a sister himself.

“Hey there, Squirt.”

“You do realize I’m an adult now?”  Jade asked with a smile.  The thin scar across her check only added character, he thought. She was still beautiful.

“Of course, but to me you’ll always be a squirt.” Arden kissed her on the head and started pulling open cabinet doors.

“What are you looking for?” Jade asked, still smiling.

“I want to make Quinn some coffee with some vanilla and chocolate in it.  You think you can help an old man out?”

“For one, you’re not old, and yes I can.”  Jade started pulling ingredients out of the pantry.  He chuckled as she pointed to the items, then started making it for him.  While she was busy he took a good look at Jade and found that she’d grown up.  He still remembered the bear getting a hold of her when she was just a pup.  They hadn’t known if she would live, but she was full of fight.  She’d survived, but every time she looked in a mirror she would always remember that experience.

“Can I do anything else for you, Alpha?”  Jade held the cup up for him. It smelled just like his mate.

He smiled, “Yes, you can.”  Arden explained what he needed Jade to do, and then left to bring the coffee to his mate.

As he passed by Finley’s door, he looked in the window and saw Finley was doing push-ups.  Then he peered through Quinn’s door and found his mate unscrewing the screens from the vents.  He wanted to laugh, but he didn’t want her to be even more furious with him.

He turned the lock and opened the door.  “I don’t think you’ll fit through those vents.”

She continued to work without turning around.

“I brought you some coffee.”

“You can’t keep me here, Arden.”  Quinn continued unscrewing the vent, with what looked like a butter knife.

He needed to make sure the rooms were cleaned more thoroughly if any more humans were bitten.  Someone must’ve eaten in here and left their utensils.

“Sure I can.”  Arden couldn’t help but prod her some. He put the coffee down on the counter beside her, and she looked over at it and narrowed her eyes.

“Does that have vanilla and chocolate in it?”

“Yes. I could smell it on you earlier and I figured you drank it a lot.”

*****

Damn, the man was being nice. But why?  She took a good look at her capturer. He was handsome, that was for sure.  In fact, she would go so far as to say he was downright gorgeous, with his black hair that needed a trim and the five o’clock shadow covering his jaw.  Man, would she like to… Damn, she needed to stop looking at him.  He was keeping her here against her will, but he did bring her favorite coffee.  “Thanks, that was thoughtful of you, but you can’t control me with coffee.”  Quinn closed her eyes as a memory of her father flashed into her mind.

“Father, you can’t take my doll away from me.  I paid for it with my own money.”

“Sure I can.”

She’s hated her father because he wouldn’t ever give the doll back to her.  He kept it to prove to her that he held all the power.  After that day, she never purchased anything she loved too much to lose.  She opened up a bank account in another town and never told anyone how much money she had in it, so that when she ran away she would have some start-up money. And now this asshole thought he was going to control her? She would never let that happen again, no matter how nice he was being.

Putting her face in her hands, she dropped to the floor. “You’re just like him.”

Arden rushed to her side. “What’s wrong?”

“Get away from me!  I want out of here. I have a store to get ready to run.  People will know I’m missing.  My family will cause all kinds of trouble if you don’t let me out.”

“Quinn, I’m not trying to hold you hostage.  I want you to understand that you just turned into a wolf, dammit.  Don’t you get it?  Life has changed for you, woman.”  She could see the frustration in his face as he spoke.

“I understand that, but telling me that I’m not ever leaving isn’t helping me! I have a lot to do before the store opens this weekend,” Quinn answered.  The man just didn’t get it.  “Look, I understand, and I want to learn how to deal with this. But right now, all I can think about is my future, and that’s making Southern Treasures a success.”

“You changed the name of the store?”  Arden sat down on the couch.

She raised her chin. “Yes, among other things.”  Arden didn’t speak, but seemed to be waiting expectantly.  “Do you want to know what I’ve changed?”

“Yes, I do,” he said, actually looking interested.

Quinn narrowed her eyes, but walked around the chair and sat down.  “Well, for starters, I painted the inside of the shop and put up new counters and pictures.  Then I put up my collection of clothes and shoes.  I also put in a jewelry counter with a lot of pieces from local artists.  If all goes to plan, the store should bring in a lot of business for the community, like the diner and the art gallery.   Maybe other stores will open up, too.” She crossed her arms and waited for Arden’s response.

“Do you have clothes for me, too?” Arden asked with smirk.

“Yes, I do, but I’m still getting in some more stock for the men’s collection.  That’s why I need to get back to the store and unload the shipments that I know have come in by now,” Quinn pointed out.

“Maybe in a few days we can help you with that.”  Arden knew a fight was coming now.  He wanted her close, and if she went back to the store she would be away from him, and in danger.  The rogue pack was still on the loose, and he couldn’t chance her getting hurt.  The mating pull was playing havoc on him every time he inhaled her unique scent of vanilla and chocolate.

“A few days?  I can’t wait a few... Why?”  Quinn sputtered.

“For one, you’re in danger of being abducted by the pack that bit you.  We have a rogue pack going around biting humans, and that is unacceptable.”

“That’s your problem, not mine.  I’m a victim, not a prisoner.  I did nothing wrong but go outside to get my purse,” she argued.

He had to tell her what she meant to him.  She needed to know the truth.

“I have to be honest with you, Quinn.  Do you know what a mate is to werewolves?”

“Mate, like—” Quinn stopped talking and thought for a minute. “You mean like a friend or something?”

“Yeah, something like that.”  Arden scratched his head. “To a wolf a mate is more than a friend.  A mate is who we’re fated to be with forever.  I’ll never want another person, love another person, or hell, have sex with anyone but you.”

Quinn jumped up and circled behind the couch, putting it between them.  “Oh no you don’t. I’m not going to be your love slave or something like that.  You let me go now.”

“Stop, and calm down.  You’re not listening to me.” Arden put his hands up, trying to placate her.

“What are you leaving out, the part where you tie me up and then have your way with me?”  Quinn was panicking now. She picked up a throw pillow and held it in front of her like a shield.  “Look, I may have been bitten by a werewolf, but that doesn’t give you the right to make me have sex with you.”

“You’re right, and I’m not trying to force you to do anything. But I want you to at least talk to someone beside me about it.  Maybe they can explain it better—” Arden inhaled “—because right now all I want to do is fuck you.”  He got up to leave, needing to get away from her scent, then stopped and leaned his head against the door.  “Quinn, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.  I know you’re my mate, but you need someone who can explain this to you besides me.  I’ve got to get out of here.”  Arden could smell her excitement, even though she was scared too, and it was tearing him up.  He opened the door and walked out before he did something he would regret later.

He leaned against the wall outside and panted, thinking about how close he just came in jumping her, ripping her clothes off, and having his way with her.  Then she had to mention him tying her up, and that was it—he had to leave, or he was sure to do it.

Jade was coming around the corner with a tray of food.

“Great timing.  Jade, I need your help.”

“Of course Alpha.”  She sat the tray down on a side table.

“I need you to talk to Quinn and explain what an Alpha’s mate is.  She’s my mate, Jade, and she doesn’t understand what that means. I can’t stay in the room long enough to really talk to her about it, or I’m…”

“Oh, okay. Sure, I can do it.”  Jade smiled, and then blushed.

“Thank you, Jade.” Arden kissed the top of Jade’s head and then walked away, because right now the further he got away from Quinn, the better.

Chapter 4

Quinn heard someone whispering through the air vent and went to sit down next to it.

“Hellooo.”  She giggled, because whoever was speaking tried to say it like a little kid would talk into a fan.

She leaned in closer. “Hello back to you.”

“I feel like I’m a prisoner in a movie and I find out that someone else is being kept next door.”

Quinn’s eyes widened as the voice spoke.  “No, you’re not alone.  Wait; this a joke?”  Quinn asked. If it were then she would just go flop on the couch, or maybe run laps around the room because that’s what she wanted to do anyway.

“No, I’m in here too.  I’ve been bitten as well.  Arden said you were bitten soon after me.”

Quinn leaned in closer as the voice stopped talking. “Really?  What’s your name?”

“Finley Egan.  What’s your name?”

“Quinn Lamone.”

“Well, Quinn, it’s nice to meet you.”

“You too, Finley.  Hey wait, someone’s coming.”  Quinn got up and stood behind the couch. The door was unlocked, and a young lady with blonde hair walked in. Quinn took a step back when the woman looked up, revealing the scar that stretched across her face.

“Hi,” the young woman said hesitantly.

“Hey.” Quinn tried not to stare, but she couldn't stop herself. “Did...did they do that to your face?”  Quinn knew the moment she said it that it was a stupid question to ask, but apparently she was a glutton for punishment.

“No!  Of course not. Why would you ask something like that?  Have they been mean to you, or showed you anything but kindness since you got here?”  Jade demanded.

Her scar stood out more when she frowned.  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that.  It was rude and inconsiderate of me.  I do apologize for my insulting behavior, but I’m a little stressed out here.  First, I’ve been bitten by a wolf and told, ‘oh yeah, now you’re a werewolf.’ Then the big, good-looking guy tells me I’m his mate and all he wants to do is have sex with me.  Then he tells me I can’t leave.  Yep, I’m a little pissed off right now, so please excuse my rudeness.”  Quinn walked around the couch and stuck her hand out to the woman.

“My name is Quinn Lamone. I just moved to town and opened up a new store called Southern Treasures, and now I’m a werewolf.”

“Really, you the one who bought Charlotte’s Closet?  This is great.  Now we’ll have someplace to go and buy our books,” Jade said happily.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have any books right now.  It’s a clothing store, with jewelry and other things, but no books. Sorry.” Quinn sat down on the couch across from Jade.

Jade shrugged. “I always thought that Charlotte should’ve had a small book section with coffeemakers on the side and places for men to sit while their wives shopped, but Charlotte never wanted to do it.  I just thought it would look pretty cool.”

“I’ve never thought about it, but I’ll look into it.  I do have other things that you may like,” Quinn assured her.  “Jewelry and purses, stuff like that.”

“Purses?  I love purses.”

“Then you need to come check the store out!  I have all kinds. I was hoping to sell some of Janice Evans’ purses. But she turned me down, saying the store wasn’t big enough and the town was too small.”  Quinn looked over at the small purse Jade had draped over her shoulder.   “I love your purse, actually.  Who made it?”

Jade laughed, then pulled it off and showed it to her.  “I made this.”

Quinn couldn’t believe she’d made the purse herself.  The quality was excellent, and the vibrant colors were the coolest she’d ever seen.  “You made this?”

Jade nodded.

“Wow, Jade.  This is wonderful, and gorgeous.  You should sell these.  I mean, have you ever sold any?”

“No. I usually give them away for presents, but everyone seems to love them,” Jade said.

“Girl, I could get at least fifty dollars for these small ones with my online store, and even sell them in the shop. I use a lot of local artists and people who don’t sell through mainstream channels.  Would you be interested?   You’d need to get a stockpile, with examples for me to put on the site, and then extras in case they sell.  Well, I know they’d sell.”

“Oh, I have lots made already.  I just put them in boxes when I’m finished making them.  Here, let me show you what I have.”  Jade pulled out her phone and opened up her pictures. She handed the phone to Quinn, who sat there and looked at picture after picture of the coolest purses she’d ever seen.

“Jade, these are wonderful.  I mean the quality is first-rate, and the colors go so well together. They’re so cool.  You have to let me sell these for you.”

A new smile graced Jade’s face at her announcement.  “Yeah, I guess.  Are you sure?”

“Yes I’m sure.  You’ll make a fortune.  Now we need to put these pictures on my website to sell. Do you have a laptop?”

“Yes, hold on. I’ll be right back.”  Jade started to leave the room, then turned abruptly and sat back down.  “I forgot to tell you something. You mentioned mates, and I don’t think you actually get what a mate means to my kind.  You see, we wait our whole lives to meet our mate.  We get one mate in a lifetime, and that person fits us perfectly.  That person will love us and we will only mate with that one person forever.  We don’t cheat, or even have the urge to cheat.  I know humans sometimes get divorced and move on to someone else, but not us.  We never want to leave our mate.  Sure, we get mad at each other, but we never get the urge to leave.  It’s a way of ensuring the continuation of our race and to keep us going.  Arden, our Alpha, says you’re his mate.  I figure since you’ve just been changed it may take a while before that mating pull gets a hold of you, but don’t you worry; once it does, girl, all you’ll want to do is have…well, lots of sex.”  Jade whispered the last part bashfully.  “Now, let me go get the laptop.”  She got up, leaving Quinn alone with this new information.

*****

Jade locked the door behind her, but before she could head to her room, she saw Alice leaning against the wall.

“What’re you up to, Scarface?”  Alice giggled at her own joke.

“Nothing.”  Jade tried to brush past, but Alice jumped in front of her.

“Nothing?  It didn’t look like nothing to me.  Looked like you were trying to make a friend, Scarface.  But nobody wants to be your friend.  They’d get sick to their stomach looking at your big fat scar all the time.”  Alice reached out and traced the scar with her finger.

Jade could feel the tears coming, and she tried again to get away, but Alice grabbed her and punched her in the stomach.   Jade gasped as she fell to her knees.

“Just remember, nobody wants to be your friend, even the new girl,” Alice told her, then sauntered off like she didn’t have a care in the world.

Jade let her tears fall until she heard a voice say, “You should stick up for yourself.”  It was the new wolf, Finley.

She couldn’t face him right now; she was too embarrassed.  Looking away, Jade ran off to her room.

*****

“Dammit.”  Unfortunately, Jade had locked the door when she left, but she did leave her phone.  Not wasting another minute, Quinn dialed 911 and waited for the operator to answer.

“Hello, New Hope Police Department.  How can I help you?”  Good grief, they don’t even have a 911 operator, it goes directly into the police department.

“Hello, my name is Quinn Lamone, and I’m being held against my will at Arden…”

“Arden Dixon’s house, ma’am? Is that where you’re at?” the operator asked.  Hell, everyone seemed to know the man.

“Yes, that’s it.  Please send someone to help me.  Please.”    Quinn tried to sound desperate, but Jade was right; they were being nice to her.  She looked over at the food the woman had brought: a big hamburger with french fries. It looked yummy.

“Honey, I’ve known Arden Dixon for a long time, and he wouldn’t hurt a fly, much less a lady.  I’ll tell the chief, and you can talk to him.”  Then the lady hung up.  Shit, she was in a crossover between The Twilight Zone and the freaking Andy Griffith Show.  But that hamburger smelled good, and she was starving.  Putting the phone down, Quinn reached over and practically inhaled the food.

Just as she was finishing, Jade ran back into the room with her laptop and a handful of purses.  “I thought before you put them up for sale on your site, you should see the finished products.” She dropped the purses into Quinn’s lap, then sat down and opened her computer.

“These are wonderful, Jade.  The work you’ve done on them is better than I’ve seen in a long time.  Where did you find the fabric?”  Quinn asked. Then she looked up at Jade and saw that her face was red, like she’d been crying.

“I dyed it myself.  I find the colors that I want, and dye the material twice.  Then it takes a few hours to sew it.  I’m so used to it now that I keep getting faster, but it relaxes me and I love creating things.”  Jade looked over at her, but kept the scarred side of her face turned away.

“Are you okay?” Quinn asked, concerned.

“Yeah.  What do you think of them?”

Letting it go, Quinn concentrated on the purses.  “These are works of art, Jade. They’re just extraordinary! Now let’s find a place to hang them and then take some pictures.”  Quinn looked around the room and found a table sitting against the wall.  She grabbed one of the purses and started setting them up.  “We need a card that we can fold over and put the name of the purse on.  Hmm, what should we call this one?”

“Rainbow Delight,” Jade suggested.

Quinn’s eyes widened.  “Yes, yes, that’s it.  Rainbow Delight.”  She went over to a drawer she’d seen earlier and found a bunch of markers and construction paper.  She cut out some name cards, and then drew a rainbow on one.  Underneath it, she wrote, ‘Rainbow Delight, by Jade Cross.’   Then she took a picture with Jade’s phone.

They named all the purses and took pictures of them with their tags.  It didn’t take long before Quinn had Jade Cross purses up on her website.  She’d price some of them at fifty dollars, but the bigger ones would cost around a hundred and ten dollars.

“We never talked about my cut.  Would ten percent of the sale be okay?”  It wasn’t hard putting the purses up on her site, and it wasn’t really costing her much. If they did sell, and she knew they would, she’d come out with at least five percent in profit.   “When they start to sell, we’ll need to do some marketing for you, and then we can renegotiate the percentage.”  It was a win-win for them both.

“Sounds good to me.”  Jade and Quinn both laughed.

“Look you’ve already sold one.”  Quinn showed Jade.  “You might want to go and start working on more stock.  I’ve got a feeling you’re going to need it,” she suggested.  She watched as the excited young woman stood up, then turned around so Quinn couldn’t see her face.

“Jade, are you okay?”  Quinn put her hand on her shoulder and turned her around to find that tears were falling down Jade’s face.  “What’s the matter, Jade?  Did I do something wrong?”

“No.”  Jade sniffled, wiping the tears from her face.  “Nobody has ever done anything like this for me.”

“What, been nice to you?”  Quinn asked, shocked that nobody had showed this woman any kindness.  Now she really wanted out of here.

“Yes. I only really have four friends, and that’s because there’s something wrong with each of us, so we stick together.”

“What’s wrong with you?”  Quinn asked.  She didn’t think there was anything wrong with Jade.

“Isn’t it obvious?”  Jade pointed at the scar on her face.

“You have to be kidding me.  You think something’s wrong with you because of a scar on your face?”

“Well, yeah,” Jade said hesitantly.

Quinn put her hand over her heart.  “Jade, don’t you ever let anyone tell you that you’re not good enough because of a scar.  Those bitches are probably just mean, spiteful people…. Damn, is Arden mean to you too?”

“Oh no, no, no.  He would never do anything like that. Just some of the girls around here are a little mean, but that’s okay because I don’t want to be in their group anyway.”  Jade started picking up her purses and putting them in a bag.

“Jade, I hope we can be friends.  Nothing is wrong with you, and whoever says different is an idiot.”  Quinn smiled, but Jade started laughing.

“I like you, Quinn, and yes, I hope we can be friends,” Jade answered.

“Good.”  Quinn started scratching her arm.  She rolled her shoulders, thinking she must need to take a shower, because she was feeling itchy all over.

“What’s wrong?”  Jade looked down at the arm she was scratching feverishly.

“I feel funny and I’m itchy all over.”  Quinn started pacing back and forth from the couch to the other end of the room.

“You need to release your wolf.”

“What?”

“You need to shift, Quinn.  Your wolf wants out, and you need to let her run. When you don’t, you start to feel itchy and aggressive, like you could hit something.”

“Yes, that’s it,” Quinn agreed with a huff.

“I’ll go talk to the Alpha about getting you out of here.”  Jade went out, but locked the door behind her again.

“You’re feeling it too?” she heard Finley ask from the other room.

Quinn walked back over to the air vent and crouched down.  “Yes, are you?”

“I’m about to take the door down if they don’t hurry up and let me out,” he said.  “Okay, someone’s coming to my door.  I’ll let you know what’s up in a minute.”

Quinn stayed by the vent. She could hear someone opening up Finley’s door.  “Dad!”

“Son, are you alright?”  Quinn could hear another voice. She knew she needed to get out of here, and she wasn’t waiting on Arden to come back.  Shit, as far as she could tell it looked he was going to keep her in here forever.

“Hello, can you hear me?  Finley, are you in there?”  Quinn yelled into the vent.

“Yes, Quinn, I’m here and so is my dad.  He’s the police chief.”

“I’m being kept against my will. Please let me out, sir.  I’ve done nothing wrong.  I called my family and left a message on their phone that Arden Dixon was holding me captive.  Please let me out.” The last part was a lie, but she was itching all over. If he didn’t let her go her wolf was going to tear the damn place down.

“Miss, I’ll be in there to get you in a minute,” the chief said.

“Hurry.” Quinn was feeling desperate. Her breathing was changing, and apparently they could hear the difference.  She could hear Finley tell his dad to go get help.

She laid down on the floor and closed her eyes to the sound of her clothes tearing apart as she shifted.

******

Arden could hear Bane yelling for him to come quick.  All he could think was something had happened to Quinn.  He rushed inside the hallway and found Deaton Egan, Bane, and Finley standing outside Quinn’s room.

“What’s happened?”  He rushed over to look inside, and gasped.  Quinn had shifted, and her wolf was tearing up the furniture and anything that she could get her jaws around.  In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if she’d pissed all over everything.  She looked that angry.

“Alpha, I think I’d let her calm down before I went in there,” Deaton suggested.

“She needs to run.  She told me she’d started itching and feeling funny.  I’ve been looking for you.  I take it she already shifted?”  Jade asked as she walked up and glanced in the window.

“And tore the whole room apart.”  Bane laughed.

“It’s not funny.  You shut us up in this little room and expect us to just sit here, after you tell us that everything about our lives has changed.  Yeah, I think she has a right to be pissed off,” Finley said angrily.

Arden didn’t know exactly how to take Finley standing up for Quinn, but he had a pissed-off female and he had to deal with that first.  As soon as he opened the door, Quinn ran up and bit him on the hand. While he was still surprised, she slipped past him, out of the room.  The bite didn’t hurt; he figured it was a way for her to get some of her frustration out.  He didn’t take it to heart, he was reading her background and got carried away trying to find out about Quinn.

She zigzagged around the furniture in the living room.  Seeing some of the pack members watching TV, she wheeled around and ran down another hallway, which led to the kitchen.  He thought he might have her cornered, until her eyes flicked to the right and she saw the doggie door.   Damn, she’s closer to it than I am.

Arden could hear her nails trying to get some traction, but before he could catch her the kitchen door opened and Alice walked in.  Quinn immediately charged past her and took off into the woods.  She was fast. Shifting, Arden ran after her.  He knew that Bane and the others were following too, but he needed to be the one who caught his mate.   The best way to do that was to alert the pack and have her turned back into his direction.  Stopping, he howled into the sky telling his pack to run her back toward the house.

He trotted back to the house and shifted back into his human form.  Bane, Finley, Deaton, and Alice were all waiting for him.  Alice threw him a set of sweatpants, and he put them on.  He could tell that Finley wanted to run, but he patiently waited next to his dad anyway.

He could hear his pack howling to each other as they herded her in the direction of the pack house.  He smiled as she ran out of the woods and skittered to a stop.  She was mad, but also tired from all the running.  She wasn’t used to it, and that was something she needed to work on.  Her wolf would want to run a lot.

He bent down and got on her eye level.  The whole pack came out of the woods to watch the Alpha address their newest pack member.

“Quinn, shift now,” Arden ordered. When she didn’t obey, he shifted to his wolf form and growled at her.  All Alphas had an innate ability to intimidate.  Most used it when fighting, but sometimes they had to use it to get one of their wolves under control.  When she didn’t obey, Arden’s growl got downright vicious, until Quinn dropped to the ground in fear.

“Stop, you’re scaring her!”  Finley started to intervene, but Deaton stopped him.

“This is the way it is, son.  He’s the Alpha, and you have to trust that he knows what he’s doing.”

“Shift, Quinn!”  Finley yelled.  “He’ll stop if you shift.”

But nothing worked. Quinn got up, and this time Arden got so close his powerful jaws grazed her. She shifted back to human and curled up in a ball.  “I want to go home.”

Alice snorted, and Bane looked over at her.  Jade ran up and handed Quinn some clothes, then stood in front of her while she slipped them on. When she was dressed, Quinn stood and walked up to Deaton.

“I want to go home, now.”

“Okay,” Deaton muttered reluctantly.

“She can’t go home; she’s in danger from the pack that changed her,” Arden interrupted. He’d shifted back while Quinn was getting dressed.

“I don’t care, Chief.  I’m not his prisoner.  I have a right to go home.”

“You can’t keep her here, Arden.  It’s her choice. And if my son wants to leave, he can too,” Deaton told him.

“Then she goes with guards.  The rogue pack wanted her—they won’t stop until they get her, and I’m not going to let that happen.” Arden replied. He was pissed but Quinn didn’t care.  The man just hit her with some kind of voodoo vibes of his and she wasn’t going to be any one's bitch again.

Arden felt like the ground had just dropped out from under his feet.  The sense of abandonment he’d felt at his parents’ deaths flooded back to him.  What if something happened to her too?  Thinking about something happening to her now that he’d just found her shook him to the core.

“Okay, until we find this pack then she has guards,” Deaton agreed, looking at Quinn.  “This isn’t optional, Quinn.  We don’t know exactly who we’re dealing with here, and more people have disappeared in two towns nearby. These people are dangerous.”

He could see his mate thinking about it.  He knew she didn’t like the thought of having guards, but she was going to have to accept it.

“Okay, but I have to get my store ready for the grand opening,” Quinn muttered.

Thank God she’d agreed.  If she only knew how hard this was for him.  She’d just been turned, so who could say when the mating pull would start with her.  It was already eating him up inside.  Now he would be worried sick about her safety. “Tate, Rod, Morris, and Jake you’re on guard detail.  Finley, what are you going to do?” Arden asked.

“I plan to help Quinn get her store up and running, but I’ll come back here at night if that’s okay?”  Finley answered.  Even his dad looked shocked that he was choosing to stay at the pack house.

He needed to find out what Finley was up to.  Quinn was his mate, and no matter what he wasn’t giving Finley a shot at her.  “Finley, before you leave I need to talk to you for a minute.”  Arden walked back into the house as everyone, including Quinn, stared after him.

He stood by the kitchen counter, waiting until Finley walked inside.  “What is your deal when it comes to Quinn?” Finley actually looked surprised, which was good for him.  Because if he wanted to be anything other than friends with her, Arden would have to rip his head off.  Just thinking of him touching her was driving him crazy.

“We have a lot in common, and I hope we’re friends,” Finley answered.

“Just so you know, she’s my mate,” Arden told him.

“Yeah, I heard you tell her that, and Jade explained it. I don’t think she’s interested right now, but lucky for you we’re just friends.”  Finley said smugly.

Arden grabbed Finley around the neck and slammed him against the wall.  “Remember who you’re talking to, boy.  I understand that you’re an Alpha, but I’m your Alpha and you damn well need to fucking remember that.  Are we clear?”  Arden wasn’t really hurting Finley, but hopefully it got his point across.

“Yes, Alpha. I got it,” Finley said, still smiling. Arden could tell he was just trying to appease him.  “I’m not interested in her like that,” he repeated, then walked out the door.

Arden could tell that before this was all over they were going to fight, and he would have to show the kid who was boss. Right now, though, his mate was mad at him—and she was leaving.

Chapter 5

Quinn got in the back of the squad car with Finley.  Deaton was taking her back to her small apartment above the store, and right now all she could think about was taking a shower and going to bed.  She had a big day ahead of her tomorrow and she needed all the rest she could get.

There wasn’t any conversation in the car. When the chief pulled up at the store, a truckload of wolves pulled up right behind them. She got out, and Bane came up to her.  “We’ll change shifts every six hours. My orders are to make sure everything is okay before you go inside.  I need to check out your apartment, just to make sure nobody’s broken in.”

Quinn reached into her purse and took out her keys, and then they all went around to the back of the store and up the stairs.  Bane asked them to wait at the door and went in first.  He turned on all the lights, but she could actually see in the dark, so she knew he could too.  If there was a plus in being turned it was definitely the night vision; that had to be the coolest trick.  Now she could save a fortune on electricity at night.

“Everything looks good in here.  You can come in.”  They entered her apartment behind her and looked around.  When she dropped her purse on the table and turned, all the wolves were standing by a picture on the wall.  “Did you draw this?”  Bane asked.

“Yeah, I’ve always loved wolves. One day that image just came to me, and I drew it.  Guess it’s kinda ironic.”  Quinn snorted.

Finley walked over and looked at it.  “You’re good, too.”

“Thanks.  I love to draw.  Guess now I can see wolves up close and personal.”

Finley laughed.  “I guess so.  If they’re all watching over you tonight then I’m going to my dad’s to get my clothes, and then I’ll head back to the pack house.  If you need some help, I don’t have a job right now, so I can help you do some repairs or build stuff for the store tomorrow.  I need something to keep my mind off...well, this.”

“I can pay you for your help.  I’ll be downstairs around eight tomorrow.  I have a lot to do, and I could really use a hand,” Quinn answered.

“Well, I won’t turn down getting paid.”  Finley laughed, and then looked at his dad.  “You ready, Pop?”

“Yep.  Quinn, here’s my card. If you need me, please call my cell phone.  I don’t live far from here, but I don’t think I’ll have to worry too much about you tonight.  Good night.”  Deaton Egan smiled and walked out.

She liked Finley’s dad.  He had some grey in his hair, but otherwise he looked just like his son.  Finley had close-cropped brown hair and hazel eyes.  He was a cutie, and she was really glad to have him as a friend.  She felt that she could say anything to him and he wouldn’t tell a soul.   The girls would go crazy over his good looks and confident nature, but what she liked best about him was that he didn’t seem arrogant about his looks.  She got the feeling that Deaton was the same way.

“Bye Quinn.  See you in the morning.”  Finley left behind his dad.

Quinn waved good-bye to them. Now all she wanted was to take a hot bath, and if these wolves thought they were staying here, they were crazy.  “You’re not staying in my apartment, Bane.”

“I know,” he said.

“I understand that I need protection, and you can either stay in the store or outside, but not in my apartment.”

“Okay.  I’ll keep your keys so I can get inside the store, and we’ll keep one guard at your door and one in front of the store.  Scream if you need anything,” Bane said with a wink, and then they left.

Quinn locked the door and went to run herself a tub full of hot water.  She was tired and desperate to just relax.

Sitting down in the steaming water, Quinn wanted to moan, but she was afraid the guard outside would think she was in trouble. She didn’t need a bunch of wolves breaking her door in.  Leaning back, she wondered how her life had come to this.

What in the hell happened today? It was just her luck that a damn wolf would pick her to bite.

Arden Dixon’s face continued to plague her thoughts, and it was starting to piss her off.  The man was an egotistical control freak, just like her father, and she couldn’t be with anyone who thought they were going to run her life.  However, Quinn couldn’t deny her immediate desire for his gorgeous body.  How on earth could she be attracted to him when he tried to tell her what to do every minute of the day?

Quinn lathered soap on her skin, and noticed that her body had changed since she was bitten.  Closing her eyes, she felt her muscles, and could tell that she was more defined and toned now.  Well, that was a plus, because she’d thought she was getting fat. When she felt her stomach, she found it was flat and smooth now.  That was definitely something to feel good about.

Then she remembered she could see in the dark now, too.  She had so many questions to ask Jade tomorrow.  What else would she be able to do besides changing into a wolf?  Would she be a superhero now?  Quinn laughed at herself.  She had a lot to think about, including what she would do about Arden.

Arden.

Her thoughts drifted back to him again.  As Quinn touched her stomach, she imagined it was his hand drifting upward to her breasts.  She could feel her nipples harden just at the thought of him touching her there.  Pinching herself harder, she rubbed her hand down and touched herself between the legs. It felt wonderful.  The warm water felt soothing as she rubbed her finger over her clit.  It wouldn’t take long, as she fantasized about Arden touching her faster and faster until he plunged his long finger inside of her.

Quinn didn’t have time to prepare—she went off like a firecracker inside the tub, splashing water over the side and soaking the floor, but she didn’t care. She smiled at the thought of Arden touching her.  He was the best fantasy she’d ever had.

As her body calmed down, Quinn almost fell asleep in the water.  Feeling dead on her feet, Quinn decided to worry about everything that was going on later. Right now she was going to go to bed.  She got out of the tub reluctantly and dried off, then slipped under the covers and fell asleep.

*****

Arden slipped through the woods in his wolf form, then sat at the edge of the trees, watching the light go off in the upstairs apartment.  He needed to be near Quinn and make sure she was going to be okay.  Jade said that Quinn wasn’t the type of person to follow the rules; she wanted to be an independent person, and that meant she needed time to get used to this type of life, a pack life.  Members of a pack were always in each other’s business.  He needed to understand that and give her some space, but Arden was an Alpha, and he didn’t know if he could keep his distance from his mate.  He was going to try, though, because he wanted her happy.

“I figured you’d show up soon.”  Bane sat down on the ground beside him.

“Scent anything?”  Arden asked, shifting back.

“Nothing.  The smell is gone, and there isn’t anything new,” Bane said. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Bane spoke again.  “Your mate is an artist.  When I checked her apartment out I saw a picture on the wall that she drew, of wolves standing around watching the moon come up.  It was real cool.”

“Bite of the Moon.  Maybe she’ll let me see it one day,” Arden joked.

“What do you mean by ‘Bite of the Moon?’” Bane asked.

“She was turned by the Bite of the Moon.  Old tales that say that those who are bitten on the day of a full moon will be powerful wolves.”

“Hmm.  So, you were born on a full moon, right?”

“Yep,” Arden answered absently, staring up at her window.

“Makes sense, then. Oh yeah, before I forget: Finley’s going home to get his things, and then he’s headed back to the pack house.”

“What do you think of him?”  Arden asked.

“I like the kid.  I think in time he’ll make a great guard.  He’s smart, and he’d be an asset to us.  We just need to teach him who the Alpha is.”  Bane laughed.

“I think that’s going to happen sooner rather than later.”  Arden glanced back up at Quinn’s apartment.

“How do you think she’ll adjust to pack life?”  Bane asked.

“I don’t know.  I want her to want to be with us, but right now I can’t force her, or she’ll hate me for it.  I just need to keep her alive if the rogues find her again.  I can’t take a chance of anyone getting to her.  I think it would—”

“Kill you.  I understand that you want your mate safe, I think we all get that, but you can be a tad controlling.”  Bane held his fingers up, an inch apart.

“When you find your mate, Bane, you’ll feel the same way.”

“Well, she’s asleep, and you need to go and get rest some too.  She’ll be here tomorrow.  We get relieved in the morning, and you can come check on her then.  But go get some sleep while you can,” Bane suggested.  “I’ve got a feeling we’re all going to need it.”

“You trying to tell me what to do, Beta?”  Arden asked.

Bane raised his eyebrow.  “If I need to, Alpha.”

“See you tomorrow.  Be safe.”  Arden shifted and ran back into the woods.  Bane was right; he needed some rest.  Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

Chapter 6

Quinn woke up early the next morning, took a quick shower, and got dressed. She couldn’t get over how wonderful she felt.  She laughed to herself as she looked in the mirror.  Her skin had never looked better, and her red hair, which she’d always hated, was shiny and soft.  It had to be the changes taking place in her body.  She felt ready to take on the world.

Grabbing her jacket, Quinn opened the door and saw Bane leaning up against the stair railing.  “Brought you a donut and some coffee.  Arden said to make sure you had vanilla and chocolate in it.”

“Wow, can I expect this type of treatment every day?  If so, I think I’m going to like being a wolf.” Quinn reached over and took the coffee and bag of donuts, then kissed Bane on the cheek.

“Thank your mate; he was the one who thought of it. I was hungry, too, and you need to feed your wolf or she’ll get cranky.  I really don’t want to put my people through your wrath because you’re not eating enough.  Remember to have a snack about every two hours; we have to feed often.”  Bane moved so she could walk down the stairs first.

“Thanks for being so nice to me, Bane.  I know I was a real bitch yesterday, but I…”

“Don’t worry about it.  I think I would have been the same way.  It’s a lot to take in. Maybe getting the store ready will help relieve some of your stress.  Finley’s already here, and we have wolves both outside and inside the store, keeping an eye out for the rogues.  I’ll be back later this evening.  Should I bring you something to eat?”

“Probably.”  Quinn giggled.

Bane opened the back door to the store and let her in.  “Hey, lock this behind you, and I’ll see you in a few.”

“Okay. Thanks again.”  Quinn locked the door and walked through to the sales floor, where she found Finley, Jade, and three other people she didn’t know.

“Hey, Quinn.  I brought my purses, and the boxes I already had to put them in.  Last night I looked online and found some good ones and had my logo put on them.  What do you think?”  Jade held up her laptop and showed Quinn the pictures she’d saved.  “They should be here in a couple of days.”

Quinn glanced at the boxes and smiled.  “You have a great eye for this, Jade.  I can’t wait to see what you come up with next.”

“Well, I make jewelry too,” Jade added.

“You’re kidding.”  Quinn’s eyes sparked with interest.  “Well, come look at the counter I had made for the jewelry.  I think I can get another counter built and add yours to it.  Hey Fin, can you build a counter like that one?” She pointed.

“Sure can.  Do you want it the same size, or bigger?”  Finley asked.

“Bigger by a foot,” Quinn requested.

“You got it.  I’ll need to go buy the wood, and I’ll do the work out back so I don’t get sawdust on anything.” Finley walked over and started measuring the counter.

“I have an account at the hardware store.  Just tell them to put the materials on my bill,” Quinn told him.

“Okay, be back in a few.”  Finley left, and she walked over to Jade.

“You going to introduce me?”  Quinn asked, nodding toward the other people.

“Sure. Quinn, this is Maddox Brown, Paley Thomas, and her brother Rick Thomas.  We’re the Outcasts; at least that’s what they call us.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you guys.  Are you here to help Jade set up her stuff?”  Quinn asked.

“Yes, and you too if you need it.  We heard how you’re helping Jade, and we just wanted to come in and give you a hand if you need it,” Paley told her with a smile.  They all looked like good people to her. She had the feeling that the four of them could use a good friend, and she planned on being that for them.

“I’m glad to have you guys here today.  That counter and wall is where I want to showcase Jade’s purses, and if she’ll go get her jewelry then she can use the cabinet for that.  Jade, you have carte blanche on how you want to decorate your wall.  I’ve seen your taste and I love it,” Quinn told her.  She watched as Jade smiled; that was exactly what she was hoping for.

“I’ll go over here and start on the clothes.  See you guys in a few.”  Quinn walked over to the clothes racks.  She had a lot of stock out already, but there was still a pile of boxes that needed to be unloaded.

The day progressed quickly, and the more she got done the more excited she got every time she looked around.  When she finished with the clothing, she started putting jewelry in the cases. She was sorting out the jewelry for a particular artist, and there was jewelry scattered all over the counter.  Instead of picking it up, she used her magic to drag the bracelet she needed across the counter and into her hand.  She bent down and put it inside the case just as one of Arden’s guards, who’d come in to relieve someone, charged over.

“You’re a witch?” the guard demanded.

Quinn smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’m a witch. Why?” She looked around, surprised at how scared the guard looked.  Finley had paused in putting together parts to the counter he’d made; like her, he seemed to feel the tension in the air as the guard backed away from her, then pulled out his cell phone and walked outside.

“What was that about?”  Finley asked.

“I’m a witch; I did some magic and I guess it freaked him out? But they’re wolves—they have to know about witches too,” Quinn answered, puzzled.

“Cool, I didn’t know there were witches! That’s amazing that you’re a witch,” Finley said

Maddox Brown walked up and set his laptop down on the counter.  “Nobody told you about the Alpha’s dad, did they?” Apparently, Maddox had seen her do the magic too, but it didn’t seem to bother him.

Quinn lifted her shoulder in a half shrug. “Nobody has told me much, except ‘you can’t go here,’ and, ‘you can’t leave.’”

“Magic is forbidden in the pack. Maybe you should talk to Jade about it. The Alpha has a past with a witch.”  They all turned their heads as they heard the truck skid to a stop in front of the store.

Arden and Bane strode inside and looked around until their eyes fell on her.  Arden’s eyes turned yellow, and as he approached, Maddox slowly bowed his head and backed away.  Finley and Quinn both stood their ground.

“You’re not a witch, are you?” Arden asked.  She could hear the disbelief in his voice.

“Yes,” Quinn answered, and Arden and Bane both backed up a step. “What’s wrong with that?  You’re a wolf, and I’m a wolf now, but I’m also a witch.  My whole family is witches and wizards.  So what?”

“Leave us.” Arden ordered.  Everyone complied except Finley. “That means you too, wolf.”

“What are you planning on doing with Quinn?”  Finley asked, stepping closer to her.  So quickly that Quinn didn’t have time to move, Arden jumped on top of Finley and knocked him to the floor. He’d been standing so close that he hit her too, and they all landed in a heap.

Arden had his claws out and wrapped around Finley’s throat.  “I’m the Alpha, pup. If you have a problem with that, we can either settle this outside, or you’re free to join another pack, but you won’t be challenging my authority again.”

“Finley, I’m fine.  Please stop, Arden.” Quinn’s worry for Finley came through in her voice, and she could tell Arden didn’t like that either. She didn’t care, though, because right now he was judging her for being a witch.  Nothing seemed to be going right since she moved to this town, and she’d had enough.

“You’re the Alpha, but I won’t stand by and watch you hurt her because she’s a witch.  She hasn’t done anything wrong.”  Finley’s voice was controlled, but his eyes flashed with fury.

“It doesn’t matter, Finley.  He’s not only a controlling asshole, but a bigot, too.  I knew I should have kept driving past this town and found another place to settle.  I felt like something was calling me here, but now I know it was a mistake.”  Quinn shocked them both as she jumped up and headed out the back door.

She walked outside to find the guard who’d called Arden standing in front of the stairs.  “I need to get up to my apartment.”

Before he moved he gave her a dirty look and muttered, “Witch.”

She didn’t know why, but the fact that he was calling her that like it was an insult made her explode.  “Son of a bitch!” Quinn yelled, then attacked the guard.  Before she was aware of what she’d done, she had the guard on the ground with his hands behind his back.

Arden, Bane, and Finley ran outside and found Quinn on top of Jacks. “Don’t you ever call me that again like it’s something for me to be ashamed of.  I’m not ashamed of being a witch any more then you should be ashamed that you’re a wolf.  You idiot.”

Arden and Finley pulled her off, and then Arden grabbed Jacks’ neck and lifted him off the ground.  “You dare to touch my mate?”

“I swear.  Now I’m his mate?” Quinn stormed up the steps and slammed the door behind her.

*****

Bane slowly approached Arden. “Alpha, let’s find out what happened first, before you do something you might regret.”

“What did you do to her, Jacks?”  Arden demanded.  His body was vibrating with rage, thinking that one of his guards had hurt Quinn.  He lowered Jacks to the ground as he gasped for air.

“I never touched her, Alpha. I swear. I didn’t know she was your mate. I wouldn’t hurt a woman. I did call her a witch, but I swear that was all. Then she jumped me.  Never seen a wolf move that fast except you and Bane,” Jacks answered, rubbing his throat.

“She jumped you?”  Bane asked with a chuckle.

“Hey she’s strong, and fast.  I hate to say it but your mate got the best of me.  Had me on the ground before I knew what was going on.  I shouldn’t have said that to her, anyway.  She didn’t do anything except show me kindness since I got here today.  She called in lunch for us and everything. But when I saw her do magic, it...it scared me. It made me think of your dad, and what happened to him.  I’m sorry, Alpha.”

Arden inhaled deeply, calming his wolf down.  He’d reacted before he knew what was going on.  That wasn’t like him, and he knew it was the mating pull and not being able to touch her.  “You can apologize later; first I need to calm down.  Bane, make sure she doesn’t leave until I can talk to her.  I‘ll be back later.”

Arden took off his clothes and left them on the stairs, then shifted and ran off into the woods.  He knew where he needed to go to work this out.  It didn’t take him long to get to the old house where his father and mother had lived.  The house was falling apart a bit, but it was still beautiful.  His mom had put in a lot of work into the yard, planting flowers everywhere.  He would sit beside her and help her put flowers into the pots that sat on the front porch.

The house was built for his mother; she’d wanted a house that looked like something from the Victorian age.  The house was painted white, with huge columns in the front. A huge porch that wrapped all the way around the house, with lots of rocking chairs where the pack would gather when they had cook-outs.  But nobody ever came here anymore, because of what had happened.

Arden shifted and went and sat down on the front steps.  How could his mate be a witch?  Was this some type of sick joke?   He remembered what his dad had said to him when he found out the young girl had killed herself; he said that it didn’t matter what you were, everyone had problems. But she’d wanted to be a wolf desperately, and that disturbed his dad.  Apparently she hated being a witch.  Arden remembered her watching them all the time, enthralled by how the wolves acted around each other.   She’d liked that they were always hugging each other, and she wanted a family like that. But his father couldn’t have turned her even if he wanted to.  The Council only allowed human mates to be turned.

“My mate is a witch, Dad, how do you like that?” Arden chuckled, a little bitterly, as he looked up at the house.  He sighed.  “She’s already everything to me, but she scares the hell out of me.  How can that be?  Magic?  My mate can do magic, Dad.  I wish you were here.  I could use a huge dose of wisdom right now.”

Arden could feel the cold breeze blow across his face as he closed his eyes.  It almost felt like his mother’s hand when she would calm his nerves.  Anytime he got angry or in trouble for something, his mom would touch his face as he closed his eyes. “I hope that’s you, Mom.  I think you’d like her.  She reminds me of you, and how strong you were.  She doesn’t take anything from anyone, including me.”

Arden sat like that for a couple of hours, thinking about what to do about Quinn.  Lord, the woman had a temper, but so did he.  And she was a witch. How could he live with a witch, knowing what one had done to his dad?  He needed guidance, and even though his parents weren’t here, he could still feel them as if they were.

He still loved this old place; he wished they could fix it up and use it for something.  The roses were still growing all around it.  Arden knew what he needed to do. Giving in wasn’t in his nature, but like his mom always said, ‘Sometimes you have to give a little, baby boy, and let others help you lead.’  Quinn would be a great leader, he thought.  Right now she needed to spread her wings and get her store off the ground, and that’s where he needed to be to help her.  So now it was time for him to face the music—and man, did he hate that.  He wanted to stay and hide a little longer, but he’d been gone for a while and needed to get back.

Arden rushed back to town. It was already getting dark outside. Most of the wolves were hidden, patrolling the property, except for his Beta.  Bane was sitting on the steps like he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Well, did you get it worked out?”  Bane asked as he puffed on a cigar.

“Somewhat. I ran for a while, and that helped.”  Arden put his clothes back on and sat down beside him.  “Has she come back out?”

“Nope, but I could hear her banging around up there and cussing you like the mangy dog you are,” Bane said with a grin.

“Mangy dog, eh? Wow, she knows she’s a wolf now too, right?” Arden said jokingly.

“Yeah, but I think it was you specifically she was cursing.”

They both sat silently for a while until Arden asked, “What would you do, Bane, if you found out your mate was a witch?  Like the one person who destroyed your family?”

“If the fates had given me a witch, bear, or a mangy dog, I guess I would accept it, because they do that for a reason.  Maybe she can help you.  I don’t know, to be honest, but I know she’s your mate and you need to respect that.”  Bane didn’t mince his words.  He was blunt and to the point—often with a joke mixed in, but he always made sense.

“Guess I need to go and talk to her.” Arden sighed, but didn’t move from the stairs.  “Did you send Jacks home?”

“Yeah. I thought since he got put on his ass by the Alpha’s mate he needed a break, but he wanted to apologize to Quinn.  I told him maybe tomorrow, and to go home and get some rest in the meantime.”  Bane explained as he blew smoke rings in the air.

“Good.” Arden got up and started up the stairs, then turned around. “You should’ve seen her, Bane. Man, she had him on the ground with his hands behind his back before he knew what hit him.”

Bane and Arden both started laughing.

“Guess it’s my time to get put on my ass.” Arden walked up the stairs and knocked on the door.

He was either going to drive her away, or she would understand why he’d been so upset to find out she was a witch.

Chapter 7

Arden knocked on the door, but as he did the door swung open.  He needed to fix that.  “Bane, get me a tool box so I can fix the lock on this door,” he called down. Opening the door up, Arden looked around the room and found Quinn sitting in a rocking chair, watching him.

“Your door came open.  I’ll fix it for you.” Arden said, then walked in and sat down across from her. “We need to talk, Quinn.  I think you need to know why you being a witch freaks everyone out.”  He waited for a response, but didn’t get one.

He sighed, and started explaining, “When I was very young and my father was the Alpha of the Dixon pack, he was approached by the daughter of a local witch.  She was just seventeen years old, but apparently she hated being a witch because they never loved on her or appreciated her in any way.  She would sit and watch all of us, and you could tell that she was desperate for any attention.  She didn’t make it a secret that she wanted to be turned, but it’s against our laws to turn a human unless he or she is mate to a wolf.  Then the Alpha informs the Council, and they bring a representative down to witness the turning.  As you’ve found out, it can be very painful and some have even died.  The representative will make sure that the human is one hundred percent on board with this.

“When Tabitha Ross turned eighteen years old she approached my father and asked him to turn her.  She said that her mother didn’t love her, and she wanted to be in a pack like the wolves were.  My father felt sorry for the girl, but he couldn’t grant her wish.  He tried talking to her, but she just started to cry and left.  Nobody heard from her or saw her again until a week later, when her body was found hanging outside our house.  She’d got on pack land somehow, using magic to mask her scent, then she tied a rope around her neck and jumped from the tree.

“She left a note saying that it was my father’s fault.  That was all her mother needed, the name of someone to blame.  Instead of realizing that her daughter had problems and she’d contributed to those problems, she focused on getting revenge.  So in her sick mind she conjured up a spell, and sent it to my father—to make him kill his only son while in wolf form.  She hated my father and wanted to punish him, and in her view it made sense to take away his only son.

“The day the spell took effect, his Beta—Bane’s father, Tex—was walking by the house and heard my mother screaming.  My father had shifted and tried to attack me, but my mother could see something was wrong with his wolf and intervened.  She protected me, but my father killed her while trying to get in the door.  Tex called out to the other guards, and they subdued him until they could figure out what went wrong.  The witch had to be on our land to cast the spell, so the guards tracked her down and locked her up.  When they called the Council to tell them what had happened, the Council sent the Death Hunters. Since my father had killed my mother, he was put to death right along with the witch.”

“Why would the Death Hunters do that, knowing that your father was under a spell?  It wasn’t his fault, he wasn’t in his right mind.”  Quinn finally spoke, sounding shocked.

“It didn’t matter to them, because he’d killed my mother. My father was distraught.  When they killed the witch it broke the spell, and my father was inconsolable.  I lost both of my parents because of a witch, and the pack lost their leaders.  They loved my mom and dad, and I had to grow up early.  Tex ran the pack until I was old enough to take over.  But I made a vow that no witches were allowed in our community, and we’ve never had one since, until you showed up.”

“You have to know that there are good witches and bad ones, just like with wolves and every other being on earth.  You’re judging me for something I didn’t do and never would.  How is that fair?  I didn’t choose to be a wolf, and you just accepted me and Finley like it was nothing, but the fact that I’m a witch as well makes it different?” Quinn stopped rocking and stared at him.

“Did you not hear the story?”  Arden asked.

“Yes, Arden.  Did you not hear what I just said?”  Quinn got up and stood in front of the chair.  “What do you expect me to do?  Pack up and leave because you’re scared?”

Arden jumped up.  “I’m not scared, Quinn, but you need to understand how we all feel.”

“So I’ll ask again, what do you want me to do?” Arden could see her hands shaking as she waited for his answer.

“Quinn, you’re my mate, but you need to realize that the pack isn’t going to be so understanding. Some may try to challenge you, and you’re not ready for that.  You’re strong, but not strong enough, and I don’t want to see you get hurt.  Just lay off the magic around the pack, until—”

“Until what, Arden?  Until they start to like me?”

“That’s not fair, Quinn.  I’m trying here, and I don’t see you doing the same.  Give me a little break.”

Quinn knew she was being a bitch, but he started all of this.  She meant no harm to anyone, and would never send out a spell like that.  There was a code in the Craft, rules to follow, and one of them was to never do spells against an innocent person.

“For now, Arden.  We have rules too, but just like you and your kind we have those who don’t follow the rules and cause evil wherever they go.  But I’m a witch just as much as a wolf, and sometimes my magic wants out just like my wolf.  I do understand their fear, but you have to tell them that if they try me, they might find out I’m stronger then they thought.”

“Fair enough.”  He wanted to kiss her, but she was still mad, and he didn’t want to get his face scratched off.   “I’m going to fix your door, and you have a store downstairs that needs putting together.”  Arden smiled, then went over to the door and opened it.  Bane was standing right outside, with cigar in one hand and a toolbox in the other.  “Did you hear all that?”

“Heard enough, Alpha.  I think I’ll go for a run and then come back for the night shift.”  Bane smiled unrepentantly and walked down the steps.  Arden shook his head at his Beta.  He was a character, to say the least, and Arden couldn’t wait for him to find his mate, because when he did Arden was going to rub it in every chance he got.

“Thanks for fixing the door.”  Quinn tried to squeeze by him, but her touch was all it took for him to drop the toolbox, push her against the wall, and kiss her.  Being this close to her was hard. He needed to touch and taste her before she left to go downstairs.

Quinn tried to pull away, but her body disobeyed her.  Her lips were so soft as they swept across his.  The kiss ended too quickly, and he pulled away.

“Thanks for listening,” Arden said, then allowed her to walk away.

******

Arden felt as if he’d won the lottery.  He drove back to the pack house with a huge smile on his face.  He could still feel their kiss as he touched his lips again.  She tasted like he’d thought she would: sweet, like vanilla and chocolate.  Her fiery red hair and her temper made who she was, and she was special.  He parked and walked inside the pack house, planning to take a shower then do a little work in his office.

As he entered his bedroom, his thoughts were on his mate, and he didn’t notice Alice at first.  When he looked up, she was standing beside his bed, naked.  Damn, this isn’t what I wanted tonight.  “Alice, what are you doing?”

“Waiting for you.”  Alice purred as she stalked toward him.  Before he could say anything, she’d already wrapped around him and started rubbing herself all over him.

“Alice, stop.”

“Come on, lover, I know you want it as much as I do.”  Alice continued to rub all over him until he threw her on the bed.

“Get out, Alice.  I’ve found my mate, and you know that.  You know how this works.  When we find our mate that’s all we can think about, and Quinn’s my mate.  I don’t want to have this conversation with you again.  Get your clothes on and get out.”  Arden was finished being nice with her.  Alice was a troublemaker, and he could kick himself in the teeth for even having sex with her in the first place.

“She’s a witch, from what I hear.  Has she put a spell on you?” Alice was touching his face, and it was pissing him off now.

“Yes she is, but she’s a wolf too, and most importantly she’s my mate and soon to be your Alpha,” Arden growled.  “Stop touching me and get out, Alice.  She’s not like the last one.  Maybe if you got to know her you might like her.”

Alice sat on the bed with her arms crossed.  “I doubt it,” she muttered.

“You better get used to it,” Arden finished, and walked into his bathroom and locked the door.  He waited until he heard his bedroom door open and close again before he turned the shower on.  He needed to talk with Bane about Alice.  If he knew her as well as he thought he did, she’d try to start trouble with Quinn, and Quinn wasn’t ready for a wolf like Alice.  The woman had been fighting every girl who came of age for years, letting them know she was in charge.  Unfortunately, that was the way it worked in the pack: everyone fought for position, and Alice made sure she won.

Eventually, Quinn would have to fight Alice, to show her that she was the Alpha.  He only hoped that Quinn would be strong enough to beat her. If not, Alice would challenge her, and he didn’t know what he would do about that.  Right now he had too many other things to worry about.

Quinn walked back in the store and saw that Jade, Rick, Paley, and Maddox were sitting around a small table, reading books.  She smiled, because they were all quiet, concentrating intensely.  She realized that Jade was right about putting a coffee space to the side of the store.  It wouldn’t take away from the store; in fact, it would bring in more business if men had a place they could sit and drink coffee and read while their wives shopped.  She could order some coffee machines and put in some bookshelves.  Maybe start small and then add to it later.

“Hey, Jade.”  Jade and her group looked up at Quinn.  “Maybe you were right about putting in a coffee shop right here in the store, with some books and tables in it.  Give the men a place to sit while their women shop.”

“Really?  Oh, Quinn, we have it all planned out!  In fact, we’ve researched a place to get the coffeemakers and an espresso machine to make different types of coffee.  This is great... Oh, I almost forgot the books!  Everyone around here reads, Quinn, and if you got some good books in, it would bring a lot more customers.” Jade’s hands were clasped together, and she had a huge smile on her face.

“You seem to have it all under control, so that can be your job then.  Find me the stuff and let me see how much it’s going to cost.  Then we can order it. Maybe we can get at least some of it here by tomorrow.”  Quinn could see that Jade and her friends were happy, and that made her happy too.  Rick pulled out his laptop, and they completely ignored her while they started getting quotes up and researching.

She decided she had a lot of other things to do and left them to complete that project.  Finley was putting up some shelves, and she had some more boxes to unpack.  There was so much more to do, and they were short on time.

She heard the bell go off at the front of store and watched a blonde-haired woman walk in, a group of girls with her. The way they acted when they spotted Jade at her jewelry counter made Quinn tense.  She knew these were the girls who’d made Jade’s life hell, and she wasn’t going to put up with it.  Especially here in her store.

She walked slowly over to Jade, listening to find out what they were doing there.  “Well look at old Scarface and her ugly purses and jewelry.  Really Jade, do you honestly believe anyone will buy this crap?”  Alice and her group of friends giggled.

Quinn walked over with a huge smile on her face.  “Jade, I just got some great news for you.  The lady who sells a lot of my stuff in New York said she wanted more of your purses, and she wants to see the jewelry line.  I sent her some pictures and she loves what she is seeing, so we have to get more to send her.  You’re going to be a success, my friend.  I’m so happy for you!” Quinn hugged Jade, then glanced over at Alice. She could see the other girls frown, then look at the purses hanging on the walls and back at Jade.

“Oh sorry, hello. I couldn’t wait to tell Jade the great news. She’s going to be selling her products like crazy.”  Quinn smiled big for the whopper of a lie she just told.  “I don’t think we’ve met.  I’m Quinn, and welcome to Southern Treasures.  You must be part of the pack.”

“You’re the witch.”  Alice’s voice was snarky, and she smirked after saying it.

Quinn giggled. “Well I’m a wolf now, too, but yes, I’m a witch.” Apparently, nobody ever stood up to Alice, because she looked completely taken aback that Quinn wasn’t backing down.

“You may have the Alpha fooled, but we all know what you’ll do.  You’re not his mate, because if you were he wouldn’t be fucking me.”

The frown left her face, and Quinn didn’t like where this was going. She’d believed Arden when he said she was his mate, but now one of his exes was saying she was still sleeping with him?

“He is?  Oh well, I hope you’re having a great time then.” Quinn acted like it didn’t bother her, and waited to see what Alice would say now.  Except it did bother her, and right now she wanted to punch this bitch in the face.

Alice walked over toward her and got real close.  “Seeing that you’re half wolf now, I bet you can smell Arden on me.  We just had sex before I came here.  Come on, take a big whiff.”

Quinn wanted to knock her into next week, but she was trying to stay in control here, even though her wolf was clawing to get out.  She inhaled deeply to try and calm down, but what she smelled almost knocked her down. Alice was right; she could smell Arden on her.

“Alice, the Alpha is going to be mad,” Jade was trying to help, but it was true.  Arden’s scent was all over Alice.

“Can it, Scarface.  Miss Witch here needs to realize that she has competition. I will challenge you everywhere you go.”  Alice was jerked back when Bane grabbed hold of her from behind.

“Alice, I don’t know what kind of games you’re playing, but the Alpha has declared no challenges until we find and handle the rogues.  Get out of the store.  You have no business here.”  Bane growled the last part, and Alice and her friends all walked out.

When the doors closed, Bane shook his head. “I hope you know how to fight because that one is going to need to be taken down or she’ll continue to be this way forever.”

“Why do I have to know how to fight?  I haven’t done anything to her,” Quinn protested.

“Listen, Quinn, things are different for wolves.  When we want a spot in the hierarchy, we fight for it.  Like me being Beta.  Just because my father was Beta didn’t mean that I would inherit the position. The moment Arden announced that I was his choice to be Beta, I got challenged.  I won, of course, but after about the tenth time, I told them the next one would be to the death and nobody challenged me again.  Arden was different, because all of his were to the death.

“Alice has fought her way up, and she’s the head bitch in charge in the pack, literally.  No other female out-ranks her, and she does like being in power.  Maybe too much. I’ve been watching her, and she definitely needs to be challenged and taken down.  All Alice wants to do is belittle the females and tell them what to do. She’s not a real leader.”

“I know how to do some fighting, but not in wolf form.  I don’t get it,” Quinn said with a sigh.

“I know there are a lot of things you’ll have to get used to, Quinn, but Alice isn’t a wolf you’d want to meet in a dark alley.  From what I saw when you were first turned, you’re a natural-born fighter, and if you’re interested I can help you out with this.”  Bane shrugged.  “But it’s up to you.”

Judging by the way Bane spoke about Alice, and from what she’d seen already, the woman was going to be a problem.  The issue at hand, though, was why she smelled of Arden.  She must have misread him when he kissed her, and all this crap about being mates wasn’t true.  She needed to ask about this mate thing from someone other than Arden.  Apparently he couldn’t stop screwing the women in his pack.

“I have some time once I unload this box.  You got a minute for some questions?”  Quinn asked.

“Sure.”

“Good, but let’s go over here so we can talk in private.”  Quinn walked over to where her office was going to be, and allowed Bane to go in first.  She closed the door, then sat down behind her desk. “I have some questions about mates, and the pack in general.”

“What kind of questions?” Bane waited.  She could tell he was eager to talk about pack life with her, which was good because she wanted some personal answers, too.

“I haven’t gotten a chance to meet anyone much, but how many are in the pack?”  Quinn asked.

“Before you and Finley we had one hundred and nineteen. That includes the Elders and the young pups.”

“Elders?”

“We have older wolves who act as Elders for the pack. They know and keep all the history of the pack.  Some of the younger pack members are away at college—we’re not just country bumpkins—but most come back here and bring back the knowledge they got from college, or they meet their mate and join another pack.  We have a festival here during Christmas, and so far two packs are joining us. We have all kinds of events and just some fun times.  It gives the wolves a chance to meet others and maybe meet their mates. So far ten pack members have met their mates that way. Some stay here, and some go to the other packs.”

“You said something about Alice being head bitch. What does that mean?”  Quinn asked.

“Well, we have a hierarchy here in the pack.  You have the Alpha, of course, and then the Beta, which is me. Then we have Lieutenants or Guards. There’s a similar hierarchy for the females, and since we didn’t have an Alpha’s mate—which is you, by the way—Alice challenged everyone who was even a contender. She keeps things running pretty smoothly, and no one’s complained about her.”

“Hell, Bane, they’re scared to.  Do you know what she calls your sister?”  Quinn asked, and the smile fell off Bane’s face. “She calls her Scarface. That bitch has made your sister’s life miserable, and all the other kids her age, too.  She’s threatened by them.  So what if they’re different; hell, I’m different.  I don’t like her, and when I get the chance she won’t have to worry about challenging me because I’m going to knock her down all on my own.”

Quinn stopped and took a deep breath.  “Let’s talk about something else.  So, I take it that since you haven’t found your mate yet, you go out like normal people and date and have sex a lot?”

Bane laughed.  “Of course we have sex.  Look, here it is in the simplest of terms: we can date, or have sex with, as many women as we want, but once we find our mate things are different. Our mate is our lifeline, our soul mate.  Once we find our mate, we’ll never want another female like we will our mate.  All we think about is our mate: we think about sex with our mates, but we also dwell on their safety, who they’re with, or even who is touching them.  That’s why Arden gets crazy around you.”

“You’re wrong about me and Arden being mates.  You see, you just answered a lot of questions for me.”  Quinn knew something was going on, and Arden was wrong, or lying, about them being mates.

“No you’re wrong, you’re the Alpha’s mate.”  Bane narrowed his eyes at her in confusion.

“No, because if Arden was my mate then he wouldn’t still be sleeping with Alice. I know what Arden smells like, and she was drenched in him.  She even told me that she just left his bed.  He must do the old ‘mate’ thing with all the new wolves so he can get them in bed. Make no mistake; this is one wolf that he won’t have. Now let’s go practice.”

Bane got up without saying anything.  He looked just as confused as he walked out of the office.  “We can go over to the gym.  I know nobody is using the room in the basement, and I have the keys to lock up the doors so nobody will see us.”

“Okay, let me tell Finley and Jade that I’ll be back in a few.”  Quinn walked off.  Even though Bane had explained how it worked, she was sick over knowing that Arden had lied to her. And apparently Bane, too, since he’d looked just as shocked at what she said.

Chapter 8

Bane walked into Arden’s office, frowning.  “Are you still fucking Alice?”

Arden looked up. “What are you talking about? You know that Quinn is my mate.  I’m just giving her some time to get used to being turned before I jump her bones. So, hell no, and why are you even asking?”

“Because Quinn told me earlier that you were still screwing the women in the pack and that you must tell all the women that they’re your mate so you can have sex with them.”

“What?”  Arden yelled.

“Just saying that you need to get that under control, because if you don’t you might not have a mate soon,” Bane warned him.

“What the hell happened?  After I left she was smiling, and I thought she enjoyed the kiss and…other things.”  Arden put his head in his hands and let out a deep sigh.  “I think I’m losing my touch.”

Bane chuckled.  “No, I think you have a certain wolf who doesn’t want to let you go because she knows she won’t be the HBIC anymore.”

Arden picked his head up and frowned.  “You’re so strange. What does HBIC mean?”

“You know, ‘Head Bitch in Charge.’”  When Arden continued to stare at him, Bane rolled his eyes.  “You know, Alice.”

“There are times when I have to ask myself why you’re my second in command.”  Arden asked, still confused.

“Come on, dude. Alice came into the store today and she smelled like you and she rubbed it in Quinn’s face. Quinn is a new wolf; I’m sure the mating pull is something strange to her and she doesn’t realize what she’s feeling because she is feeling so much right now.  Hell, her body is going haywire with scents, but I bet she smelled you on her.”

“Shit, I should’ve known she was up to something.  Earlier today, I found Alice in my bedroom, naked, and before I knew what she was doing, she rubbed all over me.  Shit, I bet she did it on purpose.”  Arden got up.

“Where are you going?”

“To see my mate and explain this.” Arden answered, walking out the door.  “Also, don’t forget about the patrols tonight.  I want this pack found and dealt with.”

“Yeah, yeah old wise one,” Bane muttered.

Arden decided that it was time for his mate to understand that she was it for him.  He shifted and ran to the store, hoping to explain everything.  What he wasn’t expecting was to see his guard Pete Moss looking in the store window like a stalker.  He turned around and frowned when Arden shifted and stepped up on the porch.

“What are you doing?” Arden asked.

“She’s crying,” Pete said, concerned.  “I heard her and came to check on her.  She was on the phone, and then she started crying.”

Arden looked in the window and watched as Quinn laid her head down on the table, boxes scattered around her.  He could hear her pain as she sobbed.  He knocked on the window, and Quinn looked around until she saw him.  He pointed toward the door.  For a minute he thought she wasn’t going to open it, but she got herself together and unlocked it.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing.  I’m just tired,” Quinn answered, but he could tell she’d been crying for a while.

Arden pushed himself inside and then closed the door behind him.  “I’m not screwing around with Alice.”

“What?”

“I’m not screwing Alice. Not since I first saw you,” Arden repeated.

“Well, she sure smelled like you, but it’s none of my business who you have sex with.”  Quinn waved him off then walked back to the table and started unpacking some candles.  He could see her jaw tense up and her mouth was pursed angrily.  She was trying to keep it together, but he could see it did matter to her.

“Of course it’s your business.  I’m your mate.”  Arden didn’t understand why that was so hard for her, but he could hear his mother telling him that just because he thought something, it didn’t always mean that others felt the same way.  He needed to show her how he felt.

“Look, she already told me she’d just come from your bed, and she smelled of you, so you don’t have to make up lies.”

“Lies!  I’m not lying.”  Arden pulled her hands to him. “Listen.”  He lowered his voice.  “Earlier, after I left here and went home, I found Alice in my bedroom naked, and she jumped on me.  I should’ve known she was up to something when she kept rubbing all over me even after I told her to leave.  I threw her off me and told her that you were my mate.”

“You did?”  Quinn asked, surprised.

“Of course.  I couldn’t have sex with her.  Hell woman, I can never have sex with anyone but you.  Nobody will ever make me feel like you do,” Arden explained as he walked over to her and gently wiped away her tears.  “Nobody will ever be as beautiful as you.  I only see you, and I only want you.”  Tears fell down her face as she listened.  “Why are you so sad?”

Quinn swallowed hard and closed her eyes.  “Because my father hates me.”

He shook his head. “Nobody could hate you, Quinn.” Arden pushed her hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ears.

“My father does.  He’d rather see me married to a man I don’t want than see me happy, and I’m not going to marry someone I don’t love,” Quinn said.

“You’re my mate, and I won’t let you marry another man,” Arden answered, but he could feel his wolf pushing to get to her.  The mere mention of another man with his mate made him defensive and almost crazed.  But he had to remember that Quinn was a young wolf and wouldn’t understand how he was feeling. It would scare her, and he couldn’t let that happen.  Calm yourself, old boy, Arden said to his wolf.

“You won’t.  Don’t you see that you’re acting just like him when you say things like that to me?  You don’t own me, Arden.   Why do you do that?”  Quinn blew out her breath.

She was getting upset, so he needed to diffuse this.  “Quinn, I’m not trying to take control. It’s just who I am, and most wolves are like this.  You will be too once you get older.  You’re still a young wolf.  Look, I don’t want to argue, but you need to get some of that frustration out before you explode on someone. Let’s go run.  The stars are out, and it’s a great night.  Come on.” Arden pulled on her hand, leading her to the door.  “Come on, you know you want to.”

The corners of Quinn’s eyes crinkled as a small smile spread across her face.  “Take off your clothes, and we can leave from here.  I want to show you a place.”

Arden opened the door.  “Pete, we’re going running.  Lock up the store and we’ll be back later.”  When he turned back around, Quinn had already shifted and was waiting on him.

“You’re getting fast, little wolf.” Arden touched the end of her nose, then took off his clothes as she watched him get undressed.  He smiled, then shifted and took off out the door.  He didn’t have to turn around to know she was following him.

Chapter 9

Quinn loved the feel of the wind brushing against her fur.  This was exactly what she needed. What surprised her every time she shifted was how well she could communicate with her wolf.  The wolf was inside her, and it felt like she was a separate person and yet like they were one at the same time.

Arden said that Alice was lying and that he hadn’t had sex with her, but then why would she say that they had?  She was such a bitch. But what goes around comes around, and she was going to be there when Alice got what was coming to her.

She knew they were on Dixon land because of the “No Trespassing” signs everywhere.  They’d been running for a long time when Arden started slowing down.  She was hot and sweaty, and she hoped wherever they were going she could get some water.  That was a long run, and she was thirsty.

As they slowed down she could hear water flowing, and she could even smell the moisture in the air.  Some kind of water was close by.

Arden came to a stop by a beautiful waterfall and pond. This place was wonderful and exotic, and all the wildflowers growing around it made it more alluring to explore, but right now all she wanted was some water.  She followed Arden as he waded out in the pond and drank.  She mirrored his actions, and then water splashed all over her, soaking her fur.

Shaking the water off, Quinn watched as Arden emerged from the water.  Wow. She blinked several times, because the man was magnificent.  Not only was he tall, he was the finest specimen she’d ever met, and his body was to die for.  His black hair glowed in the moonlight. He hadn’t shaved and she loved that about him.  She wanted to reach out and touch the stubble on his face.  She ached as he emerged further from the water, and a ‘v’ of hair appeared, going down below the water.  Any time he was around, her hormones went crazy.

“Shift and get in.  I’ll even turn around if you need me to.”  Arden smiled, and then actually turned around.

Quinn thought about it for a second, then figured ‘what the hell.’ She shifted and went underwater. Lord have mercy, the water felt wonderful.  It was cool to her heated skin as she poked her head above the water.  She looked up to find Arden watching her like she was going to disappear. Then she realized he could actually see her ample breasts as they remained just above the surface.

Damn, she never realized just how much they floated.  She put her arms over her chest and eased back a little.  It was dark outside, but she knew they both could see in the dark.

“So, you ever been dunked underwater?”  Arden asked, playfully easing closer to her.

“You stop right there,” Quinn commanded, but Arden continued to swim a little closer until he was right up against her, and whispered, “I’m sorry Quinn, but I have to kiss you.”

Arden pressed his lips briefly against hers.  She could tell he was gauging whether or not she was going to allow him to continue, and the answer was yes she was.  She licked the top of his lips, letting him know he had his answer.  Pulling her closer to him in the water, he massaged a spot on her shoulder where he would eventually bite her and make her his.  But he already knew she wasn’t ready for that, not yet.  He needed to stop when he felt his canines lengthen.  Once her legs wrapped around his waist, Arden took control as he carried her over to the waterfall then went under it.

Quinn opened her eyes and found they’d entered a small cave with beautiful rocks inside.  As he carried her she could feel his erection rubbing against her, making her body ache more for him.  It had been so long, and everywhere he touched ignited her body.  Lifting her higher, Arden placed her on top of the cool rocks.  Her legs fell open, and he jumped up and pushed between them.  His tongue ran from one breast to another as his lips captured her nipple.

“Please, don’t stop.”  Quinn shuddered as his hand kneaded her other breast.  She couldn’t control her body as she wiggled underneath him.  She was ready.

“I need you now, Arden.”  Quinn arched her back as his lips left her breast. He pulled her legs closer to him and slid one finger inside, and that was all it took to make Quinn scream out her orgasm, the sound echoing around them in the small space.  His eyes glowed as he watched her reaction.

“I love watching you,” Arden said before he slowly pushed himself inside and waited.  Quinn gasped as she suddenly realized that Arden was huge.  “Sorry, I’m having a hard time keeping myself under control.  I want you so bad, Quinn.  I want to fuck you so hard, but I’m afraid I’m going to hurt you.”

Slowly, he pulled out, then pushed back in, setting an agonizingly slow pace.  “Arden, please....”

“You ready for me, baby?”  Arden tortured her with his voice.

“Yes, now.”

“Your wish is granted.”  Arden pushed as far inside as he could. As he continued to thrust, he seemed to go further each time, hitting that spot that made her crazy.  So crazy, Quinn’s claws came out, digging into his back.  If she kept that up he would surely mark her.

Arden grabbed her hands and held them over her head, then pounded into her.  “Baby you feel so good and tight.”  He leaned down and sucked a nipple inside his mouth, and she lost it all over again.  Her whole body came apart as he continued to hit her g-spot over and over again until she came again.  These sensation took her breath away as he reached his climax and exploded inside of her.

They lay silently together until they could get up. The water was cool as it splashed across the smooth rocks, and the anxiety and tension she’d been feeling earlier was now gone.  He was right again.  Damn, he would use that against her.

“You okay?”  Arden’s voice sounded as satisfied as she felt.

“Better.  Thank you.”

Arden chuckled.  “We need to do this more often.”

Laughing, she said, “I guess we should. Beats going to the gym and working out.”

“Honey, as a wolf you’ll never have to go to a gym again as long as you let her run when she wants to.”  He reached over and ran his fingers down between her breasts.  “But it’s not like you need to worry about working on your body. It’s perfect.”

“You really mean that?” Quinn asked.

“Are you...you don’t see how beautiful you are, do you?” Arden asked.

“I don’t think I’m ugly, but I never really focused on my appearance. I’m not a conceited person. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I want to look pretty, but I just don’t stress over it.”  Quinn leaned up and looked around. “It’s beautiful under here.”

“It is.”

“I need to get back, Arden.  I have a lot to get done,” Quinn said reluctantly. She leaned over and kissed him on the lips, then jumped in the water.

*****

Arden walked into the conference room and shut the door. Bane and all of his command staff were waiting for him. He could still smell Quinn on himself, and he loved it.  She smelled like cotton candy.  She also had some candles in the shop that smelled just like her.  He’d asked if he could buy one from her, and she smiled and gave it to him.  He wanted it in his bedroom so he would smell her all the time.

“Looks like someone is happy.”  Bane joked, then leaned over and inhaled.  “Ah, now I see why.”

“Shut up,” Arden joked back, but he wanted all of his men to know that Quinn was his mate. He wanted them to be familiar with her scent, especially on him.  “Let’s get this meeting started. We have a lot to discuss.  First, yes, I have found my mate, and most of you already met her.  Her name is Quinn Lamone, and here’s the big news—she’s a witch, too.”  He figured he would hear groans and moans about that, but nobody said anything.  “I figured at least one of you would say something about Quinn being my mate and also a witch.”

Pete Moss looked around the room at the others before he spoke. “Alpha, I met your mate, and I like her a lot.  I think she’ll make a great fit, but since nobody is going to say anything, I will.  It’s some of the pack that will be scared of her.  You might need to talk with them and tell them before the rumor mill gets started.  I already heard Alice and her bunch making up lies about Quinn to some of the older wolves.  I think you might want to have a meeting with the pack and tell everyone about it all together.”

“Thanks for being honest, Pete. I was planning on doing that in a few.  Quinn is having a grand opening today, and I want security tight in the city but also here on pack grounds. I don’t want these rogues to feel like we’re not on our game. I’ll need to go over some rules for tomorrow, too.”

“What worries me the most is the fact that we haven’t seen or heard anything from this pack since Quinn was bitten.  Bane has a schedule worked out, and you’ll all be assigned posts.  We need to be on the look-out for anything strange.  I don’t want any humans being taken tomorrow.  The chief of police is going to be out with his guys, too.  Let’s make sure we’re all on our game, because a lot of people will be there.” Arden stood up and smiled at his men. “Thank you all for all of your hard work.  I have a feeling that it’s going to be a good week; let’s make it great for the pack.”

Arden’s command staff all stood up and agreed. They each hugged Arden and congratulated him on finding his mate, then left the room.  He sat back down with Bane.  “Do you think the pack is going to give Quinn a hard time?”

“I don’t know; only time will tell.  We need to shut Alice up before she whips the whole pack into a frenzy, though,” Bane added.  “I hope she isn’t going to turn out like that woman in Fatal Attraction. You know, where she kills the kid’s pet bunny, puts it in a pot on the stove, and when they come home the mom finds it in there and screams.  You’re not a screamer, are you?”

Arden stared at Bane.  The man could come up with some crazy shit.  “I don’t have a pet bunny, Bane, so I think I’m okay.”

“Yeah, but what if she just puts one in there for like, shock value? What if Quinn comes home from a hard day at work and finds a dead bunny boiling on the stove?  Do you think Alice is that crazy?”

“I don’t even know what to say to you right now,” Arden said, shaking his head as he stood up.

“You say that now, my friend, but when you find the dead bunny rabbit on the stove, you’ll remember this conversation!” Bane yelled out as Arden left the room.

Later that morning, Arden waited in the open field for the pack to gather.  He watched as Alice and her group showed up smirking.  He had to deal with her after the meeting or she was going to be a big problem.

“Good morning, pack.”  It was still early and Arden needed to hurry this along, so that everything was in place before Quinn opened her doors at noon.  “I know you have heard a lot of rumors lately, and I want to tell you the truth since some have been viciously spreading lies.”  He looked over at Alice, who had the common sense to look down at the ground.  “This week I met my mate.”  Arden waited as some of the pack members who hadn’t heard anything started clapping. “Thank you. Her name is Quinn Lamone, and she recently moved to town and purchased Charlotte’s Closet. She’s re-opening it today, as Southern Treasures.”

“Alpha, isn’t your mate a witch?” Alice yelled out so everyone could hear her. The crowd, who were excited five seconds ago, now were gasping and covering their mouths.  She looked around, nodding when other pack members glanced over at her for confirmation.

“Yes, Alice, and if you could let me finish I’ll explain to the pack what is going on.” The look he gave her wasn’t close to what he was going to do as soon as this meeting was over.  “Quinn is a witch, and comes from a long line of witches who are part of the Witches and Wizards Council.  Her father is an elder in the WWC.  She is not the kind of witch who would do me or any of you harm. I’ve told her about Beatrice Hoffman, and what she did to my dad.  I know it will take some time for all of you to get used to a witch being around us again, but as you know we have no choice in our fated mate.

“She has the grand opening today for her store at noon.  I would appreciate it if you could stop by and at least introduce yourself.  Remember, we support our own, and Quinn and Finley Egan were both bitten by the rogue pack this week and turned.  So we still need to be on the look-out for that pack.  There will be a lot of humans in town this weekend, so keep your eyes open.”

“How do we know she isn’t that kind of witch?” Alice asked, trying to provoke the pack.  He looked over at Bane, and he could tell his friend’s wolf was pushing out.  He wanted to make her submit too.

“Alice, since you’re continuing with this agenda to make my mate look bad, I think it’s only fair to tell the pack about the lies you’ve been spreading.  First, you show up in my bedroom naked and jump me so you can get your scent on me. Then, when I ordered you to leave, you went to my mate’s workplace and told her we’re still sleeping together and you just left my bed.”

“Then, when that didn’t work, you and a select few—who will be dealt with later—showed up here and went around to as many pack members you could to try and turn them against Quinn.  She has done nothing to you, Alice. She’s just trying to run a business and bring more people to our community to buy our goods. You should be ashamed of yourself.” Arden watched as members of the pack glared at her; some wouldn’t even look at her. His point was made, harsh as it was. She’d given him no choice, though.  “Alice, you and your group will wait by the pack house and I’ll deal with you in a bit.  You are all dismissed.”

Arden waited until they were gone before starting the meeting up again.  “Pack, a lot of changes are going on.  We still have dangers among us, but what we have to do is stick together and not allow animosity to interfere with our pack and what is best for us.  Fear can make a person do stupid things.  I’ve gotten to know Quinn and she’s not like Beatrice.  I want you to meet her and make your own judgment instead of letting lies do that for you. To grow, we need mates, and to stay strong we have to believe in one another.  If you have any concerns, please come to me and we can sit down and work them out like we always have.  Again, if you would try and support Quinn during this time, I would appreciate it.  I think once you’ve met her you’ll find that she’s like us and only wants this to work out.”

“The store is opening today at noon.  Also, Jade Cross will have her purse and jewelry line at Southern Treasures.  She has already sold a good bit through Quinn’s online shop.  Stop by and support Jade and Quinn, and the other pack members who are working there.  Ms. Nelly, I know you have quilts that you make for the fairs, and I bet if you talk to Quinn she could find a spot in the store which can bring in more business for you.”  Arden waited and saw that some of the Elders smiled and patted Ms. Nelly on the back as they all left.  Her mate had passed away, and she needed something to keep her going.  Making quilts was something she liked to do, and it helped bring in money for her to live on.

“What do you think?” Arden asked Bane.

“I think it went great, but you still need to do something about Alice and the others for trying to start trouble. Plus, she was being rude while you were trying to conduct an official meeting. So I think cleaning up the common areas and bathrooms would be a good punishment for her and the group. I can go and check to make sure they’re being done properly.”

“Sounds good to me.  Let’s go give Alice the bad news.”  Arden smiled, thinking about Alice and the others cleaning all the bathrooms in the pack house and cleaning up after all the little ones in the common areas.  It was always a disaster after the kids had been playing and using the bathrooms.

Chapter 10

Quinn looked around the store one last time, making sure everything was in place and that everyone she offered a job to was ready to go.  She had Rick and Paley running the cash registers. Jade was manning her side of the store, with all the jewelry and purses.  Finley had some friends who needed jobs, and she’d given them a crash course in sales.  Most had worked odd jobs before, and picked it up pretty quickly. Especially Emily, who’d worked at a coffee shop in Atlanta.  She wanted to run the coffee and book part of the store. Everything seemed to be in place and working out.

Why her thoughts seemed to keep going back to Arden she didn’t understand?  Maybe it was the great sex they’d had last night or maybe there really was something about being his mate.  She wished that he was here.

The back of her neck was itching and had been since Arden brought her home last night.  They’d made love again upstairs, but he’d left early this morning, saying he had pack business to tend too.  She was hoping he’d be there to support her and Jade today.

Oh well, she thought. Maybe she was asking for too much. Finley walked over and put his arm around her. “The store looks wonderful, Quinn. From the crowd growing outside, I think it’s going to be a success.  Thanks for letting me work here until I can get back on my feet, and for just being here for someone to talk to.” She understood Finley’s fears, because she had the same ones.  He lived at the pack house, and everyone had opened their arms up to him, but her being a witch had left most of the pack ignoring her.  At least that’s what she thought, since none of them have been by the store to say hello.  Finley told her about pack members stopping by the house introducing themselves to him and bringing him cookies and other food items, but no one had come out to see her, even though she knew most of them had been to town.  She couldn’t think about it now, though—she had a living to make.

“Well, we’re in this together, right?  Plus, who else understands better than me?  We were re-born on the same night, with that great big moon in the sky.”

Quinn hugged Finley.  “I’m glad you’re my friend, too.”  She didn’t want to start crying, so she let him go and walked away, brushing the tear away before anyone could see it.  She’d never had true friends before, and what Finley said touched her deeply.  She glanced back at everyone before she unlocked the door and turned the ‘Open’ sign on.  “Everyone ready?”

“Ready,” they all echoed back.

She smiled, plugged the sign in, and unlocked the door. Before she could open the door, though, it was being pulled from the outside. She backed up and welcomed everyone as they started piling inside. As she inhaled, she could already smell the coffeemakers brewing all kinds of coffee.  Jade and her friends did a great job in getting the equipment there in one day, and working too.  They didn’t have many books yet, but Paley had found a bookstore going out of business in Atlanta and she immediately called and asked how much she wanted for her supplies.  The lady didn’t have much left, but they were all new books, so off she went with the others to pick up the coffeemakers and books.  These kids were a godsend, and she couldn’t thank them enough.

“Hello.” Quinn opened her eyes to see Arden smiling back at her. He was holding a bouquet of wildflowers.  “I thought these would look great over on the counter with all the different-colored candles.”

“They’re beautiful, Arden.”  Quinn murmured as she held the flowers to her nose.

“You’re beautiful; these will do.” Arden smiled. “It looks like opening day is a big success! While I waited outside for you to open, I could see even more vehicles pulling up.”

“Thank you, Arden.  I hope so, but I tell you, the ones who are going to be successful are those four back there.  They’ve been wonderful to me. And I haven’t told her yet, but Jade has sold three hundred purses online alone.  She’ll need some help in sewing her product, because she won’t be able to do it by herself.  I can’t wait to tell her. I hope she has some friends who can sew.”

“Are you kidding? There are a lot of people in the pack who can and are looking for work.  The pack keeps them up because they can’t find any jobs here, but they do odd jobs for people in the community.  When are you going to tell her?”

“Let’s go tell her now. I can’t keep this in much longer.” Quinn clapped her hands together, excited to give her the news.

Quinn and Arden walked over to the counter, where Jade was helping a lady pick out some bracelets for wedding gifts.  Once she was done, Quinn couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“Jade, I have some great news.  I checked the computer before we opened, and you’ve already sold three hundred purses online.  Do you realize what that means?”  Jade looked stunned and speechless.  “That means you’re going to be a success, girl, and make great money! You need to hire some people to help you sew girl. You have a lot of orders to fill.”

“I don’t know what to say.”  Jade had tears in her eyes.  “For so long, people have told me that I wouldn’t amount to anything, and it kinda stuck inside me.”

“Who told you that, sweetheart?” Arden demanded.  He had his arm around her as the tears fell.

“Nobody, Alpha. I don’t won’t to drag anyone into this happy moment.  I sold three hundred purses?”

Quinn smiled and nodded her head.  “Yes ma’am, you did, and that means you need to hire some people to help you.  We need to hire you an attorney, too, to make sure your line is protected and nobody can take it from you.  The lawyer here in town drew up my papers, I’m sure it would be easy for him to do that for you. Plus, you have the money now.”

“Miss, can you show me something?”  A lady pointed at the jewelry cabinet.

“Of course,” Jade answered, then told Quinn, “I’ll get with you later.”

They watched as she practically skipped over to the next counter.

“Look how happy she is.” Quinn smiled.

“You did that for her, Quinn.  I’m so ashamed that I didn’t know people were filling her head with nonsense.  She’s a beautiful girl, who’s going to be a big success.  I could pound the ones who told her that.”

“Well, look no further.”  Quinn nodded in the direction of the door, where Alice and two other girls had just walked in.

“I dealt with them today.  Let me know if they cause any trouble?  I called her out today at a pack meeting about how she lied to you. I had enough of it. I hope you believe me, Quinn.  I haven’t been with a soul since I met you, and I never will. I know you might not feel it yet, but you’re it for me.”

“Can you get me one of those pocket books down, sir?” Arden and Quinn both looked over at a young girl.  She was pointing at one of Jade’s purses, which was hanging on the wall.

“Of course.  Which one would you like?” Arden asked.  He was tall enough to reach the one she was pointing at.

“How much is it?” the girl asked.

“Well, this one is…” Arden looked at the tag.  “This one is fifty-two dollars.”

The girl smiled.  “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”  Arden and Quinn watched the little girl take the pocketbook over to her mom.

“I think I’ll stick around for a while and get purses off the wall,” Arden said with a smile.

“That sounds great.” Quinn walked over to the counters where Paley and Rick were feverishly ringing people up.  She got behind the counter and started helping by putting their items in bags for them.  The line started moving faster when she did.

When she looked up next it was already six at night, and the store was almost ready to close.  Everyone looked tired, and when she examined the store most of her inventory had been sold. That meant she needed to get on the phone and order more, so that when they opened back up on Tuesday she would be re-stocked.

Quinn rushed over and locked the door after the last woman left.  “We did it!” she yelled out.  When she turned around everyone was smiling and coming up to congratulate her.

“This calls for a celebration,” Jade announced.  “Let’s have a cook-out.  What do you say, Quinn?”

“Um, well, I have a lot…”

“That can wait until tomorrow,” Jade interrupted. “Finley can drive you out and maybe one of the guards can drive you back.”

“Or I can.”  Quinn jerked her head in the direction of the voice.  Her ears had to be deceiving her. But no, there was her brother smiling at her.  She ran over to him and jumped in his arms.  August was her twin, and he had red hair, too, but it was dark auburn rather than flame-red.  He’d grown a goatee since she last saw him, and cut his hair short.  He looked great; and normal, for once.  He had on dark-colored blue jeans and a button-down shirt.  Not the normal suit and tie she was used to him wearing as a successful doctor.

“When did you get here?”  Quinn asked, excited to see her twin.

“A little while ago. I just watched to see how it was going, and it looked like you were selling a lot of stuff, Sister,” August said proudly.

“Come here and meet the gang.”  Quinn pulled her reluctant brother over to Jade and her friends.  “Everyone, this is my twin brother, August.  He just surprised me with a visit, can he come too?”

“Of course he can,” Jade answered immediately.

“Hey, can I talk to you in private?”  Quinn narrowed her eyes at her brother for being so rude.  He wasn’t even acknowledging Jade or the others, and she wouldn’t have any of that.

“Excuse us.  Jade, give us thirty minutes and I can drive to the property.”  Quinn grabbed hold of her brother’s hand and pulled him away toward the back door.  A guard was standing at her stairs, and eyed her hand on her brother like she was up to something.

“Pete, this is my brother August. We’ll be down in a few minutes, and then we’ve been invited to a cook-out behind the pack house with Jade and her friends.”  She could see Pete immediately relax when she told him that August was her brother.  Unfortunately, she also knew that Pete would be calling the Alpha and telling him that August was here. He was a wizard, and that would mean two magic users on Dixon Land.  She wondered if the pack would collapse in fear from them being so near, or if they would act like nothing was wrong.  Because he was her brother, and nobody was going to tell her that he couldn’t visit.

“What are you doing here, August?”

“Well, I’m happy to see you too, Sister,” August said smartly.

“Look I know when you’re lying, and I know something is up. What is it? Is something wrong at home?”

“Of course not, except that you’re not there like you should be.  But you don’t need to be here, Quinn. You’re too good for this hick town.  Dad said if you come home now, he may be able to make sure our name isn’t tarnished.”

Quinn stared, then burst out laughing.  “Did he make you learn that speech, or did you make that shit up yourself?”

August frowned.  “You can’t make me believe that this is what you want.  In this hick town?  You know you can open your own store back home where it’s not so country.  We’re not like the wolves.”  Quinn was ashamed of how her brother was acting, sticking his nose up in the air like they were better than Jade and the rest of her pack.  Wow, she thought, I just called it my pack.  She smiled.

“What’s so funny?”

“You are.  I can’t believe my own brother has his nose up in the air, just like our father. We’ve always despised that act. These people have shown me nothing but kindness—more than I ever got back home, August.  I was going to tell you later, but I guess this is the best time to do it. I am just like the wolves.  In fact, I’m a werewolf too.”

August narrowed his eyes, then looked at her again. This time she could tell he could see the difference in her.  “What happened to you?”

“Earlier this week I was attacked by a rogue wolf and turned.  Ta-da.”  Quinn threw her hands up in the air.

“I’m going to fucking kill them. All of them.” Quinn could see the magic storming around August.

She put her hands on his shoulder, stopping him. “Calm down. It was a rogue wolf, August, not this pack. But they did take me in, and they’ve helped me.  I’m happy here. For the first time ever, I’ve found a place that I can call home and be happy in.  Please don’t ruin that, or try to make me go back to that hellhole.”

Quinn watched all kinds of emotions run across August’s face.  “I’m happy here, and finally free of him.  I make my own decisions, and my dreams of owning my own business have come true.” She pulled him closer and whispered, “Please be happy for me; and August, you can leave too. You could be whatever you want here, and practice medicine too.”

“Sister, you know I can’t.  He’ll be…”  August’s voice stopped.  She could see the stress he was under.

“Enough, August.  We’ve been under his control long enough.  I’m done, and you are too. You can practice anywhere. We don’t need his approval.” Quinn pulled her brother closer. “It’s our time now. He had his chance, and if he wants to take over the Council then that’s on him. But he isn’t taking us with him when he fails; and make no mistake, brother, he will fail.”

They both jerked when someone knocked on the door.  Quinn dropped her hands. “Come in.”

Finley had to duck as he came through the door. August looked up at him in surprise.  She thought he’d left already.

“Hey. Finley, I want you to meet my brother, August.”

Finley walked forward with a smile on his face and stuck out his hand. August was still looking up at him when Quinn elbowed him in the side. Finally, he took Finley’s hand and shook it.  “I wanted to see if you needed a ride to the property.”

“I think I’ll just drive and follow you. That way you don’t have to come back here,” Quinn told him.

“Okay, well if you’re ready the store is locked up and all the lights are off.  Jade called and said they had the steaks on the grill.”  Finley said over his shoulder as he walked out the door.

*****

“Nice property,” August muttered as they walked over to the back of the pack house.  Jade and the others already had the picnic tables set up, and food was coming off the grill.

“Great timing.”  Jade announced as she put the last steak on the plate.  “Come on, sit down.” Quinn, August, and Finley sat down with Jade.

Quinn wondered where Arden was, but didn’t say anything. Right now her brother was in town and she wanted him to like it here and stay.

The group asked August a lot of questions as they ate dinner.  He mellowed out some and was actually nice and acted like he was having a good time.  She wanted her brother here with her.

“Let’s go and sit by the fire.”  Jade suggested.  It was a cool night, and it felt good to relax by the bonfire, but of course Alice and her group of minions showed up to spoil it.  She was mad about something, Quinn could tell, and she was ready for a fight.

“You found some friends that actually want to be around you, huh Scarface?”  Alice said, and just like the mean girls in the movies, all her friends laughed along with her.  When she looked over at Jade, she could tell she was finally getting mad.

“Shut up!” Quinn shouted. She couldn’t and wouldn’t take anymore of her cruelness.  Alice’s head whipped around.

“What’re you going to do about it, witch?”

“You really don’t want to mess with me, Alice.  I’m not going to sit here and just take your shit.” Quinn could hear someone coming out the door, but she didn’t turn around for fear of Alice jumping on her when her back was turned.

“I challenge you, witch.”  Alice stood proudly as she said it.

Quinn moved around the fire pit and saw that it was Bane and Arden who’d come out. Of course he shows up now. It didn’t matter—she wasn’t taking any shit from anyone anymore.  “I don’t know what a challenge means, but if it means me whipping your ass then I’m in.”

Quinn looked over at Bane, who nodded at her.  She hoped the lessons he’d given her would pay off. They’d only worked on it a couple of times, but she had some other training she could use, too.  All her life she’d been taught how to defend herself.  Tonight she was going to put it all together and use it against Alice.

“Quinn, what are you doing?”  August tried to talk to her, but she didn’t have time to explain before they both started taking their clothes off.  “Stop this, Quinn.”

Quinn shifted along with Alice, and she was faster.  She didn’t waste any time before she leaped on Alice, scraping her claws down her back before she was thrown off.  Alice was stronger than she’d expected, but she wasn’t giving up.  She watched as Alice gave away her tells, signaling when she was going to do something.  Her father drilled it into her head that people were predictable, and that she just had to wait for that right moment.

She saw the sign she was looking for, and before Alice could move she was on top of her and had her jaws wrapped around Alice’s neck.  Squeezing her jaws together, Quinn could taste the blood of defeat as Alice whimpered.  But before she could give up, Quinn was floating through the air, landing behind her brother.  Shit, he did the one thing that he shouldn’t have done—use magic.

As she shifted back, she could hear Arden yelling at August.  All the wolves had backed up behind their Alpha.  They were scared.  August had his hands up, chanting a protection spell.  She jumped up and ran to her brother.

“Stop, August. Stop!  I’m not hurt.  You’re scaring them.  Stop.”  Quinn grabbed her brother, pulling him back.

“See, I told you, they’re bad people. He’s probably cast a spell on all of us!” Alice yelled out, bringing more pack members out of the house.

“Get off my property,” Arden demanded, and pointing toward August.  She could see the veins in his neck standing out, and knew he was almost to the point of shifting.  He would kill August. And now she had her answer; he wasn’t her mate.  She’d thought she was falling in love and that he was in love with her, but she was wrong.

She pulled August over to her pile of clothes and put them on.  Jade tried to go over to her, but Arden yelled again, “No, Jade.”

Quinn looked over at him.  He hated who she was and what she represented, and it would never work.  She hoped that she could find another place to go open her store where there weren’t paranormal people of any kind.  She had to keep looking, because she would never go back to her father.

“Let’s go, August.  I’m done here,” Quinn spit out.  She had to leave before she started crying.  She wouldn’t let the man see her cry.

Finley walked over to her, stopping her before she left. “Quinn, I’m sorry.  I don’t know what to do to fix this.”

She put her hand up to his face. “It’s okay, Fin. It’s best that I leave this area anyway.  They fear my kind, and he can’t accept me either.  It won’t hurt so bad if I don’t have to see him anymore.”

“Then I’m leaving too. If they can’t accept you then I’m not going to be part of his bigoted pack.”

“Quinn, what the hell is going on?” August pleaded.

“I’ll explain in the car.”  Quinn smiled sadly and dropped her hand. “Fin, I can’t ask you to leave.  You fit in here. Apparently I don’t, and never will, just because I’m a witch.”

Chapter 11

“Quinn?”  August said her name bringing her out of her thoughts.  They’d been driving in silence up till then.

She just blurted it out. “Arden is the Alpha of the Dixon pack, and when he was a child, a witch cursed his father with a spell.  She was angry because his father wouldn’t turn her daughter, and the daughter killed herself.  In revenge, she cast a spell that would make his father shift and kill his son, but Arden’s mother got in his way before he could, and he killed her.”

“The pack got to his father before he could kill Arden, but the Death Hunters were sent out and they killed both the witch and Arden’s father.  The pack fears any witch, and until me there hadn’t been one in New Hope for over thirty years.”  She glanced over at her brother before she dropped the biggest bomb. “I’m the Alpha’s mate, August.”

“Oh God, please tell me you’re joking?”

“Nope.  I’m in love with him, but him acting like this toward us just proved to me that I can’t be with someone who hates me because I’m a witch.  I was born this way, just like he was born a wolf.  It’s who I am.  He can’t take that, and I’m done trying.  I just wanted to find a place to fit in, and now that’s gone.”  Quinn gripped the steering wheel harder.  He’d chosen Alice over her.  He had to see that Alice was the one starting the fight.

Of course, she was a half-breed.  Just thinking that made her sick to her stomach.  She had to pack the store up, and just find a place to live and concentrate on her online store instead.   That way she couldn’t offend anyone.  Fuck, she couldn’t stand what she was saying to herself.  Right now she was sick over all of this, and thinking about it was killing her.  Her wolf was angry as well; she could feel it inside of her.

*****

Arden watched as Quinn, Finley, and her brother left. He couldn’t control his anger anymore and wanted to unleash it on Bane. “She’s my mate, so why are you and Quinn looking at each other?”

“Maybe you should have a little faith in your mate and stop trying to control who she is…” Before Bane could say anything further, Arden hit him in the face, and the fight was on.   Arden finally looked up to find two men standing to the side watching him and Bane fight.  That’s when Bane hit him with a right hook, knocking him to the ground.  He shook his head, trying to clear the stars from his eyes.

“Good lick,” Arden muttered.  When he looked up, Bane was holding his hand down to help him get up.

“You’re still an ass.  You should know better than to think that something is going on between me and your mate,” Bane scolded. They both looked over at the two men standing beside a frowning Tate.  “Who are they?”

Arden wasn’t in the mood, but he knew who these men were.  “Death Hunters’ attitudes are always the same. Cocky and arrogant, and the fact that they have swords strapped to their backs just gives it away.”

Bane laughed.  “Dude, you just described yourself, apart from the sword.”

Arden walked over to the men.  “Why can’t you let us deal with this?”

The little one smirked, but the big fucker was obviously in charge.

“The Council sent us to help find the rogues,” he said.

“I explained to the Council that we could handle it.”  Arden narrowed his eyes at the man.  He didn’t like them already.

“So you’ve found them?”  The smaller one asked.

“No, asshole, we haven’t,” Bane countered.

“Then it looks like we’re going to be helping you with that little problem,” the larger one continued.

“Do we call you Death Hunters, or do you want to give us your names?” Arden asked.

“I’m Lennox Bartley, and my Beta is Cosmo Fitzgerald.”

Arden inhaled. He could feel the tension among his guards.  He needed to get this situation under control before something worse happened.

“Tate.”  His cousin frowned at the two men, then looked over at his Alpha.  “Find the Death Hunters a place to sleep. The two rooms open in our part of the house are fine.”

Arden already knew that they would send someone, so Bane already had the rooms ready. They watched as Tate took the Death Hunters to get settled.

“What do you think they really want?”  Bane asked.

“To wipe the pack off the face of the earth, including the women and children,” Arden said, still watching as they left.

“I’ll have a problem with that,” Bane replied.

“Alert the pack, and let’s keep a watch on them,” Arden said, then turned toward Bane.  “What was up with the looks you and Quinn were giving each other?” He didn’t want any shit from his Beta; he wanted to know what was going on.

“Alice came into the store the other day starting her shit, and I told Quinn that eventually Alice would challenge her in wolf form. She told me that she knew how to fight in human form, but had no idea what to do in wolf form, and I said that I could train her.  Our Alpha female needs to know how to kick ass, and she’s good, Arden. Really good.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because she told me not to, and she’s my Alpha too. I wanted her to succeed in kicking Alice’s ass,” Bane said.

At first Arden smiled, then he couldn’t hold it in any longer and started laughing.  “You’re such an idiot.”  He leaned over, putting his hands on his knees.  “I screwed up, didn’t I?”

“Yep. Again,” Bane agreed.

*****

Quinn and August pulled up at the back of her apartment, and she noticed that the back door was standing wide open.  “Shit, someone broke into the store.” She dialed 911, and it went straight to the police station. While she was giving the information to the dispatcher, Finley pulled up behind her.

He got out and looked around.  She and August got out of the car.  “Did you call the police?”

“Yes,” Quinn answered. “Do you smell that?” It smelled like rotten eggs.

“It smells like someone egged the place,” August answered.  She could see how his magic was circling him.  Her brother was a powerful wizard, and he could cast a spell faster than anyone she knew.  He was preparing his magic for defensive casts.

The chief pulled up and got out with his gun drawn. Another police car also pulled up. “Stay here while we check the store out,” Deaton said.

They all waited, but Quinn knew something was wrong inside.  She could tell that this was going to make her so mad. Finally, the chief came out, rubbing his head. He looked at her with pity on his face.

“I’m sorry Quinn, but the store is destroyed. They tore everything up and it smells like rotten eggs and piss inside.”

Quinn didn’t wait; she pushed the chief aside and ran into the store. The lights were on, but the sight of her store made her physically sick.  All the counters were kicked in, and the glass was broken. They’d taken a knife and cut up all the clothes and purses—what was left of them.  Most of the store inventory had been sold earlier, but the rest was completely destroyed.

Her brother and Finley came to stand beside her. August put his hand on her shoulder, but she pushed it off and went back outside.  She didn’t say anything to anyone, just walked up the stairs to her apartment.  At least her apartment was still intact.  She unlocked the door, went inside, and headed straight to the bathroom.  She locked the door behind her and turned on the tub faucets.

It was all gone.  All the inventory she had left, and all the money she’d spent on the books, coffeemakers, and counters.  They’d even drawn a special message on the wall for her: “I’m coming for you.” Right now she was so mad that she was going to start throwing magic at anything and everything, and she couldn’t do that.  All she wanted to do was sink under the water and cry her eyes out.  Cry for losing the one she loved, cry for losing her friends, and cry for losing her store.  She’d lost everything, all in one day.  She turned off the water and sat down in the tub, then leaned back into the hot water.  Once she got comfortable, she let go of all the emotions she had bottled up.  She held the washcloth against her mouth and sobbed.

*****

August walked upstairs after he gave the police all of his sister’s information.  Finley was with him, and when they heard her in the bathroom crying, August almost lost it.  She’d looked so happy when he arrived and now someone had done this to her.  Why?

Finley put his hand on August’s shoulder.  “Your sister needs you now. We can get our revenge later, but right now she’s hurting, and I think it’s mostly about the Alpha.”

“No, I don’t think so, especially after how he acted earlier.  She couldn’t love him, and let’s be honest—the way he treated her, he doesn’t deserve her.”  August went over to the door and knocked lightly. “Quinn, come on out, sweetheart.”

“I just need some time alone. I’ll be out later.” Quinn’s voice was low and defeated.

August shook his head and walked over to Finley. “Give me that asshole’s number.” Finley looked at him for a minute, then took his phone out and repeated the number to him. August punched the number in and went outside.

Arden answered on the second ring. “How is she?” That’s what the asshole had the audacity to ask.

“She is a wreck, you son of a bitch.  You’ve destroyed my sister and the love she had for you, and that fucking rogue pack destroyed her store. She has nothing now.”  August thought he heard a click, and when he pulled his phone away from his ear he saw the fucker had hung up on him.

August walked back in the room and glanced up at Finley.  “The arrogant son of a bitch hung up on me. That’s fine; she’s too good for him anyway and I’ll take her somewhere else where she can be herself and open her store up and enjoy life. We…”  Finley looked up at him, and he sighed. “We didn’t have a great childhood with our father. He took away any control we had, and made life miserable for us. Quinn got away, and today I actually saw her happy for the first time in a very long time.  Now that asshole has broken her heart, and that damn pack needs to be wiped off the face of the earth.  If I find them first, I’ll make it happen.  I can promise you that.” August walked out the door, leaving Finley inside. He needed a moment to get his thoughts together.  All he wanted to do was rain fire down into the woods and hope they were laying there watching.

August was sitting on the steps, trying to calm down, when three vehicles pulled up. He waited to see who it was, and when he saw the man responsible for his sister’s heartache, he bolted down the stairs.  “You need to leave, you bastard.”

The rage he was feeling was so close to the surface that he wanted to explode.

Finley came up behind him and put his hand on his shoulder. “Now isn’t the time.  Looks like he brought help.”

August never wanted to hit somebody so badly before; except his father, but that was another story.  He glanced back at Finley in shock, but his attention was over his shoulder. Turning around, his eyes located the biggest men he had ever seen.

The big man and one other walked over and inhaled, then continued to the store’s door and went inside.  Arden and Bane followed them.  August walked in behind them and watched as the two men walked around the store inspecting the mess.

“Who are they?” August asked.

“Death Hunters,” Arden answered as he continued to watch the strangers.

“You brought fucking Death Hunters to my sister’s store?” August ran his fingers through his hair. “You’re crazy. I’ve got to take my sister away from all of you crazy people.”

“She’s not going anywhere. She’s my mate.” Arden didn’t even look at him when he said it.  Like he was sure his commands would be followed.  This was hitting too close to home for August, and he knew what Quinn would do if she heard him.

“Well, watch me.” August turned around and walked outside. He’d started up the stairs when Arden put his hand out and stopped him.

“I love your sister.”

“You have a funny way of showing it.” August had had enough of this man and his arrogant ways. Before he could get his anger under control, he turned and punched Arden in the face, knocking him backwards. He knew he hit him hard, but the wolf’s face felt like granite.

“I’ll let you have that one, but not again.  I fucked up and I know it, but I love her and she’s my mate.  I should’ve stood up for her today, but the magic…”

“Scares you.  Yeah, she told me.  We’re not like that witch.  She was bad from the start, and we don’t use the Craft for revenge.  You can’t judge us all because of one bad witch, and you can’t keep putting my sister on the back burner while you mess with her head.  She’s been through too much growing up with my father.  Come on man, you’ve treated her like shit.  Don’t you see that?”

“I just need to talk to her and explain.”

“Just so you know if she leaves I leave, and if she stays I stay. So you need to make up your mind before you talk to her whether you can stand a family of witches in your town—and, if she’s really your mate, in your pack.  I’m not leaving my sister again.  Frankly, I don’t think you can take care of her.” August turned around, then muttered, “She’s not even talking to me, and that’s unusual. Maybe you should come back tomorrow, let her calm down tonight. She doesn’t trust you anymore, and trust is important to her,” he explained, and walked back up the stairs.  “I can’t believe I’m even talking to you.”

He locked the door and went over to the bathroom again, but didn’t hear Quinn crying anymore. He didn’t hear anything, in fact, and that scared him.  He used some of his magic to unlock the door, and when he walked in, Quinn was still in the tub, fast asleep.

Apparently, nudity was nothing to wolves, but this was his sister. He hated picking her up while she was naked, but she could drown if he didn’t. He shook his head, got a towel out and laid it on the floor, then closed his eyes and reached in the tub. He picked his sister up, laid her on the towel, and covered her up.  Then he carried her into her bedroom and put her to bed.  He was going to take the couch in case the rogues came back, because if they did they would get a lot of fire.

Chapter 12

Quinn woke up to the smell of bacon frying.  Since she’d been turned, she loved meat and more meat.  She was starving and she knew she needed the energy to tackle the clean-up she had waiting downstairs.  But she’d made a decision; she wasn’t leaving town.  She wouldn’t go back on pack land, but she wasn’t giving up her store and what she had in it.  She could get more inventories, and she could put spells around the store so the rogues couldn’t get back in, but she wasn’t going to let anyone run her off.  Screw them, she thought, then got up and took a shower.

When she walked out into the living room, Finley and August were talking and cooking.  “Good morning.”

She smiled and kissed her brother on the cheek, then kissed Finley too.  They both watched her as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She added an extra shot each of chocolate and vanilla.  She was going to need it.

“How are you feeling this morning?” August asked.  She could see the concern on his face as she sipped from her cup.

“Actually, pretty good.  I needed the sleep and I need to eat.” Quinn grabbed a piece of bacon and put it in her mouth.  “And I’ve made some decisions, too.”

“Does it include us packing you up and leaving here forever?”  August said with a smirk.

“Nope. But I’m not going to be part of the pack, and I will not go onto their land. And I’m not closing my store.  Once it’s cleaned up I’ll do some spells around the store and apartment to make sure they can’t come back.  If any of those bitches mess with me again, I’ll kick their asses both in wolf form and as a witch.  So, brother, if that isn’t the answer you’re looking for, cry about it.” Quinn smiled, then started piling food on her plate.

Finley finally broke the silence that followed her declaration. “What do you need to start the cleaning process? I’ll go and get the supplies from the store.”

“That would be great, Fin. Thanks for helping me out, and for sticking by me. I know that you were friends with everyone there.”

“Look Quinn, I’m not one of those people who are going to be mad about something that happened thirty years ago.  Nothing is wrong with you, and if they can’t see that then I don’t want to be part of their pack.  We came in this world bitten on the same day, and we need to stick together.”

Quinn felt the tears gathering in her eyes.  “Thank you, Finley.  I don’t have many friends, and I would really like to keep you as one.”

“You got it.”  Finley popped some bacon in his mouth and got up from the table.  “I’m off for some cleaning supplies. Text me if you need something special.”

Quinn nodded and watched her friend walk out the door.

“He’s a good guy,” August commented.

“Yeah, he is.” Quinn finished her food, then put her plate in the dishwasher.  “Now I need to start the clean-up.” August opened the door and they walked down the stairs together.  Both of them stopped at the bottom when they heard something inside the store. August chanted a protection spell, which surrounded them as he jerked the door open.

Both stood and gawked at the Dixon pack cleaning up the store.  They already had most of it fixed, and some of the men were making another counter and painting.  Arden walked over and stood beside her. “I think we got most of it cleaned up, but we need to build another counter for the jewelry and buy another coffee thingy.”

“Coffee thingy?” Quinn asked, confused.

“Yeah, that machine that makes those different flavors of coffee,” Arden said with a smirk.

“Hmm.  We’ll have to order that.”  Quinn didn’t want him being nice to her now.  She was still mad at him for being a complete ass, and she was getting tired of it. “I’m shocked that you’re fraternizing with the enemy.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know, seeing that I’m a witch and all.”  Quinn glared at Arden as she said it.

“Quinn, I need to apologize to you. I’m sorry. I wish I’d handled that differently, but I didn’t.  I made a complete fool of myself.”

“Wow, at least you can admit it,” August contributed.

Arden frowned at her brother, then pulled Quinn over to the side.  “Look, I wish I could take back what happened.  I hope we can start over and—” Quinn turned around to see what had gotten Arden’s attention. Two of the biggest men she’d ever seen were walking toward them.  Arden pulled her closer to him as they stopped in front of her.

“You’re Quinn?” The bigger of the two asked.

She gave him a once-over before she answered. “Yes, and you are?”

“My name is Lennox Bartley, and this is my Beta Cosmo Fitzgerald.”

“Death Hunters,” Quinn stated flatly.  Arden narrowed his eyes as he looked over at her.

“Yes. We’re here to find the rogues and take care of them.  I have some questions, if you wouldn’t mind?” Lennox asked.

“Sure, why not.” Lennox and Quinn moved over to a table that had made it through the trashing.

“Absolutely beautiful,” Cosmo muttered as he watched them walk off.

Arden turned to Cosmo. “You fucking touch her and I will kill you. She’s my mate.”

Narrowing his eyes at him, the Death Hunter looked over at Quinn again. “Don’t see a mark yet.”

“She was just turned, and I was giving her time,” Arden answered.

“Hmm.” Cosmo looked thoughtful, then walked over and sat down at the table with Lennox and Quinn.

“If I were you I would get over there with her,” August said, shaking his head.

*****

Arden walked over to the table and listened.

“Do you feel any connection to the wolf that bit you?” Lennox was asking.

“What the hell?  No, she doesn’t feel anything for him,” Arden answered for her.

“Dammit Arden, I think I’m old enough to answer for myself.” Quinn got up from the table. “No, I don’t feel a damn thing for the wolf,” she said, staring at Arden, and then walked off.

“Looks like your mate wants you real bad,” Cosmo said with a smirk.

“If you want to keep your head then I advise that when it comes to her you back the fuck off.” Arden said.

*****

Jade ran up to Quinn and hugged her. “I’m sorry about last night. I should’ve known that Alice would start something when she saw you there.  I hope we can still be friends?”

“Of course we can, Jade. I just thought maybe somebody would have had my back last night and took up for me.”

Jade lowered her head in shame. “I know.  I hope you can forgive me.” Quinn watched as she moved away.

There was still a lot for them to do, but if the store was going to be a success she needed to find another one of those ‘coffee thingys.’  She smiled as she went back to her office to make a call.

After about a half an hour, she finally found one, and they were willing to hold it for her, too.  She punched the air in triumph. When she went back out into the store, it looked like new again.  They were still putting together some counters and tables, but the smell was gone, and the graffiti, too.

Arden walked over to her and pulled her back into the office.  “I’ve got to go back to the house with them, but I want you home with me.  That’s where you belong.”

Quinn narrowed her eyes at the Alpha for thinking she was going to do exactly what he said.  She snorted.  “Where do you get off on thinking that I’m ever going back to that property again?  I’m a witch, Arden.”

“I know you are, Quinn. I’ll say it this way then: you’ll be back at our house tonight, or I promise you I’ll hunt your pretty ass down and take you myself.” Arden bent down and nipped her lip. When she gasped he found his opportunity and kissed her deeply, leaning her backwards until she couldn’t stop kissing him back.  He tasted like the mints she had sitting on one of the tables. He wasn’t going to get off this easy in thinking that he could control her, the bastard. She pushed him back until he let her go.

“Tonight, Quinn,” he muttered, then walked out the door with the Death Hunters.

“Cocky, arrogant, big-headed wolf,” Quinn grumbled out loud.

“Quinn,” Jade whispered.  “Are you okay?”

She couldn’t stay mad at Jade.  She was a good woman, and like everyone, just needed to work on taking up for herself.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Quinn grabbed her purse and inched her way toward the door as she watched all the guards help Finley put the counter back together.

“Where are you going?” Jade asked watching her sidle backwards.

“Be quiet. I want to go get another coffee machine. They’re holding it for me, and if I don’t go get it then they’ll sell it to someone else.  I’m not taking the guards with me, either. I don’t need them.” Quinn whispered as she stepped backwards again, closer to the door.

“Then I’m going with you.” Jade grabbed her hand and they quietly made their way to the door.  As soon as they stepped outside, Quinn felt the wind as a fist connected with her face.  Before the lights went out, she thought of Arden.

Chapter 13

It was the smell of rotten eggs that woke her. Slowly she tried to open her eyes, but the pain in her head was throbbing. She finally managed to force them open, and blinked for a bit. When she tried to touch her face, where the pain was coming from, she couldn’t.

Cursing her very existence, Quinn looked up and saw that her hands were tied together. Bits and pieces of what happened started to wander into her memory as she looked around. The smell was ungodly, and she tried to breathe out of her mouth. Now she knew where that smell was coming from, but what she didn’t know was where she was at. When she turned her head to the other side she saw Jade tied up the same way, but she was still out cold.

“Jade! Jade, wake up. Jade,” she said it with a little more purpose, trying to get her attention before someone walked in.  Finally Jade’s eyes sprang open. They were yellow as her wolf peered through.  Quinn hadn’t been a wolf very long, but if she was a betting woman, she’d say Jade’s wolf was making sure she was safe.

“Quinn?” Jade’s voice was groggy from being knocked out.

“Be quiet.  I don’t know where we’re at or who took us,” Quinn explained, trying to keep her voice low.

Jade looked around and shook her head.  “We’re in the old mines outside of town.  I knew I recognized that scent from somewhere.  This mine has been closed for over fifty years.”

She moved her head so her arm would push against her nose, blocking the airflow. “God, what is that smell?” Quinn asked.

“It’s sulphur coming up from the mine.  This is an old coal mine.  It caved in and they couldn’t use it anymore. Too unstable. Plus, the gases that came out of this place smelled like—“

“Rotten eggs,” both of them said at the same time.

“Shit, now all the rocks are going to cave in on us,” Quinn said, still looking around. Then it hit her. You’re a witch, so get yourself untied. Settling her thoughts, Quinn repeated an unbinding spell, but when she looked up at the handcuffs holding her hostage, nothing had happened.

“I can’t use my magic,” Quinn muttered, then tried the spell over again.

“Of course you can’t, you fool.” Quinn looked in front of her as a woman and a man she’d never seen before walked toward her.  She could tell the man had been the wolf who bit her.  He was the rogue Alpha they’d been talking about.

“Hello Quinn.  I’m your maker—and mate,” the man said, with a smile on his face that was pure evil. She could feel a cold chill slide down her backbone as he got closer. He was covered in black smut, and his hair was oily and greasy-looking. She wanted to point out that there was a pond right there he could bathe himself in, but clearly they needed to look the part.

“You’re not my mate, and you’re not my maker. You may have bitten me, but you don’t control me.”  She had to stay strong; she couldn’t let him sense any weakness.

“Ah, your first fight.” The woman said with a smirk, and Quinn thought this one was crazier than he was.  Lord, didn’t these people have a mirror to look in, or someone to say, ‘hey, you might want to get the black coal off your face and clothes.’ Then again, she clearly wasn’t dealing with people who had a full deck.

“Who are you people?” she asked, trying to show confidence.

“Well, I’m going to be your sister-in-law, Hannah Hoffman.”

“Lady you’re about a dollar short and completely out of your mind if you think anything like that is going to happen,” Quinn answered.

“So how do you like your new home?” Silas smirked.

“I think I want my money back.”

“We didn’t all grow up with a silver spoon in our mouth.  Be careful or you will be buried here,” Hannah answered.

“Quinn, this is your future sister-in-law, and she’s a witch just like you,” Silas informed her, patting his sister on the shoulder.

“Well, let’s cut to the chase then. I don’t plan on being in this family, but why have you kidnapped us?” Quinn was losing patience with this mangy mutt.

“Glad you asked. Our sister was Beatrice Hoffman,” Silas explained, like the name should mean something to her.  Quinn looked around, then back at them, confused.

“The witch who cast the spell on Arden’s dad,” Jade filled in.

“Yes, our beloved sister was killed because of Arden Dixon’s father, and now he will pay for his father’s sins,” Silas vowed.

Quinn twisted to look behind her again. When she looked back at Silas and Hannah, Silas asked, “What are you doing?”

“Looking for the cameras.  I think I’m in the wrong movie. You know, the mafia movies where the bad guy says, ‘Now you’ll pay for your father’s sins.’” Quinn smiled, and Hannah slapped her in the mouth.

Quinn screamed out and kicked her legs forward, trying to hit Hannah. “You bitch.  I’ll pay you back for that, you mangy, rotten-egg smelling cunt.”

Hannah lunged toward her, but Silas jerked her backwards. “Don’t touch my mate again. Enough!” Silas grabbed Quinn’s head and jerked her close to his face. “You smell ripe, like I could eat you up. Soon you’ll be mine, and when you are I’ll teach you your first lesson—to watch your mouth.” Silas licked her face, then pulled her shirt off her shoulder. “Now what do we have here?  I don’t see any mating marks. Oh my, what a shame.”

“Let me go.” Quinn tried to jerk away, but Silas pushed her, watching as she swayed backwards.

“What do you want?” Jade yelled.

“I want the Alpha’s head on a stick, and I’m going to get it.” Silas smiled.

“You aren’t strong enough, and he has a whole pack behind him. He probably knows exactly where you are right now,” Jade sneered.

Silas and Hannah both laughed. “We know exactly what he’s doing right now.”

It dawned on both the girls what Silas was implying. “Nobody in the pack would betray their Alpha.”

“Who says they’re original pack members?” Hannah taunted Jade.

“Finley? How could you make Finley do that?” Quinn asked.

“Told you she was a smart one, Sister.” Silas reached out to touch Quinn’s face, but before he could she snarled and tried to bite his hand.

Jerking his hand back, Silas’s eyes glazed over. “I love it when you fight.” Then he grabbed a hold of her face, shoving it to the side and moving to bite her when Hannah pulled him back.

“No, Silas.  It will make it so much better when he sees you mate with her. We have to wait. Let’s go and set the spell in motion.”

“What are you going to do?” Quinn demanded.

“Since you’ll be family in a few, I’ll go ahead and tell you. Your friend Finley is a spy for us.  He doesn’t even know that he’s my puppet; my lap dog to do whatever I want with.  We know what’s been going on, especially with you.  If Arden wanted you, then he should’ve mated with you. But lucky for us he is giving you time to adjust to being a wolf.  How sweet and stupid.  If he was a true Alpha then he would have taken you and mated with you whether you were adjusted or not.”

“Why would Finley do that to us?” Jade whispered.

“He doesn’t know he’s doing it, stupid girl. He’s under a spell. If you had a witch in your pack she could protect members of your pack with magic, but no, instead of being afraid of the big bad wolf, you’re all afraid of a witch. Now look at you. Soon you all will be bound to us.” Hannah grabbed Silas’s hand. “Let’s go, Silas, before we run out of time.”

They both started walking out, but Hannah turned back. “Oh yeah, in case you want to use some of that magic, you can’t. I put a protection marker on the cave. You can’t do any magic in the cave. See you later, little sister.” Hannah laughed.

Quinn waited for a soundtrack of pure doom to start playing, but nothing happened.  She listened until she was sure they were gone, then said, “We have to get out of here and warn Arden. They’re going to put a spell on him.”

When Jade didn’t say anything, Quinn whispered, “Jade are you okay?”

At first Jade was silent, then she turned and looked at her. “Something is bugging me.”

Quinn laughed. “Well it’s not like we don’t have time to kill. What’s bugging you?”

“Do you love him? Jade asked. “Because if you don’t, and you don’t feel the mating pull, then maybe when this is over you should leave. Because he’ll only ever want you.  He’ll never want or have anyone else.  I know you don’t understand that right now, because you weren’t born like this, but when we find our mate it’s everything. Our world revolves around that person.  I don’t know if he’ll survive if you leave, but being around you all the time when he can’t have you will kill him too.”

“Thanks, Jade.  No pressure and all.”  Quinn took a deep breath, despite the smell.  “You know, all my life, my dad has told me who I could like, hang out with, and even love.  He told me when I was younger that I couldn’t love my boyfriend, unless he said I could.  Damn Jade, he was so controlling. I couldn’t breathe anymore. Have you ever been so controlled that even what you ate could be held against you?  I wish I could have grown up with a pack who took care of each other—well, we can take Alice out of that bunch—but all the others have been pretty great.”

“You didn’t answer my question. Do you love him?” Jade asked again.

Quinn sighed, “Yeah, I do. But it's the controlling part that I’m having a hard time with.  I love him, but what if he starts to try and tell me what to do?”

“My dad told me the story of what happened when the witch cast the spell, and Arden’s mom and dad were killed. My dad said that Arden was a complete mess. He was the Alpha’s son, and then he wasn’t anyone. Everything and everyone had been taken from him. He had no one, and my dad and family helped him and loved him, but you know he’s always waiting for something or someone else to leave him. It scares him, Quinn, knowing you’re his mate, and you’re this close to becoming a family, but then he watches you slip right between his fingers.  He holds on tight because he fears he’ll lose you, just like his parents and the life he used to know. Just like that, it was taken from him.  Hell that’s hard for an adult to grasp, much less a kid.  Maybe you could cut him some slack and understand that, just like you, he had a terrible childhood, and that’s why he holds on too tight and tries to control you.  He’s scared, too.”

Quinn listened to Jade and finally understood. He was holding on for fear of losing her.

“Also, when he is being too much, then tell him no, but do it in private.  I think once this is over everything will work out,” Jade finished, then looked around the room.

“If we ever get out of here,” Quinn whispered.

“What?”  Jade asked.

“I don’t see how were going to get out of here if I can’t use my magic. I don’t know about you, but can you get out of silver handcuffs?”  Quinn said, then pulled on the cuffs, making her skin burn.

Jade laughed. “Well we need to find a way to jump into the water then, because last I checked it wasn’t part of the cave.”

Quinn looked over at her, then at the water and back again. “What did you say?”

“What?”

“You’re a freaking genius, Jade. That’s it.”

“What’s it?”

“The water. Her spell. The water isn’t part of the cave. I doubt she included it.  And either way, if we can swim to the other side of it, which is definitely outside the cave, then I can use my magic.”  Quinn smiled as they both started laughing.  Then Jade frowned.

“But...how are we going to get to the water?”

Chapter 14

Quinn closed her eyes to think.  What can we do to get out of here?  Right now all she wanted to do was puke from the smell.

“That’s it.”  Quinn looked over at Jade and smiled.  “I hope you can act, because you’re going to have to pretend that you’re dead. When he takes the cuffs off you, don’t waste any time in shifting and going straight for that water.”

“Help!” Quinn screamed. She glanced over at Jade, whose head was down like she was dead. “Please help us.” Quinn could hear someone walking. She hung her head forward for added effect.

“What’s going on in here?” She glanced up with weak eyes and whispered so he would come closer. “She’s sick, please help her.”

The guard looked at Jade, then unhooked her and took off one of the cuffs. Jade’s head rolled back with her mouth open like she’d just died. “They don’t care about her, just you.” Then, he threw her down to the ground.  Quinn wanted to say something about how careless he was with her body, but right now her plan was working.

“Help me,” Quinn moaned, which quickly got the wolf’s attention.

The wolf looked behind him, then smiled. “I’ve got something that will help you.”  Then he undid one of her handcuffs. She could see Jade already shifting when she brought her knee up, catching the guard in the nuts. When he bent over gasping, Quinn used the handcuff and hit him square in the head with it.  She didn’t know how long he would be down, but Jade was already in the water when she took off running. She tripped when the guard grabbed her leg, but she kicked him in the face and he let go. She got up and ran, diving into the water.

Sputtering as she came up on the other side, Quinn saw Jade fighting another guard. The man had a stick and was about to hit her with it when Quinn used her magic on him. Flicking her wrist, Quinn spun the man around in circles. He would keep twirling until she released him. She swam up to the side of the pond and dragged herself out.  Jade was still in wolf form, and if they were going to get to Arden in time, they would have to run and run hard.

She couldn’t hold the spell after she shifted, and the man would stop turning; but by the looks of him he wouldn’t be able to do much until his head stopped spinning.  In fact, there he went, throwing up all over himself as he spun. She shifted and followed Jade into the woods.

Her mate and the pack were in trouble, and if they didn’t get there quick Hannah would use her magic on Arden. The Death Hunters were already there, and who knew what they would do to him if he hurt someone while under a spell.

*****

Finley knocked on the Pattersons’ door. Peg and David Patterson were Elders in the pack, and both were born in the pack. Peg had brought cookies to him every day since he was turned. He really liked the Patterson’s, but for the life of him he couldn’t remember why he was knocking on their door.

David opened the door with a smile, and Finley hit the older man, knocking him out.  He carried him to the back bedroom and laid him down on the bed.  Peg walked into the room. “What happened?”

“Stay in here, Peg.” Finley closed the door, then went to the back of the house and unlocked it for Silas and Hannah.

“Where are the old people?” Hannah asked.

“In the bedroom,” Finley answered then followed Hannah into the bedroom, where Peg was holding her husband’s head in her lap.

“You did so good, my pet.” Hannah rubbed up and down Finley’s arm.

“I know you’re in there, Finley. Fight her.” Peg’s voice was soft as she encouraged him.

“Like he can really fight me, old woman,” Hannah laughed.

“Witch, you have no control over me.”  Peg spit at Hannah, infuriating the witch.  She reached back to hit Peg, but Finley grabbed her hand, stopping her, then pushed her away. Before Peg could say anything further, Finley tied her hands and feet and put some tape over her mouth so she couldn’t yell out.

“Leave her alone,” Finley’s voice was harsh.

Hannah stared up into Finley’s face, her black eyes hardening as she glanced back at the old couple. ”Remember who controls you, my pet.”

Hannah turned to walk away but stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “These old people won't be here much longer. We need warriors for our cause. You would be wise to remember that. Their time is almost up.”

*****

Arden, Bane, August, and the pack guards had a table pulled out with papers scattered across it. “We need to check every house and property. I know they’re still here.  I feel it.”

“What do they want?”  Bane asked, tilting his head toward Lennox and Cosmo as they approached the table. “And what are those strapped to their backs?”

Arden knew exactly what they were. The Swords of Justice had been used to kill his father.  He remembered everything that happened that day.

“Why do you have swords?” August asked.

Cosmo looked toward Lennox, who nodded, before he answered.  “To kill people with.” When nobody laughed at his joke, he shook his head. “They are the Swords of Justice.”

“I thought they were a myth.  Made-up stories, like the boogeyman,” August said.  He looked more closely at the blades.  “Are they really made by Ozark and Phelmine?”

“Who are Ozark and Phelmine?” Bane asked.

“They were the most powerful witch and wizard known. They forged swords for a group of Hunters who would hunt down paranormals who could not be redeemed; the ones who were considered cruel and evil.  I just never thought it was true, because we have never seen you guys,” August said.

“Now you have.” Lennox answered without any emotion.  “And when we find the ones who are responsible for this, we’ll do our job and kill them.”

*****

Silas and Hannah watched out the window.  “It’s time to end this, Sister.”

Hannah smiled and pointed toward Arden, speaking his name and then beginning to chant the spell.

Gasping for breath, Arden grabbed his heart and fell to the ground.  He couldn’t speak as pain crept into every corner of his body until he had no choice but to shift.

Bane yelled out, “Back up!” At first, the members of the Dixon pack stood their ground, until they heard the growls directed at them by their Alpha.

“Alpha, what are you doing?” Bane held his hands out to Arden, who was shaking his head back and forth.  “Arden, it’s me, Bane.”

That’s when Arden’s eyes focused solely on Bane. The witch’s demands echoed in his mind: ‘Kill Bane. Kill Bane.’

Chapter 15

Quinn stopped and shifted back into her human form. “I smell magic.”

Jade shifted back. “How can you smell magic?”

“I just can. We need to hurry, Jade.” They both took off running through the trees, toward the back of the pack house. When the backyard came into view, Quinn used all of her strength to run faster.

She’d heard that life went by in slow motion during horrific events, and what she was watching fit in that category.  As they crashed through the woods into the backyard, they saw Arden shift and leap into the air toward Bane.

She screamed, because she didn’t have enough time to cast a spell, but before he could reach Bane, Arden’s wolf slammed into the ground.

She looked over at her brother, who had his hands up. He’d just saved Bane’s life, and most likely Arden’s too.  She ran over to him and dropped to the ground in front of him.  She could barely speak from the stress of almost losing her mate.

August knelt down and hugged her. “Quinn, I thought…”

“I know. Thank you for saving him.” Tears fell down Quinn’s face. “I…I love him, August.”

“I know you do.” August rubbed circles on her back, trying to soothe her as she cried.

Quinn swallowed hard, then pushed her brother away.

“The witch and Alpha are here somewhere. We have to find them to break the spell!” Jade yelled, getting her pack’s attention.

Bane rushed forward to his sister, hugging her.  “You’re okay. Thank God.”

August helped Quinn up.  “The witch is here; we have to find them, August.  She cast a spell on Arden and she has to be close to do that.”

“Okay, let’s get the pack together.”  August let Quinn go as Finley rushed forward and yanked her toward him. It happened so fast that she didn’t have time to yell out before he wrapped his hand around her neck, holding her still.  As he started to squeeze, Quinn’s vision blurred.

August inched closer, but Finley squeezed harder. “I don’t think so.”

“What are you doing, Finley?” August shouted. She could see the fear in her brother’s face.  He couldn’t do a spell for fear Finley’s hand would squeeze in response and break her neck. He was that strong, and it wasn’t him in control.

“He’s under the witches spell too,” Jade said as Finley’s hand tightened further cutting off her oxygen. Before she blacked out, she felt a jolt to her back, and Finley toppled forward falling down on top of her. When she pushed Finley off and turned around, Police Chief Deaton Egan was holding his gun in his hand.

Gasping for air, Quinn crawled over to where pack members were holding Arden down to the ground.  She closed her eyes and broke the spell that Hannah had put on him.  She watched as Arden’s wolf shimmered and he shifted back to human form.

Quinn rubbed her hand down his arm, making sure he was okay. His body was covered in sweat, but it didn’t matter.  She thought she’d lost him forever, and she knew now that she wouldn’t be able to live without the arrogant control freak. “Arden, are you okay?”

“Quinn.” Arden’s voice was rough, and just above a whisper as he hugged her.

“I didn’t know if I would get back in time.” Tears fell from her eyes. “Arden, I love you.”

When she pulled away from him, she could see the anger in his eyes. “Who hit you?”

“It was Hannah, the witch. Oh God, Arden, it’s Beatrice Hoffman’s sister and brother. Hannah is the witch, and her brother is the wolf who bit me and Finley. It’s revenge, Arden. They want to make you pay. They’re here on Dixon land. They had to be close by to hit you with that spell.”

Helping her up, Arden held her body close to him. “I’m going to kill them.”  Quinn shivered when she heard the intent in his voice.  She could tell he was still shaky from the spell.  It took a lot of magic to keep an Alpha wolf under for that long.

“I hate to interrupt this reunion, but we need to find them,” Bane commented. Before Arden could say anything, he gasped.  Peg and David Patterson were in pain, and he could feel it. He clutched his chest and muttered, “They’re in Peg and David’s house.”

Arden had to be the one to kill the wolf.  He could have killed his mate. His witch sister was definitely going to die too.  August was right when he said that Beatrice was bad to the core, meaning she had no soul and only knew how to do evil.  Apparently the whole family was evil.  No wonder the daughter wanted to become a wolf.  She wanted what her family couldn’t give her.

They didn’t sneak around to the back of the house; Hannah and Silas knew they were coming. Arden knew the Death Hunters were following, waiting to see what he would do. They would step in only if Arden didn’t take care of the matter, and he planned to do exactly that.

“Wait, Arden.”  Quinn and August held hands and silently did a spell.  When they were finished, Arden kicked in the door.  Hannah and Silas were each holding knives to David and Peg’s throats.

“You’re no match for me, Alpha,” Hannah laughed. She started chanting, but when nothing happened she sneered and looked over at Quinn. “What did you do?”

“No magic on Dixon pack land, bitch.” Quinn smirked. “Oh yeah, and just for your information, no magic ever in your case. You will die here; that’s a promise.  You’re no match for me, even in human form.” Quinn knew her words would provoke Hannah enough that she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from taking on the challenge.

Hannah’s eyes blazed.  Quinn could actually see the craziness inside of her.

“Ah, Quinn?” August leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Did you not get the memo that this bitch is crazy?”

“Yep, but I can take her.” Quinn smiled.

“You think you can take me? Well, let’s just see.” Hannah pushed Peg forward as they all backed outside.  When Hannah was out far enough, she pushed Peg to the ground and launched herself toward Quinn.

The knife was sharp as it dug into Quinn’s arm. The pain made her grit her teeth, but she couldn’t look down to see how bad the damage was. Hannah grew up hard, and Quinn knew she wouldn’t fight fair, so looking down or showing she was in pain wasn’t a good idea.

Quinn didn’t have to look down to know that Hannah had cut her arm open, anyway.  She cleared her mind of what-ifs; she needed to focus on killing Hannah.  That was the only way to make sure this threat never occurred again.  They were the last of the Hoffman line, and she had to make sure no offspring would ever threaten the pack with evil again.

Hannah lurched forward, giving Quinn the opening she needed. The move she used was taught to her by a human self-defense instructor. Using Hannah’s forward momentum, she grabbed ahold of her arm, twisting it backward. Then she jumped up and wrapped her body around Hannah’s like a snake, bringing her crashing to the ground.  Before Hannah could twist her body around, Quinn had the knife out of her hand and to her throat, slicing it open.  As brutal as it was, Hannah would have done worse to her, and at least this way she was dead.

Silas screamed in rage as his sister died. He was so caught up in his fury that he dropped the knife, shifted, and charged Arden. His quickness even caught Lennox and Cosmo off-guard.  Silas’s wolf was just as dirty as his human form.  Black coal dust was matted into his fur as the wind blew the smell of rotten eggs up their nose.  Arden had no choice but to grab ahold of the wolf and sling him against the trees.

Silas nipped his arm as Arden changed, and both wolves went head to head in midair. Quinn couldn’t tell who was winning, because both wolves were biting and fighting each other so fast, and she was terrified of Silas cheating somehow.

But Arden was faster and bigger, and easily got his teeth deep into Silas’s throat.  She could tell that Silas was not going to give up as Arden held on tighter, crushing his wind pipe.  Then he shook his head until his teeth tore further into Silas’s throat, ripping it out.

Arden spit the chunk of flesh onto the ground and shifted back into his human form.  Quinn rushed to his side and held onto him.  His body was covered in blood and sweat, but it didn’t matter.  They were free from the threat.

Chapter 16

The pack gathered around the Alpha pair. “You saved my life, and I’m indebted to you, Quinn.” Peg came and stood beside her.

“No Peg, that’s just what friends do for each other,” Quinn told her.

Peg grabbed her hand and smiled. “Yes, yes it is.”

Lennox and Cosmo dragged an unconscious Finley over and dropped him on the ground.  Lennox drew his sword, but before he could do anything with it, Peg, David, and Quinn all jumped in front of him.

“No, you won’t hurt him.” Quinn stood, holding her hand out toward the Death Hunters.

“You’d condemn an innocent man?” Peg asked. Lennox stopped and stared at her.  “This is an innocent man, who like Arden’s father was condemned for his actions while under a spell. You saw with your own eyes that Finley wasn’t himself and was being controlled by the witch. If he dies then you might as well kill me too, because I’ll not stand for it.” Peg sat down in Finley’s lap and wrapped his arms around her. The whole pack loved Peg and David.  As they watched her forgive Finley, they all moved closer and gathered around Finley too, protecting him.

“Shit,” Lennox muttered.

“Watch your mouth, young man,” Peg cautioned.

Cosmo’s eyes widened, and then he started chuckling.

“Yes, ma’am.”  Lennox blew out his breath, then put his sword back behind his back and walked off.

Arden walked up to Finley and put his hand on his shoulder. “Welcome to the pack.”

*****

“I could have gotten you all killed,” Finley protested.

“But you didn’t, and you wouldn’t let her hurt me.  I could see you fighting that spell, and I knew you were going to help us,” Peg answered.  “The Alpha tried to kill too, but he fought it as well.  You’re pack, and you saved my life, Finley Egan. Admit it.”

Finley sighed and looked over at his dad, then back at Peg, “I guess I’m pack.”  The pack cheered, all coming up to him and patting him on the back and hugging him around the neck.

“No guessing, son; either you are or you aren’t.”  Deaton Egan walked up and put his hand on his son’s shoulder. “You’re my son and that will never change, but now you belong to something bigger and better.  I’m still here for you, Fin, and I’m proud of you.”

“Pack.” Everyone stopped talking and looked at their Alpha. “Let’s get this cleaned up. We run tonight and celebrate our new family members.”  He walked over to Quinn, putting his hand on her arm.  “I’m not going to push you into mating with me.  I know you need time.”

“You don’t want me?”  Quinn asked.

“More than the breath I’m breathing, but I understand that it's got to be your decision.  I’m here for you.  I hope you’ll come and run with the pack.  No matter what, we’ve all agreed that you’re part of our pack.” Saying that, Arden kissed Quinn on the forehead and walked off. Quinn stood there, shocked that he’d just left without any demands.  He gave her the control.

“Come on, Sis, let’s get you home. You stink.” August held his nose. “Plus you’re naked, and that’s disturbing to me.”

Chapter 17

Jade ran up to the Alpha. “I am confused. Why you are letting her go?” Jade and Arden watched as August wrapped a coat around Quinn.

“Because it has to be her decision to mate with me.  I heard what you said about how her dad always took her control away, and I understand that.  I don’t want to be like her dad and make her feel that way.  I want her happy.”

“Wow, I’m impressed.  You look so calm,” Jade answered.

“Jade.” Arden stopped and blew out a deep breath. “I’m about to go nuts inside letting her leave, but if I don't do this then I’m going to lose her, and that is unacceptable.”

“Well, you’re making the right decision and I’m proud of you,” Jade told him, then hugged him and walked away. Arden sat down at the table as Bane came over to him with a smile on his face.  He knew the man would have something to say about Quinn.

“I can’t believe you were going to kill me,” Bane commented.

That was a surprise, he thought. “I’m sorry. You have to know that it was the spell.  I was fighting it, but I couldn't stop.  I’m sorry, Bane, you know I love you like a brother.”

Bane snorted. “Yeah, I know, but this is going to cost you, my friend. I don’t know what yet, but I’ll ask for something and you have to give it to me.”

“Anything.”  Arden laughed, then got up and hugged his friend.

*****

Quinn sat on her bed after her shower.  She didn’t have long before the run tonight.  What had her so upset was the fact that Arden just let her leave. She didn’t see that coming.  Maybe he really didn’t want her, and was trying to use this as an excuse to get rid of her.

She heard a knock on the door. “Can I come in?” August asked.

“Sure.”

Her brother came in and sat on the bed beside her. “You going to the run?”

“Not sure yet. I don’t know if he really wants me to show up, or if he was just being nice to a new pack member,” Quinn answered, crossing her arms, but even to her own ears it was a stupid remark.

“Come on, Sis. That man is in love with you. He’s giving you control of the decision. Please tell me you’re not that stupid. I thought at least you had that much sense,” August joked.

“You think he loves me?”

August pushed her shoulder with his. “Yes, and you love him.”

“I do, but what if he tries to control me like Father did?”

August rolled his eyes. “Look, Arden and our father are two different types of men. They don’t compare with each other. Father is an ass, and only looks out for himself, but Arden is an Alpha and he looks out for his pack.  I saw that firsthand, and so did you.  I don’t know why we’re still sitting here; I'm leaving you here and going to eat.  Besides, there are some fine-looking babes in your pack, too,” August joked. At least, she thought he was joking.  She watched as he walks to the door.

“Hey, August.”

“Yeah?”

“Wait up.”

*****

August and Quinn arrived at the pack run.  August made a beeline to the table full of food while Quinn searched for Arden.

She didn’t spot him when she looked around, so she approached Bane. “Have you seen Arden?”

“I think he’s already running.  You can put your clothes over there if you want to go and find him.  I think all the ladies have put their clothes there.”

Bane watched Quinn’s smile fade. She looked over at the table, which had a bunch of clothes on it, ran over to it and started stripping. Then she shifted and ran off into the woods.

“Why did you tell her that the ladies’ clothes were over there? That has all the pups’ clothes on it, and that’s who Arden is with,” Tate asked.

“Some people need a little push, and that woman needed a big one,” Bane answered.

Quinn tore into the woods, seeking out Arden and the bitches who were most likely trying to steal him.  Not today, she thought.  She stopped and sniffed the air.  She could hear something, but she didn’t know what it was.  She hadn’t been a wolf long enough to know the difference in sounds and smells.  As she walked closer she came across a clearing where Arden was playing with a bunch of cubs, jumping over logs and rolling around in the grass.  She wanted to join in, but she didn’t want to mess up their fun.  She eased back, starting to head toward the party again.  She must’ve gotten turned around, though, because when looked up she realized she was lost.  Before she knew what happened, she was hit from the side, landing on her back. Alice had her pinned down, and was about to wrap her jaws around her neck when Quinn rolled, knocking her off.

Apparently, the sound of two wolves fighting drew the pack in, forming a circle as they watched Quinn and Alice go at it.  Only one could be Alpha, and Quinn and Alice both knew this.

Alice had a lot of fights under her belt, but Quinn knew how to fight too.  She watched as Alice tried to herd her in the direction she wanted, but Quinn wasn’t having it.  She wasn’t going to let Alice control this fight. Jumping toward her, Alice nipped her hind leg, drawing blood.  She got back up and could almost see the smile on Alice’s wolfish face as she watched her limp around.

She wanted Alice to believe she was hurt as she glanced up to see Arden watching from the side.  The look on his face said it all; he was worried that she wouldn’t win.

Now it was time for payback—time for retribution for Jade, and the Outcasts.

She gave her a sign that she was hurt, which sent Alice lunging forward leaving her left flank open.  Big mistake, bitch.  Quinn ducked and jerked around, sinking her jaws into the top of Alice’s neck.  Blood oozed from her mouth as Quinn held on and tightened her grip, driving her teeth further into Alice’s neck.

She needed to end this, but Alice was a fighter and clawed at her, trying to maneuver her body and get Quinn to release her. What she did next was a shock to everyone; Quinn held on and flipped Alice’s body over hers, then wrapped her jaws around the soft part under her neck and sank her teeth in deeply, making Alice go deathly still.  She didn’t want to kill Alice, but if she didn’t give up and yield she would have no choice. The pack went silent as Quinn dug her claws into the underbelly of Alice’s stomach, making the wolf undergo more pain and humiliation.  Alice was done for, and she knew it. All Quinn had to do was yank and her throat would be ripped out. But Quinn’s wolf wanted to show who was Alpha, so she dug in deeper and continued to claw harder into her.

The whining from Alice’s wolf brought Quinn back.  She was so close that she almost jerked, sending a message to the pack, but Alice was yielding. Arden came over to her and put his hand on top of her fur.

“She’s given up, Quinn. Come back to me, baby.” Arden’s sweet words were like magic to her ears.  All she wanted was to be with him.  Releasing Alice’s neck, Quinn backed off and licked Arden in the face, then shifted.

Arden immediately picked her up and carried her away.  He didn’t say anything for a few minutes, until he asked, “Why were you leaving?”

“I was just letting you play with the pups.  I wasn’t leaving-leaving.  I can’t leave you,” Quinn whispered.

“What?  Did I hear you right?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe. Well what if I told you that if you did leave then I would hunt you down...because I love you, Quinn Lamone.”

“Good, because I love you too, Arden Dixon.”

Arden couldn’t stand it anymore.  He needed his mate, desperately.  His desire for her made his actions harsh.  “All I want to do right now is fuck you.  I’m desperate for you, but I’m afraid of hurting you.”

“Don’t be. I need you just as bad.” Quinn reached up and grabbed his neck, pulling him down to her lips.

“Were you worried about me?” She asked.

“Yes. I was worried that you would kill her and then regret it,” Arden answered, then bent down and licked her nipples, biting down lightly.

“That feels so good.”

“It’s going to feel better.”  Gently, Arden laid her down on the ground and opened her legs.  Rubbing his finger against her clit, he found that she was already ready for him.  “You’re so wet.”

“Just for you,” Quinn whispered.

Arden grabbed her feverishly, flipping her onto her knees and pushing his erection against her.

“Mmm,” she moaned out. Pushing back, Quinn rubbed against him.

“Quinn, I’m holding on by a thread here.” Arden gritted his teeth as his playful mate teased him.

“Then do it.” Quinn purred like a kitten. Her voice was music to his ears as he slammed into her.

Catching her off-guard, Arden circled his hips around, pushing farther inside of her. The sounds she was making were pushing him to want more and more from her.  He could scent their lovemaking and knew others were in the woods tonight and would smell it too.  He didn’t care; tonight he was making her his.  She was his mate, and he wanted everyone to know.

He could feel everything inside him tense up as his orgasm raced forward.  Flipping her onto her back, Arden pulled her up against him and licked her shoulder.  “This is the place I’ll mark you and make you mine.”  He didn’t have to wait long before Quinn was screaming out his name, and Arden latched on and bit down into her warm skin.  Her blood flowed into his mouth, and it was sweeter than anything he’d ever tasted.

Without warning him, Quinn grabbed his head, then turned it and bit into him.  Even though she was in human form, she had some sharp teeth as they sunk into his neck.  He pumped a couple times more inside of her, then cried out his mate’s name.  He could feel the bond snap into place and marveled at how solid it felt.

Arden held on until she released him, and then he looked into her eyes.  “I love you.”

Quinn’s eyes filled with tears, but he knew she loved him too.  He didn’t need to hear it anymore; he could feel her emotions as he pushed into her again.  He would never get enough of his mate.

Chapter 18

It had been two days since the death of Silas and Hannah Hoffman. The store opened back up on Tuesday with crowds from the big city.  Quinn watched as pack mates and customers shopped for great deals they couldn’t get in the city.  She was going to take advantage of that, and get artists to put their work at her country store.  Jade was already getting a name for herself with her Jade Cross line of purses and jewelry, which were selling like wildfire blazing through a dry forest.

But what she found odd was the fact that the Death Hunters hadn’t left town yet.  In fact, every time she had seen the Alpha of the Death Hunters, he was around or near Jade.  She got a kick out of watching the biggest man she’d ever seen blush when Jade looked at him. Maybe there was something there, but poor Jade was so overwhelmed with orders that she didn’t pay it much attention.

Arden had arranged for Finley to build a small structure on Dixon pack land for Jade to have her workers sewing and making jewelry. It was a great idea, and so far she’d hired ten ladies to sew her purses for her.  She would continue coming up with designs, and ensure that each and every purse met her expectations.  Jade didn’t know it yet, but she was going to be a huge success.  Once New York and other big cities found out about her line, they would all want it. Pack members would have jobs, and the small town would grow which is what they needed if the pack were going to meet potential mates.

“Hey baby.”  Arden snuck up behind her, wrapping his hands around her stomach and kissing the side of her neck.

“Hey.”  She pushed her butt against his erection, teasing him.

“Don’t make me spank you for being bad,” Arden said, then groaned a she pushed against him again.

“Did the Council agree for you to keep the women and children Silas and Hannah had in the caves?” Quinn asked.

“For now.  He said that they might have to move some of them to other packs.  But right now we’re working on my old house and letting them live there until the Council decides.” Arden started kissing up her neck.

Quinn watched as Lennox made his move and started walking toward the counter.  Jade’s customer had finished making their purchase and walked off, leaving Jade alone.  “Watch, Arden.”  Lennox was about there when another woman stepped up and asked Jade to show her something from inside the case.

Lennox made an about-face and slunk away. This time he left the store.  “Did you see that?”  Quinn asked, excited.

“He’s a Death Hunter, Quinn.  Do you really want your best friend to hook up with him?” Arden asked.  “Plus, she would have to move, and that ain’t happening.”

Quinn turned around and looked at her mate. “I didn’t think about it like that.”

“I wouldn’t think they were true mates, anyway; she doesn’t even look at him.”  Arden wiggled his eyebrow up and down.  “Let’s go to the back room and lock the door.”

“I swear, you are too much.”  Quinn laughed.

“No, what I am is a mate who wants his woman.  Come on.”  Arden pulled his mate into her office and locked the door.

*****

Jade looked up when she heard Quinn giggle.  She could smell her best friend and now new Alpha making love in her office. She wished she could find someone who looked at her like Arden looked at Quinn, but nobody would. They couldn’t get past the scar on her face, and she was just too shy.  Bending down, she propped her head up against the counter and stared out at the customers. When she looked out the window, she saw the face of a man who was intently gazing at her. She blinked a few time before she realized it was the Death Hunter, Lennox Bartley, staring at her.

The End

Also by Bryce Evans

The Ashland Pack

The Trinity

Big Bad Alpha

The Love of a Shifter

Once Forgotten: Twice Loved

Healing Their Mate

Destiny of Three

Destiny of Blood

Alpha City

Obsessions

Cravings

Royal Guard

Guarded Hearts

Keep up with all of Bryce Evan’s new releases via her website:

http://www.bryceevans.webs.com

About Bryce Evans

Bryce Evans is a mother, wife, and author who loves to escape to the world she has built in the Ashland Pack and other stories. She burst onto the publishing scene with a hit in The Trinity. As an active police officer, Bryce needed another outlet from the pains of others.  Writing filled that void.

She loves talking to people who have the same tastes as she does and enjoys storytelling about vampires, werewolves, witches, and fairies.

She loves to read books and write about places that come together in her head. She tries to write about what she knows and usually you will find some aspect of law enforcement in her writing.

Travel with her to a world filled with vampires, werewolves, witches, and fairies were the paranormal run wild and romance blooms.

Find out more about her current projects at www.bryceevansauthor.com or follow her on:

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Email: bryceevans12@gmail.com

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