Diamond Dust

Interlude

On the other side of the ornate sanctuary doors, voices murmured. The low tones of pipe-organ music lent an air of anticipation to the setting. Caroline Bradley took a deep breath to calm her nerves and the rich scent of roses swirled upward from the bouquet in her hand to fill her senses.

One of life’s mysteries. How did a fully human woman, who just happened to know about the shifters living in Whitehorse, end up in this predicament?

Just lucky, I guess.

Caroline laughed at her own joke as she regarded her companion in limbo, the Takhini Alpha. Evan Stone wore a sharply tailored black tux and a crisp white shirt that only emphasized his dark good looks. There was no way to stop her heart from skipping a beat. Wolf genes were damn sexy in the first place. Add in that GQ outfit and the lazy smile twisting his lips, and she was liable to end up a sloppy puddle of melted butter if she wasn’t careful.

“You look gorgeous.” Evan tugged one of the spirals of blonde hair falling artistically from her temple. “And bonus, a little less like you’re going to puke than you did five minutes ago.”

Her stomach gave a warning twinge. “You’re such a soothing fellow.”

He tucked his fingers under her chin and lifted until there was nowhere for her to look but into his beautiful dark gaze. His thumb caressed her cheek. A gesture he’d made many times over the past months that connected them so intimately. So caringly.

Caroline cupped his hand to her face, the familiar touch reassuring and right. “You sure about this?”

“Are you?”

Good grief, as sure as she could be. “Evan, I’m wearing a bloody wedding dress. I’ve got flowers in my hair and the most uncomfortable bit of elastic around my thigh masquerading as a garter belt. There are over a thousand people on the other side of that door, and in two minutes we’re supposed to march down that aisle and…”

“…and simply make official what we already knew.” He leaned in and pressed his warm lips to her forehead, passing over his unwavering confidence. “I’ll be with you every step of the way, holding your hand.”

She turned her face and nuzzled his palm before tugging his hand away. “You’re going to make things crazy, getting your scent all over me.”

“Hey, what could happen, a fight to the death on a mountain hillside or something? I don’t think so.” His raised brow made her smile. As the head of the Takhini pack, having Evan on her side had been more wonderful than anything she’d remembered. Until now—

The world was about to change for good.

The doors opened a crack and the music swelled.

“Shit.” The word snuck out even as she straightened her spine.

Evan snorted as he pulled her veil forward then helped her face the doors, the expansive train of her dress flaring behind her like a semiobedient dragon tail. “Smile. You’d think we were walking toward a firing squad.”

“I could arrange that.”

“Of course you could, but you don’t have to. There’s no need for any more fighting.” Evan shook a finger at her. “Because of you. I’m so proud.”

They stared at each other, and Caroline’s lips curled into a real smile this time. “Damn right, you are.”

Evan laughed, the sound ringing full and clear as they faced the gathering. People turned in expectation as they passed, Evan supporting her fingers over his arm as they marched in time with the processional. He petted her gently. “You are, as always, incredible. One step at a time, you can do this.”

One step at a time. Caroline clutched him tighter.

The pews were filled, leaving standing room only along the edges of the sanctuary. Turned toward them was a sea of faces. Pack members and visiting bears all mixed in with locals, most humans totally unaware they were seated next to a man or woman who in their spare time loved to go furry and run through the Yukon wilderness.

Good people, all of them. She was doing this for them. So Mr. Jacks over there, who didn’t know he was flirting with a lynx shifter, wouldn’t have to find out. So the bloodshed that had threatened her pack and her city would stop—she was doing this because it was right for more people than her alone.

Evan paused three feet short of the stairs that rose to where the actual ceremony was to take place. He twisted her to face him, lifted her veil and cleared his throat. “I know it’s not proper, but screw it. For old times’ sake. You’re one in a million, Caroline. Thanks for being a part of my life.”

He leaned in and kissed her. For real. Never slipped her any tongue, though, which was good, because the involuntary reaction to Evan and tongue wasn’t the kind of thing she wanted to deal with when at least five hundred of the people watching all had oversensitive sniffers. But it was a real kiss—his hand cradling the back of her neck, holding her in position as he gave her his full attention.

That slow murmur of voices returned in a heart beat, the noise rising in volume as people gasped in shock or twittered out muffled laughter.

And under the whispers, a low, enticing rumble that made her toes curl.

Evan pulled back, grinning his fool head off, his gaze locked on hers. Caroline’s cheeks steamed they were so hot. “You did that to yank his chain,” she muttered as she attempted to pull herself back into a state of counterfeit calm.

“Yup,” Evan admitted readily. “Just because there’s a wedding about to take place doesn’t mean you stop being my good, good friend.”

“Ahem.”

Goose bumps broke over her. The deep, growly voice rolling in her ears belonged to only one person.

She and Evan turned together to discover that the enormous shifter who’d strolled into Whitehorse and spun everything upside down had joined them, and now stood inches away. His big body close enough to heat her.

Caroline swallowed hard.

Tyler’s expression was dark, none of his usual levelheaded diplomacy visible. “Good friends who don’t ever kiss from here on. Just so we’re clear.”

Evan shrugged. “No problem. Got it.”

Tyler stared for a long moment. Nodded. Then shifted his gaze to meet Caroline’s. “You ready?”

He held out his arm, elbow raised high. She pulled herself together once more and rested her hand on his tuxedo-clad arm. Left Evan standing behind as she and Tyler walked up the short flight to the dais. Left her old life behind.

Oh Lordy, what had she done?

Chapter One

Whitehorse, seven days earlier

“We’ll be landing soon.” Justin plopped himself into the oversized seat opposite Tyler and buckled himself in. “Should be no delays at the airport—I arranged our arrival so we land well ahead of the commercial flight the other delegates are traveling on.”

“Of course you did.” Tyler sipped the last of his wine and stared out the window, mentally ordering the next couple hours according to the least frustrating tasks he could remove from his list quickly. “Transportation organized?”

“Limo for the first days.”

A growl of annoyance escaped before he caught himself.

“I know, I know, but play along for a bit, okay?” Justin tugged the empty wine glass from his fingers and handed it to a male secretary walking in the aisle. “We have to stick with standard protocol until we get things lined up and all the security has been double-checked—”

“Justin. I wrote the security handbook. I know what’s in there.”

“Right.” Justin tapped his fingers on the armrest. “We’ve booked in at the Moonshine Inn. Your suite is—”

Tyler lifted a hand to interrupt the man. “I swear you’re nervous or something, because you’re rambling. You’ve already gone through the details of our accommodation as well as the schedule for the first two days of conclave. Verbally once plus you left me three copies to read.”

“Sorry.”

Pressure changed as the plane started its descent. Tyler examined his best friend, who happened to also be his personal advisor and bodyguard.

As if he, a bear shifter, needed a guard, but traditions weren’t easy to break. So long as Tyler didn’t have to put up with sycophants, he had no problem spending time with his friend as they dealt with the issues of clan security.

Still, there had to be something wrong. Justin was normally far more relaxed. “You got word of trouble brewing?”

Justin blinked then shook his head. “A bad feeling is all. There’s been nothing but problems for the first two weeks of conclave between kidnapping and extortion, and plain old stupidity on the part of a few clans. I don’t expect anything will get better for the final set of votes merely because we’ve shifted locations from Dawson City to Whitehorse.”

“Of course there’s still trouble coming.” Tyler thought back through the notes he’d read on the previous territory-distribution talks. The events weren’t held often, but the opportunity for an orderly exchange of resources and ideas was still the best way to stop the overaggressive bear shifters from methodically taking out most of their population and ninety percent of the other shifters in the north.

Bears on a rampage weren’t a pretty sight.

“We’ll deal with the troubles in a civilized manner. We aren’t dogs to fight over a bone.” Tyler spoke louder as the props on his private plane increased in volume. “Speaking of which, did you find more information regarding the wolf pack in Whitehorse?”

Justin laughed. “Yes, from the strangest source, actually. You’ll never guess who.”

Tyler was tempted to make him lay a wager, but nabbing money from his best friend on a sure bet was far too unsportsmanlike. If he was going to gamble, he wanted the risk to mean something. “I’d never in a million years guess you spoke to my brother, Frank.”

Justin’s expression twisted in disgust. “You’re not a lot of fun at times.”

“I know everything…”

They both laughed as the plane touched down with a gentle kiss of the wheels to the tarmac. “Yeah, you have more resources than a gopher has holes. How did you figure out Frank was in town?”

“He texted me.”

“Frank?” Justin’s tone of voice was somewhere along the lines of hearing that Lady Gaga had flown a solo trip to the moon.

“Well, someone must have texted for him because I doubt he has a phone or a computer, but he’s staying with the Takhini pack.” Shocking information in and of itself, but true.

“You don’t need my report, then?” Justin stood as the pilot smoothly taxied the plane toward the terminal.

“Oh, I need it. Frank was his usual loquacious self. ‘At the Takhini pack house. See you for dinner. You’re buying.’ This makes me even more curious what kind of pack Whitehorse has that they welcome outcast bears into their midst.”

“Curious situation to be sure. And it’s two packs, not one.”

This got stranger by the minute. “There are two wolf packs in the city? What kind of masochists are they? They must have total control over the media because I haven’t seen any weekly reports of bloodshed in the streets.”

Tyler joined his guard at the exit door. They waited briefly until the path was cleared, then Justin stepped out and looked around before giving the go-ahead. “Word is Takhini is in charge and Canyon has gone into hiding. We’re staying at the hotel owned by the Takhini pack. Current Alpha is originally from the Hudson Bay pack.”

Tyler whistled. “Impressive.”

“Yeah, name of Evan Stone—took over about a year ago and seems to be controlling them okay. The other pack, all I could find was a name, Sam, and a lot of fuzzy rumours.”

The mid-July sunshine caused heat waves to shimmer above the runway. The short walk to the waiting limo was long enough for Tyler to wish he wasn’t headed for formal meetings, but finding somewhere comfortable along the river to ease back and relax. Maybe with someone soft and curvy to help pass the time.

The limo took off, the unfamiliar Alaskan highway disappearing rapidly as they headed into downtown. Tyler hadn’t been to Whitehorse very often. His business trips tended to take him farther south into the US, or over to London or Europe. Staying in the smaller towns in northern Canada over the past couple of months had been a refreshing change from his long-range excursions to exotic or formal settings. “What did Frank tell you?”

“He likes them, that much was clear. He’s been in town for a few days and he’s still a guest in the pack house, so they’re either very tolerant, or Frank has improved his manners since he used to live in Yellowknife.” Justin peered out the windows, remaining alert as they traveled. “Also, he mentioned there was someone you simply had to meet.”

“That sounds like a woman comment.” Which was all kinds of impossible. “Don’t tell me Frank’s broken heart has healed.”

“Don’t think that’s what he was implying.” Justin grinned as they stopped at a set of lights. “Your brother said there was someone he wanted you to meet, emphasis on you.”

“Good grief. He’s trying to set me up?”

Justin shrugged. “Diplomacy will fill your days, but there are a couple of gala events planned—the organizing committee is striving to uphold the peaceful nature of the talks. You’ll have a lot of time on your hands at night if you want Frank to introduce you to this someone special of his.”

Tyler didn’t bother to respond, instead glared at his friend. Justin grinned harder, then ignored him, whistling as the limo headed to their destination.

A downside of having money, power and a coveted position. Tyler didn’t go long between offers of female company. Justin knew it well—the asshole rubbed it in all the time that Tyler’s arms must get tired from fending the women off.

Tyler didn’t fend them off. He simply took what they offered and let them leave. It might seem heartless, but physical pleasure was enough.

Although, once the territory issues were solved he’d consider putting more energy into finding someone permanent. A man with the kind of business and status he had needed to think of having a family to pass it on to someday, which would require a wife at some point. Right now, though, he had too many important tasks to be distracted by a pretty face.

His brother’s broken heart and subsequent escape into the wilds of the Yukon was another good reason why Tyler avoided dating. Women wrapped a man up and tore them apart in ways that business and territorial claims never did. Those situations were logical and orderly, or at least when done correctly. Tyler had no intention of getting emotionally whipped through some kind of roller coaster only to find in the end he wasn’t in control of anything—his family, his business or his heart.

In the meantime, he’d focus on the conference. Seven days and all this should be settled. Justin was right, though, there was an odd feel in the air, as if a storm was about to hit. Not unexpected, but Tyler would need all his wits about him for the coming time frame. If he could pull off the difficult task of winning the election and complete the territory shuffles without losing anyone—bear, wolf or otherwise—it would be a miracle.

Good thing he liked to play the long odds.

“You’re looking for me to kick your ass into tomorrow, aren’t you? Because…keep up the bad excuses and I’ll totally help you with that.”

Caroline glared as the wolf directly in front of her shuffled his feet and eased back a few inches. “We figured our work lists got mixed up.”

“Mixed up?” She took a deep breath and counted to ten before slowly letting go. With every room in town booked solid over the next while, even pack members who weren’t usually Moonshine Inn staff had been wrangled in to help. Wasn’t their fault the two teenaged boys currently cringing at her displeasure weren’t familiar with the tasks, but she thought the chore lists she’d prepared were pretty self-explanatory.

Only instead of cleaning the room as assigned, she’d caught Tweedledee and Tweedledum using the suite’s gaming system to blow up the galaxy of Xerkon.

Getting mad wouldn’t fix the problem, though. She lowered her voice and forced her body into a less threatening position. “I’ll go do the final run-through on the rooms. You two go to the restaurant and work there. Got it?”

They’d still be helping, but she’d be less likely to kill them if she couldn’t see them.

Total relief brightened the young wolves’ faces. “That would be so much better. I mean, I’ll pour beer or lift barrels of ale or—”

“Me too. I can rearrange tables and do manly things.”

Manly things? Good grief, these boys were in for a lesson when she had more than two seconds to work them over. She caught each of them by one ear and towed them into the hallway. “Move. Both of you. We’ve got guests arriving any minute.”

They took off at a sprint toward the pub, getting while the getting was good.

Caroline changed direction. Normally she’d delegate. She was the queen of delegation, but with the clock ticking there was no time to waste. She grabbed a cleaning cart and passkeyed her way into the executive suite.

Chatting about how housekeeping was something everyone should learn was obviously an agenda item for the next pack meeting. Not now when she wasn’t sure the rooms that were supposed to be ready were even clean.

She dragged out her cell phone as she took a preliminary glance at the damages. Hopefully Evan wasn’t busy or goofing off. Or busy goofing off.

“Hey, sweet thang.”

Man, if she weren’t so stressed the endearment would have given her a thrill, right before she planned how to get revenge. “If you are anywhere but in your office, I will make you bleed for using that nickname.”

“I’m alone, finishing paperwork. You sound stressed. What’s up?”

“My blood pressure. I need you to give me a hand—and if you start clapping, I’ll tie you to a stake and find ants to crawl all over you.”

His even chuckle helped calm her. “What can I do?”

The suite wasn’t as bad as she’d expected. She raced around tidying, the phone tucked against her shoulder as she worked. “I sent a couple of doughboys your direction. Put them to work scrubbing dirty dishes, or something gross and unglamorous.”

He laughed. “They pissed you off, did they? Fine, I’m on my feet. Walking to greet them at the doors to the kitchen, and they will rue the day they messed with you.”

“Thank you. Second favour… The head of the Harrison clan is due to arrive within the hour. Because I’m doing the job those brats didn’t, you might have to greet our guests when they arrive.”

Dead silence on the other end of the phone.

“Pleeeeease, Evan. I’ll be there as soon as I can, but if I’m late, you have to do it.”

“You want me to greet the Harrison delegation in my front lobby? You have any idea what kind of trouble this could cause? Two Alphas in the same space?”

“I’m sure you’re much bigger than he is, Evan,” she wheedled sweetly. “In character, if not in size. It’s not as if he’s coming here to take over your territory. Just welcome him in then take him to the suite. Talk about…the weather. Tell him the hours at the restaurant. There’s already about fifty of his clan in the hotel, so boast about how much your pack loves you. He’ll tell you about his fawning followers, only you know yours are better.”

“You’re managing me, aren’t you?” Evan growled.

“Well…” She totally was.

“You’re sexy when you’re managing me.”

She laughed. “I’ll be real sexy in about thirty seconds when I stick the toilet brush in the bowl and get scrubbing. Can you handle it?”

“Piece of…cake.”

And with that, all her plans went to hell. Something had gone wrong. The final word he’d spoken was in his irrelevant voice. The one he used when something random and potentially dodgy was about to happen. It wasn’t often the Alpha of the Takhini pack lost focus, but when he did, situations went to hell fast.

“Evan?”

He didn’t answer.

Drat. So much for her last-minute bailout idea. Somehow she’d have to be the one greeting the delegation. She’d stuff Evan into his office with a glass or two of liquor to keep him out of mischief. Hmm, maybe pop the pack Beta in there as well, because when the two of them got together uncontained, bad things happened.

Wait. Oh, wait. Pack Beta—yes—there was her solution.

Caroline put down the cleanser and darted a glance at her watch. “Oh, silly me. I totally forgot. You never mind about the bears. I remembered Gem offered to help. You take care of the boys I sent, though, right?”

“Sure—dirty tasks.” He was completely distracted. What the hell was going on? “I’m in the kitchen now. I’ll make them work.”

“Thanks.”

As weird as Evan was acting, he didn’t seem dangerous, so Caroline hung up and punched in another number, the pack’s female Beta answering on the second ring.

“Hello, Caroline. How are you?” Gem’s impeccably polite southern drawl poured from the phone like soothing music.

Only there wasn’t time to relax. “Emergency. You know where your mate is?”

Gem caught the urgency. “Yes. What do you need?”

“Send Shaun to help Evan deal with whatever is going on in the kitchen. Tell him it’s important to keep Evan away from the front lobby. Then I need you to do your political-princess thing and charm the furry socks off the Harrison delegation when they arrive. I’m stuck doing the final spit and polish on their suite.”

“Oh, you poor thing. Of course. I’ve got everything covered for you.” Gem laughed softly. “I’d offer to clean, but I’m probably better off acting as hostess. I have years of training.”

“Hey, you’ve learned tons since you arrived in the spring, but the pack needs your diplomacy more than they need you to have housekeeping skills.”

“True.”

One disaster neatly avoided. Caroline should have felt more pride, but she was too busy multitasking. “Thanks, girlfriend, I owe you one.”

“You don’t owe me anything. We’re pack, we work together. Don’t worry, I’ll get the boys under control, and I’ll give you a warning call once the group arrives.”

Gem hung up and Caroline tucked away her phone.

She moved quickly through the tasks that still needed completing, cursing egotistical young men who thought they were above “women’s work”.

The entire time she kept the cleaning cart close at hand, ready to vanish the instant Gem hit the warning signal. While Caroline was absolutely fascinated with the Bear Jamboree gathering, she didn’t want the first time she met them to be while coated in eau de Pine-Sol.

Shifter politics had always been on her radar. As a human in a mixed shifter family, understanding why one wolf had more clout than another had been an important lesson. Surviving in the pack meant she’d learned young that power seemed inborn for some shifters.

As a human, she didn’t have access to any built-in authority, but over the years she’d found something else that worked just as well. Humans called it chutzpah. Well, chutzpah in combination with the willingness to bleed or make someone else bleed.

Wolves liked their power games with a slice of pain.

She’d faked it until she’d made it. She’d even wrangled her way into a close relationship with Evan in a plot to help her less-dominant half sister. The good side of that ploy was she and Evan honestly liked each other, and the sex was on fire. The bad part?

There really wasn’t one.

Their relationship was temporary. At some point Evan was bound to find his mate. In a way, she hoped it would happen soon, because he deserved to have the in-love-and-out-of-my-mind mate thing that had hit so many of her friends over the years. Shifter insta-mate wasn’t ever happening for Caroline, obviously, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew how much finding their soul connection meant to them, and as a good friend how could she not want that for Evan?

She finished the final wipe-down in the bathroom and manoeuvred the cart back into the living space of the suite.

Maybe she was twisted, but seeing people get in a flap over her and Evan amused her far too much. What was wrong with having a good, hot sexual relationship that wasn’t going anywhere permanent, but in the meantime delivered orgasms by the bucket load?

She didn’t want to settle down. Not yet. While she’d achieved one goal—having her sister return to the north and find a place—there was so much more to do. Caroline flicked her duster over the floor-to-ceiling window treatment, lost in thought.

Travel, excitement, they called to her. Maybe once the bears had checked out, she’d think about booking an extended holiday somewhere warm. Three or four months exploring tropical islands, or getting lost in the markets of Europe, sounded intriguing.

She pulled the final pillows into position on one of the oversized couches gracing the suite. Satisfaction at having dealt with the most recent hotel emergency swept over her. The place was clean and the bears would be greeted by Gem, who knew way more about sweet-talking cranky diplomats into good moods than Caroline did.

On the way to the door to put away the cart, she glanced outside and noticed the hot tub lid was out of place.

“Damned windstorm.”

She tucked the cart aside and dashed outside, attempting to tug the heavy cover back into place. Leaves floated on the surface and she muttered in frustration. Scooping out the debris was simple, until the wind picked up, swirling around the third-story balcony. The rubbish skittered away over the water’s surface, disappearing under the quarter section still covered by the bulky lid.

Times like this she regretted she wasn’t a shifter. Stupid, awkward, heavy contraption. She crawled onto the edge of the tub and put her feet against the cover, using her stronger leg muscles to thrust it out of the way.

The wind hit the French doors and they slammed against the doorjamb, the sound harsh and abrupt in the quiet around her. Caroline jerked in surprise.

“Crap.”

She inelegantly slipped off the smooth tub lip and under the warm water, the back of her head rapping the edge hard enough for her to briefly see stars.

Then darkness.

Chapter Two

Tyler stepped through the hotel doors and paused, partly out of habit to allow Justin to get into position, partly because the place was far beyond what he’d expected from a northern inn. Exquisite decorations filled the expansive front lobby, one entire wall a virtual wilderness with plants, rocks and a floor-to-ceiling waterfall dancing down the barrier.

“Mr. Harrison?”

Justin moved closer, but Tyler waved him down. The beautiful woman approaching him with an outstretched hand wasn’t a threat. “Gem Jacobs. How lovely to see you again, and in one piece.”

She smiled, turning to welcome Justin as well. “I’m glad your delegation chose the Moonshine Inn as a base. Did you have a good trip?”

Tyler nodded. “Uneventful. Not nearly as much excitement as you got up to earlier in the summer. My personal apologies for the terrible way you were treated by some of my fellow bears. Have you recovered from the mishap?”

“Completely. Please, don’t mention it any further. We all understand politics don’t always go the way we’d like.” She was the perfect hostess as she guided them through the grand foyer, pointing out carvings by local artisans, and Tyler hid his smile. He’d heard the southern belle was now Takhini pack, but seeing her in the setting was amusing. The last time he’d met her she’d been acting as hostess for her father in the far south of Georgia.

She turned from showcasing the lobby. “Do you gentlemen want to see your rooms or explore the town? We can arrange anything you’ll need for the duration of your time with us.”

“Thank you. If you could show us to our suite, that would be all,” Tyler answered.

Justin interrupted. “If you’d let me know where we can park our limo, I’ll inform the driver.”

She handed him two envelopes. “The blue is room key and information for your driver, the other is yours for the suite.”

Justin gave her a nod then turned to face Tyler. “You want to wait until I get back so I can escort you?”

The man was far too addicted to the guarding part of his job. “I think with Gem to protect me, I can make it to the suite without getting lost or shot.”

“Half of your delegation has already checked in. They seemed pleased with our arrangements.” Gem folded her arms prettily. “Let me assure you the Moonshine Inn is well protected. Between the security cameras and the pack presence, there’s no one on the premises we’re not aware of. Evan Stone takes safety seriously.”

In spite of her promise, Justin waited until Tyler motioned him away. “Go on. Deal with the driver. Oh, and grab the information the organizers said they’d have waiting at conference headquarters. I promise to be a good boy and stay in the suite until you get back.”

His guard nodded, leaving reluctantly.

Tyler offered his arm to Gem. “He’s far too interested in making sure I’m coddled.”

“It’s his job. You can’t blame him. This way, please.” Gem led him to the elevators and punched the button for the third floor. “Your initial security teams have already taken a look around the hotel and settled into their rooms.”

“Wonderful.”

She nodded. “Also, I’m supposed to pass on the message the Takhini pack is available for you. Anything you need.”

Interesting.

He’d give it more time, a few days at least, before seeking out the pack Alpha and getting a feel for where the man stood regarding the bear situation. Conclave wasn’t something Tyler wanted wolves poking their noses into, but with everything else his opponents had tried over the past weeks, he’d be stupid not to think they might also mess with the Whitehorse talks.

Someone might attempt to use the potentially volatile situation of two wolf packs in one place to set off some troubles in their favour. Having the ear of the ruling pack could help Tyler.

“Thank you for that. I’ll keep it in mind.”

She guided them to a single door at the end of the hallway, opening it before passing over the key. “I hope you have a comfortable stay with us, and successful meetings.”

“Pass on my greeting to your Alpha.”

She left him, and that sense of “wolf” faded as he watched her go. He slipped through the door, relaxing as he examined the space.

Other than a cleaning cart blocking one wall, the room was standard to what he was used to. He loosened his tie as he strolled in farther, peeking through the doors he passed to find a large bedroom with a decadent attached bath. There was a second matching door on the opposite side—he’d assume a matching bedroom waited there for Justin. Tyler stripped off his suit jacket and tossed it on the bed before wandering back into the main room.

The partially open French doors caught his eye. He dropped his tie, grabbed up an apple from the massive fruit bowl decorating the kitchen counter and ate it as he wandered to the balcony railing. An incredible view greeted him, with the mountains rising behind the city streets. The lack of skyscrapers added to the beauty, and he breathed deep to fill his lungs with fresh air.

A faint scent of human made him turn, but there was no one there. Only the door he’d left open behind him, and at the far side of the deck an open lounging area with a hot tub, the lid strangely askew.

A hand draped over the far edge, just visible from his new position.

Hell.

Tyler raced forward, reached into the water and scooped up the limp body of a blonde woman. Her head had been resting on a drink holder, the only thing that had kept her from becoming completely submerged.

“Wake up, little mermaid.” Tyler cradled her against him. He nudged the door open and brought her inside, dripping wet, examining her face for a reaction. She was breathing, but shallowly. He lowered her onto the couch then pulled a handy throw blanket over her shivering torso. “Can you hear me?”

Her lips moved, eyelashes fluttering. Nothing but slight muttering to his question.

Damn it. He had to call someone, and now. He leaned over her to snatch the phone from the side table. Her arms flailed. In his unprotected position, one hand connected sharply with his nose, and he grunted in pain.

Ignoring the phone for a second, he tucked her in again, holding down her arms to stop her from hurting herself or taking more pot shots at his face. “You don’t need to hit me, I’m trying to help you.”

“Bear…”

The word whispered past her lips, and Tyler paused. Leaned in closer and sniffed.

The scent of wolves clung to his waterlogged woman, but she wasn’t wolf. Human through and through, yet the fact she’d just called him a bear?

Something was happening he wanted to get to the bottom of.

“Can you hear me?”

Her lips moved steadily, drawing his attention to them. For the first time he paused long enough to look the rest of her over. Her blonde hair stuck up in spots, the pale colouring all the way to the roots. Her skin was pale as well—whether from soaking in his tub or her natural colour, he wasn’t sure. The deep red of her lips contrasted sharply against her skin, a delicate pout forming on their soft surface as she attempted to speak.

Speaking of bears, his was at full alert. The beast bumped to the surface, keen on him shifting for some reason. While he was the bear and the bear was him, there was one part of his brain that remained independent. His human side reasoning, rational. His animal side more…well, animal. Earthier and more connected to the wilder roots of shifterdom.

He understood why his bear was interested. Pretty face and pretty body, the swells of her breasts rose and fell as her breathing evened out and grew stronger. That was the reason he was staring at her chest, to make sure she was recovering from her ordeal. Not because he could see straight through the wet shirt and the bra underneath it. Not because the lush redness of her lips seemed to be reflected in the tips of those breasts…

Tyler shook his head to make his brains settle back in place.

Damn bear.

His mystery woman sucked in a deep breath, her eyes opening all the way. “Frack.”

He soothed her, attempting to keep her horizontal on the couch without actually forcing her back. “You should stay still.”

Her gaze darted over his face, and this adorable little crease appeared between her brows. “Who are you?”

Caution made him word his answer carefully. If this was someone planted by another bear clan, he wanted to know, so he used the oldest ploy in the book. His friend would understand. “I’m Justin. What’s your name?”

“Caroline.” Her eyes widened. “Why am I soaking wet?”

“I found you in my hot tub. I hoped you could tell me—”

“Oh, shoot.”

She would have surged upward, and this time he made contact, hands to her shoulders, to keep her from jerking to vertical. “Don’t. You nearly drowned. Until you remember what happened, you shouldn’t move.”

The fabric separating his palms and her skin warmed, and the scent of her skin grew stronger. She relaxed onto the overstuffed fabric as she tentatively touched the back of her head.

“I remember. I was finishing cleaning the suite and slipped on the tub.” She moved her fingers slowly but still cringed in pain. “There’s a goose egg to prove it.”

Tyler settled on his heels beside her. Cleaning staff. Okay, that was a possible solution to the question without turning this into some kind of political intrigue.

“Do you mind if I check?”

“Be my guest.” She frowned. “You’re Justin? You’re the security man for Tyler Harrison.”

Cleaning staff who knew details of the room’s occupants? Tyler returned to being suspicious all over again.

He lifted her carefully until he could examine the back of her head. “I’m checking things out in the room. Everything seemed to be in order other than you doing unsupervised synchro.”

“Can you get me out of here before he arrives?”

“You sure you’re okay to move?” Tyler helped her upright, sitting next to her on the couch. He held one arm around her to stop her from shifting from side to side.

Caroline groaned lightly. “I’ll be all right. I’m not nauseous or anything, which is good. I would hate to throw up and ruin the great cleaning job I did.”

Tyler laughed. The conversation was far more blunt than he usually got to hear from people. “Well, yes. Let’s avoid vomiting, shall we?”

It was rather comfortable sitting with her. Far more comfortable than he should be after rescuing a strange woman in a strange place. He wanted to be wary, wanted to remain alert to the potential troubles in the situation, but with her wet body cuddled beside him, his damn bear seemed to have taken control of his mind.

Her shirt had separated from the waistband of her pants, and a sliver of bare skin rested under his fingers. The sheer willpower it took to keep from stroking that soft section of skin shook him.

His human side pushed forward in defense with logic. “I should call a doctor to check you out.”

She frowned. “I’ll go to the clinic. Let’s not have ambulances at the hotel today. It wouldn’t be a great way to start things off. Might set a damper on the meetings.”

Curiousier and curiousier. “You’ve obviously worked at the Moonshine Inn for a while.”

Give her a chance to admit she knew about shifters, and the game would change all over again. A tiny bud of a notion had burst forth in the last minute, probably planted by his bear, but damn if it wasn’t a working idea.

She nodded slowly, wincing. “I’ve been on staff for nearly five years. Since before the Takhini pack bought out the previous owners.”

And there was his answer. “You know about shifters, then.”

She snorted.

His bear was far too charmed by her instant and honest response.

Caroline motioned upward. “Help me to my feet, and we’ll see how I do. Yes, I know about shifters. Half-blood family, actually. My stepdad’s wolf, so I’ve lived with pack most of my life.”

A human who grew up with shifters. This might be the solution to one of his problems during the upcoming conference days.

Not to mention a lovely distraction, as long as she hadn’t injured herself with that crazy fall.

He had her standing, his arms still around her in case she wobbled. Caroline clutched his shoulder momentarily as her knees gave way. He caught her around the waist and pulled her against him for support. She was tall enough to make him not feel quite as enormous as he usually felt around the ladies. Other than that, he was desperately beating back the bear, who had just suggested they should peel her out of her wet clothes to make sure she wasn’t hurt anywhere else.

“I think we should get that doctor in here.”

“No.” Caroline spoke firmly. “Damn, you shifters are all the same, bossy as all get out. I’m fine, and I really have to leave before your boss gets here.”

His boss. Oh right, his little name game. They could drop that ploy. “Actually, I’m—”

The door opened, and Justin walked in. His best friend froze in midstep as he took in the entire scenario. From the open door, the trail of water across the carpet, the wet and disheveled woman, and Tyler himself.

Caroline swore and to his great surprise, hid herself against his side, arms curling around his torso.

Justin’s eyes widened even farther.

Tyler had to say something before this got out of hand. Only with the reaction of the human, he didn’t want to embarrass her further.

It wasn’t his finest moment, but between his bear rumbling happily about having her in his arms, and everything else, Tyler made a snap decision.

Before his guard could speak and give him away, he opened his mouth and lied his ass off.

“Mr. Harrison, the room is fine, but one of the cleaning staff had a mishap. If you’ll excuse us for a moment.”

Caroline bit her tongue to stop from swearing like a fishwife. Way to make a great impression. Five more minutes and she’d have escaped without showing herself to be the total incompetent she felt at the moment.

Thank God for the sympathetic bear shifter she was unashamedly hiding behind. While he was damn impressive himself, a man who worked for a powerful man would understand some of what she dealt with on a daily basis, working with an Alpha. She felt a kinship, almost, with him.

Yet, gack, she must have hit her head harder than she thought. This wasn’t her, she never hid. Certainly not when there was no good reason. I.e., soaking wet shouldn’t be enough to make her lose her senses. Who knows, maybe being shifters they would think dipping fully clothed in pools was some weird human quirk.

She untangled her fingers from where they’d somehow become fisted around Justin’s used-to-be-pristine white shirt.

White…shirt. White, like the uniform top she wore.

Caroline tilted her head to examine the full extent of the damages, but it was pretty much what she’d grasped in that one moment of blinding clarity. Her shirt had gone see-through. Great day to wear the sheerest bra she had in her closet.

She looked up to see her big bear studying her, the faint smile teasing his lips vanishing as she caught him.

Good grief. “Don’t guys ever have anything better to do than stare at women’s breasts?” she whispered in annoyance.

He chuckled. “Occupational hazard of being male. They’re nice breasts.”

Shifters. They were all the same. After years of dealing with the far more relaxed wolf-pack sexual attitudes, it was clear bears were no different. Still, she was human, and he should know better, so she secretly dug her fingertips into his side out of Mr. Harrison’s view. “Stop it, and get me out of here without making a spectacle of myself.”

Her benefactor dipped his chin. “Deal.”

He tucked her behind his back, using his broad body as a block between her and the head of the Harrison delegation. Caroline peeked out, but Mr. Harrison seemed to have developed a great fascination in the carpet at his feet, strolling toward the bedroom without so much as a glance her direction.

She was across the room in seconds.

“I’ll be a moment,” the big guard announced. “Wait here.”

“I can wait in the hall—”

“Right here,” he snapped, still sotto voce, but despite the low volume it was clearly an order. “Or do you want to parade around the hotel in what you’re wearing?”

Good point. She nodded. “Fine. Staying.”

He grabbed her cleaning cart, rolling it over to the door. Then to her utter shock he stripped off his own shirt, broad chest revealed in a snap, plus the most incredible set of upper arms. Biceps like massive rocks, shoulders that could have been formed out of granite.

Caroline had seen her share of nudity, what with all the shifting going on from the earliest time she could remember, but this man wasn’t a wolf, and he wasn’t stripping to shift.

Her cheeks flushed. Whoa nelly, the man was built. She might have a bed partner, but she wasn’t blind. The zing of attraction was natural enough, but other than enjoying it right here and now, that’s all she planned on doing.

He thrust his shirt out, and bar being any ruder than she’d already been, she could hardly refuse. Especially when he was giving it to help deal with her frail human sensitivities.

His fingers slipped over hers. Caroline glanced up in time to catch him staring. Not like a guy merely fascinated with her boobs, but a strip her down and ride her expression on his face.

Oh hell, no. Not a complication she wanted to deal with in this lifetime, thank you. She might think he was a looker, but she didn’t cheat. Not on Evan, not on anyone.

Caroline turned her back as she tugged on the huge shirt, the tails falling to mid-thigh and more than adequately covering her important parts.

He opened the door and gestured her into the hall, dragging the cart with them.

She put the bulky thing as a block between them, self-defense kicking in. “Thank you, for everything.”

“Not so fast.” He tilted his head and eyed her. “I want a report that you’ve seen a doctor so I know you’re fine.”

She snapped off a salute. “Yes, sir.”

“Smart-ass little thing.” He laughed. “You’re not what I expected.”

Yeah. “I get that a lot. Please, extend my apologies to Mr. Harrison. I’ll send someone in to dry off the couch and—”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll sit on chairs until it air dries. Not as if we’ll have to sit on the floor or anything.”

“Thank you for being understanding.” She grabbed the cart handle and prepared to leave. “I’ll return your shirt as soon as possible.”

There it was again—she hadn’t imagined it. That red-hot flash as his gaze dropped over her, even though she knew damn well he couldn’t see any thing. “Fine.”

“You should go explain to your boss what happened. I promise you’ll have nothing else to worry about for the duration of your stay.” When he didn’t move, she jiggled the handle, making the cart bump him. She smiled hesitantly, not wanting to encourage anything she’d have to defend against, but trying to walk the line between polite and unavailable. “If I didn’t say it yet, thank you for saving me. I’m glad you came and fished me out of the tub.”

He dipped his head and stepped aside.

She was halfway down the hall when he called, “Caroline…what?”

“Caroline Bradley.”

She waited for him to say something else, but that was it. Silence. He watched her, though. Even as she widened the gap between them, she swore his gaze burned a hole in the back of her oversized cover-up. While she waited for the service elevator to arrive, deliberately fiddling with items in the cart, he was stripping her in his mind. The final glance over her shoulder as she slipped into the elevator proved he was still standing there, naked from the waist up, wearing a smile that spoke of amusement and sexual attraction.

She stabbed the button for the basement level before collapsing against the wall with a huge sigh.

Oh my Lord, what a mess.

Chapter Three

Evan clutched the kitchen countertop and held on for dear life.

Not possible. Not possible.

Freaking possible, he argued with his brain. It had to be possible, because the only other damn solution was he’d gone around the bend.

He leaned over and sniffed. Moved a foot to the right and repeated the action.

“Umm, Alpha?”

“Go away.”

Nothing was going to distract him. This was far too important. He vaguely remembered shouting at the pack members in the kitchen to stay the hell back. Most of them had scurried like a bunch of mice as he’d stalked his way up and down the narrow aisles between the workstations.

The tantalizing aroma had hooked him as he’d left his office and led him in circles, desperate to maintain the trail.

There it was, just the faintest hint, but enough to drag him another two feet to the right where his head smacked into the chef’s broad belly.

The man grunted in pain and stepped back. “Alpha, I need to use this section to make the orders. Do you suppose you could…do whatever you’re doing on the other side of the kitchen? Please.”

“Shhh.” Evan dropped to his knees, following the fading scent. His wolf grew more frantic the fainter the aroma became. “Damn it all.”

He lay full out on his belly on the floor, inching forward until his nose squished against the base of the counter. There. For one second he’d gotten a stronger whiff. Somewhere under this counter was what he was looking for.

He forced his arm under the narrow opening and fumbled until his fingers bumped a tiny, cylindrical object. A second later he was on his feet, staring at a plastic container of lip balm.

“Dude, if you’ve got chapped lips, there are easier ways to deal with it than disrupting the entire kitchen.”

Evan snapped his head to the side to discover his Beta beside him. Shaun’s relaxed grin and slouched body displayed a comfort level that was miles away from Evan’s current state.

“It’s not just a lip balm.”

Shaun nodded sagely. “Sure. It’s a special lip balm. I understand.”

The scent had nearly vanished, but he still had one way to track it. There was no time to lose. Evan pressed the tube into Shaun’s palm. “You will hold that for me with extreme caution. Do not use it, fondle it, hell, don’t even look at it too hard, or I will rip out your throat.”

Shaun curled his hand around the tiny object. “If that means something in secret Alpha code, I never got around to reading the manual. I’m lost.”

Evan tore off his shirt and fumbled with his belt. “I’ll explain later.”

“You’re shifting?” Shaun lowered his voice. “It’s the middle of the day, this might not be a great idea.”

“Cover me.” Evan was naked, clothes abandoned on the floor. He changed forms even as his best friend and Beta continued to complain.

“Cover you. Great. Sure—just want to point out the last time I covered for you I ended up in the doghouse with my mate.”

The change to wolf made the world brighter. Sharper. Evan loved the first moments after exchanging his human side for his animal one, and usually took time to revel in the differences. Today there was only one distinction between his forms he wanted to exploit with an urgency that made his heart pound.

He took a deep breath through his nose, his sharper lupine senses picking up on the scent. He howled his delight, then raced forward, ducking through legs as the trail meandered the length of the kitchen to the closed back door of the restaurant loading dock.

He smacked his shoulder into the metal in frustration.

“Slow down,” Shaun snapped, hands on the door release. “You take off without me and animal services will have your tail in a sling.”

Evan bared his teeth. The scent was vanishing, and he didn’t care that it was his best friend blocking him. He was ready to draw blood.

“Fine, be that way. Just…don’t bite anyone.” His Beta pushed open the door, and Evan was gone, nose down, the wind and the other scents adding confusion to his target. If it weren’t so very addictive, he might not have picked it up in the first place, but the aroma was now permanently branded on his brain.

He stretched out his stride as the path straightened to follow the sidewalk. A few gasps of surprise escaped from the humans he brushed past. Tourists who weren’t used to seeing wolves roam the streets of Whitehorse. The locals had grown more accustomed to the occasional sighting, although Evan’s rule as Alpha had been to make pack keep a low profile.

What he was doing was in total violation of his own rules, but fuck that.

Rules were made to be broken.

When the sidewalk and his target turned a corner, hope rose in Evan’s heart. They were only steps away from the pack house. Damn, his mark was under his nose?

Then the addictive scent cut off as if it had never existed, the pack house to his left, a single metal pole to his right, with the bus-stop route displayed on it.

Frustration knocked his hind legs from under him, and he sat on the sidewalk wondering how undignified it would be if his pack glanced out the windows and noticed him pouting like a two-year-old.

Loud footfalls slapped the ground behind him as Shaun finally caught up.

“Whoa, okay. There’s a lady on the corner of Lambert and Fourth who got a shot of you, and I bet we’re talking YouTube before the end of the hour. I hope the footage was worth it.”

Evan snarled his displeasure, rising and heading for the pack house.

“Hey, don’t get growly at me.” Shaun followed him to the front door and opened it. “The only other option was knock her phone from her hand or steal it, and having to get bailed out of the slammer, again, wouldn’t be a good thing for my record.”

Seconds after entering the house Evan was back on two legs, dragging a hand through his hair in frustration. Pack members lazing in the common room picked up on his mood and vanished like an afternoon winter sun, leaving them utterly alone. “You’re right. It’s fine. Remind me to get Caroline to do a follow-up with our media contacts to make sure no one makes a huge deal of a lone wolf in the street.”

“What happened?” Shaun dipped his head to examine him closer, although Evan noticed his friend stayed out of swinging range. “You need me to help with anything?”

Now that it had finally happened, things made so much more sense. There was no use in beating around the bush. He stared at his Beta and straight out said it. “I caught a whiff of my mate.”

Shaun’s eyes widened. “Dude.”

“She was in the kitchen. Then she left.” Evan paced to the room he kept in the pack house, in search of spare clothing. “You got that lip balm?”

His Beta passed it back. Evan lifted the object to his nose and breathed in her scent, happy little hormones dancing along his spine and tying hundreds of yellow ribbons around his spinal column.

“Your mate.” Shaun whistled. “Well, congrats.”

“Yeah, thanks. Welcome to the coming shit storm.”

“Oh man, for sure.” Shaun sat on the edge of the bed as Evan dug in drawers and pulled out a pair of jeans and T-shirt. “She’s not from the Takhini pack, or you’d have found her before. What was she doing in the kitchen, and why did she leave? Does she know you’re her mate? Why did this have to happen while the town is full to the brim with bears and potential trouble?”

All those were minor compared to the one other issue scratching Evan’s nerves like nails on a blackboard. “You’re missing one item.”

Shaun choked off into silence, before clearing his throat. “So. How are you going to tell Caroline?”

Tyler closed the suite door behind him and leaned on the solid surface as he dealt with the intense need his bear had to chase down the delectable Caroline Bradley.

“If you’re planning on abdicating from your position as CEO, I get dibs on your house and swimming pool.”

Justin handed him a clean shirt, and Tyler pulled himself back to vertical to accept it. “Thanks for not giving away the little name thing there. Not often you see that kind of situation. A human who knows all about shifters—her family is half blood.”

“And she always goes around soaking wet?”

Tyler shook his head. “She was floating dazed in the tub when I got here.”

Justin stiffened as he moved for the door. “And you let her go off alone? She needs medical attention.”

Tyler held up a hand. “I said the same thing, but I checked her vitals while she was recovering on our couch. She promised to see someone, but I think she’ll be fine.” He hesitated. “Now that’s an odd response. I expected you would be more concerned with discovering a strange woman in our suite than advocating medical attention for them.”

“You told me to trust your instincts. Obviously from the way you were eyeing the woman you don’t think she’s a danger to anything but your recently dead sex life.”

“Har-har. Did you get the updated schedules for conclave?”

Justin paced to the bar counter and picked up a stack of papers. “The organizing committee is trying to keep it as simple and painless as possible. Two more votes, three at the most. The only trouble I see is if Clan Ainsworth manages to persuade Nakusp to support him. You could have a tight vote count if that happens.”

Tyler nodded, still distracted by thoughts of Caroline. Why had he allowed her to leave the room without insisting she get checked? He could have at least accompanied her to find clean dry clothes.

His lack of consideration and mental clarity he would blame on his bear. Stupid beast had continued to grumble and send him far too vivid images of Caroline’s breasts.

Focus on the task at hand. “Any suggestions on how to sweeten the pot in terms of Clan Nakusp? Ainsworth hates my guts—that won’t change. But if we can swing Nakusp’s vote our way we could kill two birds with one stone.”

Justin leaned on the counter, tapping the schedule against his hand. “Well, there is one thing that could help. It wouldn’t hurt.”

“Sounds as if I’m not going to like your idea.” He finished doing up his buttons and tucked in his shirt. “Wait, before you tell me, get housekeeping on the line and make sure Caroline is okay.”

Justin made a face but followed orders, putting through the call. “You want to talk? I mean, you are the security guard who saved her.”

Tyler was still scrambling for an answer when Justin spoke.

“Hello? Is Caroline Bradley available?” Justin’s expression tightened. “I see. Thank you.”

“What? Is she okay? What’s wrong with her?”

Justin eyed him suspiciously. “She’s gone home for the day. You, on the other hand, have issues.”

Tyler grabbed the paperwork and strolled to one of the oversized easy chairs, collapsing onto it with far more exhaustion than he should have at this point in the day. “I’m not allowed to be concerned about someone?”

He buried his head in the files, ignoring Justin. Because, dammit, his friend was right, something was wrong, and he had a good idea what it was.

Justin folded his long body into the chair opposite him. “I talked to your brother. We’re picking him up for dinner at six.”

“Fine.” Tyler rustled more papers, pretending to be busy. He’d already memorized the damn things, but maybe Justin would pretend to go along with his pretending.

Nope. Justin was going to be the usual pain in the ass. “Back to the Nakusp issue, it could help to have a woman on your arm for the formal events. Not only would Mrs. Nakusp have someone to gossip with, he’s always made it known your marital status is a detriment in his opinion.”

“I’m not pulling a wife out of the woodwork in the next five days, Justin, not to try and impress Clan Nakusp.”

His friend grimaced. “No, you won’t find a wife, but even a date would make a difference. I was going to suggest you see who this special someone is that your brother is all keen to introduce you to. Having a local woman on your side wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“You really think Frank found someone who can deal with the setting, let alone the politics? Frank used to be more impressed with the type who can guzzle a six-pack and then belch the alphabet.”

Justin grinned. “Well, you never know.”

“Wait, you said you were going to suggest that. What do you have in mind now?”

Justin rose to his feet and paced to the windows, staring at the hot tub. “You could see if your mysterious Caroline Bradley is available.”

The idea shouldn’t have given Tyler such a thrill. “She’s a human.”

“Who knows shifters. She works at the hotel owned by the controlling wolf pack of Whitehorse. She’s got to have some influence in the area, maybe even recognize some of the important players.”

“You want me to take advantage of her for the connections she might have?” The suggestion wasn’t outrageous; it was only good sense in light of the recent upheavals in the voting situations. Tyler wasn’t sure why the idea made him so damn uncomfortable.

“Not really use her. Just see if she wants to help. I bet she cleans up nice. Buy her a couple of pretty dresses, give her a good time, and not only will it help our cause, but you’ll have provided the thrill of a lifetime. She’d probably never get an invite to a gala like this otherwise.”

Justin’s words sat uneasily on Tyler. He checked his watch. “Then again, she could turn me down flat.”

“Not likely.” Justin waggled his brows. “I saw her reaction to your bare-chested bear-self. She tried to hide it, but she was interested.”

“Still, your first idea is a good one. Contact Frank and see if he can rustle up his someone in time to join us for dinner tonight. Widen the pool a little.”

Tyler excused himself before his friend’s far-too-alert gaze told him more than he was willing to share.

He was looking forward to seeing his brother. Pleased to meet this whoever Frank thought was so interesting. But his actions were all a cover-up for how much he really wanted to ask Caroline to join him for the galas.

The kind of reaction his bear had to the woman made him wonder all over again if something was fishy. If they’d slipped a love potion into his water on the plane. Or if an aphrodisiac of some kind was being piped into the air.

Now was not the time to have to soothe the beast. Not with votes to be won, not with shifter secrecy to be maintained. Now was the time he needed all his wits about him.

Instead it appeared he was being led by the balls, and his captor? A fair-haired human with a snarky attitude.

The idea she might still be wearing his shirt pleased him far too much.

Chapter Four

Caroline let herself into the apartment she shared with Evan, her fingers shaking with cold. Maybe she should have gone to the Medicentre to get checked, but other than a dull ache at the back of her head, she felt fine.

Embarrassed, but fine.

She draped the shirt she’d been loaned over the back of a chair en route to the shower. She’d drop it off at the dry cleaners as soon as she wasn’t shivering. Steam rose as she cranked the water temperature as high as she could stand, her skin turning bright red under the assault.

Time to regroup. Get her brain back in gear. The next week was vital for the hotel, and the Takhini pack. She needed to be in tip-top form to remain a contributing pack member.

She stepped under the faucet to allow the water to run down her face. Of course, being pack was less important than it had been a month ago. Now that her sister Shelley had found her place in the north, Caroline’s options had broadened.

And while she liked wolves, all shifters for that matter, there were times she wanted to kick their furry butts.

No, this gig at the Moonshine Inn wasn’t permanent. Even the situation today with the delegation had shown that. At some point the hotel would have to learn to get along without her. Maybe it was time to consider the travel option and speed up the process. She didn’t want to leave forever, but her soul screamed for adventure.

Her body temperature finally warmed to something near normal. Caroline shut off the water and grabbed her towel. No time to linger—she had to track down Evan and find out what had happened.

She stepped into the living area at the same moment Evan passed through the front door. Shaun hovered in the hallway behind him, guilt written all over both wolves.

“Guys.”

“I’ll…talk to you later.” Shaun waved goodbye and attempted to disappear.

Her suspicions rose. “Going somewhere, Shaun? Come on in.”

“Oh, well, actually.” Shaun cleared his throat and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Gotta get back to my mate. Later.”

He vanished.

Caroline examined Evan closer. He wasn’t wearing the same clothes he’d had on when he left the apartment that morning. “Evan?”

He sniffed the air. She bit her lip to stop from laughing. Wolves—they did it every time, and every time it entertained her.

“Who’s in our apartment?” Evan stared over her shoulder, looking for a hidden person.

“No one.”

“There’s a guy in here…” Evan’s gaze narrowed and he stepped closer, sniffing her.

She shoved his head away, no longer amused. “Stop that. Jeez.”

“Why do I smell bear?”

Whoa. He was good. Caroline reached for the shirt on the chair and held it up. “Long story short, one of the bears staying in the hotel loaned it to me. Your turn, what the hell happened to you while I was talking to you earlier?”

Evan stuttered to a stop. His entire large-and-in-charge attitude softened as he turned his mesmerizing eyes on her. There was a sparkle in the depths she’d never seen before. “She was here.”

Okaaaay. It was going to be one of those conversations. “Evan, please. I’m not up for a wolf-of-mystery passcode-ring-needed explanation. She who?”

Maybe she should have clued in faster, but what with her own unusual morning and all, there was no reason for her to suspect. Not until he caught her fingers, squeezing carefully but with great enthusiasm.

“Caro, my mate was in the hotel this morning.”

Her first thought became her instant response.

“Holy shit, really? Wheeeee!” Caroline tossed her arms around his neck and hugged until he gasped. “Oh my God, Evan, I’m so thrilled for you.”

She let him go, an ear-to-ear grin firmly in position.

He blinked. “You are incredible.”

“Actually, I’m confused.” She stepped away. “Where is she? I mean, usually you guys find your mates—and I understand your loss of attention on the phone now—but I’d have thought you and she would be off on your wolfish honeymoon already.”

His grin faded. “Yeah, well. She was in the hotel. I never really met her.”

“But you sniffed her, right?” Caroline was pretty sure that was how it worked. “You at least know for sure she’s out there.”

“She’s out there, yes.”

Something was still wrong. “Is she…hiding on you? That doesn’t sound typical either.”

Evan dropped onto the couch. “Fuck it.”

Trouble in paradise. This was not good. “Okay, back up and tell me if I’ve got this straight. You have a mate, or at least you smelt proof of her in the hotel this morning. Only you haven’t met her, which is why you’re here, and not off rocking both your worlds.”

“Right.” He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “Help me find her?”

“Of course I will.” What a nightmare this must be for him. “Come on, let’s check the security cameras. I can access the feeds from here.”

She darted to the computer desk and opened the hotel security system. Evan dragged a seat into position beside her, his hand resting lightly on the back of her chair.

“The only place I scented her was in the kitchen. Shaun and I took a second pass through the restaurant, but there’ve been too many bodies in the room in the past hour to catch anything.”

Caroline punched in her password. “If you scented her in the kitchen, she had to get in and out, somehow. Unless she shifted into a mouse or something.”

He choked. “Umm, no. Definitely not. She left through the shipping door.”

“How long ago was this?” Caroline looped back through the feed that focused on the kitchen area. Evan’s wolf reappeared, shifted back into his human and acted…interesting. “Whoa, were you ever pissy. Way to freak out the staff, big guy.”

“I had reason.”

She patted his knee. “You did. Come on, backing up shouldn’t take too long then. I’ll focus on the door and take it up to high speed.” A couple adjustments later the workspace was a blur of motion, uniformed cooks and assistants seeming to leap from position to position. “We’re looking for someone returning through the—”

“There.”

He stabbed his finger at the screen and she paused the motion. A body in a black hoodie was backing through the service exit, definitely not one of the staff, who were all dressed in white. “There’s no one else in the room, so no witnesses.” Caroline checked the time stamp. “Ten to ten. Someone should have been in there, no?”

“I would have thought so. Not sure why… What is she doing? And damn it, do we have another camera angle to check?”

Evan’s mate, if that’s who it was, had kept her back to the camera the entire time she paced past the workstations. She had a notebook out and wrote something down at one point. “I’m sorry, Evan, I can’t change angles because there’s only the single ceiling camera. We didn’t install them to monitor staff that closely, just…”

“Just for moments like this, when someone we don’t know tries to gain access to the hotel. Fuck it, Caroline. We’ve got a potentially volatile situation with a hotel full of bear diplomats, who aren’t known to be forgiving of indiscretions or mistakes. What does this mean in terms of them?”

Caroline spun her chair until she could catch his hands. “Hey. You’re rattled, and I get it, because you’re probably some kind of ticking wolf-time-bomb, but please, get it under control.”

The usually level-headed, hyper-bossy, always-in-control A-plus Alpha as good as bounced from his chair and into the kitchen, jerking open the fridge and hauling out a juice. She watched his throat move as he tipped the bottle back and drained it.

That’s when the realization hit. They were finished.

She was happy for Evan, but now that he’d found—well, knew his mate existed—it was as good as a done deal in her mind.

Caroline didn’t cheat, and she didn’t fool around with other women’s men. Her and Evan’s love affair, as hot and intense and, holy moly, tons of fun as it had been, was over.

Something of what rolled through her must have shown on her face, because when their eyes met, his expression shifted. He put down the empty bottle and returned to her side, extending his hand.

She allowed him to pull her to her feet and accepted the hug he gave her, only she couldn’t hold back a sigh of regret.

“I’m sorry for hurting you like this.” Evan petted her hair gently. Even his touch had changed, from that of a lover heating her to the boiling point to a big brother offering comfort.

“Oh, Evan.” She wiggled back far enough they were staring at each other so he had to witness her honest smile. “I don’t regret one minute. Not of the time we had together, or that it’s over because you’ve found your missing soul. How could I possibly be upset?”

Confusion lingered in his eyes. “But you sighed as if…”

“I sighed because I’m going to miss the sex, dammit.” She wrinkled her nose. “You might have ruined me for everyone else in the future.”

Evan grinned cockily. “I did warn you about that when we hooked up, you know.”

She laughed. “Yeah, I think you did.”

He squeezed her again. “I don’t regret our time together either, although I am sorry it’s over. You’re a pretty cool human. Very devious.”

Caroline slipped back to the computer chair, considering the changes that would have to happen. “Only when I need to be.”

“Hey, I like devious. You’re more shifter than ninety percent of the pack, when it comes down to it.”

She went back to attempting to find a picture, a notable bit of information anywhere on the security tapes that would help him trace his mate. “I’ll get my things together. I can be clear of your place in the next day or two. I can use my sister’s apartment while she’s out of town.”

“No.” He leaned on the island counter. “You stay here. I’ll move into my room at the pack house until we can find you a new place to live.”

“Don’t be silly, Evan. This is your home. I’m not kicking you out of it.”

Evan narrowed his eyes. “Why are you arguing with me? Is it out of principle? Like you can’t possibly do what the Alpha says for once in your life?”

“Where would be the fun in that?” They smiled at each other, her sadness fading. “I mean it, Evan. You deserve this—to find your mate, and I’ll do everything I can to help you. And that sigh? Wasn’t just about the sex. You’ve become a super friend. I’ll miss being around you all the time.”

“Hey, you’re not getting out of my life that easy. We’re switching paths, that’s all.”

She nodded. “Friends instead of lovers?”

“Best friends.”

Her email pinged, but she ignored it. “One other question, though. How do you want to play this out with the pack? I assume while you’d love to hold a citywide search, you don’t want this broadcast. Or do you?”

Evan paced to the windows, messing up his hair with his fingers as he worked out his frustrations. “It’s not likely to stay a secret for long, but I don’t want to shout it from the rooftops. Any apparent weakness is an opportunity for others to take advantage of the pack through me. I won’t let Takhini suffer.”

“So…do you need me to stay here? Pretend we’re still together? I can sleep on a spare mattress in the bedroom. It’s nobody’s business what we’re not doing anymore.”

Evan turned, his gaze sharper, harder. “No, that’s not fair to you, or my mate. I don’t know if she’s unaware of me, but I won’t allow her to think I’m willing to be with anyone but her. Not even in retrospect.”

Caroline was at a loss. “Tell me how I can help.”

“Be yourself.” He gestured in the air, a wide encompassing circle. “Go with your gut instincts—they don’t seem to have failed you before. The hotel needs to keep running smoothly, and I…might need a few kicks in the butt. If I lose focus. Help me?”

“Deal.”

They paused. A moment of silence, almost as if they were saying farewell to what they had been.

Evan stepped to the window, hand clutched around something, his gaze focused into the distance.

Space. They might be committed to staying friends, and helping each other, but right now, they needed some space. She’d gather a few things and head over to Shelley’s apartment to settle in. Even though she was good with the change in their situation, not having Evan in her life was going to take some getting used to.

Maybe the invite to dinner she discovered in her inbox would be enough to distract her. Keep her mind off what she’d lost, and give her the chance to focus on all the good things it meant for her future.

Moving ahead with her plans—change might have come sooner than she expected, but she’d survive. A turn in the path, that’s what Evan had called it.

If only she could peek to see what was around the next corner.

Chapter Five

Tyler stepped from the limo and into his brother’s encompassing hug.

Frank didn’t seem to care they were standing on the sidewalk outside the Takhini pack house, or that there was a horde of wolves watching with great interest as the two of them pounded each other on the back. Justin had a close eye on the crowd, so Tyler concentrated on enjoying being reunited for the first time in ages.

When the affectionate greeting was over, he paused to examine Frank closer. The years of hard living in the remote north had left a mark, but his brother seemed happy enough. Far better than when he’d left his broken heart behind and retreated from the family. “You’ve put on a few pounds.”

“All in the last week, I swear.” Frank jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “These wolves? They cook up a damn good table.”

Tyler gestured toward their vehicle. “Climb in and we’ll hit the restaurant. You can tell me all about your hosts while I do my part to fatten you up.”

Frank settled opposite him, his honest face showing his curiosity. “You’re all spiffy dressed. I told you it was a casual place.”

“Can’t be helped, I’m afraid,” Tyler explained. “There are too many other delegates in town. I have to be on my best behavior at all times.”

Frank made a rude noise. “Politics.”

Tyler smiled. “Trust me, there are times I agree with you one hundred percent, only this one is important. It’s not just people acting bigger than their britches, which is what I think you called politics when you were young. It’s conclave, Frank. If I don’t take it seriously, our people could get hurt.”

His brother stopped playing with the automatic windows, returning his focus onto Tyler. “I hear you. Which is why I decided I should come after all.”

Tyler had wondered about Frank’s presence in town. “When I didn’t see you in Dawson City, I figured you were too far into the bush to make it. Or tangled up with the strange illness that swept the north. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Me too.” Frank widened his smile, relaxing back in the seat. “I’m here to enjoy the good parts while you get to do the hard labour. Sounds like a wonderful distribution of work.”

Tyler laughed. “We each have talents. Use them as necessary.”

Frank nodded. “Speaking of talents, I’ve been thinking. This whole brouhaha—formal, you say?”

“Very.”

“You need a bit of help.” Frank leaned forward. “You need to know how to read these people, and who to impress, right?”

Diplomacy was what Tyler was good at, but he wasn’t about to boast to his brother. Maybe Frank wanted to assist in the mediations. If he behaved it could work to their advantage. Frank wasn’t the kind of bear anyone wanted to piss off unintentionally. Nearly seven feet of quick-tempered brute? Tyler and Justin were big, but Frank was in a class all his own.

“You want to join me?”

Frank brayed out a laugh. “Ha. Are you fucking kidding me? I’d have the peace talks down to wrestling and blood before the hour was out, and you know it. No, gentle massaging of egos and shit—not for me, big bro. Not anymore.”

If Frank wasn’t offering to help, Tyler was confused, but before he could get clarification, the ride was over. Justin pulled open the door and they crawled out, the Klondike Rib and Salmon Barbeque to their right. A long row of customers stood waiting to get in, the line wrapping around the corner and disappearing from sight.

“Come on, we have reservations.” Frank cleared a path by simply pacing forward.

Tyler eyed the restaurant as he excused himself to the patrons they were butting in front of. Frank had said the place was casual, but this was lower on the relaxed scale than he’d imagined. Two disproportional buildings were smooshed against each other. The larger one vaguely looked like a tent, as if the original Whitehorse-gold-rush settlers had slapped up four walls and raised canvas over the top to make themselves a shop.

They paused inside the doors as the front desk staff cheered at the sight of Frank. Even the servers weaving between the tables with full hands grinned and called out greetings.

“Your brother doesn’t give himself enough credit for knowing how to get along with people. He obviously has a way with them.” Justin stood at his back, speaking over Tyler’s shoulder as they waited for the spontaneous celebration to die down.

“He’s only been here for one week. I can’t imagine.”

Frank motioned them forward. Tyler nodded politely to the girl holding their menus, then followed his brother toward the end of the room.

The tables ran in long rows, communal style. Red and green gingham tablecloths covered their surfaces, plastic ones, from what he could tell at a glance. The couple already seated at the far end of the table were digging into their food, plastic baskets with fake newsprint as their plates.

Frank settled into his seat with a sigh of happiness. “I love this place.”

“They seem to love you.” Tyler accepted the menu from the server. “How often have you been here in the past week?”

His brother grinned. “Some of the pack brought me in for lunch the first day I was in town, and I’ve been back every day since. I’m working my way through the menu.”

No wonder the restaurant staff liked him. “Glad to hear you’re having a good time. What do you recommend?”

“All of it.” Frank nodded. “The ribs are fab, though.”

Justin had directed Tyler into a seat that was as protected as possible, yet still presented a good view of the room. The lineup outside was explained as he realized every seat was taken but for the empty space to his left.

Popular place. Not only with locals, but tourists. While it wasn’t always possible to spot a shifter from a distance, Tyler knew many of the bears who were in town for the next stage of conclave. He’d met them over the previous weeks in Dawson City, and at first glance, out of the hundred bodies occupying the main seating area, he’d guess fifty percent were bears.

There really was no getting away from it. They’d taken over the town.

Not all eyes staring his way were friendly, either. Supporters of his rivals glared. Those undecided which way to vote kept their expressions blank. The bear elected to the top would have enormous power for years, and even those without an agenda were rightly cautious about supporting some unknown.

A waiter shuffled down the narrow space between tables, filling water glasses and taking orders. Tyler was distracted by a rather venomous glare from a bear seated by the door.

“Justin. By the entrance at one o’clock. Remind me of the clan.”

His friend glanced over. “Radium. Bunch of hotheads. I don’t have proof, yet, but I have my suspicions they were involved in the kidnapping.”

That would make sense. Definitely a group to keep an eye on.

Tyler twisted to give his order to the waiter. “Now That’s a Rack.”

He was horrified to discover that instead of the young man who’d just stepped behind him, he ended up speaking to a familiar-looking blonde.

Caroline Bradley raised a brow. “You have a thing for my breasts, don’t you?”

He surged to his feet, his chair tipping into the person behind him. “I’m sorry, I thought you were the waiter.”

Her smirk widened. “Okay, then. I’ll make sure Anthony knows, but he’s already got a boyfriend.”

Tyler scrambled to dig himself out without looking more of a fool. “No, it’s not like that. There’s an item on the menu called Now That’s a Rack. It looks delicious.”

Her upper body, including her delicious rack, shook as she laughed. “I know, I’m just teasing. You have wonderful timing.” She leaned in front of him and gave Frank her hand. “Good to see you again.”

Tyler forced himself to remain in one spot and not accidentally lean into her. His attempt was made more difficult as Frank, ever the diplomat, tugged until Caroline was forced to move forward. Her torso rubbed his, every inch pressed to him for a second until she was yanked into Frank’s arms for a hug.

Across the table, Justin was looking far too pleased.

“Shut up.” Tyler mouthed the words, but that only made Justin grin harder.

Frank finally relaxed his grip on the woman and turned her with great fanfare. “Caroline, I want you to meet my big brother, Tyler.”

Caroline cleared her throat and held out her hand—to Justin. “Nice to officially meet you. Sorry about the little incident earlier today, sir.”

Justin paused halfway out of his seat. Tyler opened his mouth to explain.

Frank beat them both to it. He laughed and pointed. “Hell, that’s not Tyler. That’s Justin, his sidekick. The ugly one over here is my brother.”

If she’d given him a what the hell look earlier for his unintentional sexual comment, her expression had grown miles more judgmental. All traces of amusement were gone. “Oh really. Gee, nice to meet you, Tyler. Frank has told me so much about you. He’s been raving about how you’re so honest and straightforward.”

She held her hand steady until he had to accept it. If he’d not been a shifter, her grip would have hurt. As it was, the additional squeeze she gave to the handshake made his bear rumble in approval.

Feisty. We like feisty, his bear insisted.

When she let him go and greeted Justin, Tyler gave himself a firm scolding and shoved the beast further down. This was not the time or the place to have a discussion with his animal half about the kind of woman they were supposed to be consorting with at the moment.

Although the idea of consorting a lot more intimately? If he was honest, like Caroline had suggested he usually was, then honestly, getting more involved with the woman wouldn’t be a problem for man, or beast.

She should have known this would be one of those days. From the disastrous start with housekeeping, to Evan’s big revelation, to this wonderful twist on her relaxing evening, she couldn’t get an even break.

Screw it. She was going to have fun tonight, and after discovering her bear with the grabby eyes was actually the head of the Harrison delegation, she wasn’t nearly as worried about impressing him.

While she was grateful he’d saved her ass, he’d lied to her. That meant he owed her, as far as she was concerned.

“You find everything you needed in your room?” she asked the real Justin.

“Very comfortable, thank you. How are you feeling after your mishap?”

Tyler cussed lightly under his breath, giving himself shit for something.

Okay, that surprised her. She would have expected someone as high-ranked as he was to be able to keep his comments to himself. Maybe she’d only heard him because his chair had ended up closer to hers as they found their seats again.

“I’m feeling fine, thank you. I must have dazed myself for a moment or two. No harm done.” She smiled at the waiter as he returned. “Full rack for the fellow beside me, please, and I’ll have the usual.”

“Sweet Caroline. Of course. And to drink?”

She faced the table. “Gentlemen? Did you order drinks yet?”

Tyler was glaring daggers at the server, a low rumble rising from his barrel-like chest.

Caroline’s give a damn broke a little more. She’d accepted the invite to dinner as a distraction. She didn’t want to deal with any more pissy shifters today, and that glower of his? Said something had cranked the bear’s wrong handle in the last couple seconds.

She caught his face in her hands and leaned in, speaking softly. “You do not stare at the staff like they are scratching posts. Get it together.”

He blinked, hard, refocusing on her face. He hooked his fingers around her wrists and lowered her arms until their hands were in his lap. His breathing slowed as he got himself under control then nodded. “Thank you.”

Justin spoke up. “A bottle of red for the table, please. The merlot.”

“Chilkoot beer for me.”

“Double-sized. Of course, Frank.” The waiter slipped away, not even aware he’d been one swipe from being knocked into tomorrow, if Caroline was any judge of shifter attitudes.

She jerked her arms back, trying to break Tyler’s grip on her wrists. “You want to let me go, big guy?”

Tyler straightened in a flash. “Sorry.”

Frank’s gaze flipped back and forth between them like crazy. “You two know each other already?”

“Slightly.” It was Justin who spoke again, smoothing things over. “Caroline was kind enough to help prepare our suite.”

Frank grinned. “Damn, girl, you do take care of the details, don’t you?” He elbowed his brother hard enough Tyler coughed out a gasp. “See, she’s got the smarts to deal with anything. You should take my advice.”

Caroline leaned on the table. “What kind of trouble are you getting me into?”

The big bear lowered his voice, gaze darting around the room as if making sure no one was listening. “Told them you were good at dealing with shifters. You need to help Tyler here win this election so the rest of the rowdies will get out of Whitehorse sooner.”

Good grief. Was everyone intent on running her life? “Gee, thanks, Frank. Maybe I’ll talk to Tyler about what he needs, okay?”

The big bear shrugged happily. “Sure. Just, you impressed a lot of people. Your sister thinks you’re damn cool, and she’s like the queen of the north after making the vaccination that saved our butts. If she looks up to you, then you’re aces. You know what I mean?”

Conversation stopped as Anthony brought the wine to the table and poured three glasses. Caroline wasn’t discussing anything until she’d had something to drink.

Tyler caught her with the edge of the glass already to her lips, nearly desperate for a swallow of the soothing liquid. “A toast.”

She tipped the glass away, fighting her sigh of frustration.

He lifted his own glass and stared her in the eyes. “To new friends, and a successful visit to Whitehorse.”

Caroline clicked glasses with him and Justin. There wasn’t any choice in the matter without making a huge fuss.

The look in Tyler’s eyes, though? The one that suggested he wasn’t only interested in taking her out for dinner? He could hold off that anticipatory expression for another century or two. She might be a free agent after Evan’s change of circumstance, but the last thing she needed was another head honcho to babysit. She loved Alpha males, but damn they were a lot of work.

She had to concentrate on the people who really needed her. Like Evan. And the pack.

Liquid swirled as she raised the wine goblet and imbibed long and deep. When she rested the glass on the table, a warm buzz had already begun at the back of her brain.

That was what she needed. To get good and tight. Something to help her forget she would be sleeping alone for the first time in months.

Tyler cleared his throat. “Perhaps we could start again. Caroline, I’m glad you could join us for dinner. If there’s anything you need to make the evening more pleasant, let me know.”

She took another sip of her wine as she considered his far more polite offer. Thank goodness the man had the sense to back off. “Keep my glass full and don’t steal mushrooms off my plate, and I’ll be fine.”

He nodded. “What are you having, by the way?”

“Sweet Caroline.”

His fingers tightened on his wine glass. “That’s a menu item?”

She nodded, easing back in her chair slightly.

“Vegetarian pasta—they named it after me. I find I get a lot of meat dishes at the restaurant and pack house. You shifters tend to neglect your veggies.” His expression of dismay was rather hilarious until she put two and two together. “You’re kidding. That gruff-and-growly thing earlier was because you thought Anthony was sweet-talking me?”

“Well, I…” Tyler turned back to the table and straightened the utensils, lining them up with the grid system on the checkered tablecloth. “I didn’t want him to treat you disrespectfully.”

Good grief. Cute, but not necessary. Caroline held out her glass. “I need more wine.”

Tyler topped it up, examining her closely as he poured. She drew in a deep breath just to watch his gaze stray from the top of the glass to her breasts.

“Whoa, Tyler.” Justin leaned across the table and mopped up the spilt wine.

Caroline hid her smile as she took another swallow and checked out the rest of the room. Served him right for staring at her chest. Again. The man truly was obsessed.

Strangers filled the restaurant, Caroline noted. Not unusual for the tourist destination, but the ratio was off even from what she’d expect in mid-July. Human tourists were far outnumbered by the time their appetizers arrived, as the shifters kept coming. She chatted with Justin and Frank about Whitehorse, answering the typical questions that were always asked, but she also watched the door.

It was simple, really, to tell who was what. Visitors who hadn’t been in the rib joint before paused to look around. They would sniff, the scent of barbeque and deep fried fish filling the air with wonderful aromas.

The humans would then turn to their companions and gush about the tasty smells. The shifters? Their gazes flicked to Tyler and Justin first, then farther into the room to examine the other shifters already seated. The newcomers even ignored the waitresses.

These were some tense shifters to ignore the pretty girls right under their noses.

Their meals arrived, huge platters of food lowered in front of Frank and Justin, the infamous rack of ribs in front of Tyler, and her pasta. They dug in heartily even while remaining alert.

Caroline nodded at Justin’s question regarding the hotel, turning to see what Tyler wanted.

He’d pushed a rib to one side of his plate. “Would you like one?”

Maybe she’d had too much wine. Maybe she’d relaxed a tad too much after all the stress of the day. Perhaps she just wanted to cause him some pain for his earlier stupid moves. Whatever her reasons were, in the end she listened to the devil on her shoulder and not the angel. The angel promptly gave up and slung back the remainder of a teeny bottle of angel wine.

“Sure.” Caroline stared at his face as she licked her lips.

Tyler hesitated, his fork hovering over the rib, his gaze fixed on her lips. She used her fingers to lift the savoury bone to her mouth and nibbled the meat from one side.

“Hmm, very good today.” She licked her fingers clean one at a time, making sure to use lots of tongue.

His jaw fell open slightly, his breath escaping in light pants as she wiped the final bits of sauce from her lips. Okay, maybe the no attention from him for a few centuries was a little long to wait. He was attractive, she was interested. By the time the bears were done their business in town, she’d be ready for a night of adventure with him, as long as he wasn’t into any furry stuff.

Tyler shifted uncomfortably in his chair, the wood creaking under his heavy mass. Caroline picked up her wine glass again, this time to hide her smile.

She still had it.

The volume of noise in the room had increased steadily over the course of their meal, laughter at times, but mostly voices. Male voices, and Caroline frowned as she examined the shifters.

Justin lifted his head. “Something wrong?”

“Your get-together. What is it, no females allowed?” She pointed into the room. “I don’t see a single lady bear dining out.”

Justin cleared his throat. “Well, yes, they are here in town—you should have seen them when they were checking in. But we tend to be protective of their more delicate…”

His words trickled to a halt about the time her brows hit her hairline. Good thing he’d stopped that nonsense before going any further.

Only she needed to know. “Tyler, you think the same way?”

His chuckle sounded sincere. “I believe in protecting those who need protecting, when they need it.”

“Nice political answer. You didn’t tell me anything.”

He shrugged. “I’m a political kind of guy.”

The twinkle in his eyes said more than political, confirming his continued interest in her.

Of course, that’s the moment when the loud discussions at the front of the restaurant turned to shouting.

Chapter Six

Justin was up in an instant, physically blocking her and Tyler from the disturbance that grew louder by the minute.

Frank lumbered to his feet. “I can settle them down.”

Tyler held him back, a hand on his arm. “Wait. It’s not our battle yet.”

Caroline leaned around the mass of bear between her and the fight. Tyler was right. People got in shoving matches all the time, and she didn’t have to feel as if she needed to be the one to solve all the problems.

Only when she spotted who was involved, tables and chairs tumbled to the ground around them, things changed.

“Damn fools.”

She ducked under Justin’s arm, evading his grasp to scramble the length of the room and step in between the two biggest shifters facing off with raised fists. She glared at the wolf in front of her, one of the Takhini pack who had a bad habit of getting in trouble, wordlessly daring him to make one wrong move.

“If you have an argument, take it outside.” Caroline held out a hand to the human waitress trapped against the wall, pulling the girl forward and sending her running for the safety of the kitchens. “This isn’t the place for swinging fists.”

The wolf in front of her backed down, he and his companions all making tracks for the exit door as if she might pull Evan out of her pocket and sic him on their butts. Or maybe they were scared enough of her without the threat of Evan, she couldn’t be sure.

“Leave enough money to pay for half of what you broke,” she called after them.

“Pussy-whipped.” The word growled out behind her from the other half of the problem.

Oh, this would be fun. Caroline twisted slowly, reaching into her pocket as she moved. “You boys enjoying your visit to Whitehorse so far?”

The bear in front of her had a red welt on the cheek where something had hit him in the past few minutes. “Who are you, the RCMP?”

Close enough. She resisted the urge to pull imaginary guns from a holster. “Concerned citizen who wants to get back to my dinner, and all the noise is making it hard to concentrate. So why don’t you guys call it a night as well?”

The bear laughed, then lowered his voice as he glanced around the room. “You and what army going to make us leave?”

She flicked out her left hand, and while he was distracted by the laser light she danced on the floor, she moved in and slammed her fingers around his balls. She squeezed hard enough for him to know she wasn’t going anywhere.

He froze in position, not even breathing. A couple tidbits she’d learned from her years around shifters—dancing red lights were tough to ignore when they weren’t expecting them. And balls made a dandy set of reins, no matter how big the beast.

Caroline leaned toward his ear. “I don’t need an army. Because you’re going to be polite, and not only leave, but you’ll give the nice human waitress you scared a big tip to make up for being a jerk. And then, you won’t come back here anymore.”

Additional pressure from her fingers made him suck in a breath through his nose. “You’re pretty cocky for a frail little thing,” he croaked through his gritted teeth.

“You mean for a human?” She continued to whisper, the rumble of voices in the background covering her words. “That’s the other item on my list. I see you making trouble again, I’ll be in touch with your clan leader, and rest assured I know how to make shifters uncomfortable. Now, do you want to leave with your balls or without them?”

He let out a wicked snarl, but she forced herself to stay in one spot. Yeah, she wouldn’t want to meet him in a back alley, but a huge part of dealing with shifters was never letting them know that. She adjusted her grip.

His growl broke off into a grunt of pain. “We’re leaving.”

His buddies shuffled out as he gestured toward the door, Caroline still holding him pinned in place.

“Remember the money you owe,” Caroline tossed after them. She stared up at her captive. “Name?”

His nostrils flared as he glared at her. “Mick Lucerne.”

“Mick. Tell your clan leader the Takhini pack is watching.”

She released her hold on his groin but didn’t step back, staying in his personal space, her chin held high, spine straight. The hush in the room ebbed and flowed as whispers broke out, or people gathered coats and fled.

Here and there, though, things went back to normal. Anthony gingerly stepped around them to pick up the fallen chairs, as he and another waiter set the tables to rights.

Mick adjusted his hips and broke off eye contact, lowering his gaze. “I’ll pass on the message.”

She didn’t let down her guard until he was out of the room, pausing to press a wad of rolled bills into the wide-eyed waitress’s palm.

Okay. Her heart rate was nowhere near normal. Caroline considered ordering a new bottle of wine for herself. Damn, she enjoyed excitement, but that had been unexpected.

Frank met her three steps from their table. “You were insane.”

He didn’t sound pissed off, he sounded impressed.

Caroline gestured him back to his chair. “Half the idiots involved in the rumble were Takhini. I knew I could get them to smarten up pretty quickly, which you couldn’t. Thanks for wanting to help, though.”

Justin held her chair. “I don’t know if I should congratulate you or see if you’re running a fever.”

“Oh, just an average day in Whitehorse. Could I have another glass of wine, please?”

There was a bottle at her elbow before she finished speaking. The owner, gratitude on his face. “Caroline. I have to name something else for you, don’t I?”

“Dan, you need to stop serving such good food. Look at what you caused—they were fighting at the tables for the leftovers.”

Dan winked. “I’m sure. Well, whatever magic you pulled, I appreciate your help, as always. Dinner is on the house.”

Caroline accepted the full glass from Justin and drank deeply, working hard to get back the relaxed and distracted sensation she’d had going. Now, where was she?

Right, flirting with Tyler.

Only when she turned to smile at him, he didn’t return it. His expression seemed locked between admiration and horror. She lowered her glass and examined him closer.

He had a death grip on the edge of the table.

“Something wrong?”

Tyler cleared his throat. “You do that often? Wade without blinking into a situation that could end in death?”

Her last straw broke. She didn’t need a lecture. Not from him, not from anybody. “Why yes, I do. It’s like this addiction I have. You’re not truly living until you’re one paw swing from a painful demise, you know what I mean?”

She reached for her glass only to find she was airborne, her belly firmly planted in Tyler’s shoulder as he lifted her into the air.

“What are you doing?” She couldn’t see a thing, her head dangling toward the floor, legs locked in his grasp.

Tyler stomped toward the door.

Caroline snorted in disbelief. What the hell was going on?

“Is there a problem?” The owner’s voice.

Caroline planted her hands on Tyler’s ass and twisted in an attempt to solve this situation as well, but the big bear who’d snatched her up had found his diplomacy. Sort of. He turned on the charm with her still suspended over his shoulder.

“Dan, thank you for everything. Caroline’s a touch overwrought after the showdown at okay corral a moment ago. We’re going to sit by the river for a while to calm down. Thank you for dinner. Please, allow my man to take care of any additional charges you have to repair things from the fight.”

“Why, thank you.” Tyler was moving again, but there was Dan, bent at the waist to dip his head to her level as she was carried past. “Caroline, always good to see you.”

She wasn’t about to call for help like some victimized heroine to announce she was being kidnapped. Not after she’d faced down a volatile fight. “Night, Dan. Wonderful as always.”

The simple response—the only one she could make without turning this into a major situation—struck her as hilarious, and giggles set in hard. She folded her arms and rested her head on Tyler’s strong back as he conveyed her across the road and into the park.

A set of fancy dress shoes and one beat-up pair of runners, both extra large, followed them.

Caroline got herself under control enough to speak. “Justin, does your boss do this all the time?”

“Not typically.”

“Ty’s gone out of his flipping mind,” Frank suggested. “What the hell is wrong with you, bro?”

Tyler lowered her to a bench then shook his finger in her face. “You, stay.”

Caroline had to be partly drunk. She curled her legs under her and made a face at him. “Woof.”

His expression didn’t break. He turned to Frank. “Thank you for joining us for dinner. It’s been great touching base, and we’ll get together again in the next couple days, deal?”

Frank nodded and stretched. “Nice evening. Think I’ll take a walk before heading back to the pack house. See you later, Caroline. Justin—hang loose.”

His brother ambled off happily as Tyler wrestled with the knot of tension inside him.

Caroline blinked at him from her spot on the bench, taking control of the wine bottle he’d grabbed from the table. She raised it in a silent cheer before putting the bottle to her lips.

He tore his gaze off her mouth and focused on his guard. “Go home.”

Justin didn’t move. “I don’t think so.”

Fuck it. What was the use of being the head of the biggest bear conglomerate when he couldn’t get anyone to listen? “Justin. I don’t need a babysitter.”

“But you do need a chaperone.” Justin motioned to Caroline. “Take your time, remember you’re in public, and I’ll be right over there just out of hearing, waiting until you get whatever the hell is wrong out of your system.”

Tyler wanted to rip something to shreds, preferably his best friend’s head, but the noncompromising stance Justin took forced Tyler to accept the truth.

As much as he wanted to vanish with Caroline, he couldn’t. He’d been over the line hauling her ass out of the restaurant, and that was only forgivable because she’d laughed and made it all right.

He dipped his head briefly at Justin then joined Caroline on the bench, collapsing without much hope of holding up his limbs any longer.

She sat quietly, the two of them looking over the smooth flowing river. She held out the bottle, and he accepted it, swallowing down a number of gulps like some street person.

“What a day.” Caroline stretched her legs in front of her and leaned back.

Tyler switched from watching the water to examining her legs, mesmerized. “It’s been interesting, yes.”

“So, what’s the most recent thing on the ‘this day can’t possibly get any weirder’ for you? Me, I got carried out of a restaurant by a cranky bear.”

He went for honest. “It was carry you out, or shift in public.”

“Shit.” She leaned closer, peering into his face. “Really? Well, I’m glad you went Tarzan on me then, but what the hell? I wasn’t in any danger, you know.”

Tyler wasn’t as sure of that as she seemed to be. “You know why we’re in town?”

She nodded. “Conclave. You guys vote for leadership then somehow the leader deals with territorial-distribution issues. You had the first part of the meetings in Dawson City earlier this summer, and you’re supposed to finish them here.”

Not bad. “You’re well informed.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I’m…kind of well connected in the Takhini pack. That was part of the reason I stepped in at the restaurant. I knew the wolves involved in the potential rumble would listen to me without an argument.”

Tyler glanced at Justin, but his guard was being true to his word. He’d stepped far enough away he could keep an eye on what was going on around them, but he mustn’t have heard her comment, or he would have given Tyler an “I told you so” look.

“Well connected means you understand how typical shifters react in power situations?”

“Considering I just had my fingers wrapped around a bear’s gonads, uh, yeah. Violence is not the option of last choice, it’s usually the first. Getting physical is like breathing to shifters, or at least to wolves.”

Tyler watched her take another drink, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she offered him the bottle again.

“Bears are worse.”

Her snort of disbelief only made his bear more agitated.

“I’m serious. You mention getting physical as a first option. Bears do that, step in and fight before trying to talk things through. But there’s a violence built into us beyond protecting or wanting to win. Most bears don’t give a damn if they get hurt during the power exchange, as long as their opponent ends up hurting harder.”

She was thinking it through. “What does this have to do with you almost shifting?”

“My bear admires you.”

Her eyes widened. “You guys don’t do the mate thing, though, right? Like you’re not telling me that—”

If only it were that simple. “No. Bears don’t have fated mates, but my bear likes you. Not only physically, but your knowledge and your bravery. On an animal level he somehow senses you’d be good for me.”

She slouched on the bench, staring out over the water. “Well, isn’t that sweet. I’d be good for you. This day gets better and better.”

Tyler considered his options, discarding them as rapidly as they popped to mind. Perhaps downplaying the physical attraction between the two of them was best, and he should appeal to her human side.

“Good for me as in politically. It’s vital I end up on top by the end of the voting. Not because I crave the power, but because there are a few territories that need to be straightened out, and my main opponents are the ones who got them into trouble. If it were a matter of a cage fight, or leadership ripping out each other’s throats, it would be different. These men aren’t reasonable, though. We’re talking communities of people—innocent women and children—who will be hurt if the wrong people come into power.”

She rose to her feet, pacing in front of the bench. “I still don’t see where I fit into this. Win the vote, then. Takhini pack will support you as much as we can, but that should mainly involve us doing a better job of keeping our hotheads out of fisticuffs with bears at large.”

“Takhini’s help guarding the peace is a start. There are also a few events in the next week where I’d be grateful if you’d act as my assistant.”

“Oh boy.” She crossed her arms and stared into space. “Well, that might be possible, but we have to talk to Evan, because he’s usually got my schedule wrapped up.”

“I’ll speak to him first thing in the morning, then.”

“Email is the quickest way to get hold of him.”

She rubbed the back of her neck, and he remembered her fall. “You must be exhausted. Did you see a doctor?”

“Don’t baby me. I’m fine, but I am ready for this day to be over.” She smiled tentatively. “I must seem very unorthodox to you. Believe me, this day has been weird even by my standards.”

He didn’t care. His need to protect her and care for her was buzzing as his bear gloated over her somewhat agreement to act as his assistant.

Assistant sounded more professional than date, but at this point, whatever got him what he needed was fine by him. “Allow me to take you home.”

“It’s only a couple of… Oh, why the hell am I even trying? You’ll probably pick me up and carry me if I protest.” She turned and whistled at Justin who jerked in surprise as she gestured him closer. “We’re done. You got wheels waiting somewhere?”

Justin glanced his direction, an unspoken question on his face. Tyler leapt to his feet and spoke before Justin could blurt out anything dire. “We’re driving Caroline home. The rest of the details will be dealt with tomorrow.”

Justin nodded and pulled out his phone.

Tyler offered his arm to her. “Walk with me?”

Her fingers curled around his biceps, and he slammed his lips together to stop a rumble of satisfaction from escaping. His desire to roll over her life and simply take control had to be fought. At least for now.

If she’d meet him in the middle, he could concentrate on his job and ease the beast within.

The ride to her apartment passed in silence as she stared out the window and Justin, fortunately, held his tongue. When they stopped, Tyler followed her out of the vehicle, motioning Justin back. His guard rolled his eyes but remained on the sidewalk.

She tapped in the security code at the front doors. “You don’t need to walk me up.”

“Humour me.”

“I hope you realize if I weren’t so exhausted, my answer would be hell no.” She waited for him to push the doors open then led him to the elevator. “I’m capable of taking care of myself. Remember that, and we’ll get along much better.”

Tyler held his peace until they hit her floor and she had the deadbolt unlocked.

She turned in the doorway. “There we go. Safely home. Thanks for the lovely evening, and we’ll be in—”

He twisted her to the side and pinned her to the wall. Frustration, hunger—it all came together in one moment of need that had to be answered.

“Maybe it’s the fact you can take care of yourself that makes you so damn attractive.”

He wrapped one hand around the back of her head, the other at her hip as he kept her completely under his control. He caught her with her mouth open as he kissed her. A rush of excitement roared through him at her taste, and his bear finally settled in satisfaction.

She hesitated, and he wondered if his balls were in danger, then she thrust her fingers into his hair and dove wholeheartedly into the kiss. Tongues tangling, bodies pressed tightly together. She wrapped a leg around his thigh, opening her body to him. He used both hands to lift her, lining up their mouths better while easing his erection between her thighs.

Caroline groaned as his lips left hers, kissing his way along her jaw to her neck. The sound fluttered as he took hold of her earlobe and sucked lightly.

“How hard did I hit my damn head this morning?” Her muttered complaint was negated by the fisted grasp she maintained on his hair, holding him to her throat. She was nearly purring with satisfaction as he tasted her skin.

He licked, once, and her full-body shiver made the hair on his arms stand on end with the desire to take more.

To hell with restraint, he wanted to take it all.

Control fled as he latched his mouth onto her neck and sucked. He played her with his tongue, tormenting them both as he rocked against her, taking the final liberty he’d allow himself this night.

She swore and jerked his hair, tugging hard enough to break the seal between them, but not soon enough to stop him from leaving a mark on her pale skin.

His bear gloated, then retreated like a coward leaving him to face her alone.

They stared at each other, still breathing heavily, still smashed together in the open doorway of her apartment.

She tried to settle her gasps. “I should be pissed.”

“Don’t kid yourself. We both needed this.”

“That’s what makes me upset.” She loosened her death grip, lowering her leg toward the ground. “I know better than to act without thinking.”

He slipped her down the front of his body, the tight run against his cock driving him wild while strangely filling him with peace. Somewhere, not too far down the road, they would answer the physical craving between them. Even knowing that made it easier to wait.

“Instincts are rarely wrong.” He stepped back and dipped his head politely. “I look forward to exploring that concept with you.”

He waited until she’d closed the door and the deadbolt had turned before making his way back to the limo.

Justin held the door for him. “You smell like the human. I take it she agreed to be your date for the galas?”

Tyler settled into the seat and wondered at it. “I have no idea what she’ll do next, and somehow that amuses me far more than it should.”

Not even Justin’s expression of dismay could bring him down from his high. The next round of voting would begin the following afternoon. He should be obsessing over numbers and finding new ways to gain allies.

Yet all his gut instincts were wrapped up in one fiery-tempered blonde with a penchant for speaking her mind. Who kissed like she could suck his soul from his body.

He was one out-of-control bear, and he liked it.

Chapter Seven

Evan paced his office three times, pausing at the window to examine the parking lot for her car before repeating the motion. Every time the computer announced there was another email, he slipped over to read what was fast becoming a joke of cosmic proportions.

A yawn escaped him, and he scratched his jaw, wondering if he needed a second shower to knock the cobwebs from his brain today.

Sleep had eluded him for most of the night. While he’d been honest with Caroline about his need to start a new direction between them, he’d missed her, damn it. Missed having her complain about the pack. Missed seeing her walk naked from the tub into his bed. Missed how she hogged the covers and then cursed when he tugged them free.

If his mate had already been on the scene, he would have been distracted, but all Caroline’s absence did was showcase even more what was missing in his life.

He wanted his mate, for fuck’s sake. Wanted her to be the one wandering his apartment naked, jumping into bed with him, leaving him breathless and satisfied. What he and Caroline shared had been incredible, but only a shadow of what his life would be.

Lost in limbo between what he’d had and what he had to find was a fucking unhappy place.

He peeked out the window again. Where the hell was she? Caroline was never late for work. Maybe he should phone her. He glanced at his watch and growled in frustration. Only seven thirty. He couldn’t expect her for at least thirty minutes.

Another email pinged, and he swore. He had to do something to pass the time.

Cueing up the security tapes simply aggravated him further. Not only did it take him four tries—he fucking hated computers—but when he did luck out and open the right program it remained a dead end. Lots of little details like his mate wore her nails neatly trimmed, and she had a freckle on the back of one hand. And she was short. That much they could get from the tapes, but nothing else.

The office door swung open at eight and he snapped to his feet. Caroline walked in and this familiar aroma wafted in with her. Familiar, but unexpected.

She clicked her tongue sadly. “Still looking for clues? I wonder if we contacted a few of our neighbors and asked to see—”

Evan moved in closer. “What the hell have you been up to?”

She paused in the middle of putting her purse away. “Hello?”

There was that scent again. “Bears.”

She did exasperated well. “Oh, God, you would not believe the trouble those creatures are.”

“I bet I would.”

She dropped into her computer chair, misery written all over her, and his gut did a triple backflip.

“Caro?”

She paused, gaze fixed on the empty screen. Then she lowered her hands into her lap and twisted to face him. Confusion painted her features. “Never mind me, I had a rough evening.”

“Me too.” Plus, he missed kissing her good morning. “Fuck it all, come here.”

He held his arms open and willed the part of himself to the surface that was pack, and nothing else. The care-for-everyone-and-make-them-happy part.

She curled against him, and he held her tight, her warmth settling on his chest like a cuddly kitten, without the sneeze-inducing allergies. Having her there only increased his confusion, though, as he fought the urge to blurt out the questions flooding his brain.

Instead, he soaked in the companionship she offered, the deep comfort of holding someone who cared for him, who was part of his family. Turning it into a pack issue saved his butt and put things into perspective. He could ache for her without the feelings turning sexual.

Which made it easier to cradle her until she finally sighed, far more relaxed than when she’d basically thrown herself into his arms.

“Better?” he asked.

“Yes.” She leaned back and smiled. “Oh, what a tangled mess I’ve gotten myself into.”

“Really.” Evan considered the dozen emails sitting on the computer and wondered if she already knew, or if they were in addition to her troubles. One thing he had to ask. “Does the tangle involve bears? I mean, at least one male bear?”

She laughed, backing out of his arms. “I had a shower last night, and this morning. I used shampoo, conditioner and body wash, and you can still smell him?”

“That’s not an answer. An answer would involve name and clan affiliation. And a detailed list of why you smell like him after the scrub down. Or don’t I want to know?” He leered.

Damn if she didn’t flush. “Nothing happened.”

“Oh, really?” He brushed a fingertip over what he would have sworn was a hickey on her neck.

“Nothing much, at least.” Caroline collapsed back into her computer chair and stared at the ceiling. “I swear you guys are so damn complicated. I’m doing a Google search for a part of the world where there are no shifters and holidaying there, first chance I get.”

“New York City is shifter free.”

She snapped halfway upright. “You’re shitting me.”

He grinned. “Yeah, I am. Sorry, Caro, you’re stuck as one of the most shifter-educated humans in the world. You get to enjoy our glory no matter where you go.”

“Bastard.”

He pulled a chair up beside her. “Want to talk about it?”

“Not really.”

“I think we should.”

She stared him down. “Did you get an email this morning naming you master of the universe concerning my life?”

“You were expecting emails?” Because if she was expecting them, that changed everything.

Only she frowned. “Emails—no, one email. From…” She spun toward the computer and shifted the mouse to wake the screen. “Holy shit, what are all those?”

“Emails to the hotel-slash-Takhini pack with the subject line Regarding Caroline Bradley and Urgent request for C. Bradley and my personal fav…” He leaned over and clicked open one of the messages.

Caroline leapt back as a GIF flashed across the screen showing a nearly naked male, hips pulsing in what he must consider a sexy move with the words make my day, baby pasted across the bottom of the picture.

“That one is from Clan Miette. Classy.”

“Oh my God, what is going on, Evan?”

“You seem to have done something last night that impressed or freaked out, I’m not sure which, all of the visiting bear clans. You’ve now been asked to join…” Evan slid his finger down the computer face and counted, “…wow, it’s up to fourteen different clans as an ‘interested party to the proceedings’. You want to tell me what this tangled mess you mentioned involves? Because it looks as if you’ve hauled the Takhini pack full force into the bear conclave, whether that was your intention or not.”

“I didn’t do anything…” he gave her a look, “…out of the ordinary. Stop that. You know I don’t make trouble for trouble’s sake. That’s Shaun’s job.”

“True.” He moved toward the coffee machine.

“I interrupted a rumble during dinner. Lance and Toby are on the shitlist, by the way.”

“That’s not unusual news either. I take it the fight involved bears?”

“Yes. I was out with Frank at the time.”

His hands jerked, and Evan slopped coffee over the edge of the cup. “Whoa. Really? You and Frank?”

He didn’t want to picture it. Not the big, rustic, half-wild visitor.

She snatched the cup from him and gave him a glare. “No, you dirty-minded shifter. I was not fooling around with Frank. Good grief.”

“Well, that makes it so much better. Which bear were you fooling around with?” Not that he was jealous or anything.

Much.

She sighed. “Frank’s brother kissed me. He’s rather exasperating, in this sexy, overbearing, luggish way.”

“You do like them luggish.”

“Ha!” She lost her pout. “You should know. Neanderthal.”

He nodded slowly. “Okay, this makes more sense. You did something hugely unexpected and out of character for a human, followed by showing a marked interest in one of the powerhouses involved in conclave. Now all the clans are taking a shot at you in the hopes of neutralizing whatever advantage you bring forward, if nothing else.”

She stared at him. “You’re joking. It was a public dinner with Tyler, his bodyguard and his brother, and one bloody kiss—that no one saw, I might add.”

“I’m not so sure. Check the fifth email.”

She scrambled for the mouse, swearing as that particular email turned out to have an attachment link to a newsletter. Be Bear Aware. “This is some kind of joke.”

“Well, they don’t have great skills as paparazzi, but I think that grainy JPEG is you and him sharing a memorable first date on the park bench. Once again—classy. You should have told me I needed to wine and dine you more.”

“Asshole.” She pointed at the screen. “We weren’t doing anything but sitting. The kiss happened…elsewhere.”

“Doesn’t matter where, it happened and word got out. So the question becomes, what are you going to do about it?”

So much for her nice, simple life. Every hour that passed seemed to bring more twists to the program instead of less. “I need to brainstorm with you. I need your perspective, okay?”

Evan lowered himself into his favourite leather chair, draping a leg over the arm. “Storm away.”

“I could say no to them all. Remain neutral.” She pressed back into her computer chair, rocking it slowly. “That’s one solution.”

“Remaining out of the picture is one choice.” He eyed her. “Is that really an option, though?”

“What do you mean?”

He took a long obvious sniff.

She wished baring her teeth and growling would make an impact on his stupid ass. Instead she threw a pen at him. “Stop that. Yes, even though one of the clan leaders kissed me, we’re not handfasted or something. I could delete all the messages or politely tell them I’m otherwise occupied.”

“Okay, so what’s the advantage of you staying out of it?”

She thought longingly of a sun-scorched beach. “I can keep up with my job here at the hotel and help you find your mate.”

“Hmm. Both worthy tasks. What’s the advantage of you getting involved with the bruins?”

She was trapped. “Damn it, Evan. Being a part of the conclave is like a front-row seat to keeping the pack informed and safe. And last night…”

The information Tyler had shared regarding why conclave was so important had made sense. There were shifters out there she didn’t want in control of anything bigger than a toaster.

Evan’s foot bounced as he scratched his chin. “I see lots of reasons why it’s a good thing, Caro, you accepting an invite. This is bigger than me and my current issue, or the hotel for that matter. If you’re willing to sacrifice some personal time and suffer through political bullshit for a week, I think it’s worthwhile for the pack. But I’m a little biased.”

“Well, yeah you are, but you’re also right. This is big, and I’d be stupid to ignore the opportunity.”

He cleared his throat. “Then you simply need to decide which one of your bear beaus you want to go to the ball with.”

“Shut up.” She tapped the arm of her chair with her fingertips as she considered. “How much do you know about Tyler?”

“Other than you swapped spit?”

Gah. “You are so annoying at times.”

He grinned. “You love me, you know you do.”

In her way, she did. “Tyler shared information last night that made me think he’s one of the good guys. Does what you know line up with my instant appraisal?”

Evan leaned forward, his expression sharpening. “I checked out all the clans before conclave moved. He’s clean from what I could find. Hard working and runs a fair company. Head of his family. No shifter issues in his territory, unlike the reports from a few others. This might be your decision, but you are not getting involved with Clan Ainsworth or Lucerne. I won’t allow it.”

Well. “You won’t allow it. Really.”

He rose to tower over her. “You might not be in my bed anymore, but you’re still mine. I forbid you to get involved with anyone I suspect cares less for your survival than what they can squeeze from you in short-term benefits.”

As a human, his shifter power didn’t hit her the same way it would affect a fellow wolf. Didn’t mean she couldn’t feel the effects, especially when like now, he had his dominance cranked on full blast.

To a human who’d never experienced it before, even a gentle touch could make them uncomfortable. Perhaps have them running from the room as if they’d felt a ghost. Caroline stiffened her spine. She raised an arm to admire the way her hair stood straight on end. “Whoa, you’re like a twelve on the Richter scale with that order.”

“I don’t want you dead.”

Whoa again. She laid her hand on his and tried to soothe him. “Hey, this is me. You don’t need to get all growly so I’ll listen to reason. Don’t make the situation bigger and scarier than it has to be for shock value.”

He shook his head. “You’re not getting it. If anything, I’m playing down the dangers. Yes, I’d love to have you as a fly on the wall to keep things safe for Takhini, but these are bears, Caroline. For all my and Shaun’s joking about the ‘wimpy bears voting instead of ripping out throats like us macho wolves’, there’s a reason they moved to this method. It saves a fuck-ton of lives. This won’t be a walk in the park. You will be vulnerable, and if something happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.”

Caroline nodded slowly. She touched his face. “I’ll be careful, and I’ll take this seriously. And if I feel as if it’s getting too much for me at anytime, I’ll step aside, okay?”

“Promise me.”

Evan turned down the Alpha vibes and her body stopped pulsating.

She raised her hand in the air, palm forward. “I solemnly swear I will protect my ass at all times.”

He narrowed his gaze. “Well…maybe that will do.”

She flipped her hand around and turned the vow into one, lone finger.

“Don’t push me, Evan. I’ve had a seriously weird twenty-four hours.” He raised a brow, all Spock-like and she snorted. “Okay, fine, you’re in the same boat, and you don’t even have a paddle.”

He laid his arm around her shoulders and tugged her in, resting his chin on her head. “We’ll get through this, you and I. We’re strong, we’re smart.”

“And we don’t take shit from anyone.” Caroline squeezed him tight. The path had turned the corner, and she was almost at the point she’d be able to spot the coming obstacles.

Because if she’d learned anything, obstacles went with the territory.

Evan pushed her toward the computer. “You’re going to accept Tyler’s offer, I presume.”

She glanced down the list of names, shocked to see them all. “If we eliminate the ones you know are rotters, should I do more research before accepting anyone?”

He paused. “What’s your gut telling you?”

Tyler’s deep rumbled words about instincts flashed through her brain, bringing the smooth slide of sexual anticipation along for the ride. “You don’t want to know my gut right now.”

“I love it,” Evan chortled. “You are such a weird human.”

“Enough.” Caroline dragged her hands through her hair—one of the fidgets of frustration she’d learned from Evan. “Who am I kidding, though? What Tyler said to me last night regarding power seemed completely honourable. The fact he’s attractive isn’t a hardship.” She glanced at Evan. “I’m not trying to replace you. I hope you know that.”

He seemed lost for a moment before his face brightened with comprehension. “Oh, Caro, you don’t have to explain away animal attraction or justify getting involved with another guy. There’s no statute of limitations that wolves adhere to.”

“I don’t need to go through a period of mourning before hopping into another man’s bed?”

He laughed. “I’m not dead, and neither are you. Stop worrying about if you and Mr. Teddybear are going to fuck around. Worry about how to survive whatever weird things bears do.”

His phone went off, and Evan answered it, swearing starting shortly after he lifted it to his ear.

“One second.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I gotta run. Someone mucked up the kitchen orders and the chef is getting spirited.”

“Spirited?”

“Literally. He’s drinking already, and if we want to survive the lunch rush, I need to go coddle him.”

She nodded. “I’ll find out what’s involved in the bear deal and get as much done of my job in advance as I can.”

He waved from the door. “Give it a break. You’re indispensible, but we’ll manage.”

Caroline waited until he was gone, rising and double-checking the office door was locked before returning to the computer and pausing.

Yes, Tyler’s invite was there, with an eight p.m. appointment time. Hmm. An evening meeting?

She pushed aside her curiosity to deal with other issues first. She flipped through the hotel to-do list, delegating items for the coming week to others.

There was one thing she couldn’t delegate. She opened Skype and checked for the green light to see if her contact was on.

Who was she kidding, though—Amy was always online.

Got a minute?

A pause, then Amy’s response. Yeah

Can we talk?

The video part of the program rang, and Caroline stabbed at the volume button. She answered, then held a finger to her lips as she scrambled to plug in her headset.

“I need to touch base with you, and I can talk faster than I can type.”

The woman on the screen nodded. Her short hair spiked upward, dark against the plain white background behind her. “I have to take a call in a minute. What’s up?”

Caroline struggled for inspiration. How was she supposed to walk the line here between helping Evan and revealing too much? “Amy, when we first got in contact, I promised I’d keep your identity a secret. I’m not breaking that vow, but I need you to consider adding one more person to your trust list.”

Amy’s mouth tightened. “You want to tell someone else in the Takhini pack about me?”

Caroline nodded slowly. “I’ll be busy for a week with some new developments and might not be around a lot. I figured if you needed to talk to anyone, in an emergency, you should have someone else you’re okay with.”

The wolf fidgeted with her hair. “I don’t know…”

“You want to help amalgamate the packs, right? That’s what we’ve been talking about for the past month.”

“Yes. There really is room for only one pack in Whitehorse.”

Caroline nodded. “That’s what Evan says as well, so why not talk directly to him if you need anything? Or if there’s anything you want to give him a heads-up about.”

The woman’s eyes widened. “You plan to tell the Takhini Alpha you’ve been talking to a mole in the Canyon pack? He’s the person you want me to contact? Are you nuts?”

Another email pinged into her box from yet another bear clan, and Caroline’s frustration level rose to near breaking. “Not completely nuts, not yet. Who else would be better, Amy? Evan’s got the best interests of all local wolves at heart. I’m not passing you over to the Beta, because while Shaun is a great wolf he’s not…as diplomatic. He’d probably order you to give up names and places and stuff. I understand you’ve got to be careful.”

“And Evan’s not going to simply order me to spill all the Canyon secrets?” Amy shook her head. “I don’t mind talking to you, but you’re a human.”

“Then don’t talk. Text only, if you’re afraid of shifter hierarchy kicking in. I’d hate to see the motion we’ve made toward unification come apart because I’m tied up.”

A phone rang in the background, and Amy jerked upright. “I have to go. But…fine. Give me his email, and tell Evan he can contact me.”

“Thanks. And don’t worry—Evan is a great guy. You can trust him.”

Amy wrinkled her nose. “We’ll see.”

The Skype screen went black as Amy hung up. Caroline breathed a sigh of relief, even though she had one more issue to deal with before turning herself over to Tyler for the duration of conclave. She wondered what Evan would think of her little secret-sharing undercover wolf from the Canyon pack.

Amy was so sweet. Caroline hoped Evan would be able to help ease the girl’s fears while he kept the integration of the packs headed the right direction.

The list of emails from the bear clans distracted her from focusing too hard on that mystery. Now she had to find out exactly what an assistant to a bear did.

Anticipation danced inside. She was somewhere between being disgruntled that she was good for Tyler politically and fascinated with the chance to be involved with something brand new. Whatever happened in the next while was sure to be a lot different than emergency room cleaning for the hotel.

She clicked open Tyler’s email to formulate an acceptance.