Moon Shine

Chapter One

Evan Stone shot off the couch and scrambled to the window, clutching back the living room curtains as he stared into the darkness. His heart continued to rattle hard enough his hands shook.

It took a long time to blink away the images, for the echoes of screams to fade from his ears. To admit it was true. The flames were only in his mind. His dreams.

Instead of red and gold fingers consuming everything around him in destructive heat, outside his second-storey apartment window the streetlights of Whitehorse flickered. Their pale blue glow a faint defense against the chill of night.

As the fog in his brain cleared, the ache in his belly arrived, silent pain striking deep. The gaping hole in his soul became his single focus point. Far more than the dreams of his past, the unknown cut him apart and shot his concentration to hell.

Life as he knew it was over—but his future refused to arrive.

Somewhere out there was his mate. He’d scented her, following her trail from his hotel until she’d vanished without a trace. He’d dedicated every spare moment since to the search, but all his attempts had come up blank. Frustration led to restless nights pacing before passing out wherever he ended up. Restless sleep led to nightmares made of tortured memories.

He was past ready to move on.

A quick glance showed the clock on the counter had failed. Evan pressed his watch to check the glowing numbers. Time clicked over to twelve-ten as loud pounding sounded on his front door.

“Evan, wake up. Wake up.”

Bloody hell. “Shaun?”

Wolf-pack hierarchy said Evan was numero uno and Shaun second in command. Evan tried to maintain a light hand on the reins—he’d witnessed too intimately what happened when men and beasts allowed power to go to their heads. But laid-back ruler of his Takhini-pack kingdom that he might be, unless this was a real death-and-dying emergency?

He would happily take out his frustrations on his Beta.

Evan jerked the door open. Shaun stood there, his usual “what the fuck” attitude noticeably absent. Instead his dark hair and broad shoulders were covered with a thick layer of black and green…stuff.

“What the hell happened to you? Whoa…” Evan stepped back in self-defense as the first wave of putrescence hit him smack in the face. “Crap.”

“Not crap, it’s garbage.” Shaun knocked a handful of what looked to be half-decomposed road kill off one shoulder.

“Get a new hobby,” Evan snarled, his eyes watering. “Jeez, you reek. Stand downwind, I’ll come outside.”

“You need to get to the hotel,” Shaun insisted, even as he inched farther back on the landing. His face twisted into a horrified expression. “I can barely breathe, I stink so bad.”

Evan wasn’t sure what was going on. Their livelihood was based on the hotel, and over the past couple weeks, strange shit had been happening. He strode back to his bedroom, shouting at Shaun through the open door. “Stay there while I pull on some clothes. Tell me what’s wrong, and why the hell you look like a zombie.”

“Power is out at the hotel. Only the hotel—none of the other places on the block are affected, and the pack house three streets over is fine as well. I was in the middle of shutdown at the bar when everything went black. None of the usual fixes helped, so I thought I’d try you. But your phones are out, both your landline and your cell. And the shortcut between the hotel and your place was booby-trapped.”

Shaun grimaced at the muck-coated fingers he raised skyward as Evan joined him on the landing, fully clothed. They both turned and headed down the stairs to the street level. “Thanks for getting me. Did you turn on the generator?”

“Busted.”

“Bullshit,” Evan snapped. “I serviced that myself last week.”

Shaun stopped beside him, bits and pieces of debris falling off to the ground as if he truly were a zombie on his final legs. “Don’t go snarly at me. I know engines too, dude—it’s busted. No bullshit.”

“That makes no bloody sense,” Evan complained. “Plus, there’s no reason for an outage this time of year in the first place.”

They skirted the area where Shaun had hit the booby trap. Evan was too keen to get to the hotel to do more than give the setup a quick glance, but even that was enough to make him whistle in admiration. “Damn, the trick-or-treaters are out in full force already. Look—”

He pointed to the neatly assembled buckets hanging empty above their heads. Shaun grumbled. “They were hidden behind the board. That’s why I didn’t see them.”

“Must have sealed the tops to stop the smell from warning you off as well.” Evan shook his head, his stomach protesting the stench wafting off Shaun. “You must be dying. I’m dying standing next to you. God, you stink like… Hell, I can’t think of anything nasty enough, actually.”

“Fuck you. You want my help tonight?”

Evan made a snap decision. “No. Go home. Get a shower. Try not to freak your mate out too much, or she might decide to light you on fire and get a newer model.”

“Har-har.” Shaun stepped away as Evan pulled open a side-entrance door to the hotel. “Seriously, though. Call if you need me.”

“We’ll be fine.” Evan waved his Beta off before turning and entering the darkness.

He strode down the hallway with no hesitation as he paced the black-as-coal passages. He was familiar with every inch of the hotel he’d turned into one of the centerpieces of the Takhini pack resources. Plus, he was a wolf. His senses were sharp enough to warn him not only of his surroundings, but that he was rapidly approaching a group of upset people who’d gathered in the lobby.

Dim light greeted him as he rounded the corner to the open foyer. Swinging flashlights sent golden beams dancing off rock walls, the wet surfaces all that earmarked the impressive waterfall that usually graced the entrance to the hotel. The feature wall was silent. Even the voices he heard remained low, although their dismay and concern carried clearly enough, echoing in the darkness.

Evan shoved behind the desk and laid a soothing hand on the shoulder of a very agitated young wolf who was supposed to have the simple task of night clerk. “What’s up, Dale?”

“Thank goodness, you’re here.” Dale didn’t get another word out before the mixed crowd of humans and shifters in the lobby all started talking at once. Demanding the power be restored.

Demanding refunds.

Evan took a deep breath and used as much of his wolf power as possible to send out calming vibes. The mystical mojo wouldn’t work as well on the humans as his pack, but there was still a noticeable effect. “We’ll do our best to get things up and running ASAP. There must be a line down that services the building. Let me look into it. In the meantime, do you all have flashlights? Good—now return to your rooms, and I’m sure you’ll find we have everything fixed by the morning.”

His smooth promises didn’t erase all the grumbling. Dale and the other pack members on staff seemed to have gotten the most good from Evan’s reassurances. They worked quickly to restore peace and quiet to the entranceway.

Evan answered the summons of one of the maintenance staff who’d popped out from the basement stairwell.

“You figure out what’s wrong?” Evan asked.

Toby shook his head. He’d tilted his oversized flashlight up beneath his chin, and the resulting shadows turned his face into the feature creature on the late-night horror channel. “I’ve checked the connections. Nothing is shorted out, and there’s nothing obviously wrong inside the hotel.”

“Then we must have a problem outside.” Damn. It couldn’t be simple, could it? “There’s no one on shift with you, is there?”

Toby straightened, his attitude darkening. “I can do an exterior check by myself.”

“You know the rules. Potentially hazardous situation, you take a backup.”

“It’s stupid to wait. I’ll be fine—”

Evan jerked the flashlight forward so it shone straight at his own face to make sure Toby spotted the displeasure there. More than that, his wolf rumbled in displeasure, and Toby’s eyes widened as he caught the sensation of power rolling from his Alpha.

Evan grumbled the words softly but clearly enough he knew Toby would not ignore him. “Call for backup, then you can do the exterior check. No forgetting or ignoring the rules just because you feel like it. Do I make myself clear?”

Toby swallowed hard and backed down. “Yes, sir.”

The bit of attitude wasn’t unexpected. Toby was the age and strength where he wanted to impress his Alpha, but even as laid-back as Evan could be about some issues, safety wasn’t one of them. He would never deliberately put one of his wolf’s lives on the line—his own life would be offered up first. “Good man. Do what you can then call me. I’ll work on the other possibilities.”

He patted Toby’s shoulder for a moment, sending the young man off with a dose of acceptance and encouragement. All in a typical day for an Alpha.

Typical, if it weren’t after midnight and pitch black.

Evan cut through the Moonshine Pub to the side door to his office. His cell phone lay on the credenza where he’d forgotten it. He used the light of the screen to spotlight the emergency-phone-number list his previous office assistant had tacked to the wall with a heading IMPORTANT, Look Here First.

Damn, he missed Caroline. The human had been part of the Takhini pack for years, only she was off gallivanting with her bear-shifter hubby. While he wished her nothing but the best, he could have used her ability to troubleshoot.

“Night office, Whitehorse Power and Water, Riverside Station. How can I help you?”

Thank goodness. Not a “click one if you have a rash” answering service. “Evan Stone from the Moonshine Inn. There’s a power outage here. You got squirrels committing hari-kari on the transformer lines again?”

“No. That’s weird. Moonshine Inn? On Fourth Ave?” The kid on the other end of the phone, who must have been all of sixteen, clicked his tongue before responding with far too much “didn’t give a shit” for Evan’s taste. “According to the grid, there’s nothing wrong at our end. Full power to the entire city.”

“Oh, come on.” Evan aimed the flashlight he’d found toward the corner of his office, where an enormous pile of oversized boxes was stacked precariously halfway to the ceiling. Who the hell had made a delivery since he left at nine? “That can’t be true. The power was also off at my apartment. Third and Caribou.”

“Nope. Not us. Check with your direct power supplier.”

The kid hung up.

Fucking hung up.

“Damn customer service.” Evan strode back to the phone list, dragging his finger down the paper until he found the one labeled utilities.

Of course, this time he got an answering system and spent the next ten minutes punching numbers and pounding keys, cussing until he got a live person. While he answered her bazillion security questions, he grabbed a knife from his desk and sliced through the tape sealing one of the mystery boxes.

“Does that sound correct to you, Mr. Stone?”

“Yes, that’s my account information, my date of birth, mother’s maiden name. Unless you need more, like my blood type and a skin sample, tell me why my power is out.”

“Looks as if your service has been cancelled, Mr. Stone.”

Evan lifted the top layer of bubble wrap from the box, wondering who the heck had sent him a container full of sand. “Bullshit. I didn’t cancel it.”

“No, we did. I see a note on your account you received three warnings that your bill was overdue. There was no response, so as of midnight, your services were disconnected.”

“Wait—what?” Evan debated flinging a few choice words her direction. He opened the next box, and found this one contained row after row of Ziploc bags full of beef jerky. “You can’t cancel my service. I have the proof of payment in my bank statements. You’ve made a mistake.”

“If you have receipts, we’d be happy to look at them in person at the customer desk during regular office hours of nine through five, weekdays.”

Good grief. Evan fought to keep from shouting, which made his voice lower and his tone turn glacial. “It’s twelve-thirty a.m. on Saturday, and I’m running a hotel. What do you suggest I do until Monday morning?”

The perky response he got back was enough to make his skin crawl. “I can give you the number of our manager if you’d like.”

Unbelievable. He dragged a hand through his hair. “Yes. Do that.” A pale light blinked in the corner of his office, and Evan instinctively turned toward it. “Give me a second to grab a pen.”

He stomped to his desk, grumbling under his breath the entire time. “Bloody weekends off. Turn off the power. What the hell is going on…?”

He was writing down the number when the computer screen flashed again, this time turning all the way to bright. It was his laptop computer—the one he hated with everything in him, but Caroline had insisted he needed. The little black arrow on the screen moved to the right, and Evan jerked in surprise.

What…? He pulled his hands back to make sure he wasn’t accidentally triggering anything.

“Sir? Did you get the number?” his tormentor on the other end of the phone asked.

“Yeah, thanks.” Evan hung up, distracted by his haunted computer. How was it running with no power? Oh, right. Those things had batteries.

But why had it started?

The arrow moved to the top of the screen, and a new picture appeared. This one stated “Hotel Safety Controls”. Under the bold lettering were orderly boxes. Electric. Water. Cooling system. Sprinkler system. Fire alarms.

The arrow moved unerringly to the sprinkler label, and the box moved as if pushed. A schematic of the hotel appeared, with thick lines showing the different runs for the fire system. The arrow shifted again, pausing over the teeny picture of Evan’s office, and his confusion turned to utter dismay.

In the ceiling above him, discreetly hidden nozzles poked their silver heads into the room and extended little fanlike arms. A blast of water descended, instantly drenching him, his desk and his computer.

He slammed the top shut in some misguided idea that might reverse what had just occurred. Water wasn’t good for demon-spawn computers, was it?

The door burst open, and a half-dozen high-beam flashlights hit his face and torso, damn near blinding him.

“Freeze,” the order rang out. “We have a search warrant for these premises.”

“What the—?” Evan jerked to a stop, blinking madly to clear his vision. Why the hell were uniformed RCMP officers pouring into the room? He raised his hands skyward. “Someone want to tell me what’s going on?”

Men pushed past him to reach the mysterious boxes. “There they are, Captain, just like we were told.”

Water continued to spray everywhere, droplets sparkling in the flashlights as a crew rushed to open the cases. Two officers laid hands on Evan’s shoulders, pinning him in place. “I don’t even know where those came from,” he insisted, peering through his wet hair and the steady deluge running down his face.

“Take him to the station.” The captain held a Ziploc bag in front of Evan. “It’s illegal to transport sand and/or unlabeled meat products into the country, Mr. Stone. We’ll discuss details once you’re in a holding cell.”

This wasn’t happening. “You’re not serious. You’re arresting me?”

“Looks that way, doesn’t it?”

Moments later there were cuffs on his wrists. Firm hands gripped his upper arms as Evan was guided from the Moonshine Inn and stuffed into a police cruiser.

Confusion. Anger. Frustration. He wasn’t sure which emotion was the strongest, not to mention the sheer discomfort of being soaking wet. Evan stared out the window as they pulled away, glancing back toward his beloved hotel and ignoring the noise and questions being tossed his direction. He’d talk once he had more information.

Now? Something was hugely off, and he was damned if he didn’t figure out what, and soon.

A lone figure stood on the sidewalk, watching intently. A slim, feminine form with her arms crossed over her chest. She wore a coat with a hood, so her hair was covered, but for one second they made eye contact, and Evan jerked back at the intense anger reflected there.

What the hell?

Then she gave him the finger, and Evan’s brain fogged over.

After everything he’d had thrown at him that evening, some random stranger on the street was telling him to fuck off? Alrighty then. As if he didn’t have enough to deal with. He eased back onto the car seat and sighed.

It was going to be a long night.

Chapter Two

Amy Ryba stumbled into the kitchen, bleary-eyed and foggy-brained from too little sleep. She grabbed a coffee from the preprogrammed machine, leaning against the counter for vertical support until the first sips of her high-test espresso cleared the cobwebs.

Plenty of time to check what was happening in the world before she headed across the Yukon River to begin her day. She settled onto her overstuffed couch, coffee mug balanced on a book, cereal bowl in her hand, then clicked on the news. National updates. Weather reports. She was spoon deep into a big bowl of Cocoa Puffs by the time they hit the good stuff.

“In Whitehorse-area news, local businessman Evan Stone spent the night at the RCMP station before being released on bail this morning while they investigate further charges.”

The blond behind the microphone wore a typical reporter expression of “this is serious, serious business”, his good looks saving him from crossing the line from mysteriously intense to comical. Amy waited until the bitter end of the news bite, the words of the report fading into the background as she fixated on watching Evan walk down the steps from the station more rumpled than usual. His clothes were creased as if they’d dried on him after a good solid soaking.

Damn him for looking so attractive in spite of a night behind bars. A layer of dark scruff covered his jaw, and between that, his dark hair and handsome eyes, he could have been strutting along some movie-debut red carpet instead of escaping incarceration.

After a year spent spying on the man, Amy knew him far too intimately. What she’d discovered lined up well with the information she’d pulled from hidden files. He was cocky. Arrogant. Above the rules.

She wouldn’t deny he was eye-catching, but evil lived in the hearts of good-looking men as well as ugly ones.

Amy piled her things into her backpack and slung it over her shoulders. She jogged the trail behind her house that led inconspicuously into town. Taking precautions against a direct route to and from home was second nature—the instinct to hide her presence built into every move.

But once she’d reached the outskirts of the park she slowed. Found a bench at the edge of the trees and waited.

Calm. At peace. Her early-morning time spent in the quiet green space was another ritual that had unexpectedly entered her life during the past year, but one she had learned to enjoy. A brief moment of regrouping before heading into the demands of her day. She put aside the rushed thoughts triggered by the morning news. Lifted her face to the sunshine and closed her eyes to breathe deeply.

She didn’t make it to the park every morning, but as often as she could, Amy took the time to pause. Most days she was rewarded for her patience.

Ten minutes of silence had passed before she felt a gentle nudge against her knee. She opened her eyes, pleased to see the wolf who had risked coming forward to sit at her feet, his chin resting on her thigh. His body language and actions revealed his trust. Amy leaned forward, stroking a hand over the grizzled white fur on the old wolf’s head.

He stared up, eyes blinking against the harsh sunlight, the undiminished intelligence of the man hidden within the wolf sparkling back at her.

“Good morning. I hope you’ve been well.” Amy petted him, offering respect and comfort at the same time. “I haven’t seen you for nearly a month.”

A wolfish shrug was all she got in response. Matthias stayed there for another five minutes before brushing his warm nose against her palm. He turned and faded into the trees, gone back to wherever it was that retired, partly feral wolf shifters hid during the day.

Amy’s heart ached a little as she rose to her feet and headed to work. The moment of contact had been as much for her as for him. In the middle of everything else that had brought her to Whitehorse, she’d never expected to find a pack of wolves who needed her so badly.

She’d never expected to end up not only wanted, but indispensable.

Slipping through the doors of her computer shop, Bytes Unlimited, was like entering a safe zone. The front-room staff she employed snapped to attention as she moved briskly toward the service desk, past pristine laptop displays and wall racks full of the latest Bluetooth tech.

“Mail’s on your desk.” Tom waved a greeting from behind the counter. “I opened your computer and did the weekly update. The morning member reports from the pack are in. Everyone is fine, although you might want to check with the Lands for a follow-up on their son.”

“And we have one job you need to take a look at,” Caden added, turning from the other counter, his shocking red hair sticking every direction. He made a face. “I admit defeat. I can’t figure out what bugs are mucking up the system.”

Amy nodded. “Not a problem.” She paused, then shared a secretive smile with them. “Thanks for your help on the booby trap last night, guys.”

They’d been surprised by her request the previous day, but eager to help. Now Tom returned her smile, as did Caden, pleased with her praise. “Simple, really. Other than gathering the materials. Did it work the way you hoped?”

“Exactly like I hoped.”

Caden looked nervous for a moment. “Takhini isn’t going to be mad and come gunning for us, are they?”

Amy made soothing sounds as she shook her head. “No. No, of course not.”

“Because it was pretty close to their territory,” Caden muttered before backpedaling. “I mean, not that I’m saying you don’t know what you’re doing, because you do. I’m sure.”

“You’re fine,” Amy promised. “No one knows we set it up. It was just a little…test, of a sort.”

“I don’t like Takhini.” Tom’s expression had gone black.

When she paused to let him finish, he refused to share anything else. Old history, undoubtedly. She stopped to give him a hug, and then one for Caden, aware of how much the brief contact calmed them. A flash of anger hit, quickly suppressed so they wouldn’t notice.

How many times had she walked into a room and felt that longing sensation? The unbearable hunger of lone wolves who craved physical touch from another of their kind. Meanwhile, Evan Stone sat on his high horse in the Takhini pack house and let the more needy wolves in the area rot. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t the way wolves should act.

So she was doing something about it. Her wolf wouldn’t allow anything less.

The door chime went off, and she hurried to get out of the main shop area in case it was a shifter from the Takhini pack.

Secrets had to be maintained, at least for a little longer.

Her second-storey office window faced the Riverside Park on the banks of the majestic Yukon River. Positioning the computer repair shop in one of the prime locations just off downtown Whitehorse had been deliberate, not only from a business point of view. The nearby wooded path allowed her to shift whenever she wanted to escape into the wilderness, even though the opportunities to get away were rare. Between work, and the pack, and plotting revenge, her calendar was pretty full.

If she was lonely at times, it wasn’t for the first time, nor the last. It also wasn’t without a purpose. As far as she could tell, the members of the Miles Canyon pack who she’d fallen in with deserved far more than they had gotten over the years, and if she had to make sacrifices along the way to make their happiness happen? So be it.

She dove into her work, planning her day. Considering who of her pack she should visit and give a little extra attention to.

Not even five minutes passed before there was a knock on her office door.

“Sam? Someone to see you.”

She glanced up from the debugging program, surprised to discover the handsome reporter from the morning news entering the room.

He held out a hand. “Colin Wheeler. CBC News.”

Amy stood and came around her desk because she was too short to reach his hand from behind it. “Samantha Ryba. Call me Sam. Are you looking for a news story regarding computers?”

“Perhaps.” His fingers slipped into hers, and as he shook her hand firmly, he also dropped his eyes with respect. “More important matters first. I’m new to town, unaffiliated wolf. Wanted to let you know I’ve been transferred to the area. I hope that’s not a problem.”

Amy paused. Considered the best way to deal with his out-of-the-blue announcement. “Well, that’s…unusual.”

She gestured to the chair opposite her desk, and he sat obediently while she found a comfortable perch on her desktop. The position gave her a height advantage, which was stupid, really. She was a hell of a lot stronger than Colin in terms of wolf mojo, she didn’t need to tower over him physically as well.

“Why not announce you’re here to the Takhini pack? They’re the ones controlling Whitehorse.”

“They’re the ones who are noticeable, you mean,” Colin commented.

“What are you suggesting?” Amy crossed her arms, pushing down the gut sensation of uneasiness. Just because she didn’t like surprises didn’t mean Colin had an agenda. “You hiding something, Mr. Wheeler?”

“Not much use if I was—you’re an Alpha wolf and I’m not,” Colin admitted. “You could order me to spill the beans.”

She tested him. Reaching out with the part inside her that was connected to the wolf side of her soul. It wasn’t like extending a hand, but more like sensing with her heart, and what she read gave her another reason to pause.

The man was no weakling when it came to wolf mojo. “Modesty is not a wolf trait. You’re pretty powerful yourself.”

He remained motionless, though, submissive and friendly, and Amy made a decision. Whatever his game, he seemed determined to at least appear innocent and she refused to second-guess herself at every turn.

“You’ve come to me, announced you’re in town for a while. That kind of puts you under my protection, doesn’t it?” Amy picked up a pen from her desktop. Played with it, rolling it through her fingers. “And now that you’ve aligned yourself with me, it would be rude to go all wolfie and ask how you even found out I’m in charge of the other pack here in Whitehorse.”

“And you don’t do rude.” Colin smiled, the expression enhancing his good looks. Made him rather dashing, in fact. “I did my research before being assigned to Whitehorse. Let’s just say I’m not a fan of the loud and showy parts of shifter pack-dom. I might spend time in front of the camera, but I’m a private man. I don’t want to be involved in a noisy pack house with everyone trying to one-up each other all the time, and the rest of the games wolves play. Miles Canyon seems a lot more like the type of pack where I’d fit in. For a while.”

“We call ourselves Canyon, by the way. Simpler.”

“I like simple.” He leaned back and relaxed. A slow sense of “other” drifted from him. Amy watched for a moment, taking in the nonverbal cues as well as the things she could discover from his wolf side.

Colin had secrets he wasn’t sharing—that was crystal clear. But he was right, she didn’t do rude, and unless his secrets impacted the pack, he was welcome to keep them.

What he wasn’t hiding was his attraction. It scented the air, a powerful ego booster mixed with aromatic libido kick-starter.

Male attention of a sexual nature was something Amy had been avoiding, mostly out of necessity since she was too busy with other things. Still, the flat-out physical lust pouring off the reporter turned this into a different kind of conversation again than what she’d expected. “I’m not looking for a lover, Mr. Wheeler,” she announced, adding a little twist of shifter power to make it clear she wasn’t joking.

Colin dipped his chin, pulling away from direct eye contact. “Sorry—didn’t mean to be so forward. I was serious, though. I did some research once I got here, and you…intrigue me.”

“And you find intriguing sexually titillating?”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

Amy muffled her amusement.

“But I’ve received your message, loud and clear, and will keep my hero worship at the distance you require.” Colin stood and took two steps toward the desk. Casually pinning her in place with a hand on either side of her body. He lowered his voice, and his next words came out deep. A verbal caress. “Unless you decide you’d like some up-close and personal worship. In which case, I’ll state again, I’m more than happy to oblige.”

Conflicting urges tore through her. The first told her to grab hold and kiss the man senseless before enjoying an invigorating session of desktop jockey. The second urge demanded she lift a knee and temporarily render him soprano for daring to be so cocky as to flirt after being denied.

Unfortunately, she had to go with door number three. Amy planted a hand on his chest and prepared to push him away. Today she had things to do.

Her wolf nudged her. There was nothing wrong with a little physical satisfaction in a time and place that was more convenient. Amy paused, her fingers softening on his firm chest. It had been a long time since she’d had the pleasure of an attentive wolf in her bed. None of her pack members were the type who enticed her to sexual escapades.

Temptation whispered.

A flash of hope rose in his eyes.

She tapped him with her fingers, allowing her nails to scratch lightly through his pale blue cotton shirt. “What are you doing for lunch on Monday?”

A devastatingly attractive smile shone just for her. “Picking you up and going somewhere?”

Two days from now. With that much warning, she could arrange for a bit of time off. Amy returned his smile. “Go, make mischief in the reporting world. Stop by around ten thirty on Monday, and we’ll see what we feel like for lunch.”

Colin grinned wider as he stepped away, pausing with his hands on the doorframe. “If you change your mind and want to speed things up…”

He flipped her a card, and she caught it in midair, smiling as he vanished down the stairs. She hopped off the desk and returned to her computer-repair task.

Once the job was done, she’d stop for lunch. By then she should safely check in with Evan. See how he’d enjoyed his time behind bars. Find out what his next plans were.

He’d be happy to receive a concerned IM from his “secret mole” in the Canyon pack. It had taken her months to set up that bit of finagling. The woman working as Evan’s assistant had been a tough nut to crack at first, and Amy felt a touch guilty at times for involving the human in her deception. But it had to be done, and now the prep work was proving priceless.

Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she entered the code needed to begin the diagnostic, her subconscious taking care of the details.

Sweet revenge had begun. Her gaze might be focused on the screen in front of her, but her mind was daydreaming about the moment she would look Evan Stone in the eye and see him broken.

Everything was falling into place.

Chapter Three

Everything was falling apart.

Evan had made it home after one of the most uncomfortable nights he’d ever experienced. He changed quickly then returned to the hotel to find the power restored, but an exodus of customers vacating the lobby, and there was nothing he could do to convince them to stay.

The kitchen informed him they would be running a limited menu as half their supplies hadn’t shown up, again. It was the third time in as many shipments the order had been mucked up.

And to top it all off? His Hummer had four flats.

His escalating bad luck was no longer strange, it was freaky. The situation had moved beyond what could be considered coincidence, by any stretch.

It took until noon before things were borderline back to normal. At that point, Evan abandoned the hotel to his subordinates, fed up with just about everything.

He returned to his apartment, where the power had also been restored, accompanied by Justin Cullinan. The least expected of allies, the man was assistant-slash-sometimes-bodyguard-slash-friend to the new husband of Evan’s recently married office assistant. Evan had found the enormous bear shifter waiting for him after he’d gotten bail.

Which, it turned out Justin had posted. And that was just the start of his involvement in Evan’s affairs.

“How the hell did you get power restored to the hotel and my apartment so fast?” Evan slapped the papers he’d been handed against his leg.

Justin folded his arms. Tilted his head. Waited.

Evan cussed under his breath. He was grateful the big bear shifter had stayed in town, and even more pleased the man knew a thing or two about dealing with emergencies.

Still burned his britches to have to fawn over anyone.

“Thank you for getting the power restored,” Evan gritted out. “I have no idea how the mistake in payment history happened.”

“Your lawyer has been alerted, and your accountant. After I called them this morning, they both promised to do some digging. Said they might have some ideas.” Justin eased onto Evan’s sofa and waited.

Damn bears. Far too patient. Evan wanted to do something immediate and physical, like finding an appropriate neck to wring. Instead all he had were more questions without answers.

He hauled his temper back into line. Last night had been a hell of a trip, but the time in the cell had allowed him to plan. Evan knew what he needed to do. He plopped himself down onto the coffee table, resting his elbows on his knees as he faced the bear. “I appreciate you getting me out of jail. Shaun tried, but they didn’t listen.”

“Shaun doesn’t look as impressive in a suit as I do,” Justin pointed out. “And it’s no problem. If you were in jail and Caroline heard, she’d be upset. That would make my boss upset, because they’d have to cut their honeymoon short, so for the next while keeping you on the straight and narrow is my job.”

Oh, hell to the no. This wasn’t going to turn into some kind of let’s-take-care-of-Evan deal. “Look, I said I appreciated being bailed out this morning. Don’t push it. I don’t need a nanny.”

“You won’t even know I’m around,” Justin promised.

The six-foot-six, dark-haired bear shifter who sat on Evan’s couch wore a thousand-dollar suit along with polished black shoes and a watch that probably cost more than Evan’s shiny red Hummer. “Right. Because you’re so inconspicuous and shit.”

“Like a fly on the wall.” Justin lifted his hands to shoulder height and fluttered his fingers, and Evan burst out laughing, the tension piled on his back vanishing for a moment in much-needed levity.

“Between you and Shaun, I’m going to get nothing done.”

“Oh, you’ll get stuff done, because I’ll keep the problems out of your hair.”

“You’re a bear. What do you care?”

Justin waited again.

“Caroline, Tyler, honeymoon, I understand that part. But is that all?”

“If you’re looking for some deep confession of love, nope. Not getting it.”

Evan made a rude noise, even though he was amused. The wolves he took care of were hilarious at times with their antics, but this bear hit a different part of his funny bone.

There was something other than amusement on his mind, though. He was no charity case. “I’ll pay you. Hourly rate to match whatever Tyler gives you.”

“I don’t need money.” Justin leaned forward and lowered his voice. “And you can’t afford me.”

“Bullshit.” Evan straightened up. “I’ve done all right for myself.”

Justin raised a brow. Held up a hand and twisted it so the gaudy oversized ring on his oversized finger caught the light and damn near blinded Evan.

“Fine. I don’t own a diamond mine.”

The bear shifter winked. “It’s okay, honest. I’m on salary with Tyler, and while he’s gone there’s not much for me to do. You wolves are entertaining.”

A familiar bark of laughter sounded from the door.

“That phrase gets said way too often around here.” Shaun stepped into the room. “You got a minute, Evan?”

Evan stood to greet his Beta, who looked, and smelled, far better than the previous night. “For you, always.”

“Your tires were stabbed with a knife. Something long, thin and not usually used on vehicles.” Shaun paused. “Not that blades are typically used on cars anyway, but you know what I mean. My contact thinks filleting knife.”

“For fish?” Evan dropped into his favourite chair, throwing a leg over the arm as he attempted to breathe out his tension. “Who the hell would take a filleting knife to my tires?”

“You piss anyone off lately?” Justin asked.

“He’s the Alpha of Takhini.” Shaun stomped to the side of the couch to glare at Justin. “Anyone he pisses off can take a hike.”

“Well, someone didn’t take a hike, instead they pulled off some well-executed and perfectly timed mischief. Which means someone else, probably from around here, made more than a few mistakes over the past couple days to allow that kind of trouble to go unchecked.” Justin eyed Shaun, judgment written all over his face.

Shaun bared his teeth at the enormous bruin. “If you’re accusing me of fucking up—”

“Guys. Stop.” Evan’s command snapped like a whip. Shaun straightened as if he’d been zapped with a Taser, and even Justin looked wary.

“I’m not blaming anyone, I just want solutions. Who is behind the things that have gone wrong?” He stared at the ceiling as he test-drove ideas, discarding them one after another.

For the past six months he’d been focused on a financial takeover of as many properties in the Whitehorse area as possible. The recent big bear gathering that had threatened the city had briefly sidetracked him, but for the most part, he’d thought he was in control.

Well, except for the charming little fact he’d sniffed his mate but had zero luck tracking her down. That hadn’t disturbed him at all.

Bullshit.

He couldn’t dwell on it, not only because her absence would drive him mad, but because there were no easy solutions. Obviously, he was missing some information. Now was the time to put aside his distractions and get to the root of the most demanding troubles.

He shot to his feet and paced the living room.

Shaun cleared his throat. “Suggestion. Don’t worry about who, yet. Worry about how.”

“Figure out how these seeming coincidences happened and put my butt in jail for the night? Sounds logical.” Evan glanced at Justin. “Since you’re planning on sticking around, grab some paper and take notes.”

Justin pulled a pad from his briefcase. “Fire away.”

“Bills supposedly went unpaid, and shipping orders are being changed, both for the kitchen and the hotel, that much is certain. The power is one example, but lots of recent deliveries have been cancelled.” Shaun wrinkled his nose as he concentrated.

“Bookings got messed up. We’ve had complaints about that as well,” Evan noted.

“Sometime in the past week? Month? …well, it can’t have been for very long or Caroline would have noticed.” Shaun’s eyes widened. He glanced at Justin before crossing the room to Evan’s side and whispering, “Is it safe to talk around Booboo?”

Evan nodded. “He’s got our back. I trust him.”

Shaun narrowed his gaze, giving Justin the evil eye. “I don’t know that I do, but fine.” He spoke louder. “All these weird things are happening around the hotel, your apartment or the pack house. Which means it’s got to be someone on the inside.”

Evan shook his head. “Impossible.”

“Why?” Justin asked. “There’s no one in the pack upset with you for any reason?”

“Doubt it. Also, the hotel profits go into funding the pack’s activities, and their retirement funds. It’s unlikely anyone would mess with things that affect their livelihood just to get at me.” His pack members were wild at times, but not stupid. “Plus I’ve talked to all of them over the past week. If someone was that upset, I’d know.”

Justin lifted the pen from the pad, watching Evan closely. “The wolf thing? Really, you’d just know?”

“The pack connection is an important part of us.” Evan leaned a hip on the island counter as he considered. “No. I’m positive, everyone I talked to is doing great. Maybe some of the women I turned down are disappointed. The ones who hit on me since it looks as if I’m single again.”

“Women.” Shaun and Justin exchanged knowing glances instead of being at loggerheads.

Shaun hummed. “Could be one of them. I mean, woman scorned, and all that.”

“Jeez, Shaun, grow up. You prove to me any of the females were upset enough to screw over the entire pack because I said I was taken, and I’ll quit the damn job right now.”

“You can’t quit. You quit, and that puts me Alpha, and no way do I want the pack when it’s this fucked up.” Shaun ducked under the halfhearted fist swing Evan tossed.

He growled at his friend through his frustration. “You’re lucky I like you, or I’d burn off some of my irritation pounding your ass into the ground.”

“You can try. Anytime, anywhere, mon capitaine.”

All their debating wasn’t finding solutions. “This is the trouble with doing things the sneaky, undercover way. I might want to amalgamate the two packs in Whitehorse, but it would have been so much easier to march in and take over territory after ripping out a few throats.”

“You want me to get some friends to look into your troubles?” Justin offered. “I know you’ve got your own people, but the ones I deal with shift through dirty bear accounting all the time.”

“Duuude.” For the first time, Shaun sounded impressed. He was damn near bouncing with excitement as he faced Evan. “Take him up on it. I was talking with a couple bear shifters last week, and you should hear some of the nasty shit they try to get away with. I bet his guys can find the trouble, no matter how deep it’s hidden.”

A quiet ping sounded in the silence that followed Shaun’s approval. Evan paced a few more times back and forth across the floor, considering hard.

Ping.

Ping.

Justin tilted his head toward the desk. “You going to answer that?”

Evan frowned. “Answer what?”

“You got an IM.” Shaun pushed him toward the desktop computer Caroline had set up in the apartment to allow basic hotel tasks to be completed without having to go into the office.

Evan eyed the thing with suspicion. Great. More technology.

“Do I have to?” He turned back to see both guys examining him as if he were an alien creature. “Look, last night I swear my computer turned on the sprinklers without me. I don’t want to do anything to piss off the evil techno-overlords again.”

“Come on. Computers don’t work without you.” Shaun laughed. “Don’t be a scaredy-cat. You can do it.”

Evan’s fist hit Shaun’s shoulder with a resounding smack as he reluctantly passed his Beta en route to the desk. “Shuddap, you jerk. Justin? Go ahead and find out what information your people need. I want answers as to what’s going on, and I want them yesterday.”

Justin rose to his feet and pulled out a phone. “I’ll do this outside. Then lunch?”

“Sure.” Evan found the mouse and answered the summons. Ahh. This conversation was worth risking contact with a computer. His secret connection within the Canyon pack.

Amy?

Hi Evan. You okay?

Oh hell. She must have seen the news. I’m fine. Just a mix-up. Everything is straightened out

Not really, but that was as much as he was willing to admit.

Amy had been sharing bits of information about Canyon, and her intel was vital to his goal of merging the packs.

Can I help with anything? she asked.

I’m more worried about you, Evan admitted. You’ve been risking too much, getting in contact with me so often. I don’t want you in trouble. There’s always a risk your Alpha will find out you’ve been talking to Takhini

Amy paused for so long he thought the Internet had gone down.

I’m positive Sam won’t do anything

Which was not an answer, because there was no way she knew for sure how her Alpha would respond. If the shoe were on the other foot, and he discovered one of the Takhini pack had been discussing secrets with someone else, he’d be extremely pissed.

Evan grew more uncomfortable by the minute with the entire situation. Having access to information was important, but damn if he wanted to put an innocent wolf into harm’s way. He’d found out about Amy a couple weeks ago, and the longer the deception went on, the more unsettling the idea became.

“Anything good?” Shaun stepped behind him. “Oh, your Canyon contact.” He leaned down to read over Evan’s shoulder. “Sweet. There’s one thing. Confirmation this Sam guy we keep hearing rumours of is the one in charge.”

“Great. Now go find me the right Sam in all of Whitehorse so I can challenge him and take over his pack.”

Shaun’s chuckle turned to a low questioning hum. “Dude. I think… Yeah, I know her.”

“My informant?” Evan’s heart thumped like a pile driver into solid rock. “Seriously? What are you looking at? Where?”

“You are worse than useless with computers. Stop staring at your fingers when you type.” Shaun pointed to a small picture in the corner of the screen. “Right here on the contact list.”

“That entire list is like one inch square,” Evan snarled, leaning in to peer closer.

“Get some bifocals, old man.”

Evan backhanded Shaun without looking away from the screen.

His Beta laughed evilly as he rubbed his chest. “Seriously, I know her. She works at the place that fixes all the computers you manage to bust. I haven’t seen her often, but I’ve caught a glimpse or two of her hiding in the background.”

Evan could have sworn that picture hadn’t been there any other time he’d IMed with Amy. Another ping dragged his attention back to the computer as she poked him.

You still there?

Evan focused on the screen. On the small picture showing a delicate-looking woman with enormous eyes. Amy seemed far too small to be hiding the burden of deceit from her pack, and his protective nature kicked into overdrive.

We have to stop this, he wrote, desperate to assure her she wasn’t alone. It’s not right for so much pressure to be on anyone’s shoulders. I want you to come in. Come to the Takhini pack house, and let me protect you

I don’t need protection

Her response was instantaneous, and totally the wrong thing to say.

Damn. She was going to be stubborn? She hadn’t met the king of stubborn. He was about to try one last chance at diplomacy when a wonderful idea blossomed. Fine, but if you get worried, I expect to hear from you. Anytime you need a hand, you call me, and I’m there. And no more contacting me via IM.

That little warning message, the one stating Amy is writing appeared. Vanished. Appeared again, as if she were writing and erasing a note a few times. Probably planning to protest.

All he got was a final Okay

This conversation was over, anyway. Now that he knew where to find her? He was going to bring his informant into protective custody for her own damn good.

One quick trip to the computer shop, and she’d be under his wing and then he could get back to the business of straightening his pack affairs.

Because only once that mess was cleaned up could he concentrate on the aching pit inside demanding he drop everything else and look for his missing mate.

Another frustrated battle of wills raged within as the human side and the wolf pulled him in different directions. His wolf couldn’t understand why they weren’t off doing a house-to-house search of Whitehorse if that’s what it took to find her, damn the time and energy it would take.

The human side sympathized and sort of agreed, yet the truth sucked. Alpha wolves didn’t get the chance to do what they wanted. The pack and its well-being came first.

He soothed the wolf the best he could with promises of another nighttime search through the city.

In the meantime, he had a different quarry to track.

Evan rose to his feet and slapped Shaun on the shoulder. “Hold down the fort. Feed Justin, and make sure he has everything he needs. Oh, and could you ask your mate to help at the hotel front desk if she’s got the time? A little of Gem’s social savvy could go a long way to soothe ruffled clients.”

“Where are you going?” Shaun asked as he pivoted out of the way.

“I’m going to have a one-on-one with a certain secret who needs to become un-secret for her own good.”

Chapter Four

Amy leaned back in her chair, annoyance rising. Well, that hadn’t gone nearly as well as she’d hoped. Evan had clammed up, and she hadn’t had a chance to set up the next sting.

Losing the ability to drop leading hints would have hurt a lot more a few weeks ago, though. Now she just about had everything in place.

She rose to stare out the window, the nearby leaves trembling in the slight breeze. Her skin itched, as if she’d been too long in a hot tub and was badly in need of cream.

Her wolf nudged her. Hard.

It wasn’t a trip to the spa she needed, but a good long run. Everything she did for the pack drained more of her energy. She loved each of them, cared for them deeply, but they were a group of individuals who required a unique kind of attention. Plus, there was the computer shop that was a real business even though she also used it to hide her presence.

Add in the extra time she’d put into planning surprises for Evan?

Screw it. A run would refresh her so she would have more to give. Amy pulled off her clothes and folded them carefully, stacking the articles to one side of her desk. She pushed open the sliding door behind her that led to the second-storey balcony, and drew in a deep breath of fresh air.

The sound of an email alert stopped her in the middle of taking advantage of her usual route to freedom. She stared longingly at the slim ramp built along the outside of the building at a narrow incline, stopping just far enough off the ground her wolf could make the leap but wild animals didn’t access her domain uninvited.

Amy took a quick glance at the email in the hopes she could blow it off, but this one needed attention ASAP. She left the door open, though, even as she sat, bare-ass naked in her computer chair and put out the pack fire.

But as soon as this was dealt with? She would take her cranky butt into the bush and work off her lingering aggression. The power of her wolf side hovered in the background as always. The beast made her strong and drove her nuts. One of the downfalls of being an Alpha female—she rarely had someone to work out her itch without them caving to her superior wolfie vibes.

The date with Colin on Monday was very much needed. He seemed strong enough to give her physical relief without her wolf becoming pissed off or bored by a weaker partner.

Solitude and frustration had become her constant companions, and she didn’t expect that to change. She’d been alone for years, and she always would be alone. Expectations of anything more had long ago been burnt away. Her heart was devoid of all but two things—love for pack.

And vengeance.

She bent her head and put her fingers to work composing a reply, the fire burning up her spine balanced evenly with the ice in her soul.

Evan stared at the computer-shop signage, every nerve in his body on high alert. This neighbourhood wasn’t his usual stomping ground, and a computer store? The last place on earth he’d ever go for shits and giggles.

But the closer he got to Bytes Unlimited, the more agitated his wolf became. He paused across the street in the shadows to scope the place out. Make sure there wasn’t a hidden assault team from the mysterious Canyon pack waiting in ambush.

Amy might have thought she was safe, but that didn’t mean her Alpha wasn’t checking up on her. Evan needed to get the woman out of danger, his sensation of uneasiness rising by the second.

Damn the risk to himself, this was happening now.

Evan strode across the road, jaywalking between moving vehicles. He was at the door in no time, jerking the glass open. Somewhere deep in the shop, a gentle buzzer sounded.

From the back of the store, two males turned to face him, welcoming smiles melting into rigid grimaces. Before Evan could say a word, the men vanished.

Gone. Completely.

It was like the coolest magic trick imaginable, only Evan was more pissed than impressed. He stepped into the shop and closed the door behind him, glancing past shelves that were loaded with computer thingies and plastic packaging.

“Hello?” he called into the silence.

And that’s when it hit him.

Peaches. Sunshine. The aroma of a wind that had crossed miles of seemingly empty tundra—wilderness at its rawest yet full of hidden life. All mixed up into one unique package.

It was a full-on dose of the scent he’d caught a hint of nearly two weeks ago. His stomach tightened, his heart rate kicked into overdrive. Instinctively his legs carried him forward as he tracked the scent that grew stronger and stronger.

His mate.

His mate had been in the computer shop. More than once. Often enough that as he moved toward the cash register and the counter, his head was so full of her he had to work hard to remain alert.

What was the deal with the missing staff? Evan kept his gaze moving as he silently padded forward. To one side, he spotted a couple of doors that explained where the men had gone, but not the why.

Until he hit their scent. Wolves.

Two unfamiliar wolves who vanished when they spotted him? Had to be Canyon pack. He’d deal with them later, though. Spend a little time explaining he wasn’t the enemy.

The enticing trail led him to the back of the shop and a narrow set of stairs. He moved like a wolf, noiseless and invisible. Sensing which treads to avoid stepping on to maintain absolute silence.

Easing his way upward was brutal when everything in him demanded that he run. Rush forward and swoop in on the woman who had to be at the top of the stairs.

His wolf clawed at him, eager for the hunt. Evan wrestled that part of himself under control for long enough to reach the top landing and step through the doorframe.

The room was filled with her, the open door pushing her intoxicating scent toward him like a sledgehammer to the brain.

He got a quick glimpse while she was unaware of his presence. Impressions struck like lightning bolts. Short dark hair worn in a simple style that suited her. Smooth creamy-brown skin, similar in shade to his own.

Lots of naked skin as she sat behind a desk and stared at her computer, and he wasn’t even going to ask why the hell she was working in the nude because she was his mate, and if she chose to wear nothing but skin for the rest of her life, he was oh-so-fine with that.

Then she looked up, and their eyes met. Pupils widened against her dark brown irises. Her nostrils flared, and if possible, her eyes widened farther.

“Amy?” Evan moved cautiously.

His naked goddess didn’t answer. Just blinked, hard, as if in total shock to see him in her office, which made sense.

He lifted a hand to reassure her—

She bolted. Twirled and shot through the open door, naked skin transforming in a flash to midnight-black fur.

He cursed even as he leapt after her, scrambling onto the balcony. The lithe body of a wolf ran full-out down a narrow ledge on the side of the building. Evan stripped his clothes off as quickly as he could, but she’d already hit the ground before he was able to make the shift.

Chasing her wasn’t a good idea. She’d obviously been shocked enough to flee, and having an Alpha on her tail wasn’t a very nice thing to do to any wolf, especially to one who was afraid.

But hell if he could let his mate get away again.

She wasn’t thinking. Wasn’t plotting. Wasn’t doing anything but trying to get the hell away from him.

How had Evan found her? Amy twisted between the trees, ducked under a low bush. She considered doubling back to hide her trail in case he chose to follow her, but that would take time she didn’t have. Her best bet was to lose him in the distance before he was able to track her.

She knew these paths, heading north and east on the straightest route possible to the bridge over the river.

Once on the other side, she had a dozen places where she could vanish. Even as she considered her options, she chastised herself.

How had everything gone wrong in just the past few hours?

Her wolf wasn’t cooperating either. The edge of adrenaline she usually got while running was dull this time, as if her wolf had a different agenda. Two parts in one whole, she was the wolf and the wolf was her, but the human mind and the animal’s could and did disagree about what they thought was important.

Now was not the time for a lengthy internal self-debate.

Muscles burning with exertion, she tore up the trail, cutting into a clearing where she could choose one of four escapes. She headed to the right in the hopes of disappearing when she was tackled to the ground by the weight of a far heavier wolf.

Her first response of panic was washed away by an entirely new emotion as she slipped from under him and whirled to face him.

Evan’s scent wrapped around her, and for a second she froze in utter shock. Comprehension slid in and ensnared her in its icy realization.

Oh, no. No. No. No.

He was not her mate. Amy snarled because she couldn’t let loose the howl of frustration and fury she wanted to give voice to. Not without baring her throat, and that was one thing she would never willingly do. She’d never give him a chance to see her defenseless.

Evan sat back on his haunches, head tilted to the side like a puppy. Confusion at her growled response was written into his posture.

Had he known they were mates? Amy wondered.

Frustration filled her, yes, but even stronger was bewilderment, and sorrow, then all-out emotional-anger hit, and she did the only thing she could think of to stop herself from leaping at him and swiping her claws across his defenseless throat.

She shifted, letting her rage escape in a shout. “Damn you, Evan Stone. Damn you to hell.”

He was on his feet seconds later, his muscular human form so pleasing to the eye and such a knife to her heart. “Amy? What’s wrong?”

She planted her fists on her hips and stared about four inches over his head, fighting for control. In her worst nightmares she could never have imagined this. “Everything is wrong. Everything. Oh my God, you’re my mate.”

The final word escaped in a choking gasp, and her guts twisted as if someone had reached inside her, wrapped their fingers around her heart and were slowly tearing it out.

She folded her arms around her torso and held on tight in the hopes of stabilizing her shaking world.

He didn’t try to touch her, which was good. He looked, though. Looked as if his heart was breaking as well, and it was beyond annoying that she instantly cared what she’d said had hurt him. She should have been rejoicing, but instead the conflict threatened to rip her in two.

“This is wrong. All wrong.” Amy swallowed hard, fighting tears of anger. Fighting the need to lash out and plant a fist into that perfectly formed muscular six-pack.

He shook his head. “I don’t understand what’s upset you, but we’re mates. We can fix it. We can fix it together, Amy. I know we can.”

She took a deep breath and ignored the tone in his voice, the one that was oh-so-reasonable and oh-so-logical, because this had nothing to do with reason or logic, and everything to do with pain and sorrow. “You can’t be my mate. It’s impossible,” she whispered vehemently.

“It’s true. You sense it. Can taste it on the air.” Evan inched closer. Only one step, but enough she shot out a hand to warn him off. “Why are you denying it?”

She pulled back her shoulders and lifted her chin. Stiffened her spine to brace against the coming battle. His dark eyes were pools she could fall into, but that way led to madness and regret. “I have to deny it. I can’t be mates with the man who killed my brother.”

Chapter Five

Evan’s ears rang with her accusation. “What?”

There was no mistaking Amy’s full-out conviction in the verbal grenade she’d tossed. Only she didn’t go on to explain the impossible statement. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest again and looked around warily.

The list of what Evan wanted was pretty basic. He wanted to take his mate, find out what she was talking about and make things right. He needed her to look at him with something other than an ice-cold glare.

He needed to touch her. To hold her. To make her his, but none of those things could happen until they’d put this insanity behind them.

And he doubted they could figure it out here and now. Not in the middle of the woods. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted interrupted, and it really wasn’t something he wanted to get into while naked.

“Amy. Look at me.”

She twitched but glanced his way.

“We need to talk.”

“Right now talking is the last thing on my agenda. Kicking your spleen through your back would make me happier.” Every muscle in her body had gone taut.

A body that was exactly the kind he wanted to lick and explore until she screamed in ecstasy. There was no way to avoid admiring her nakedness as his wolf’s mating urge flashed to maximum, but he forced his human side to the foreground, shoving all baser instincts aside. “You’ve had a shock. So have I. I had no idea my contact in the Canyon pack was my mate.”

“You poor thing.” Bitter laughter escaped, and she paced away, her hips swaying as she stomped across the forest floor. She lifted her hands, fisted palms pressed to her temples. “My God, my brain is going to explode. And my heart.”

One hand dropped to her chest, utter agony on her face as she half curled into a ball.

Evan was going to break in two if they didn’t do something soon. “I can’t make it better until you tell me what’s wrong.”

“Maybe you can never make it better.” Amy whirled on him. “Damn you. And damn you, fate. This isn’t some cosmic joke, because I’m not laughing.”

Her last words were shouted heavenward, her fists clenched tight at her sides.

“Calm down.” Evan pushed out the words accompanied by a nonverbal command. Hysterics weren’t the solution, and while the last thing he wanted was to overpower his mate with the mystical side of his wolf, using some of his power seemed his only choice.

What he got was an instant backlash. She lunged at him, an undersized ball of fury and energy. Evan ducked her swing but still ended up on his ass on the ground, Amy looming over him like an avenging vigilante. “Don’t you dare try that on me.” Her words a whisper of fury.

The power of her wolf side had literally knocked his feet from under him. “Holy shit.”

She backed away, light on her feet, hands rising to a defensive position. “Did you expect your mate would be some wimpy, quiet woman who’d roll over when you told her to?”

To be honest, he hadn’t really thought it through that hard, but she was right.

And more than that, if he actually turned on his brain instead of allowing shock to rule his actions, he knew what she needed, crazy as it seemed.

They needed to talk, but first she had to get her rage under control. Evan rocked to a standing position and looked her over. Testing her signals, reading her body language. There was too much aggression and fury to deal with in any other way than the good old wolf one. “You want to hit me? Go on. Try—”

Her foot made contact with his chest before he’d finished speaking, the powerful blow rocking him backwards as he worked to remain on his feet. She retreated so quickly his grasping fingers slicked over her skin.

Amy watched cautiously from a few feet away, circling to one side. Intoxicating power rolled off her, and his wolf all but howled with excitement.

She was so strong, his mate. Together, they’d have the ability to do so much for the pack. But here and now, it wasn’t about the others. It was about her, and him, and somehow getting past the enormous roadblock she’d thrown between them.

Evan held back as she darted forward, taking the blow to his torso. She growled. Struck him again, this time knuckles rasping hard against his jaw, snapping his head. He raised a block between them, but refused to actually hit her.

“Stop pulling your punches,” she demanded, the command whipping him with enough compulsion his head lifted. “You think you can tame me? You’re not worth tak—”

The move felt so wrong, but he did it anyway because it seemed his only option. He pivoted and slapped a hand downward as she aimed a blow at his kidneys. Wrapped his fingers around her fist and pulled, twisting her off balance and tumbling them both off their feet. He made sure he brought her over him, preventing her from smacking hard against the ground.

Instead every inch connected, naked skin to naked skin. Amy’s face hung over his, and those enormous eyes of hers were wolf-wild and needy. She might be fighting their mating, but her wolf was on board. Sexual tension ensnared them in a tight embrace the second before she tore her hands free and slammed rock-solid fists against his chest.

Evan rolled, pinning her to the grassy ground. A second later his hands held her wrists firmly on either side of her head, his legs locking her lower body in one spot.

A low rumble escaped her throat as his hips settled over hers. “Get off me,” she commanded.

“No.” He lowered his head, and with his nose tight against her throat, took a deep, deep breath.

An entire evening spent getting inebriated was nothing compared to taking a single shot, one hundred proof, of his mate. She filled his senses and made his body ache with unanswered need. He stayed there for a good minute, forcing her to breathe him in. Her squirming protests died away. Every attempt she made to buck him off just rubbed them together intimately, and she stopped, a shiver rolling over her from top to bottom.

“Damn you, Evan,” she repeated, but this time it wasn’t so much a curse as a cry. Aching and raw, and he pressed up on his arms, separating their torsos far enough he could stare into her eyes.

All that was there was hopelessness and fear.

“I’ll make it right,” he promised. The words were softly spoken but clear as they cut though the quiet of the wilderness. “I swear I will. I don’t understand yet, but I swear I’ll find a way to prove I’m worthy to be your mate. Give me that chance.”

A single tear trickled from the corner of her eye. “I’ve hated you for so long. And I hate myself for how easily my body wants to accept you as my mate.”

“Don’t hate yourself. It’s your wolf. She knows we belong together, and that we can do this. She senses it, even if your human side is hurting too much to hear.”

“I kind of hate her right now as well,” Amy whispered, her eyes focused on his so intensely he was in danger of burning up.

Evan released her right hand and stroked her face with his knuckles, wiping away the streak of moisture that had trickled down her cheek. “No matter how long it takes for us to figure things out, we’ll take it. I won’t let you go.”

She closed her eyes, body shaking under him. He matched her breathing, synchronizing their motions. Silently stroking her with the affection of his other side while holding the wolf at bay.

“Give me a chance,” he repeated. Damn near begged if he was honest.

Finally her tension melted away and she softened under him. He waited, barely breathing. Even without moving, their desire heightened, an edge of fire that was a constant presence between mates.

The temptation to taste her lips was there, but that was his wolf side urging him on. That side could willingly roll over, ignore her fears and anger, and convince her to satisfy the physical craving that rose like molten lava.

If they gave in to their animalistic desires, she’d be a willing participant. She’d take him into her body, accept him, but hate him later. His human side knew this, and the wolf unhappily acknowledged his guidance and retreated.

Evan rolled them partway again, rising to his feet and bringing her with him. “We need to go somewhere private to talk.”

Amy brushed leaves from her backside as she sighed heavily, then nodded. “I don’t want to, but yes, I suppose so.”

He risked it. Caught her fingers in his and tugged her to face him. A wild crackle of attraction passed between them.

“Somewhere safe. Somewhere we won’t be interrupted, and where I’m not worried about your Alpha charging in.” She opened her mouth, but he cut her off before she could give him some smart-ass comment about not needing to worry. He fucking needed this. “I’ll deal with Sam later. This isn’t about our packs, it’s about us. I’ll call my Beta, you talk to whoever you need to at the computer store. The world won’t explode if we’re gone for twenty-four hours.”

Her gaze narrowed, her anger focused to a sharp cutting beam. “You’re too damn cocky. Maybe you should turn down the arrogance and turn off the assumptions for a while.”

“I’m your mate. I’m trying to make things go quicker and easier. I hate how much you’re suffering.”

A hard rock shook her again, and she gasped even as she snapped an agreement. “Fine. I’ll explain later why you’re a jackass. Back to the shop for our clothes?”

“Yes. Do you know a place we could go?” Giving her charge of that decision might ease open the door she’d slammed shut between them, and he didn’t care where they went as long as he was with her.

Her emotional pain remained the strongest sensation, and every time she looked at him, her anguish spiked. Deep and intense, heavy enough he wondered how she’d carried the burden, no matter how strong she was.

Amy nodded slowly. “I know a place.”

Evan squeezed her fingers. “We’ll figure this out,” he reminded her. “I promise.”

In the second before she shifted back to her wolf-form, her eyes reflected the haunting hurt inside her. He joined her, his mind racing as she led him back to the shop.

It was barely noon. The past twelve hours had more than shaken him. His world had turned inside out and too many questions remained. How much more would happen before the earth settled, and where would they be in the final standing?

One thing he knew for certain—he’d found his mate, and he wasn’t letting her go.

She insisted she would drive. Evan was smart enough, this time, to shut up and let her have her way. Of course, she knew his Hummer was out of commission at the moment, although he didn’t know that she knew that.

The tangled web she’d woven drew tighter.

Part of her desperately needed to get away from him and think through the implications of their discovery. Finding out Evan was her mate wasn’t just having a rug pulled out from under her, it was having the roots of her existence torn away.

She’d told the truth. At this moment she pretty much hated everyone involved in the mess. Him, herself, her wolf. The only creature she’d give a break was Evan’s wolf because the beast hadn’t fucked up yet, although it had come close.

Amy pulled in front of the Moonshine Inn and waited for him to arrive. Maybe to a casual observer this trip would appear insane. Heading into the bush with the man she’d been systematically working to destroy for nearly a year? Yeah, not a move worthy of the brightest crayon in the box.

But they were wolves, not humans, and that changed everything.

Mating instinct made the trip both less and more crazy. She was safe—he’d never in a million years hurt her. Not physically at least, and she was strong enough to defend herself from an assault.

Emotionally, though? The situation was a ticking time bomb. Her strength meant she was capable of permanently rejecting him, but that denial would tear them both apart. Far more violent than any vengeance she could have planned—ripping their wolves apart forever would be the ultimate revenge.

And yet as hot as her anger burned…she hesitated to take the final step. She wasn’t a fool who would continue to guard the safe once the treasure was stolen. The situation had changed, and until she had all the facts, she’d put her retribution plans on hold.

If part of her hoped for a miracle? She’d blame such romantic sentiments on her wolf. On the part inside her that wanted on a far more visceral and instinctive level.

Her wolf rode close to her skin. Aching for contact with Evan’s wolf—the beast wanted to roll in his scent and wallow at having found her mate.

Amy slapped her down, the internal battle between them nothing new, and yet this time subtly unique. Her wolf was stronger than ever, and Amy worried she could be too easily swayed from human logic if she wasn’t careful.

Human vengeance made no sense to a wolf.

Evan tossed a canvas bag in the backseat and got in, adjusting the shoulder strap as she took off. He glanced in her direction, but she refused to meet his gaze.

“Any troubles getting time off?” he asked.

The first of many secrets she’d have to share. “I own the shop.”

Evan’s body language changed. “Impressive.”

“You’ve been a great supporter. Thanks for crashing your computers so often.”

It was unfair that his soft chuckle amused her, the deep sound sending goose bumps rolling up her arms. Damn the man. She didn’t want to like anything about him. She wanted him to be the evil, self-serving bastard she’d tracked to Whitehorse.

Her wolf snapped at her, and Amy jolted in surprise.

“Whoa, careful.” Evan caught the steering wheel, pulling to correct their dangerous sway into the oncoming traffic lane.

“I’m fine.” Amy adjusted her handgrip. Ten and two positioning, fingers curled so tight her knuckles showed white. “Sorry.”

He didn’t answer her, and the car went completely quiet as she headed out of town and down a logging road leading into the mountains. The gravel was well maintained, but she had to stay alert, the narrow switchbacks taking them toward the mountain peak.

She turned down a side road, crossed the final one-lane bridge over the creek, and rounded the corner.

“Sweet mercy, that’s gorgeous.” Evan leaned forward and peered out the window. “How come I didn’t know this was here?”

“Canyon pack land.”

“Ahh. That makes sense.” Evan pointed into the trees. “Company.”

A wolf stood at attention on the rocky ridge to the south of the cabin, allowing himself to be seen. Amy dipped her chin, and he vanished.

She understood why her pack was watching, but she’d left direct orders none of them were to contact her unless she gave approval.

“Sentries. They’ll leave us alone, but they maintain a constant patrol in the area.” Amy put the car into park, leaving her bag in the trunk. If this didn’t go well, they’d be back on the road in the next hour.

The cabin was beautiful. One side had been built against a stand of towering spruce that guarded the log structure from the bitter north winds. The west windows faced over the expansive valley rolling for miles before them while the tiny back porch looked toward the mountain. When the sun finally rose over the tall peak in the morning, the entire sitting area flooded with colour and warmth.

Fixing up the old cabin had been her contribution to the pack—a place to retreat when needed. Somewhere for souls who craved quiet to find it, only a short distance from Whitehorse.

It was her time to take advantage of the isolation.

Evan stood on the path and took a deep breath, eyes closed as he enjoyed the fresh air and wildness of the place. His bag in one hand, coat in the other, he was this living statue right where she didn’t want him. Right where she had to deal with him, whether she wanted to or not.

There was no retreat for her.

Chapter Six

Bumping too close as they entered the front door only made her wolf more antsy. “Please, keep your distance.”

“I’m trying.”

“Try harder,” she snapped. Drat. Amy took a deep breath to regain control. “Leave your things at the door for now. You want juice, or something stronger?”

Evan dropped his bag to the floor, set his coat over top, then stepped into the cabin, looking up at the open rafter system. “No alcohol. I want a level head for this conversation.”

Amy paused in the middle of pulling open the refrigerator door to examine his expression. It was far more solemn than usual. Arms folded over his chest, feet spread wide. Another rush of attraction hit, and this time she admitted he was exactly her type. Dark, muscular. Sexual overtures in his every move.

Except for the fact she hated his guts.

She ignored everything but the mundane for the next two minutes. Poured drinks, brought them to the living room. She slowed to a stop in the middle of the room as she debated where she wanted to sit while they did this. Put the kitchen table between them as a barrier? Sit in the easy chairs that looked over the valley? She certainly couldn’t pick the couch or the loveseat where the buttery-soft leather was all about comfort and decadence.

Stupid things to be worrying about when her brother was dead, her world had been torn apart, and the man responsible for everything stood less than five feet away.

“You look as if you’re holding a bomb in each hand.” Evan pulled one glass from her and gestured to the table. “Come. We may as well start at the beginning. This isn’t going to work like any conversation you’ve had before, so don’t bother trying to anticipate.”

“I don’t like surprises.” Only she obediently dropped into the chair he pulled out for her.

“Seriously. Wait until I tell you about my night.”

There was another secret that would soon be out—that she was the organizer of most of his surprises.

One step at time. She wouldn’t rush. Just do what had to be done and evaluate each move.

Evan eased his chair back, one arm resting on the table, his strong fingers wrapped around his glass. “You want to explain what you meant back there? About your brother?”

That block of ice was back, the one encasing her heart. “You’ve killed so many people you don’t know who I’m talking about?”

His eyes went cold. “I’ve killed a few wolves and a few humans. I never did it impulsively, maliciously or without a great deal of thought. That doesn’t make me a cold-blooded murderer, and it doesn’t answer the question. Who was your brother?”

Amy linked her fingers in front of her, staring at her hands for strength before lifting her gaze to pin Evan in place as she spoke. “Philip de Lorne. Hudson Bay pack.”

The colour drained from Evan’s face, and his jaw tightened. A furrow appeared between his brows as he looked her over more carefully than before. “I don’t remember you.”

“I was too young to be on your radar. I was eight when it happened. You were one of the up-and-coming youth. Seventeen, like my brother.” As she thought back, the knot in her throat only grew bigger. “You remember Philip, though?”

A slow nod. “He was a good friend.”

His words hit like a knife strike to the heart. “Right.”

“I’m serious. I mean, he was very private about his family. I never went to his home, which is probably why I don’t remember you and I meeting. But Phil and I did things together with the youth all the time.” Evan shot to his feet, dragging a hand through his hair as he paced away. A sound of frustration and anguish escaped. She couldn’t see his face, couldn’t read his wolf as he twisted his back toward her, shoulders rigid. “I… It’s complicated.”

Amy stiffened her resolve. “I know what happened. I looked into it, a few years back. What I want to know is why.”

Evan rotated slowly. “You looked into what? The human media reports of the accident? Newspaper accounts?”

“Deeper. I know computers, and I know pack. I found trails…and they led to information that the shifter community had buried deep. The media got the whitewashed story about a mine collapse that killed nearly twenty men. But that wasn’t the whole truth, because it wasn’t a mine that collapsed and trapped them underground. It was an explosion, wasn’t it? An explosion you caused.”

The hard lines of his face and body could have been etched from granite. “I did.”

The icy sensation in her veins returned in a rush. The one she got whenever she’d planned another moment of her revenge, only this wasn’t how the confrontation was supposed to go. Her wolf moved restlessly, uneasy with her inner stillness. Would Evan deny it? “Philip died in the accident you were responsible for.”

Evan nodded. “You’re right.”

The light faded from the innermost part of her that had hoped she’d made a mistake somewhere along the way. “Then there’s nothing more to discuss.”

“Wait.” He crossed the room and knelt beside her chair. His nearness like a cage closing around her. His power, his presence. His wolf. “We’re not done, because while I understand what you must think, you don’t know the full truth.”

Amy hesitated. This was the only reason she’d agreed to meet with him alone. “Tell me.”

He was staring. Not at her face, but her hands. “Two weeks ago. A security tape at my hotel caught video footage of a hooded person with your hands snooping around in the kitchen while no one else was there. That was you, wasn’t it? What were you doing there?”

He’d find out soon enough. “It’s…complicated.”

Evan lifted smoky eyes to hers. The dark centers matching his pupils. “Hudson Bay pack went bad from the leadership down. It was a slow growing rot. As soon as I sensed what was happening, I tried to make a change. The first time I challenged the Alpha, Kirk Gatlann broke my arm. The second time he didn’t even try to fight fair, he simply set his Betas on me. I ran out of time before I could make a third attempt, and it came down to triggering the explosion that killed him or watching him systematically destroy the pack I was desperate to protect.”

She listened, she really did, but it didn’t matter that his words were logical, they weren’t enough.

“I was eight. I have few childish memories of the pack, and none of the Alpha.” Amy wasn’t ignoring what he’d shared, but her reality had been completely different. “All I know is that one day Philip didn’t come home, and neither did my parents.”

“What? That’s impossible.” Evan’s shock punched forward, heavy and weighted like a falling anvil.

She was too numb to do anything but continue. “Is it? You know everything that happened during the chaos caused by the explosion, and the shifter cover-up that followed?” She stared out the window, over his shoulder. “One moment my family was there, the next my brother was gone and so were my parents. They were never very attentive—Philip was more of a caregiver to me than they were. I don’t know if they went feral, or had some other reason they bolted, but I was abandoned. I rambled around in our house in the bush for two weeks until social services finally came by and picked me up.”

An agonized growl rumbled up from Evan’s chest. “I’m so sorry.”

“And now…” If Evan was telling the truth, he might have been justified in causing the explosion. She knew how much sway an Alpha held over their pack. How much the leader’s attitude set the tone for how the rest of the members behaved. The hurt and fury she carried inside remained. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Amy.” He touched her carefully, his fingers sliding over hers. “Your brother was my friend, and his death was an accident. There’s more I need to tell you, but we’re too raw. Too tight from the shock of finding each other, and the mating urge, and everything else we’re facing.”

The point of contact between them was like a livewire. Sparking hot, a steady pulse with a pounding rhythm, but even that wasn’t enough to cut through her misery. “I feel cold. In spite of the mating attraction, I’m frozen.”

“I understand.”

“Do you?”

Evan’s grip tightened on her fingers. “I’m ripped up inside as well. My wolf wants to claim you, but my human side tells me to back the fuck up and give you space. I can feel your agony, and your anger, and both are tearing me apart.”

“I’ve spent years hating you, Evan. Years.” Her claws itched to escape so she could slash out at him. “How do I let go of the pain after a short conversation? Even if you were justified in what you did?”

“You can’t. Switching convictions like that would make no sense.” He hooked the nearest kitchen chair with his foot and pulled it over so he didn’t have to release her fingers as he sat. “It’s going to take time. It’s going to take time for trust to develop between us, and we can’t force it to happen. We have to allow it to grow.”

“Damn wolves,” she muttered.

Evan stroked her fingers as he pulled back. “The wolf side is right about so many things. Like choosing mates—knowing who is our best partner.”

Fear shot through her again, more intensely than before. Evan as a mate was impossible, and yet the idea of having a mate made her crazy with longing even while every part of her wanted to deny the hope.

The need to control the new hunger was bigger than her thwarted revenge. This was about keeping her expectations low so she could never again be disappointed.

The situation was so much bigger than she’d expected to have to deal with. Amy cursed herself for already missing the physical contact between them. She scrambled for a temporary solution that would cut the pain. “A run. I need to run, and your wolf could use it as well.”

The tension pouring off him was as powerful as the frustration binding her limbs. The fact she could sense his need so strongly—she wasn’t sure if that pleased her, or just made her angrier.

Evan nodded. “Great idea. You can show me around.” He paused. “Will your pack mind the Takhini Alpha roaming their territory?”

She shook her head. “You’re my guest. No one will bother us.”

It wasn’t her fault he hadn’t caught on to who she was, and after his snippy order back in the forest when he’d cut off her confession, she didn’t feel like enlightening him yet. Maybe she was being stubborn, but in light of everything else she was giving him slack on, letting him stay ignorant for a little longer seemed justified.

But before their time of talking was over, she would have to explain so much more.

Evan took his bag to the second bedroom, barely aware of his surroundings. His hands damn near shook as he stripped off his clothes.

So. The ghosts from Hudson Bay had returned, no longer satisfied to haunt him, but determined to intrude with enough impact to destroy his future like they’d savaged his past.

He hadn’t lied. Philip’s death had been an accident. The only people who were supposed to have died in the explosion had deserved to rot in hell.

But with how delicate Amy’s soul was, Evan was going to tread lightly before telling her the rest. Before having to face his own nightmares all over again.

The only good part was they were moving forward. The potential for them to be together was closer than an hour ago.

“We can shift in the cabin,” Amy informed him, calling through the closed door. “The back door is rigged to allow us to go in and out in our wolves.”

Evan took his time. Folded everything with far more care than he’d usually take back at his place. He was in the middle of warning his wolf to behave when the door cracked open, and Amy stood in the doorway.

“Ready?”

Nudity was commonplace among wolves. Between shifting, and sex being enjoyed for fun far more than even in the human population, Evan had seen his share of skin.

Only this was his mate, and that changed everything. He couldn’t seem to avert his eyes. It proved physically impossible to do anything other than to leisurely admire her, starting at her toes.

The petite package before him was all kinds of perfect. She’d painted her toenails a bright green polish with flecks that sparkled in the sun shining in the window.

Slim but muscular legs—he already knew she had the ability to use them. The bruise on his chest proved that.

Her hips flared nicely, waist curving inward. Smooth brown skin over delicate breasts that were round and firm with dark nipples and…

Evan stabbed his nails into his own thigh to force himself to move past fixating on the woman’s chest. Instead he got as far as the swoop of her throat and the flickering pulse visible there, both erratic and heavy. Mesmerizing. He wanted to touch. To press his lips against her soft skin and soothe away her fears. His body ached with anticipation.

She moved, bending her knees ever so slightly so their eyes met.

“Hey. Time for a run.”

She shifted. That in itself was an act of trust, he realized. To be the one to take her other form first, and let him truly see her.

It was powerful. Humbling.

Oh, she’d been in her wolf form when he chased her, but that had been a different situation altogether. That had been born of impulse and instinct. This? This was about revealing herself.

Her fur was dark and lush. Intelligent eyes stared at him as he squatted, bringing their heads on a level plane. Evan reached out slowly, uncertain how Amy would take his touch.

He wasn’t sure what he would do if she rejected him.

That first touch, the first caress, nearly rocked Evan to the floor. His wolf howled, eager to come out and meet his mate. But first Evan wanted this moment. He smoothed a hand down Amy’s back as he admired her. Thrilled to know that she was there, and his resolve firmed to iron.

They were going to get through this. They would find a way. Somehow he would tear aside the walls that were threatening them. It was what he did. It was who he was.

He shifted right beside her, their bodies so close that not only their fur but the heat of their bodies made contact. Her scent enveloped him. Her presence.

Her power. For a split second Evan wondered…

Amy nudged him in the side then headed for the door. She was only a step away when the heavy wooden planks swung upward, the entire lower half of the door rising skyward on a hinge. Evan was fascinated, but his wolf was far more interested in following Amy as she paced down the stairs and onto a narrow path between two towering spruce.

Evan turned his back on the cabin and followed his mate.

She began by leading him along the winding trail through the trees. He was surprised when they went neither up nor down the mountain, but in a steady line on a vertical plane. He racked his brains to think of the terrain in that area, but it grew harder to use his human reasoning. All the wolf wanted was to run with his mate. Evan acknowledged the beast’s wisdom, put aside his questions, and instead concentrated on keeping up.

She had a new agenda, this one far clearer than any previous. Her pace was rapid enough Evan had to push to keep up. Even though he was following, the new terrain made it difficult for him to move at his highest speed. She seemed to delight in taking last-minute corners, using small trails off the main path, especially ones passing under low bushes or other obstacles that challenged his larger form. It was a game of one-upmanship, and he had no difficulty in accepting the challenge.

When they broke free of the trees, the world had changed. Instead of looking down on the city of Whitehorse, they were in the valley on the far side of the mountain. The horizon seemed so far away, with nothing but wilderness stretching before them.

Amy rested beside him, both of them breathing heavily from their exertion. Evan lowered himself to the ground, relaxing and allowing himself the luxury of just being. The wolf was at the foreground. The wolf was pleased.

And when Amy settled beside him, close enough their haunches touched, a tiny seed of hope germinated.

There was so much to decide. So much forgiveness to work through. Having Amy with him made everything inside that was wolf stand up and cheer. Bringing forward the pain of the past was going to be nasty, and his human heart feared hurting her irrevocably.

The tightrope between the two paths scared him the most.

Chapter Seven

Amy rocked her easy chair, the view from the wide deck of the cabin almost as spectacular as the one that she and Evan had enjoyed on their run.

She sipped from the glass of wine she’d poured to help steady her nerves. It had felt incredible to be able to run with a fellow wolf, one as strong as she was. She often spent time in her wolf form taking care of others in the pack, but it wasn’t the same. Then she was the one in charge. She was the one constantly looking for clues of what was needed in the pack.

Today?

Running through that door with Evan at her side had been different from anything she’d experienced before. She wasn’t sure how it was possible to feel affected on so many levels.

Inside her chest was a hard, heavy spot. For the last five years, ever since she had begun to seek the truth about what had happened to her family, that layer of rock and ice had been building around her heart. Evan said he still had more to explain, and that was true. But what he’d already shared made sense. His brief summary made a difference, and now she wondered if she’d been chasing, not justice, but a nightmare.

She hated being wrong. She hated the thought she might have spent time and energy seeking to punish someone who didn’t deserve it. Guilt layered over years of loathing and anguish.

Evan pushed through the door and joined her. His hair was wet from the shower.

“It’s all yours,” he said.

She rose, stepping to the left to get around him. He moved at the same moment, unintentionally blocking her path.

Twice more they shifted position, twice more they jerked to a stop mere seconds away from making full physical contact. Evan rotated his shoulders to the side and opened a path. “Please. Go on.”

Stepping past him was incredibly hard. Amy’s wolf had been content while they were in the forest, but now that they were back at the cabin, the creature was no longer as patient. What her wolf wanted was to halt in mid-stride, curl up against him and rub all over.

And that was just to begin with—the beast had a very vivid imagination, and she used it mercilessly. Amy made sure the shower was icy cold, and she scrubbed as hard as she could, but even then his scent lingered. Wrapped around her.

Tonight was going to be hell no matter what.

She wasn’t in the shower for long, but by the time she got out and dressed in a comfortable pair of sweats, she discovered Evan in the kitchen digging through the fridge, a pot of spaghetti boiling on the stove. He glanced over his shoulder. “I’m starving. I thought you might be as well.”

Amy nodded. “Did you find the spaghetti sauce in the freezer?”

They worked together to make the meal, and it was far too casual. There was something wrong, Amy thought, about standing beside the man and teetering between revenge and lust.

Her wolf couldn’t understand why they weren’t moving on to the next stage of mating, i.e. jumping his very delectable bones.

Her fully human heart couldn’t let go of the thought that this was the enemy who she was bumping into as they made a salad. As Evan ripped chunks of lettuce from the head and her gaze fell to his strong hands, her sense of guilt strengthened even further.

She had to find a way to deal with this dilemma. She was a strong individual, but the conflicting desires between her two parts would pull her world apart if she wasn’t careful.

If it were only her life to worry about, Amy would let chaos run its course, no matter what the end result. Only she wasn’t free to take that route. Her situation meant too many others were relying on her. Too many plots had already begun that she had to make a decision about, and quickly.

“Eat outside on the deck?” Evan asked once the meal was ready.

“Great.”

They balanced plates and drinks. Evan pushed open the door with his shoulder and let her go first.

“Do you want to tell me what happened to you after the accident?” Evan spoke quietly after they’d settled in their chairs. “Or do you want to talk about what you’re doing here in Whitehorse? Or do you want to ask me questions?”

The idea of going back through the hell her life had been for so many years would make her lose her appetite. And telling him why she’d come to Whitehorse—that burden could wait until after dinner was over. “Tell me something about yourself. Your education, or what you did after you left Hudson Bay.”

Evan’s expression grew a touch lighter as he twirled spaghetti on his fork. “I traveled for a while. Ended up in Europe, which was a complete surprise, both getting there and how they do things. I spent a few years working in Germany and Russia with a paramilitary organization.”

Well, now, that was unexpected. “Para, as in shifters, or semilegal mercenaries?”

Evan tilted his head from side to side. “In a way, both. We were all shifters, and while not all of our activities involved working in shifter-only communities, a lot of the assignments did. The roughest ones were in Russia. Most West and Central European shifters tend to be more civilized, at least on the surface. What I’ve come to think of being the norm in the shifters found south of the forty-ninth parallel. Our wolves tend to be rougher.”

“The wolves in the Yukon are a different lot,” Amy agreed.

“Caroline said it’s not just the shifters. She said the humans who come North tend to have a different attitude than folks from the South. Something about wanting to do things their own way and loving the isolation.”

A new and unwelcome sensation struck as Evan casually mentioned the other woman’s name.

Amy stabbed a piece of salad with her fork. “Oh, right. The human.”

Evan stiffened ever so slightly. He glanced at her, concern the strongest emotion she sensed. “You don’t have to worry about Caroline.”

“Who’s worried?” Amy could’ve kicked herself for even responding to his comment, but her wolf’s hackles were up. Damn her world.

Evan put his plate on the small table beside his chair. He knelt before her and placed both hands on her knees. “From the moment I discovered you were in Whitehorse, I haven’t touched another woman. I know we have more to discuss but, Amy, even if you need to learn to trust me on other things, trust me on this. You are the only woman I want.”

Her wolf preened, and Amy wanted to smack the beast. “I believe you.”

She believed him as well because she’d been watching him, closely. There was no scent on him more than what would have been caused by casual interactions.

And wasn’t that mucked up? That she didn’t know where this conversation was going, but she was fanatically happy to hear no other female had gotten a piece of him recently.

Evan remained on his knees in front of her, fixing her with a dark intense stare that drove straight into her soul. “I’m dying here, Amy.” He set her plate to the side so he could take her hands in his. “Tell me something. Give me hope we’ll get through this.”

She shook her head, hating to do it, but unwilling to lead him on with an untruth. “I can’t promise anything yet. There’s so much you don’t know. There’s so much you have to tell me.”

His face fell, but he nodded. Sat back in his chair and picked up his plate. His expression tightly controlled around the edges. “Your turn. What have you been doing? You own the computer shop. That’s cool.”

“When I finished high school, I headed into computer programming. By the end of the first year, I’d realized getting a degree wasn’t going to work. The classes were too easy.” Amy stared into her wine glass, swirling the liquid gently. “It was the other parts of going to school that intrigued me. Since I could solve the computer-programming assignments in my sleep, learning to deal with the people around me became far more fascinating.”

“You’ve spent years learning how to read people?”

“Shifters, humans, the usual set of misogynists involved in computer sciences,” she admitted. Amy took a deep breath and prepared to make her confession regarding her position in the Canyon pack.

He didn’t give her a chance. “When you join Takhini, that’s going to help you a lot.”

Amy guessed Evan was attempting to be reassuring, although it was hard to tell as her blood pressure spiked again.

“I have no concerns about being able to fit in just fine wherever I go.” She might have snapped the statement a little too hard.

Evan observed her carefully for a moment then stared over the view. The sun was beginning to set behind the western mountains, and golden-yellow rays streaked across the sky. “It seems at every turn I say things that upset you. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”

“That confession is a step in the right direction,” Amy commented. “Finish eating. I can hear your stomach rumbling from here, and I don’t need a testy wolf on top of everything else. We’ll talk once we’ve done dinner.”

The setting was far too idyllic considering the tension between them, but Amy took it. She ignored the pressures they still had to face and focused on the beauty of the world around her. Guiltily allowed her wolf to enjoy the presence of the strong, alpha male at her side.

The clouds were backlit with brilliant colours when the sentinels surrounding the cabin started to howl. Their wolf song was full of respect and appreciation. A shiver raced over her skin as she met Evan’s eyes.

His focus narrowed, his concentration tightening as the pack continued to serenade her. It wasn’t just because she was there and finally taking a rare night off, it was their way to show they cared.

The homage was humbling and strengthening all at the same time.

Evan stood and walked to the edge of the deck, staring into the trees as he listened intently. The position left his face in profile, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him. Admiring the sharp features of his jawline, a hint of silver beginning to show in the black hair at his temples. Her wolf nudged her and again confirmed its interest in taking this man as a mate.

He turned to her. “I’m an idiot.”

Amy’s lips twitched. “No argument from me.”

He leaned his elbows on the railing, his long muscular body stretched out facing her and highlighted by the fading colours of sunset glow. His eyes gleamed, a hint there of both his amusement and his continued caution. “So. When did you intend on letting me know that you’re the Alpha of the Miles Canyon pack?”

Busted.

He was pleased to see she didn’t look guilty at getting caught, but instead tilted her chin upward and for the first time offered him a grin.

“Well, I did try to tell you. More than once.”

Evan thought back, nodding slowly as he considered. “You did. Thus my admission I was an idiot.”

Amy lifted her feet into the chair and wrapped her arms around her shins. “I suppose this starts a new conversation.”

“I know we’re not done answering your concerns, but what the hell?” If Evan had thought his world had become twisted before, this only made it worse. What the fuck was going on? “First question—all the rumours I’ve heard said Sam runs Canyon. Your name is Amy. Which is right?”

She sighed. “Both. My name is Samantha Amy Ryba, but for many reasons it seemed better to go by Sam when I took over Canyon. A masculine-sounding name stops a lot of bother before it even starts. Unfortunately.”

“But you used Amy as your code name?”

“It’s the name I used in college, and it hid my identity from your pack when I made contact with Takhini.”

Hidden in plain sight. “Congrats, it worked. But why have you been sharing pack secrets when you’re the Alpha?”

When she didn’t answer him, instead staring at a spot over his shoulder, Evan’s respect for her went up and his sense of oh-shit grew exponentially.

“You were pulling a fast one,” he guessed.

“I was gathering intelligence,” Amy suggested. “I didn’t share anything about the Canyon pack that wasn’t common knowledge.”

Evan grinned as another thought occurred. “Oh man, I don’t believe it. Perfect, efficient Caroline made a mistake. You duped her into taking you under her wing! I’m going to razz her like crazy when she gets back.”

Her eyes darkened. “I thought she was moving away.”

Oops. He exercised a little more caution. “She’s not living full-time in Whitehorse, no, but she will be around every now and then. Her sister Shelley is part-time with the pack. But again, you have nothing to worry about. She’s just a good friend, and she’s thoroughly married. She’ll be thrilled to meet you in person.”

Amy shook her head, the motion somehow very wolf-like. “Don’t mind me, I feel as if I’m jacked up on Red Bull and caffeine tablets like during exams week at college. I have no beef with Caroline.”

Evan looked her over carefully. He understood her hesitation, but there was no reason they shouldn’t move to the next part of their relationship. To the part where they could trust each other and work together.

Not to mention all the lovely physical interactions he was longing to bring to the table.

“You realize my number-one goal for the past year has been to merge the Takhini and Canyon packs. There is no need for more than one pack in Whitehorse.”

“That’s what I believe as well,” Amy agreed. “I’m pretty sure I said that to Caroline, in fact.”

Hope flared brightly. “Then at least one fact is pretty simple. Now that we know we’re mates, we join the packs. Done. One united pack under Takhini.”

Her response wasn’t as enthusiastic as he’d hoped. In fact, she faced away, her body tightening. She paused for a moment before turning back.

“I told you before you’re making assumptions. Let’s see how smart you really are.” Amy lifted her eyes to meet his. “The packs should merge, but I’m ninety-nine percent sure that means Canyon pack takes over.”

His instant response was to laugh, but in light of her comment regarding assumptions and how smart he was, he resisted the temptation.

“Even though Takhini is in control of most of the activities in Whitehorse?” Evan shook his head. “I personally know a half dozen members of the Canyon pack. There’s maybe, what? A couple dozen more? Even if you have members hiding in the woodwork, what makes you think Canyon could control Takhini?”

“Control isn’t always about the number of bodies in the room. Power comes in many forms.” Amy rose from her chair and stood next to him, arms resting on the railing. She was close enough her warm upper arm brushed his. Her scent tangled around him, stirring fingers into his brain and messing with his thought patterns.

He fought to concentrate on something other than the smooth skin caressing his. “That’s true, but it still seems to me that if the packs amalgamate, Takhini will lead.”

She didn’t budge an inch. “This is another area we’ll have to figure out. First, of course, is deciding if we’ll work together, or fight to be in control.”

The idea of fighting with his mate was not only ridiculous, the mere suggestion made him crazy. He held back from saying anything, though. At least about the thoughts racing through his brain that said no way in hell was she going to turn him down.

The possibility of her taking Takhini from him didn’t even register.

He risked lifting a hand to stroke back a hair that had fallen across her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. “I don’t want to fight.”

Amy laughed, and the sound broke around him like a spring breeze, melting some of the fear in his heart as echoes bounced off the mountain. Bright and joyful for the first time since he’d met her.

She lifted her face toward him, her smile real. “Did you hear yourself?” she asked. “Did you, a wolf, just admit you don’t want to fight? I call bullshit.”

“How about I don’t want to fight with you.”

One brow went up. “I want to fight with you. In fact, I think it’s exactly what we need.”

Evan considered her words, and a powerful truth hit. They were both craving contact, but their human sides weren’t ready to let go of their inhibitions yet. A fight would allow them to give into their animal appetites without really admitting it to the human side.

Even being a wolf had layers of deceit to it.

“You are rather brilliant. I like that in a woman.”

“Thank you. You don’t mind if I fight dirty, do you?”

The light chuckle that escaped him felt amazing. “I’m pretty sure I can handle you.”

They stared at each other for a moment, tension rising again, this time of an entirely different nature. Sunset glow lit the area. Amy motioned with her head toward the living area. “Follow me if you dare.”

It was a challenge Evan had no intention of turning down.

Chapter Eight

The crop of hatred Amy had nourished for years was no longer strong and growing. Enough doubt had been planted, but she couldn’t let go yet. The roots went too deep, no matter how much she wanted to move forward.

The craving for revenge was fading but still strong.

Add in the first thing Evan had focused on had been joining the packs? A bit of her hope had faded as betrayal hit all over. Was he really excited to have her as a mate, or pleased because she had power he wanted?

Would anyone ever want her for herself, or was the tradition started in her childhood going to continue?

Now there was the additional anger of having an animal side growing more insistent with every minute that passed. Her sexual cravings increased. This man was her mate, and her wolf wanted.

Demanded.

She couldn’t give in to the desire, but she could soothe it in the basest way possible. Evan was as desperate as she was, the tension in his body enough to make her sense his attraction even without physical contact.

“Where do you want to do this?” Evan stepped into the living room a body length behind her, unmistakable eagerness in his voice.

Amy moved like lightning. She stepped onto the nearest chair seat, up to the tabletop then twirled to leap full force into the unsuspecting man at her back.

Her momentum toppled him to the floor. He sprawled under her, a lazy grin spreading across his face as he gazed upward. “You do fight dirty.”

He looked far too delighted, and Amy ignored the contented rumble rising from her wolf as she lay spread over his muscular body, heat passing between them. She rolled and regained her feet, dodging between the chairs of the kitchen and the living area.

“You want to take this outside?” Evan asked. “Not that I have any issues tangoing in here, but it might be safer for the furniture if we go elsewhere.”

“Sure, I got the jump on you because of the furniture.” She backed up, keeping her eyes on his torso so she could react at a moment’s notice. “I don’t mind, though. You’ll look good with grass stains on your ass.”

“Or you might end up wearing pinecones.”

She turned her back on him and boldly walked out the door, leading him to the grassy area between the deck and the trees. The entire time she walked she was intensely aware that only a few steps away an alpha male in his prime stalked her.

This wasn’t about revenge, or finding a solution. It wasn’t about any of the human reasoning side of their brains. This was about the wolf, and Amy shoved all logic to the side and prepared for the coming battle.

She had one foot crossing from gravel to grass when he made his move, hurling himself at her with a twisting motion that should have ended with her on the ground, his arms wrapped around her lower limbs. She sensed it coming, ducked to the side and narrowly escaped.

Evan rolled to his feet, an enormous grin stretching his cheeks as he nodded with approval. “Nicely done.”

“Save your breath,” she taunted. “You’re going to need it.”

She darted forward, striking with an open hand toward his chest. He blocked the move easily, but failed to anticipate her leg lift. Her knee connected with his hip and rocked him backwards.

Evan crowded forward, his larger size and stronger muscles dangerous if he chose to give one hundred percent. But Amy was stronger than she looked. Her deceptive softness had fooled others, and her wolf was almost disappointed it appeared he too would be an easy target.

Evan swung, obviously looking to tumble her to the ground rather than land a blow. Amy grasped his hand and rotated her body, curling in and surprising him as she moved into his body space. Her back made contact with his chest hard enough to rock them both on their feet.

She dropped to her knees to escape the iron band of his arm that attempted to close around her body. The motion brought them into intimate contact for a moment, and her wolf sighed contentedly, a little cocky at having successfully tricked her mate.

Evan retreated a couple paces, legs spread wide as he warily watched her regain her feet. “You have some good moves.”

Amy smiled, then attacked. One strike after the other shot toward his torso. Evan blocked them all, his forearms and hands moving in a blur of motion. She stepped in closer, and this time he caught her, pinning her hand against his chest. She twisted, trying to break his hold, but that only resulted in him capturing her other hand.

She struggled, and the motion rubbed them together.

“Damn, I knew I forgot something.” Evan set her free, pushing her away slightly. Amy twirled to see what he was up to, but he wasn’t preparing for an attack from behind. Instead, he grabbed the bottom of his shirt, peeling the fabric over his head and exposing far too much gorgeous, muscular chest and stomach muscles. Her fingers twitched with the urge to touch. To trace the intricate tattoo on his right biceps.

She hesitated for a second before copying his move. Her shirt hit the ground to one side, but he wasn’t watching the fabric, his gaze pinned on her body.

“No bra. I like that. I like that very much.” Evan licked his lips, heat rising in his eyes as he admired her.

Amy had plenty to admire as well, looking across the small distance separating them. Evan wore a faded pair of jeans that sat low on his hips. Solid muscles flexed and extended rhythmically, one foot crossing over the other as they circled.

“Less clothing makes it easier when it’s time to shift,” Amy pointed out. “Besides, I don’t really need one.”

“You’re perfect just the way you are.”

She didn’t fight the sensation. Satisfaction that her mate found her attractive rushed in, and for one second she preened.

Didn’t stop her from making the next move. She leapt, and as expected, his eyes remained on her torso. Amy took total advantage and slung out a leg, aiming for his side.

Evan seized her foot and hauled her with him as he tumbled to the ground. Arms and legs scrambling to escape, she was nevertheless trapped as he caught both her wrists and slammed them into the ground on either side of her head. His larger body pinned her in place.

Once again they were skin against skin, and a sense of satisfaction rolled over her. She had an itch she desperately needed to scratch, but only with this man. Evan moved his head to the side to capture her earlobe in his teeth and nip lightly.

“You’re fast, strong, and my God, you’re sexy.” He breathed deeply, and a low, sensual grumble started at the back of his throat. Her wolf reacted instantly, moving against him. She wasn’t even sure when she opened her legs to allow his hips to settle between them. The hard heavy length of his cock rested over the aching core of her body.

He rocked, and the aching pressure inside changed to a tingling alertness. Need and desire rocketed.

Only she wasn’t ready to give in. “Next time you won’t be able to use that move with me,” she warned.

“Then I’ll try something new.” Evan stretched her arms overhead, transferring her wrists until he held her trapped in the fingers of one strong hand. With his second hand free, he reached down and drew a finger along her arm.

If he’d moved in a rush, taking that hand and placing it against her throat or her chest, Amy would’ve continued to struggle. But the bastard moved so slowly, and so cautiously, she was mesmerized. His fingers traced from her wrist along her forearm, lingering for a second on the inside of her elbow.

By the time he passed over her biceps to where her arm and torso connected, Amy was struggling to breathe. “Let me go,” she demanded.

“No.”

Two fingers now ran along side of her torso, pausing on her rib cage. He pressed his hand to her skin and caressed. Small circles at first, getting larger until he skimmed the edge of her breast. Amy closed her eyes and fought the shiver that rolled over her.

When he settled his full palm on top of her breast, his hand possessive for all that it was a light contact, she took a deep, deep breath.

As good as his touch felt, she couldn’t go any further. Her wolf was ready for more. God, the beast was ready to all-out fuck in the middle of the field. But her human was waving a white flag and demanding they retreat and consider terms.

This time? The human need was far stronger.

“Evan.”

Her tone said it all. Her desperation, her confusion. Evan removed his hand from her breast, bringing it up instead to cup her cheek.

He didn’t say anything, just looked into her eyes. The contact had a continued calming effect. That, and the adrenaline fading from her system.

She had been right about a fight being a good thing. She was still turned on, still wanting more, but not nearly as desperate as she had been fifteen minutes earlier.

They lay on the hard ground, her back on the solid earth and his warm body over hers. For a good five minutes that’s all they did. Satisfaction soaked into her bones. The kind of peacefulness she hadn’t expected.

But the longer they lay there, the more the injustice of the entire situation burned. It was annoying as hell she couldn’t simply accept him and know that everything would work out.

Evan leaned in close and brushed his cheek against hers, the gentle caress intimate and yet not overwhelming. “Challenge you to a game of chess.”

He let her go and helped her to her feet, and she nodded. “You’re a glutton for punishment.”

A cocky grin reflected back at her. “You’ll find I’m good at all sorts of games.” He scooped her shirt off the ground and handed it over. “Not that I’d argue if you spent the rest of the evening naked, but your choice.”

Naked for shifting? Fine. Naked without being able to touch him and know it was the right thing? She wasn’t ready for more. Amy returned the favour and passed him his shirt. “I don’t want to win because I distracted you.”

He raised a brow in the air. Then he reached his hand out. Held it there, steady. Firm. Amy stared for a moment, considering hard.

She slipped her fingers into his. The contact wasn’t sexual. It wasn’t about who was more dominant, or trying to move faster than they should. It was about connection, and who they were at their core. Wolves.

He grasped her fingers a little tighter, holding on. Letting her know he was there. “Come on. You can show me your worst.”

He didn’t want to let go, but it would be far too difficult to spend the rest of the evening with one hand clutched around hers. Not that he would’ve minded. Not at all, but so far they’d kept moving forward, and he wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize that fragile momentum.

So, they took an entirely different tack. Amy squeezed his fingers and he released her.

“You really want to play chess?” she asked.

Evan settled on the couch opposite the coffee table. “I’m not ready to leave you. I think my wolf would go insane if I tried, so you’re stuck with me for the night.”

Amy made a face. “Damn wolves.”

“Yeah,” Evan agreed. “I know we’ve got more to figure out, but I don’t want to talk about any big issues tonight. And since spending hours making you scream during hot, sticky, satisfying sex is out of the question, no matter how much I want you, we need to do something else to pass the time.”

She’d swallowed hard when he’d mentioned sex, her eyes gone wide as silver dollars, and for one second he hoped, before logic rushed in and slapped him for being an ass.

“I just meant are you sure you want to play chess,” Amy muttered, not meeting his eyes. “There’s a whole cupboard of other games here as well. I stocked it so when families come out they have other things to do in the evenings.”

Okay. That was awkward. He made himself busy while she grabbed the game. He needed another cold shower. Damn him for making a smart-ass comment regarding sex. Now he had another hard-on from hell.

He adjusted his position on the couch in an attempt to ease the pressure. Then he looked around the cabin again and focused on changing the topic, not just with her, but with his own damn libido.

No television. No electronic games.

“Does the cabin see a lot of use?” Evan asked.

Amy shrugged. “Off and on. Some of the Canyon pack have their own retreats. I fixed this one for those times I needed to get away, and for those who like the idea of a place they can call their own for a short while, but can’t afford it.”

Interesting. “The Takhini pack has the house in town, but nothing in the wilderness. When we go out, we tend to go farther afield from Whitehorse.”

Amy placed the chessboard on the coffee table and settled on the floor. “Yes, but the Takhini pack is different than Canyon. Your people don’t need the same kind of space my people do.”

She set up the board quickly and efficiently as Evan considered her comment. “Wolves don’t tend to need a lot of space.”

He made the first move.

Her countermove came immediately. She leaned on an elbow as she glanced across the table at him. “It depends on the wolf. You stick people with lone-wolf tendencies into a pack house, and that’s the surest way to drive them mad.”

Evan frowned. “Lone wolves don’t tend to congregate in packs in the first place.”

“Right.”

That’s all she said, as if right was any kind of answer. Silence followed as he concentrated on the board, but it was no use. She had made all of four moves, and already Evan was sweating. “Damn, you’re a chess master.”

“Just really good at long-term planning,” Amy deadpanned. She slid her bishop into line with his king. “Checkmate.”

Evan sat back on his haunches. “Huh. Do that again.”

Fifteen minutes later Evan had been defeated three more times. Amy crossed her legs and sat back, a contented smile on her face. “Ready for something more your speed?”

“Checkers?”

“I was thinking snakes and ladders.”

Evan grabbed the cushion off the seat behind him and tossed it at her.

Amy ducked to one side, smiling as she stood. She lifted the board to put it away. “Go Fish?”

“Strip poker.”

She whimpered, a look of pain crossing her face as Evan’s wolf lunged upward in hope. “Be nice,” Amy muttered.

Evan was instantly contrite, especially since the suggestion had made his cock react far more than it should have. “Sorry.”

Her butt wiggled nicely as she strode to the cupboard. “Here, strategy and physical dexterity. Maybe it will distract us enough to forget…the other things we’re fighting.”

The game she placed on the table consisted of stacked blocks of wood. Evan was familiar with this one. “I’m the pack-house Jenga champion,” he warned as he got to his knees.

“So I’ve heard. That means you might have a sporting chance against me.”

Her dare warmed him. There was a challenge in it, yes, but none of the agonized aggression she’d been tossing his way ever since she’d discovered he was her mate.

Proximity was easing things along, and that was all he could hope for at this point. “Ladies first.”

Absolute concentration reigned for the next twenty minutes as they alternated moves, slipping the thin rectangular pieces of wood free from the tall tower and carefully placing them back on top. Evan made sure to focus while it was his turn.

But when it was Amy’s? He was all about watching her.

Her dark hair was messy from their outdoor romp. Her eyes sparkled as she concentrated, the merest bit of her tongue poking between her lips as she steadily pushed a block free. There was a rosy glow to her skin, and a freshness and vitality about her that made Evan long for the moment he could put the games aside and take her in his arms. Take all of that energy and enjoy it to the fullest.

She smiled with satisfaction as she held a block in the air. “You’re in trouble.”

“We’ll see.” Evan didn’t care at this point who won and who lost. Spending time with her was what he was interested in.

His competitive spirit wouldn’t allow him to lie down and let her win, though. He leaned over, carefully checking the tower that was stacked precariously enough he wanted to hold his breath. A single sneeze would send it tumbling.

There were no simple moves left. He reached for a block, momentarily distracted by the faintest hint of delight that crossed Amy’s face.

He checked again, and spotted the trap. Removing that piece was guaranteed to send the entire tower crashing. Instead he went for the only other possible move. Evan delicately placed a fingertip and nudged ever so slightly.

The tower swayed.

Forget about breathing, this was all about concentration now. One tiny motion after another the block inched free from its position. He pulled the final inch and a quarter straight to the side, sighing with relief as the tower settled.

He held the block in the air and beamed at Amy.

“I’m impressed.”

“Anything can be accomplished with enough patience.”

She took a deep breath then let it out slowly. The conversation was suddenly not about the game at all. Tension rose again in a rush, and urgent need and desire swooped around them like dive-bombing eagles. “I think I’m going to call it a night.”

Evan looked pointedly at the tower, but didn’t say anything.

Amy rolled her eyes. “You’re such a wolf.”

“You know it.”

She tipped her chin. “You win.” She raised a hand to the fragile structure and sent it tumbling into dozens of random pieces scattered on the floor.

They cleaned up the mess together. She carried the game away while Evan turned to the sink to wash the dishes. Silence, but this time far more comfortable.

He was drying his hands when she came up behind him. “Evan?”

He rotated, facing her with only inches separating their bodies.

She stared, those enormous eyes like magnets pulling him forward. “I… I’m not ready. God, I could rip your clothes off and fuck you right here if my wolf side got control, but then I think about what—”

He pressed his fingers over her lips. “I know. I understand. So I have a suggestion.”

“What?”

Did she realize her fingertips were brushing his chest? “Sleep in your wolf. She needs it.”

It was a way to give both of them what they were craving without pushing too far.

The faintest hint of a smile appeared. “I’ll wash first.”

Five minutes later he caught himself debating if he should wear a pair of boxers to bed or not, which only proved his logic centers were totally fucked up. Who cared what he wore? She wasn’t sleeping with him. His wolf howled in frustration, and the human side muttered in agreement.

He exited the bathroom and stepped into the room she’d given him.

Amy was already curled up on the bed. She lifted her head, her unique personality shining from wolfish eyes.

A shot of something close to obsession struck, and he hid the yearning under a teasing quip. “I hope you don’t snore.”

She growled.

Evan didn’t bother to pull back the quilt. Just lay down, one hand slipping into her fur. He stroked her, thoroughly enjoying the chance to pet her until she rumbled with pleasure.

“You’re a beautiful wolf,” he said as he admired her. “Your wolf and your human, both of them are amazing, and I can’t wait until we’re truly together.”

Amy rose on her front paws, head tilted to the side as she studied him.

“I’ll be patient,” he promised. “But I won’t give up.”

Something changed, just slightly, but enough to make his wolf sigh contentedly. Amy turned in a circle, moving closer. She settled, her nose resting on her tail, body tight against his chest like a furry furnace.

Maybe it wasn’t the typical first night for mates, but all things considered?

He’d take it.