This couldn’t be a coincidence. No way.

  I finished off my beer and pushed the glass forward. “Can I get another Blue Moon, Ryker?”

  “Sure thing,” he called over his shoulder.

  I looked at Madison. “Deidra Harlow is a biochemist in Phoenix. I wasn’t aware she owned a ranch in Sedona.”

  Madison rested her elbow on the bar. “So you weren’t the one who told her my brother lives in Arizona?”

  I felt like I couldn’t catch up with her thought process. Did she think I had talked to her boss?

  I shook my head. “I’ve never spoken to her. Why?”

  Ryker delivered her drink, and she sucked that thing down like a pro. Damn.

  She set the glass down and turned my way. “You’ve never spoken to her?”

  The woman who was trying to get werewolf DNA from my Alpha’s toddlers? No fucking way had I ever talked to her. But I couldn’t tell Chandler’s sister that.

  “Nope. I didn’t even know she owned the ranch until just now,” I said as Ryker brought me a fresh beer. “Are you sure you didn’t say something to her? You seemed pretty excited about the babies yesterday.”

  “Babies? As in plural?” She chuckled and shook her head. “God, I hope it’s not twins. Poor Chandler won’t know what hit him.”

  Dammit. Chandler hadn’t told me Madison didn’t know Wendy was having twins. Shifters were always born in sets of twin boys. The shifter gene was carried on the Y chromosome and was only passed down through males. Our mates had to be bitten before they could conceive.

  But none of that was information I could share with the woman beside me.

  “Either way, you were eager to be an aunt. Maybe you told her about it earlier?”

  “It’s so weird.” She sobered. “I must have, but I’ve barely spoken with Deidra, and I don’t remember saying anything personal.” She met my eyes. “What she said about why I moved to Arizona was almost word for word what I told you yesterday.” She shrugged, staring at her empty glass. “It unsettled me enough that I went down to the barn to check for surveillance equipment.”

  If Deidra owned that ranch, the barn probably was full of hidden cameras and microphones. I’d have to be mindful of everything I said over there from now on.

  She looked my way. “Do they serve food here? I drank that pretty fast. I’m already starting to feel it.”

  “Yeah.” I motioned to Ryker, and he came over to our end of the bar.

  “Need another Orgasm?” he asked with a crooked smile that inspired a jealous spark to flare in my chest. Was he flirting with Madison?

  Was it any of my business? Not really. Ryker didn’t know she was off-limits. Not yet anyway. But she had come to the Wolf Pack Bar to see me.

  I swallowed the aggressive rush, chalking it up to a combination of my dominant wolf and my sad dating record of late.

  “No, thanks.” Madison shook her head, not seeming to notice the bartender’s charms. “I actually need some food.”

  “Sure.” Ryker pulled out a paper menu. “Here you go. The bacon cheeseburger is my favorite, but if you want something sweet, our churros are made fresh.”

  She glanced my way. “Are you going to have anything?”

  “I’m always hungry.” I looked up at Ryker. “I’ll take a bacon cheeseburger—actually, make it a double—and a side of onion rings.”

  Madison handed him the menu. “Same for me, and add a churro, too.”

  “You got it.”

  He walked away, and Madison nudged my shoulder. “I’ll run it all off in the morning.”

  The booze was definitely softening the edge she’d come in with earlier. I smirked and took a sip of my beer. “I wasn’t judging. Nothing wrong with eating when you’re hungry.”

  She looked over at the woman singing karaoke in the corner, and my gut clenched. Shit. I had hoped she’d forgotten about the musical part of the night.

  Her eager gaze cut back over to me. “Sing a duet with me.”

  I grinned and lifted my beer. “You know we’re new friends, right?”

  “Friends… I like the sound of that.” She laughed and something twisted inside me, aching for more than friendship.

  She had a great laugh. I reminded myself again that she was off-limits.

  Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at me. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

  “I don’t know any of the songs.”

  “Bullshit.” She grinned and slid off the stool. “I’ll be right back.”

  Her hips swayed hypnotically as she walked over to the deejay booth.

  Ryker came over and leaned on the bar, keeping his voice low as he said, “She’s hot.”

  My gaze cut over to him, my eyes narrowing. “She’s also Chandler’s sister. Hands off.”

  He put up his hands with a chuckle. “Easy there. I didn’t know.”

  “She doesn’t know about shifters, and Chandler wants to keep it that way.” I glanced over at her across the bar. “We’re just friends.”

  Ryker smirked. “I saw the way she was looking at you. She likes you.”

  “She’s buzzed.” But I enjoyed the thought that she might be interested in me. I shouldn’t. But I did.

  “Maybe, but she’s still into you.” He straightened up and grabbed his towel to wipe down the bar. “Be careful, man.”

  I was trying.

  Madison came back with the song list and started flipping through the pages. She stood close enough that the scent of her hair teased my senses. She smelled fresh and clean with a hint of a sea breeze even though we were miles from any ocean, like a flower in the desert. I fought the urge to reach out and touch her, reminding myself of Chandler’s warning. The less she knew the safer she would be.

  But she was working for Deidra Harlow, and somehow Deidra knew about Chandler. Madison was already in danger and she didn’t even know Chandler shifted into a hulking black jaguar during the new moon.

  Her lips vaguely moved as she read the song titles. Her fingernails were manicured but not painted, her fingers were slender but not bony, and her arms were toned without being thin. I forced myself to look someplace else before I started staring at her breasts.

  It was like her being forbidden made everything about her even sexier.

  I shifted on my stool to relieve some pressure. Obviously, I was way overdue for some female company.

  She pointed and tapped her finger on a song title. Grinning, she looked up at me. “Here it is.”

  I looked down and frowned. “‘Shallow’? The one from A Star Is Born? Seriously?”

  Her eyes shone with mischief. “Oh so you know it…”

  Damn, she didn’t miss a thing.

  I rolled my eyes. “I’ll sit this one out.”

  “Aw come on. Please? I love this song.” Her hand landed on my knee, and the touch sent a jolt of desire through my bloodstream. “The words will be on the screen. It’ll be easy.” The pleading in her gaze tipped the scales against my misgivings about singing in front of people.

  “Fine.” I groaned and knocked back the rest of my beer. “But no recording on your phone.”

  “Deal.” She hustled back to the deejay, and Ryker caught me studying her ass.

  “Dead man walking,” his deep voice rumbled from behind the bar. “You like her, too.”

  I shot him a glare. “Fuck you.”

  He grinned. “Off-limits.” He tossed the hand towel over his shoulder and walked away, leaving me to sing karaoke in some hellish dimension where gorgeous, intelligent women were untouchable.

  Madison smiled, and her eyes locked on mine from across the bar as she made her way back over to me. How was I supposed to deny her anything?

  “We’re tenth on the list so we can eat first.” She mounted her barstool, and right on cue, Ryker returned with our food.

  “Let me know if you need anything else.” The asshole was looking right at me when he said it. Could he see the daggers in my stare? Probably. Did he give a shit? Probably not.

  I took a bite of my burger, and she nudged me. “Did you always want to be vet?”

  No. My pack had needed a doctor. From an early age, those of us born with the shifter gene grew up knowing we were part of the pack, and for some of us, the pack’s needs came before our own.

  But I couldn’t tell her any of that. I shrugged. “I’m good with animals.”

  She raised a brow. “That’s not an answer. What did you really want to be?”

  The door opened behind us, and I caught Chandler’s scent instantly. Fuck. Could this night get any more screwed up? He came straight for us. At least he saved me from answering her question.

  “Hey, Cole,” he said as he approached. I got up from my stool and clasped his forearm in the traditional pack greeting. I shot him a questioning look while my back was to Madison, and he whispered, “Just checking on my sister.”

  I rolled my eyes and stepped back, growling so low only shifters would be able to catch it. “I can fucking control myself.”

  He narrowed his eyes at me and then smiled at Madison, pulling her in for a hug. “I was in the neighborhood after I finished the newscast. Thought I’d stop by and say hi.”

  She pulled back with a grin. “Oh please. No one here buys that.” She shoved him playfully. “I’m way too old for a chaperone.”

  God, it was easy to like her. She didn’t take anyone’s shit and she had no problem speaking her mind. Her no-games approach would’ve been refreshing if I could be honest with her in return. But no, the big blond guy standing beside her was determined to keep her in the dark.

  Yes, he had good reasons, but I was betting Chandler had no idea Deidra Harlow owned Serenity Farms, either.

  Chandler took the stool beside her and ordered a beer. “Okay, so I wanted to make sure Cole was being good to my sister. Guilty.”

  I took a swallow of my beer and leaned forward to make eye contact. “Because I’m some kind of big bad wolf and she’s Little Red Riding Hood?”

  A muscle jumped in Chandler’s jaw, but he shook off my jab and focused on Madison. “I sent you a text with the address for the baby shower tomorrow. I can pick you up if you want to ride with us. It’s sort of remote.”

  Madison turned my way and hooked her arm with mine before facing her brother. “Actually, Cole offered to take me.”

  I did no such thing, but I wasn’t going to pass up a chance to stick it to Chandler for showing up here tonight. I snapped up a fry and nodded. “I’m picking her up at one o’clock.”

  She squeezed my bicep, warming my blood through my shirt. “So I think I’m all set for the shower tomorrow. Thanks for the offer, though.”

  Chandler opened his mouth to respond when the deejay called out, “Madison and Cole to the on-deck circle.”

  Madison grabbed my hand to tug me off my barstool, and from the depths of my soul, my wolf howled, clawing forward in my consciousness like a raving beast before I could tamp it down. My eyes dilated, blinding me for a second as I struggled to keep my balance.

  Holy fuck. I blinked, fighting to clear my vision. What the hell?

  I didn’t get time to process what was happening as Madison pulled me toward the lighted corner of the bar. My wolf…recognized her. This had to be a mistake. Maybe I wanted it to be true so I’d imagined it.

  When she stopped, I almost ran into her. She turned around, so close to me I could smell the Kahlúa on her breath, and I wanted to taste her lips so bad I could barely breathe. The full moon was still a week away, but my wolf was just beneath the surface, the animal instincts pushing me to claim my mate.

  Mate.

  Madison was my…

  I vaguely noticed the applause in the background, and she tugged me into the bright lights. I winced, shielding my eyes as we stopped in front of a television screen. She handed me a mic, and for the first time, she must’ve looked up at my face. And the shock must have been written all over me.

  “Are you okay? You don’t have to sing with me. I didn’t realize you really had stage fright. You can sit this one out.”

  I stared into the ocean of her eyes as the guitar strings plucked out the first notes. Without thinking about it, I lifted the mic to my lips and started to sing. The crowd didn’t exist as I asked her if she was happy in this modern world. Was there something she was searching for? I poured myself into the lyrics. I hadn’t realized until this moment that I really was longing for change.

  For her.

  God, her smile. I’d sing all night to see her smile.

  She lifted her mic and took the next verse. Her voice was clear and bright, but there was something beneath the surface. Passion. I couldn’t pull my gaze from her face. When she hit the chorus, she broke eye contact, facing the rest of the bar.

  I’d forgotten we were even in one.

  She was a superstar. I swallowed the lump in my throat before she turned to me again and we sang together. Our voices blended into a melody I never could have imagined—a union I never realized I wanted.

  We were miles from the shallow. I was sinking into deep emotions.

  And she had no idea.

  What the fuck was I going to do?

  CHAPTER 6

  Madison

  I loved singing karaoke. It fed a part of me that I couldn’t explain. I’d never been in choir in school and I hadn’t been in a play since elementary school, but there was a magic in belting out a song in front of an audience that I couldn’t find anywhere else. With karaoke, I could perform without any pressure because no one paid to see me. The energy exchange between me and the strangers in the room fed me. I poured emotions that I couldn’t articulate into my voice, and when they cheered and clapped, it filled an empty place inside my soul.

  But I’d never experienced anything like singing with Cole. His voice was rough and unpolished and heartbreakingly honest. He sang to me as if he meant every single word, but we’d only just met yesterday. I would’ve chalked it up to him being a good actor or a well-practiced flirt like the bartender, but there was nothing fake in his tone. I wasn’t sure what to do with the bare emotion he kindled within me.

  I searched his eyes as we sang about crashing through the surface, about falling, and all I saw was that honesty. This was real for him—maybe for both of us. It made no rational sense. We held the last note as the music faded, staring into each other’s eyes. The crowd started cheering and whistling, breaking the spell and reminding me where we were.

  For a few minutes, I’d forgotten my brother was at the bar, stewing over me ignoring his warning about Cole, and about my worries about Deidra spying on me at the ranch. For those few precious moments, nothing in the world existed except me, Cole, and the music.

  I blinked as the magic of the moment faded. We took a bow, and I walked out of the spotlight and returned the mic to the deejay.

  “You guys were great. You should sing another one,” the man said.

  Cole handed over his mic and patted the deejay’s shoulder. “I think I’m retired.”

  We returned to the bar, but everything seemed different somehow. The bartender and my brother both stared at us as though they’d never truly seen us before. I sat on my stool and popped a lukewarm fry into my mouth, suddenly feeling very self-conscious, like the entire bar had just witnessed an intimate moment I’d never intended to share.

  The bartender placed another Screaming Orgasm in front of me. “On the house. That was amazing. You sure you’re not a rock star?”

  “I’m not usually that good.” I shook my head with a sheepish smile. “I think Cole inspired me.”

  “It was all you.” He took a long swallow of his beer. “I was busy pretending I was in the shower.”

  But his eyes told me something else. There was a yearning in the way he looked at me, and it hinted at bond I didn’t understand. I pulled my gaze away, uncomfortable with the growing connection. I barely knew him. What was happening here?

  “Well…” Chandler looked between us and frowned. “I guess I’m going to head home. Just wanted you to know it’s no trouble for us to swing by and pick you up tomorrow.”

  “No.” Cole interrupted, grabbing my brother’s arm. “I’m happy to bring her.” His hazel eyes shifted over to me. “Unless you’d rather ride with Chandler and Wendy.”

  Seeing him giving me an out warmed me. Or maybe that was the booze. I’d lied about Cole offering to take me to the baby shower just to get under my brother’s skin for coming out to check up on me, but Cole had played along without hesitation. He had my back. And when I thought about it, I did want to go with him. I wanted to get to know him better.

  “No. I want to go with you.” I looked over at my brother. “See you tomorrow.”

  Chandler gave me a hug and then looked over at Cole and tipped his head toward the door. “Can we talk? Alone.”

  Cole’s hand brushed the small of my back as he leaned in closer. “I’ll be right back.”

  He glanced back at me as he followed my brother to the door, as if he needed to be sure I was still there, as if I was all that mattered. Had anyone ever looked at me like that before?

  I pushed the thought away. No. I’d decided years ago that there would be no falling in love for me unless it was going to be forever, and it was way too soon to know if this was infatuation or something more. I wasn’t going to surrender to my hormones.

  I finished my drink, the warmth spreading through my belly all the way up to my cheeks. I rested my hand on the opposite elbow and turned to stare at Cole’s back. He was tall, like Chandler, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, but Cole was rugged. His mussed brown hair was a little too long over his collar, his jaw dusted with a five-o’clock shadow, and his hands were rough, his skin tanned from working outside on the ranches.

  Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but parts of me were suddenly very willing to chuck forever aside for a night naked in this man’s arms. It didn’t have to be love. I wouldn’t be giving him my heart. But my body could enjoy those hands, that mouth, those lips…

  “Can I get you anything else?”

  The bartender snapped me out of my fantasy. I straightened and shook my head. “I better not. Water would be great, though.”