“Ohmigod, real red wolves?” a woman said.

  Good news or bad? Maverick hoped she was just excited to see them.

  “Can I get a picture with one?” the same woman asked.

  “Sure, you can have a picture with one. We’ve raised them from pups, and they love the reindeer and people just as much,” Maverick said.

  And that was it. Suddenly, they were swarmed with people wanting to pet, hug, and take pictures with the wolves. Gina was their marketing genius.

  Not only that, but Andy and April had to see what all the commotion was about and came to check it out.

  “Real wolves?” Andy asked.

  “Yep, they sure are. Rare red wolves,” Maverick said. “We raised them from pups.”

  “As a zoologist, I can confirm they’re truly red wolves,” Gina said. “There are more than 200 captive-bred red wolves, known as Canis rufus, across the country. And these are two of them. But red wolves are currently critically endangered.”

  Maverick was glad Gina was well-versed in them already. “Red wolves had lived in the wild in Louisiana and Texas, and some have been reintroduced in the wild in North Carolina. Though they’ve also discovered some on Galveston Island in Texas more recently. They have a rangy, loping stride and are mostly tawny to even a rusty shade of red, silver-gray forehead, reddish snout, the underside more cream-colored, white or cream-colored legs, with cream-colored underbellies. And all of them vary in coloration and markings. So if you study them, you can see the difference between them. Besides personality. All wolves have their own personalities and temperaments—”

  “Like dogs,” someone said helpfully.

  Maverick smiled. They didn’t like to be compared to dogs because wolves took a mate for life; dogs did not. “Wolves mate for life, unlike dogs.”

  Then one of the Calypso elves came over to see why they no longer had any business at their display and ended up sitting between Brooke and Josh to get her picture taken with the wolves.

  After about an hour of nonstop business, to Maverick’s further surprise, a zoologist they affectionately called Zooman Thompson showed up. He knew about the red lupus garou pack, having years ago captured both Cassie and Leidolf and put them in the zoo. Until he learned they were not all wolf. Cassie had even become his wolf expert advisor to tell him when the wolf wasn’t all wolf so he wouldn’t make that mistake again. He even knew about jaguar shifters, but Maverick would explain that to Gina later.

  Normally, they would have turned Thompson, since he loved wolves, but he had a wife and he had adopted her boy and girl, and Leidolf and Cassie hadn’t wanted to turn all of them because they felt Thompson was an acceptable risk. Rarely did they allow a human to know about them like that and not either turn or eliminate him.

  “Thompson,” Gina said, sounding a little concerned.

  Maverick realized then she must know him from working with him at the zoo, but she wouldn’t know he knew about them being lupus garous. “I guess the two of you know each other.”

  “Uh, yeah,” Thompson said, eyeing Gina as if he was trying to learn if she was a wolf shifter too.

  “She’s with us,” Maverick said, and to Gina, “He knows.”

  Her eyes widened as much as Thompson’s.

  “It was on purpose?” Thompson asked. “Or has Gina always been one and I just didn’t know it?”

  “By accident,” Maverick said and explained about falling through the ice. He didn’t mention he was a wolf when it happened. He didn’t need to.

  “I’m happy about it,” she quickly said. “I mean, I was shocked and am still getting used to some of it, but studying animals now is so much better. I can sense so many more details than before.”

  Thompson nodded. “I can imagine that. That would be one reason I’d want to be one, except for my wife and kids. I just didn’t want to uproot them from their friends. I just had to drop by and see the wolves. Looking healthy as ever. Do you mind if I get a picture with them?” He fished out his credit card. “Since this goes to a good cause.”

  “Sure,” Maverick said.

  And then Randall took pictures of Thompson and the wolves, the first time ever that Thompson had been able to have his picture taken with them. He looked thrilled.

  Once Thompson was done, he rose to his feet and glanced at the Calypso setup. “Looks like you have some competition.”

  “They’re trying to steal our customers again.”

  Thompson smiled. “So you upped the ante with red wolves.”

  “We had to do something,” Maverick said. “Gina thought of it.”

  “You won’t meet a better bunch of wolves,” Thompson told her. “I’ve got to go. Keep in touch, Gina.”

  “I will.”

  Maverick was glad Gina could still consult with another zoologist, one whom she knew and who understood what she was and the trouble with being newly turned.

  Then two different news media reporters showed up. Maverick hadn’t expected that. He should have consulted Leidolf and Cassie about this first. They tried not to be in the limelight, well, mostly in the wild because there weren’t any red wolves in Oregon in the wild. But he realized this could cause some blowback if people wanted to see the wolves at the reindeer ranch. Of course, he could always say they weren’t on display there and they wanted to keep it that way.

  Maverick texted a couple more ranch hands to help them pack things up. Normally, it would just take the two of them. But with so many people wanting to see the wolves still, they needed more help.

  Before it was time to pack it up and leave, another pickup arrived with three more ranch hands to pitch in to help out.

  So many people were hanging around to see the wolves that Gina took over picture taking while Randall and two other ranch hands secured the reindeer in the trailer. Maverick and the other ranch hand began taking down the Christmas decorations and packing them up. Everyone but Gina helped haul off the sections of the corral to the trailer.

  The Calypso reindeer staff had already packed up and were just leaving the parking lot, but Gina was still happily taking photos of kids and families and adults with the wolves.

  “Can you handle the rest?” Randall asked Maverick, once they’d packed up everything to do with the reindeer.

  “Yeah, if you’ll take the reindeer home and feed them, Gina and I will bring the wolves home in a bit in Josh’s pickup.”

  “Okay, see you in a little while,” Randall said, and then he and the other men headed for the two pickups.

  The ranch hands left in the two trucks, one pulling the trailer, and Maverick finally thanked everyone who was still hanging around to get close to the wolves. “We really need to get the wolves home to feed them.”

  That convinced everyone that the wolves probably needed to be fed before they lost their cool.

  Then everyone parted so he and Gina could leave with the wolves. He opened Josh’s truck’s door to the cab, let Brooke and Josh into the back seat, and then closed the door.

  Gina climbed into the passenger seat in front, and Maverick drove back to the ranch. Once on the road, Josh and Brooke shifted and began to dress, the side windows darkly tinted just for that purpose.

  “The two of you were so cute,” Gina said. “I was so afraid the kids would maul you—I mean, some did a little. I bet their parents worried you’d be dangerous, but you both were the greatest ambassadors for red wolves of all time.”

  Before Brooke or Josh could respond, Maverick got a call on Bluetooth from Leidolf. “Sorry about not asking you and Cassie if it was okay for Brooke and Josh to be wolves at the reindeer exhibit.”

  “It was our fault,” Josh said. “Brooke and I turned up in our wolf coats, and Maverick didn’t have any choice.”

  As if they couldn’t have just changed back into their human forms instead.

  “What are you going to do if anyone ends up at the reindeer ranch to see the wolves? It’s bound to happen, you know,” Leidolf said.

  “We’ll tell them they’re not on display,” Maverick said.

  “It’s on the news.”

  “Uh, yeah,” Maverick said. “And the radio talk show host came out to see us and will talk about it on his show tonight. Zooman Thompson even dropped by, and he knows Gina, so we gave him a heads-up on that situation.”

  “Okay, well, I guess you are still having trouble with the Calypso Reindeer Ranch staff.”

  “We are,” Maverick said.

  “From seeing the crowds gathered around your exhibit, it looked like you were having a sellout show.”

  Maverick smiled. “We did, and the money we took in for sales of photos with the wolves will be donated to red wolf preservation.”

  “Good job. That’s what we’re all about. Preserving our own kind but also doing what we can to help our wild cousins. Carry on.”

  “Thanks, Leidolf.”

  “Oh, and Cassie wholeheartedly approved. She’s taking one of our wolves on her next lecture tour. Seeing the wolves in person has more of an impact. I’ll let you go.”

  Then they ended the call.

  Brooke laughed. “I figured afterward we should have asked them if it was okay. But they’re good pack leaders and fair-minded. We just got so caught up in the notion of upstaging the Calypso bunch, we didn’t think of calling Leidolf or Cassie first.”

  “I guess you have to always do that?” Gina sounded a little concerned.

  “Only if it could impact on our pack,” Josh said, “and only if it’s something we have some control over. When Maverick knew you were turned, he had to tell Leidolf and Cassie right away.”

  “Will you have lunch with us?” Maverick asked.

  “Yes,” Brooke said. “After all that, I’m ready to chill and have someone else prepare lunch.”

  Josh laughed. “I’ll assist with anything you need help with.”

  When they arrived home, Maverick pulled out some steaks. “How about steaks, mashed potatoes, and green beans?”

  “That sounds great,” Brooke said. “You guys can grill the steaks, and Gina and I can make the veggies.”

  Maverick smiled, knowing Brooke had to always be helping out.

  “You know this means you have to make a really cool sign for showing off the wolves if we do this in the future, Maverick,” Brooke said as she and Gina got to work peeling potatoes.

  “Yeah, that was my very thought when I hung up the sign you made. It was perfect for the situation at hand, but to match our branding, I’ll make one.”

  “What about having people see the wolves at the ranch?” Josh said.

  “I guess we could have a special showing, maybe like during Halloween,” Maverick said.

  “Oh, I would so go for that,” Brooke said. “But we have our big pack Halloween party then.”

  “Then next year, the Saturday night before Halloween we could have a wolf viewing,” Maverick said. “Let’s go get the grill started.”

  ***

  Gina had already started the water boiling for the potatoes. “I’d love to be part of the Halloween fun at the ranch.”

  “Yeah, I think it could be a lot of fun. Dress up the reindeer stables in Halloween decorations, orange, black, and purple lights.” Brooke placed the green beans in a frying pan and added a little olive oil and seasonings.

  “And we could make hats and capes for the reindeer,” Gina suggested.

  “Oh, I like that idea. I’m so glad you are part of the pack. And Maverick adores you, if you didn’t know it. He has dated before, but I’ve never seen him with a she-wolf he loves being with like he does you.”

  “I’m afraid he might have bitten off more than he could chew though. I went for a run as a wolf last night.”

  “Controlling the shifting is more difficult in the beginning, but Maverick is up for it,” Brooke assured her.

  “I shifted in my sleep.”

  Brooke finished sautéing the green beans and glanced sharply at Gina.

  “I sometimes sleepwalk, though I didn’t remember I had.”

  “Were you okay?”

  “Yeah, Maverick was there every step of the way, and Randall came with my clothes in a Jeep in case I shifted back.”

  “At least Maverick knew what was going on and probably was afraid to wake you when you were sleepwalking.”

  Gina smiled at her as she drained water from the saucepan, added milk and butter to the potatoes, and mashed them. “He was clueless.”

  Brooke laughed. “Precious.”

  Gina really liked Brooke and thought she’d be a fun sister-in-law if she ended up mating Maverick. “Oh, and if Maverick hasn’t mentioned it yet, he said all of us could have Christmas together, my parents and brother too, if that’s okay with the two of you. I don’t want to impose on any of you at all.”

  “Oh, no, that would be wonderful. We’ll have a blast, and we always have so much food that it will work out great.”

  Gina was glad she’d asked, but then she got a call from her brother while Brooke finished up the vegetable dishes and put them on the table. “Yeah, Weston?”

  “We have a problem.”

  Chapter 14

  Gina knew from the tone of Weston’s voice that he was really concerned about something. She was going to get Maverick so he could listen in on the conversation, but he and Josh walked inside carrying the steaks on a platter just then. “Weston’s on the phone.” She was frowning, and Maverick looked like he understood at once there was a problem.

  “Can you put it on speakerphone?” Maverick asked as he set the platter of steaks on the table.

  Gina nodded. “I’m putting this on speakerphone, Weston. Go ahead.”

  “They saw the news about the red wolves at the reindeer exhibit. Bromley and Patterson. They called me and said that either Maverick and you were lying to the news reporters about the wolves being real wolves or Maverick had lied to us about them being wolf dogs on the hike. In any case, when they watched how the wolves were so doglike while they interacted with the visitors to your exhibit, they were sure they truly were wolf dogs, or werewolves, like we had suspected,” Weston said.

  “Okay, um,” Gina said, not sure how to handle this.

  “How about you have them meet you at your place tonight?” Maverick said to Weston. “They shouldn’t feel threatened there.”

  “All right, then what?”

  “We’ll be there for you,” Brooke said. “This is Brooke speaking.”

  “Yeah, this is Josh. Both of us will.”

  “Me too,” Gina said.

  “I will also,” Maverick said.

  Weston didn’t say anything for a moment.

  “What, Weston? Are you afraid of having them turned?” Gina asked.

  “Of how they might react. You and I didn’t go ballistic over it. At least I was at Maverick’s ranch when he turned me. What if the guys scream out in terror, try to flee, or do flee my apartment? What if the neighbors overhear the screams? What if they tell others that wolves bit them? That werewolves bit them?”

  “No one will believe werewolves bit them,” Gina said. “Well, except for Thompson, the zoologist I know.”

  “He’s one too?”

  “No, he isn’t. But he’s a rare exception to knowing and not telling,” Maverick said.

  Weston cleared his throat. “Okay, yeah, Bromley and Patterson wouldn’t keep quiet about it. Not at first, I don’t think. Not until they figured out what was at stake.”

  “How do you think Patterson and Bromley would feel about being turned?” Gina asked her brother.

  “Cheated,” Weston said.

  “Cheated?”

  “Yeah. They wanted to be famous for finding the werewolves. I don’t think they’d like the idea of becoming one of them and having to keep the secret,” Weston said.

  “Okay. I can see that, but can you end your friendship with them like Sarge had done with us?” Gina asked.

  “No. We thought he was dead. They’d know I’m here, and they’ll know something is wrong with this whole situation.”

  “So we have to turn them,” Gina said.

  “Maverick will,” Weston said.

  “Others are royals.” Gina didn’t want Maverick to have to turn the whole lot of them. Especially if it caused so many issues and he felt responsible for it, more than he already did because he’d turned her.

  “Okay, others can. Leidolf maybe. He turned Sarge, though Sarge told me Leidolf scared the crap out of him, but that was because Sarge’s friends had taken werewolves hostage,” Weston said.

  She noted for the first time Weston hadn’t called the other Dark Angels his own friends. After she had learned they had killed a couple of supposed werewolves, she had wanted to distance herself from them too.

  “Maybe at the New Year’s Eve party,” Weston said.

  “No. They might bring dates,” Gina said. “And if you said no dates, they’d probably be suspicious.”

  “Oh, yeah, you’re right.”

  “Do you think they would come to our reindeer ranch?” Maverick asked.

  “I don’t know, but I think it would be safer there than at my place.”

  “If you want, we could make dinner for all of us and tell them I’ll show them the wolves. Since they saw the wolves in the news, they could see they were perfectly harmless or they wouldn’t be out in public, serving as ambassador wolves. We could tell them there’s no way we would expose some of the red wolves if they were werewolves,” Maverick said. “At least they might consider that notion.”

  “I don’t know if they’ll buy it, but we can try,” Weston said. “The only problem I see is that they might think I’ve been turned, and they won’t trust me. If they did spread the word about us being werewolves, some others who believe in them might come to call.”