At first, it was a mad race, with everyone running everywhere to grab tags. Some of the more beta bachelor males didn’t look directly at Carol, but she had a sneaking suspicion they’d target her every bit as much as the ones who eyed her with a smile. That’s when Sam joined her, and she gave the bachelors a devious smile. She had a whole team of alpha male bodyguards to watch her back.

  Darien observed Lelandi, who was eyeing him with a challenge. But as soon as he ran for her, she darted to get a tag from one of the bachelor males who went after Carol. Carol forgot about Ryan, about Darien’s desire to have her mated, about the bachelor males’ interest in her. She forgot about the gathering tonight and about shifting. All she thought about was getting Darien’s red ribbon while he attempted to get Lelandi’s blue one.

  Close enough for her to hear, Jake chuckled and said to his younger brother, “Normally, no one but Lelandi would have the nerve to go after Darien’s tail. Except for you and me when the time is right.”

  Deep down, Carol wanted the pack leader’s ribbon, if only to prove he wasn’t as much in charge of her as he thought.

  She believed she was free to grab his tag when two men appeared in her peripheral vision, heading straight for her. They were not only protecting their teammate, but their pack leader, while also taking the chance to get her tag.

  Like a hefty football player, Sam tackled the one man, landing the guy flat on his back with an “oof.” Jake went in for the kill, so to speak, with the other guy. Smiling, Jake winked at Carol in the interim, which gave her the go-ahead to try for Darien’s tag again.

  Lelandi whipped around and danced in front of Darien, keeping him distracted as he tried to get her ribbon so Carol could snag Darien’s.

  By accident, Carol groped his buttock, her face heating with embarrassment. Then she went for the ribbon prize with one last-ditch effort. And came away with… air.

  * * *

  Leaning against one of the tables piled high with ribbons, his arms folded across his chest, Ryan McKinley watched Carol glide and shift and dodge the brutes who went after her, her whole body in motion like a swiftly twirling exotic dancer. Exquisite and mesmerizing. He couldn’t recall a time when he’d enjoyed watching a game this much. Normally he preferred playing. Spectator sports were not his thing.

  Carol, not any of the other women playing the game, was the one who captured his imagination. Her cute little ass wiggled in her tight jeans as she leapt back and forth, her hands outstretched and ready to grab Darien’s tag. Her agility, her quickness, and the laughter in her smile and eyes made her a pleasure to watch.

  Her eagerness to go after the real prize, when no one else would dare, made Ryan smile. Too bad he was here just to clear up the matter of this psychic business. Although the mystery business with the red in the woods the previous night was another situation he needed to clear up by letting Darien know about it, if he didn’t already.

  A man tried to reach Carol, shoving at Sam to get by him, and every muscle in Ryan’s body tightened. He fought against dashing out into the playing field to protect her. She already had such a force of bodyguards that she didn’t need him. And he didn’t want to dwell on why that bothered him.

  He hadn’t expected her to play the game so enthusiastically. More reserved, a non-participant, maybe. But not as a wildcat going for the gold. And that gold was Darien’s ribbon. She had nerve, or maybe she didn’t realize what taking on the male alpha leader meant. The fact that she doggedly went after him showed real strength of character. Ryan couldn’t help being impressed. Damned impressed.

  She ducked another man—an eligible bachelor, no doubt—and whipped around, stripping him of his ribbon instead. Already, she had three tucked in the front of her waistband, the vixen.

  Lelandi caught Ryan’s eye, raised her brow, and smiled. At least she wasn’t against his being here. Her gaze shifted to where Carol was maneuvering again around Darien’s backside.

  Silva suddenly noticed Ryan and shook her head. Then a tall man wearing barber’s quartet clothes attempted to approach Carol, but too many others blocked his path. The man danced around like a red-and-white barber’s pole, minus the blue stripe, as he tried to reach her.

  Jake saw Ryan, stopped playing the game, and stalked toward the outsider, his eyes narrowed and his jaw taut. Ryan figured Jake would tell him to leave. But instead, Jake joined him, leaned his backside against the table next to Ryan and then folded his arms.

  “What are you doing here?” Jake’s voice was dispassionate, which surprised Ryan, as if Jake had half expected Ryan to show up and didn’t care one way or another.

  But Ryan didn’t take Jake’s tone for complacency. All three of the brothers could easily be provoked if they thought any of their pack members’ welfare was in jeopardy.

  “I’m here to finish my report. Couple of details I wanted to clear up with Carol.”

  “Nothing more than that?” Jake sounded skeptical and turned his attention back to Carol. “I never expected her to be like this… so spirited. Or to enjoy herself so much. I’m glad to see it finally.”

  Surprised she’d been unhappy with the pack, considering how cheerful she looked, Ryan frowned. His first thought was that Darien’s pack members weren’t treating her well. He quickly reconsidered, thinking it might have to do with her having been so recently turned.

  “She’s not content with being one of us?”

  “She’s learning to adjust.”

  That didn’t bode well. When Jake didn’t say anything more about the matter, Ryan asked, “What are the problems?”

  “Everyone’s different in how they handle being turned. Some embrace the changes. Some don’t.”

  That didn’t settle the unease Ryan felt about the situation. “And she’s fighting it.”

  “You could say that.”

  Ryan had never considered that Carol might not like being a werewolf, nor that anyone would be unhappy with his or her newfound abilities. Quicker healing properties, the ability to see at night, and heightened senses of smell, sight, and hearing. Increased longevity. Wolf’s stamina. Of course, he’d been born a lupus garou, so it was hard imagining someone dealing with the changes overnight.

  He rubbed his chin and watched her further, seeing the way she really was getting into the game. From his observations of her, he couldn’t visualize her as a woman who was at odds with her werewolf half. She looked like she was having the time of her life. Even last night when she had hunted him down, she had to have appreciated her wolf’s nocturnal vision and enhanced sense of smell, which had helped her to locate him in the dark.

  Carol went after Darien’s ribbon again.

  Ryan smiled at the determination she exhibited and the way Darien appeared not to mind and even seemed amused. “I didn’t think Darien would look so pleased that she’d attempt to best him, even though he appears to be fighting against showing his feelings.”

  Jake laughed. “He wants to encourage her to be one of us. I believe if anyone else tried for his tag, other than Lelandi, you’d see some real aggression. Not that he’s making it easy for Carol, mind you. It’s not our way. If she grabs his tag, she’ll have to earn it. But it’s been difficult getting her to open up since she was turned. And Darien can’t help but be relieved.” He looked at Ryan. “Did you know that she hasn’t shape-shifted yet?”

  Ryan schooled his look of disbelief. “Someone who’s newly turned isn’t able to fight the change for that long. Maybe for a couple of weeks at most, plus the time period when the new moon is out and only royals can change. But five months? She must be shifting when no one’s around.”

  Jake shook his head and watched her again. “I don’t believe so.”

  “In her room at night, then?” Ryan asked. “You can’t be watching her 24-7.” He folded his arms. “She’s changing.” No way could a newly turned werewolf possess the inner strength to fight the moon’s strong pull for that long.

  Ryan watched the barber trying to skirt around Tom and a couple of other men on Carol’s team, but the man was unable to make any headway. She deserved someone better than a man who dressed as if he were still living in the past.

  Figuring he’d better address another concern that would interest Darien and his pack, Ryan said to Jake, “When I came by the house last night, I discovered a red wolf in the vicinity, male persuasion. He took off running west when he saw me. I tried to locate him to learn who he was and what he was doing in the area, but I lost track of him. Any relation of Lelandi’s? One of her old pack members who might be trouble?”

  Jake’s expression showed raw disbelief. “We didn’t catch wind of him. Just you. Trying to conjure up phantoms to explain your reason for skulking around the woods near the house last night?”

  “Research.” Ryan shrugged. “I like to tie up all loose ends before I close a case for good.”

  “Like?”

  Ryan gave him a small smile. “A matter Carol can clear up for me.”

  Jake nodded. “You don’t think she’s psychic. No matter how much we want to believe otherwise, she knew things that should be impossible to know. Trust me on that. I wasn’t sure I accepted her claims right away either, although Darien did. He was concerned that what she had envisioned could get herself and Lelandi killed.”

  “Everything can be explained scientifically. She overheard conversations, saw things she wasn’t meant to have seen. But not as a future vision.” Yet, what if she truly had envisioned what she said she had?

  “Have fun proving otherwise. So what happened with the red wolf? Lose him?” Jake’s voice dripped with cynicism.

  “Like you said, you couldn’t detect his smell. Too many of our kind are beginning to use hunter scents to prevent detection. Which can mean only one thing— he’s up to no good.”

  “Not like you, eh?”

  Ryan smiled broadly and straightened a bit. “Finding the bad guys is my business, whether they’re cheating on their spouses—humans mainly, of course—or perpetuating insurance fraud or some other socially unacceptable deed. It’s my job to expose them. I do happen to be one of the good guys.”

  “Come on, McKinley. Don’t tell me you’re not intrigued by the unmated red. She’s unique, interesting, and easy on the eyes. But you’ll never score with her if you don’t believe in her abilities.”

  She was a hell of a lot more than easy on the eyes, and Ryan couldn’t understand why Jake wasn’t interested in having her for a mate. Unless he didn’t want to deal with a woman who supposedly had second sight.

  “So tell me the truth. What’s keeping you from pursuing her?” Ryan asked.

  Jake gave a sly smile.

  What the hell did that mean?

  Chapter 5

  ON THE PLAYING FIELD, ANOTHER BRUISER OF A GUY ON Darien’s team lunged after Carol with a wicked gleam in his eye as she again tried for Darien’s tag. Perseverance had always been a way of life for her. Target what you want, and get it. Although getting a job at the hospital meant becoming a werewolf first, which wasn’t quite what she’d thought she’d have to go through.

  Sam was on his feet, intent on tackling the new threat to her, when Silva distracted him. Smiling, dodging around him, she tried to grab Sam’s ribbon. The bartender grinned at her, but instead of attempting to get her ribbon, he mounted a full frontal assault and tackled Silva in a sexy way. Pinning her to the ground with his body, he nestled between her legs. Forget the tags. Their lips locked together, and they were busy with a new form of entertainment.

  Carol sighed. One guard down. And what a way to go.

  She lunged for Darien’s ribbon. Her fingers latched onto the slip of silk. She tugged, sheer elation boosting her mood, and pulled the tag free.

  In the same instant, Darien jerked Lelandi’s ribbon off and tucked it into his belt with a satisfied wink at Lelandi, who smiled back at him and shook her head.

  The whole crowd of players—and the older lupus garous cheering on the sidelines—ceased speaking and laughing and stood in shocked silence.

  Carol grinned and, in triumph, raised Darien’s tag, which fluttered in the breeze like a proud flag of honor. “Got one!”

  But not just anyone’s.

  Darien gave her a small smile, looking pleased instead of annoyed that she’d managed to swipe his ribbon. That minor acknowledgment made her feel as though she was standing ten stories high. That, for an instant, he truly accepted her. And that meant everyone else would also. She hoped.

  Everyone began clapping and cheering.

  Darien fondly patted Lelandi’s ribbon in his belt, but then without warning, he dodged after Jake’s ribbon first. His brother, already eyeing him warily, bolted away from him in time, and Darien headed for Tom with an evil glint in his eye, aggressively, no holds barred this time. Carol figured he was leaving her for the bachelor males instead of retaliating and taking her tag.

  She went back to protecting her tail and targeting the guys who were out to get her, never having had so much fun in her life.

  Six tags so far, and…

  Bang! She was hit, shoved onto her back, taken down by…the red-and-white-striped fiend from her vision. Mervin, the barber?

  He smelled of heavy hair tonics and sweat. She moaned, just thinking what being mated to him would be like. He was the only man in town who wore a costume year-round—a barber quartet type of affair, complete with bowtie, red-and-white-striped sports coat, and dark pants, even for playing a rough-and-tumble game such as this. At some time or another during the game, he’d lost his white straw hat.

  At least while he had her pinned on her back, he couldn’t get to her tail. But then he wasn’t trying very hard to get it either, she belatedly realized. Keeping her pinned beneath him, he seemed to be enjoying another sport just fine.

  She squirmed, trying to unsettle him, but her actions only brought a smile to Mervin’s thin lips. His pale yellow eyes smiled just as brightly. Great.

  Without warning, Mervin flew aside, his eyes wide and mouth gaping. Her rescuer, Ryan McKinley, crouched next to her and rested his hand lightly on her shoulder, his brows knit in a deep frown, his eyes dark as a stormy night.

  “Are you okay?”

  The entire playing field grew silent again, and her heart pounded in panic.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” she whispered. “They’ve been looking for you.”

  “Carol’s fine,” Darien said, his voice terse as he drew close.

  Darien offered his hand to help her to stand. She grabbed Ryan’s knee instead and started to help herself up. Ryan quickly seized her hand and pulled her to her feet, keeping her close by his side in a protective mode, the heat of his body warming hers, his fingers still holding onto hers in a possessive way.

  But she was more concerned about protecting him!

  Darien gave Ryan a dark look, but not in the least bit cowed, Ryan squeezed Carol’s hand reassuringly and tossed a sly smile to Darien. “Good game.”

  Lelandi quickly stepped forward and waved a handful of ribbons. “Blue team won!”

  Still, everyone waited for Darien to respond, either concerning the game or Ryan, or both. Darien looked at one of his men, who lifted their team’s captured ties, minus Lelandi’s that Darien still had tucked proudly in his belt. His team was definitely short a few.

  Darien gave Lelandi an evil smile. “Lelandi’s team won. Let’s eat!” He wrapped his arm around her waist, offered Ryan a warning look, and then nodded to Tom and headed for the house.

  Carol breathed a tentative sigh of relief. As uptight as everyone was when waiting to see how their pack leader dealt with issues, she couldn’t shake loose of the tension tightening her chest. She figured that the pressure wouldn’t go away until Ryan left the area for good.

  Taking his brother’s cue, Tom approached Ryan. “What are you doing here?”

  “Don’t any of you talk to each other?” Ryan moved his hand to Carol’s back and stroked it once in a reassuring way. “I told Jake I wished to speak to Carol about a matter concerning the murder investigation.”

  Tom’s eyes widened a little. “Why? The case was solved. All guilty parties were held accountable.”

  “Just a couple of questions concerning… investigative techniques.”

  Carol’s heart sank. That was what this was all about? Or was Ryan just saying so as a cover? He still stood next to her in protective wolf mode, their bodies lightly touching, the heat curling through her. He sure seemed to want something more of her than to question her.

  “Why were you here last night, skulking around?” Tom asked.

  Ryan didn’t say anything, which made Carol wonder again if he had an agenda he didn’t wish to discuss with anyone else.

  Tom cocked his head to the side, gave Ryan a look that said he didn’t trust him, and then gave a short nod. “All right, ask your questions of her.”

  “Privately.”

  Frowning, Tom hesitated. Then he motioned to the side of the house. “Over there. That’s as private as it’s going to get.”

  People were milling about, most likely interested in what Tom was going to do to Ryan, or what Ryan had in mind to do with Carol. Most of the onlookers were bachelor males, including one particularly sore-looking barber, who was brushing at yellow-green grass stains on his red-and-white-striped coat.

  Ryan took Carol’s arm and led her to the side of the house. His touch was gentle, caring, and protective, and every time he got close, a spark of interest seemed to ignite between them. She looked up at him, expecting… well, hoping he wanted to see more of her. Date her or court her, or whatever werewolves did before they decided they were the right ones for each other and mated for a lifetime. Not that she was ready for a long-term commitment, but a couple of dates would be nice, just to see if he was even her type.