“But he quickly took Pamela from the woman’s arms, and then he turned and ran as fast as he could to the cabin. Pamela wanted to see the woman, but she was behind the man. Pamela thought the woman had to have turned back into a wolf. When they arrived at the cabin, Pamela didn’t see the wolf again. But sometime later, she heard the woman making hot soup in the kitchen, telling her everything would be all right. The cabin looked normal, no wolf decorations or photos or wolf beds lying around. She did notice that the door had a large doggy door, which Pamela suspected was for wolves, not dogs. She never saw any sign of dogs. So that was the story she had to tell, and I had to listen and assure her everything was all right.”

  Max was feeling like they just needed to turn Pamela. He couldn’t imagine anything worse than knowing about the wolves and having to be quiet about them her whole life. Yet she seemed to have respected Becky’s mother for what she had done. Would Pamela feel the same if they turned her? Would she want to be? Would she be happy being one of them?

  He doubted she would know the answer to the question until she was one for a time and could process how it felt. She would have problems with wanting to shift during the week of the full moon. She couldn’t shift during the new moon.

  Then he wondered how Becky was getting along with Pamela while she was having lunch with her.

  He was enjoying the meal Carol had prepared, but he wished he could have had lunch alone with Becky. In fact, he was feeling like that all the time. Like during their breaks from work, for any reason—meals, the end of the workday—he wanted to spend time with her. It was as if the lovebug had bitten him hard and he didn’t want the feeling to go away.

  In the middle of the lunch, Becky called him. “Hey, I hope I’m not interrupting your lunch or anything, but Pamela had an emergency board meeting to go to. I need to meet her there and I’m driving over as we speak.”

  “Thanks, Becky, I’ll let everyone know. She told Christopher when they were kids that she also met your father when your mom was carrying her home. She didn’t mention him in the report. He was in his human form. So just something else you should know.”

  “Okay. I’m thinking Christopher, if he still really loves her, should turn her. But only if she really wants to be one of us and loves him back. If not—which means we need to know how she feels about him before we tell her he’s a wolf—then I think we need to rethink things.”

  “How do you feel about keeping your job there?”

  “I’m staying here as long as I can.”

  “Tell Pamela I’ve found Christopher and talked to him. If she would like, he could join us tonight for dinner with her, or if she prefers, she could have dinner with him alone.” And then Max would wish he could be a fly on the wall.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to talk to her over dinner first?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure. I think the best thing to happen is that we get them together now. If he doesn’t want to be with her, or she doesn’t want to see him further, or if they’re free to date now and they can see how things work out between them, it’s for the better.”

  “What about us? If you’ve closed your assignment, you won’t have any need to come out here.” She sounded serious.

  “Are you kidding? I just found you on a blind date, and I’m losing you now? Just because the mission might be accomplished, we won’t know that for sure until we see if things work out between them. But for sure, I’m telling my coworkers I’m busy seeing a she-wolf every chance I get.”

  She sighed. “Good. Because I didn’t want to have to quit this job so I could see more of you.”

  He chuckled. “We’ll be together. And if things work out between Christopher and her, she’s going to be busy too. Though that might be more work for you, come to think of it.”

  “As long as we can spend time together, I’m game. I’ll talk to her after her emergency meeting.”

  “Okay, you have a deal. Just let me know if Christopher is coming or if we’re going to have the night off instead. I’ll bring something for us to eat if we’re not eating dinner with Pamela tonight.”

  “All right. Sounds good. After the meeting is through, I’ll call you.” Then Becky ended the call.

  Chapter 9

  After the meeting was finished, Becky had several business calls to make, but she said to Pamela, “Max called me with good news. Christopher lives in Green Valley, and if you want, we can make arrangements for him to have dinner with you, with or without us present.”

  Pamela’s eyes filled with tears. Becky probably shouldn’t have done it because she had a professional employer-employee image to keep up, but she gave her a hug. “It’s up to you. Max and I are happy to do whatever you want.”

  Pamela chewed on her bottom lip. “Come to dinner, all three of you. We planned it already, and Christopher will be just another dinner guest. Since Max is an investigator, I want to know his professional opinion about Christopher’s responses to my questions tonight.”

  “Okay, sure, thanks. I’ll let Max know and he can get in touch with Christopher, if you would like. Or you can if you would rather.”

  “No, I have too much to do. Max can let him know. It’s his case, after all.”

  Becky smiled. “Sure. I’ll see you at the house.” She thought Pamela really wanted to call Christopher herself but was afraid to get too emotional over it. Becky hoped she would be fine at dinner. Pamela could put on the most serious of expressions no matter what was going on in her life, but Becky wasn’t sure she could when it came to matters of the heart.

  Becky called Max. “We’re all on. Tell Christopher he’s also invited. Six sharp.”

  “I think he’s kind of nervous about seeing her.”

  “I think she’s feeling the same way about him, or she would have called him herself. I’ve never seen her like this before. I’m sure she still feels something for him. Oh, and why don’t you bring an overnight bag. You can spend the night and we’ll watch movies, run as wolves, whatever our hearts desire.” She always asked and he always said yes.

  “You’re on.” Max sounded thrilled.

  Then she ended the call and drove back to the house. She was excited about having Max stay over, but she was still concerned about what would be said between Pamela and Christopher. Part of her wanted to be there to support Pamela, but part of her wanted to leave the couple alone so they could really get to know each other again and she and Max could do the same. She was hoping they could run as wolves tonight—as long as they didn’t run into that blasted cougar again.

  Becky thought that Pamela was doing a flurry of business, more so than usual, as if she was afraid to think about dinner tonight. Becky wanted to go home and straighten up her place a bit more, though she had cleaned up pretty well. So many things were left up in the air.

  * * *

  That evening, Becky got together with Pamela before Max and Christopher could arrive, running a bit late, and she seemed to be nervous. But Becky wondered if it was about the business with the wolves or it had all to do with Christopher.

  She was helping Pamela to set up things for dinner. Sure, the chef made the beef Wellington, and the kitchen staff served the meal, but Pamela was in such a state, wanting everything to be perfect.

  “Was Christopher really in Europe?” she finally said to Becky, after readjusting the fresh roses on the side table for the fifteenth time.

  “Yes, ma’am. He just started working as a librarian in Green Valley.”

  Pamela immediately had her phone out and was looking up the library to see if he was pictured as part of the staff. She frowned at first, which Becky took as a bad sign, but then smiled. “He doesn’t look much different from the last time I saw him. I wonder why he told me he was an investment counselor.” She readjusted the silverware again, so they were completely uniform as they sat on the placemats.

  “I think he was. But now, maybe he doesn’t believe being a librarian would live up to your expectations. Not that it wouldn’t, but you know how men can be. Especially since you’re so successful.”

  “Libraries are important. Librarians are just as important. When I was a girl, I often went to the library. Sure, my parents could afford any book I wanted, but I just loved the children’s programs and reading so many different stories, some of which I wouldn’t have wanted my parents to know about.”

  Becky smiled. “Oh?”

  “Yes, I read a lot of romance books when I was a teen. My mother…and my father would have frowned on it. It was just silly fluff to them, when I needed to learn all about the business. But we have to have time to enjoy other worlds and, well, I have to admit I ended up reading quite a few shifter stories. I couldn’t help it. I just fell in love with them.”

  The butler announced that Max Browning and Christopher Anderson had arrived.

  Pamela’s eyes misted when she saw Christopher, and Becky saw the slight curve of his lips as if he was thrilled to see her but didn’t want to overreact in front of Becky and Max. Again, she wondered if they should have had dinner alone tonight.

  Normally, Pamela would meet guests in the great room, but this time she had them ushered straight to the dining room. She showed them the seats they were to take, and then once they were seated, the salads and wine and bread were served.

  “Becky tells me you’re a librarian, Christopher.”

  “Uh, yes, Pamela. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I only just got the job.”

  “And the part about being an investment banker?”

  He snorted and buttered a slice of bread. “The broker I worked for was picked up by the feds for not paying his own taxes. I was disillusioned by some of the illegal things that were being done, and I just wanted to do something else. I didn’t tell you I’d switched occupations because I didn’t think you would approve.”

  “Are you happy?”

  “It’s a decent job. I was in Europe on business, but once I quit that job, that was the end of Europe for me.”

  Max was quiet, letting Christopher and Pamela do all the talking. He winked at Becky. She felt her face flush with heat. He was no doubt thinking about tonight.

  “I’ve wanted to see you,” Christopher said.

  “You wouldn’t tell me you were close by. I had to hire Max to locate you.”

  “I’ve been only working for three days at the library.” Christopher let out his breath. “I just didn’t know how to break it to you that I was close by and was afraid to meet with you.”

  “I…” Pamela smiled. “I’m so glad to see you. I was about to give up on you.”

  The beef Wellington was served and then Pamela gave the staff the rest of the night off.

  “I have something to confess,” Christopher said.

  Pamela’s face fell.

  “You know when you told me about the woman rescuing you in the pond when you were six? You said she was a wolf?”

  Pamela glanced at Becky. Becky remained quiet, not sure where this was going.

  “Yes. I know it was silly of me,” Pamela finally said.

  “It wasn’t. I’ve seen them too.”

  Pamela’s eyes rounded.

  “I guess you know that Becky is one.”

  Pamela looked at Becky as if she was seeing her in a new way. “Uh, I figured she was, but I was afraid I’d said too much already.”

  “Max is too, but you knew that also, didn’t you?”

  Her gaze shifted to Max. “Yes. I suspected that might be the case when I had read all about the happenings in Green Valley with the hunters claiming they had shot at wolves and they turned out to be people. How…did you piece it all together like I did? I mean, after I told you about Becky’s mother being one. Wait, how did you know Becky is one?”

  “I’m one also,” Christopher said.

  Pamela’s face lost all its color.

  Chapter 10

  Becky wasn’t sure Pamela was ready for the news that Christopher was a wolf too. That Pamela knew everyone else was seemed fine. She’d known about it for a while. She had come to grips with it. But with Christopher, he had been her boyfriend. And she seemed to still care deeply for him.

  “That’s why I stuck up for you in school. That’s why I wanted to protect you from the others who were giving you such grief. I was one, am one, and I knew you were telling the truth. I knew that they existed—” Christopher said.

  “Because you’re one.” Pamela said the words in almost a hush, like she wasn’t sure she should speak the truth out loud now. Not when she was among all wolves and they all knew she knew about them. “So what happens now?”

  “It’s totally up to you, Pamela,” Christopher said. “I’ve loved you from the day I first met you, even as a young boy, because you had loved the wolf who had saved you. Over the years, I wanted to turn you, but I couldn’t. I innately knew it was wrong. It went against everything we believe in, I figured.”

  “You could turn me?”

  “Yes, but while your parents were alive, no. I learned so much from a guy I met in college who was a wolf, and he was surprised I didn’t know all this stuff, until I told him my biological wolf parents had died when I was two and I’d been raised by humans. That’s when I learned that most wolf kids homeschooled and all the rest of the stuff I should have learned while growing up. If you are turned, you would have trouble shifting without a choice during the full moon. During the new moon, you couldn’t shift at all. I’m what is known as a royal. I can shift anytime I want because I have few human roots mixed up with the lupus garou roots.”

  “Lupus garou?”

  “That’s what we call ourselves, or wolf shifters.”

  “Oh.”

  “I wasn’t part of the Green Valley wolf pack, but now I am. I guess what I’m asking is can you continue to keep a secret?” Christopher asked.

  “Or be bitten and become one of you?” she asked.

  Becky was trying to see where her employer was coming from. Yes, she wanted to be turned? No, what a horrible idea? She didn’t know which it was. She felt bad for Christopher who’d had to hide what he was all those years growing up too.

  “If it’s something you think you can live with. We live longer than normal human lives,” Christopher said.

  Pamela’s lips parted. Who wouldn’t want more longevity?

  “But—” she said.

  “We mate for life. For all time, unless we lose our mate and then we can mate again, but no divorce.”

  “I–I realized telling Becky about the wolves had been a mistake if I found you and wanted to be with you and didn’t want to get you involved in what I suspected. But…well, you’re one too. So what do we do now?” Pamela asked.

  “I hate to say it, but normally if someone has seen us shift, we have to turn them or eliminate them. We can’t hope that they would refrain from telling anyone else about it,” Max said.

  “Just think of your former maid who was selling stories to the tabloids. What if she had known all about it? It would be the perfect story to sell, only once the press learned it was real, they would have been all over it,” Becky said.

  “So what does that mean for me? I could have just continued on, knowing but not saying anything. You know how well that worked out when I was a young girl. No one believed me,” Pamela said.

  “Well, that means that you need to be turned,” Christopher said matter-of-factly. As if she had no choice in the matter, and nobody was going to do anything differently.

  She arched a brow, he smiled, and the smile was devilishly wolfish.

  “I would turn you. I could bite you, or we could do a nonbiting method. I have to tell you that we heal twice as fast as humans,” Christopher said.

  “Okay, but what about my staff? They’re not all wolves.”

  “That would be an issue,” Max said. “If they’re wolves, everyone could watch out for you. But if they’re not, you’re putting yourself and others at risk.”

  “You could give them huge severance packages, enough to make it worth their while, and generous recommendations for new jobs for their service to you. You wouldn’t have to explain why you can’t keep them on unless you want to make up a story,” Christopher said.

  “Do you have any knowledge about investments? Really?” Pamela asked.

  “I do. I was just unhappy with the crooks I was working for.”

  “Then you’re hired. Will you stay with me, Becky?” Pamela asked.

  “Absolutely. I love working for you.”

  “Good. I would be devastated if you left my employ. Max, I would love to hire you on as my personal security advisor and private investigator. You can tell me who in your pack—that you belong to, right?—might be able to fill my other household staff positions—wolf only, of course. Would that be acceptable? You and Becky, if things are working out for you, could have the house she lives in now as a home of your own.”

  “I’ll have to talk to my boss, and I’ll have to make sure it’s okay with Becky to move in with her, but yeah, I’m all for it.” Max reached over and squeezed Becky’s hand.

  She was over the moon with the news, and yeah, she was ready for it!

  “We need to put security cameras up all over the place so that we can be sure your staff, who live on the property, can also run as wolves when they are off duty,” Max said.

  Pamela nodded. “I was hoping I was right in setting up the blind date between you and Max.”