 
Clay's Hope

Melissa Haag

Clay's Hope

Smashwords Edition

Copyright: Melissa Haag

Published: April 28, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-9888523-6-5

Cover Design: Indie-Spired Designs

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without express written permission from the author.
Clay is a man of few human talents. As a wolf, he hunts well and can fight off a grizzly twice his size but has no aspirations. The idea of a Mate isn't something he has ever seriously entertained. Dreamed about, maybe, but he knows the chances are nearly non-existent.

Then he meets Gabby, a human girl. She hates him at first sight, yet he can't let her go. Who he was is no longer important. Now, who he needs to become to win her over is the only thing that matters.

# Chapter 1

_Clay, we need your help._

Winifred's voice interrupted my contemplation of the scene before me.

_When?_ I sent back.

Tonight.

I didn't respond or ask why. The Elders knew I would come, just as I knew the reason they'd called me.

For a moment, I continued to watch the house from my place hidden within the trees. The woman in the window moved around the kitchen, cooking dinner. Passing the table where her son sat doing his homework, she stopped to kiss the top of his head. The boy started speaking. The distance and the closed house kept me from hearing everything, but I heard her response. She congratulated him for his high score on a math test. Love lit her gaze as she turned to study the boy's bent head.

Exhaling, I turned away from what I would never have. A family.

With an easy lope, I started the journey to the Compound, the meeting place for my kind. Werewolves. As I traveled, I thought of the human boy and his mom. We werewolves were similar to humans in some ways, yet different in so many others.

One of our differences was the Elders, like Winifred. A group dedicated to the wellbeing of all werewolves. Once a werewolf took the oath to serve our kind, they became an Elder. Through an oath, Elders gave up their right to put their wants before the wants of our race as a whole. It wasn't a subjective promise but a mental bond that ensured our safety. While the bond allowed an Elder to communicate with any of us directly, it also served as a death sentence if the Elder ever acted in a way that wasn't in the best interest of our survival...such as finding a Mate.

Like an Elder, I would never have a Mate. It wasn't that I'd taken some oath that prevented it. No, the possibility of a Mate for someone like me, an outcast without a pack was...well, I'd be more likely to wake up with the ability to turn into a bear instead of a wolf.

The Elders knew it, too. That was why they called on me to help at Introductions, gatherings to introduce an eligible female to the unMated of our kind. Yet another way we differed from humans.

I'd heard the call for this upcoming Introduction weeks ago. The Elders were giving all the unMated time to journey to the Compound. That meant there would be hundreds of males there. One lucky wolf would find himself a Mate. It wouldn't be me. A brief surge of jealousy clawed at me, but I shook out my fur and the feeling.

When the Elders called for my help, it was to keep the peace among the males. Then I'd leave again, returning to the woods and my isolated life.

The image of the humans remained in my mind as the miles slowly disappeared under my paws. While my father was alive, I would have never gone so close to their home. Since he'd died though, I found myself wandering closer and closer. I knew why. I missed him. And though I had no memory of my mother, I missed her, too. I missed belonging to something.

Maybe it was time for me to submit to Thomas and join his pack. The thought filled me with disgust. As much as I wanted to be a part of something, to be able to stay in one place for more than a night, I didn't think I'd be able to bow to another person's whims again. After all, my father had been a good leader, but I'd struggled against many of his rules.

The scent of a cougar tickled my nose, and I veered to the south to avoid its territory. Cougars worked differently than werewolves. A lone cat could hold its own territory. A werewolf, like me, couldn't hold a territory alone. It made having a home without a pack impossible. But the idea of a place of my own settled in my gut. I couldn't keep a place as a werewolf, but I could maybe find a place as a man.

I recalled the woman in the window. Could I live like that? Walking on two legs day after day just to be able to call someplace home? The idea made my skin feel tight and itchy, and I didn't have to think long on it. Not a chance. I was meant to run on four paws, not walk on two feet.

I stretched my stride until I ran.

* * * *

The Compound teemed with unMated. They paced between the trees, a restless tension pervading their movements. A few already faced off, trying to determine the strongest and their order in the upcoming Introduction line. Poor fools.

I ignored the fight that broke out and loped in the direction of the back door. The unMated could fight all they wanted out there. As long as they kept it away from my post at the Introduction door, I had no problem with them. I briefly wondered what female had caused such a large gathering. Generally, paying attention to the females was a lost cause. Too bad the ones getting their pelts kicked in the trees hadn't figured that out yet.

Several piles of picked over clothes waited at the back door. Charlene's doing most likely. She must have anticipated the arrival of so many. I grabbed what I needed at random. Loose pants and a shirt. A shiver rippled over my flesh at the odd furlessness. How long had I gone this time between shifting?

Dressed, but still cold, I went around to the front door and helped myself to one of the jackets on the hooks before ambling to the kitchen. One of the perks of coming to the Compound. Food.

Charlene was moving around in the kitchen, checking this and that. She reminded me of the woman in the window.

She looked up and nodded to me as she walked past.

"Buns are in the warming oven. Stew's on the stove. Help yourself, Clay."

She left the room, and I stared after her. I'd been to the Compound maybe five times in my life. Three of those times had been before I hit puberty. How she remembered my name was beyond me.

The scent of fresh bread pulled me toward the ovens. Heat poured out when I opened the door. The sight of a full tray of golden buns made my mouth water. Reaching in, I grabbed several. One went in my mouth, the rest in the large pockets of my jacket. With my pockets stuffed full, I padded back outside to take up my place near the Introduction door. The heat of the buns warmed my side as I leaned against the building and pulled the first one out of my pocket.

I ate slowly, watched the fighting, and waited.

Vehicles continued to roll into the yard over the next hour. Men crowded into the woods near the door I guarded. A few strolled by to size me up but weren't stupid enough to try anything. One on one, they wouldn't stand a chance. More than one on one would bring the Elders. Elder intervention meant banishment from the Introduction. None of them wanted to miss their chance at a Mate.

A louder vehicle pulled into the yard. A truck by the sound of it. Silence spread throughout the woods when the engine cut.

_They're here._ Winifred's voice penetrated my thoughts. _Are you in place?_

Yes, ma'am.

Good. Let us know if you have any trouble.

I eyed the men who started to line up before me and prepared myself for a long night. The sun would rise before the female met everyone.

Anticipation held the men closest to the building. Quiet, they listened for a hint of sound from the room behind me. Further into the woods, the men started fighting again, establishing a pecking order.

It wasn't long before I heard Winifred again.

Let the first ten in.

"Ten," I said with a nod to the men in front of me. Standing back, I opened the door, waited for them to file in, then closed it again.

The number surprised me. Ten usually meant an older female; I hadn't thought there were any older ones still hiding in the wild.

After a minute or two of silence, I heard a woman's voice.

"Thank you for coming."

She sounded young, not old. Why ten, then?

The scrape of many feet on the floor alerted me to the end of the Introduction. I opened the door to let the rejected men out, and a hint of something warm and sweet drifted out with them. I lifted my nose and sniffed, trying to identify it. Had one of them been to the kitchen?

Motioning for the next ten, I tried to place the scent. My stomach rumbled. I should have stuffed more food into my pockets.

I closed the door after the last man entered and listened to the girl say thank you again. At the shuffle of footsteps a few moments later, I opened the door once more. Again, that trace of something delicious trailed behind them.

Would it be against the rules to ask the Elders for a food break?

I waved the next ten in and closed the door.

The extended silence in the room pulled my attention from the puzzle of the smell.

After several minutes, I heard the girl speak.

"It's nice to meet you."

Feet shuffled on the floor, and I hurried to open the door.

"A moment, please," she said before anyone stepped out.

The sound of her determined steps told me she was crossing their little tape line. The Elders wouldn't like that. I almost smiled.

"Gabby, wait," Sam, one of the Elders, called.

Briefly, I wondered if I should close the door to keep her in, but decided the Elders could deal with her. I had more than enough to deal with outside.

A petite blonde stepped through the door. Her scent hit me hard, and I froze. Mate. The word bounced around in my head. My canines lengthened, and my vision wavered as I struggled to maintain my form. Mine.

She continued a few more steps, with the Elders right behind her, and then stopped. I inhaled slowly, breathing in the scent that had tempted and teased me until now. With my gaze locked on her, I almost stepped forward. Reason stopped me, and I glanced at the men who stood before her, silently watching, equally stunned that she'd left the Introduction room.

If I spoke up now, I'd face countless challenges. I would win...for a while. But every wolf tired eventually, and there were too many out there still waiting for a chance to scent her. Better to wait. She was safe with the Elders present. I glanced at them to see if any had noticed my reaction. They weren't paying attention to me, though. After all, I wasn't here for a Mate. They were watching the others. As was she.

Motionless, she stood before the waiting men. I couldn't see much of her face, just the back of her head and her stiff stance. Scenting the air, I detected a hint of her distress and a stronger whiff of anger. She was upset.

"Sam," she said, turning to face him.

Sam uncomfortably looked away.

She turned back to the men.

"No more fighting. There's no need to wait or fight for your place in tonight's Introduction. I will meet you all."

A growl almost escaped me. Though I knew it would be safer if she did meet them all, I didn't want any other male near her.

"Start a line here, and I'll walk it. If I am not right for you, there is no need for you to remain after I've passed you. You may leave and know that I am honored by your presence here tonight."

I curled my hands into fists and eyed the men who poured from the woods. They had no chance. Turning my gaze back to her once more, I tried to steady myself. She moved forward with grace.

Gabby. My Mate.

# Chapter 2

Several passes up and down the line thinned the number of waiting men, and I willfully unclenched my fists. The Elders noted a few names, but she showed no interest in any of them.

Finally, the last man nodded to the Elders and walked away, and there was no one left. The reality of having a Mate suddenly hit me hard. Adrenaline pumped into my blood. She really was mine, and soon she'd turn to face me.

What if she didn't show interest in me? My hands shook. I held my breath as she turned, waiting for our eyes to lock. But they didn't. She was watching her feet as she approached the door. It was the first time I'd fully seen her face. She was perfect. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail and freckles dusted her cute nose.

I shifted impatiently, and the movement seemed to draw her attention. She looked up at the last moment. Our gazes met, and I felt the pull. My father had told me about the phenomena. A tug on your insides the first time you see your Mate.

She felt it, too, because she stopped walking, and her mouth dropped open a little.

I stepped out of the shadows.

"You have got to be kidding," she said softly.

That she felt the same disbelief I had made my pulse leap. I started to walk toward her unable to keep my gaze from drifting to her neck. One bite and she would be mine.

I was halfway to her when the change in her scent registered. Fear. Panic. She was frozen in disbelief, but not as I'd been. Disgust lit her features. Shame flared in my gut. Had I mistaken the pull?

The closer I got, the stronger the smell of disgust poured from her. The horror in her beautiful hazel gaze tore through the euphoria that had built in my chest. What was she seeing? The long hair, the scruffy beard? That was just the outside. There was more to me than that.

My hope withered. I should have known better.

Unable to stay for more, I turned and walked to the front of the building.

Behind me, I heard her speak again.

"Sam, I've more than fulfilled any obligation I had to you or the pack. I'd like to leave tonight."

As much as it hurt to know she didn't want me as badly as I wanted her, I couldn't let her leave without trying again.

I went straight to the blue pickup. Her scent wrapped around the thing. I breathed it in and realized she wasn't just any female. She was the compatible human I'd heard about. There'd only been one other human like her. Charlene. And she'd changed the fate of the packs. Gabby was different, special, and her presence explained the huge crowd for the Introduction.

There was a mystery around these two women. The Elders didn't know why they were compatible with us, but Charlene and Gabby represented a chance for more potential Mates. The Elders were trying to find more like these two and had set laws to protect them. This changed everything.

I couldn't treat her like other females, and my heart sank as I realized what that meant. I couldn't Claim her; she needed to Claim me. Based on her reaction, she didn't want that. But giving up wasn't an option. I had the standard six months to court her and try to win her over. Six months. The enormity of the life-changing event that had just occurred threatened to bring me down. I needed patience. But first, I needed to stop her from leaving.

I needed a plan.

Eyeing the truck, I popped the hood and looked inside. Vehicles always had amazed me. I studied the engine for a moment, inspecting all of the connections, then I reached in and started unscrewing what I could.

"Want some tools?" someone asked behind me.

"Sure."

Humans couldn't run like wolves. Without the truck, she wasn't going anywhere.

* * * *

Tools made quick work of removing most of the parts. I examined things as I took them apart. The way the oil flowed through the system was ingenious. There were a few other systems I needed to figure out: fuel and coolant. But the overall picture was simpler than I'd imagined.

Several of the rejected men watched from the porch but I didn't pay them much attention. I was waiting. Gabby had made her intention to leave clear. She'd show up eventually.

As soon as she walked out the door, my gut clenched again as her scent drifted to me.

_Son, I acknowledge your interest._ There was a brief pause before Elder Sam's voice continued in my head. _I do hope you know how to put my truck back together when you're done._

I didn't acknowledge him. Instead, I continued to use the ratchet. My hand started to shake again. She had no idea how desperate I was for any sign of acceptance from her. Just one sign. Any sign.

"Gabby, honey," I heard him say. "I don't think he wants you to go just yet."

"There's more than one vehicle here," she said.

I swallowed hard. That wasn't what I'd hoped for. She was afraid, I reminded myself. She just needed time.

"If we go inside to ask anyone else, we'll come back to more vehicular murder," Sam said.

He was right. I wasn't about to give her up. She was mine.

"Fine," she said. Not looking was killing me. I glanced up as she stepped off the porch and marched toward the main gate.

"You won't get far," Sam said.

She hesitated at the edge of the yard light then plunged into the darkness that surrounded the driveway. It didn't take long for her to disappear from sight, and I ceased ratcheting to listen. She didn't stop walking as I'd hoped she would.

When she reached the point where I couldn't hear her anymore, I set the tools aside and started to follow. Her scent led me. I wouldn't lose her.

* * * *

Studying the motel Gabby had checked into, I remained crouched near the tree line. There wasn't much to see. Two parked cars occupied the small parking lot, and through the office window, the man at the desk leaned back in his chair and stared at a small television. I glanced again at the window for Gabby's room. A light shined through. Did that mean she was still awake, though?

She'd walked so far, her feet dragging long scuffs in the dirt along the shoulder of the road. She'd been exhausted. I'd thought she would have turned back before she reached the motel. Yet, she'd kept going, her desperation to leave clear. And, my desperation to keep her had me crouched behind a bush.

Rubbing a hand over my face, I regretted not catching her while we walked. I wasn't sure what to do next. I couldn't risk knocking on her door and trying to talk to her. She'd been upset the first time she'd laid eyes on me. I doubted the second time would go much better as tired as she was.

The light in Gabby's room dimmed considerably, drawing my attention. A plan formed. Slowly, I grinned in the darkness and stood. She didn't need to cooperate...she just needed to sleep through it all.

Keeping to the shadows, I crept toward the motel. Outside, I pressed my ear to her door, listening. The sound of her deep breathing made me smile. She was already out. Time to move.

The round handle resisted when I tried it, and a frustrated growl escaped me. It would have been easier if she hadn't locked it. I twisted the knob sharply and heard the locking mechanism break. Holding my breath, I listened again. Inside, her breathing remained steady. I eased the door open, watching for a security chain. Nothing. I opened it wider and slipped into the room, quickly easing the door closed behind me.

Gabby lay on the bed, the bathroom light shining on her hair. She was curled on her side, a hand resting under her cheek. My heart clenched tight in my chest at the sight, and I reached up to rub the ache. Mine. I exhaled slowly and tore my gaze from her to look around for her things. There wasn't much. Her shoes were neatly by the door, telling me a lot about her personality, and her bag near the bed. I found her toothbrush next to the sink where the stench of rotten eggs, from the faucet, lingered.

With everything stowed away, I removed my jacket and lengthened the strap of her bag. Unable to look away, I watched her as I fit the bag across my back, out of the way. My palms began to sweat. I planned to carry her to the Compound. Touching her, holding her, for over an hour...my skin rippled, and I closed my eyes for a moment to steady my control.

Opening my eyes, I moved close to the side of the bed and pulled back the covers. She didn't move. I took my time to cover her with my jacket. My hands shook when I bent to slide my arms under her.

She weighed nothing to me as I lifted and settled her against my chest. She murmured and nestled her cheek against my neck, and I froze, unable to breathe. My heart hammered hard in my chest. Pure want boiled in my veins. Bite me, I thought. I held still, hoping, but she didn't move.

After a moment, I realized she wouldn't, and I calmed enough to walk to the door. Using my foot, I nudged the door open and walked out into the night, carrying the most precious thing in my world. I held her to me, enjoying the feel of her in my arms as I kept to the shadows. Avoiding the road and its noise, I went to the woods.

I took my time, walking carefully, not wanting to jar her. What would she do if she woke? If she woke while I held her, she'd most likely be angry. If I were lucky, she'd bite me in her irritation. I shuddered and tried to push that kind of thinking aside. It wasn't helping my control.

What would I do if she woke? I studied her features, the way her lashes fanned against her cheeks, the freckles that sprinkled the bridge of her nose, her soft lips. I struggled to keep moving as I stared at them. What would she do if I kissed her? Would she run again? Probably.

I tore my gaze from her and studied the woods around us. Leaves crunched under my bare feet. In the distance, frogs croaked. Nearby, the animals quieted until we quickly passed. At this pace, it would take less time to return than it had to leave.

What would she do when she woke up and found herself back in her room at the Compound? I frowned as I considered her reaction. She wouldn't be happy, that was for sure, and that wouldn't work well for me. Mad people didn't listen, and I needed her open to reason when we first talked. How could I keep her from being angry?

I remembered something my dad once told me about my mom. _She was good at confusing the hell out of me until I didn't know what to do or say. That was when she usually got her way._

Glancing down at Gabby, I wondered if I could confuse her enough to get my way. The ache in my chest returned. I couldn't rub it. So, I pressed her closer. It helped.

As I expected, it didn't take long before I entered Thomas' territory. Fortunately, she hadn't woken. She'd barely moved. I should have been thankful for that but was too busy dwelling on the fact that I'd need to let her go soon. My fingers twitched with the need to hold her tighter.

Instead, I paused and crouched near the ground. Balancing her in my lap, I studied her for a moment. Although a gentle breeze played with her hair, her peaceful expression never changed. I wished I could be there when she woke. Reaching down, I grabbed a handful of leaves and began to tuck them into her soft hair. Unable to help myself, I touched her face. My fingers left behind streaks of dirt. I cringed. Hadn't meant to do that.

She looked like she'd walked herself back to the Compound. With a grin, I lifted her again, my hands likely leaving dirt streaks on her clothes. She shifted in my arms, and I froze. She made a small noise and settled her hand against my chest. Again, I had to focus on breathing.

She was mine. She'd figure that out. I just needed to give her some time and find a way to give us a chance to talk. When she didn't move again, I started out, closing the distance to the Compound.

There were still a few males wandering about, but no one paused to speak with me when I entered. A few cast worried glances at Gabby. Probably the leaves. I stopped to drop her shoes near the entry. I planned to put some mud on them too. Then, I padded my way to her apartment. It was easy to find. Now that I had her scent, I could trace it anywhere.

I shifted her to one side so I could tap on the door. Sam opened it right away, a surprise lift to his expression at the sight of Gabby in my arms.

"Is she all right?" he asked. His gruff voice gave away his concern.

I nodded and stepped forward. I didn't want to have a conversation while I held her. If she woke up now, in my arms, looking like a mess...well, it wouldn't be good.

Sam quickly moved out of my way. I strode into their apartment and followed her scent to the bedroom. As gently as possible, I shifted her in my arms and pulled down the covers then tucked her in.

She didn't know it yet, but I'd take care of her, always.

# Chapter 3

I stood outside, working on the truck, and every time the main door opened, I tensed. The sun had risen a long while ago. Each passing hour made me more nervous. What would I say to Gabby when she did appear? Should I apologize right away? No, it was better to gauge her mood first. The leaves might do the trick.

It wasn't until well after the sun rose that the door opened, and her scent drifted into the yard. My palms started to sweat as I listened to her step onto the porch. When she stopped, I swallowed hard, and glanced her way. She had lifted her face to the sun and closed her eyes. Leaves still clung to her hair and dirt streaked her face, making her look wild. My chest grew tight. Mine. She was mine.

I wanted to hold her again. Touch her face. The need made my skin ripple. Shifting my focus to the truck, I located another bolt and quickly set the ratchet. It took two tries. The rippling faded but my nerves didn't.

The sound of her movement had me inhaling deeply as I waited for her to cross the yard. Her annoyance and confusion salted the air. But no anger. That was good.

She didn't say anything until she stood next to the hood.

"We weren't officially introduced last night. My name's Gabby. Gabrielle May Winters."

I straightened and turned toward her. The sun glinted off her hair as she stood there with her hands in her pockets. She was such a tiny thing, looking up at me, studying me with her wide brown eyes. My response died before I opened my mouth; being so close to her robbed me of what I'd been thinking. Instead, I wondered if she liked what she saw. Last night's reaction made me doubt it.

"Sam said that your name is Clay."

She'd talked to Sam about me? My pulse leapt. That was good, right?

"Listen, Clay, I know you think I'm the one for you..."

The direction of her thinking made it hurt to breathe. I knew what she was getting at. She didn't believe she was my Mate. She continued as if she hadn't just verbally kicked me between the legs.

"I don't have a sense of smell to depend on, like you do. Although the Elders say to trust the instinct of werewolves, I don't trust blindly. I really want to go home. If I asked to borrow someone else's car, would it live?"

I turned back to the truck to hide my pain. According to what I'd heard, she'd been living with Sam for years, learning our ways. Why couldn't she understand that I wouldn't give her up? Without seeing what I was doing, I lifted the ratchet.

"Ok. I'll take that as a no," she mumbled.

Her understanding made me hopeful, and I turned back to her.

"Clay, I'm not trying to be rude here, but I'm struggling to figure us out. What's the plan?"

She knew I had a plan? Panic had me scrambling for the words to defend my actions. She didn't give me time, though.

"Am I just supposed to stay here until you decide I'm not really your Mate?" she asked softly.

Ouch. Any relief I would have felt over her not knowing about the leaves left with her continued, brutal denial of our connection. She wrinkled her nose and sighed slightly. Scenting the air, I found a thread of frustration.

"Would it help speed things along if we spent a little time together?"

The abrupt change in her thinking left me stunned. Hell, yes, I wanted to spend time together. A ripple of excitement coursed over the skin of my arms, and I hoped she didn't notice as she stared at me expectantly, waiting for an answer. I didn't trust myself not to say just that, so I shrugged. I didn't want to seem too overeager.

"Do you talk?"

My heart stopped. Hadn't I been? I thought back. Nope. Not a word. She'd think me stupid, now. What could I say? Cringing, I turned away toward the truck and struggled to come up with something that didn't end with "don't leave."

"Ok. No talking. Got it."

Shit.

Maybe silence was better, anyway. Desperation had me about three seconds from begging. For what, I didn't know. Probably for any scrap of affection she'd willingly surrender to me. Yeah, it'd be better if I just kept my mouth shut.

She sighed, pulled her hands from her back pockets, and leaned against the truck. Chin in hands, she watched me as I pretended to know what I was doing to the truck.

"You seemed to like the idea of spending time to get to know each other," she said.

I turned toward her again. How could I not? Her voice, her face, everything about her called to me.

"But what's the point in spending time together if you don't want to talk to me? Isn't the point to get to know one another?"

Oh, I wanted to talk, but I doubted she wanted to know how lonely I'd been or how I felt now that I'd found her. Or that I understood having trust issues. Disgusted with myself, I turned back to the truck. Yeah, I really needed to keep quiet or my insecurities would have her running.

Then, she sighed and straightened away from the truck. I almost broke when she walked back to the main entrance. What would she do if I called her back? Probably beg me to let her leave. I couldn't have that. Not yet. She hadn't given us, or the idea of us, a chance.

I stayed by the truck, trying to figure out what to do next. Puking seemed like an option. It still felt like she'd kicked me between the legs.

Patience, I reminded myself. I needed to give her time to adjust to the idea. She was right. She wasn't like werewolves. She had no sense of smell to help her. She felt the pull, though. I was sure of it. That meant she'd be back. It had to.

The sun slowly trekked across the sky as I doggedly worked on the truck. There wasn't anything else to do while I waited. When the door opened again and her scent reached me, I exhaled in relief. She stepped out, and I studied her from the corner of my eye. Her damp hair was free of leaves, and she wore a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top.

She started walking across the gravel in her bare feet. I turned and watched her approach. Just seeing her coming toward me eased some of the doubt that had crept into my head.

I frowned as Gabby winced with each hurried step. Then, I looked at the gravel surrounding the truck. I wanted her to stay and talk but she wouldn't be able to do that without shoes. I studied her, wondering if she would let me pick her up to sit her on the truck. I doubted it. I used my foot to clear a spot, pulled the rag from my pocket, shook it out, and set it on the ground. It was dirty, but it was better than standing on the gravel.

She took the last few steps and stood on the rag with a sigh. The dash across the gravel had set her pulse racing loudly.

"Thanks," she said, looking up at me and sounding breathless. Her light brown eyes sparkled in the light. My gut clenched with the pull, and I itched to touch her but noticed her anxious scent.

"Sam just told me that you're to be confined to a room for the remainder of the day. With me."

I frowned, trying to think of a reason why the Elders were interfering. I'd done everything they'd asked of me. Sam had acknowledged my Claim. They had no right to upset her by forcing her to spend time with me.

"They want to see how we react to each other so they can determine if you really do have a Claim to me." She spoke quickly as if hurrying to share a secret.

If I had a Claim to her? Sam had acknowledged me. I growled, frustrated.

"What? You don't want to spend time with me?" she said, sounding surprised.

Not spend time with her? I looked down so she wouldn't see just how badly I wanted that. Though I wanted it, I wanted her to spend time with me willingly. Not through force.

"You do want to spend time with me, don't you?" Her soft, uncertain words had me opening my mouth. At the last second, I closed it and shrugged, unable to give her the real, desperate answer.

"So, it's not me. Don't you like being indoors?"

I would go anywhere she was, but I couldn't say that either. I kept silent and met her gaze hoping she'd understand it wasn't her.

"Ok. If it's not me and not being indoors, then what?"

She didn't let me guess where she was going for long.

"You don't want to be told when or how to spend time with me. You don't want someone telling you what to do. Is that right?"

Wrong. But I could see this wasn't about me. It was about her. I studied her, waiting for her to say what she needed to say.

"Yeah, me either."

She didn't want to be told what to do. Was she afraid being my Mate would mean we would start telling her what to do? No one would. Not even me. But that didn't mean I had to let her go. It just meant I needed to give her space and time.

She stepped off the rag, bent down to pick it up, shook it out, and handed it to me.

"I lied to you, Clay. I thought maybe if you knew how it felt to have your choices taken from you, you'd understand why I want to leave. It's nothing personal."

This was about last night and about the truck. Her honesty didn't make her plea to leave less painful. How could I give her what she wanted yet give us a chance?

I took the rag and turned back to the truck, thinking quickly as I picked up a ratchet and started to loosen yet another bolt.

"Your instincts say I'm the one. I don't have those instincts. Instead, I just keep thinking how I don't even know you. And the little bit Sam's told me...that you spend most of your time in your fur...well, it doesn't help me understand how there can be anything between us. I have no fur. I can't just run off into the woods with you.

"I've enrolled in college—one I chose—despite Sam's opposition. Do you know why I picked it? Because it was far enough away that I knew it'd be harder for people to tell me what to do. Major decisions, up until this point, have been made by others based on what they thought would be best for me. Sure, they ask me what I think and try to consider it, but not always. How do you think Sam got me to Introductions for the past two years? It wasn't by asking me each time if I felt like going."

Sam forced her? This wasn't good.

"I don't mean to sound heartless. I've been through enough Introductions to know what they mean to your kind. I'm not trying to throw your traditions back in your face. I'm just asking for some compromise. Don't ask me to forget the one thing I've chosen on my own.

"If you're serious about me, then come to the city with me and learn while I learn. We can get to know each other."

Hell, yes!

"I need that in order to even consider the possibility of us. I know I'm asking a lot. You'd need to start talking, stop growling, and bathe. No offense meant, but you look like a crazy man the way you are."

Damn. That hurt. But she'd struck on an idea. A better plan started to take shape, and I hid my smile.

"I know it wouldn't be easy on you. You'll be surrounded by people. It'll probably be uncomfortable after you've been on your own for so long. But we'd be able to spend time together, to get to know each other—the normal, human way—and see how things go. We'd both be giving a little, then. Well, you'd be giving a little more, but...will you think about it?"

There was nothing to consider.

As she walked away, I eyed the truck, thinking of everything I would need to do to be human.

* * * *

It was late by the time I thought I had all the pieces back where they belonged. I made my way into the main building, heading toward the kitchen first. The place was deserted, but as usual, Charlene had something for a quick meal in the refrigerator. I wolfed down the meatloaf sandwich in four bites then pushed through the double-doors and walked the halls to Gabby's apartment.

Before I knocked, I listened for any sign someone was awake. After several moments of hearing nothing, I knocked lightly, not wanting to wake her. Inside, I heard movement. Sam didn't make me wait long before he opened the door.

"Need the keys," I said.

Sam looked me over with bleary eyes, then shuffled over to the counter to pick up his keys.

"You've decided to let her go?" he asked, handing them over.

Not likely. I debated what to tell Sam. I was still mad at him for the role he'd played in getting Gabby here.

"We came to an agreement," I said.

"Really?"

"She said I should live with her, get to know her."

Sam's tired air disappeared.

"Did she now?"

"She did. But she thought she was scaring me away by saying it." I lifted the keys. "I'll bring these back in a bit."

He nodded, and I left, taking the keys outside. The truck started fine, and the rumble of the engine brought a smile to my face. It had less of a rattle now. I turned it off and went back inside.

Sam must have stayed up because he answered the door before I knocked. He looked just as beat and could barely keep his eyes open.

I handed him the keys.

"Don't tell her I spoke."

I waited until he nodded then I left again.

Outside, I swiped my hair back from my face and considered my next move. I needed to keep her guessing. If she didn't know what I had planned, she couldn't say no. I stripped from the clothes, tossed them on the porch, then took off in my fur, heading south to Sam's place.

Everyone knew where the Elders lived. They belonged to all of us, not just the packs. They were there to help. I'd never asked for help, and I wouldn't start now; but I wasn't going there for help, anyway.

Now that Sam had acknowledged my Claim and knew Gabby had invited me to college with her, he'd take her back home. That played right into my plan. To show her I had no interest in telling her what to do or stopping her from attending a school she'd chosen, I wouldn't approach her again until after she moved. But, that didn't mean I planned to ignore her for the summer. I meant to study my Mate in a setting familiar to her.

So I made my way to Sam's place, taking my time as I traveled. The trees and fields gave way to roads and houses then city blocks.

People in town weren't friendly to my kind. They tended to yell "get" at me as if I were a dog. I ignored them, kept moving, and slowly closed the distance between Gabby's home and me. As towns grew closer together, I traveled at night, keeping to the shadows.

Seven days after leaving the Compound, I found Sam's yellow house. I sat in the shadow of a tree across the street in a neighbor's back yard. The spot afforded me a view of Sam's picture window.

Gabby walked into the room, carrying a bag on her shoulder. I only got a fleeting glimpse as she passed, but it was enough to resurrect the feelings of hope. I'd have a family again. She just needed time.

# Chapter 4

For the next several weeks, I did what I'd always done. From a distance, I watched what I wanted most.

Gabby woke, left for work early each morning, and returned late each night to eat a rushed dinner then go to bed. The more I studied her, the more she became a puzzle to me. She didn't interact with people. In fact, she tended to avoid everyone except the elderly.

Why was she so desperate to go to college? Her speech about me being uncomfortable surrounded by people didn't make sense. I'd thought she meant I would be uncomfortable around all the people she knew since I planned to stay near her. But, she maintained a very withdrawn lifestyle. I didn't see a problem...unless she planned to change that. Did she want to become more social? Meet people her own age? Men? The thought made me clench my fists.

_When does she leave?_ I sent the thought to Sam as I watched her speak with an elderly man at her first job.

Second to last week of August. I'll drive her.

I nodded though I knew Sam couldn't see it. I was tempted to ask if she'd questioned him about me, but whether she did or didn't wouldn't change what I planned.

Keep her safe.

I will.

Turning away, I made the trip back north. There were things I'd left behind, papers my father saved for me after my mom's death. He'd shown me the hidey-hole three times as I grew up, making sure I knew how to find it. In the human world, those papers proved I existed. I'd need them, now.

It took three days to reach the spot and another half-day to get to the Compound and grab some clothes. After I dressed, one of the primary Mated pair's pups gave me a ride into town and dropped me off at a shopping center.

"Want me to wait?" he asked.

"Nah. I'm wearing fur from here. Thanks for the ride, Paul."

The boy nodded and left.

I went into the store and found one of those tag machines humans used to label their pets. Grinning, I bought myself a dog tag.

_What's the address of her new place?_ I sent the thought to Sam.

After his reply, I went to look at the map pinned to the wall near the checkouts. I'd never traveled that far south but figured I'd be there in plenty of time. I had weeks yet.

I left the grocery and walked a ways out of town before I stripped out of my clothes. Using the shirt, I tied everything into a pouch I could carry with my mouth. Then, I shifted. My skin barely tingled as fur covered me. It was getting easier, which was good. Hopefully, I'd be doing a lot of shifting in the next few months.

Picking up my bundle, I set out. Instead of heading toward Gabby's new address, I detoured and made the long journey to Sam's once more. I needed to see her again. Now that I knew she existed, I could think of little else.

I arrived well after dark on the third day. No light shone from Sam's house, and I knew Gabby was most likely sleeping. I settled in behind the neighbor's house across the street, sleeping between their hedges and a fence. Before dawn, I shook out my fur and left my spot to watch Sam's place. A light turned on. Through the windows, I watched Gabby move around the house. Seeing her again, feeling the pull she had on me, only made me more sure I was doing the right thing.

I waited for her to leave for work, breathing in her scent one last time before I continued south.

It didn't take long to reach the address Sam had given me. The house looked small in comparison to Sam's but nice enough as houses go. I scouted the neighborhood before I settled in to watch the woman who lived there. She wasn't around much, and the neighbors seemed to mind their own business. It was a generally quiet neighborhood, especially during the day.

Taking advantage of the quiet, I broke into the house to have a look around while the woman was away. I wanted to know more about Gabby's new roommate. The first room, the kitchen, was clean and uncluttered. The roommate's bed was made, and the top of her dresser was clogged with every piece of jewelry imaginable. Scarves hung over the posts on each side of her mirror, and several pictures were tucked into the mirror frame. One of a dog caught my attention, and I smiled.

The rest of the house checked out fine. Only her scent perfumed the air. No males. Good.

I studied some of the mail stuck to her fridge, then carefully let myself out to settle in for the wait.

* * * *

From the hole I'd dug under the neighbor's shrub, I watched a light turn on early the day Gabby was due. The woman, Rachel—I'd read her name on the mail—started to open the windows. It was still pleasant out, summer not yet ready to leave. After a while, the smell of cleaning products drifted out. The neighborhood slowly woke as she cleaned and sang to some music. I stayed where I was, watching through the fence.

For such a small house, it took some time before she finished and the music turned off. It wasn't long after that the front door opened.

The neighbors had already left their house so I crawled out from under the shrub and stretched. In the distance, I heard the familiar rumble of Sam's truck. A tightness grew in my chest. She was almost here. As much as I wanted to see her, I didn't want her to see me. Not yet.

Quietly, crossing through the yards, I made my way to the end of the block where Sam's exhaust already clogged the air. I crossed the street then cut between yards, putting another block between Gabby and me. I didn't want to chance her spotting me. Sitting in the front yard of an empty house, I waited, listening for Sam's truck again.

I imagined it would take some time to move her things in and for Sam to talk to Rachel to ensure Gabby would be safe there. But it wasn't long before the truck rumbled to life once again. The distant noise made my pulse jump, and I took a steadying breath. It was almost time. I was nervous as hell about approaching her.

After a moment, Sam's truck passed. He nodded to me, and I nodded back.

_Take care of her._ It wasn't a command from an Elder, just a request from someone who cared.

I will.

I sat in the shade, impatiently waiting for the right amount of time to pass. I wanted her to settle in, to feel comfortable.

A car zipped past me, and I did a double take at the passenger. Gabby.

Damn it.

I caught a glimpse of Rachel's animated face before they sped out of view. Where were they going? Sam had barely left. What was Gabby doing? Rachel had seemed excited about something. What? A sick feeling settled into my gut. What if Rachel had taken Gabby somewhere she could meet other men? Human women seemed to do that a lot.

I pulled my lips back in a silent snarl. I could try to follow them but knew I'd lose their trail with all the traffic in town. So I turned and made my way back to the house.

For three hours, I paced their backyard before I heard a car slow near the house. I darted behind the shed and waited.

The sound of Gabby's voice as she laughed at something Rachel said made my insides twist. Then I heard Rachel say something about sunbathing. Gabby agreed and followed Rachel inside. I frowned. They weren't leaving again, were they? Nothing was going as planned.

The building frustration fled as I realized what I'd just heard. Gabby didn't talk to women her own age. In the weeks I'd watched her, she'd avoided them. Why was she talking to Rachel? Something about Rachel was different. But what?

A few minutes after they'd disappeared inside, Rachel reappeared with towels in her arms. The breeze blew her scent toward me, and I lifted my nose. Excitement added a hint of sweetness to it. I watched her shake out the towels and lay them on the deck.

My idea had been to approach Gabby once she'd settled in so she'd know I was there to join her. I had on the tags I'd made to help drive home that point. But maybe approaching Gabby wasn't the best course.

I silently stepped out from behind the shed, trotted across the yard, and up the steps before Rachel noticed me. With her back to me, she settled onto the far towel. If I'd been in human form, I would have wiped my sweaty palms on my pants. Instead, I took a fortifying breath, then lay down next to her.

She squeaked and jolted away from me as she turned to look at what had brushed against her.

Her face was inches from mine. She didn't scream as I'd half-expected. With a grin, she offered her hand. Mentally sighing, I dutifully sniffed her. She grinned wider when I finished, then she reached out and scratched behind my ear. It actually felt pretty good. Better than scratching it myself.

"Where did you come from, handsome?" she said softly. Her hand brushed down my neck—it made me slightly uncomfortable—and ran over the rope holding my tags.

"What's this?" Her fingers hooked under the line, and my tags jingled. I wanted to grin as she brought the piece of metal around to read it.

"A good home, huh? I wonder if Gabby likes dogs."

Probably not. I sighed, laid my head on my paws, and gave Rachel my best woeful look.

"Aw, I'm sure she does. Look at you. What's not to like?"

My thoughts exactly.

Just then, Gabby stepped out in a pink bathing suit that left more skin exposed than covered. The sight of her soft pale stomach had me raising my head and swallowing hard.

"Gabby, look," Rachel said in a pitch that made my ears ache. "A dog!"

Had my future not been riding on this moment, Gabby's reaction might have been comical. Her eyes rounded as she froze and stared at me.

Small, pink triangles of material covered her chest and small, tight shorts covered her bottom. I stared, letting the image burn into my memory. Gabby in a swimsuit. I swallowed again and tried to breathe. I decided pink was my new favorite color.

Rachel's fingers continued to ruffle the fur around my neck. I met Gabby's gaze, wondering if she minded. I doubted it. Still, it made me uncomfortable to have Rachel touch me in front of Gabby. I didn't want Gabby to doubt I was hers.

Turning my head, I moved out of Rachel's reach. Rachel shifted to a sitting position and tried to reach me again.

"It just walked up the porch steps and lay right down. I nearly peed myself. Have you ever seen a dog this big before? What kind do you think it is?"

I gave up and let her pet me again while I held Gabby's gaze. The breeze carried the sour tang of doubt and suspicion.

"And you're not going to believe what its tag says," Rachel said. "'If found, please provide a good home.' Isn't that funny?"

She ruffled my neck fur, which made my tags jingle, but I ignored her as I waited for Gabby's reaction.

"Yeah. Funny."

She didn't sound amused. She turned away as if to go back inside.

"His tag also says his name is Clay. What do you think? Should we keep him?"

Gabby spun and stared at Rachel. I didn't need to smell her shock and disbelief. Who had she thought I was?

"What?" she said, disbelief clear on her features.

She glanced back down at me.

Did she seriously think I'd let some other pup come here?

"Aw, you aren't allergic are you?" Rachel asked. "The lease says a single pet is allowed as long as it's licensed."

Gabby hesitated as she continued to stare at me with distrust. Unwilling to consider what that meant, I sighed and laid my head back on my paws. The move had softened Rachel; maybe it would work on Gabby.

"No, I'm not allergic," she finally said.

"Good. He's so cute!" Rachel scratched behind my ears, and I closed my eyes pretending it was Gabby.

"I'm going back in," Gabby said, bursting my dream. I leapt to my feet before she reached the door and moved closer. She looked down at me, then at Rachel.

"Looks like another guy who can't take his eyes off you," Rachel said.

What did she mean by that? Who else had been looking at Gabby? I glanced at her suit again and clamped my jaw shut.

"Living with you is going to be a riot." Rachel laughed and picked up the towels. "Let's all go in. The neighbor's tree is going to shade the deck soon, anyway."

Gabby opened the door, and I quickly darted in past her. I sat just inside the door, waiting for her. She held the door for Rachel, and I worried that Gabby might try to run again. But she didn't. She took a deep breath and followed Rachel in.

"We can keep him. But he's going to shed everywhere," Gabby said as she walked away.

Her irritation kept me glued to my spot. I wouldn't press her. I was in the house, and she hadn't run. For now, that was enough.

# Chapter 5

Rachel moved toward the refrigerator. Although she continued speaking to me—some nonsense about me being a good dog—I barely paid attention. Instead, I strained to hear the faint murmur of Gabby's voice. She was talking to someone. Probably Sam.

"Do you eat people food?" Rachel said, straightening from the fridge.

I forced my gaze from the arch, through which Gabby had disappeared, and gave Rachel my attention. She quirked a smile at me.

"Well, I'm sure you'd be willing, but should you eat people food?"

She put her hands on her hips and studied me for a moment.

"Dog food is essentially ground up meat and stuff, right?" She turned again and opened the fridge. "Hey, Gabby?" she called as she stared into the brightly lit interior.

I turned to stare at the arch.

From Gabby's room, I heard quick movements, then the door opened. I waited and was rewarded with the sight of her marching into the kitchen. She wore pants and a top that covered her stomach but not her arms or shoulders. I stifled the urge to sigh. I sure did like her swimsuit better.

"What's up?" she asked, looking at Rachel, who was still bent over looking in the fridge.

"Do you think I can feed him leftover steak?"

"I'm pretty sure people food is bad for dogs. We can pick up some dog food for him in the morning. He'll be fine overnight."

Yep, she was mad at me. That was okay. I could wait her out.

She sat at the kitchen table, pulled her legs up, and wrapped her arms around her knees. The position made her look lost, alone, and scared. I wanted to shift and hold her, but I knew I was the cause of her concern. Only time would reassure her that I had no intention to mess with her big plans. I just wanted to be with her, and hopefully, one day, take care of her as a Mate would.

Her stomach growled, and I felt a moment of frustration. I couldn't take care of her like this, though.

"But dinner does sound good," Gabby said. "I should have thought of groceries while we were shopping."

Groceries meant food. I should be able to provide that for her. Yet, I'd watched the humans enough to know my skills wouldn't help much. I needed a way to earn money. I knew human's had jobs. Charlene, Thomas' Mate, was big on the werewolves going out and getting jobs to help support the werewolf community. That was one of the many reasons my father had chosen to live away from the pack.

Gabby and Rachel's conversation faded as I considered my options. I had the paperwork I needed in order to get a job. But I didn't think that would be enough. Though I'd studied humans from a distance, I wasn't sure I knew how to be human.

Gabby stood, drawing my attention as she went to a cupboard. I lay down, rested my head on my paws, and watched. I was here for her. I wanted to show her that a Mate was an asset, but she was right. We didn't know each other. How could I prove I was what she needed when I didn't have any idea what she needed?

"What kind of movies do you like?" Rachel asked.

The question caught my interest. I knew so little about Gabby. And so did Rachel. I wanted to grin. That would only help me.

"Action-comedy, I guess," Gabby said. "I don't watch movies often."

Rachel gave Gabby a plate, and I finally noticed that hot pepperoni scented the air. My mouth started to water. It'd been a while since I'd eaten.

"Let's eat this in the living room and watch a movie," Rachel said.

I stood and moved toward the living room before either of the girls took a step. If I was sneaky, maybe I could steal a slice from Rachel's plate without being noticed.

Rachel laughed behind me. "I think he's going to fit right in."

I stretched out in front of the couch, trying to take up as much room as possible so they would both need to sit close to me. I wanted Gabby close because I'd missed her. And, Rachel...well, I wanted her pizza. I wouldn't take Gabby's food. She needed it.

Rachel picked out a movie, and I watched closely as she fed it into the machine. Interesting. She picked up a long piece of plastic and pushed one of the buttons on it. Then, they stepped over me, one sitting at each end of the couch.

The screen came alive with color. Sure, I'd seen a few TVs through windows. But after hearing the high pitch squeal that the humans didn't seem to hear, I'd decided it wasn't interesting. This was different. Being in the same room, being able to hear the real life sounds along with the images, made it interesting, and for a while, I forgot about the pizza. However, when Gabby shifted positions and set her plate aside, my hunger returned. I stared at the piece on her plate. I didn't want to take her food; but if she was full and offered it, I wouldn't say no.

"Just one bite?" Rachel asked, seeing the direction of my attention.

"If he's never eaten it before, he might throw up. Are you willing to clean it up? I'm not."

Yep, Gabby was still mad at me.

Rachel stuck out her bottom lip in a pout but returned her attention to the movie. Gabby went back to watching the movie as well. She sure had a cold heart. How long would it take to thaw? What if it never did? No, it had to.

Hoping to distract myself from my negative thoughts and my hunger, I tried to watch the movie as well. However, movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention.

I watched as Rachel tore bits of pizza from the main slice, then nudged them to the edge of her plate. Going for innocent, I nonchalantly turned my head and grabbed them with my tongue. Rachel and I worked through a whole slice that way.

By the end of the movie, I was really starting to like her.

"Fine," Gabby said when the first credit rolled. "Give him the steak."

Steak? My mouth watered in earnest. Rachel cheered and hopped off the couch, but I didn't follow her when she called to me. I turned and looked back at Gabby.

"Your choice, bud. Not mine," she whispered.

What was my choice? To follow Rachel, a person willing to feed me, or stay by Gabby so she could glare at me while I starved? Starving almost seemed like a valid option when I thought of it like that. But, I stood and walked to the kitchen. Let her think she was pushing me away. I was just biding my time and gathering my energy. She had to sleep eventually.

Rachel already had the steak out when I walked into the kitchen.

"I'll warm it up for you," she said with a pat to my head. I didn't like all the touching and patting but if it meant steak, I'd put up with it.

A moment later, I heard Gabby stand and walk our way.

"Thanks for the shopping and movie, Rachel. And the leftovers. You've made this feel like home in less than a day."

Her words and sad smile twisted my heart. Did she want a real home as much as I did?

"But I'm beat and going to bed. See you in the morning."

She walked away but looked back at me. It gave me hope. I held her gaze for a heartbeat before she blushed and hurried to her room.

Rachel pulled the plate from the microwave, distracting me from my thoughts.

"Here you go, Clay," she said, setting the plate down. She'd cut it up into tiny pieces for me. Why couldn't Gabby be that nice? I sighed and bent my head to eat.

"What's wrong? I bet you need something to drink, too." She moved to another cupboard while I wolfed down the meat.

A bowl appeared next to my plate, and I lifted my head to stare at it. When in my fur, I drank from streams and puddles. It never bothered me before. But the idea of eating out of dog bowls in Gabby's home soured the meat in my belly. At least she wasn't awake to witness it. I dipped my head and drank.

Rachel puttered around the kitchen behind me, adding water to a machine on the counter and setting some kind of clock on it. Thirst quenched, I watched as she opened a tin of coffee grounds. The scent brought me back to the Compound and a simpler life.

My father had raised me in the woods, telling me it was far safer than the human world. After hunters shot my mother, I'd known he'd only wanted to protect me. Yet, he'd made my life harder because he'd hidden us away.

Anything I knew about humans I'd gleaned from watching them or by interacting and learning from my kind at the Compound. What I knew wasn't enough to build a life with Gabby.

I sat back on my haunches to watch Rachel. She noticed my attention.

"Do you need to go out?" She moved to the back door and opened it. "Here you go. Come on. Get going."

She expected me to defecate on command? Humiliating.

I stood and stiffly walked outside, reminding myself that to her I was a dog. My pride could handle the bruising. I went outside, checked on my hole under the bush, then ran a block away to relieve myself. The human ways were already getting to my head. I couldn't do anything in the yard Gabby walked in. It just wasn't right.

Rachel stood on the back deck, watching for me when I returned.

"I thought you took off on me," she said.

I harrumphed. She kicked me out then worried I wouldn't come back? She didn't make sense.

She stood aside and let me in, then locked the door behind us. I trotted ahead to the living room and eyed Gabby's closed door. I could wait until Rachel went to bed, then shift and let myself in, but it would be better if an accomplice took the blame for my unwanted invasion.

"Night, Clay," Rachel said, moving to her room.

I whined.

She stopped, backed up a step, and looked at me. I sat near the end of the couch, staring at Gabby's door.

"I don't know, bud. She doesn't seem to like you much."

I whined louder and inched closer to Gabby's door.

Rachel sighed. "If she gets mad, you're going to be the one out of a home."

I stood and moved another foot toward Gabby.

"All right, all right." Rachel crossed the room and opened the door for me. I slid by her and gently hopped up on the end of the bed. Rachel eyed me for a minute, but I just settled my head on my paws and closed my eyes.

She shook her head and closed the door. I lifted my head and turned to look at Gabby. She slept peacefully already, her steady breathing shallow and slow.

Breathing deeply of her scent, I set my head on my paws again. I belonged beside her, but I knew not to push my luck.

# Chapter 6

Gabby woke with a stretch, her feet bumping against my ribs. She'd done that often during the night, and I'd welcomed each nudge. Any contact was good contact. Apparently not this morning, though.

She sat up abruptly and glared at me.

"No," she whispered. "No dogs allowed on my bed."

I sighed, laid my head down, and closed my eyes. I'd hoped for a nicer morning.

"Seriously, Clay. Don't you think this is just a little inappropriate?"

Not in the least.

"Fine." She braced her hands on the headboard and tried to use her feet to push me off the bed. I opened one eye to watch her strain. I wanted to laugh at her efforts but didn't think she'd appreciate my humor.

She stopped and glared back at me. "If you shed all over my comforter, I'm locking my door at night." She got out of bed. "With an eyehook."

I lifted my head in surprise as she stomped from the room. Her threat didn't worry me. I could get past an eyehook. No, my surprise was that she'd just openly accepted me sleeping in the same bed. Granted, she'd been angry about it. Still, it was a sign she was already coming around. I wanted to grin and shout. Instead, I listened to Rachel ask if Gabby wanted coffee.

I perked up, ready to catch Gabby's answer.

"No. I'm more of a milk or orange juice person."

I listened to Gabby join Rachel in the kitchen. Should I join them? Had I given her enough time to cool down?

"Going to work?" Gabby asked.

"Yep. Sorry to leave you on your own so soon. I'll be back around five. If you need anything, just call my cell. If I don't answer, leave a message, and I'll get back to you," Rachel said. "Oh, when I went to bed, Clay whined at your door, so I let him in. Hope that was okay..."

There was a notable pause. See, I thought to Gabby. Rachel let me in. I hoped Gabby would let go of just a little of her anger.

"Yeah, that's fine," Gabby said.

I could hear the lie in her words.

"Have you thought of taking him to a vet?" Gabby asked.

I groaned and let my head drop to the bed, missing Rachel's answer. Going to the vet didn't bother me; Gabby's stab at revenge did. I felt our connection and knew she did too. How could she so completely ignore it?

"Talk to you tonight," Rachel said.

The back door closed, and I listened to Gabby walk toward me. I didn't move, just watched the doorway for her.

"First," she said as soon as she appeared, "I'd like to clarify that this does not qualify as getting to know each other. Second, you smell like wet dog. If you want to continue to sleep in my room, on my bed, you'll let Rachel give you a bath when she gets home."

I snorted. As if I'd let another woman touch me...more than she already had.

"Third, once I'm awake, you get out. I know what you are, and I am not changing in front of you."

I couldn't hold back my grin on that one. I hadn't even given changing a thought.

Not willing to give her a reason to bar me from her room, I hopped off the bed and gave her the privacy she wanted. Sitting just outside her door, I listened to her move around. Because of a rustling of material, I knew she made the bed. The sound of drawers opening and a zipper told me she was dressing. What would she want to do today now that we were alone? She obviously had getting to know each other on her mind.

The door opened, and she froze when she saw me.

"What are you doing?"

I thought it pretty obvious. Waiting.

She walked around me and went to the kitchen. I followed her and watched her grab a key. She moved to the door, and I trailed her. She stopped and looked at me.

"I'm going for a walk, and you're staying here," she said.

We'd never get to know one another that way. I growled my disagreement. There was no menace in it, but her scent turned sour with fear, anyway.

"Please don't do that. Unless you really _are_ trying to scare me."

Frustrated, I stopped making the sound.

"And don't crab at me. I'm not the unlicensed dog without a leash. Do you want me to talk Rachel into buying a pink collar for you?"

Pink? Hell, yes. I chuckled, her threat only reminding me of her swimsuit. Rather than have a standoff that would only upset her more, I turned and walked into the living room. I'd let her have a head start and then follow her.

"See you later," she said from the door.

I watched her walk past the picture window. She never even looked back. I went to the back door, shifted my paw just enough to open it, then closed the door behind me and followed her at a distance.

The walk wasn't bad, but I didn't like the attention she received from the men she passed. I kept quiet about it and continued to watch from a healthy distance. Once she reached a cluster of brick buildings, she turned around. I darted behind a parked car and watched as she retraced her steps.

She stopped at a store and reemerged carrying several bags. They looked heavy, and I wished I could help her. Based on all our previous interactions, I knew how she would respond. Negatively. So, I watched her struggle until we were a block from home, then I darted through the backyards to arrive before her.

I lay on the porch and listened to her steps as she shuffled up the drive.

"Nice to know you can let yourself out," she said as she passed me. She nudged open the door and kicked it closed behind her before I even stood.

I barked loudly and watched her through the door as her shoulders fell in a sigh. But she turned and let me in.

"What? Can't let yourself back in?"

She went to the table and reached into one of the bags.

"Look what I got you." She pulled out a small bag of dog food.

I gave a playful growl, hoping it wouldn't scare her again.

"You want to look like a normal dog don't you? Well...as normal as a dog your size can look, anyway." She set the bag of food on the floor next to my bowl of water, which I refused to look at, and went back to unpacking.

"These are for you," she said, holding up soap and a toothbrush. "You have two choices. You can use them when Rachel's gone, or you can wait until she's back, and I'm sure she'd be happy to help you."

She really thought I smelled? I'd thought she'd said it just because I'd annoyed her. Embarrassed, I stood and left the kitchen. As soon as I cleared the arch, I shifted into a man and walked into the bathroom. I knew how to shower. I'd used a bathroom at the Compound.

A startled yelp told me Gabby had followed me. My lips twitched. Serves her right. A bar of soap and toothbrush clattered to the floor a second before the door slammed shut.

"You could have waited until I put the stuff in there," her muffled voice came through the door.

I bent, picked up the soap, and set the toothbrush on the counter. Then I turned on the shower. I knew better than to step right in, so I waited a minute for it to heat up. It only took one cold spray for a guy to learn his lesson.

Standing under the water, I went to work with the soap. I bathed regularly but always as a wolf. Perhaps that made a difference? It hurt a little to know she didn't like my natural scent, and I reminded myself I wasn't dealing with one of my kind. The rules changed with a human. I knew that. All of us knew the rules.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.

"I have a towel for you," she said, her words muffled by the door. "If you're still in the shower, I can open the door and toss it on the toilet seat. Okay?"

The water was still running, where else would I be?

"Okay, I'm coming in."

The door slowly opened. I listened to her throw the towel on the toilet and waited for the door to close again.

"My toothpaste is the one marked with the pink nail polish on the cap. I'll let you use it as long as you promise not to squeeze the tube from the middle."

I was already taking a shower, and she was setting rules about squeezing from the middle of the tube? Cupping my hands together, I gathered a good amount of water and tossed it over the curtain. The woman was cold, cruel, and picky. And I still wanted her.

She squeaked.

"You're cleaning that up."

Finally, the door closed.

I sighed and went back to scrubbing. I washed my hair twice and sniffed myself. I reeked like the soap she'd given me. Hopefully she liked the smell. I turned off the water, pulled back the curtain, and reached for the towel.

After drying, I picked up her tube of paste and correctly squeezed it from the end. Then, I scrubbed my teeth until I foamed like a rabid dog. Rinsing, I wondered what she'd have me doing next.

I set the toothbrush back on the counter, tossed the towel to the floor, opened the door, and shifted to my fur.

She sat on the couch with a book raised high enough to block her view. I couldn't help but laugh. What was she so afraid of?

Padding across the room, I waited for her to look at me. She didn't. I hopped up on the couch.

"Don't get too comfortable," she said, relaxing her hold on the book. "I don't know Rachel's rules about pets on the furniture."

She shifted her position, curling her legs under her, then leaned over to sniff me.

My heart stopped, and I held myself still. She'd moved toward me. She'd wanted to sniff me. The embarrassment over her request that I bathe left, and I waited for her reaction.

"Much better," she said, straightening.

Approval. I wanted to laugh and hug her. Instead, I watched her. Did she realize what she'd just done?

She turned back to her book, oblivious, and I wanted to growl in frustration. After a while, I calmed down and started reading over her shoulder. That was one human thing my father had insisted I learn. Their words. I needed to know them, speak them, and read them to keep myself safe.

So I sat beside her for hours, reading until her stomach rumbled.

She stood, and I hoped like hell she wouldn't pour me a bowl of dog food. If she did, I'd change in front of her again and raid the fridge for myself. As she walked past the bathroom, she paused and stared down at my towel.

"Next time, fold it over the edge of the tub," she said.

If I had hands, I would have run them through my hair. The only thing I'd done right since arriving was using soap. It was depressing.

She went to the kitchen and started putting together two sandwiches. I stayed out of her way but watched her closely. Each deliberate move held a subtle grace that highlighted her calm beauty. Though I told myself I watched her to learn more about it, the truth was that I just liked to watch her. Seeing her soothed me.

"I'm guessing your bowl of dog food will always be full," she said as she set a plate with a sandwich on the floor.

I glanced at the sandwich she'd made for me. The simple meal meant she was continuing to acknowledge the man within me. She sat at the table, completely unaware that she'd given me hope again. I ate my sandwich in two bites.

"So, we have a week before my classes start up. What's your plan?"

Plan? I tilted my head to study her.

"Did you want to try to enroll in any classes? Study anything?"

The only thing I wanted to study was her. I lay down and stared at my plate. So far, the information I'd gathered didn't amount to much.

"Okay...well, if you change your mind, let me know."

She washed our dishes then went back to reading. I waited for her to get comfortable then joined her on the couch. She didn't seem to mind when I leaned against her and read over her shoulder. In fact, when she read, she didn't seem to notice me at all.

Was that a good thing or a bad thing? For now, I figured it was good. If she didn't notice me, she couldn't object to me. Later, well, I hoped with enough time she wouldn't want to ignore me.

* * * *

Several hours and another dry ham sandwich later, I stood by my bowl. It was in line of sight of the couch, and I was thirsty. But thirsty enough to drink from the bowl where Gabby would see? I wasn't sure.

Outside, I heard a car pull into the driveway. A door opened. Steps thumped on the deck. Then the door swung open, and Rachel swept in. She threw her keys on the counter, and her eyes zeroed in on me. This couldn't be good.

In her left hand, she held a collar and a leash.

Hell, no.

Rachel knelt in front of me with a smile. I narrowed my eyes at her, and when she tried to wrap her arms around my neck, I dodged.

"Come on," she said softly, trying to wrangle me.

I kept moving.

"Just hold still."

Not likely, woman.

She heaved a sigh and sat back on her heels to stare at me.

I'd been kicked out, ignored, poorly fed—two sandwiches were a snack in my mind—told I stunk, and now Rachel wanted to collar me. Not happening.

"This is a joke," she said.

Gabby laughed from the doorway, surprising me. I glanced at her and saw her amusement. When Rachel tried again, I ducked under her arms. Gabby grinned wider and met my gaze.

"Here." She held out her hand to Rachel. "I'll try."

"Good luck," Rachel said with a chuckle as she got off her knees and handed over the collar.

I watched Gabby closely as she approached.

"It was the biggest collar they had," Rachel said. "I don't even know if it fits. He wouldn't let me get close enough."

Gabby knelt in front of me, still clearly amused.

"Clay, if you want to be able to go anywhere with us, you need a collar we can clip a leash on. Not just the twine you have holding your tag around your neck."

Did that mean she wouldn't try to leave me behind again? I was still debating if I could put up with a collar when she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around my neck. I held still and closed my eyes. She could do whatever she wanted as long as she kept touching me. Her light movement brushed over my fur, and I barely held back a shiver.

"At least it's not pink," she said with a pat, and I realized she'd already removed my tags and collared me.

She stood quickly and turned away.

"Hey, I wouldn't do that to him," Rachel said with a laugh. "No pink for our man. I don't know why he sat still for you and not me."

Rachel came toward me and bent to kiss the top of my head. I sighed.

"He's moody," Gabby said, meeting my gaze.

Me? Moody? I gazed after her as she left the kitchen. Would I ever understand her?

# Chapter 7

Rachel stood, and I huffed a relieved sigh. She was too fond of rubbing my fur. I hoped Gabby would eventually come around and stand up for me.

"Hey, Gabby," Rachel called as she walked to her room. "Want to go out with me tonight? Girl's night out? Hit a few clubs?"

My head snapped up, and I strained to hear Gabby's answer from the bedroom. She had better say no or she'd have a wolf trailing her, causing mass hysteria.

"Um, thanks for the offer, but I think I'll stay here. I want to be sure I'm settled before school starts."

I heaved a relieved sigh.

"All right," Rachel said. "I just didn't want you to feel like I'm abandoning you. I hate staying home, and when I'm not working, I like to go out. If you ever want to come with, just say."

Not happening.

"Sure."

Gabby's half-hearted answer reassured me. I sighed and went back to contemplating my bowl. Now that I had a collar, I really didn't want to drink like a dog.

Rachel reemerged dressed in a short skirt that barely peeked out from under her jacket. Where was she going dressed like that? And she'd wanted Gabby to go with her? I'd drink out of the bowl and start eating dog food before I let Gabby go out like that.

Rachel patted me on the head on her way out the back door. I lingered in the kitchen, listening to her get into her car and drive off. Then, silence held the house. Had Gabby gone to bed? Taking a chance, I shifted, went to the sink, and got myself a glass of water.

Would Gabby remember she'd said I could join her? I finished my drink, set the cup aside, then hesitated. If she didn't remember, she'd kick me out. Better to wait until she slept and not push her.

I shifted back into my fur and waited fifteen minutes then quietly padded to Gabby's door. It wasn't shut all the way, a sign she'd remembered. I smiled. Maybe she wasn't as opposed to me as she seemed.

I pushed the door open with my nose and jumped up on the end of the bed. Inhaling her scent, I settled into my designated spot. With some luck, I wouldn't be at the end of the bed much longer.

* * * *

"Get out," Gabby said as soon as she woke.

Her less than charitable tone let me know she wasn't as close to coming around as I'd hoped. With a quiet sigh, I hopped off the bed and exited the room. The house was quiet since Rachel had already left. That woman barely slept.

I settled on the couch to wait for Gabby and whatever she had planned for the day.

When Gabby emerged, she passed me without acknowledgment then wandered around the house for a bit. She'd seemed bored, a state of existence I understood well, so I stayed out of her way. After only a few minutes, she shut herself in her room again, which I found odd.

Inside her room, I heard the faint sound of a zipper and the rustle of clothes. I hopped off the couch and moved closer to the door, trying to listen. She was changing? She'd just gotten dressed.

I'd barely sat down to wait when the door swung open. Gabby, wearing her swimsuit, stood within the doorway. My gut clenched at the sight of her pale limbs and smooth stomach, and I thanked whatever thought had inspired her to change. My mouth went dry as I studied every inch of her. I itched to touch her again, to hold her in my arms.

With effort, I lifted my gaze. Did she know how much I loved that suit? Had she changed just for me? Her wide eyes and the livid blush that stained her cheeks gave me my answer. She hadn't.

She stepped back and slammed the door. Too late, I realized I'd screwed up by openly showing my interest in her. I wanted to yowl my frustration, but I kept quiet. We were learning each other. We were bound to make mistakes. Patience. I just needed patience.

When she reemerged wearing shorts and a bitty top, she ignored me and marched out the back door. I followed cautiously and watched her disappear into the garage. A minute later, she pushed the lawn mower out.

She bent to check a few things and push a button. I only gave what she did half my attention. The rest of my focus remained on the curve of her backside.

She yanked back on a cord, and the mower started with an annoying roar. Too soon, the air filled with its stink. But the view of Gabby's legs as she pushed the machine back and forth made the smell endurable.

When she finished, she cast an annoyed glance my direction. She didn't like me eyeing her in her suit; now, she didn't like me watching her mow the lawn. What did she expect me to do? Frustrated, I ducked into the house and took another shower to cool off and to wash the exhaust from my skin.

I dried myself, correctly draped the towel over the edge of the tub, then opened the door a crack. Shifting to my fur, I nudged the door open further and wandered out to look for her.

She sat on the couch reading again. I padded across the room and jumped up next to her. This time, I didn't earn a sniff. Disappointed, I settled in for another long, hungry morning and afternoon.

She barely moved or acknowledged me the entire time. The only highlight to the day was the end of it...and the memory of her in her swimsuit. Yeah, that image wasn't ever going to leave me.

Gabby went to bed, and I waited again, unsure of my welcome. But I found her door unlatched and sighed in relief. How could I feel so hopeful and dejected at the same time?

I hopped up on the bed and stared down at her.

The need to touch her clawed at me. Quietly, I shifted into my human skin and shivered slightly as I moved from the end of the bed to lie beside her. Carefully, I eased myself onto my side. I didn't dare slide under the covers. Face to face, I watched her sleep; ever so carefully, I brushed a fingertip along her cheek. Her soft skin begged for more, but I withdrew my hand.

She confused me and seemed cold at times, but she was mine. Eventually, she'd come to terms with that.

I inhaled deeply, breathing in her scent, and closed my eyes.

* * * *

A change in her breathing woke me. I quickly shifted to my fur before she caught me in her bed without clothes on. That wouldn't end well for me.

Her eyes snapped open and locked onto me.

"Now, just hold on," she said. "You're a dog. Act like one. Fur stays at the foot of the bed."

I pretended to mind as I moved to the end of the bed, staring at her the whole time, but I didn't. I was too grateful she hadn't caught me sleeping naked next to her.

"Don't give me your doleful eyes. This is your choice, not mine."

Wait. Did that mean—

"Not that you'd get to sleep next to me in your skin, either. So, don't even think about it."

We were starting to think alike, I thought with a grin.

"If you don't like the end of the bed, you can always sleep on the floor."

The floor? No. My spot was beside her. I just needed to help her figure that out.

After she kicked me out so she could dress, she joined me in the kitchen and spent a lot of time staring at the newspaper. While she did that, I considered what I could do to help her see me as her Mate. An unlocked door at night was a good start. I wanted more than that. I wanted to be the one she talked to when she was upset, the one she came to for comfort, the one to hold her for the rest of her life—

She stood suddenly, jarring me from my thoughts. When she moved to get her house key and her bag, I quickly got to my feet and waited by the door.

She scowled down at me but I didn't flinch away from her gaze. I wore the degrading collar. She wouldn't be leaving without me. For good measure, I shook my neck to jingle my tags.

Sighing, she reached for the leash and clipped it on. I gloated. On the inside.

As soon as we were outside, she pulled a phone from her pocket and dialed a number. I listened to her conversation and found out she wanted to go see a car.

I agreed she needed one. That forty-minute walk to those brick buildings, where she planned to take classes, was too long for her to make each day. There were too many men along the way. Plus, it would get colder. A car would help keep her away from men and out of the cold.

Side by side, we made our way to the address the man had given her. The place wasn't hard to find. An old car sat parked on the front lawn. Gabby paused on the sidewalk, studying the vehicle. It wasn't any worse than what I often saw at the Compound.

"Hello," a man called from the garage.

I swung my gaze to the man as he stepped out and walked toward us. He seemed average height for a human. Middle aged and carrying a bit of extra weight, as they tended to do. He barely glanced at me as he approached. His fixated stare at Gabby made my fur bristle.

"I'm Howard. You called about the car?"

"I did," she said, and without giving her name, she turned toward the car before he could offer his hand. Smart girl.

I lingered, watching her back as she moved away.

"It's a decent car for the price," he said, moving past her and popping the hood. She peeked inside, and he moved close to her. Too close.

I nudged him aside and jumped up, bracing my paws on the front end. The man yipped like a startled pup but backed away as I wanted. Ignoring him, I stared at the engine, comparing what I saw to Sam's truck. I nodded to myself. It looked similar.

"I'll take it," Gabby said.

Just like that? She had too much trust in people. He hadn't even told her much about the car. It didn't seem to matter to her, though.

"Do you have the title ready to sign over?"

"Sure. Let me run inside."

A few minutes later, I contorted myself to sit in the very cramped passenger seat as we drove away.

The car needed a good cleaning. It reeked of stale smoke.

* * * *

The rest of the week followed a very similar pattern. She read a lot, made a trip to purchase more books—I rode along and dutifully waited in the car—then she started to read those, too.

Some of the subjects were interesting. Woman's literature fascinated me. It wasn't the context but the concept. A whole class just about women's books and the impact they had on the world. Did they have a men's literature?

Monday, when she grabbed her keys, I jumped to follow her to the door.

"Your license only wins you so much freedom. Dogs aren't allowed on campus and definitely not in the classroom."

I growled. There was no way she was going to that place full of men without me.

"Clay, I'm putting up with you in my house and on my bed. Don't push this."

Her tone and scent had me backing off. I wouldn't push. A ride in the car would have been convenient, but I could just as easily follow her on foot.

* * * *

I jumped onto the couch with a sigh and flopped down. I now understood why humans hated Mondays. The campus had been chaos, and following Gabby had been impossible. Security had chased me off the grounds, then chased me again when I returned.

I needed clothes, I needed to blend, and I needed to shower before Gabby came home, which could be any time. Her schedule remained a mystery to me. Lifting my head, I glanced out the window. I hadn't wanted to leave the campus yet, but wasn't given a choice. The last security guard had fired a pellet gun at me.

A familiar car pulled into the driveway, and I huffed a sigh. I'd forgotten about Rachel. So much for a shower.

"Clay," she called as soon as she opened the door.

I stood and jogged to her just so she wouldn't keep yelling.

"Hey, bud! Look what I brought you."

She opened her foam container and showed me a half-eaten burger. It almost made up for her attempt to get Gabby to go out with her. She set it on the floor, and I wolfed it down. The bacon on the burger made me want to groan. I hadn't eaten anything since leaving the house.

"You sure are hungry." She glanced at the dish. "Don't you like your food?"

Nope, but I'd have to remember to get rid of it every now and again so Rachel wouldn't worry about it.

"I wonder when Gabby's coming home..." She stepped to the fridge and lifted the top few layers of paper held to the side by a magnetic clip.

"Today's a late one."

As I swallowed the last bite, I realized she was looking at Gabby's schedule. Rachel glanced at me.

"Stay home and hang out with you or go out?"

Go out. Go out.

"What do you think?"

I turned my back to her, trotted to Gabby's room, and hopped up on the end of the bed, hopefully making it clear I didn't want to hang out with Rachel.

She peeked into the room and grinned at me. "I don't get why you like her so much. She doesn't feed you good stuff like I do. Better remember that."

She didn't seem mad or offended by my preference. Only amused. She went to her room, and I listened to her change. The woman rarely closed her door.

A few minutes later, I heard her leave her room and walk to the kitchen.

"Clay. Come on, Clay. Time to go out."

The indignities I suffered. I hopped off the bed and dutifully went outside. She watched me through the door this time. Who watched like that? I strode behind the shed, stood there for a suitable amount of time, then returned to the yard. She opened the door as soon as she saw me.

"You're such a good boy," she said, scratching my head. "I'll bring you a treat when I come home."

I wouldn't lie to myself. The food treats tempted me.

As soon as her car pulled out of the driveway, I shifted to my skin and looked at Gabby's schedule. She wouldn't be home for a while yet.

With a sigh, I went to take a quick shower, then waited for her on the couch.

* * * *

Just before I grew bored enough to start chewing on the table legs, I heard her car in the driveway. I hopped off the couch and hurried to the back door. Seeing her again made my chest ache. How could I miss someone I didn't understand or know?

She didn't acknowledge me when she stepped inside. She let her bag drop to the floor with a thump and moved to the fridge.

"I'm starving." She wasn't talking to me, but herself.

I stayed out of her way as she moved about, grabbing what she needed to make two sandwiches. She absently handed me one when she finished and stuck hers in her mouth, freeing her hands so she could carry her bag to her room. I quickly chomped my food down before she made it to the arch and followed her. Did she even realize I was here?

I wasn't expecting her to feel the way I did, but her complete indifference hurt.

In her room, she tiredly kicked off her shoes and set her bag on the mattress. She took a bite of her sandwich with one hand and started to read one of her books. Her gaze didn't leave the pages as she eased onto the bed and curled her legs under her, getting comfortable.

Hopping up on the bed, I joined her. She didn't flinch at all as I curled up beside her. In fact, she didn't do anything but read for a long time.

Eventually, she started to yawn.

"Come on, Clay. Out. I need to change." A yawn punctuated her request.

Suppressing a sigh, I hopped off the bed and left the room. When she opened the door again, I waited until I heard her get into bed before joining her. The soft rhythm of her breathing changed within minutes, letting me know she slept.

The next day followed the same routine. She woke, kicked me out, and left for class. I followed her to campus to make sure the piece of junk car didn't break down on the way, then went home to wait for her.

I was beginning to see why other people had made decisions for her. Her choice to go to college didn't seem like a smart one. It was boring as hell. But, I was near her, and if reading all the time made her happy...I sighed. I would just need to accept it.

Though I would have rather held her attention, I didn't mind watching her read. Observing her, I began to learn her body language. When she read something that confused her, she chewed her lip. When she read something interesting, she wrote it down. When she doubted what she read, she pulled out another book to see what that said. She often became so engrossed she forgot to drink anything at night; and she always studied until she yawned for the third time.

My time alone in the house was much harder to endure. I chafed at the situation, wishing I knew what to do to integrate myself into her life. Desperation drove me to pick up one of her textbooks. Maybe understanding what she read would give me insight into why she read it and her life. Instead, I quickly discovered why she went to bed after the third yawn.

Once I grew tired, the words tended to swim around in my head and made very little sense. I managed two chapters of biology before I closed that book and moved on to a different one. I picked at random from her dresser.

When she came home that night, she tossed me a sandwich, like she had the night before, and went to her room. She seemed to notice I'd moved her books around. I watched her study them, wondering if I'd upset her. She didn't say anything, though, just picked one up and started reading.

The next day she didn't come home with her usual distracted air.

"Hey, Clay," she called as she pushed through the door.

I stood abruptly from my normal waiting spot near the stove, wondering why she needed me. The movement drew her attention, and she looked at me with a slight smile on her face. My heart leapt at the sight. Was she actually happy to see me?

"Brought you something," she said.

The fact that she'd thought of me while she was out made me want to grin. My patience was paying off. I was sure of it.

Then, she pulled three books from her bag and set them on the table. Books? She'd brought me books? Of course she did. She read constantly, and had given me something that meant a great deal to her.

I eyed the titles. Books about plants and wildlife. Though I doubted they contained anything I didn't already know, I turned to Gabby, trying to figure out how to thank her for thinking of me. But she was already digging in the fridge, my moment of attention already gone. With a sigh, I waited, ready to accept my sandwich and follow her to her room.

That night, after she and Rachel went to sleep, I went to the kitchen, grabbed one of my books, and stayed up late reading. As I thought, the book didn't offer anything new; but it was better than her textbooks.

The following morning, after I returned from campus, I tried to continue reading but grew frustrated. The books were fine. The waiting at home wasn't. I wanted to walk with her to each class and face the men there as a man. Though she seemed to tolerate me, I didn't think she was ready to accept me openly. I needed to find a way to make myself useful, a way for her to need me.

Giving up on reading, I stared out the window. What could I offer her that she would need? She didn't seem to need or want a man's attention or affection. I recalled her sigh last night when we'd run out of ham. She needed someone to bring her food. Unless she liked fresh rabbit—which I doubted was the case—I needed money and a job to provide for her.

A car drove past, and I smiled.

If Gabby was willing to bring me books, maybe I could teach myself enough about cars to be useful to her. The rusted thing she drove would need attention eventually.

That night, after she went to sleep, I eased off the bed and shifted to my skin. I tore a page from one of her notebooks and picked up a pen. With the pen against the paper, I hesitated. How should I start? How would I end? Love, Clay? I sighed, looked at her curled under the covers, and knew I needed to keep it simple for both our sakes. She wasn't ready for even a hint of what I felt for her. The brief encounter with her in her swimsuit proved that.

I wrote the word _mechanics,_ then leaned the paper against the stack of books she'd brought me. Hopefully, she'd understand.

* * * *

As soon as she moved, I was awake. I held myself still as she sat up and brushed her hair out of her face. She looked over at the dresser, as if sensing something was out of place, and got out of bed. She picked up the note, stared at it for a moment, then turned to glare at me.

"So you can write words to me, just not speak them?"

I wanted to cringe. I hadn't considered that.

"Whatever. You're going to get caught creeping around the house at night."

However, when she returned home, she had several books on mechanics and one on do-it-yourself home repairs.

# Chapter 8

Gabby was deep in thought as she read next to me on our bed. Since bringing me the books on mechanics, time with Gabby had become more special. She had seen right away that I couldn't turn the pages on my own and told me to nudge her when I needed a flip. She'd unknowingly given me permission to touch her. And over the past week, I'd read fast and brushed my nose against her bare leg as often as I could.

Tonight, her scent clouded my senses, and I swam in my own paradise as she sat beside me. I didn't mind that she didn't seem to notice me because I knew what was happening. She was accepting not only my presence but me, too.

Though I'd already decided to learn more about mechanics to help her, her acceptance pushed me harder to learn faster. I needed a way to show her what she meant to me. What her acceptance meant to me.

So I absorbed the information on the pages. The basics of an engine were easy to grasp, but the practical application was a bit harder. I couldn't work on her car during the day, mostly because she was gone at school, and partially because I knew she wasn't yet ready to see me as a man. So at night, I carefully used her car as a test subject with the tools I'd procured here and there from the neighbors.

Soon, I moved from the engine basics to a deeper understanding of the subsystems and the hi-tech tools needed to troubleshoot them.

I was reading about those tools when I heard a car pull into the drive and another pull in front of the house. Lifting my head, I listened to Rachel's familiar step as she walked down the drive. Then, she was speaking to someone.

I nudged Gabby, and she automatically turned my page for me. I smiled and was tempted to kiss her for her consideration but decided to nudge her again. The second nudge broke through her concentration. She finally looked up and met my gaze. I looked pointedly at the closed bedroom door. We both heard the front door open and Rachel speaking.

"...and this is where I live. Please have a seat, and I'll change quickly. My roommate and our dog should be around here somewhere."

"No rush," a man answered. "Our reservation isn't until six."

Gabby looked at me, her eyes wide and her scent clouding with worry. Why would it worry her that Rachel brought a man home? I didn't care for it either; but after seeing the way Rachel dressed when she went out, I'd known it would be inevitable.

Rachel knocked on Gabby's door, and Gabby jumped slightly. Her behavior puzzled me. Gabby rushed to close the book in front of me and called, "Come in."

The words were barely out of Gabby's mouth when Rachel walked in still wearing her clothes from her job at the hospital. She reeked of chemicals and sickness. Though she smiled, her flushed cheeks had me worrying. Gabby wasn't like me; she could get sick. I hoped Rachel stayed back until she washed.

"There you are," Rachel said, closing the door. "Come meet Peter." She walked closer to Gabby and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Don't kill me, but he has a friend without a date tonight, and I said I had a friend without a date tonight...please come with."

A what? I turned to stare at Gabby, who groaned. Anxiety drifted from her. I didn't know what a date meant, but Gabby didn't seem to like it. The fact that Rachel had brought a man home and now wanted Gabby to leave with her, worried me.

"Don't do this to me, Rachel. This won't end well, and you'll probably never forgive me."

"Come on...please?" Rachel said as she sat on the bed next to Gabby. "I really like this one."

Frustratingly ignorant, my confused gaze bounced between the two women.

"That's the problem. Remember what I said? It's always a guy who ruins a friendship."

I didn't remember that conversation, but Rachel seemed to. Not that it appeared to stop her from begging.

"I don't want to go out tonight," Gabby said softly, desperation changing her tone.

Go out. I knew that term. That meant leaving dressed in short skirts. I glared at Rachel. No amount of leftovers would atone for this.

Gabby glanced at me, then gave me a nudge. Was the nudge because I was glaring or because she wanted me to bite Rachel? I was willing to bite.

"I like having a friend," Gabby said.

Something in her tone stopped my glare, and I turned to study her. Gabby held herself back from people. I'd witnessed that over the summer and when I'd followed her to school. Yet, she wasn't that way with Rachel. She relaxed around her. I'd noticed that right away. Could it be that Gabby was as lonely as me?

"If he hits on you, then it wasn't meant to be. Don't worry so much," Rachel said with a smile.

Rachel pulled Gabby off the bed, and I hopped down, sticking close to Gabby. I wasn't sure what they'd decided. Were they going out or was Rachel just introducing Gabby to the man in the living room?

In the living room, a man with light hair and light brown eyes sat on the couch. He stood as soon as he saw the women. Or, rather, Rachel. His gaze didn't waver from her, the scent of his attraction flooding the air.

Good. He could have Rachel. Not her leftovers, though. Those were still mine for putting up with the damn collar.

Rachel stepped aside and introduced Gabby, whose anxiety spiked a moment before it disappeared. The man met Gabby's gaze, politely nodded, and went back to staring adoringly at Rachel.

I studied Gabby as she exhaled in relief. What had she expected from the man?

Rachel was saying something as she inched her way to the arch, but I didn't really hear her words until she said, "Tell her about Scott." I whipped my gaze to Rachel, who had already disappeared around the corner to her bedroom.

Beside me, Gabby's fading anxiety flared with an edge toward panic. I glanced at the man, but he was still where he'd been, staring at the empty arch where Rachel had been, obviously infatuated with her. Who was Scott, and why the panic from Gabby?

Gabby made a small noise that drew Peter out of his daze.

He cleared his throat and looked at Gabby. She took a soft, deep breath. Nothing he could hear, but I did. She was trying to calm herself. I wished I understood what was upsetting her.

"Nice to meet you, Gabby."

"You too," she said, sounding normal. "Want to sit?"

She motioned him to the couch and took the chair for herself.

Continuing to observe her, I lay on the floor between them. As if sensing my attention, she glanced at me and then back up at the man.

"This is Clay," she said.

I turned and found Peter staring at me.

"He's huge," he said.

"Yeah. So, who's Scott?" Gabby said, asking what I wanted to know, too.

Peter looked back up at Gabby. "Oh, a friend of mine. He's also in med school. We had plans to go to O'Donell's tonight for dinner and a drink or two. Then, I ran into Rachel and invited her to join us. We thought it'd be more fun if you could come, too."

A date meant meeting another man? Not happening. I looked to Gabby, waiting for her to say no, but Rachel came back into the room just then, dressed in a skirt so short I could see her underwear if I wanted to look.

"Of course you will, won't you, Gabby?"

There was a silent exchange between the two that had both wearing a pleading look.

"Okay," Gabby said slowly, giving in. "But I need to be home early enough to let Clay out."

What? I was too stunned to react.

"I'm sure he'll be fine for that little while." Rachel waved her hand dismissively at me, and I made a choked noise. What had just happened?

"Go get dressed," Rachel said, waving Gabby toward her room.

Gabby stood, ready to listen to Rachel, the short skirt queen. Gabby's willingness finally broke my control. There was no way she was leaving with Rachel and love-boy to meet up with some other guy.

I stood and rushed to block Gabby from entering her room. She eyed me and tried to step around me, but I cut her off.

Rachel laughed. "Come here, Clay. Come here and let Gabby get ready." She squatted down and patted her leg. She was lucky I didn't have fingers at the moment.

Ignoring Rachel, I continued to block Gabby. She had to understand. I wasn't okay with this.

"I've never seen him act like this," Rachel said.

Because I'd never been this angry with her and Gabby. I almost bared my teeth. Only Gabby's considering gaze kept me sane.

"I'm surprised you have such a wild looking dog," the man said. "It seems too big compared to the house...and the two of you."

Gabby shook her head ever so slightly and dropped to her knees in front of me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me. My pulse stuttered with her mouth so close to my neck. I forgot to breathe, but lack of air wasn't what made my chest ache and my gut clench.

Bite me, I pleaded silently. Show them I'm yours and you're mine.

Instead, she spoke softly near my ear.

"I'm not crazy about the idea either, but you have to let me go and stop acting weird."

Have to? No. I didn't have to.

She pulled back.

"Ready to be good, Clay?" She stood and scratched me behind the ear...just as a pet owner would do.

The pain in my chest grew worse, and I turned, went to her room, and jumped up on the end of her bed. She followed me in, closed the door, and folded her arms. An edge of anxiety lingered in her scent, warring with her growing anger.

"I am not changing in front of you."

Exactly. I grinned at her and lay on the blanket. Her eyes narrowed on me for a moment, then she shrugged.

"Fine. I'll change in the bathroom."

She turned and pretended to study the clothes hanging in the closet. She was bluffing. She had to be. But why? Did she want me to be jealous? I already was. The idea of the hours she spent around men while on campus each day nearly drove me insane. She didn't need to add a date. What did she have to prove? She already owned me. I was here, in the human world, trying to figure out how to blend into her life, trying to make us work. What more did she want from me?

Gabby reached for a skirt just as short as the one Rachel wore. Not in this lifetime. I growled.

"Zip it." She grabbed some kind of silky top. It had more material than the skirt.

She really meant to go. I sat up and started to vent.

If you're trying to make me jealous, it worked. Put it down. You're not going anywhere, especially wearing any of that.

Of course, all she heard was barking. Still, it felt good to actually say something to her.

She spun toward me, her eyes wide with shock.

"What the hell, Clay? Cut it out."

Like hell. You know you belong to me. I'm trying to be patient but this is asking too much. You can't go to dinner with another man while feeding me dog food and making me drink out of a bowl.

Rachel burst in without knocking, and the man right behind her. I stood and yelled at both of them.

Get out and take your man-boy with you.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked, her gaze bouncing between me and Gabby.

As if she didn't know. I growled and barked nonsense just because I was so pissed at the way things were turning out.

"Nothing," Gabby said, yelling over me. "Just give me a few minutes to calm him down, okay?"

Calm me down? I stopped barking and glared at the three of them. Gabby walked toward me with the clothes still under one arm. I growled at them, and she faltered. A hint of fear drifted to me, and I immediately felt guilty.

"Uh, I'm not so sure you should do that right now," Peter said.

I will jump off this bed and mark you if you don't leave now.

"Enough," Gabby said forcefully, her voice echoing in the small room.

I snapped my mouth closed but bared my teeth at the man.

Gabby gave me a hard look, then turned toward the pair.

"I'm fine. Thank you. Just give me a few minutes to change."

Once they left, shutting the door behind them, Gabby closed her eyes and took a slow breath as if she were the angry one. I couldn't believe it.

When she turned to look at me, I glared at her. Sure, I'd known she hadn't wanted me here, but I thought she understood our connection. I hadn't been searching for a Mate. I hadn't wanted her any more than she'd wanted me. No, that wasn't quite true. I'd never hoped for a Mate because I thought it impossible for someone like me. I had no pack, no family, no way to offer protection and safety other than with my teeth and claws. Just because I hadn't hoped for a Mate didn't mean I didn't want one. I wanted her. Badly. Why couldn't she see that?

"Will you bite me if I sit next to you, Clay?"

I snorted and the rest of my anger left me. She was just as lost as I was. I needed to remember that. I sat back down and waited.

"You know I don't understand dog, right?"

Which was a good thing.

"It'd be so much easier if you just told me what was wrong."

She finally turned to face me. When her gaze met mine, I saw the turmoil there. I'd done that. Regret pounded at me, and I wanted to shift so I could use my hand to cup her face and try to erase the mess of emotions sparking in her gaze. I wanted to kiss away any thought of meeting another man. How could she not know what was wrong? I sighed and nudged the clothes she still held.

"You don't like the clothes or that I'm going out?"

All of it, I thought with a nod.

"You don't like both?"

I lay down on the mattress, glad we finally understood each other.

"You're really frustrating me, Clay."

What?

She moved to get up, and I growled, nowhere near ready to stop trying to communicate.

"Now, hold on..." She stood, turned, and put her hands on her hips as she eyed me with annoyance.

"I'm trying here, Clay, and you're not. So stop growling at me. Got it? And so what if I go out? Do you trust me so little? Have you not been paying attention? I'm not comfortable around guys. It's not as if I'm going to go out tonight and come back with a boyfriend or something. So, just chill out about your Claim, all right?"

So she did understand and meant to go anyway? I growled in frustration.

"We're not talking unMated males," she said softly. "They're just men."

I laughed in disbelief. Just men? All men, whether werewolf or human, were a threat to the tenuous hold I had on her.

I hopped off the bed and moved toward her. She stepped back, worry in her gaze, and I felt ashamed again. I'd done that. With my anger and impatience, I'd scared her.

"Sorry."

I could hear she meant it. I should be the one apologizing to her.

"Let me think, Clay."

She sat on the bed, and I watched her think for a moment.

"Can we compromise? I don't want to spend the entire year sitting at home with a possessive dog who won't talk to me."

I resented that she'd called me a dog, but I understood her point. If only she were ready to deal with me as a man and potential Mate.

"What if we went somewhere dog friendly? There's a bar with cute little bistro tables on the sidewalk. If you're on your leash, you could come."

Again with the dog reference. I turned around and faced the door so she could change. If she was set on going, I wasn't going to let her out of my sight for a second.

"Is that a yes? I'm taking that as a yes. If you turn around while I'm changing, I'm going to have you neutered."

I laughed at her threat. She was thinking of my—the soft rustle of material distracted me. I swallowed hard. She was changing. Right there behind me. A tremble raced down my spine. I ached to shift.

A slight movement caught my attention. I glanced up, and my world stopped. In the mirror, I watched her pull her shirt over her head. The thing she wore underneath was like her bathing suit but with slightly wider straps and in all white. Pure, like her. I wanted to touch her so badly I shook with need. She pulled a new top over her head, and suddenly, her gaze met mine in the mirror.

Give me a sign, I thought, and I'll change into a man to touch you. Just one sign.

"Hope it was worth it," she said. "You're on the couch tonight."

That wasn't what I'd hoped for.

She walked past me to open the door, and I saw she already wore the short skirt. She looked amazing. Sexy. I wanted to pull her back into the room and bar the door.

"All set, but can we change our plans?" she asked as she stepped out. "I think Clay was freaking out because he knows we're leaving. He's been left alone so much this week..."

Following closely behind Gabby, I didn't miss Peter's doubtful look. Rachel made pity noises and came at me. I narrowed my eyes at her, but she didn't seem to notice.

"What if we went to that bar with the bistro tables that you were telling me about?" Gabby asked.

"That'd be perfect. It's still nice enough out. Besides, I think this is the last week they do the outdoor dining. We should go before it's closed for the season."

Peter spoke up. "Are you sure he will be okay? He looked pretty aggressive in there."

Aggressive? That was nothing. I was ready to show him my teeth when Rachel's hand stilled on my head. She looked at Peter.

"He's never done that before. I think Gabby might be right. We've been leaving him alone a lot."

See, even your woman wants me along.

"I even forgot to let him out this morning before I left," she said.

Why did she have to go there?

"Let me grab my shoes," Gabby said. "I'll follow you guys in my car just in case I need to leave early."

"I'll let Scott know about the change in plans," Peter said.

It would be better if he didn't tell Scott about the change in plans. I hated Scott, and I didn't even know him. Somehow, I didn't think biting him at first sight would win me any points with Gabby.

"I'll let Clay out." Rachel got up and started calling to me. I glanced at Gabby, giving her my best is-she-serious look. Gabby's gaze held no pity.

"You know the drill. Go do dog business."

Patience, I reminded myself as I stood and left the room.

As soon as Rachel closed the door behind me, I went to the passenger side of the car and opened the door. I wished I had some clothes. If I did, I would've thrown them on and went with Gabby like I was supposed to. What would she do? Probably throw a fit. She was too willing to see me as a dog and not at all willing to see me as a man.

I sighed and waited for her. She stepped out a minute later, shaking her head at me. It seemed I was constantly disappointing her. She opened the door and got in.

"You're going to be seen doing stuff a dog shouldn't do."

A dog. Yep, that's how she saw me, and that knowledge ate at me.

"That or someone's going to call the cops because a naked man keeps popping up in my backyard."

And if I wasn't a dog, I was still a crazy man in her mind. I suppressed a defeated sigh. Couldn't she give me some hope?

"You okay?"

I looked at her, wondering if she could see my pain.

"Fine," she sighed when I didn't speak. "No growling, no biting, no barking. Pretty much no anything but acting like a passive, well-behaved dog." As she spoke, she backed out of the driveway and turned onto the street to follow Peter's car.

"I'm really nervous about this and don't want to worry about you, too."

So she'd guessed my plan to bite Scott? I heaved a sigh and looked out the window.

For the next few minutes, she just drove.

"Clay, you should know...men make me uncomfortable because of the way they act around me."

I turned to watch her.

"They usually start flirting or ask me on a date. Most girls would be flattered, but if you really pay attention, there's something unnatural about it. It's like they can't help themselves. And sometimes, after I tell them no enough, they walk away with...I don't know...a look. Like they've been caught doing something they're ashamed of. I just want to try for normal tonight, okay? It'll be hard enough being in a public place. You'll see. I just need to know you're not going to make it any harder on me."

She'd just told me men wouldn't leave her alone, then wanted a promise that I wouldn't react? Yeah, right. I went back to looking out the window, already knowing I'd do as she asked...because she'd asked.

She reached out and ran a hand lightly over my shoulder. My tension and anger left me with that single touch. She was my world. There wasn't anything I wouldn't do for her. Except give her up.

"Does it bother you when I pet you?"

Fear that she'd stop kept me from laughing. Instead, I curled up as tight as possible and shifted my position to lay my head in her lap. She laughed, a quiet husky sound that made me want to wrap my arms around her.

Too soon she pulled into a parking spot, and I had to sit up again. The calm I'd gained quickly fled. We were here so Rachel and her new friend could introduce Gabby to another man. I wanted to bare my teeth, but Gabby's increasing worry stopped me. She didn't want to be here, either. She'd said as much.

She snapped the leash on me and opened her door. I followed her out and stayed close to her side as we walked.

While Gabby talked to Rachel and the man-boy, I scanned ahead, looking for the man they meant Gabby to meet. He was hard to miss. As over groomed as a poodle, he stood near a table. I glanced at Gabby. She wouldn't be interested in that. Would she? She had remarked on my smell and seemed to like me better right after I groomed.

Gabby's step hitched the slightest bit as she noticed the man. Was that a sign of interest? Jealousy balled in my stomach. The man's smile changed as he caught sight of Gabby.

I could feel my hackles rising and tried to calm down. A light touch, Gabby's hand on my back, soothed me, and I managed to walk to the table without growling.

"Scott, this is Gabby," Peter said.

"A pretty name you don't hear often," Scott said, pulling out a chair for her.

His smooth words annoyed me. Gabby hesitated to sit in the chair he offered. Good girl.

"Would you mind if we switched spots, Scott?" she asked. "That way our dog won't be so close to people walking by. He's very friendly, but big. I don't want anyone to be intimidated by him."

"No problem," he said, pulling out his own chair for her.

I moved with her; and as she sat, I lay between her chair and Scott's, making sure to push his chair further away. And, there I stayed through all Scott's annoying attempts to hit on Gabby. He wasn't obvious about it, just small little remarks like the comment about her name. I did my best to ignore it. After all, I was between them, and his words couldn't actually touch her.

Yet, the longer I stayed at her feet, the more I resented the man at the table. It should have been me.

"Why not have a drink with us, Gabby?" Scott asked.

Gabby shifted slightly in her chair. "I'm a bit younger than the rest of you."

"Really? How old are you?"

"Eighteen. I'm not much of a soda drinker either, so water works. How much longer until you graduate?"

I almost picked my head up. Why had she asked that? Was she actually interested?

"It depends on how far I want to go. Peter told me he declared his major freshman year and has never changed. I, on the other hand, have changed twice. I like what I'm learning now, so I hope I won't change it again, but you never know. What about you?"

"I'm going for massage therapy. So, I won't be here as long as the rest of you."

"Massage therapy? I hear they ask for volunteers to come in for those classes. If you ever need someone to practice on, let me know. I'd be happy to come in."

The man reached across the table, and I tensed, ready to jump up, but the arrival of their food saved him. I nudged Gabby's bare leg with my nose. When she glanced down at me, I showed her my teeth. That was all the warning I was going to give her. If Scott touched her, he'd feel my bite.

"I think you'll both be in some of the anatomy classes next semester, Gabby," Peter said, drawing her attention. "If you want a study group, you should let Rachel and I know. I've already been through them. And since you're graduating in spring, I know you have, too."

"Thank you, Peter, but I really do study best on my—"

"That's a great idea," Scott said. "We should start now so the class won't be so hard later. What do you think about Tuesday nights?"

I bumped her leg again. She was not studying with him.

"It's a good idea to get a head start—"

Woman, I thought in warning and bumped her harder.

"But I'm so swamped with classes and homework now that I don't even have time to take poor Clay for walks."

She reached out and patted my shoulder. I turned my head to gloat, but saw the man's gaze dip to Gabby's shirt and froze. She must have noticed his attention too because she immediately straightened and took a quick bite. That was the only thing that saved him from a beating.

Exhaling slowly, I worked to calm down but the man tried to shove his chair closer. I braced myself, unwilling to give a hairsbreadth. He noticed and glanced down at me. I kept my head down, trying to control my temper.

"What's your dog's name?" he asked.

"Clay," Rachel said.

"Nice name," Scott said.

Liar.

"Let's take him home after this and go out to a new club that opened downtown."

I wanted to give Gabby what she desired, my good behavior, but he was pushing it. There was no way I'd let her walk away with him without a challenge.

"Rachel?" Gabby said.

My heart froze. What was she asking Rachel? Was Gabby seeking her permission to bring me home?

"I see it," Rachel said.

"See what?" Peter asked, echoing my thoughts.

"Exhaustion. She's been studying like crazy." I lifted my head enough to witness Rachel wave over the waitress and ask for boxes and the check for the two of them. Finally, some sense from that woman.

"And she needs rest, not a night out. Although, I am really glad we came."

Gabby reached for her purse on the back of the chair, knocking my leash loose. Scott moved to grab her hand. Oh, hell no. I stood, unable to take any more, and everything on the table rattled when my shoulder bumped it. But, I'd successfully blocked Scott from touching her.

Gabby turned away, not looking at either me or Scott. Good. Scott was eyeing me again; I was eyeing his leg.

The waitress returned with the bill and the wrapped up leftovers, breaking the tension. Gabby paid, and Rachel gave up digging in her purse.

"I better drive her home," Rachel said, looking at Peter as she stood. "You have my number. Give me a call if you want to do something next weekend."

Gabby stood too, turning her back on Scott to step toward Rachel.

"Rachel, you can stay with Peter. I don't mind taking Gabby home," he said.

I bet he wouldn't mind.

With her back to him, Gabby didn't catch Scott reaching to stop her. I sprang forward and propelled her out of the way with my head. She looked down at me, but before I could nod toward the car, Rachel spoke up.

"No, Scott. I think we're done for tonight." She waved to Peter then grabbed Gabby's hand.

As the two started to walk away, seeming to completely forget about me, Scott shoved his money at the waitress and stood, his intent clear. I darted in front of him and crouched low. The man's singular focus on Gabby cost him. He tripped over me and fell to the ground. I stood and ran after Gabby, who was looking over her shoulder at us. I nudged her back to keep her moving. The man wouldn't stay down long. Both women moved at a pre-jog walk.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said, once we were almost to the car. "You told me, but I didn't really get it. Even the men sitting around us were eyeing you."

They were? I glanced back, but everything looked normal. I'd been so focused on Scott, I hadn't noticed anything else.

"No big deal," Gabby said. "You should see me in some of my classes. 'No' is the most common word in my vocabulary. Scott's reaction was worse than most because he already considered me his date. If you say 'no' consistently and to everyone, it doesn't get so bad."

I looked up at her and studied her sad face. She dealt with men like that all the time? Suddenly her standoff attitude toward just about everyone made a lot more sense.

She handed Rachel the keys. "You really can drive."

Rachel took them and opened the door for me as Gabby walked around to the passenger side. I hopped over the seats to get to the back, then lay down so I could watch out the front—and be closer to Gabby.

Halfway home, Rachel stopped at a gas station.

"Tonight's an ice cream night. Be right back." She jumped out and hurried inside.

Gabby dropped her head back against the seat and sighed. I lifted my nose, trying to scent her mood. Melancholy. What part of tonight had made her sad? I doubted it was my interference; and although I'd bared my teeth in warning, I'd behaved as she'd asked. For the most part.

She reached out and started to stroke my head and ears. I sighed and relaxed, enjoying her touch. At least she didn't seem to be upset with me.

She looked out the window, and her misery grew stronger. I lifted my head, worried about her.

"I'm fine," she said, meeting my gaze. "How are you doing?"

She was worried about me? With an ache growing in my chest, I pushed myself forward a bit so I could lay my head on her lap.

The door opened, and the unexpected sound made me flinch. I hadn't even heard Rachel approaching. I hadn't been listening because when I was around Gabby, all my senses belonged to her.

If Gabby noticed my reaction, she didn't comment. Instead, she gave my ear one last caress and then released it so I could make room for Rachel.

As Rachel drove and they talked about ice cream, I struggled to think of what I could do next. Though I wanted Gabby to see me as a man, and more specifically her Mate, she was starting to see me as a companion. She was talking to me more.

We pulled into the driveway, and I jumped out just behind Gabby, not ready to give up the closeness we'd experienced in the car. When she went to her room, I reluctantly stayed with Rachel, half-listening to the woman's babble about how I was such a good boy.

It didn't take long for Gabby to reappear, dressed for bed.

"Where's my chocolate?" she asked.

I could scent something off. She was still upset, and I moved to her side. She patted me gently.

Rachel handed over a small container of ice cream.

"I'm going to go change. Want to watch a movie or something?" Rachel stripped out of her shirt on her way to her bedroom, but I didn't look. I wasn't interested. I was too busy studying Gabby's face as she took a small bite of ice cream.

She covered her ice cream with the lid and put it in the freezer.

"What do you think?" she asked, looking at me. "Stay up and watch a movie, or go to bed early? Lead the way."

I turned and went to her room, hopping up on the bed.

"Rach, we're just going to go to bed early. 'K?" Gabby said from behind me.

"It's okay. Go ahead. I won't keep you up with a movie, will I?" I listened to Rachel flop on the couch and watched Gabby move to stand in our doorway.

"I'm so tired I doubt anything will keep me from sleeping."

"'K. Night, Hun. Thanks for going with me even if it did suck."

"Don't worry about it. Night."

Gabby turned and closed the door. In the living room, a high-pitched, electronic squeal, a sound I'd grown used to, filled the air as Rachel turned on the TV.

Something in Gabby's expression softened as she looked at me, and it suddenly hurt to breathe.

"Thanks, Clay," she said, walking around the bed. She paused and bent over me. I held myself completely still and closed my eyes as I felt her lips on the top of my head. A noise escaped me, part pain, part need. She moved away too quickly and crawled under the covers. Her feet slid under my chest, seeking my warmth.

She didn't realize how these simple gestures reassured me. Her small touches meant acceptance. I sighed. I had patience to see this courtship through until the end. But, the torture of it might kill me.

I waited until Rachel went to her room and the house quieted before I eased off the bed. I needed to go for a long run.

Outside, I left the yard, sticking to the shadows and avoiding houses with dogs. This wasn't the first night I'd snuck out for a run. Sleeping in the same room with Gabby was as calming as it was stimulating. Her scent seeped into my senses while I slept, and I often woke physically uncomfortable. A run usually helped.

Toward the campus, a few of the houses thrummed with music and muted voices. I stopped to watch the males and females interact and hoped Gabby would never want to go to a party.

# Chapter 9

It took longer than I'd intended to run off the steam from the evening's events, and it was close to dawn when I let myself back in. Standing there naked in the kitchen, I heard Gabby softly call my name and smiled.

I shifted, went to her room, and jumped onto the mattress. She exhaled when I lay on her cold, roaming feet.

"Thanks."

Yep. She needed me. I closed my eyes, content with that thought. Just as I started to drift off, she spoke.

"Hey, Clay. Wanna go get breakfast with me?"

Of course she wanted to go to breakfast after I'd stayed up all night. Not thinking clearly, I sighed and left the bed again.

"You could have said no," she said with a soft laugh.

I watched her get out of bed, grab clothes, and walk to the bathroom.

As I stared after her, a thought occurred to me. She wanted to go to breakfast with me. That meant a restaurant. Restaurants didn't allow dogs, which is how humans saw me. Did that mean she wanted me to be a man? I cursed to myself. I still didn't have any damn clothes.

Refusing to lose an opportunity, I trotted to the back door and sat to wait.

She didn't seem surprised to see me when she emerged.

"You up for a walk?" she quietly asked.

I still had fuzz between my ears because it took a minute to figure out what she was asking. Walk to breakfast or drive to breakfast. Before I could think of how to respond, she grabbed the leash, clipped it on, and then loosely wrapped it around my collar.

Curious as to why she wasn't holding her end, I looked over at her.

"What? I'm following the law...you're on a leash. Let's go."

She didn't fool me. She knew she didn't need to hold the leash because I wasn't a dog. She was starting to see me as more. The thought chased away my need for sleep, and I stepped outside with her and stood near as she locked up.

We walked in the direction of the campus, close to the same route I'd taken, only this time on the main road. Everything seemed a little quieter now. I listened to her breathing and steady heartbeat as I scanned the shadows. I wasn't worried about my kind as much as I was her kind.

We'd made it halfway to campus when I heard the faint scuff of shoes ahead.

"So what do you like for breakfast?" Gabby asked. "Oatmeal?"

I laughed as I scented the air. What was oatmeal? She smiled at me.

"Yeah, I was thinking you're more a steak and eggs kinda guy."

The faint musk of a man tickled my nose. Older. Not a threat.

"Who you talking to dar'lin?" he called as he stepped out from the shadows across the narrow street. His sudden appearance made Gabby's heart race.

"My dog," she called.

"Clay," she whispered. "Can you bark mean?"

She was afraid, and she was coming to me for safety. I grinned and barked as she asked.

"Damn," the man said, keeping pace with us on the opposite sidewalk. "That thing on a leash?"

"Yep, but there's no holding him back. I'm safer letting him go, or he'd just drag me along."

The man laughed. "I bet. Have a good morning." The man turned at the next corner to walk around the block.

"You trust that?" Gabby said as she stared in the direction the man had disappeared.

I grunted in annoyance. He was a human. Did she really think so little of my ability to protect her?

"Me neither," she said as if my grunt had been an agreement. "And thanks for warning me there was someone close by."

Her sarcasm wasn't lost on me, and I snorted.

I smelled the diner before I saw it. The scent of cooking meat set my mouth to salivating, and my stomach growled.

"Since they don't allow dogs, I'll go in and get our food for carryout," Gabby said when we reached the diner.

Sitting near the door as she went inside, I watched her. The place was empty except for a woman walking around the tables so I wasn't too worried.

The two spoke, and the woman wrote something down on a piece of paper that she then passed through a little window. Gabby remained inside for several minutes, until two white boxes appeared in the little window. The woman handed them to Gabby. Gabby turned, smiled at me through the door, and joined me outside.

I followed her to a long piece of cement in the parking lot. She sat down and set the boxes on the ground before her. Then, she opened one. The aroma teased me, but the small hunk of meat inside, which she proceeded to cut into tiny pieces, was a letdown. I could have eaten that thing in three bites.

She nudged the container in my direction as soon as she finished, and I just about inhaled the meat. I was starving. Rachel hadn't given me her leftovers last night, and I wasn't about to eat the dog food.

"I hope you're a slower eater when you're in your skin," Gabby said.

There was censure in her voice. I stopped and looked up at her. She immediately blushed and looked away.

"It's just that you eat faster than me. That's all."

No, there was something more. Did I shame her? Did she still think of me as an unkempt wild man? I bathed every day now.

Pushing aside my hunger, I ate slowly, savoring each bite as if it were my last. It could be if she didn't start seeing me as a man soon. When I finished, she offered me her leftovers, guilt souring her scent. I almost refused, but my commonsense outweighed my pride. I took care to eat slowly, though.

After she threw away the containers, we started back home. She remained quiet as we walked. The light scent of her continued guilt wasn't enough to hide another scent that suddenly gusted on a breeze.

I lifted my nose and inhaled. A male. Not human. A challenger? The Elders had acknowledged the tie I had to Gabby; there shouldn't be any challengers, yet. I knew the rules and understood I only had six months to win my Mate over before others of my kind started to challenge me. How much time had already passed? Three months since I first saw her? Maybe four? I still had a few months to try to win her over.

I growled low, a warning to the one who approached, and stopped walking. Gabby froze beside me.

"What is it, Clay?" she whispered. "What should I do?"

I couldn't let her fear distract me. I listened to the thump of the male's feet as it ran toward us.

I growled louder, angry at this pup's audacity, and tensed, ready for a fight. Gabby retreated a few more steps behind me. Good. She knew not to run.

The steady pounding of paws on the ground stopped as the challenger leapt toward us. This was no pup. I braced myself as my opponent flew from the darkness. He collided with me, and I snarled as I twisted away from his snapping teeth and dug in my feet. My claws grated against the pavement as we slid closer to Gabby.

When the other wolf pulled back to regain his footing, I saw an opening and took it. Lunging forward, I aimed for his face. His lip and nose ripped under my teeth, and his blood coated my tongue. My opponent cried out in pain, and I grunted in satisfaction and let go, giving him a chance to concede.

Instead of giving in, the mutt tensed, ready for more. I growled a low warning to let him know I wouldn't be so lenient again. He snarled in return and tried to circle me. Gabby moved with me, so I remained her shield.

She was worried and afraid. I was neither. I watched him closely, waiting.

"Hey!" Gabby yelled.

The other wolf's blue gaze shifted to Gabby as a light turned on in a nearby house.

"Whose dog is this? Someone help me get him off my dog!"

She didn't really think this was a normal dog, did she?

Another light went on in the house, and I lunged forward, taking advantage of the distraction. The other wolf dodged just in time, avoiding a second bite. The first bled freely, coloring his muzzle.

He swore at me, then lunged again. I turned so he caught me in the shoulder. The impact was harder than I'd expected, and it knocked me off balance for a moment. I went for his foreleg, exposing my neck. The other wolf grunted in pain as my teeth sank in.

As I'd anticipated, the mutt still went for the opening. His teeth clicked against the metal that studded my collar. The wolf growled, pulled back, and made to try again. I released him and backed away. Gabby shuffled back a step behind me.

As I moved, the damn leash uncoiled from its place under my collar. The other werewolf noticed, moved forward, and tried to step on the trailing end. I twisted sharply, flicking the end of it out of the way.

Someone whistled shrilly. "Duke! Come here, Duke."

"The noise has everyone waking up, whoever you are," Gabby said, proving that she understood this was a challenge. "You don't have enough time to finish this. It'd be better to leave now since Clay won't be able to chase you."

She knew I wouldn't leave her.

"Someone's going to call the police, and when they get here, they'll see a dog that's neither licensed nor leashed. You'll either have to change and expose yourself, or let them take you away thinking you're a dog."

He and I continued our slow circle.

The front door of the house closest to us opened, and a man shined a flashlight at us.

"Can you help me?" Gabby called to him.

I understood what she was doing but didn't like it. I could take care of this challenger on my own.

"Do you know whose dog this is? It came running at my dog from the direction of your backyard."

"It's not ours. Want me to call the police?" he yelled over the snarls and growls.

My opponent swore under his breath, turned, and sprinted for the darkness from where he'd come.

I watched the other wolf retreat. With his withdrawal, the challenger conceded. For now.

"Did you see what kind of dog it was?" the man called as he left the safety of his house to look at his side yard where the wolf had disappeared. He cautiously shined his flashlight to search for it, and I moved closer to Gabby.

Gabby didn't answer the man. Instead, she fell to her knees beside me and buried her face against my neck. My skin tingled. Did she have any idea what she did to me?

Then I felt her shaking as her hands roamed over my neck and head. She was worried and was checking for injuries, yet another sign of affection. She let out a shaky breath and leaned against me.

"Ma'am? You okay?"

The man pointed his flashlight at us but stayed near his house. Across the street, a door opened, distracting the man.

"They okay, Mike?"

Gabby lifted her head and met my gaze. "You okay?" she whispered.

I kissed her cheek, a long lick.

"Next time I'll just carry the leash," she said.

I noticed a sheen of tears before she turned away. She cared about me. I knew then that it was only a matter of time before she realized it, too.

"We're okay," she said as she stood. She kept a hand on my head. "The dog was as big as Clay here but had dark grey fur."

"Doesn't sound like any dog from this neighborhood, but I know there are some big dogs a few blocks away. Do you want me to call the cops?" The man started toward us.

She picked up my loose leash and nudged me. Her worry was getting stronger, which I thought odd. To quote her, it was just a human man.

"Nah. I think we're fine," she said, taking a step back.

I was studying the man and noticed a sudden change. His interest in Gabby had gone from concerned citizen to potential Mate. My temper flared, but I quickly smothered it. In the car yesterday, she'd said men acted weird around her. Rachel had claimed to notice it at the restaurant. Was this what they meant?

I continued to study both the man and Gabby. Gabby was beautiful. I couldn't argue against that. Yet, the man's reactions to every word and every move she made seemed too much, and it concerned me. If what she said was true, that men typically always acted like this around her, what really happened to her each day when she went to campus?

She assured the man we were fine and reluctantly gave him her phone number in case the police did come. When she turned away, I felt her unease and stuck close to her.

My poor Gabby. I wanted to reassure her that I wouldn't let the human bother her, but I didn't think she'd appreciate me shifting to my skin to tell her. She wasn't ready yet. Plus, the stress of the encounter with the challenger seemed to have left her shaken.

She looked around constantly. I did the same so she'd know I was still guarding her.

It wasn't until we were halfway home that I noticed there was something odd about her gaze. It was almost unfocused. I'd seen her deep in thought before, but this was different. It was as if she was looking at something I couldn't see, and that made me edgy.

Gradually, I noticed her steps began to lag. Her already pale face grew more so, and she wore a slight grimace as if the rising sun pained her.

It didn't take scenting her to know she was exhausted. I wanted to get her home, wrap her in my arms, and lay in bed with her. But it wasn't meant to be. As soon as we rounded the back of the house, I saw Rachel.

"There you are!"

Gabby's hand flew to my neck, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Nice morning for a walk," Rachel said, moving toward us, oblivious to the scare she'd just given Gabby.

As Rachel reached out to pet me, Gabby uncurled her fingers from my fur. She had quite a grip.

Rachel played with one of my ears, and I shook my head to get her to stop. The woman had no boundaries. She laughed and bent to kiss the top of my head. I caught Gabby's gaze and rolled my eyes at her.

She smiled slightly and seemed to relax. I'd hoped she would save me but ridding her of worry worked, too.

"I made a call this morning and can get Clay into the vet for his shots," Rachel said as she tugged the leash from Gabby's hand. "I figured after the way he acted last night, we should have him current...just in case."

Gabby stared at Rachel for a long moment, then her shocked gaze locked on me. Was she going to save me or did she still want revenge?

Panic flavored Gabby's scent as she looked back at Rachel.

"You okay, Gabby?" Rachel eyed Gabby with concern.

"Uh, I didn't budget for it," Gabby said.

"Don't worry. I can cover it for now, and you can pay me back."

"Let's all go."

I tilted my head, trying to figure out what Gabby might be thinking. She wasn't telling Rachel no, but she wasn't happy about sending me to the vet, either.

"No offense, Gabby, but you look like hell. I think you'd be better off with some quiet time. Don't worry; we'll be fine."

Rachel was right. Gabby looked like she hadn't slept at all. Worried about her, I nudged her toward the door just as Rachel tried to tug me toward the car. Rachel scolded me, but I ignored her. I nudged Gabby again.

"Would you mind giving him your standard pep talk? I don't know why he only listens to you. I'm the one that feeds him treats."

Except for last night, I thought. You let me starve.

Rachel handed Gabby the leash. Gabby rubbed her forehead and then bent to give me a hug.

"Is it safe for you?"

To go somewhere with Rachel? I snorted. The woman was a bit free with her hands, but I could handle her.

"I'm so sorry about this," Gabby said softly, her breath tickling my ear in the most pleasant way. "I'll need to call Sam and let him know what happened."

She was right. The Elders needed to know that there was a challenge before the six-month mark. I didn't want someone approaching Gabby when I wasn't around. Living with her like this was hard enough.

She straightened, looked me in the eye, and smoothed a hand over the fur on the top of my head.

"It's your choice," she said as she dropped the leash and stepped back.

I eyed Gabby and knew Rachel was right. She needed some rest. Maybe leaving with Rachel would give her that time. It would also get Rachel out of the house so Gabby could call Sam to tell him about the challenge. I sighed then followed Rachel to the car door.

"The control you have over him is weird but cool," Rachel said as she waited for me to get all the way in.

"Yeah. Just don't be gone too long. He'll get upset."

"The vet's just a few minutes from here. We should be back soon." She climbed behind the wheel, closed the door, and rolled down her window.

Because of the open window, I smelled Gabby's wave of panic a second before it showed on her face.

"Just don't have him neutered! Or anything that involves blood or blood work. It's expensive, and I promised him he'd keep his jewels."

My jewels? I knew what that meant and couldn't stop from laughing. I definitely needed to leave now that I knew the direction of her thoughts.

"Maybe we should have the vet check his lungs," Rachel said. Her comment and worry did nothing to dampen my amusement.

"He's fine. Think cost," Gabby said from the deck as Rachel backed out of the driveway.

* * * *

Rachel pulled in front of a small brown building. As soon as she opened the back door, I smelled dog feces. Where had she brought me? I'd figured vet meant doctor but this had to be wrong.

"Come, boy. I bet you get treats inside."

Unless it was a medium rare burger, they could keep their treats. I heaved a sigh and hopped out of the back.

We walked to the door, which she opened to let me in. Inside, a man sat with his pit-bull. The thing took one look at me and started to whine. Good. The woman with the Chihuahua was another story. That little chew toy started yapping at me fiercely. The woman looked at me with disdain.

Go ahead...set the yapper down.

She held it close as she spoke to the woman behind the counter.

"Come on, Clay," Rachel said, tugging the leash to the bench opposite the pit-bull.

I followed and sat beside her once she positioned herself on the bench. Then, I watched. Once the yapper left, the woman came from behind the counter. She offered the pit-bull a treat to coax it onto the scale. It got another treat so it held still. And yet another treat to go into an exam room. I stared at the plaque on the door. Exam Room 1. I looked at the other door. Exam Room 2. I looked at the scale, the woman approaching with the treat, then Rachel as I realized what she'd done. She'd brought me to an animal doctor. How degrading.

I stood before the woman reached us and went to the scale. There, I stood still hoping she wouldn't try to feed me one of those dried cakes. It didn't smell bad. But I wasn't a dog and wasn't about to eat something humans fed to a dog.

"Wow. This is Clay, right? He's very well trained," the woman said, watching me.

She read the scale and made a note on a piece of paper.

"Yeah, we haven't had him for long. We don't know much about him, actually. Shots, age...it's all a mystery."

Shots? What the hell was she talking about?

"Well, we'll take a look and see what we can tell you. Let's go in here."

She opened the door to Exam Room 2. I ignored her treat and walked in.

"Hmm..." she said, watching me. "What does he eat at home?"

"Well, we bought him dog food, but he doesn't seem to like it. I've given him some cooked steak and other meat," Rachel said, her voice laced with guilt.

"Perhaps we can recommend a different dog food. Though dog foods do contain meat, they also contain other essential vitamins and minerals dogs need that they won't get from just eating steak."

This new woman needed to stop talking. I moved closer to Rachel, defending my sole food source.

The door, opposite the one we'd entered, opened. Another woman walked in.

"Good morning," she said, looking down at me. "My, you're a big one." She looked up at Rachel. "Shelly mentioned there are no records. Can you get him to jump up on the table?"

"Yeah, no records," Rachel said, standing. "I'm not sure he'll listen." Rachel looked at me and patted the low metal table.

"Come on, Clay. Up here."

The sooner I did what they wanted, the sooner we went back to Gabby, I reminded myself. I hopped up on the table and fought not to roll my eyes at the new woman's praise. She held out her hand. Did she really expect me to sniff her? I looked at Rachel. She smiled at me and nodded.

"It's okay, Clay. She's just going to look you over to make sure you're healthy."

I'm healthy.

Still, I turned back to the woman and pretended to sniff her. She praised me and offered me a biscuit. I turned away, but she kept trying until I took it in my mouth. Then I set it on the table between my feet.

"Has he been eating well?"

I'm eating fine, I thought as I listened to Rachel repeat her explanation. As she spoke, the woman ran a hand along my side, down my legs, then cupped my unmentionables. The move shocked me so much I froze in panic as she groped me.

"He's not neutered. Let's see if he'll let me look at his teeth."

Yes. Anything. Just please let go.

I endured a thorough exam of my mouth and ears. They talked shots, and I put up with a few pokes. Human medicine I might have to worry about, but I doubted animal medicine would cause any issues.

When the woman put on a rubber glove and asked Rachel to hold my head, I grew suspicious. The words "anal glands" sent a shock of panic through me. I jumped off the table and backed toward the door. What did they do to dogs here? That yappy Chihuahua made more sense. It had probably been screaming for help.

"Um, I think he's done cooperating for today," Rachel said slowly as she watched me.

The woman tried coaxing me with a variety of treats, even the lunchmeat from her sandwich, for the next several minutes before agreeing that I'd had enough. There was no bribe on the planet that would get me back up on that table.

"If you notice him scooting on the carpet, you should bring him back."

Not in her lifetime.

* * * *

Gabby waited on the porch when Rachel pulled past the corner of the house. I stayed as I was, lying on the backseat. After the indignities I'd suffered, I wasn't speaking to Rachel—not that I spoke to her before—and I wasn't yet sure how I felt about Gabby. Had she sent me to that place knowing what they wanted to do to me? She'd told Rachel not to let them unman me; she'd tried to protect me. Yet, she'd said nothing about the last procedure.

Rachel opened her door.

"How'd it go?" Gabby asked. I could hear her anxiety.

"He took it like a champ."

I shuddered at what more I might have taken if that woman would have had her way.

Rachel opened the back car door. Nauseous, I lifted my head and stood on shaky legs. When the pack spread information about the human world, no one had specifically mentioned vets as animal doctors. I considered contacting one of the Elders with a warning but didn't want to admit how I'd come by the knowledge.

Deep in thought, I slowly climbed the deck steps and moved to Gabby's side.

"What'd they do to him?" she asked.

Her worry broke my reverie.

"He wasn't acting like this when we left. I swear. I think he's hamming it up for you." Rachel patted my head with a laugh, and I realized, unless I wanted Gabby probing—I cringed at the use of the word—into what had happened, I needed to act normally.

I straightened and walked with purpose to the door. Gabby sighed, her relief obvious. I glanced at her and winked. She quickly looked at Rachel, but that woman was already in the house.

Gabby followed her in.

"So what shots did he get?" Gabby asked as she poured some orange juice. She took a small sip a little too casually, then glanced at me. I wished I knew what was going through her head. Moments like this made me yearn for her to stake her Claim. The connection it would give us...well, there'd be no doubt what she was thinking or feeling then.

"Just rabies. The vet had a hard time determining his age by his teeth, but thought him to be in his prime," Rachel said.

Gabby choked on her juice.

"That's great," she said in a raspy voice as she glanced at me.

I couldn't help the small smile that curled my lips because I knew she was thinking of me as a man in that moment, not the dog that I'd been treated like for the past hour.

"Hey, while I was waiting for him, Peter called."

Rachel had been waiting for me to come out of the corner—where I'd stayed until the woman with the plastic glove left—when her phone had chirped. I'd been too preoccupied to pay attention to her conversation.

"He said he had a good time last night and hoped Scott hadn't ruined his chance by coming on too strong. He's never seen Scott act in any way but smooth. He naturally thinks Scott's falling hard for you."

I stared at Rachel and considered biting her. She'd put me through enough today.

"I'm just repeating." She held up her hands with a laugh at Gabby. "Anyway, Peter said Scott's already been bugging him about getting your number to set up another date. Given what you told me, I said no, that last night was just a friendly get together and that you were seeing someone else."

Gabby and I both let out relieved sighs. Rachel noticed mine, though.

"You know, sometimes that dog creeps me out with how human he acts," Rachel said, shaking her head. "Anyway, I'm going to meet up with Peter for another try at a date. We're going to see a movie; and this time, I'm not asking you to come with." She had a huge smile on her face as she walked past us toward her room.

"Thank you!" Gabby called to her.

# Chapter 10

For the rest of the weekend, Gabby studied, and I stayed glued to her side. She didn't talk about her call with Sam, and I kept quiet about the vet visit.

Monday, as soon as the house was empty, I left to roam the neighborhood. It was time to start acting like a human and gather some clothes for myself. A pair of socks pulled from a back porch, some worn and ratty boots pulled from a garage, a t-shirt pulled from a line. I picked things I knew weren't likely to be missed. The pants were harder, but I finally found a pair dangling from the branches of a barren tree. The tree belonged to one of the houses closer to campus, one that tended to blare music late into the night. I looked around and, hoping no one was watching, shifted my hands and limbs just enough to climb the tree. Pants in my mouth, I jogged home.

By Tuesday evening, I had a set of clothes. With clothes, I could shift into my skin and get a job. I had some mechanical knowledge, thanks to the books Gabby brought me. Now, I needed to figure out who would hire me. Since Gabby found a car by reading the paper, I decided I would spend the next day looking at the paper to see if it had any information about jobs.

Wednesday morning, during the rush before she left for class, I watched Gabby race downstairs to throw in a load of laundry. I'd watched her do this countless times and already knew what dial to turn, what button to push, and what detergent to use.

As I sat on the steps watching her, I realized I couldn't wear what I had. At least, not as they were. All of it smelled like someone else, and I knew how meticulous Gabby was about my scent. I'd need to wash everything.

Gabby raced back up the stairs and almost ran me over on her way out the door. As soon as her car left the driveway, I went out to the neighbor's bush and brought my cache of clothes into the house. Then, I waited for the washer to finish.

In the privacy of the basement, I shifted into my skin and removed Gabby's clothes from the washer. Then, I hesitated. I wanted to put them in the dryer for her. Would she thank me or would she want to know what I was doing down here in the first place? Uncertain, I set her wet things in the basket then loaded the washer with my items.

Once the machine started to fill with water, I shifted and went back upstairs. I'd started making myself a single sandwich every day from Gabby's supplies while she was away at school. She hadn't mentioned anything, so I figured it was okay to keep doing it. While I had my paws on the counter to get the bread, I heard an odd noise.

I tilted my head and listened. Something clunked. I pushed away from the counter and took off down the stairs. The machine was shaking and thunking.

In a panic, I shifted and opened the lid. The machine quieted, and I looked down into the grey water. I couldn't see a thing. What had made that noise? The boots, maybe? I closed the lid gently and waited for it to start again. It squealed when it tried.

I stopped the machine again, canceled the program, and listened to the water drain. Then, I attempted to start it again. It made worse noises the second time; and I knew, without a doubt, I'd managed to break it.

"But how?" I tugged at my beard in frustration.

If Gabby came back and found out that I broke—

I looked down at her wet clothes then back at the grey water. I couldn't afford for her to be mad at me when we were just starting to make progress. Teetering with indecision, I looked at her clothes once more. I'd make this little lie up to her. Decided, I plunged my hand into the water and started pulling out my items.

One of the bootlaces gave me trouble. Wound around the base of the center pole that twisted back and forth, the thing didn't want to come loose. The boot had also wedged itself between the center post and the drum. No doubt, my boot was the "how" behind the machine's behavior.

Once I had my things draining in the utility sink, I put Gabby's wet things back into the washer. With the boot and string removed, I tried to start the machine once more. It filled as it should, but as soon as the post started to twist back and forth, it made awful noises.

A car pulled into the driveway, and I froze. A door opened and a moment later, I listened to Rachel's familiar tread on the porch. She wasn't supposed to be back yet.

I grabbed my wet things, shoved them behind an empty cardboard box, and shifted back into my fur just as the back door opened.

I barked just as an annoying dog would do when there are strange noises in the house.

"Clay?" Rachel called.

No...it's your other dog barking, I thought. I still hadn't forgiven her for the vet.

She came down the steps, and I pointedly looked at the washer as if the noise it made wasn't enough of a clue.

"Oh, no!" She flew to the machine and quickly opened the lid like I'd done. After studying things for a few moments, she turned to me.

"We're going to have to call someone, I think. I don't know anything about this stuff." She pulled her cell phone from her pocket as she walked back upstairs.

I followed her closely, thankful she hadn't noticed the wet trail that led to my hidden clothes.

* * * *

Several hours later, I sat at the top of the steps, watching the man downstairs. I could just barely see him from my position.

Rachel was waiting in the kitchen for Gabby, which was the same reason I was at the top of the stairs instead of downstairs learning. Rachel and I had been down there with the man when he'd pulled the machine out to look at the back. While I'd been learning, she'd been eyeing the man in a potential Mate way. I wondered if that meant she was no longer with Peter. I doubted it because she still smelled of him.

The sound of a car coming down the road pricked my ears. Gabby's engine and exhaust system were distinct and easy to identify. As soon as Gabby pulled into the driveway, Rachel dashed out the back door.

"You are brilliant!" Rachel said, still outside.

"What'd I do?" Gabby's words were faint.

"There's a hot repairman working on the washer in the basement."

Hot? I looked at the man again as he bent over to pick up a tool.

"Thank you for breaking it," Rachel said.

She and Gabby walked into the house.

"I didn't do anything but throw in a load of laundry before I left," Gabby said quietly.

I turned to look at her. Did she suspect something?

"Hey," Rachel said. "I'm not blaming...I'm just thanking."

"But, I thought you were into Peter," Gabby said, echoing my thoughts.

"I am. It doesn't mean I don't window-shop. Go down there and flirt with him and see if we can get twenty percent off our bill."

Flirt? Before I could get even more upset with Rachel, Gabby snorted.

"I will not. It'd be safer to send Clay down there to learn how to fix it than me trying to get us a price break."

Done.

"If our dog starts fixing things, we're hitting the road and making some money," said Rachel.

The man started up the basement stairs, and Rachel's face lit with anticipation while Gabby eyed the basement door with dread. I backed up a few steps, positioning myself between her and the door, trying to reassure her with my presence.

Her look of dread changed to one of appreciation when the man reached the top of the stairs. The man didn't miss her appreciative look, either. He flexed for her. I briefly considered nudging the man to send him falling down the steps.

Gabby flushed and turned to Rachel.

"I have to go pick up my ring before Clay gets here. He'd be heartbroken if he found out I bent a prong on the setting already. Plus, my hand feels naked without it."

She held out her left hand and gave it a wistful look.

What ring was she talking about?

"The dog?" the man asked with a puzzled look at Rachel.

Gabby laughed nervously. "We named the dog after my fiancé. He has a good sense of humor and likes the dog, too."

She said it so fast I could barely understand her. By the time the words sank in, she was already out the door. I wanted to run after her. Was I the fiancé, the dog, or both?

Stuck with two human witnesses, I couldn't shift to let myself out the door and chase her down. Instead, I listened to her car peel out of the driveway.

It took another hour before the man left and longer still for Gabby to reappear. When she cautiously walked in, bags looped over her arms, I was waiting for her.

She set down the bags and peeked around the corner before she spoke to me in a whisper.

"You better keep reading the books I bring home. You can be our repair guy. It gives me the willies that he knows where I live."

I nodded just as Rachel turned the corner from her bedroom. She paused mid-stride, her eyes wide.

"Did he just nod?"

Gabby smiled. "Yep. I've been working on it with him. He caught on really fast. The nodding isn't bad, but his smile can be a little scary."

Her pulse tripped, giving away her lie. Rachel stared at us for a moment then shook her head.

"You're weird, Gabby, but in a good way. Anyway, it was one hundred and twenty-five dollars to fix the washer. I covered your half. With the vet bill, you're up to one hundred, minus the burger and drink from disaster night."

I saw Gabby's cringe.

"Okay. I'll run to the bank after class tomorrow." She chewed her lip for a moment, and I scented her concern.

My mistake had cost her.

* * * *

It took the rest of the week for the boots to dry; and when they did, the leather cracked. I could have dealt with that, but the toes of both boots also curled up, making them difficult to wear. Frustrated that the effort hadn't resulted in something I could wear to go job hunting, I hid everything back under the neighbor's shrub and knew I'd need to find some other footwear.

Friday afternoon, I lay beside Gabby, resolutely reading yet another book. I heard Rachel's car pull into the driveway much too quickly, then her rapid steps on the porch. I lifted my head.

"Gabby!" she called in a panicked tone.

Even with Gabby's cute little human ears, she picked up on the wrongness of Rachel's pitch.

"In here!" she said as she flew from the bed toward the door.

The two almost collided when Rachel burst into the room.

"What's going on?" Gabby asked, pulling back.

Gabby liked keeping a physical distance from people. Even Rachel. She didn't seem to like touching. It made each pat on the head even more special.

"Peter broke and told Scott he had plans to go to dinner with me tonight," Rachel said, out of breath.

"So...?"

I liked that Gabby tended to echo my thoughts when it came to Rachel.

"Peter's coming here to pick me up, and Scott's coming with."

My ears twitched involuntarily.

"Gabby, I don't think he's going to take no for an answer tonight. Peter can't shake him."

Scott was going to end up in the hospital. After the week I had, I wasn't in the mood to deal with him nicely.

Gabby groaned, flopped back on her bed, and landed on me. Full body contact with her back. I didn't care. I loved it. She even reached back to pat me and apologize.

"Sorry, Clay." She froze then bolted up right. "I've got an idea! Rachel, if you have any clothes that would say I've been dating a guy for a while, can I borrow them?"

Wait, what?

"Sure, but who are you dating?"

Yeah. Who?

Rachel moved out of Gabby's way as Gabby rushed from the room. I jumped off the bed and followed. She crammed some shoes onto her feet as she walked to the door, almost falling twice along the way. I stared at her wondering what she was doing.

"I'll let you know when I bring him home. Come on, Clay," she said, holding open the door.

She wanted me along? I hurried through the door.

She rushed to the car, opened the door, and waved for me to get in. I was barely out of the way when she pushed in behind me and slammed the car door. I studied her as she careened out the driveway.

"You're here to keep me safe, right?"

I grunted in surprise. It wasn't a rhetorical question. She really wasn't sure.

I'm here to keep you safe and more, Gabby, I thought. But I remained quiet, waiting for her to state her point.

"Then, I need you to be more than my dog."

I tilted my head at her, unsure how to take that comment.

She glanced at me nervously.

"I need you to put on your skin. Be my date tonight. Please?"

She wanted me. My pulse leapt, and the ache that had slowly eased over the days spent lying beside her came back with such force that I struggled to inhale. She wanted me as a man, as her date. I almost shifted right then.

"You took a shower today, right?"

Like a well-aimed porcupine quill, her little dart dug deep. I snorted.

"Do you know what size you wear? Shirt, pants, shoes?"

I blinked at her. I had no idea. I put on things that looked like they would fit. Everything I'd found, I'd tried on.

She didn't seem bothered by my lack of answer. With a slight squeal of tires, she pulled into an open space in a huge parking lot and slammed on the brakes. I almost hit the dash.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," she said. She was out the door before I could nod.

I stared after her and watched her disappear into a store. What was she up to? Scott was coming; and instead of just leaving the house, she was asking me to be her date?

A slow smile spread on my lips as I began to see her plan. She wanted to show the man that I had a Claim on her. She didn't want to avoid him; she wanted to stop any future interest. I stood and stared at the store with pride. She wanted me.

She ran out of the store a few minutes later with a bag hanging from her arm. She opened the car door, tossed the bag at my feet, slid behind the wheel, and backed out, all in a matter of seconds.

Her driving made my stomach turn as she raced home.

Gabby pulled into the driveway, came to another jarring stop, then killed the engine as she opened her door. Rachel stood by the back door, waiting. The clingy dress she wore didn't bode well for Gabby because I doubted the stack of clothes in Rachel's arms was much different.

"Where's your date?" Rachel asked as she scanned the car. "The guys are going to be here in fifteen minutes."

Gabby waved her back into the house. "He'll be here in a few minutes. I hope."

I followed just behind Gabby and saw her toss the bag into the bathroom.

"Let's go in my room, and you can help me pick what to wear."

"Really?" Rachel's excited squeal made me wince. It wasn't the pitch; it was how she would dress Gabby.

They disappeared around the corner into the living room while I stayed by the bathroom.

"I need something a little tropical or hippie-ish," Gabby said as she closed her bedroom door.

I looked at the bag. What had she purchased? I walked into the bathroom, then shifted and closed the door. In the bag, I found some weird cloth pants, a matching shirt, and sandals. Even without growing up human, I knew I'd look like an idiot. I knew what men wore. It wasn't that.

But she'd asked me to be a man for her. I sighed and started the shower. Though I'd already bathed, I knew how she was about my scent.

I listened to the murmur of their voices through the walls. Then suddenly Gabby's voice rose, and I could clearly hear her.

"...because I'm cheap, I got him some clean clothes from the summer closeout racks..."

So it was money behind the selection and not annoyance. That relieved me but also concerned me. I was eating her food, breaking her washing machine—the cost of the vet was all on her—and now she had to buy me clothes, too? I'd wanted her to become dependent on me. Instead, I was dependent on her.

I stepped into the shower and quickly washed. When I finished, I refrained from shaking off. Gabby didn't like the mess that made. I used my designated towel, dried, and hung it over the edge of the tub. Then I stared at the clothes. There was a package of shorts and a pair of pants. I looked the package over. Underwear. Hmm. They didn't have that at the Compound. Shrugging, I opened the package and shook a pair out. I eyed it. It looked...small. I stretched the sides out, in doubt. Maybe it would work, but was it necessary?

She wouldn't have included it if it wasn't. At least from her point of view. I stepped into the underwear and carefully pulled them up. They held everything as firmly as the vet. I tugged the legs down and won an inch of breathing room. Resigned, I stepped into the pants. They fit all right and were comfortable enough. The shirt was snug across my shoulders. If I needed to grab Scott, I'd rip a seam. No grabbing Scott, then. Unless he really deserved it.

Someone tapped on the door.

"Do you need help?" Gabby's whispered words reached me through the door.

I nervously looked at myself in the mirror, ran my fingers through my long hair and beard, then eyed the sandals. I wasn't wearing them or going to another dinner with Scott, Peter, and Rachel. The first one had been worse than a run in with a skunk.

"Please hurry, Clay," Gabby said.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door. Gabby waited for me in a pretty knee-length, cream skirt and a light yellow top that showed her neck and collarbones. She had her hair back and something about her eyes looked different. She stole my breath most days, but in this moment, she made me want to drop to my knees.

As I stared at her, her gaze swept over me, lingering on the shirt and my shoulders. I was worried that she was thinking it didn't look right. Then a slight change in her scent hit me. Interest. I wanted to shout and laugh. Instead, I calmly put my hands in my pockets and let her look her fill.

With a pink tint to her cheeks, she looked away.

"Brat," she said under her breath, and I wasn't sure if she was talking to me or herself. Then she cleared her throat and said, "You'll do."

Behind her, Rachel smirked at us. Gabby turned and caught her amusement.

"Quiet from the peanut gallery."

The doorbell rang. Rachel ran to the front door, and Gabby slowly followed. I trailed behind her, watching the gentle sway of her skirt.

"Come on in," Rachel said to Peter.

Peter stepped in, and Scott followed just inches behind. Peter's nervousness clouded the room. Scott's lust quickly overpowered it, though, and I fisted my hands in my pockets and stepped closer to Gabby. The man's gaze flicked to me, and I knew he saw the possession in my stance.

"Hi, Peter," Gabby said. "Nice to see you again, Scott. We were going to join you guys, but Clay just got off of work a little while ago and suggested he and I take advantage of the empty house tonight."

A lie I would happily die to see come true.

I watched anger color Scott's face.

"Isn't Clay your dog?"

I didn't care for his tone and narrowed my eyes at him.

"We named the dog after my boyfriend. It's a bit of a joke. Clay, meet Peter and Scott, Rachel's friends."

Scott's shoulders slumped at Gabby's words. I wanted to gloat, but Gabby's sudden remorse and anxiety worried me. Taking a risk, I lightly set my hand on the small of her back to comfort her. She didn't flinch or move away. My mouth went dry and my throat closed at her acceptance of my touch. My breathing grew shallow, and I struggled to control my emotions...my need to turn her around and touch her face and hair.

"Peter, Rachel, I'm sorry to back out on you, too, but I think I'm going to head home," Scott said, distracting me. "I've been fighting a cold all week." He turned and left.

Rachel softly asked Peter to get her jacket and eyed Gabby.

"Are you sure you want to stay in?" she asked Gabby, as Peter helped her with her jacket.

I studied Peter. He was crazy about Rachel. I could see it in the way he looked at her and touched her, and I could smell it. If they were my kind, I would have surely scented a Claimed pair. How could he stand being apart from her each night?

"We're sure," Gabby said, waving them toward the door. "Don't come home early."

When the door closed behind them, she exhaled slowly and turned toward me. I reluctantly let my hand drop. She smiled at me nervously.

"Home free. Thank you, Clay."

I put my hand back in my pocket and waited. Would she ask me to change back? Tell me to leave?

"Um..." She seemed just as uncertain as I was. She took a breath. "Did you want to do something since we're both dressed up?"

She wasn't going to send me away? I shrugged, trying not to show how happy she'd just made me. I didn't want to ruin my chance to spend time with her in my skin.

"You can talk to me, Clay," she said.

Oh, I wanted to. I wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked right now. And ask if I could touch her hair. But, I kept my mouth shut. She wasn't ready. She'd run.

"Okay, do you want to go out or stay in?"

Stay in. I figured, deep down, she wanted that too. I moved to the couch and sat in the middle.

She hesitated then looked at the space available on each side of me. I loved watching the warm light in her soft brown eyes as she considered her options.

"I'm going to go change." Her voice shook. "I'll be right back."

My heart stalled, and as she turned, I sprang from the couch. She couldn't leave. If she did, she might not come back out of the room. I caught the back of her shirt between my thumb and finger. She froze and ever so slowly looked over her shoulder at me. I tilted my head at the couch.

Please don't go, I thought.

Desperate, but trying hard not to show it, I gave her shirt another gentle tug.

She took a slow, deep breath and hesitantly moved back to the couch. I wanted to go sit by her, but I knew she'd probably bolt. I could smell her near panic. Walking to the TV, I tried to figure out what I could do to ease her uncertainty of me. I picked the comedy I'd borrowed from one of the neighbor's homes. It was one Gabby had mentioned wanting to see.

I pressed play, stood, and walked toward the couch. She watched me closely, and I wanted to stand taller because of it.

Sitting next to her, I tried to focus on the previews. It was no good. I'd sat too close. Her scent wrapped around me, as usual, but her leg pressed lightly against mine. Despite two layers of material, it felt too much like skin on skin. My gut clenched with want.

It took half the movie for her to start to relax beside me. Then, she laughed at something. Though I stared at the TV, I had no idea what had just happened. I remained completely focused on her. But the sound of her amusement made me chuckle. I wanted to hear that sound every day of my life.

When the movie ended, she leaned forward to stand. The motion hitched up her skirt an innocent inch. Innocent or not, I knew I needed to calm down. As she moved to the TV, I shifted and slipped out of my clothes at the same time. Moving with the blurred speed that came natural to my kind, I folded the clothes neatly so she would know I appreciated her gift and set them on the couch. Then I left via the front door.

I ran fast and hard for ten minutes, covering miles before returning to the back porch. A hint of buttery saltiness drifted in the air, and I heard Gabby moving around within the kitchen. Changing directions, I went to the front. I opened the door and smelled popcorn. Quietly, I closed the door and settled onto the couch in my fur to wait for her.

She stepped into the room a moment later with a big bowl in her arms, spotted me, and smiled. She was happy to see me.

"There you are. Want some popcorn?"

She turned around and went back into the kitchen, got another bowl for me, and set it on the floor by the couch. I wasn't sure if it was because she was seeing me as a dog or because there wasn't much room left on the couch. Then she settled in next to me and curled her legs up to tuck her feet under me.

Why hadn't she done this when I was a man? I sighed, moved closer, and laid my head on her legs. She'd asked me to change into my skin for her, I reminded myself. Our relationship was growing. She'd come to accept me in my fur. She'd do the same with my skin. But would it be in time? At the rate we were moving, her acceptance would come long after the six-month mark.

I only half watched the movie that played. Mostly I focused on her. What would it take to move things along?

She absently ate a piece of popcorn, and my heart skipped a beat. How could I react to her like this all the time, but she barely reacted to me at all? I couldn't think like that. It wasn't a fair comparison. Like she'd said in the beginning, she was human. She didn't have the instincts I did. I needed to help her see I was meant to be the one for her.

She glanced at me as if sensing my regard and then smiled. She offered me a piece of her popcorn. I nipped it from her fingers. I wasn't hungry. I just wanted a taste of her. My tongue barely swept against her finger, but she didn't seem to mind. She ate another piece, then offered me one. The fourth time, I licked the back of her hand. It was a kiss, but would she know that?

The movie fully captured her attention, and she stopped eating and feeding me. I shifted my position, lying closer to her.

When the movie ended and she got up, I wanted to groan and pull her back. Sure, we slept in the same room every night and read side by side, but this had been actual snuggling; and I wanted more.

Instead of going to the kitchen with the bowl, she set it on the floor and moved to the TV to start another movie. I grinned. She'd liked it too, hadn't she? The smile was well suppressed when she turned around and rejoined me.

The second movie was more action-suspense than comedy. Halfway through the movie, she'd dug one of her hands into the fur at my neck, and the other lightly worried one of my ears. She was nervous because of the movie, and I was turned on as hell.

The front door opened just then, and Gabby jumped—nearly yanking my ear off—and screamed. Yeah, that helped cool me down, as did Rachel's stunned face.

"And that's why I don't watch suspense movies," Gabby said, putting a hand to her heart. Rachel and I both started laughing.

Gabby was just so damn cute. I kissed her exposed stomach and settled down.

She gently tugged on my ear. "Cut it out," she said softly.

So she did know when I kissed her. The insight made me want to try again. Too bad Rachel was watching.

"When did Clay leave? I thought he'd still be here after you said I shouldn't hurry home." Rachel kicked off her shoes and flopped sideways on the chair.

Gabby turned off the movie. "Nah, I turned my back, and he took off on me."

She patted me on the head, and I snorted. If I would have stayed, she would have been the one running out the door.

"It's okay, though, I have my favorite guy here."

Inside, I soared.

"He was a little scary looking if you ask me," Rachel said.

Scary? That was the clothes, not me.

When Rachel reached over to pet me, I moved slightly and arched a brow at Gabby. She better say I wasn't scary.

Gabby looked like she wanted to laugh.

"When I first met him, I told him he looked like a crazy man. I still think he's crazy, but he's also nice and dependable."

I sighed. I was scary, crazy, nice, and dependable; but the idiot repairman had been hot?

"So does he ever act like Scott?" Rachel asked.

"No way," Gabby said quickly. "Most guys talk about themselves to try to impress me, or they just act scary obsessive. Clay's different. I don't think I affect him like I do other guys." She paused for a long moment. "I think he just likes being with me."

Finally! She got it.

"And I'm grateful that I get to be normal around him."

Rachel laughed. "You sound like you're really serious about him. Why didn't you talk about him before this? And why didn't you say the dog had the same name? We could have changed it."

I watched Gabby, wondering how she'd explain around that.

"I wasn't sure if or when he'd make an appearance. And I like the name Clay. Besides, he doesn't mind."

Rachel made a small noise neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"We should probably talk about overnight visitors," Rachel said. "What rules do we want to set?"

"Um...no loud noises?"

"Come on!" Rachel laughed louder. "I meant, weekends only? Maybe guests till midnight on weekdays? Notice needed? You know, that kind of stuff."

Rachel's grin said she was up to something. It probably had to do with Peter, who'd been standing outside the front door the whole time.

"I don't know. I trust you and your judgment, and you can trust my lack of a social life. I really don't think I'll see Clay very often, so you don't need to worry."

"Oh, he'll be back. I saw the way he watched you. Are you sure the only rule you can come up with is no loud noises?"

"Yeah, I think we're fine."

"Great!" she said with a huge grin. Then she cupped her hands and yelled, "Peter!"

The front door immediately opened, and a sheepish looking Peter entered.

"You were supposed to text me," he muttered uncomfortably.

Gabby laughed. "Come on in, Peter. Clay and I were just going to bed."

Definitely. I jumped off the couch, and Gabby moved to follow me.

"Night, guys," she said as we walked into her room.

"Another early Friday night for us," she whispered after she closed the door.

She got into bed, and I jumped up on the end. I didn't mind an early night if it meant lying with her.

Gabby stayed awake a long time, and I wondered if she could hear the giggling and other noises coming from Rachel's room, too.

# Chapter 11

Gabby shuffled out of her room. She hadn't fallen asleep until early morning. I hadn't slept well either, thanks to the love noises coming from Rachel and Peter.

I followed Gabby closely, unhappy that Peter was not only still in the house but also taking a shower. Gabby didn't seem to notice. She went straight to the fridge, stood in front of the open door for several long minutes, then looked around the room. Her gaze locked onto the orange juice container in the recycling bin.

She glanced at me, and I wanted to shake my head in denial. I had nothing to do with emptying that drink. I had tried a sip of it once, just to see why she liked it so much. I'd left it alone after that. She shared enough with me already.

A noise in the bathroom diverted Gabby's attention. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes in that direction, and I heaved a sigh of relief.

"Great. Another non-coffee person," she said.

She shuffled to the faucet, grabbed a glass, then tipped the handle. She started to mumble as she jiggled the handle in earnest. It wobbled loosely, and the water didn't come out like it usually did.

"Looks like I'll have to call the hottie plumber back," Rachel said as she walked into the kitchen.

"No, thanks," Gabby said quickly. "And no big guy showing two inches of crack, either." She turned off the tap with only a third of her glass full. "I was going to go pick up Clay later, anyway. I'll have him look at it."

Excitement coursed through me. She wanted me to wear my skin again.

Rachel looked up in surprise from the coffee tin. "Really? No-talk, leave-early Clay?"

Quiet woman, I thought, not liking the skepticism in her tone.

"Yeah, that one. Not the dog."

"I believe you said you didn't think he'd be around much," Rachel said with an odd grin.

She really needed to stop talking. I didn't want Gabby to remember that.

"Don't remind me. I'm probably going to need to beg."

Not likely. I doubted Gabby would need to beg me for anything ever.

"Does he know much about plumbing?" Rachel asked as she moved to the sink to fill the coffee pot.

"Don't know...we don't talk much."

Although she said it with humor, I knew that really bothered her. I watched her set her glass aside.

Soon, Gabby. We'll talk soon.

* * * *

After Peter and Rachel left, Gabby emerged from her room dressed for the day.

"Wanna come shopping with me or stay here?"

Silly question. I walked to the door, and she drove us to the grocery store. As usual, I waited in the car as she strode across the parking lot.

It took almost an hour for her to reappear; and when she did, she moved fast as if she expected someone to come tearing after her. I watched behind her closely. No one was following her.

She caught my gaze and smiled at me. Then her gaze drifted to the truck pulling into the spot next to us. I turned and saw a man getting out. His determined, possessive expression had me tensing. What was it with human men around Gabby?

"Hi, there. Need a hand?" the man said as Gabby stopped her cart near the trunk of our car.

"No, thanks. I got it."

The man didn't move away.

"My name's Dale. I own Dale's Auto Body on South Mitchell. You should bring your car by. It looks like it might be due for an oil change."

What? I'd just changed it. Don't believe him, Gabby, I thought to her.

"That's a nice offer, but my boyfriend does the oil changes," she said as she opened the trunk, momentarily blocking my view. My heart seized for a minute. Did she know?

I ducked down and watched them in the narrow strip at the bottom of the window. Gabby didn't look upset, just in a hurry. Probably because Dale still hadn't left.

"He's a handy guy, then?" Dale asked as he grabbed the potatoes and set them in the trunk, a move that brought him closer to Gabby.

I shifted my paw into a hand, ready to open the door if need be.

"Yes, very," Gabby said. Her pulse remained steady, indicating she believed what she said. I wanted to shift fully but not because of the man outside.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," he said.

Gabby met my gaze and rolled her eyes. Although she found the man's attempts at courting her humorous, I did not.

"Gabby," she said, closing the trunk. "Thanks for helping me with the groceries, but I need to get going. My dog's been in the car for a while already."

Gabby swiftly shoved the cart into the empty space beside us and turned toward her door. She hadn't been fast enough. Dale now stood between her and the car door. I hopped from the back seat to the driver's seat, ready to let myself out and remove the man.

"We have an opening at the shop," I heard him say. "If your boyfriend's looking for work, send him by. We'll see how good he is."

I wanted to laugh. Whether or not he was serious, I'd be seeing Dale again soon.

Oblivious that I was now in the driver's seat, he opened the door for her. I growled a low warning. He looked down at me in surprise and backed up a step.

Gabby was quick to get in and pull the door from his loose hold. She had the engine started and was pulling away before the man thought to move again.

"Well, that was a challenge if I ever heard one," she said as she reached over to pet my head.

Human men weren't a challenge; they were an annoyance. But, that one might just be helpful.

"However, no challenges until you fix the sink," she said with a smile.

When we got back to the house, Gabby grabbed the things from the trunk and carried them into the house.

"You go shower while I unpack. Then you can look at the sink and see if we can avoid calling that big-headed plumber back."

I went to the bathroom, shifting just after I rounded the corner. Gabby hadn't followed me after that first time. I turned on the water and let it warm before stepping in.

A few minutes later, Gabby tapped on the door.

"I'm coming in, so please stay behind the curtain."

I grinned and rinsed the shampoo from my hair as I waited for her to gather the courage to open the door. It took several heartbeats.

"I have some clothes for you. Better stuff for looking at a sink than what I bought yesterday." She paused a moment. "Clay, I'm so sorry. I'm being rude and making assumptions." She took a deep breath. "Will you look at the sink? Please?" She was teasing me. I could hear the laughter in her voice. I cupped my hands under the water then squeezed them together, aiming the squirt of water over the curtain.

"Ok, ok. I'll just leave the stuff here on the floor. If something doesn't fit," she said, her voice taking on a nervous pitch, "or you don't like it, leave the tags on it, and we'll take it back. I guessed on the shoes. Some of the stuff isn't for now, but I figured you could try it on."

Why was she so nervous? Beyond the curtain, I heard a rustle of clothes. Was she taking back what she'd gotten me? My curiosity had me turning off the water.

She squeaked and fled the bathroom. I chuckled and pushed aside the curtain. On the toilet, she'd laid out socks, those tight underwear, a pair of jeans, and a t-shirt. A pair of grey and blue running shoes waited on the floor beside the toilet. All of it new.

First the car guy, now clothes. Finally, things were falling into place for me.

I eagerly dressed but left off the shoes and socks. I wasn't planning on going anywhere and didn't want to dirty anything more than I needed to. Everything fit well. She'd done a good job guessing at my size. Maybe she'd been paying more attention to me in my skin than she'd let on.

Grinning, I stepped out of the bathroom. But Gabby wasn't there. Curious, I checked the kitchen. Not there either.

I peeked in her room and saw her sewing a flannel shirt. It was large. Too big for her. The ache in my chest surged. She was sewing my shirt. I quickly left before I did something stupid, like tackle her with a hug.

From the basement, I grabbed a few of the tools I'd collected, then went back upstairs to work on the faucet. It wasn't too complex. The handle seemed as if it was simply loose.

I leaned closer, studying how the handle was connected. Behind me, I heard Gabby walk into the kitchen and pause. She didn't say anything or move, and it took all my effort to remain focused on the sink. Did she like the clothes? Did she like seeing me in my skin again?

Finally, she moved. I listened to her walk to the fridge, open it, then walk to the table and set a few things down. Her movement stirred the air enough that I caught the subtle change in her scent. Interest. In me.

My canines grew larger. With care, I set down the wrench I'd been using. It took all my willpower to walk past her and go down into the basement where I stood for a full minute, shaking. I listened to her steps on the floor above me. If she had any idea what she'd just done...I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and ran my tongue over my teeth, willing them smaller.

It helped calm the shaking, but the teeth didn't budge. I went to the small pile of tools and grabbed the Allen wrenches I'd acquired. Unable to stay away from her any longer, I headed back up the stairs.

Gabby glanced at me when I reappeared.

"The shoes didn't fit?" she asked as she moved to the potatoes on the table.

I shrugged, having no idea if they fit. Shoes were the last thing on my mind. As I walked past her, I inhaled her scent again, needing to know if the interest had been a fleeting thing. It was still there, a light and fragile sweetness added to her already enticing scent.

"So they fit, but you didn't want to wear them?"

How did she know me so well? Because we were meant for each other.

I bent to the sink again and started checking which size Allen wrench I needed. Behind me, she shifted in her chair, and I listened to the rasp of the peeler as she removed the potato's skin.

"Did you like them, or should we take them back?"

Return them? I almost straightened from the sink, but she kept talking in a rush.

"I wasn't sure what style you liked. There were several different colors. They're cheap shoes, but I figured it was better than walking around barefoot in the snow. That's got to be cold, even for you."

She was worried I didn't like the shoes. I turned and looked at her. Interest and now concern.

"I just don't want you to think you have to keep them if you don't like them. It won't hurt my feelings if we take them back. Just wear the flip flops for now, and you can come in with me next time and pick out what you like."

She quickly stood and went to the stove.

While her back was turned, I used my speed to get the shoes and socks from the bathroom. I couldn't tell her I hadn't wanted to put them on and risk wrecking them before I had a chance to use them to get a job. But if I didn't do something to show that I liked them, she'd take them back. There was no way I'd surrender a single item she picked out for me. Not even the underwear.

I sat in the kitchen chair, put on the socks, and was in the middle of tying the shoes when she turned again.

"No, no, no, Clay," she said in a rush as she moved toward me. "I wasn't saying you _had_ to wear them."

I knew that. But I also knew they were a gift from her, and by not wearing them right away, I'd hurt her feelings.

"It's okay to bring them back if you don't like them."

I finished tying, stood, and looked down at my feet. The shoes hugged the sides of my feet, but I had room to move my toes. They were much more comfortable than the ruined boots. Gabby remained where she was, and I was certain her gaze never left me. I wanted to look up, but I didn't trust myself. Instead, I moved to finish working on the sink.

"You like shoes, but you don't wear them much. Right?"

I shrugged again, wanting her to keep talking to me, but she turned back to the stove and fell silent. She didn't seem upset by anything so the quiet wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, it seemed pretty typical of our time together. Sometimes, she didn't feel like talking. I didn't mind those quiet moments with her.

The aroma of bacon, eggs, and potatoes had my mouth watering, and I couldn't wait to eat. I finished the faucet and tested the work, happy to see a full stream of water.

"Good to have a handyman," she said.

She'd called me a man. I wanted to pick her up and spin with her in my arms. Instead, I took the tools back downstairs and spent another minute trying to calm down.

When I returned, she had two plates on the table. She already sat at one side. My gut clenched. Our first real meal together.

I sat across from her, kept my eyes on my plate, and dug in. I nearly groaned. The bacon was loose just as I liked it, the eggs runny, and the potatoes crisp with bacon grease. I used my napkin often, worried I would have a yolk trail in my beard; Gabby liked me clean.

"What are the chances of trimming that beard?" Gabby asked.

I slowly wiped my mouth as I tried to figure out why she was asking. If she didn't like it, she would have asked about shaving it off. She'd said trim. Did she still think I looked like a crazy man? No, she'd told Rachel that was her first impression of me, not the current one. I decided to be honest about the reason behind the beard. It hid things, like my smiles when she was around...and my teeth.

Pulling my lips back, I flashed my smile at her. She froze for a second, her fork suspended in midair, and I detected a hint of fear. I closed my lips to hide my elongated canines and focused on my food again.

"Do they stay like that all the time?" she asked.

I debated if I should answer. She'd been afraid just seeing them. But she was asking questions. About me. Getting to know me. I wanted that. We needed it. But how could I explain why my teeth were big without scaring her more?

Taking my last bite, I stood and moved to the sink while I tried to decide if I should answer her question.

Abandoning her food, she followed me and leaned against the counter. Though I didn't look at her, I knew she was still studying me.

"Is this something you don't want to talk about?"

I shrugged.

"Is it something I need to guess, or can you explain it to me?"

She really wanted to know.

I glanced at her, wondering how I could explain it. My teeth were always out around her. It was worse when she gave me signs that she was starting to like me. Care for me. Her interest in me really hit hard. How could I show her that her nearness was the influence? The answer was crazy simple—show her that she could make it even more pronounced.

Slowly washing my plate and fork, I considered how she would react if I scented her, nose to skin. She moved away from the sink to grab her dishes. I went to the stove and washed that while I debated her possible reactions. There was only one way to know for sure.

I returned to the sink where she rinsed her plate. Her calm posture reassured me. Setting the washrag aside, I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms as I waited for her to finish.

We stood just a few inches apart, and when she turned to me, I could see the gold flecks in her light brown eyes. We watched each other for several moments. Her eyes dipped to my chest, and I saw her interest again. If she kept this up, I'd need to leave and lose a perfect opportunity to get closer. Yeah, not going to happen.

I uncrossed my arms and leaned toward her. Panic filled the air, and she froze. I inhaled, reminding myself I needed to be careful. I shook my head, trying to tell her not to worry, and pulled back.

Her throat moved with a hard swallow.

"You're trying to explain the teeth, right?" Fear still laced her words.

I nodded.

She studied me again, and slowly, the panic faded and interest returned. She took a deep breath.

"It's okay then. Go ahead, explain. I'll behave," she said.

I grinned and knew she'd caught me when her gaze dropped to my mouth. Maybe I needed a bigger beard.

Carefully, I leaned forward again. She didn't flinch away, and her scent remained clear of fear. As I neared, my teeth grew in anticipation. If she were my kind, I would bite her neck, Claim her, and end the waiting. But she wasn't my kind. She needed to bite me.

I didn't stop my approach until my nose almost touched her skin. Then, I inhaled deeply. Ah, what she did to me. I gripped the counter to steady myself and hoped she didn't notice.

She stiffened as I exhaled, and her pulse spiked. Even with fear flooding her, her scent called to me. I inhaled once more and lifted my head, exhaling as I went.

I was inches from her lips and so tempted. Would she still run? Had I given her enough time?

No. Her eyes were wide with fear and uncertainty. She still didn't trust that we were meant to be together.

I pulled back my lips, finishing what I'd started...an explanation for the beard.

She studied me, and slowly her pulse calmed.

"So, when you're around me, they're worse? I guess that means they're like that all the time."

I shrugged and took a step back.

A car pulled into the driveway, distracting Gabby. She left the kitchen in a rush. I sighed and quickly stripped out of the clothes, knowing our time was over. For now.

When Rachel walked through the door, I was in my fur and the clothes were in a neat pile on the chair.

Rachel smiled at me, petted my head, then caught sight of the clothes as Gabby walked into the room.

"Is there someone here?"

"Clay stopped by and fixed the sink. He figured he would leave a change of clothes because of last night," Gabby said.

Her smooth lies amazed me. I was glad I could hear the skip in her pulse to detect them because without it, there was nothing to give her away.

"Really? The sink's working? And for free?" Rachel moved to the sink to test it.

Gabby shrugged and grabbed the clothes, leaving me to deal with Rachel's good mood. When Rachel was happy, I endured hugs, kisses on the top of the head, and excessive petting. Done with her affectionate praise, she finally released me; and I shook off the feeling of her.

One of these days, Rachel's fondling would bother Gabby.

# Chapter 12

Monday, after Gabby and Rachel left, I went to Gabby's room to look for my clothes. Most of them were in her bottom dresser drawer. She even had the flannel shirt in there for me. I brought it to my nose and inhaled. Her scent was all over it.

Dressed like a man, I went to the basement and grabbed my wallet from where I'd hidden it after the washing machine incident. My fake ID wouldn't do much for an official job, but I had the feeling Dale's offer hadn't been official anyway.

With my wallet in my pocket, I left the house and settled in for the long walk to South Mitchell.

The garage was easy to find and looked better than most I'd seen back home. The square block building was painted white, but age and weather had dulled its pristine effect. Still, the place looked neat. A stack of four tires just outside the door held a sale sign. Four diagonally parked cars took up the space against the right side of the building, and a small fenced area hugged the left side. Two large bay doors stood open; in one bay, the floor lift had a car jacked into the air.

Dale was standing under the car and looked at me as I walked into the bay.

"Can I help you?" he said.

I nodded. "Gabby sent me. Said you had an opening for her boyfriend."

For a moment, Dale looked at me blankly, then a grin split his face. I'd expected guilt or denial, not amusement.

"I didn't think she'd actually send someone."

She hadn't, but I kept that to myself.

"I'm Dale," he said, coming over to me. He offered his hand, and I shook it.

"Clay."

"I'll be honest; I'm not looking for full-time help. This time of year, everyone starts remembering oil changes and winter tires. Once that's over, I'll be fine on my own."

I couldn't believe my luck. At best, I'd hoped he'd be able to point me to a shop that was hiring so I could use his name as a chance to get in somewhere.

"I'll work for cash whenever you need me," I said. I already knew that working for cash meant no need for my ID.

Dale considered me for a minute. "Cash?"

I nodded.

"This could work out," he said with a smile. "What experience do you have?"

I thought of Sam's truck. "Messing around, mostly."

"All right. Let's do a trial run. Ten dollars an hour. You can start with this oil change," he said, pointing to the car.

I nodded, and stepped further into my new life. An oil change was easy, something basic I'd read in the many books Gabby brought home and something I'd done already on Gabby's car. I found the drain pan he used off to the side, set it under the car, and started the oil draining. I went to the oil shelf he had in back and grabbed five quarts of the winter grade. Dale watched everything I did. It was a test I passed within twenty minutes.

"Good," he said with a nod. "I've got a few more for you to do."

The oil changes were fine. While I did those in the right bay, he pulled another car into the left. This one he didn't hoist up with the lift. Instead, he wheeled over a cherry picker. I continued with my task and watched him struggle for a few minutes. He made the engine look heavy, but I knew from Sam's truck it wasn't too much for me to lift on my own.

"Come give me a hand," he said after a few minutes.

He explained that the engine was slightly wedged and how we'd need to finesse it free so, once we had everything clear, the cherry picker could hoist it.

"Let me get an extra strap," he said, moving around me.

With his back turned, I quickly lifted the engine, tilting it and pulling it forward. Cleared, I started hoisting it with the cherry picker before Dale turned back to me.

"Nice," he said when he saw I already had it free. He glanced at me again, assessing me.

I shrugged and moved back to my current oil change.

Three hours later, he sent me home with an extra forty dollars in my pocket because of my initiative, and he also asked me to return around noon the next day.

As I made my way back to the house, I started planning what I'd do with the money. Gabby had some cash hidden in a box in her drawer. I'd seen her take from it a few times. I planned on putting a few bills there; hopefully, nothing noticeable. Since she'd just gone shopping, I figured I'd keep the rest in my wallet until she wanted something, like more of her favorite orange juice.

Once home, I showered and washed my clothes—except for the shoes. Rachel's car pulled into the driveway just after I put everything in the dryer. I quickly shifted, fear making my heart race as I sprinted up the stairs.

She stepped into the house, petted my head, and held the door for me to go outside. She didn't seem to notice the noise in the basement, so I went. She didn't watch me from the door, but instead went to her room. A few minutes later, she was back and let me in. She'd changed.

I watched as she scribbled a note and dropped it on the table. She seemed in a hurry as she patted me on the head and left. I waited until she pulled out of the driveway to read the note. She was going to dinner with Peter and would be home late. She'd been doing that a lot lately, staying out until long after Gabby went to bed.

An idea formed, and I grinned. I had clothes, a job, and money. Gabby was interested in me as a man. It was time to start showing her what I could be for her.

* * * *

The baked potatoes were done, so I turned the oven down to keep them warm. The chicken breasts were still sizzling in the pan, and the corn steamed in the pot beside it. I looked at everything, trying to figure out if I'd missed anything.

Outside, a car pulled into the driveway. My pulse leapt. I looked down at my shirt to make sure it was still clean. Yep. White and tight. Just like it'd been from the dryer.

As Gabby walked through door, I slid the two chicken breasts onto their plates.

"Wow," she said. "I didn't know you cooked. It smells great." She closed the door, set her bag on the nearest chair, and moved to stand just behind me. Her scent wrapped around me. Then she inhaled deeply, robbing me of thought for a minute. Had she just scented me?

No, idiot. The food. I'm making dinner. For her. Stay focused.

I bent, pulled the baked potatoes from the oven, and added those to the plates along with a healthy portion of corn. Gabby moved away from me and grabbed us both a fork and knife from the silverware drawer before sitting at the table.

"So, other than cooking, how did you keep yourself busy today?"

Not ready to tell her about the job, I set the plates down and nodded at the last batch of books she'd brought me, which happened to be on the table. I'd finished the last one last night and had them there, ready for her to return.

"You read them all, already?"

I nodded.

"That's a lot to read in just five days. Are you skipping chapters?"

Her amusement confused me, and I looked up to see why that would be funny. She blushed slightly and cleared her throat.

"So, about the beard...are your teeth ready to play nice?"

I laughed. My teeth were ready to play. Nice or not didn't matter.

"Does that mean we can trim your beard?" Excitement filled her gaze.

I shook my head, wondering why she wanted the beard trimmed. This was the second time she'd mentioned it.

Her face fell, and she quickly looked down at her plate. I lifted my nose and tested the air. I'd disappointed her. I leaned back in my chair and studied her. Her interest made me happy; if a trimmed beard meant that much to her, I'd do it. But, I needed to understand why. My gut told me there was something more behind the request than her obsession with my grooming habits.

She glanced up, gave me a weak smile, and lifted another bite.

"This tastes great. Thank you for cooking. Do you have a favorite food? I can put it on the next shopping list."

Why was she changing the subject now? She pushed a few bites around on her plate, her discomfort growing. I picked my fork back up, still trying to figure out what had just happened.

"Actually, let's keep a shopping list on my dresser. When you think of something, you can add to it so I know what to get without guessing."

We ate the rest of the meal in silence. When she was done, she brought her plate to the sink, then returned to the table and started reading from one of her textbooks.

"If you want, when you're done, we can watch a movie," she said as I took my last bite.

I wanted nothing more. I hurried to clean up. When she moved to help, I waved her back to her seat. If she did her work while I cleaned, I'd have more of her undivided attention later.

While I finished washing the stove, Gabby packed up and then hovered in the doorway, waiting for me. Behind my beard, I grinned triumphantly. She wanted me. Sure, it was just my presence she wanted, but I knew there would soon be more.

We moved to the living room, and I picked out a suspense movie. It worked well for snuggling the last time.

"If I scream again when Rachel comes home, no laughing," she said as she curled up on the couch.

I started the movie and sat next to her. As she watched it, I concentrated on her. She immediately relaxed, just slightly leaning against me. Her pulse jumped several times within the first few minutes of the movie. And although I knew it had nothing to do with me, my pulse always leapt in response.

I frowned and actually focused on the movie when I felt her shiver beside me. It wasn't that scary. A few minutes later, just as the girl was about to enter the house, Gabby popped up from the couch and went to her room. Tilting my head, I listened to her pull something from her closet.

Gabby returned, wearing a hoodie. She'd been cold. Damn it. I could have put my arm around her.

I spent the rest of the movie mentally beating myself.

When the movie ended, Gabby sprang from the couch, surprising me.

"Hey, Clay. Do you like cookies?" she asked as she left the room.

I stood and followed behind her, wondering what had brought on that unusual question. She opened a cupboard and started moving stuff around, looking for something. I stepped closer, barely an inch behind her, wondering what she was after. There wasn't much in the cupboard.

"Shoot," she said, closing the doors.

She turned and let out a strangled "gah" when she saw me so close. I grinned. How had she not heard me?

"Har-har," she said with a grin. Her pulse raced wildly. "I told you no suspense movies. Life is scary enough without them. Oh, and false alarm on the cookies. We're missing some main ingredients."

If she really wanted to make cookies, why not get what she needed? I held up her car keys and jingled them.

"It's tempting, but unless I want to get a part-time job, I can't afford to keep spending the money I've saved. I've got to stick to the budget so it lasts till spring. If we can manage to keep the heat off until November, I should have cookie money for Christmas. That's when cookies are best anyhow. I'll just need to start wearing more clothes inside."

More clothes? I wanted to groan.

She took the keys from me and put them back in the dish on the counter. I barely noticed. I was the reason she was spending more than she'd planned. The money in my pocket was a good start but only if I used it to help her. I couldn't just give it to her. She'd ask questions I wasn't ready to answer.

Tomorrow, before I went to Dale's, I'd figure out what groceries we needed in order to make cookies. I'd find a way to get everything Gabby wanted.

# Chapter 13

When Gabby left for class the next day, I did what I could to help at home. I switched over the laundry she'd put in that morning—I was less afraid of breaking the machine now—folded everything once it dried, and washed the sheets she'd pulled from the bed.

While I waited for the laundry to finish, I looked at our supplies and made note of anything running low. I also found a cookbook with over a dozen cookie recipes. Each recipe had a slight variation, but all had the same basic ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, baking powder (or soda), and vanilla. I added those ingredients to the list as well.

Once I had the bed remade, the laundry put away, and the list in my back pocket, I headed out the door.

Dale was ready with a car on the lift in the right bay when I arrived. I checked the paperwork on his desk for what it needed, then started on the oil change. It felt good to have something to do while Gabby was at school. Reading had helped me from going crazy, but physically doing something was better.

It was close to dinner when Dale told me I could go. I knew I wouldn't make it home before Gabby did, but I still stopped to pick up some more laundry detergent, dryer sheets, toilet paper, and toothpaste. Those items would be easy enough to sneak into the house. The rest of the list, I'd save for another day.

If Rachel wasn't home and Gabby hadn't yet eaten, maybe I could cook her dinner again. The likelihood of Rachel's absence was pretty high. Rachel's social life had altered when she started seeing Peter, and I'd noticed a pattern. She typically spent Tuesday nights at his house, which meant Gabby and I would have tonight together.

Two blocks from home, I noticed the car. It was parked in front of our house and was hard to miss. As I watched, the brake lights turned on; and it pulled away from the curb. I frowned. I knew both Rachel's and Peter's cars, and the one that had just driven away wasn't either.

Something about the car worried me.

With a burst of speed, I made it to the garage to ditch the supplies, then let myself in through the back door. I found Gabby in the living room, standing with her forehead against the front door.

The scent of her fear and confusion laced the air. Worried, I stepped closer as she pushed away from the door.

When she turned and saw me, she started screaming, a blood curdling sound that nearly stopped my heart. With wide eyes, she clapped a hand over her mouth to stop the sound. In the silence, I heard her pounding pulse. Something had scared her before she saw me. What? Or who?

I inhaled deeply. There was a lingering scent in the air, barely there. I breathed in again, tracing the scent. She had something in her front pocket. Something not hers. I glanced down, caught a glimpse of white, and reached forward to pluck the business card out of her pocket. There was nothing but a name and phone number on it.

I looked at her and shook my head, wondering what had upset her so much.

She exhaled shakily and dropped her hand.

"Did you see who was here?" she asked with a slight tremor in her voice.

I shook my head, wishing I hadn't worked late.

"How did you know that was in my pocket?"

I lifted it to my nose.

"Have you ever met Elder Joshua before?"

I shook my head again.

"Have you ever smelled him before?"

Where was she going with these questions? Again, I let her know I hadn't.

She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. She was relieved I hadn't met him? Why?

Her unfocused gaze told me she was lost in thought. I gently tapped her forehead, wanting to know what she was thinking. She startled slightly and gave me a weak smile.

"You want to know what's going on in my head?"

I nodded. I wanted that more than anything.

"I'd like to know what's going on in my head sometimes, too," she said, looking a bit lost. "Let's make dinner while I talk. Let me know if you hear Rachel or anyone else."

I nodded, kicked off my shoes, and put them in Gabby's room before joining her in the kitchen. She was sitting at the table, her hands fidgeting. I went to the cupboard and grabbed some potatoes. She needed to keep her hands busy.

She didn't hesitate once I set the spuds in front of her. She started to peel, and I turned to get a pot out.

"That was Elder Joshua at the door. He stopped by because I haven't talked to Sam lately, and Sam asked him to check up on me. I guess he was worried after that challenge."

I took some chicken from the freezer and went to thaw the meat in the microwave, listening not just to her words but also her tone. She sounded pensive.

"Something was odd about him, Clay."

And then, she just stopped talking. Behind me, the peeler rasped against the potato and the microwave beeped. I took the chicken to the stove then went to her side. She didn't look up at me. I grabbed the peeled potato, purposely nudging her chair. It seemed to startle her from her thoughts, and I went to the sink to rinse the potato.

"I'm different," she said abruptly.

I turned from the sink and looked at her. Of course she was different. She was human...yet somehow connected to our world. I didn't see anything wrong with that. I shrugged.

"No. Really different. It's kind of hard to explain. Sam told me I was different when he met me, but he doesn't know all of it. He said that I was rare because I was one of only a few humans compatible with werewolves, just me and Charlene."

She sighed and dropped the peeler, obviously agitated. I quickly grabbed two more potatoes and handed them to her along with the rinsed, nude potatoes. She started peeling again, and I went to the stove and started slicing the chicken.

"Since as long as I can remember, I've seen lights. Not with my eyes, but in my mind.

"When I was younger, I had to close my eyes and concentrate to see a relatively small area around me. As I got older, I didn't need to concentrate as hard and could see a much larger area. Now, I can see these lights at will, briefly, with little effort, and over a longer distance. And I don't need to close my eyes."

I put a large portion of butter into the pot, started it, and added the chicken. Moving quietly, I took some broccoli from the freezer, still listening and trying to understand what she was saying.

"These lights are people, Clay. I can see the neighbors moving around in their houses right now."

I paused, stunned by what she was saying. No lie laced her words. How could I, someone who had no skill of any merit, be with someone so completely special? When she started speaking again, she sounded a bit hoarse, so I poured her a glass of water.

"It's not an aura I'm seeing. To put it in perspective, I can see a square mile around us, but in my mind, the area looks like an inch. The lights within that area are small pinpricks, but I can see them so clearly that they might as well be the size of quarters three inches from my face. And all those dots are the same color. Every human around us has the same yellow light with a green halo."

I handed her the drink and rescued the potatoes she'd cubed into tiny pieces. It would make cooking them quicker.

"Thanks," she said, taking a sip.

While she continued talking, I resumed cooking dinner.

"You and I, in the middle of those dots, stand out. I have the same yellow light as everyone else, but my halo is orange. I'm different from the people around us. Even from you. Werewolves have a green core with a blue halo. At least, that's all I ever saw in the past two years, until the night you were challenged. That werewolf had a blue-grey light."

Was she saying there was another kind of werewolf? I'd never heard of any, but that didn't mean it wasn't true. We'd kept to ourselves until Charlene's arrival and acceptance into Thomas' pack. Who really knew what was out there? And another species would explain why that werewolf had challenged me before my time was up.

She continued her explanation, speaking slowly as if trying to figure out the right words to use.

"Now, imagine my shock when I opened the door and saw a man, who introduced himself as Elder Joshua, with the same color light. Only the difference in the color of his eyes kept me breathing."

Her panic made sense, and I started to wonder. If there was another kind of werewolf, how could we have one as an Elder? Did the other Elders know about this? No, I doubted it. They were still trying to puzzle out why Charlene and Gabby were potential Mates for our kind. I wondered if the answer to that lay within what Gabby was telling me, that there might be more species out there than we were aware.

"I've been like this my entire life, and I have more questions than answers about this second sight. Why are all humans green and yellow except Charlene and me? We're human. Why does Charlene have a red halo? Or me an orange halo? The only similarities are the yellow cores. I've been thinking the yellow cores mean human, but I don't know what the halos mean.

"And I'm sure that you've caught on to the whole guy situation. I call to them, somehow, as if I'm a beacon or something. Do I really send out some kind of signal?"

She looked up at me questioningly as I turned from the stove with a loaded plate in each hand. I handed one to her and studied her for a long moment.

I had noticed the attention she received. Some of it seemed a little intense, but she was beautiful and amazing. I felt intense around her, too, but I knew that was just the animal side of me. Humans were different. Gabby more so because of her compatibility with me. However, beyond the Mate pull, I didn't sense anything different about her.

I shrugged and shook my head.

"So nothing as far as you can tell? There's got to be a reason, a connection to it all." She sighed and played with the food on her plate.

I ate slowly, unsure how to react to everything she'd shared. Her revelation surprised me, but it didn't change how I felt about her. I didn't care that she saw lights in her head or that men found her attractive. It just meant we'd have an interesting life.

I quietly ate my food and waited for her to say more. Eventually, she did.

"I've never told anyone all of this. People figure out there's something different about me if they're around me long enough. But no one knows about the lights."

That she'd chosen to share her secrets elated me. It showed trust and progress in our relationship.

"I'm torn. Do I call Sam and tell him everything? Do I tell him the light of the guy who challenged you is the same light as Joshua? There's nothing concrete I can offer about the coloring or why I'm so worried about it.

"Why would a werewolf I've never met challenge you? And why does he share the same coloring as Joshua? So far, the lights have had a category: humans, werewolves, and compatible Mates. I don't think the challenger and Joshua can be compatible Mates because Charlene and I are uniquely colored from each other."

She shook her head then took her first bite. Her food had to be cold by now.

"Bet you're wishing you hadn't asked."

I shook my head slowly, still watching her. She was everything I wanted and more. I only wished she would have trusted me sooner.

She quickly finished her meal, and I took both our plates and cleaned up the kitchen while she sat at the table and did her homework. Her anxiety remained high, and I didn't know what to do to comfort her. I doubted she'd welcome a hug yet. At least, not from me while I wore my skin.

When I finished rinsing the sink, I left the room, stripped out of my clothes, and shifted. I returned to the kitchen, nudged her arm with my head, and looked toward the living room. She reached out and ran her fingers through the fur at my neck, then packed up her homework.

We watched some sitcoms before calling it a night.

* * * *

Our lives settled into a pattern. I followed her to school, without her knowing, then went to work. On Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, Rachel spent her time at Peter's place. On those nights, I made sure I was home before Gabby so I could have dinner ready. On the nights Rachel was home, I let Dale know I could work late if he needed me.

The money helped. I started getting the things Gabby needed or showed interest in. Simple things like movies she mentioned to Rachel, basic food items, and some spare clothes for me. I always wore what she'd given me on the nights we were together, though, and hoped she understood how much I treasured them, especially the shirt she'd sewn.

Each night together she peppered me with questions, making a game of getting to know me; and as the weeks passed, I thought we'd progressed nicely. She was comfortable with me and seemed to really trust me. I wasn't ready to test our relationship yet, though. Fear that she would pull back stopped me.

When the questioning turned to what I did all day, I left my wallet on her dresser as a clue. Rachel was home when Gabby found it so she didn't say anything, but her expression spoke volumes. Curiosity and excitement played across her features. I sat behind her as she quietly opened it and started poking through the contents.

Her hesitant glances at me before she looked at each new thing were adorable but not as much as when she stared at my license. They'd made me pull my hair back for the photo. It was her first glimpse of my face. She stared so long that I started to laugh, not at her fascination but because she was fascinated. Just another sign of how much she'd accepted me.

But acceptance wouldn't be enough to keep the other unMated at bay, and our time to complete a Claim was running out.

# Chapter 14

I sat on the bed and watched Gabby get ready. A female from one of Gabby's classes had invited Gabby to a Halloween party. And Gabby had said yes.

She wore my favorite flannel shirt and a pair of my jeans. The jeans sagged on her and mostly covered the boots she wore. Thankfully, she'd belted the waist to keep the pants from falling off completely. I liked that she wore my clothes. It gave me a certain sense of possession...if only she weren't planning to leave and go mingle with other men at one of those party houses.

Most of Gabby's blonde hair was hidden under a ball cap. I tilted my head, studying her as she sculpted some thick sideburns with the hair gel. She was too cute to pull off being a man, but it was better than the cocktail waitress costume Rachel had given her.

When she started coloring manly looking eyebrows on her face, her cuteness dropped a level, and I started to worry. She was dressing tough. Human men weren't rational when they drank. Someone might take her attempt at toughness as a challenge.

"What do you think?" she said, turning around.

Unhappy with the situation, I jumped off the bed and turned toward the door, pretending to ignore Gabby as I tried to decide if I would be able to follow her from a distance. That wouldn't help when she went into the house. I needed to go with her as a man, but would she let me?

Lost in thought, I didn't hear Rachel until the door was already opening. I jumped out of the way just before it hit me.

Rachel stopped and stared at Gabby in shock. For once, I agreed with Rachel's reaction.

"What the hell did you do?" she said.

"I'm going for dude. It's safe, right? What guy is going to want to hit on a guy even if he knows that underneath, it's a girl? Guys get weird about that stuff."

"You know what's going to happen?" Rachel said, sitting on the bed. "All the guys are still going to be attracted to you. Only they're going to freak out because you're going to make them think they're gay. You're going to get your ass kicked tonight."

I swore and rushed from the room. There was no way I'd let Gabby go without me now. Gabby and her classmate would just need to adjust to the change in plans.

With Rachel in Gabby's room, I shifted my hand, let myself out the back door, and went to the garage. Dale had given me some coveralls a few weeks ago, which I'd hidden in the back. I grabbed them, dressed with speed, and pulled back my hair. I wanted every man I encountered tonight to see my eyes and know the threat they faced if they got near her.

Less than a minute later, I was at the door again. I almost let myself back in, but remembered Rachel was inside, and knocked. It didn't take long for Rachel to answer. When she saw me, she grinned.

"I'm glad you're here. That girl's going to need someone to keep her safe tonight."

I nodded. Finally, we were on the same page.

"It's for you, Gabby," Rachel said loudly.

Rachel didn't move to invite me in, so I waited outside for Gabby. As soon as she reached the kitchen arch, she stopped and stared. Slowly, some of the anger and annoyance left me, and I found myself grinning at her stunned expression.

Her scent changed the longer she looked, and it made my gut clench.

Someone knocked at the front door.

"I got it," Rachel said, grinning at us before she rushed from the room.

Gabby glanced down at my coveralls, read the name sewn on my chest, then met my gaze. "You have some explaining to do, I think."

My job had never really been a secret, no more than everything else I didn't say.

She turned away from me, but she didn't seem mad. I followed her to the front door where Rachel and another woman were talking. The woman wore a form-fitting dress to attract men. A mermaid or a siren; it didn't make much difference. It was good I meant to tag along.

"You're gorgeous, Nicole," Gabby said. "Are you going to be warm enough?"

Probably not. And, a sweater would help draw less attention.

Both of the women and Rachel laughed.

"Hey," Gabby said, "it's a valid question. It's the end of October for Pete's sake."

"I'll be fine," the woman said as her gaze locked on me. "Hi, I'm Nicole."

I nodded and stuck out a hand. She clasped it.

"Uh, this is Clay," Gabby said for me. "He doesn't talk much. And this is Rachel, my roommate. Are we ready?"

While they focused on each other, I turned, planning to beat Gabby to the car. In the beginning, she'd managed to leave the house a few times without me. I was smarter now. Silently, I left the room.

"Sure," Nicole said. "I parked on the street."

"Great. Let me grab my keys," Gabby said.

Already in the kitchen, I grinned at the keys in my hand and stepped out the back door. I was down the porch steps before she reached the kitchen. The missing keys would let her know what I had in mind if the overalls hadn't.

Sliding behind the wheel, I started the engine and waited.

A few minutes later, both Gabby and Nicole stepped onto the back porch and hurried to the car. Gabby sat up front with me, and Nicole slid into the back seat.

Gabby turned to look at Nicole.

"I don't know where we're going. Just tell Clay where to turn and be sure to give plenty of warning. This is the only car I have for the winter."

I knew her warning was for me. No doubt, she questioned my ability to drive. Although we'd grown closer, there was still so much she didn't know about me. I smiled as I backed out of the driveway and followed Nicole's directions to the party.

The car-crowded curbs worried me as we parked a few blocks away. Just how many men would I need to deal with tonight? I glanced at Gabby, her costume still a source of concern. She seemed unbothered by both her costume and the cold. Nicole shivered as we walked, but Gabby seemed fine. Dressing as a guy was still better than what Rachel had offered.

The blaring music began to hurt my ears as we neared the party house. Stuffed sheets, their version of ghostly decorations, hung from every tree in the yard. People crowded the front lawn in groups that overflowed into the neighbor's yard.

We caught the attention of a few men who turned to stare. Their gazes drifted to Gabby, confusion clouded their expressions, then they looked at Nicole.

"I knew you would make this fun," Nicole said with a laugh. "Oh, I see him on the porch. Do you think I should say hi?"

I had no idea who she was talking about, but I knew this wasn't going to be fun with Gabby's next words.

"Let's push our way through the crowd and get inside. We can warm up for a minute. It'll be more attractive if you're not stuttering with cold."

She wanted to go in? The windows rattled in time with the beat of the music. It wouldn't be pleasant inside, and getting there would be less so because we needed to navigate through the sea of men on the lawn.

Frustrated, I took Gabby's hand and started to lead her through an overly interested crowd. They willingly parted for us, turning as we neared though I knew they couldn't hear us. Gabby was right. It was as if they sensed her, as if she sent out some kind of signal. She'd told me. I'd just never seen it get this bad.

When we reached the door, a man tried to sell me an empty cup for three dollars while offering Gabby one for free. Gabby politely said no. What was he thinking? Who wanted an empty cup? Even for free?

I glared at him and pulled her inside as he continued to look at her with interest. Immediately, my eardrums wanted to bleed. The bass echoed in my ribcage and made my teeth ache.

I pulled Gabby through the crowded entry, into a packed living room, then shouldered my way to the small couch. I glared at the two males sitting there. They uneasily stood and left, making room for the women to sit. Alcohol fumes permeated the air. Uneasy with the mood of the room, I stayed near Gabby, sitting on the arm of the couch. The men around us were drunk and unpredictable. I didn't like it.

One of the males across the room caught sight of Gabby and made his way over.

When the man stopped in front of her, he swayed slightly on his feet. Gabby wouldn't look at him. Good girl.

The music decreased in volume as a softer song came on. I would have sighed with relief, but the man used the opportunity to try to speak to Gabby. The alcohol he'd consumed had impaired his tongue, making him hard to understand.

"Hey...wash shore name?" he asked.

"Go away." Gabby's quick response almost made me smile.

"Wanna go up shtairs? They have a pool table."

Nicole coughed, an attempt to hide her amusement. I was not amused. I narrowed my eyes at him and curled my hands into fists to hide my nails, which were slowly changing color.

"No. Go away." Gabby turned to glare at the man.

From where I was sitting, just slightly behind her, I caught the man's attention and bared my teeth. The flare of white snagged his attention, and his eyes widened before he started to nod and smile.

"Oh, god it man. Sheesh yours."

I nodded in return, and he moved away from us. Both women looked up at me.

"What did you do?" Gabby said.

After a moment's hesitation, I bared my teeth, showing my elongated canines. As I anticipated, she didn't like it. Worry tinged her usual scent, which was hard to pick up with all the odors in the room.

"If you keep those in all night, you're going to have sore gums tomorrow," she said.

I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Those are so real looking. You have to tell me where you got them," Nicole said.

Ah. She wanted Nicole to believe my teeth were fake. Just so long as the other men eyeing Gabby thought they were real, I didn't care.

"He won't say," Gabby said to Nicole. "Warm enough? Are you going solo or do you want backup?"

Nicole's obvious nervousness hadn't left her. She wasn't ready to talk to whoever drew her here; yet, I didn't think staying much longer wise. The men across the room were starting to frown at Gabby. Was it the challenge I'd feared she'd face or her pull?

While I kept my narrowed gaze on them, Gabby reached out to pat Nicole's bare shoulder. They both yelped, drawing my attention.

"I'm so sorry, Nicole," Gabby said. "I was just going to tell you that we should say hi now, and I go and shock you, instead."

How had she shocked Nicole?

"No, I know what that was. It was a jump start." Nicole smiled at Gabby. "I'm going to go out there now. If I can't get his attention, we can go." Nicole stood and made her way to the door.

I turned my attention back to the men and found their stares no longer on Gabby. The men who had seconds ago frowned at Gabby now moved to follow Nicole. The sudden change, though welcome, had me puzzled. I glanced at Gabby and saw her studying the men as well.

She cast a worried glance in Nicole's direction and stood quickly. She almost fell, and I wrapped my hands around her waist to steady her, truly concerned. She didn't acknowledge me at all. Instead, she kept her focus on Nicole.

After a moment, Gabby slipped from my hold and started to follow. She seemed steady, but I stuck close and remained ready.

Where people had turned and moved for us on the way in, they completely ignored us now. I had to push people out of our way. Someone almost stepped on Gabby. I grabbed him by the back of the neck and turned him like a puppet.

Meanwhile, Nicole had no problem weaving through the crowd, and the distance she gained seemed to upset Gabby.

We made it to the porch as Nicole approached a man. I heard her say hello, and the man turned to Nicole with an eager smile. The attention he gave her reminded me of Scott.

Gabby didn't move to approach the pair. Instead, she worked her way to the railing to watch.

The men around Nicole all turned to stare at her. As I watched, I realized this was similar to how men paid attention to Gabby. A tad more intense, but I'd never seen Gabby in a dress like that around men. Just the thought made my hackles rise.

Gabby shifted from foot to foot, drawing my attention. A shiver shook her, but it didn't remove her focus from her friend. I watched the shivers increase and the group of men around Nicole grow. How long did we need to stay? The men were no longer a problem, it seemed, but the cold still was.

Apparently having the same thoughts, Gabby reached back, wrapped her petite hand around my wrist, and tugged my arm up. I didn't need any more of an invitation. I widened my stance and pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her. She leaned back into my chest, and I set my chin on her head, trying to touch her as much as possible. I told myself it was only to share my warmth.

"I don't feel good," she said. Her teeth clacked together as she spoke.

I lifted my hand to her forehead. She didn't feel feverish.

"Do I feel warm?" She twisted her neck to look at me, and I shook my head.

She didn't turn back around. Instead, she continued to gaze at me. A small smile lifted the corners of her lips, and her gaze softened. My heart stuttered at the change in her expression. Everyone around us ceased to matter. I knew what Gabby was thinking when her gaze dropped to my lips. I'd never wanted anything so badly than for her to follow through with her thoughts.

She seemed to shake herself from the moment.

"I think I'm ready to go, but I don't want to leave Nicole here. What are my chances of getting her away from him, you think?"

With a heavy heart, I turned my gaze from Gabby to glance at Nicole. The woman didn't appear to like all of the attention anymore. She seemed nervous again.

"I think now's a good time to s-see," Gabby said.

I loosened my hold but kept a hand on the small of Gabby's back as she moved forward. She shook with cold, and her plodding steps made slow progress. The people around us didn't seem to notice and would have easily pushed her aside in their pursuit of a good time...if not for me. I pushed back. People who didn't move were moved. A few grumbled, but I bared my teeth and dared them to take offense. Each one stumbled away.

When we finally reached the group, the men turned to glare at me as if I were interested in stealing Nicole from them. I was. But only so I could take Gabby home. She was worrying me. In all the time since we'd met, she'd never once been sick. Why now? And why were the men, who normally fawned over her, suddenly treating her like she didn't matter?

"Hi, guys," Gabby said to the group. "Sorry to interrupt, but we need to pull Nicole away for just a minute."

Nicole's smile widened as she glanced at Gabby then back at the men.

"I'll be back in just a bit," Nicole said to them. "Can someone get me a soda?"

She took Gabby by the arm and turned her around so fast I barely had time to move out of the way. I scowled at her. Couldn't she see Gabby was sick? You can't tug around a sick person like that.

Sticking with the pair, I followed them from the porch and across the yard, in the direction of Gabby's car.

"Thank you for that," Nicole said. "It was really weird the way they were acting tonight. I guess mermaid sends off the wrong vibe. I hope he remembers talking to me, though. I liked it until his friends showed up."

Impatience ate at me as I watched their slow progress. I wanted to pick Gabby up and carry her to the car. My concern hadn't yet outweighed my fear of her reaction though.

"Yeah," Gabby said. "He s-seemed okay. D-don't trust his friends."

"Are you okay?" Nicole asked, looking closely at Gabby.

Finally, she notices, I thought.

"I think I'm getting sick or s-s-something. Clay felt my head, but s-said I didn't feel warm."

"Is Rachel going to be home tonight? You said she's going to school for nursing, right? She'll probably know if there's something going around on campus. The nursing students doing clinicals always seem to know."

"Good idea."

Halfway to the car, Gabby noticeably flinched and started shaking more. She needed to warm up. I ran ahead and started the car. Then, I got back out and waited for them by the door. As soon as they were close, I opened the door for Gabby. She was too pale with dark circles under her eyes.

Nicole kept an arm around Gabby as she helped her into the front seat.

"Do I look as b-bad as I f-feel?" Gabby asked with a weak smile as Nicole buckled her in.

Nicole glanced at me, but I couldn't tear my gaze from Gabby as I circled the hood to get in. What had happened? She'd been fine all day. There hadn't been any signs of illness. Not a single sneeze or sniffle like humans tended to display.

"Well, you do look like you're coming down with something. I'm so sorry I begged you to come out tonight."

"Don't w-worry about it. It w-was r-really interesting."

Nicole closed Gabby's door and got in back.

I sped home because, despite the heat pouring from the vents, Gabby's shivering had gotten worse. Her teeth chattered nonstop.

The dark house was a welcome sight when I pulled into the driveway.

"I hope you feel better," Nicole said. "I'll see you on Tuesday."

Gabby only nodded as I parked by the porch. I immediately got out and walked around the front of the car as Nicole left. Gabby blinked slowly, miserably, as she watched me.

I opened the door and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Keeping a firm hold on her, I helped her from the car and across the porch. As soon as I had the door open, she slipped from my hold, stepped inside, and started to tug off the flannel. I followed closely, ready to help in whatever way I could.

"Clay, c-can you get my towel?" she asked, pausing outside the bathroom to drop the shirt on the carpet.

A shower? I nodded. It would help warm her faster. I quickly went to her room and grabbed the towel. The closing of the bathroom door made me pause. She'd barely been able to stand. Would she be able to shower on her own?

I brought the towel to the bathroom door then waited. Inside, I listened to the small, mewling noises she made. Each one broke my heart and tested the respect I had for her privacy and my need to care for her.

Unable to stand another second, I tapped on the door. Just let me in. Please.

"J-just a s-sec," she said, her panic clear. "I'm not ready, y-yet."

A second later, I heard her bump into something. Taking a breath, I cautiously opened the door.

She stood by the toilet. She'd managed to get her shirt, socks, and shoes off, but her pants were obviously giving her trouble.

"Hey!" An unnatural flush crept across her pale cheeks as she crossed her arms over her chest.

If I wasn't so scared for her, I would have taken a moment to enjoy all the skin she'd bared. Instead, I tossed the towel on the toilet lid and moved past her without a glance. I turned on the shower so the water could heat up. Then with a burst of speed, I did what needed to be done. I moved back to her side, bent, and had her pants around her ankles before she could screech.

With my eyes averted, I remained by her legs to wait for her reaction and for her to step out of her jeans.

"Clay, g-get out!"

Her outraged demand just firmed my resolve to stay.

"Really, I c-can do the rest."

I tapped her leg and motioned for her to step out of the pants. After a moment, she placed a hand on my shoulder and did as I asked.

"N-now out, Clay."

I picked up the pants and stood, careful to keep my gaze glued to the wall tile, then shook my head.

"The h-hell you s-say!"

She almost made me smile. I set her pants on top of the towel then pulled back the curtain and held out a hand. While I waited, steam began to drift in the air, letting me know the water had warmed. When she took too long, I nodded toward the shower and tapped the tub with my boot. Couldn't she see she'd be warmer in there?

"You're s-staying until I'm in? So I don't fall?"

I was staying because I couldn't leave her. But I shrugged, willing to let her think what she wanted.

She sighed and, a second later, placed her cold hand in mine. Sure, she still wore her bra and underwear, but I highly doubted she'd appreciate my help with those.

As soon as she was in, I closed the curtain then hesitated. She wasn't steady on her feet. Would she fall when she tried to remove the rest of her clothes? I waited, but she didn't move an inch behind the curtain. And, I realized she wouldn't until I was gone. With a worried sigh, I turned and left.

As soon as the door closed, I heard material hit the bathroom floor.

After listening to the water run for five minutes with very little additional sound, I let myself back in.

"Clay?"

She sounded worse. Weak. I grunted so she'd know it was me. Who else would it be if not me?

I grabbed the towel, held it out, and averted my eyes again. The curtain rustled, then a moment later the water turned off. She plucked the towel from my fingers but remained hidden behind the curtain. I stayed as I was, facing the door with my hand extended, ready to help.

After some more rustling, she grabbed my hand and stepped from the shower. I knew how badly she felt when she scooted past me, wrapped in only a towel, and shut herself in her room. I picked up the bathroom to give her time to dress, then waited outside her door.

A long pause and short breaths followed each rustle of movement. Her pain tormented me. Yet, I knew she wouldn't welcome any further interference. The waiting became agony.

As soon as I heard her climb into bed and pull the covers up, I let myself in and turned off the lights.

In the dark, her teeth chattered loudly. I tossed her clothing on the floor, stripped out of my clothes, and tugged on a pair of shorts from the bottom drawer. She didn't make any other sound, just the clacking of her teeth, as I pulled back the covers and slid in next to her.

"I really hope you're wearing shorts or something," she said with a slight slur.

Her concern over what I wore didn't stop her from pressing her cold feet against my legs. She made a small noise, one of relief, and moved closer to me.

Seconds later, her breathing slowed. She slept. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to my chest, holding her as I'd wanted to do for months. My heart broke that it was because she was sick.

Please let her be all right, I thought.

I didn't sleep, just held her. Night faded to dawn, and dawn gave way to day. Still she slept without stirring. Each hour brought more helpless fear.

By mid-morning, Gabby finally stirred. My throat tightened at the feel of her feet moving under the covers. She groaned slightly and tilted her head back, shifting away from my chest. Her eyes were open but her gaze was bleary.

"I'm thirsty." The dry rasp of her words supported her claim.

I eased her from my arms and hurried to the kitchen, glad Rachel wasn't home yet. With a glass of water in hand, I returned to Gabby's side and helped her drink. She drained the glass in long swallows then curled up once more. She was sleeping before I set the glass aside.

Sitting on the bed, I studied her. Her skin seemed to have more of its normal color back. And the circles under her eyes were less pronounced. I hoped that meant she was better. The worry and fear that I'd held all night eased up, but only a little. Her need for more sleep when she'd already slept more than twelve hours didn't seem normal.

Taking her glass, I went to the kitchen to refill it just in case she woke again. I set it on her dresser and grabbed one of my books before settling on the bed beside her. She shifted in her sleep, moving close to me. I smoothed back her hair then forced myself to open the book and began to read. Though my eyes touched on the words, I read very little. How long should it take for her to get better? Should I reach out to Sam? I glanced at Gabby, knowing she wouldn't like that.

I stayed close, trying to read, until she started moving in her sleep.

Hoping she'd wake hungry this time, I went to the kitchen to make a very late breakfast. Rachel still wasn't home so I could move around freely. If she were home, though, maybe she'd know what was wrong with Gabby.

I'd just turned the bacon in the pan when I heard Gabby get out of bed. She didn't leave her room, though. She just moved around a bit. Probably grabbing her books.

I hurried to finish cooking then made a plate for her.

Carrying her food and a glass of juice, I nudged the bedroom door open and found her sitting up in bed, studying. When she looked up, I lifted the plate and glass unsure if she wanted it.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "I'm starving."

Starving was good. That meant she was better. Right?

I stepped into the room as she tossed her book aside. She was ready when I handed her the plate with a fork and set the orange juice on the dresser. The enthusiasm with which she dug in surprised me. Eggs, bacon, potatoes, and toast vanished in minutes.

When she looked around for more, I handed her the glass of juice. She sipped it with a contented sigh and patted the bed next to her.

"Want to read by me?"

Yes and always. I grinned at her, collected the dishes, and left the room. As I finished up the breakfast dishes, she used the bathroom. Instead of hovering like I wanted to, I grabbed a book and settled on my side of the bed. I finally had a side, not just the foot of the bed.

She joined me a few minutes later, and we remained like that for the rest of the day.

Near dinner, I heard Rachel's car and closed my book. With Gabby sticking to the bed, I left the room to shift in the living room.

Rachel would just have to deal with a man's set of clothes on the couch.

# Chapter 15

Clay, time's up.

Sam's unexpected words sent a bolt of panic through me as I stared down at Gabby. She slept peacefully beside me, still recovering from whatever affected her last night.

Several males have approached Elder Joshua and requested permission to Introduce themselves to Gabby. Permission's been granted. Sorry, son.

Had it been that long? I thought back to the Introduction in spring and wanted to growl. It had. I'd been so focused on the progress Gabby and I were making, I hadn't noticed the passing time.

There wasn't much I could do about unMated males asking to meet her. I'd been given six months to win her over; and in their eyes, I'd failed. I knew better, though. Gabby was human. She was taking her sweet time to realize that she didn't just care about me but loved me.

_Elder supervised only,_ I sent back.

I wasn't giving up, just ensuring her safety.

Though werewolf laws forbade us from Claiming a human—only the human could initiate the Claim—I'd already dealt with one unMated who'd challenged me when Gabby was around. She could have been hurt. If they wanted to start Introductions again, she needed to be in a controlled environment. Plus, the Elders would be there to note her disinterest in others and preference to me.

I reached out and gently touched Gabby's cheek. She was so fragile.

I'll see what I can do.

I growled. Not good enough.

Let them all know I'm challenging for the right to keep her.

Gabby shifted in her sleep. I calmed, wrapped my arms around her, and waited for her to wake up. When she did, she seemed better but still not herself. She stayed in her room, studying or napping. As the day wore on, no one bothered us, and I hoped that meant the Elders had agreed to chaperoned Introductions.

While she read, I tried to think of ways to broach the subject of Claiming. Deep down, I knew she wasn't ready yet. She'd let me sleep next to her only because she was sick. I had no doubt, when she felt better, I'd be back to the end of the bed.

Yet, I also knew I was making progress. She talked to me when she wanted to share news that excited her. She chose to have dinner with me instead of going out with Rachel. Whether she realized it or not, we were slowly working up to making things official. Just not fast enough.

* * * *

When Gabby woke Monday morning and started to dress for school, I tried to stop her. She was still weak. However, since Rachel had returned home late Sunday, I'd reverted to my fur. So my efforts were limited to what a dog would do and were easy for Gabby to ignore.

On her way out the door, she patted me on my head and softly said, "Don't worry so much."

How could I not? The rules had changed, and she still didn't know. Frustrated, I sat beside the door and listened to her car pull away. She had no idea just how much I did worry. Not only would she need to contend with human men but, possibly, werewolves, too.

Thankfully, Rachel left soon after. I let myself out and ran my route to campus, scenting as I went.

Though there were no signs of werewolves in the area, it didn't mean it would stay that way. I knew, as wolves, they wouldn't get too close, thanks to the security guards. But, what about as men?

I watched the students walking around campus for several minutes then turned away. Gabby was right. I was worrying too much. The men who wanted to meet her didn't want to hurt her. They wanted to talk to her, convince her that they were a better match for her. It was the Mating challenges that were the danger to her. As long as the challengers approached me when she wasn't near, she would be fine.

Back at the house, I dressed for work as usual and set out on the long walk. I expected someone to approach me then, but I arrived at the shop without incident.

Dale had the orders laid out on his desk so I could choose what to work on. He no longer regulated me to general maintenance orders. Anything he had on his desk was up for grabs. I'd noticed he usually left the heavy jobs on the top. I didn't mind. He paid me more when I did those.

I took the top order, found the keys for the car on the rack, then went to the lot to pull it into the right bay. Outside, a hint of something in the air made me pause. I inhaled deeply. Werewolf. It was faint which meant the challenger was watching me from a distance, sizing me up.

The tension I'd held since Sam contacted me, eased. It was a bit of a relief to know someone was out there. If he was watching me, he wasn't watching Gabby. It also meant that Sam had spread the news that I wasn't giving up my Claim. Anyone wanting to meet Gabby would challenge me first. It wasn't required, but we had our pride. Though Gabby had technically rejected me by not completing the Claim within the six months, she was still allowing me to live in her house. Any man hoping to approach her wouldn't tolerate that remaining sign of her acceptance for me. Thus, the challenges. They wanted to prove to her that they were better in every way that mattered to a wolf.

I drove the car into the right bay and set to work as I normally would. No one approached the shop and the scent never grew stronger throughout the day. But I hadn't expected it would. Challenges weren't something we did out in the open. There was too much risk that humans would see what they shouldn't. When werewolves fought, we didn't always shift completely. Instead, we used the best of both our forms.

Near four, I cleaned up and went to the current order to make notes. It was early enough that I could settle up with Dale, face whoever challenged me, and still arrive home before Gabby so I could start dinner.

Dale stopped his work and came over when he saw me.

"Thanks for another day," he said, handing me money as he read my notes. "You see everything," he said, pointing to my comment about a few pinholes in the exhaust.

I shrugged. Some of the stuff was hard to miss when I had the car jacked in the air.

"See you tomorrow?"

With a nod, I tucked the cash in my wallet and left for the day. I didn't get very far.

The challenger's scent grew heavy near a vacant building at the edge of the business district. After a quick glance around, I veered off the sidewalk to track the scent around the building.

The cement block structure had a flat roof, and all of its windows were painted black from the inside. The faint scent of oil and exhaust still clung to it. Some kind of manufacturing plant, perhaps. Most likely insulated to help prevent sound from carrying to the homes not far away. Whomever I faced was smart to pick this location. No witnesses.

Around the back, I found the rear metal door ripped open and hanging at an angle. A blatant invitation. I stepped into the shadowed interior and pulled the door shut behind me. The large empty space made it easy to see my challenger. He waited in his fur in the center of the room.

I unzipped my coveralls and pulled off my shirt. He remained where he was as I stripped and shifted.

Moving toward him, I already knew the outcome of the fight. I saw in his eyes that he did, too. One on one, very few of my kind would be able to overcome me.

* * * *

When I walked out of the building, the sky was already dark. The challenge took longer than I'd anticipated, and I knew the only dinner I'd have ready in time was canned soup. It was something I'd picked up last week.

I jogged home, trying to keep a human pace; and before going inside, I hid my coveralls in the garage. Though Gabby knew about them, I wasn't sure Rachel was ready for more man clothes around the house.

Glancing at the clock, I wondered how Gabby's day had gone. No doubt I'd find out in a few minutes. It took me seconds to open the soup and dump it into a pot. As it heated on the stove, I quickly washed up. Though I'd won, the challenger had scored a few solid blows but nothing that wouldn't be healed by morning.

Gabby pulled into the driveway just as I poured the soup into bowls. Her slow steps thumped on the porch while I carried the bowls to the table. I glanced up as she opened the door. Looking exhausted, she dropped her bag on the floor, closed the door, and then shuffled to the table. With a weary sigh, she practically collapsed into the chair.

I sat across from her, watching as she took her first few bites of soup before I started eating too. We ate in silence for a few minutes.

"Are you going to tell me about the coveralls or where you got the money for groceries?"

Though she'd asked, she didn't look up to any serious conversation. She looked like she needed sleep. So I shrugged.

She sighed and pushed her bowl back. "I know I'm supposed to start asking you a bunch of questions, but I'm still too tired. Just don't be doing anything illegal, 'K? It would be hard to visit you in jail."

She got up and put the rest of her soup in a container. Despite my silent objections, she washed her own dishes then left me in the kitchen with my half bowl of soup. I quickly ate, cleaned up, and went to her bedroom. She was already curled under the covers and asleep.

The sound of Rachel's engine stopped me from lying next to her. I stripped, put my clothes away, and settled on the end of the bed, careful of my bruised ribs.

* * * *

Tuesday was a repeat of Monday. Gabby went to school, and I went to work. The scent of werewolf drifted to me throughout the day, and I left early again. Like the day before, the scent grew stronger as I neared the vacant building. Only this time, it wasn't a single scent, but three. I knew I wouldn't make it home before Gabby.

Walking around the building, I retraced my steps. As I'd anticipated, the shallow bruises from the day before had already healed. I doubted I'd heal as quickly from three fights in a row. The bruising would go much deeper.

I stepped inside and found the three challengers. Though I could see they planned to fight as men, I stripped down to nothing anyway.

"Just give up now," one of the men said. "Sure you might win the first fight or two, but do you really think you can win three in a row?"

I waved the first one forward in answer.

The guy shook his head. "Whether you win this fight or not, Gabby's no longer yours. You had your chance. Elder Joshua has granted any interested male permission to approach her without supervision."

Shit.

I struggled to control my temper. I'd asked for controlled Introductions. Sam had said he would see what he could do. When I hadn't heard more, I'd thought...what had I thought? No answer didn't mean a yes.

With a growl, I launched myself at the first challenger. I needed to get home.

* * * *

It was past midnight when I left the building. I stopped at a gas station to clean up. I had a split lip and blood on my knuckles and in my beard. Most of the blood in my beard wasn't my own.

Letting myself in the back door, I listened for Gabby's soft breathing. She was safely asleep in bed. No other sounds drifted through the house, which meant Rachel wasn't home yet. Some of the remaining tension melted from my chest.

As I stripped and then changed into a clean shirt and shorts, I considered the challenges. I'd taken my time and paced myself, careful not to expend all my energy up front. But in the end, the third challenger had almost beaten me. What would Gabby have done if she'd woken, and I still hadn't returned? Her comment from Monday's dinner led me to believe she would have tried to find me, that we weren't done. Yet, what were we? Friends? I needed her to start seeing us as more than that.

I carefully lay next to her, wincing at the soreness along my back. She seemed to sense me in her sleep because she shifted closer. I put my hands behind my head and let her use me as a pillow. With her cheek on my chest, I wished I'd left off the shirt.

Once she settled, I sighed deeply and fell asleep.

* * * *

She moved, a slight nod that rubbed her cheek against my chest. It was a pleasant way to wake up. She lifted her head, and I opened my eyes.

"It's annoying not being able to see you," she said softly as she propped herself up on her elbows to study me.

"If you don't talk, and I can't see your face, how am I ever supposed to figure out what you're thinking?"

She reached out to push my hair back, but I caught her wrist. She wouldn't like what she saw. I doubted the bruises had faded from last night.

"Seriously, Clay, what kind of bribe is it going to take for you to get rid of some of that hair?"

I bared my teeth, hoping my excuse would work this time, too.

"Can't we at least trim it back some?"

Her desire to look at me had me tugging her hand to my chest and laying it flat. I wanted her to see me, not just the outside but inside, too. My heart was hers. All that I was belonged to her.

She watched me with a slightly amused expression. Her tousled hair haloed her head in appealing disarray. Her lips parted, and my gaze drifted there. I could handle a thousand more challenges if only for one kiss.

Barely breathing, I lifted my free hand and tapped my mouth.

"What, you want me to be mute like you?"

She was killing me. I shook my head and reached out, cupping her jaw and lightly running my thumb over her bottom lip. My pulse thundered in my ears.

She froze, then her eyes widened. All trace of amusement fled her expression.

"Whoa!" she said as she flew from the bed, almost falling off it in her haste to put distance between us.

My hand slowly fell to the mattress. She didn't stop backing up until she hit the dresser, and then she clutched it as if she needed the support.

I saw her tremble and frowned. Had I misread our relationship? Did she truly not see me as a potential Mate? I waited. We watched each other. After a minute, she loosened her hold and nervously wiped her hand on her leg. I wished I knew what she was thinking.

As she continued to study me, her expression of fear melted away to one of slow amazement followed by a deep blush, which I found curious. Her amazement vanished and a sudden panicked look took its place. She was shifting through emotions too fast for me to understand. I'd thought the amazement and blush a good thing, but why had it caused her to panic?

Then her gaze drifted to my throat. I wanted to groan and close my eyes. Her reactions were confusing torment. Want me or don't, just decide soon.

She took several slow, deep breaths, wiped her hands on her pajamas again, then, finally she moved. She didn't flee the room, as I'd half-expected, but edged toward the bed. Her teeth caught her lower lip, making it hard for me to breathe.

"I have some questions before we talk about my bribe and your price."

What bribe? What price? I thought back to our conversation—her conversation—and realized she thought I wanted a kiss in exchange for trimming my hair.

She crawled back upon the bed and sat on her heels beside me. "Will you try to answer my questions?"

I waited, unsure of her questions.

"Are you able to physically speak?"

I nodded.

"Are you ever planning on talking to me?"

That question hinted at a long-term future. I smiled wide and nodded again.

"Clay," she said hesitantly, "were you asking for a kiss?"

I'd never wanted anything more. I nodded and reached out to twine my fingers with hers. She let me, and I ran my thumb over the skin of her hand.

"Clay, I can't even see your mouth to know where to kiss. I hope this bargain includes a shave."

My heart stopped. Was that a yes? I didn't move, afraid I was dreaming it.

She pulled her hand from mine so she could set both hands on my shoulders. I felt the slight tremble in her fingertips as she slowly leaned over me. Her nervousness almost blocked the scent of her anticipation. She closed her eyes a moment before her lips settled on me. She hovered there, lightly pressing her mouth against mine. I held still, wanting so much more and afraid to do something to scare her away.

She moved slighting, angling the chaste kiss as she reached up to gently brush her fingers along my face, exploring my forehead, ear, and jaw. I couldn't hold back. I tilted my head and started to nibble at her lips.

Her desire changed to panic, and I cursed myself as she pulled away and opened her eyes. Her shock and gasp made my heart sink.

Was she so afraid of a kiss?

"What happened?"

Her concern confused me.

"I thought werewolves weren't supposed to get hurt like this."

Crap. She'd moved my hair and was staring at my blackened face. Wait. Did that mean she hadn't minded the kiss, then? Before the thought could firmly settle in my mind, she bounded off the bed again.

"A deal's a deal. Go shower and shave. After you're done, we can play charades until I have the story behind the black eye."

Screw the black eye, I wanted her back on the bed.

"That or I call Sam."

I ran my hand through my hair in frustration, then sighed and sat up. The mood was obviously broken.

Swinging my feet over the bed, I turned away from her, ready to go take a cold shower when she came rushing over to me again. I didn't stand. She'd be able to reach my lips easier this way. Only she didn't rush to my front. She reached around me and tugged up my shirt. Somehow, I doubted her actions related to continuing our kiss.

"What happened?" she asked again, sounding really upset this time. She nudged my arm away from my side and leaned closer to inspect the bruises there. I held still, liking it when she ran gentle fingers over the marks.

"This is really scaring me, Clay. I thought werewolves were supposed to be this tough, nearly indestructible, race."

I fought three wolves, one right after the other. How tough did she need me?

"Is this why you were gone last night when I came home?"

She sounded sad and mad at the same time. I didn't think there was any correct answer so I remained silent. As usual.

"Fine."

She turned to leave, obviously angry, but I caught her wrist and gently tugged her to my side. I brought her hand to my mouth and kissed the back of it and then her knuckles, unwilling to let her leave angry. I knew I'd won when she brushed her fingers through my hair.

"I've lost everyone that's ever really mattered to me. I thought caring about a werewolf would be safer," she said softly.

I looked up, my heart breaking for the lonely woman reflected in her gaze. Then I pulled her into my arms. She'd never be lonely again. I wouldn't leave her, no matter what.

Eventually, she pulled away and mumbled something about making breakfast. She fled the room, leaving me to my thoughts as she cooked. I would have joined her, but I knew Rachel was still home.

Gabby cared for me. Her own words. But caring wasn't love. Though I'd happily take any form of affection she'd willingly give, I knew caring wouldn't be enough of a bond to stop the challengers.

Would it be enough to ask her to complete the Claim?

# Chapter 16

I still didn't have the answer when Gabby returned with two steaming plates. With a shy smile, she offered me one then sat on the bed beside me. We ate in silence. It wasn't easy to stay focused on the food. The lingering feel of her lips on mine, her hands on my shoulders, consumed me.

Her comment about finding my lips rang in my head, too. Could that be her obsession with trimming my beard? Did she want to see my skin so she knew where to bite? A tremor shot through me, and I hurried to eat. I needed to shave.

Before I finished, I heard Rachel leave. Good.

Gabby took our plates and left the room. While she washed dishes, I slipped into the bathroom with scissors and a razor.

I trimmed back the whiskers from around my mouth and shaved everything from my neck. A shudder of anticipation rippled over me as I stared at the exposed skin in the mirror. Now, I was ready for her to bite me and Claim me as her own.

After a quick shower, during which I heard her pause often outside the door, I dressed and tried to calm myself. Would she Claim me right away? My gut clenched at the thought, then reason kicked in. Probably not. She wouldn't rush into it. But, she might kiss me some more.

With that thought in my head, I reached for the doorknob but a knock on the front door stopped me from stepping out. I turned back toward the mirror and scowled at myself. Why now? I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. Unsure if Gabby wanted me to make my presence known, I waited and listened as she went to answer the door.

At Gabby's faint words, I curled my hands into fists.

"Morning, Sam. This is a surprise."

I wanted to curse and hit something. Sam showing up was not a good sign.

"Um, don't get me wrong, I like seeing you, but is there a reason you're here?"

The impatience in Gabby's voice helped calm me. She wanted to see me because she knew I'd shaved. For her.

"We'll wait for Clay," Sam said.

With a deep breath, I reached for the door.

Gabby turned to look at me as I padded into the living room. Excitement made her eyes shine. I wanted to go straight to her, wrap my arms around her, and let her inspect me for as long as she'd like. Too bad Sam stood by the door watching us.

Still, I focused on Gabby as she focused on me. Her gaze took in my clothes then zeroed in on my face, and, lastly, my exposed neck. There, she lingered. My pulse jumped. Could she see what she did to me with just a glance?

Finally, she met my gaze again and smiled. Behind her, Sam shifted, drawing my attention.

"You know why I'm here, Clay."

Gabby glanced at Sam, a trace of annoyance coloring her expression.

No doubt, he was here because of the challenges. Did he honestly think I would step aside so easily?

"I'm told you didn't take the news well."

I shrugged and crossed my arms. I thought I took the news that other men would be coming after my woman with a fair amount of grace.

Gabby caught my shrug and frowned.

"What's going on? What news?" she said, glancing between Sam and me.

"You didn't tell her?" Sam said.

Crap.

"He's not talking to me, yet," Gabby said.

Sam shook his head at me. "You've dug your own hole then, son." He looked at Gabby. "A group of Forlorn have asked Elder Joshua to approach you for an unofficial kind of Introduction. Joshua approved, but he made it clear they were to keep it brief and then leave, unless any of them had a further request of him."

Anger spiked through me. I still resented how the Elders were handling this.

A bitter tang reached me, and I realized I wasn't the only one struggling to control myself. Gabby's fists were clenched at her sides as she glared at Sam.

"I thought I was done with that. We had a deal." She crossed her arms, looking too much like me. "I know I said I was done."

Sam's expression shifted slightly to one of pity. "Honey, there are rules we must follow to keep peace in the pack. Clay had six months to convince you of his suit. That time has passed. That means unMated can once again approach you, with permission."

Gabby's face flushed.

"That's complete crap," she said. "First of all, I didn't reject anyone. Second, no one ever told me about this stupid rule." Her voice rose, and she started jabbing the air with her finger as she made each point. She seemed to realize it suddenly and dropped her hands to her sides again. "You know what? I don't care what the pack rules are. I gave you my word and my time. Now, I expect you to keep yours. I worked hard to get here, Sam. I won't let anyone take this away from me."

"By not completing the Claim, you've become eligible again. Charlene was granted a special consideration because, at that time, we weren't even sure a Claiming would be possible between a human and a werewolf. Now that we know it is, you fall under the same rules," Sam said.

"No, I don't. Is this why Clay was beat up?"

I snorted. Beat up? Sure I was a bit bruised, but she should see the other three. Apparently, making any sort of noise during her current volatile mood was a wrong move because she whirled on me.

"Feel free to jump in at any time," she said, arching a brow at me. She was beautiful all the time, more so when angry and flushed.

"Gabby," Sam said from behind her, "it's the reason he's been fighting. He's not relinquishing his tie to you. Every time an unMated shows up here, he will challenge that man for his right for Introduction. Did Clay get beat up? Only as a byproduct of handing out beatings."

She remained focused on me while he spoke, and as she began to understand, her angry mask fell away, replaced with one of concern. She swallowed hard then turned back to Sam.

"Why is two years of school too much to ask for?"

"And after that?" Sam said. "Then you'll want time to establish your career. Let's face it. There will never be a perfect time for this in your life. You just need to make the best with what you have."

She flushed again and stalked toward him. I moved closer, concerned. In theory, Sam would never hurt her. She was a female and the future of the pack. But he was a werewolf with a temper like any other.

She poked him in the shoulder.

"No, Sam, you do. I'm not your pawn in this game you play with women's lives. I went to your Introductions and fulfilled any obligation I felt I owed you for the roof over my head. You have no say in who I see...or what I do, unless you intend to drag me back to the Compound and physically force me to bite someone."

I'd been silently cheering her on until the last part. The idea of the Elders forcing her to bite someone else ripped a growl from me.

As if it were a signal, she stepped back and moved closer to me.

"It's time for you to leave, Sam. Don't come back."

I could see her words hurt Sam, but I didn't feel any pity for him. He'd brought this on himself by not standing up for her rights, too. His decisions had hurt her.

"You were never an obligation to me, Gabby." She looked away from him. He looked to me then. "You know it'd be safer for both of you if the Introductions continued at the Compound. If you keep going like this, there might be someone you won't beat. Are you willing to risk leaving her alone, then?"

Think of her safety.

I clenched my jaw.

I am. Sending males to Gabby unsupervised was your choice.

Gabby glanced at me, her gaze drifting over my bruises before she turned and went to open the door, a pointed demand for Sam to leave.

"All right, then," Sam said quietly. He walked to the door and turned toward Gabby. "Gabby, call me anytime. I'm here to help you, no matter what you might think right now."

She nodded, but her eyes glittered with anger. After he walked out and she closed the door behind him, she remained facing the door for a few seconds. I watched her take several long breaths and knew she was trying to calm down. Was she angry at me? I could care less if she remained mad at Sam.

I moved closer, wanting to touch her, but waited.

She turned to look at me and reached up to run her fingers through the whiskers along my jaw.

"Much better, but I'm going to keep at you until it's all shaved off, and maybe a haircut, too."

At her first touch, my teeth lengthened so I showed them to her again.

She didn't seem to care. She spent time studying my face and tracking her fingers along the skin of my forehead and eye. I knew she was tracing the discolored areas and wished I knew what she was thinking.

With a sigh, she stepped away. She didn't seem mad. Pensive, maybe.

"I need to get ready for class. Before I go, would you show me where you got the coveralls from?"

I smiled slightly and nodded.

Less than five minutes later, we were pulling up to Dale's shop.

She was looking around with interest until Dale moved to the partially opened bay door.

"Dale from the parking lot?" she whispered, looking at me in surprise. I nodded and wondered why she remembered Dale so well. Dale waved when he saw it was me.

I got out and moved around to open Gabby's door. I knew she was curious, but maybe having her meet Dale a second time wasn't such a good idea.

Gabby stepped out as Dale walked toward us.

"Hi there, Gabby. Glad Clay finally brought you around." He held out his hand, and she clasped it briefly.

Why was I so jealous over a handshake?

"I have to tell you that I was surprised when Clay showed up and was as good as you boasted. Although, it doesn't look like he's been taking care of your car."

Bull crap. What was Dale playing at?

"I'm always running back and forth to my classes. It's hard to give it up for any amount of time." She shrugged. "Speaking of which..." She glanced at me. "I really need to get going, or I'll be late. It was nice seeing you again, Dale. I hope stopping in was okay. I really wanted to see where Clay was working."

"Stop by anytime." Dale waved as we walked back to the car.

"I'm sure there was some type of logic to picking that place," she said as I drove home. "Someday you'll have to tell me about it."

After she dropped me off, I dressed for work. No doubt Dale would have some questions for me.

When I got there, Dale joked about my black eye and teased about keeping men away from Gabby but otherwise let me work. He wasn't too bad for a human.

By the time I finished the last work order, I was ready to go home and spend time with Gabby. I couldn't stop thinking about our kiss.

My distraction didn't keep me from noticing the scent of several wolves in the abandoned building. I rolled my shoulders and cut around back, hoping it wouldn't take me too long to send the new challengers on their way. I didn't like the idea of Gabby spending any time alone in the house. Hopefully, Rachel would be there tonight.

# Chapter 17

The house was quiet when I snuck in just after nine in the morning. On a Saturday, that wasn't unusual. Still, I inhaled deeply as I entered, checking to see if trouble waited for me. Gabby and Rachel's scents drifted in the air along with a faint trace of Peter's but no hint of any werewolf's. I let out a relieved sigh and slowly made my way to Gabby's room.

I was exhausted and couldn't name a spot that didn't ache. Quietly, I disrobed and dropped my clothes on the floor. Gabby would flip if she saw the number of bruises I had now. I shifted quickly and hopped up on the bed, already half asleep.

She moved slightly as if I'd disturbed her, but her feet didn't search for my warmth like they normally did. She must really be out. I curled up and closed my eyes.

She moved again, her breathing oddly shallow.

I lifted my head and looked at her as she attempted to sit up. Her eyes were open but she still looked like she was sleeping, her moves uncoordinated.

"C-clay, we need to get to the Compound. Can you drive?"

Her stutter worried me as did the wince on her face when she tried to sit up again.

She managed to lift herself and slide from the mattress, but she only stood on her shaky legs for a second before she sat once more. Her head hung down as if it hurt too much to lift it. I shook off my exhaustion and inhaled. Her scent was off. What was wrong? Was she sick? I knew she'd pushed herself too hard after whatever had happened to her at that party.

Confused and worried, I hopped off the bed, quickly shifted back to my skin, and slipped on my jeans. Before I could button them, she moved to stand again.

This time, I was there to steady her with an arm around her back. She willingly leaned into it. Beneath my arm, she trembled.

She lifted her head, and her reflection in the mirror seemed to catch her attention. I could understand why. She was pale with dark circles under her eyes.

Her glazed eyes drifted from her reflection to mine, and my eyes narrowed. I knew that glazed look. She'd been the same after the Halloween party. I inhaled deeply, near her hair, pulling in the lingering scents of alcohol, perfume, and my kind. Had she seriously gone to another party while I was fighting?

"A lot happened last night while you were gone. Rachel talked me into going clubbing. I'll tell you about it on the way."

Guilt filled her eyes; and she looked away, but not far. Her gaze swept over me appreciatively, lingering on my stomach. I almost sighed. One look and she wiped away my anger and made me want to grin. I was hopeless around her. She shivered, and I reached for her forehead just to be sure she wasn't actually sick. No fever, just like last time.

I continued to watch her in the mirror as her gaze finally gained some focus and ever so slowly drifted upwards. She was eyeing every piece of exposed skin my chest offered. Suddenly, she squinted and scowled. It wasn't hard to figure out why. She was glaring at the bite someone had given me.

Then the scowl cleared, and she sighed.

"I need to use the bathroom then start packing."

After what happened with Sam, I knew something serious had to have happened for Gabby to want to return to the Compound. Maybe she thought the Elders could help with whatever was happening to her.

Not liking the idea of going back, but needing to do anything I could to get her well again, I nodded and helped her through the door. She leaned heavily on me as each slow step brought us closer to the bathroom.

I heard movement from Rachel's room and wanted to groan. A second later, Rachel stepped into the hall. She glanced at Gabby whose head hung low, then at me.

"Hi, Clay. How'd you get here?"

Gabby and I paused, and Gabby forced her head up as she answered Rachel.

"I called him. Sorry, Rachel, I didn't want to bug you."

Rachel's gaze drifted to me. She eyed my chest and the jeans I still hadn't managed to button. Her perusal made me nervous even though a hint of her concern for Gabby remained in her eyes. I didn't trust her. The last time she'd looked at me with concern, the vet had nearly unmanned me.

"It's okay; I get it," she said, still eyeing me.

Gabby shivered again, drawing Rachel's attention. I wanted to hug Gabby.

"Are you sure you should be going?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," Gabby said as I helped her take a step toward the bathroom. "Clay's going to pack for me, and then we'll go. Oh, and he came by last night, saw the dog out, and took him home. We'll take him with, so don't worry."

As soon as Gabby reached the tiled floor, she grabbed the door and shut it, leaving me in the hall...alone...with Rachel.

Slowly, I turned to face her. She grinned at me, her eyes again sweeping my bare chest. I fought the strong urge to cover myself with my hands. She grinned wider. I sidestepped her and backed toward the bedroom. By the time I reached Gabby's door, Rachel was laughing softly. That woman had issues.

I closed the door, pulled on a shirt, and buttoned my pants. Then, I grabbed Gabby's bag and started stuffing it. I didn't pay much attention to what I threw in. I was busy listening for Gabby and for Rachel. I didn't want Gabby to fall. She'd barely had the strength to walk. And, I didn't want Rachel to...well, corner me.

After I had the clothes, I grabbed our toiletry stuff from the top of Gabby's dresser then shut the bag. Since Gabby was still in the bathroom, I put on my shoes and brought the bag to the car.

My breath fogged as I tossed the bag into the backseat. It was too cold outside for Gabby. I quickly started the car, then headed inside to grab a blanket and Gabby's shoes. I took everything out to the car and made a little nest in the front seat for her. The heat was finally blowing warm.

When I came back in, Gabby was out of the bathroom and shuffling her way to the closet. Probably on her way to find shoes, which were already in the car. In two steps, I was behind her and scooped her up in my arms.

She squeaked in surprise but smiled up at me.

Rachel stepped out of her room as I made it to the kitchen. I didn't slow down.

"When you're feeling better, let's talk about rental rates," she called after us with a snicker. "And I'm not talking about the house!"

Not in her dreams. Ever.

Outside, I held Gabby close, trying to keep her warm as I opened the passenger door. Carefully, I set her on the blanket. She twisted in her seat and pulled her phone from the bag in back before she sat facing forward again. Her breathing was shallow and strained. Exhaustion painted her face paler with each passing minute. I was worried.

I closed the door, and as I jogged around the hood, I watched her buckle. She drew her legs under her and huddled under the blanket.

Sliding in behind the wheel, I closed the door quickly to keep the heat in. She continued to shake beside me. I reached over and tucked the blanket around her. She clutched her phone in one hand and the edge of the blanket in the other. Her knuckles were white on both.

I gently soothed my fingers over her skin then focused on backing out of the driveway. Beside me, she struggled to stay awake.

I almost told her to go to sleep but knew talking would have had the opposite effect on her.

"I don't want to keep going on like this," she said once we cleared town.

What did she mean by that? I glanced at her, feeling the cold weight of worry in my chest. She caught my look.

"I don't mean being with you. I like that. But I don't like seeing you bruised."

I smiled at her concern, and she scowled.

"There's nothing amusing about it. I don't like worrying."

She lifted the phone and dialed. Her arm trembled as she brought the little device to her ear.

I heard Sam answer.

"I'm on my way," she said. "Put out a call for tonight only."

I stopped breathing as she disconnected. The road blurred before me. Put out a call? Elders did that for Introductions. They put out a call to all unMated males. What was she doing? Had she really given up on us?

She tossed the phone on the back seat. It immediately started to vibrate.

"It's not what you think, Clay. I don't want to do another Introduction, but something happened last night. Like I said before, I went out with Rachel to a club downtown. Not one of my best decisions, but I think I've figured out what's going on with me."

I'd been right, then, and she did need the Elders' help. She had my attention.

"Remember the party with Nicole? When I touched her, I gave her a huge shock. That happened again last night. I think I can transfer my gift, that thing with guys, to other people. I didn't know how it happened the first time. But I think I've figured it out.

"Last night, these two women at the club had been on their own until Rachel and I—and the groupies I'd collected—joined them. When we made to leave, the women had been so disappointed. They knew the guys would walk away when we did. I felt so bad for them that I went to...I don't know...pat them, I guess. I'd just meant it as an 'I'm sorry' gesture, but then it happened again just like before. A huge shock."

Her words were slurring. She was exhausted. I wanted her to sleep, but I also wanted to know what the hell a shock had to do with setting up formal Introductions at the Compound.

"Both times I was thinking about how I wished I could help find the person they were meant to be with. And, I think that's the key. I don't understand why I can see the lights, but I know it must be all tied together because when I try to use my sight, it hurts. Really bad."

I could feel Gabby's gaze on me. She was obviously waiting for a reaction. However, I was still waiting for the reason we were heading north to push her in front of the very men I'd been fighting the last few weeks.

"Oh, yeah. Before I shocked those two, a Forlorn came up behind me and started a conversation. My fish finder still worked then."

I knew she meant the lights she could see in her head.

"There were more werewolves in the crowd, Clay. The one talking to me said he just wanted a chance to say hi. He was very persistent so I told him I would see them at the Compound for an official Introduction. They left right after that but gave me the impression that if I didn't show up, they'd come looking for me. I got the feeling they'd been pushed too far."

_They'd_ been pushed too far? I'd known something like this would happen. One of them had scared her. I wanted to hit something. Damn the Elders. They should have never allowed unsupervised Introductions. What were they thinking?

"Has it been the same werewolves trying to see me or is it always different?"

What did it matter if I was fighting the same werewolves or different ones each time?

She sighed, almost as if I'd spoken aloud, and snaked a hand out from under the blanket to touch my leg.

"It hurts to see you like this, Clay. If I have to put up with an Introduction to keep you safe, then that's what I'll do."

And, again, she melted my anger. This time with just a touch.

"I'm sorry, Clay," she mumbled sleepily. "I wish I could just get over my need for freedom and Claim you. We both know you're the one. I just don't want to lose myself."

She immediately fell asleep.

I ignored the tear trailing down to my beard.

* * * *

The Compound was teeming with unMated when we pulled to a stop before the porch. Gabby slept in her seat. She hadn't stirred once during the long drive.

Men watched as I got out and circled to her side of the car. One made a move to stop me.

"She's not yours any longer."

I stopped walking and stared at the man. He had no hope to challenge me but there were many others behind him, still and watching.

"She's sick," I said, glancing at them all.

Sam, get out here, now.

A moment later, the door swung open; and Sam strode out. Counting on his presence to keep things peaceful, I ignored everyone and turned back to the car to open Gabby's door. She didn't move when I unbuckled her or when I lifted her, blanket and all, from the seat. When I straightened, Sam was right there to close the door.

He studied the dark circles under Gabby's eyes then looked at me. "What's wrong?"

"Sick."

His gaze drifted to the men watching us before settling back on her.

"How long has she been like this?"

"Last night. Took her three days to recover last time." Now that I knew we weren't here to help her, I didn't want her to try to go through an Introduction.

"Why did she call this morning?"

I shrugged, unwilling to answer something that should be so obvious given the number of men listening to us.

Sam's silence spiked my impatience.

"She needs a bed."

Sam nodded. "Yes. Right. You know the room."

He remained beside the car, looking at the unMated he'd called to the Compound, as I carried Gabby inside. I could give a damn about the men he'd called.

Those who passed me in the hall glanced at Gabby but let me continue without protest. I reached the room and shifted her weight to open the door. Once inside, I took her straight to the bed, lay her down, then went for a glass of water. She'd be thirsty again when she finally came out of whatever spell she was under.

Returning with the drink, I set it aside and sat beside her, gently smoothing back her hair.

I hated this helplessness. Though she'd explained what she thought had happened, I didn't know how she wanted me to handle the situation here. Sam would have more questions. What did she want me to tell him, if anything?

Sam came in a few minutes later.

"Thanks for bringing her. I'll care for her from here."

Dismissed? Not likely. Angry, I looked up at him.

Sam sighed.

"Having you here will cause problems she's in no condition to deal with. She's sleeping. I'll keep an eye on her. Go get something to eat."

I didn't like it, but he was right.

# Chapter 18

Several hours later, Sam found me in the room I'd taken for myself.

"She's asking for you."

I was up and out the door before he had time to say more. Based on the last time this happened, she shouldn't be awake yet. Was she really better?

Letting myself into the apartment without knocking, I quietly approached her room. I could hear her moving around. I stopped at the door and leaned against the jamb to study her. She was leaning against the bed and digging through her bag. She moved slowly; and, from the faces she made, her head still ached.

She caught sight of me, reached into her bag, and pulled out her pink bikini.

"Really, Clay? You're killing me. Where are my jeans?"

Her playfulness, despite her pain, made me smile slightly. She studied my face for a while. She tended to do that whenever I pulled my hair back so she could see me. I loved the attention.

She blinked slowly, and I knew she was still too tired to be up. Sparing her from further searching, I stepped close and, without looking away from her, pulled the jeans she wanted from her bag.

I held them out and tapped my lips, needing confirmation that she really did want to be with me like she'd said in the car.

She smiled widely. "A kiss for the jeans?"

I nodded; but, instead of kissing me, she pulled the jeans from my hand and tossed them on the bed.

Then she further surprised me by stepping closer and placing her hands on my chest. Her fingers branded me through my shirt.

"I don't need bribes to kiss you, Clay. Come here."

My heart burst, and I claimed her lips. She opened for me, sweetly and willingly, as she curled her fingers in my shirt. If she thought I'd tried to move away from her, she was mistaken. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close. Her lips parted and nibbled at my top lip. She was killing me again. I reached up to cup the back of her head, wanting more. And she gave more. Standing on her toes, she slid her arms around my neck and opened to me further. The feel of her tongue running over my bottom lip almost undid me.

I growled and struggled not to crush her to me. When she used her tongue again, I opened my mouth and captured hers, kissing her like I'd wanted to when she'd first walked out the Introduction room's door.

Her pulse jumped wildly, and I knew I needed to ease off. It was too much for her right now. But, her lips begged me to stay. With effort, I pulled away. She whimpered, and pride filled me. She wanted me. She'd told the truth. I just needed to be patient a little longer and let her get over her fears. That knowledge eased some of my frustration.

I kissed her cheek, then her forehead, trying to calm her.

With a shaky exhale, she wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head on my chest. I held her close, waiting for whatever she might do or say next.

Unfortunately, Sam walked into the apartment before she did anything. She sighed and pulled back. Reluctantly, I let her go.

She looked up at me.

"Can you come with me for this, or will that cause more problems?"

"It would be best if he stayed away, Gabby," Sam answered from behind me.

She leaned to the side to look around me.

"I didn't ask what was best. Best went out the window years ago, Sam, when 'making do' moved in. Is he allowed?"

Sam sighed. I didn't turn to look at him. I kept my focus on Gabby and the emotions playing across her face.

"It's allowed. He's unMated, but he's considered rejected. He'll be challenged by everyone for his place in the Introduction order."

She glanced at me. "Do you want to be there?"

I nodded.

"All right then. Sam, please head over and get things ready. Clay will walk me there. Clay, I just need to change, then I'm ready."

Sam didn't move, and she arched a brow at him until he left grumbling about Mating fights and sick women who didn't know when to stay in bed.

Gabby turned her arched brow on me. I wisely retreated so she could change.

From the living room, I listened to her move. At one point, she sat still on the bed for several minutes. Sam was right. She should still be in bed. I wasn't about to tell her that, though. Instead, I poured her a glass of orange juice and waited for the door to open.

When she walked out, she didn't look much better. Beautiful, as always, but tired and pale.

I offered her the glass of juice. She smiled and gulped it down.

"I need just a minute in the bathroom. Can you find my shoes for me?"

Shoes? I watched her use the wall for support as she shuffled her way to the bathroom. She didn't need shoes because she wasn't going to walk anywhere.

She closed herself into the bathroom, and I went to her bedroom for her slippers. I listened to the water run and the soft sounds of her brushing her teeth. Slippers in hand, I returned to the hall. She wouldn't like it, but tough. I set the slippers on the floor so she could step right into them.

By the time the door opened again, she looked paler. She glanced down at the slippers.

"Where are my shoes?"

I shrugged and pointed to the slippers. I wasn't going to negotiate.

She stepped into them without another word, and before she lifted her head, I picked her up and settled her against my chest.

"I can walk, Clay."

I shook my head and moved toward the door. What she'd done to get to the bathroom hadn't been walking.

Shifting her slight weight to one arm, I opened the door and stepped into the hall. She sighed, wrapped her arms around my neck, and leaned her head against my shoulder. I loved it. When her fingers started playing with the back of my hair, I decided I needed to start carrying her everywhere.

The few males we passed in the hall stopped and stared, their irritation plain. I wouldn't be welcome at the Introduction. Carrying her would be an insult to every unMated who had shown up. I didn't care. She was mine. They needed to know that.

At the intersection of halls which led to the Introduction room, she stopped me.

"No, go outside and around back. I won't go in that room ever again."

Her voice wavered a little at the end, and my hold tightened. If she didn't want to go in there, then she wouldn't. No Elder would force my Mate.

I turned around and went to the main entrance. I carefully set her on her feet, grabbed a spare jacket from one of the hooks, and helped her put it on. She studied me as I took the time to button it up. Hopefully, she was thinking of kissing me like I was her. I didn't try, though. She needed rest, not a racing pulse.

When I finished, I picked her back up and carried her outside. She shivered lightly in my arms as I walked across the dark yard toward the back of the building. Just before we reached the corner, she patted me lightly on the chest.

"Put me down, Clay. I'll walk now."

I stopped but didn't let go. Why was she doing this? She was still trembling and weak. She should just tell Sam to piss off. My fingers twitched as I suppressed the urge to growl. I could smell the men around the corner. Too many for her to walk among them.

"It'll be okay, Clay. There are a lot of fast people here. I won't fall on my face."

I studied her in the moonlight. She gazed up at me, her expression open. She didn't want to do this. She was doing it for me. To keep me safe. I wanted to hug her and hold her to me. Instead, I did as she asked and set her on her feet.

She walked steadily around the corner with her shoulders back and head high. I kept close, a secondary shadow.

Three Elders stood by the back door. They ignored me and watched Gabby. Gabby ignored them and looked at the gathered men.

"I'm Gabby. There will be no Introduction order. I won't have anyone left out, or leaving without a fair chance. So, instead of the stuffy cabin, let's just do this out here."

As she continued forward, the males lined up. She shivered again. It was small, but I noticed. Some of the men did, too.

"I believe the Elders mentioned I was ill; so if I start to stammer, bear with me."

She moved forward, and I stayed close to her. Most of the men ignored me. A few bared their teeth at me after she passed. I paid little attention to them or the Elders trailing behind us. My focus remained on Gabby and the shivers that occurred with increasing frequency.

Her proud stance melted away with each step, bowing her back and curving her shoulders. About halfway down the line, Gabby slowed. I thought she might be ready to call for a rest, but she didn't.

The men beyond her watched her with worry as she stopped completely. Then she gasped, the sound ringing in the silence, flinched, and touched her head as if in pain.

With a burst of speed, I stood behind her, ready to catch her. The werewolf she faced looked at me in confusion, then at her, and finally the Elders who'd quietly followed us until now.

"Gabby," Sam said, his voice heavy with worry and warning. It was too late for that.

She held up her hand.

"A moment, please," she said, sounding strained.

I kept my hands out, ready to grab her as she slowly straightened. She breathed deeply, as if orienting herself, then glanced at me. Worry filled her eyes. She held my gaze as if trying to tell me something. What, though? She was weak from sharing her ability with those women. She wouldn't have her pull on men here. Besides, it only seemed to affect human men. No, it couldn't be that. Why else would she worry? The answer hit me, and I looked at the men around us. She'd tried to use her sight. But why? The males watched us. Nothing seemed out of place.

While I studied the woods, she turned to the men in front of her.

"I'm sorry. Like I said, I'm not feeling well. The pain in my head just took me by surprise."

We all heard the lie in her words, but no one commented. She took another steadying breath and started moving again. Only, this time, her progress was slower and her steps more labored. Tremors shook her, confirming that she'd used her gift and exhausted herself.

I wasn't the only one watching her with concern. Each man she passed glanced at the Elders trailing us, as if wondering why they hadn't put a stop to this. I wondered the same thing.

After a few more steps, Gabby halted.

"A f-face I know. I'm here as p-promised."

I eyed the man she stared at. Who the hell was he and how did she know him?

"I see that, Little One," he said. "Although, it looks like you should be in bed, instead."

Curling my hands into fists, I tried to control my anger at his use of a pet name.

"I would b-be if people would j-just leave me alone. B-but it's not meant t-to be. So, you know my name, but I d-don't know yours."

"Luke Taylor, love."

Love? I wondered if I could knock his British accent out along with a few teeth.

Luke-the-Brit held out his hand. Gabby glanced at it and hesitated. I ground my teeth together, jealousy ripping through me when she reached forward and wrapped her hand in his. She paled, exhaled heavily, and swayed on her feet. Luke's slight smirk disappeared.

I held myself ready. To catch her. To fight for her. To do whatever she needed of me.

Gabby's heart started to beat loudly as if overtaxed. She made a small sound between a gasp and a moan. I inhaled deeply and noted her scent had changed, too. Mellowed. I started to pace just behind her, my focus on both of them.

Luke frowned at Gabby.

"I need to talk to you," she said, her words slurred. "Don't leave until I do."

Luke looked as surprised as I felt.

"Clay," she whispered. Her head lolled to the side as she tried to find me. "Catch me."

She let go of Luke's hand and fell against me.

"Is she okay?" Sam asked. He stood beside me, his hand extended to touch her forehead.

I couldn't stop the growl as I lifted her into my arms and settled her against my chest.

"You pushed this." A tremor ran over my arm. Fur appeared and disappeared. "These women aren't like us. They're fragile. You know that. You say you're protecting them. Who's protecting them from you?"

The males around us shifted in agitation. They were thinking the same thing. The Elders should have put a stop to this Introduction. They'd all sensed her exhaustion and witnessed her frailty.

Sam looked down at Gabby, her pale cheek resting against me, and I had the satisfaction of seeing guilt pass over his features.

I stepped around him and carried her inside, hurrying to get to her room. Anyone I passed moved out of our way. Word of what had happened had already spread.

Charlene stood by the apartment door and opened it for me. She followed me in as I strode across the small space to Gabby's bedroom.

"Do you need anything, Clay?"

I paused and looked back at Charlene. In the door, a man stood behind her. He looked like her and Thomas. His gaze was locked on Gabby, reflecting a sad worry. I clenched my jaw against a new wave of anger. Damn the Elders.

"Just tell them to stay away."

She nodded slightly, looking concerned. "I'll do my best."

She turned, shooed the man away, and closed the door. I could still hear them, though.

"Will she be all right?"

"I don't know, Jim."

"She's like you and Michelle, right?"

"Let's talk about this later."

Their voices faded as I set Gabby on her bed. I removed the jacket, tucked her under the covers, and turned off the light. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the soft light from the main room. No discernable rise and fall of her chest moved beneath the covers. She was too still, and it scared me.

Frustrated and angry at my helplessness, I went to the kitchenette to get a glass of water. Please let this be like last time, I thought, carrying the glass back to her. I closed the door, set the glass beside the bed, then lay on the covers next to her.

I laid my hand on her chest to measure her shallow breathing. She'd obviously used her power again. And this was the worst she'd ever been. What if—? I wouldn't let the thought finish.

"Please wake up from this," I whispered in the dark. "I can't live without you."

# Chapter 19

Hours passed. Worry ate at me. Twice I heard Sam moving in the living room, but he didn't disturb us. I lingered in the dark, listening for any sign that Gabby was improving.

When she finally moved slightly, my throat tightened with emotion. She tried to speak, but she could only make a dry, raspy noise. I gently slid an arm under her and lifted her enough to give her a drink. She sipped slowly, each swallow sounding loud and painful, until she tilted her head to show she'd had enough.

She'd barely drunk anything. Before I could encourage more, I saw she'd left again. Was it sleep or had she fainted?

The worry returned. Why had she touched Luke? I'd kill the Brit next time I saw him.

It was several hours again before she woke to sip more water. Again, she barely managed anything. The wait until the next time she moved wasn't as long, and I began to hope. Was it a sign of improvement?

For two days, we existed in darkness. I only left the bedroom once to get more water. Charlene came once more to ask if I thought Gabby needed to go to the hospital. I wasn't sure. Could Gabby survive on so little water? Charlene had left before I'd decided on an answer.

I was about to leave and call Charlene back when Gabby shifted again.

"Water," she whispered.

Sliding an arm under her, I lifted the glass to her lips. She didn't sip. She gulped. My eyes watered. I lowered her back to the bed, set the cup aside, and waited, listening to her breathing. It sounded stronger. Would she stay awake this time?

"How long have I been sleeping?" she asked.

I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her close. Relief coursed through me.

"I really hope you're Clay," she said.

A laugh escaped me. As if I'd let anyone else near her.

"Can we turn on a light?"

As soon as I left the bed, she tried sitting up. I watched her struggle in the dark. Every move looked strained. Turning on the light probably wasn't a good idea. She needed more rest. But I wanted to see her. Really see her. I waited to click the lamp on until she leaned against the headboard. She squinted, and her eyes watered. She reached up to rub her eyes and brush a tangle of hair from her sallow face.

After blinking for a minute, her gaze met mine.

"Clay, I think I know what's going on. Can you help me up? I need a shower."

She wanted me to help her move around again? Not happening. I shook my head.

"Clay, now's not the time to put your foot down. This is really important."

It was exactly the time to put my foot down. She'd been out for two damn days. I felt aged from how much I'd worried over her.

She tried to sit up further but couldn't. She winced as if her head hurt.

"Okay. Maybe you're right." She rubbed her forehead. "Can you get me something for my head, please? It feels like it's going to explode all over the walls."

A request I could easily fulfill. I leaned over, smoothed back her hair, and kissed her forehead. She smiled tiredly at me. It was hard to leave the room, even for medicine for her. But, I did.

The living room was empty. I let myself out of the apartment and closed the door softly behind me. I'd need to be quick. I didn't want anyone to see I'd left Gabby's side. They'd know she was awake, and I wasn't about to let anyone near her just yet. She needed rest. A lot of it.

When I returned, the shower was running in the bathroom. I growled. Stubborn woman.

Moving toward the door, I listened. The water splashed slightly so I knew she was already safely in the tub. I sighed and set my hand on the door. She'd better be careful in there.

I returned to the kitchenette, set the pills down, then went to the bedroom. If she was set on cleaning herself, I might as well clean up her room, too. I stripped the bed. It smelled like Gabby, which I liked; but it smelled of sickness, too. I wanted no memory of the last two days.

The water turned off as I remade the bed with clean sheets. I hurried to find what else I thought she might need. Socks, slippers, and her hairbrush waited on the quilt when I finished.

I listened to the sounds of her moving in the bathroom. Every slight noise was spaced apart as if she moved very slowly. She had to be exhausted again.

I grabbed a fresh glass of water and the pills and waited for her outside the door.

She didn't leave me waiting for long. She pulled open the door and yelped when she saw me. Guilt and pain stole over her features. She knew she shouldn't be up yet just as she knew I didn't want her up. She held the door for support, her knuckles white.

I offered the pills in one hand and the glass in the other. She took them both. I waited until the pills were down and the glass empty before I picked her up.

She sighed and rested her head against my chest as I moved toward the bedroom.

In the doorway, I hesitated. Would she want to brush her hair first or just go back to bed? She studied the room then turned toward me. She leaned in and kissed my cheek, surprising me. I really hoped she wanted to go back to bed.

"You are so sweet, and I truly appreciate this, but I'm not going back to bed, Clay."

Damn.

"I need to see Luke."

I clamped my jaw shut and swallowed the growl that wanted to surface along with some cussing. With care, I stepped into the room and placed her on the bed. Then I stalked out of her room, seething.

After watching over her and worrying for two days, she wanted to see Luke? What happened to knowing I was the one?

The apartment door suffered my anger. My ears burned, and I knew they'd shifted. I glanced at my arms as I walked the halls and saw fur. I tried to pull the change back but couldn't. I was too pissed to concentrate. I needed to find the Brit. I didn't care why Gabby wanted to talk to him or what kind of connection or—I swallowed—affection they had. I owed him for his part in the last two days of hell I'd lived through.

I narrowed my eyes and scented the air. There were too many trails here. If he'd stayed, though, he would probably be in the common room.

Since it was close to lunch, the room was full when I pushed my way through the double doors. Hesitating just inside, I looked around. People stopped eating and stared. Conversation faded to silence.

Luke's copper head was hard to miss. He lounged in a stuffed chair near one of the unlit fireplaces. When he saw me, a wide, mocking grin split his lips. I stalked toward him. When I neared, he stood.

I hit him hard and fast. His smug, cocky expression changed to one of surprise just before he fell over. I grabbed the cuff of his pants and started dragging him, caveman style.

The base of my spine itched, and I knew I now sported a tail.

Despite the punch to his face, Luke was still conscious. And my new tail caught his attention as I pulled him out of the room. His mad laughter reminded me of a braying ass.

I wanted to hit him again and struggled to maintain any remaining thread of control as we passed through the halls.

Just before we reached the apartment door, I inhaled and pulled myself together. The tail receded as did my ears and fur. I opened the door and pulled my quarry in behind me.

Gabby stood in the living room, staring at us in shock. Probably because the Brit was still laughing.

As I kept tugging my burden forward, she came to herself and rushed to close the door behind us. When I reached the middle of the room, I dropped Luke's leg and turned back to the door, which she still blocked. I didn't care. I didn't want to hear what she would say to him. I didn't think I'd be able to hold it together much longer.

I crossed the room, and she leaned back against the panel. When I made to reach for the knob, she held up her hand.

"Clay, I need you to stay and listen. Please."

She was killing me.

"Please," she said again. "Give me a chance."

Then she touched my face. Her warm fingers coaxed me until I met her gaze. She looked worried and sad, and I knew I'd stay.

"I've asked so much of you already and know it's not fair to ask again, but I am."

I sighed, reached up to cup her face, and gently smoothed my thumb over her cheek. Behind me, I heard Luke move. Dropping my hands, I turned. Luke lay where I'd left him. The smirk was back as he watched us. He needed to lose the smirk.

I walked toward him on my way to the couch and kicked him in the ribs as I stepped over him.

Luke grunted and started to sit up, his laughter finally starting to quiet.

"Most people wouldn't laugh while being dragged through the Compound like that," Gabby said, watching us. She stayed by the door.

Luke stood and turned toward me with a grin.

"I've never seen anyone hold a transformation like that. He was man, but the fangs, ears, fur...it was amazing, and hilarious, mate," he said as he settled himself on the couch.

"Um, isn't that a sign that he's in an extreme emotional state?" Gabby said.

Luke continued to smirk at me. I could feel his hilarity over the unmentioned tail.

Gabby walked behind Luke and smacked him hard on the back of the head.

"Meaning, you should stop trying to annoy him."

I grinned. Maybe this conversation wouldn't be so bad.

She walked around Luke and came toward my chair. She then gingerly perched on one of my knees. She'd picked me. In front of him. He didn't look so smug anymore.

I wrapped my hands around her waist and pulled her back into my lap, turning her until I could see Luke, too. She settled against me.

"Luke, what happened when I touched you? What did you feel?"

"One hell of a shock. Listen, did you bring me here for a reason, or was it just to rub your relationship with him in my face?"

"It's for a reason."

She tried to lean forward, but I kept her on my lap with an arm around her waist. She didn't fight it.

"How long have I been sleeping?"

"Two days, love. Everyone's been pretty worried, and the Elders are waiting to talk to you."

"I bet."

I felt her attention drift and watched her study the apartment door. When she winced and held her head, I knew what she'd done. She'd tried to look at the lights in her head.

"Crap."

I made an annoyed sound at the same time I rubbed her back. She needed to stop trying to use her abilities.

"Listen," Luke said, sounding hesitant, "I think you should still be in bed, Little One. No disrespect intended, but you don't look well."

He was right. I mean, she was beautiful; but she did look sick and like she needed more sleep.

"I know you're right, but I can't go back to sleep yet. I need you to tell me what happened."

"I don't know what happened, love. You shocked me, told me not to leave, then fainted. After that, Clay picked you up and ran inside with you. He hasn't let anyone near you for two days. We only knew you were still alive because he didn't take off into the woods."

"And after Clay left, what about you? What did you do?"

Luke began to look uncomfortable.

"Uh, I went out for a bit then came back here."

"The constant attention probably went to your head," she said under her breath.

I understood then that she'd done to Luke what she'd done to Nicole. Yet, his cocky attitude in the common room probably meant it'd been women he'd pulled in.

Luke looked up at Gabby, seemingly surprised that she knew what had happened. He had no idea just how special Gabby was.

"Did you meet anyone special while I was out?" she asked, glancing at the door again.

I wondered if she knew who waited in the hall. The soft movements told me more than one person waited, but not who. My guess was Sam and perhaps another Elder.

Luke shook his head, answering her question.

"Luke, there is so much I don't understand, and I really need your help." She nodded toward the door. "I need some time to myself to understand what I'm feeling."

Luke and I both stared at Gabby. Her nod toward the door was the only thing that stopped me from being upset by the words. She wasn't talking about her feelings for Luke. But I wasn't sure what she was trying to tell him, either.

Luke looked from her to me then back again. He opened his mouth to ask a question, hesitated, and then glanced at the door once more. Finally, he stood.

"I'll be around," he said.

The door had barely closed behind him when a knock sounded.

She turned in my lap, met my gaze, and shook her head. I slid an arm under her legs, and standing with her in my arms, I glanced at the door. I knew she didn't want to talk to whoever waited, but I doubted the Elders would be put off for long. She'd fainted during the Introduction and had been out for two days. And when she woke, the first thing she'd done was talk to Luke. They would want to know why.

I turned and carried her to the bedroom. There I set her on the bed, covered her, and closed her in her room.

With no choice, I went to answer the apartment door. Sam stood on the other side as I'd expected. There were several other wolves with him. Most likely spectators drawn by my removal of Luke from the common room. No other Elders, though.

I stepped aside to let him in.

"Where's Gabby?" Sam asked, eyeing the closed bedroom door.

"Bed," I said softly. "She's still sick."

Sam took a step toward her room, and I stepped in front of him. It was dangerous to challenge an Elder. If he really wanted to, he could physically force me aside or simply command me to move. Instead, he sighed and looked at me.

"Is she getting better?"

"She woke up. That's something."

"Clay, I know you're upset with how we handled the Introduction, but this is better for her."

"Did it look better?"

He sighed again and ran his hand through his hair. "Let me know when she wakes up again. I want to talk to her." Then he turned and left.

I went back to the bedroom and found Gabby already asleep. Lying on my side, I pulled her close and closed my eyes, ready to sleep for the first time in days.

Instead, her conversation with Luke replayed in my head. Her comment, "I need some time to myself," took on new meaning. The key was her look at the door. She'd known the Elders were out there listening. The way she'd held Luke's gaze afterward...she'd been trying to get him to understand something.

We needed help leaving the Compound without the Elders catching us.

* * * *

A noise woke me. Gabby's stomach. It growled again, and she shifted in her sleep. I smiled and waited for her to open her eyes. The lamp was on, illuminating her features. She looked better. Less pale.

Her breathing changed, a sign she was awake, but she didn't open her eyes. She was thinking. I'd seen her do that many times. Gabby wasn't the type to just shoot out of bed. She liked to take a minute. I figured she used that time to make a plan for her day. She seemed to like making plans and sticking to them.

I gently brushed her hair from her face. She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at me, and my heart swelled at the emotion I saw there.

"Do I say good morning or is it close to good night again?"

Smiling, I reached for her hand and brought it to my mouth. A noise from the apartment stopped me from pulling her into my arms. Frowning, I turned my head and focused. The sound of the apartment door closing barely reached me.

Sam hadn't returned since our last talk. Could it be him? I tensed as the bedroom door opened.

Luke poked his head in.

"Better hurry. You carry her, and I'll grab her things," he said, looking at me.

I didn't hesitate. I leapt off the bed and scooped Gabby into my arms, covers and all. I couldn't believe Luke had understood Gabby. I'd barely understood her.

She squeaked as I lifted her. Blankets covered her face, and she shook her head to dislodge them since her arms were pinned. Her scowl made me grin.

Luke already had Gabby's bag and was cramming her things into it. I turned and left the room, Luke trailing behind me. Moving quickly, we quietly raced through the halls and made it out the main entrance without being seen. I was sure we'd been heard, though.

In the dark yard, the car faced the gate. Luke must have moved it. With a burst of speed, I reached the car and shifted Gabby's weight to pull the handle. The door's loud groan made me cringe and move faster.

I settled Gabby inside and buckled her in. As I moved away, Luke took my place to hand her bag in. She took it as I jogged around the hood, but she motioned for him to wait. She grabbed a scrap of paper from her bag and quickly wrote something. She handed it to Luke with a wave, keeping silent.

Luke quickly closed the door. As he scanned the note, I started the car and slammed it into gear. When I looked back at him, Luke was already on a motorcycle. I took off in a spray of gravel. As I'd expected, the noise brought someone to the door.

The motorcycle roared to life and quickly zipped past us. Luke saluted Gabby with a grin then disappeared from sight.

Sam stood on the porch, his gaze locked on us.

We need to talk to her, son.

She doesn't want to talk.

I waited for a reply, but none came. A relieved sigh escaped me. Gabby didn't notice.

She laid her head back, closed her eyes, and fell asleep. She didn't stir the whole way home or when I pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine. I sat for a moment, watching her.

She still had dark circles under her eyes, she hadn't eaten, and she hadn't told me what exactly had happened when she'd touched Luke. Hopefully, the next time she woke, she'd eat then start talking.

# Chapter 20

I didn't get my wish. Gabby woke just a few hours after I put her to bed.

Since Rachel was home, I was back in my fur, lying in my usual spot, when I felt Gabby move. She reached for her phone and checked the screen. I knew what she'd see. Sam had called it twice since we'd left.

"Crap," she mumbled when she squinted at the display.

I thought she was referring to Sam until she left the bed saying, "I'm going to be late."

Did she seriously think she was going to school? I hopped off the bed and planted myself in front of the door.

She didn't notice as she grabbed clothes. When she turned and saw me, she paused.

"Clay, I have to pee so bad it hurts. Can you move, please?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. Did she really think she had me with that? Although I couldn't hear a lie, I knew her well enough to guess what she was doing. I stepped away from the door, letting her believe she'd fooled me, and watched her grin and leave.

As soon as she'd closed herself in the bathroom, I hid her keys in the towel drawer. She needed more rest to recover, not a day on campus.

When the bathroom door opened, she didn't walk into the kitchen as I'd expected. Instead, she went to her bedroom and brushed out her hair. It took her awhile, and I regretted not brushing it for her after her shower. I watched from the doorway. Each stroke moved slower than the last. She was so tired. Why was she so determined to leave?

She set the brush aside and left her room. In the kitchen, I heard her pause. I took my time joining her. She turned to glare at me as soon as she saw me.

"Clay," she whispered. "Give 'em to me." She couldn't yell because Rachel was still asleep.

I sat down in the archway.

Gabby sighed and looked around once more. I wanted to shake her. Gently. Instead of looking for her keys, she should eat something. Then, go back to bed.

"Please, Clay. I think I'm figuring out what's going on with me but won't know for sure until I talk to Nicole. At school. I need the keys."

I remained mute and unmoved. She could ask Nicole tomorrow. Meanwhile, I could hear Rachel stirring as Gabby continued to stare at me. I knew it wouldn't be long before Rachel would be coming into the kitchen.

"If I can't find my keys," Gabby said, "I'm going to walk."

Rachel passed behind me just as Gabby finished speaking.

Gabby's expression was hilarious, and I almost laughed.

"Gabby, you need to get out more and stop talking to the dog," Rachel said, closing herself in the bathroom.

Gabby glared at me; and I sighed, knowing I'd lost. I didn't want her walking. Standing, I went over to the drawer, shifted my hand, and grabbed out the keys.

"Thank you," she said.

Then she left.

I considered following her but Rachel was still in the bathroom and would notice if I was missing. So, I heaved a sigh and lay on the floor by the door.

It didn't take Rachel long to finish her morning routine, which still included touching me way too much, before she then headed out the door. Once she left, I shifted and dressed for work. Gabby would be at school already, and Dale was probably wondering if I'd show up today.

A chill wind whipped around me on the walk to the shop, and I hoped Gabby had dressed warm enough. The right bay door was half open. Ducking under, I found Dale working on a single car. He didn't hear me, so I went to the desk to look at the orders. There were more than usual. It meant that my absence had put him behind.

I picked the hardest one left over from the day before and grabbed the keys.

"Didn't know if I'd see you today," Dale said from across the shop.

"Gabby was sick."

"Ah. Yeah, well, I'd want to take care of her too...if she were mine."

He turned back and started working on his car before I could decide how to take his comment. Brushing it off, I went to get the first car. I had other wolves to worry about. I couldn't start worrying about human men, too. But I did. All morning, and all afternoon. Gabby was run down. Would she be able to fend off men like she usually did? Wait...would she need to? She'd said she lost her pull the last time this happened.

After finishing the jobs left over from the day before, along with half of the current day's jobs, I decided I'd done enough. I looked around and noticed Dale was sitting in his chair, filling out his last order. Perfect timing.

"Need to head out," I said, returning the keys to the rack behind the desk.

He glanced at the clock, then opened his cash drawer.

"Don't worry about it," I said. "We'll settle tomorrow." I just didn't want to wait for him to figure out how much to pay me.

He stopped and glanced at me.

"She that sick?"

I shrugged.

"Go. Take care of her, man. You two call me if you need anything."

I nodded then hurried home. The house was empty. Gabby would be home in an hour, and Rachel might not be home at all. It'd give me enough time to clean up and make something for dinner.

I grabbed some fresh clothes and went to shower. While the shower still ran, I heard the back door open. A grin spread on my face. Good thing I came home early. I quickly shut off the water, dried, and dressed. When I stepped out of the bathroom, the house was quiet. She was probably putting away her books. I went to the kitchen and opened a cupboard to see what I could make for dinner. We had some onions and potatoes on the bottom shelf. I grabbed an onion just as I heard her walk into the kitchen. I turned with a smile on my face. Then froze.

Rachel and I stared at each other.

Shee't. Busted.

My smile fell, and I started to panic. I hadn't been in my skin around her since...I struggled to think back. She glanced at my hand; and slowly, she started grinning at me. That worried me more.

"Making dinner?" she asked, looking at the onion I held.

Was that bad? I gave a single, hesitant nod.

Her smile broadened. "I'll help."

Help?

"What are we making?"

My panic skyrocketed. If I spoke, she'd say something to Gabby. I went to the freezer, pulled out our bag of frozen chicken, and held it out to Rachel. She took it.

"Chicken, then?"

I nodded again.

"What do you want me to do with it?"

I pointed to the microwave. Every time I pointed or nodded, she grinned; and I realized my muteness amused her. She started to defrost the chicken while I quickly diced the onion. With the onion browning, I got out four potatoes.

"What's next?" she asked, turning with the thawed meat.

Trading the potatoes for the chicken, I pointed at the table. She sat and started dicing. I seasoned and sliced the chicken.

"So is Gabby feeling better?"

I shrugged.

"It's sweet of you to come here and make her dinner. Are you here often when I'm not home?"

I glanced at her unsure if she was upset by the idea. Her expression was closed but her scent sweet. She was amused.

Instead of answering, I washed my hands then took the diced potatoes from her.

"I'm glad you're keeping her company. She doesn't get out much."

Moving to the stove, I added the potatoes and a bit of oil. Everything sizzled as Rachel kept talking.

"It's not good for a person to close themselves off from other people. Without social contact and communication, a person's mental health could deteriorate."

Rachel stood and came to lean against the wall near the stove. She studied me for a long moment. I kept my eyes on the browning potatoes.

"How's your mental health, Clay?"

I glanced at her. If she was thinking of taking me to another doctor...

A car rumbled into the drive. Gabby was home. I'd never been so relieved in my life.

Rachel pushed away from the wall with a smirk and moved to the cupboards. I added the chicken as she set the table.

"Do you work around here, Clay? Live nearby? I know nothing about you. Tell me a little about yourself."

I kept cooking. Where was Gabby? I strained to hear her footsteps as Rachel kept up her one-sided conversation.

"Shy? Don't worry. How about I tell you a little about myself? Let's see...I'm a nursing student, which I'm sure Gabby's mentioned. I'll be graduating next spring. I love summer and can do without winter."

Gabby finally opened the door and stepped inside. She looked pale again. Definitely exhausted. She glanced at Rachel then me before moving into the room and closing the door. I remained focused on the food in the pan while Rachel walked past Gabby to get silverware.

"You didn't tell me he could _cook_ ," Rachel said.

"He cooks, he cleans, he warms up my feet at night, and he keeps the toilet seat down...so hands off. He's mine."

My heart flipped. Rachel laughed good naturedly, but I barely heard. He's mine. The words warmed my insides. Did she realize what she'd said? I turned to look at her. She met my gaze for a moment before Rachel distracted her again.

"How you feeling?" Rachel said, touching Gabby's forehead. "I asked Clay, but he didn't say."

Rachel gave me a pointed look, and I shrugged and went back to cooking. Everything was almost done.

"Not the best, but it's getting better. I think it's mental exhaustion, nothing contagious."

"Mm," Rachel said. "I still think you should go to the doctor. Could it be something you didn't think of yet? Pregnant?"

What the...?

My heart seized, and I dropped the spoon. It hit the stove, spattered me with potato shrapnel, and bounced back at me. Swallowing hard, I tried to catch it and fumbled a bit before my brain started working again and I was able to close my fist around the wooden handle.

Gabby. Pregnant. The thought consumed me in the best way. A family. I wanted that. I swallowed again and caught the silence behind me. Without looking, I went back to stirring the food.

"No," Gabby said with a hint of humor. "Now, behave."

I turned off the stove and brought the pan to the table. Rachel thanked me as I scooped a portion onto her plate. Gabby smiled when I did the same for her. The remaining food, I dumped onto my own plate.

It wasn't bad eating with Rachel there. She kept up the conversation, asking Gabby questions about her weekend and her day. Her scent told me she really did worry about Gabby. So did I.

After Gabby finished, Rachel shooed her out of the kitchen with orders to rest while we cleaned up. Rachel turned on me with a grin and started talking about a cute pair of shoes she'd found. As I washed off the stove, I wondered how Peter put up with such a talker.

By the time we had everything clean, Gabby was lying asleep across the bed on top the covers.

"Good night, Clay," Rachel called from her room just before she closed her door. It was way too early to go to bed. At least I didn't have to hide the fact I was spending the night.

Gently picking Gabby up, I pulled back the covers. Then I removed her socks. She'd be more comfortable without her pants, but I wouldn't be. I pulled the covers up, tucked her in, and kissed her forehead. Her nose wrinkled in her sleep when my whiskers brushed her skin. I chuckled and reclined next to her. Not yet ready to sleep, I read for a while. She didn't move much, but I glanced at her often. I had to. With two words, she'd made it impossible to look away. He's mine.

I read for a while, slept a bit, then woke and read some more. The sun rose and still she slept. That was what she should have done yesterday.

Finally, she yawned, stretched, and opened her eyes.

"Good morning," she said, pulling the covers up to her chin.

I closed my book and studied her. She had more color back.

"I want to talk to you but keep falling asleep. If I do it again, wake me up."

Not a chance. I slid an arm around her and pulled her against my side. She smiled and relaxed.

"During the Introduction, when I said my head hurt, I saw a man step away from the line. I know how your kind views Introductions. It didn't seem right, so I peeked at his spark. It hurt like hell, but I saw he had the same color light as Elder Joshua and the wolf that'd attacked us. I thought maybe it could be the same guy‒that he needed to leave because you'd recognize his scent. Then, I saw three more, further away. Something's going on, but I can't figure out what.

"I know you didn't stay with the pack full-time, but did you ever notice any of them acting differently?"

I shook my head, and she sighed. Smoothing her hair back, I wished I had the answers she wanted.

Her phone vibrated, but she didn't reach for it. Usually, only one person called her. Sam.

"If only I could trust Sam. If I could ask him questions about Elder Joshua without him repeating them, I might be able to figure this thing out."

After the way Sam had handled the Introduction, I wasn't willing to trust him, either. He'd jeopardized Gabby's wellbeing with his need to adhere to our customs. I wondered how long it would take for the challenges to resume.

Would he keep them away long enough for her to fully recover?

* * * *

After almost a full week of silence, Gabby finally answered one of Sam's calls.

We were in her room sitting on the bed reading, as usual, when her phone rang. She stared at it for a moment, sighed, and picked it up. I stayed where I was and listened to the stilted conversation. I wanted to know if he'd push the Introductions again.

After he asked if she was feeling better, he asked if she'd come back to the Compound over the long Thanksgiving weekend. She avoided a direct answer, and he tried apologizing for his actions. She made non-committal noises, obviously still mad and not yet ready to forgive. Then, he asked what had happened to her during the last visit.

Our gazes met briefly, and she answered vaguely that she had been sick. A long moment of silence passed. When he spoke, he didn't comment on her answer but asked again that she consider coming "home" over holiday break. She said she'd think about it then hung up.

I thought that call was a signal that life as we'd known it would resume. However, for the next few weeks, no challengers approached me, and Sam continued to call Gabby daily. Most of their brief conversations touched on weather, school, or investments. Anything pack related stayed off limits. He was genuinely concerned about her, but Gabby had lost whatever trust she'd once had in him.

She talked to me often, trying to reason out her ability. She felt certain that the answer lay in the transfer. So I kept a close eye on her to ensure she didn't pull that stunt again. I didn't leave for work until she left for school, and I made sure I returned home before she did. I was tempted to follow her, too, but resisted. It seemed less likely she'd use her abilities on someone at school. She wanted to study the effect. That made Rachel the most likely candidate. So, when Rachel was around, I stayed in my fur. Mostly because I could get away with more as a dog. But partly because I thought she'd eventually notice the missing "dog" when I was around. Plus, that woman talked too much when I was a man.

On one of the rare nights Rachel stayed in, she started talking to Gabby about me. I lay curled on the floor next to Gabby, listening and amused.

"You are so weird about him. What is it about the guy that keeps you coming back?" Rachel sat on the couch, folding her clothes.

Gabby smiled slightly and turned the page of the book in her lap before answering.

"You don't know him like I do."

"How can you know him at all when you two don't talk?"

"You don't need to talk to get to know someone. You just need to listen," Gabby said.

I watched as her eyes stopped moving over the words in her book. Her gaze met mine, and a smile twitched her lips. I wondered what thought put it there.

"But that's what I'm saying. He doesn't talk. What are you listening to?"

Gabby laughed. "Actions speak louder than words. He's there when I need him, he's kind and caring, he keeps me safe; and as you've seen, he cooks and cleans. What's not to like, Rachel?"

Yeah, Rachel, what's not to like? I wanted to hug Gabby. Rachel's grumbling told me she disagreed with my suitability for Gabby. So I stood, walked over to her, and lay down on one of the blouses she was trying to fold. Take that.

She laughed and tried to move me, but I just laid my head on my paws. I caught Gabby's wide grin and winked at her.

Shaking her head, she went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. I was glad she was looking for more food. She didn't eat enough. I'd been stopping at the store after work trying to tempt her with different things. Mostly, what I bought went unnoticed. Tonight, though, I was pretty proud of what I'd found, a big double-chocolate cake. Sure enough, Gabby honed in on it.

"Can I have a piece of your cake?" she asked.

"I thought it was yours. It was here when I got home," Rachel called back.

I moved off Rachel's clothes to watch Gabby. As she continued to stare at the cake, her expression softened.

I smiled. I just needed to be patient a little longer...

* * * *

My patience paid off when the snow started to fall the week before Thanksgiving. The wind howled, and despite having the heat on, it was still chilly inside.

I lay at the end of the bed in my usual spot. Gabby had just crawled under the covers. Even with her feet under me, she shivered. I didn't see how. She wore two or three layers.

"Screw this," she said, sitting up. Then, she pulled off her sweatshirt and tossed it toward the closet.

I lifted my head, watching her and wondering what she was up to. She lay back down but started wriggling under the covers. A minute later, her sleep pants sailed across the room.

"Clay, will you keep me warm tonight?"

What? Hell, yes!

I shifted as I jumped off the bed and grabbed a pair of shorts to yank on. A second later, I pulled back the covers and slid in next to her where I belonged. Hopefully she couldn't see my toothy grin in the dark. I just couldn't help it. She wasn't sick and she wanted me in bed with her. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. She snuggled in. I grunted when the ice cube she called a nose pressed against my bare chest, but I didn't let go.

"No more fur at night. Deal?"

My heart felt like it had exploded in my chest. She was telling me I should sleep with her every night. As a man. Sure, I knew she only wanted me for my body heat. But I didn't care. She could have me in whatever way she wanted me.

She fell asleep quickly while I stayed up most the night enjoying the feel of her wrapped around me. It was different from when I'd slept next to her when she was sick. Her hands moved often, finding a new spot on my chest or waist to warm themselves. I didn't want to miss a moment of it.

When her cell rang early, I wanted to groan. It was Sunday, the day Gabby usually slept in. Bonus snuggle time. Hiding my disappointment, I quickly reached over her, grabbed the phone, and handed it to her.

She glanced at the display and frowned.

"Hello?" she said.

"Gabby, I found her, but..."

"Luke?"

I scowled. Why was he calling her?

"Yes. I understand you think she's important, but she's not even eighteen. How am I supposed to get her to come with me?"

Gabby pulled away from me and sat up. I grunted, annoyed with Luke.

"I can't believe you actually found her. I need to talk to her. If she's like me, which I think she is, you had better bring her to the Compound. I hate to admit it, but the Elders need to know."

"Fine. You better be there when we get there," he said, sounding annoyed.

Good. At least I wasn't the only annoyed one. He'd ruined what could have been the best morning of my life. I refrained from sighing as Gabby got out of bed. At least there was tonight.

# Chapter 21

It wasn't just the next night, but every night, that Gabby folded back the covers to invite me in next to her. And, each day I went to work, with no signs of challengers waiting. I lived in a state of bliss.

Daydreaming of sleeping next to Gabby, yet again, I barely heard the shop phone ring or Dale's answering, "Hello, Dale's Auto Body." Last night, she'd been so cold she'd practically slept on top me the entire time. If I concentrated, I could still smell her on me.

"Clay! It's for you."

I straightened away from the hood of the car I was working on and frowned. No one knew to call me here. Still, I went to the phone.

"Hello?"

There was an indrawn breath, then a moment of silence. The wait wasn't long.

"Clay, I did it again," Gabby said, her voice sounding strained. "I'm at the diner where we had breakfast. I need you to come get me before it gets worse."

Damn it. I hung up the phone.

"Dale, I need a ride. It's Gabby."

"Okay. Let's go."

I jogged out the door, and he hurried to catch up. Who had she managed to find at the diner? I'd been so sure she would go after Rachel.

"Where to? Should we call an ambulance?"

"The diner on Main. No. She's just sick, again," I said as he pulled out of the lot.

He just shook his head and kept driving. When we pulled into the parking lot, I had the door open before he even stopped.

"Come back when you can. Take care of her."

I nodded and leapt out.

Through the window, I spotted her. She looked pale. Her bottom lip trembled when she caught sight of me. I pulled open the door and strode to the booth where she sat.

"Hi," she whispered, tilting her head to look at me. The pain in her gaze worried me.

She handed over her keys then started to slide out of the booth. I helped her to her feet and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close. Fine tremors wracked her body as she shuffled alongside of me. I wanted to be frustrated with her—why did she need to keep hurting herself like this—but concern outweighed frustration as I maneuvered us out the door and to her car.

Once I had her in the car and buckled up, she shut her eyes. Her breathing hitched several times as I drove home, and she didn't move when I picked her up and carried her inside. I knew she was awake, though; so after I tucked her into bed, I got her a glass of water. She drained it, then lay back with a tooth-chattering sigh.

I stripped to my shorts and slid in with her. This wasn't the kind of snuggling I'd had in mind. I hated this. Hated the worrying. She didn't understand her abilities and neither did I. What if she had a finite number of zaps in her? What would happen if she used them up? Would she burn herself out? Would she not wake up?

I held her, and I worried. At some point during the night, I pulled her close so that her head rested on my chest. Then, I just listened to her breathe.

Close to dawn, she moved. She lifted her head, and I felt her look at me. Keeping my eyes closed and my breathing steady, I silently waited. She was thinking about something.

She carefully pulled away from me, and I felt the mattress move as she got out of bed. I opened my eyes to watch her leave the room. That she was up and walking meant she was through the worst of it. I heaved a relieved sigh and got up to turn on the light for her so she wouldn't trip getting back into bed. Sitting against the headboard, I listened to her wash her hands and then leave the bathroom.

When she reached the bedroom door, she paused and eyed me. I studied her in return. She did appear to have more color. Although I was relieved, I was also annoyed. What possessed her to keep transferring her power? I hoped she'd explain. I needed to understand; but more, I needed to hear her say she'd never do it again.

Biting her lower lip, she closed the door and slowly turned back toward me. She wouldn't meet my gaze as she walked back to bed and burrowed under the covers once more.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. Then, she finally looked up at me. "I didn't plan it...but I think I've figured out what I am, Clay. I'm like a GPS for werewolves. I can find people. Not just people, but compatible Mates like me."

I wanted to sigh. I didn't care that she could find others like her, not when I'd just spent over sixteen hours waiting for her to wake up.

She tucked her cold feet under my legs and kept talking.

"When I touched Rachel yesterday, I really paid attention."

When had she seen Rachel? I almost swore. I'd known it would be her.

"I saw the energy I release when I shock a person. It goes into them and pulses outward, passing through almost everyone else. And everyone this energy passes through fades in my mind, almost dimming to the point of non-existence. Five people didn't fade, Clay. In the whole world, there are only five. Six if you include me. And when the energy I release touches them, it bounces off to come crashing back on me. That's what's been knocking me on my butt."

She played with the quilt for a second, and I nudged her to keep her going. I still hadn't heard, "I'll never worry you like that again, Clay."

She smiled at me then resumed talking.

"It was different when I touched Luke. With him, I zoomed in on one specific spark, a yellow-violet one on the east coast. The paper I gave Luke? That was directions to find her. I think she belongs with him. I think I found his Mate just by touching him." She grinned and said, "I don't think he appreciated my help, though."

I remembered the phone call and agreed. However, I was glad he was off chasing some other female.

A faint laugh outside the house caught my attention. I turned my head toward the window, staring out into the dark. The soft sound continued. Someone was in the driveway, slowly circling to the front of the house. Other than the laugh, there was silence.

I felt Gabby move on the bed behind me. The laughing grew louder. Whoever was outside had heard her move. Only one of my kind could hear that well. I growled and threw off the covers.

Fangs exploded in my mouth, and my ears changed as I struggled to control my rage. For weeks, the challengers had met me in the abandoned shop, respecting the need to keep Gabby safe after that first challenge. Why would someone come here now?

I saw a slight movement through the blinds. He was standing on the front lawn in the shadows. I narrowed my eyes, and he grinned wide and laughed loudly. He could see us because of the light.

With a burst of speed, I knocked the pillows off the bed then bumped Gabby off, too. As she tumbled over the edge of the mattress, I leapt toward the bedroom door, cleared it, and switched off the light before she landed.

I flew out the front door and found the man crouched low, ready for me. Snow crunched under my bare feet as I moved toward him. His lips parted with a growl, and he moved to the side, studying me. I snarled back as I sized him up. His shoulders were narrower than mine, his fingers, thinner, but I outweighed him. I'd use that. But first, I needed to know his skill.

Moving in a blur, I rushed him and swiped at his torso with my changed nails. Material ripped, but he managed to move out of the way, just skirting the direct glow of the streetlight before he rushed at me. I twisted, turning with his attack to avoid being hit. As he passed me, I used my foot to tangle his. He growled as he fell, and I retreated a few steps toward the house, ready for his next attack.

The man snarled, and when he lifted his head, his eyes had dilated. He was losing control, on the verge of change.

"We need to take this elsewhere," I said quietly, aware of the houses around us. How long until someone heard us?

His skull moved under his skin, reshaping, and he crouched low again as his mouth reshaped, too. He wasn't ready to listen. I focused on allowing my mouth to change, making it easier to bite him. A good hold on his throat would send him off and end this before it got out of control.

He lunged forward, his mouth opening. I leaned back, avoiding his bite, and drove my fist into his gut.

Down the road, a few of the streetlights blinked off.

He backed away from me and sidestepped, as if trying to circle around me. Instead of following, I moved closer to the house and shadowed his step to the side. He snarled and charged me. This time, I didn't back away.

I met him with a fist to the face and enjoyed the sound of the low thud, until he drove his fist into my ribs. Grunting, I came back with a right fist to his jaw and a left to his ribs. We moved fast, striking and dodging. I did more dodging than he did. His breathing became harsh.

Twice more he tried to feint away from the house, but I refused to follow.

He growled softly and tensed to attack again. A faint noise behind the house caught my attention. Someone was on the back porch.

I growled and grabbed the man by the back of his head. As the back door opened, I put everything I had into the next hit. My fist met his temple with a crack. I opened my hand, and he dropped. I didn't wait to see him fall.

The front door still stood open. Rushing through it, I barreled into the next challenger who was crossing the living room.

The man ducked low and wrapped his arms around my waist, ready to drive me to the floor. I fisted my hands together, lifted them, and slammed down onto his back as we started to move. He straightened, trying to clip my jaw with the back of his head, but I jerked out of the way. Not far enough. His arms whipped around me and started to squeeze. He had more to him than the last guy, I felt it in his arms. Hands still locked, I brought them down on his face, again and again, hammering at him as he tried to crack my ribs.

From Gabby's room, I heard movement.

He released me, and we broke apart.

Gabby gasped. He looked over my shoulder, and I knew he saw her. His expression changed to one of adoration then swiftly to calculation. I knew that look. I had the same one months ago when I first saw her and felt the pull. Angry, I fisted my hand and hit him in the temple, bringing him down as I had the one outside. He landed hard.

Behind me, Gabby moved. I turned to watch her. She remained focused on the man on the floor. She looked horrified. Yet she studied him for a long while.

"What do we do, Clay?" she said finally.

She turned toward me and shivered. The front and back doors were both open. She needed to get back in bed.

"He's part changed. With all the noise, I think the police will be here soon. Can we leave him here like this?"

Her worry wasn't just for keeping our race hidden. She'd felt something for the man on the floor, and it was tearing me up to think any of her worry might be for him. So, I nodded and motioned her back to the bedroom.

Sirens screamed in the distance as I tucked her into bed and closed the door.

When I returned, there was no limp form in the living room. The back door closed as I eyed the blood-free carpet. I glanced out the front window. The lawn was clear. They'd both run.

I waited in the front door as the police pulled up.

My face hurt. I had no doubt I looked like a victim as the officers in the first car opened their doors. Good thing they couldn't see the other guys and their busted faces.

"Sir, I received a complaint that animals were fighting in your back yard...what happened to you?" the first officer asked as the second watched me.

"I need to report an attempted break in."

Then the questions started. Did I know who had attacked me? Had I ever seen my attacker before? Could I describe him?

I knew they wouldn't accept short answers.

"My girlfriend and I were inside when we heard a noise out here. I came out to investigate after telling her to stay inside. As soon as I was out, someone hit me from behind. We scuffled a bit. He was about my height but smaller in the shoulders. Dark hair. Hazel eyes. Nose had a bump in the bridge. His teeth were yellow. He had a friend in back. I heard his dog growling. I managed to knock the guy out on the front lawn," I stepped further out the door to the spot in the snow, "here. Then I went running back inside." One of the officers glanced at my bare feet.

Damn.

"I think the adrenaline rush is fading," I said calmly. "My feet and hands are freezing. Mind if we go inside?"

The one who'd spoken waved me in. As soon as I was inside and had the door closed, I started up again, speaking softly.

"Once I knocked the one out in front, I ran back in here. Gabby's been sick," I waved to the door, "and I was worried when I heard something from the back. It was a good thing I came in. He was standing right here," I moved to the center of the room. "He landed a few good punches, but I managed to knock him out, too. Gabby had gotten out of bed. We heard the sirens. I helped her back into bed, made sure she was okay, then came out to wait for you. When I came out, they were both gone."

"We'd like to talk to your girlfriend."

"Okay. Just knock on her door. I doubt she's sleeping."

# Chapter 22

After the police spoke to Gabby, whose pale, frightened expression gave more credibility to my story, they took pictures of my hands, face, and the entry points.

Once they left to go bother the neighbors with questions, I closed myself in the bathroom to wash. Most of the cuts were starting to knit together. Beyond the sound of running water, I listened to Gabby move around in her bedroom.

During Gabby's conversation with the policemen, she had told them she didn't want to stay the night and had said we'd be staying with family during the holiday. She'd given them her cell number for the follow-up they said they would need to do.

I knew her desire to leave had little to do with her safety. She had questions. She was afraid of what had happened when she'd looked at the man on the floor. So was I. How could she feel the pull for another werewolf? Sure I knew Gabby's scent appealed to all werewolves, but the pull was supposed to be unique, something only one werewolf could experience when he saw his Mate for the first time. And I wasn't mistaken. She'd felt the pull for me and for the man I'd knocked to the floor. What did it mean?

I sighed, dried my face and hands, and quietly left the bathroom. Gabby had dressed and still moved about her room, her actions tense and jerky. She shoved clothes into her bag with an aggression I seldom saw in her. I leaned against the frame and watched her for a while.

When her bag was full, she turned toward the door, then froze. Her gaze immediately dropped to the floor, avoiding mine. It hurt. I was as confused as she was over what had happened, but it didn't change how I felt about her. Did it change how she felt about me, though?

I sighed, stepped aside, and motioned her through the door.

She grabbed her phone and called Rachel to let her know what had happened and to warn her not to come back without Peter. After she hung up, I quietly followed her out to the car. She moved around to the passenger side, still not looking at me.

Clenching my jaw, I got in behind the wheel. Was I losing her? I couldn't stay quiet. I had to say something. But what?

I backed out of the driveway and started out toward the Compound.

Anything I had to say right now would lead to begging. Females didn't like begging.

Tapping my fingers against the wheel in frustration, I tried to think of something, anything, to start a conversation about what had happened.

It took a moment to realize her breathing had slowed. I looked over and saw her head tilted loosely to the side. She was asleep. Great.

For the next hour, I kept going over the fight. I'd knocked the guy out. He lay on the floor, eyes closed. Gabby stepped out of her room as if in a trance, her eyes focused on _him_. I'd scented fear, confusion...but also interest.

I gritted my teeth. My canines poked into my lips. Nice. I was losing control and Gabby. The steering wheel crackled beneath my grip.

I went back to tapping. It didn't help. My ears itched. Beside me, Gabby shifted in her sleep. Her scent wasn't helping.

"Clay..."

I paused my tapping.

"Could you pull over for a minute?"

I glanced at her. Was she sick? She didn't look pale, just worried. I braked and slowly pulled over, careful of the snowy shoulder. Once the car was in park, I turned toward her.

A sad smile lifted her lips, and then she tapped them.

My tight grip on the wheel went slack. Was she saying she wanted a kiss? My heart leapt. I swallowed hard and tried to pull back the change. I didn't want to hurt her. It wasn't working. I needed to know everything was good between us before I'd calm down. A kiss would help with that.

She studied me just as I inhaled deeply. Her scent lacked the confusion it had held earlier. A sweet hint of interest gave me hope, and I lifted my hands to cup her face. Her expression softened. This woman...I couldn't live without her. I smoothed my fingers over her soft skin as I leaned in. She reached out and grabbed my shirt, pulling me closer until my lips met hers. I swallowed a groan. She was still mine.

Her lips parted, and she bit my bottom lip. It was like a kick to the heart. I opened my mouth for her, and she made a small noise as our tongues touched. My teeth shrank as I claimed her mouth, taking what she surrendered.

We steamed the windows before she pulled back. I wrapped my arms around her, unwilling to let her go yet. I kissed the top of her head and just held her.

Her fisted hands opened and flattened against my stomach. It wasn't a push away. It was a touch, an acceptance. I kissed her one last time, then straightened in my seat.

She fell asleep after a few minutes of driving, but it didn't matter. Whatever was going on in her head, she was still with me. That was all that mattered.

* * * *

We arrived at the Compound at dusk. Cars crowded in front of the building, making it impossible to park close. And that was fine with me. I turned around and parked near the drive. Just in case.

Gabby woke as I turned off the car. She gave me a sleepy smile and started to untangle herself from her blanket as I got out. I walked around to her side, opened the door for her, then grabbed her bag.

The buildings were lit up, and few people milled around outside as we walked to the main door. Jackets and shoes filled the entry, and I could hear conversations from the rooms around us. Both signs of a full house.

Gabby led the way to her usual apartment, but we found there was another family with cubs already occupying it. She tried other apartments, but they were full, too. It wasn't a surprise. The families always came in around the holidays.

Giving up on the apartments, she turned toward the hall that was usually reserved for the unMated males. When she went to knock on the first door, I caught her wrist and shook my head. I knocked. I didn't want any of them to think she was looking for an offer. The majority of the dorm quarters were also occupied. Several men passed us as we searched and gave us curious looks as they scented the air. Gabby stayed close.

We took the first room we found open and put her bag on the twin bed. It would be enough to hold the room.

"I need to talk to Sam," she said, looking at me.

I'd figured as much and wondered if Sam would be in a talking mood. Keeping my doubts to myself, I nodded and led the way to the common room. Decorations were everywhere. Cornucopias with harvest produce sat on each of the long tables. Several turkeys with feathers made of construction paper hands hung on the walls. The air still smelled like glue, laughter, and pumpkin pie.

Sam sat with his back to us, speaking with several other men at one of the many sitting arrangements. Gabby picked up her pace and stepped ahead of me, her gaze focused on Sam.

She strode up to him and interrupted the conversation.

"It's time we talked," she said.

He turned toward her. There was no surprise in his expression. Someone must have let him know we were there. He smiled at her and nodded. The others in his group got up and moved away.

"Gabby, I didn't think you'd be up until tomorrow."

She glanced at me. The room didn't afford privacy with our keen hearing. I wondered what she was going to say. She glanced around the room, then her gaze became unfocused. She winced, and I knew what she'd done.

I grunted in annoyance but rubbed her back. If there were an off switch for her ability, I'd figure out how to keep it off permanently.

"We came early because two werewolves tried breaking into my house." She watched Sam closely as she spoke.

"What?" Sam said, giving me a sharp look.

Why didn't you contact me?

I don't like how you help.

"He's still not talking," Gabby said, unaware of our exchange. She moved to sit in the chair across from Sam. "I believe their intentions were to kidnap me."

I sat in the chair next to her. Her scent changed. Confusion again. Her troubled gaze swung to me, and I knew what she was thinking. The man on the floor. He didn't matter if she didn't let him matter.

She gave me a small smile as if reading my mind then turned back to Sam.

"Is there more than one kind of werewolf?" she asked.

The question surprised Sam, and even though I'd briefly considered the possibility, it surprised me, too.

Sam frowned and leaned forward. "Not sure what you mean, exactly."

Sam watched her closely as she nibbled her lip.

"When you go fur, what color variations are possible? Different shades of fur, eyes...what about nose or nails?"

The double doors opened and a few more werewolves drifted in, slowly walking toward other groups. Gabby had everyone's attention and word was spreading fast.

"What does this have to do with—"

She held up a hand. "Bear with me, Sam. I need answers to give answers."

Sam turned to me.

"I already told you," she said, "he still isn't talking. Look, is there another Elder I can talk to? One willing to answer my questions?"

Sam's face fell but his expression cleared after a moment. "Fur is like hair and varies just like a human's. Same with the eyes. We are more like dogs when it comes to our noses. Mostly dark, but we sometimes have unusual markings. Did you see an identifying mark, Gabby?"

"What about the nails?" she asked, ignoring his question.

He shrugged. "Shades of grey. Mostly a dark grey."

"Black?"

What was she getting at? What had she noticed that I hadn't?

"Well, like I said, a dark grey is possible."

"No. I mean black. A very glossy black you could see your reflection in."

I struggled to recall the color of the nails of the men I'd fought as Sam remained introspectively quiet. Nothing came to mind. I'd been busy fighting and worrying about Gabby.

During the silence, Gabby became aware of the room and looked around. Everyone was suddenly looking elsewhere.

"I don't think I've ever paid that much attention to our claws before. But, no, I don't believe so."

Gabby leaned back in her chair, obviously lost in thought. Everyone in the room watched her, waiting for what she'd say next.

Her scent changed with the array of emotions she experienced. Worry, anger, interest. I caught Sam inhaling slowly and knew he'd noticed, too. After several moments of silence, Sam cleared his throat. She continued to ignore him, and he glanced at me. I shrugged. Gabby wasn't the type to rush into things. Someone spoke softly further back in the room. Others moved restlessly.

When she glanced at me with her scent bleeding confusion, I offered my hand. I couldn't guess what she was thinking, but I could offer my support. She had it unconditionally since the moment I saw her. She looked down at my hand, hesitated, then reached for me.

As soon as we touched, I felt it. A zing of energy. Her fingers laced through mine, and her scent faded.

I scowled at her. Had she just used her power on me? After everything that had just happened, she was going to knock herself out again and leave me to deal with Sam and a million questions I couldn't begin to answer?

Instead of looking even a little sorry about what she'd just done, she beamed at me. Then, she leaned toward me, her intent to kiss me obvious. Annoyed or not, I wouldn't say no.

Our lips met softly, but she pulled back with a jerk. Her wide eyes stared at me. Her pulse leapt, and her scent changed subtly.

I eyed her warily, wondering what had happened now. Would this be another "catch me, Clay," moment?

Her fingers twitched in mine, and with speed I didn't know she possessed, she was out of her chair and straddling my lap. Shock didn't cover what I felt. Though it was completely unexpected, I loved the contact. In fact, I'd consider gnawing off my own arm to keep her there. But this physical contact wasn't like her. Especially not with the crowd around us.

She breathed in deeply as if scenting me. I shuddered in response and stared up at her, mesmerized. The room disappeared as she continued to study me with an intensity I'd never seen before. The green flecks in her hazel eyes seemed brighter, more alluring, as she leaned in until her cheek brushed mine. My lungs stopped working for a moment as she buried her nose in my hair. I held still, unsure what was happening but liking it. A lot.

She pulled back to press her lips to the tip of my nose, and my heart twisted painfully. She'd been so close to my neck. The skin there tingled with what might have been. I lifted my free hand and lightly rested it on her waist. Her skin felt warm beneath my fingers.

She sighed a little and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she gave me a secret smile that made my blood boil.

She combed her fingers through my hair, brushing it back so she could lightly kiss my forehead. Her lips brushed a path to my cheek where she pressed another kiss. She moved lower, finding my lips. She nibbled at them until I opened my mouth for her. The aggressor, her tongue found mine. As much as I was spinning in my own heaven, I was starting to worry. This wasn't like Gabby. There were so many people watching us. It was as if she wasn't even aware of them.

She pulled back from me, gave me a quick frown, then leaned to nudge my jaw with her nose. My heart stopped and then tripled its efforts. She wanted my neck. Hope gripped me, warring with the worry. Should I let her? Was this really what she wanted?

My gut clenched as her lips skimmed my exposed skin, and my concern vanished. My pulse leapt higher. I let go of her hand so I could grip her, hold her in place. She had to keep going.

Her breathing hitched, and with one hand, she gripped my hair and tugged it hard. I tilted my head, willingly exposing my neck. She made a sound, almost a growl of satisfaction, before she set her lips on my neck once more. She kissed me, and I shuddered. Then her teeth sank into my skin.

There was no pain, only complete bliss. She'd done it. She'd Claimed me.

I closed my eyes with a sigh and opened myself for her. Her feelings flooded me. Desire consumed her. The unbridled need took me by surprise. Why hadn't I scented that? As fast as it filled me, it depleted, replaced with a stunned emotional silence.

She pulled back slightly and eyed my neck. I watched her expression, unsure of the silence over our connection. Behind her, someone moved and called attention to the fact that we still had an audience. Horror drifted over our new link. A Claiming typically occurred in private.

A deep blush stained her cheeks. Embarrassment battled horror. She wiped at her mouth with a shaky hand. Panic bloomed as she stared at me.

I couldn't take it anymore. Whether she'd intended to or not, she'd just given me the world. I reached up and gently touched her hair.

"I've been waiting for that since the moment I saw you," I said.

She scowled at me, and all the horror, embarrassment, and panic fled to be replaced by anger. I could guess why. She'd been after me about talking since she'd first seen me. I laughed and picked her up.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and hid her face as the room around us erupted in cheers. I didn't wait for congratulations but strode for the door. There was so much more I wanted to say to her. In private.

As soon as we were in our room, I closed the door and set her on her feet. I watched the play of emotions on her face and basked in each one I felt across our link.

"Why?" Her voice came out in a squeak. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Why wait until now to talk?"

I studied her and saw her hurt and confusion. I opened my arms. She didn't hesitate, but stepped right into them. Tucking her close, I spoke the truth.

"If I'd spoken, even just one word, I would have never been able to hold back what I felt for you. You would have run." And I would have chased you, scaring you even more, I thought to myself.

She pulled back and met my gaze.

"Can I finally get answers from you now? You'll keep talking?"

I smiled at her excitement and nodded.

"Do you think I'm right about the—"

"Now's not the time," I said, glancing at the door. "We'll talk later." I could smell Sam waiting out there. His heart beat steadily with his patience. If I could hear his heart, he was hearing every word we shared.

"No way. We're talking now. If not about that, then something else. I've waited over six months to hear your voice. You owe me. I bit you."

She made me want to keep smiling. This crazy, adorable, intelligent, and gifted person was mine. Thinking of her gift had me frowning. She'd just used it back there. I was sure of it. Yet, she seemed fine.

"How are you feeling?"

She frowned and seemed to do a self-assessment.

"Good, actually." Her gaze became unfocused, but she didn't wince or pale. "It's weird, but I don't feel sick." After a moment, she came back to me. "I think we need a safe place to talk."

I nodded and glanced at the door again. As soon as we left the room, Sam would want answers. Gabby had asked some pretty crazy questions. I had questions of my own, now.

She slipped from my arms and yanked the door open. Sam leaned against the wall opposite the door.

"Sam, since we don't have any privacy, we'd like to use the conference room. It's soundproofed, and there are a few things we need to discuss."

"I couldn't agree more," Sam said, motioning for her to lead.

"Clay and I, Sam," she said as she stepped from the room. "I don't have any answers for you."

"Gabby—"

"No. Now it's your turn to be bossed around and told what to do. I did what you wanted and Claimed one of you. Lay off."

I didn't need our link to know just how pissed she was. But she was also afraid. Of Sam. Still, she turned her back on him and started walking. Sam glanced at me. I arched a brow. He sighed and started to follow her. I followed him.

She opened the door to the conference room and turned to face Sam.

"Sam, I'm trying to do what's best for me, Clay, and the pack. There's a lot I haven't told you and things I haven't told Clay. Give me some time to sort everything out. I need to make sure your goals mesh with mine before I can fully confide in you."

I stood behind Sam as he considered what she'd said. Then, he stepped back and motioned me in with her.

"I'll be out here," he said.

She nodded, gently closed the door, then turned to me. She brushed a hand through her hair.

"I'm not sure where to start."

"Anywhere. I'll listen," I said as I pulled her into my arms.

I felt her smile. "I can see everything, Clay. Without pain." She pulled out of my arms so I could see her unfocused gaze. "Even without touching you, there's no pain. I can see so much more than before. Why?"

"It's our link."

"Wait. I thought the link happened when..."

Her immediate blush gave away her thoughts. I smiled.

"The full link happens after the Mating is completed. With the Claiming we have a more limited version of that connection." My smile faded, and I looked at her more closely. "It can still be broken, though. If there's another potential Mate out there...by biting him, you can break our bond and create one with him."

"Don't use up your word quota for the day," she said with a slight shake of her head.

I grinned at her sass, and she stuck out her tongue. Then she grew serious again.

"Clay, I won't be biting anyone else. Ever. But I do have something to tell you. When those wolves attacked...the second one..."

Her hurt came back, and I nudged her, falling back on my quiet ways.

"I felt the same pull with him as I do with you. I don't understand why that would happen. Sam said just one. Experiencing that with someone else confused me and made me feel horrible, like I cheated on you."

I sighed, then gave her a reassuring smile.

"I saw what happened. It concerned me, but the kiss in the car helped me understand how you feel. Don't worry about it."

She gave me a radiant smile. Then I felt something over our link. It was warm and full and everything I'd dreamed of.

"I love you," she said.

In a blur, I wrapped my arms around her, picked her up, and spun her around. Now she was mine. My Mate in truth. My family. My place to belong.

She looked at me and laughed.

"Oh!" She squirmed to get down. "Please can we get rid of the beard?"

I set her on her feet, and she hopped from foot to foot in excitement.

I nodded and laughed.

"And I still want to get my degree. Can we stay where we are until then?"

I wanted to say yes, but two men had tried to take her, and she'd just hinted to an Elder that she thought they weren't werewolves but something else. Sam might try to change her mind about going back to school. I glanced at the door.

She saw the look and her resentment toward Sam drifted over our link. She stepped close to lay her head against my chest and wrap her arms around my waist.

"Everyone I've ever loved this way I've lost," she said, hugging me close. "Don't let me down."

She was talking about Sam. He'd shaken her trust. I would never do that to her.

"I won't. You're stuck with me forever," I said against her hair.

She pulled back and kissed me again. Her love wrapped around me, and I never wanted to let go. For as long as it took, I would wait patiently for the next step of our relationship. And the next phase, our Mating, wouldn't be decided by her gift or some other outside influence. It would be her choice, no matter how her sweet lips might tempt me.

Her phone chirped from her back pocket. She groaned and broke away from the kiss. But I saw promise in her eyes. I glanced at the number with her and recognized Luke's number.

As soon as she hit "talk," Luke spoke in a rush.

"Gabby, I have a problem," he shouted over the roar of an engine. Something popped loudly in the background, and Luke swore just before the phone went dead.

Gabby looked up at me with a frown. Then her gaze went vacant, and I knew she was using her special sight again.

"Clay, I don't think I have a choice anymore. Something's happening to Luke. The other werewolves are all around him. We need to get Sam." She turned to look at the door. "I don't know who to trust."

I didn't trust Sam either. As an Elder, he had to put the pack first. He would rush to help any potential Mate for our kind. But at what cost to those women? Charlene, Gabby, this new one who Luke had with him, and the one who Charlene's son had mentioned...Michelle. So many being found at once along with a new kind of werewolf; it all had to mean something. A shiver of trepidation ran through me.

I nodded and leaned my forehead against hers.

"I'll stand with you, always."

_Thank you for reading Clay's Hope, the first companion book to the Judgement of the Six series. The next companion book is_ Emmitt's Treasure _._
Books by Melissa Haag

Judgement of the Six

Hope(less)

(Mis)fortune

(Un)wise

(Un)bidden

(Dis)content

(Sur)real

Judgement of the Six

Mating Novella

Prosperity

Judgement of the Six Companions

Clay's Hope

Emmitt's Treasure

Luke's Dream

Thomas' Heart

Carlos' Peace

(Sur)real

Of Fates and Furies

Fury Frayed

Fury Focused

Fury Freed

Stand-alone titles

Touch

Moved

Warwolf

Nephilim

Books by M.J. Haag

(adult Melissa Haag pen name)

Beastly Tales

 Depravity

Deceit

Devastation

The Resurrection Chronicles

Demon Ember

Demon Flames

Demon Ash

Demon Escape

The Lutha Chronicles

Escaping the Lutha

Facing the Lutha

# Author's Note

If this is your first foray into the Judgement world, welcome! I hope you enjoyed Clay and Gabby's story. To get inside Gabby's head, you'll definitely want to check out Hope(less), book 1 in the Judgement of the Six series.

For more information regarding other titles, to sign up for my newsletter, or to read exclusive content, please visit my website melissahaag.com.

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Happy reading!

