Now that the guys were busy at their meeting, Dar took the lead. “First of all, whatever we discuss here does not go beyond the four of us. Okay?” Once everyone nodded in agreement, she said, “Anyone here not believe in werewolves?”

No one raised their hands, but Meg laughed. “That would explain so much. They’re just too blasted perfect. I mean, Trak’s just a friend, but if I didn’t have Zach, it would be hard to pick which guy I wanted.”

Jules merely shrugged. “Which is probably why I have two.”

“Jules!” Elle had a huge grin on her face. “Okay. So maybe I’m just a bit jealous, though I wouldn’t trade Tuck for anyone.”

Dar nodded emphatically. “I called Lawz on the werewolf bit last night, and he didn’t deny, but said he had to talk to the guys.”

“Tuck said the same thing. When I asked if that meant he had to talk it over with Trak, he got flustered. He’s so cute when he’s flustered, big guy like that.”

“ ’Cause Trak’s their alpha, right?” Dar shot a glance at Meg. “Did you know?”

“Not entirely, though I’ve sensed all along that the wolf sleeping next to me reminded me of Trak. Not sure why. And I’ve always just assumed he was their boss. No reason. He’s not bossy, but …” She grinned. “Guess he just walks the boss walk.”

“They smell the same,” Elle said. “Tuck and his wolf—they both have that fresh forest-cedar scent that I love, like fresh air and mountain breezes.”

Meg turned to Jules. “Why so quiet, Jules?”

Laughing, Jules spread her hands. “Just paying attention. I’ve got two of them to deal with, remember?”

“Rough job, right?” Dar’s dry comment had all of them laughing.

“Have any of you seen them shift?” Meg glanced at each of them.

“No, but I imagine we will.” Dar planted her hands on the table. “Think about the position they’re in—they’ve kept this secret for as long as their kind has existed, and that secret has kept them safe. They’ve got to be terrified we’ll give them away. Can you imagine the nightmare that would cause? News crews and nuts, coming here to the preserve and creating trouble for everyone. Whether they come clean or not, none of us are ever to speak about this to anyone else.”

“You can tell me.”

Meg whipped around in her seat so fast she almost fell out of it. An attractive dark-haired woman in faded cargo pants and an old Stanford sweatshirt stood in the doorway to the dining hall.

“Hi.” She gave them a little wave. “I’m Cherry Dubois. I live here. I just left the guys at Growl.” She laughed. “They’re all aflutter, discussing what you know. I told them I’d rather meet you than worry about you.”

“Can you shift, too?” Dar focused on Cherry, and Meg held her breath, waiting to see if Cherry would lie to Dar or tell the truth.

“I can now. But I couldn’t when I first got here. May I join you?”

“Please,” Meg said. “We are dying to know what’s going on, but we don’t want the guys to be afraid we’ll tell their secret, and they’re not talkin’.”

“Good.” She walked to the bar, poured a cup of coffee, and took the empty chair next to Elle. “Because that would be bad. For all of us. First of all, I started here as a guest of Feral Passions, just the way you have. My sister and her friend and I came here together, and we all met guys. My sister and her girlfriend are bi, and I was just flat-out repressed.” She laughed and took a swallow of her coffee. “By the end of the week, I’d figured out that the two guys I’d fallen for were the same wolves that were sleeping in my bed most nights.”

“How’d you know?” Meg hadn’t been all that sure about Trak, though she’d suspected, but she didn’t know why.

“I’m a computer nerd. My life is all about algorithms and statistics, and statistically speaking, there were an equal number of green-eyed wolves to men with green eyes, same with brown, and with blue. And one guy has absolutely sparkling, almost turquoise eyes, and so does one of the wolves. But the wolves and guys with matching eyes were never together.”

“That’s part of what gave it away for me. I’m Jules, by the way, and I’ve got two guys sharing my bed, one with blue eyes and one with brown, but the weird part of it is that I knew the first time I saw the wolves that they were the guys, and I didn’t even know one of them very well in his human form. Two wolves came to my cabin at bedtime, and I just automatically called them Manny and Drew. I knew they were men, but I don’t know how I knew. It was just bizarre.”

“That explains their behavior.” Cherry laughed, but she shook her head when Jules questioned her. “Their tale to tell.”

“I’m Elle, Cherry. How do you handle it? Your guy shifts and races off into the woods to do his wolf thing. How do you deal with waiting for him, knowing what an amazing experience he’s having?”

“I go with them.” At least she waited until the collective gasp died down. Smiling, she said, “Werewolves only have male offspring. They don’t make their first shift until they’re about thirty. They find their mates among the human population after they shift, but wolf law has forced them to keep their existence secret. It used to be until after they fell in love and mated. Then they’d bite their poor, unsuspecting wife and turn her into a wolf.”

“I can only imagine the pillow talk after that little episode.” Dar’s comment even had Cherry cracking up.

But Meg stared at Cherry, this absolutely beautiful and obviously brilliant young woman who was saying she was a wolf as well. For whatever reason, shifting had absolutely no appeal at all to Meg. “I think I’d freak,” she said.

But not Elle, Jules, or Dar. They were grinning at one another as if they’d just discovered all the packages under the Christmas tree were theirs.

“That’s the only thing I worried about.” Elle grabbed Cherry’s hands. “Girl, that is the best news in the world, because I have fallen hard and fast for that big, sexy veterinarian, but all I could think of was how jealous I’d be whenever he went furry and left me home.”

“Won’t happen if you and Tuck end up mates.” She squeezed Elle’s hands. “Look, the guys are a bit shaken up, to put it bluntly. They’re so afraid of their story getting out. If you and Dar and Jules end up staying on as mates, that’s not an issue, but I know they’re worried about any of you who don’t, which I would bet is going to be just you, Meg. Is this a secret you can keep? If word ever gets out, it would put all of us in danger.”

Meg glanced at Dar, Elle, and Jules. “The four of us have been friends since we were five years old. We’ve held secrets for one another all our lives. There’s no way we’d ever talk about something that could jeopardize any of us, much less the people we’ve met here who are so wonderful. I don’t think that’s an issue, but I do think we should let the guys lead the way on when they want to say anything. I hadn’t really thought how frightening this must be for them.”

“Thank you. Now I’m going to grab my men and my luggage, and we’re going to go up to our apartment.” She laughed as she stood. “I’m exhausted. We drove all night when the guys realized you’d figured them out. They sort of flipped a bit. Trak asked us to come home early.”

She yawned and stretched, but Elle stopped her as she turned to leave.

“Cherry? Is it as cool as it sounds? Shifting and running like a wolf?”

“So much cooler than you can possibly imagine. The pine needles beneath your feet, flying down trails faster than you ever imagined moving under your own power. Standing on a mountain peak and howling at the moon? Ya know, it’s something I will never grow tired of.”

Smiling, she headed toward the door as two men—equally as good looking as all the others they’d met—walked in loaded down with luggage. Cherry paused and kissed both guys. “Ladies, this bad boy is Cain, and this fella is Brad, and they’re mine. You may look but not touch. Boys, meet Meg, Elle, Jules, and Dar. Play nice. I’m going to get my bags.”

She turned and left. Meg sighed when she realized both men had barely acknowledged any of them at the table. Instead, they stopped in their tracks to watch Cherry as she went out the door, and Meg was certain that was a communal sigh she heard from her buds.

Did Zach ever look at her like that? She wished she could be sure. She’d give anything to know he felt that way about her.

Once Cain and Brad had settled back into their apartment over the lodge with Cherry, Manny hunted them down.

“Cain, you got some free time this afternoon?”

Cain grinned at him, and Manny could see why he pissed Trak off so badly. Cain always looked like he was looking for trouble.

“Depends. I’m still on my honeymoon.”

“Yeah, but you’ll like this. Ya know the guys logging that piece just north of the property? They’ve brought in some new contract labor that’s a bit questionable. Trak and I are convinced they’re poaching. We’ve found sign on this side of the fence, blood spatters on leaves, what looks like some chunks out of bark that might be from high-powered rifle shots. None of the wolves are missing, but the deer herd is skittish. We’re going to do a bit of reconnoitering this afternoon. Want to come?”

Cain’s grin widened. “I’d love it.” He caught Cherry for a kiss and planted one on Brad as well. “Back when the big guy turns me loose.”

“Knew you’d do it. Figure you’re probably looking for some ass to kick after two weeks without any trouble.” Laughing, Manny led the way out of the lodge.

“Actually …” Cain actually sounded sort of wistful. “Two weeks without trouble worked really well for me. I think I’m getting used to waking up to a mate on either side.”

Manny thought about that as they headed toward Growl, where they were meeting Trak. And he thought about Jules. And Drew.

By two or so, Elle and Tuck had made close to a dozen calls in and around the community of Weaverville. There’d been no talk of werewolves or shifting, but there were vaccinations to give and teeth to check and lots of people to stop and chat with.

He’d introduced Elle to everyone they met and said she was thinking of taking on the position as his assistant. She loved hearing that, and everyone had been so nice. Finally, they pulled into a quiet neighborhood, and Tuck parked under a big shady tree.

He didn’t immediately get out this time. Instead, he turned to her and smiled, and she melted inside just a little bit more.

“This is the last stop, Elle. Mrs. Yates has a Labrador retriever that tends to have large litters. There were fourteen in this last one. I’m just checking to make sure everyone’s getting enough to eat. The owner can’t be here with them all the time. She’s a nurse at the hospital in town, works some odd shifts.”

They got out of the truck, walked around the house, and went through a gate to the yard in back. A dark brown Lab lay in the shade of a large tree. She raised her head and woofed, but it was obvious she recognized Tuck because she lay back down again and stretched out in the grass. Pups tumbled all around, climbing over their mother and chasing each other.

“They look like little chocolate kisses!” Elle got down on her knees. The pups spotted a target and attacked. She was cuddling four of them while two chewed one of her hiking boots.

“Hey, Tuck. I was hoping you’d stop by.”

Elle glanced away from the puppies gnawing on her boots and curling in her lap. A tall, dignified-looking woman with her long white hair tied in a braid down her back stepped out of the house.

“Mrs. Yates, this is Elle, my assistant.” She nodded hello. “You’ll notice she’s protecting me from all those sharp little teeth.” They both chuckled when the pups suddenly took off and did a waddling run around the perimeter of the back fence. He reached down and pulled Elle to her feet. “These little guys are looking great. I don’t think I’ll need to make any more visits, at least until they’re ready for their shots.”

“That’s good. Thank you. I’ve got buyers for all of them. Look, Tuck, I’m glad you stopped by. We have an injured driver who was brought in about an hour ago. His car went off the road north of town, and he was still unconscious last time I checked. Paramedics couldn’t find a cell phone or ID, but clipped to a screen on the dashboard were directions to your place. The guy’s tall, about your age, with salt-and-pepper hair, average build. Works out, has good muscle tone. Sound familiar?”

“He’s not conscious?”

Mrs. Yates shook her head. “No. Might be by now. He was unconscious when he was brought in a little while ago. My shift ended shortly after he arrived, so I’m not sure of his condition, only that they hadn’t ID’d him.”

“Any idea where he’s from?”

“Looks like Portland. The car’s registered to SeaSun Integrations, but there’s no name on—”

“Oh, shit!” Elle slapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, but did you say SeaSun?” When the woman nodded, Elle turned to Tuck. “That has to be Zach, Meg’s fiancé. He owns SSI. We have to go see him. Find out for sure if it’s Zach so we can let Meg know.”

“Tuck? When you get to the hospital, tell Jennie at reception that you might know our John Doe.” Mrs. Yates followed them to the gate. “Please let me know what you find out, and good luck. I know there must be people somewhere worried sick about him.”

“Poor Zach.” Elle stood beside his bed. Zach was still unconscious, though the nurse had told them scans hadn’t shown any sign of trauma or injury to his brain, and he’d awakened briefly a while ago. “I wonder what happened.”

The doctor who’d been in Zach’s room when they arrived straightened after checking the monitors. “We think he swerved to miss a critter. Animals cross the road there all the time on the way to water. It looks like he braked and then skidded, overcorrected, and hit the berm beside the asphalt. The car did an end over and then rolled, so stuff got scattered. A couple of guys just went out to see if they can find his wallet and cell phone. We were hoping to ID him, so I’m glad you’re here. Good thing he was belted in, because the BMW was trashed.”

“I’m going to call Meg,” Tuck said. “There should be someone in the office who can take the call and bring her out here.”

Trak was out doing something with Manny, so Evan brought Meg into town. The others stayed at Feral Passions, since Elle was waiting with Zach.

Zack here? But why? Meg’s head wouldn’t quit spinning. When Evan got the call from Tuck and found her out by the pool with Cherry and the girls, she’d been laughing and having the time of her life.

While Zach lay in a hospital bed just a few miles away, unconscious. She felt horribly guilty even though she hadn’t done anything, hadn’t known he was within a hundred miles of this place, but he was hurting, and she’d not known a thing.

Evan held her left forearm with his left hand, had his right arm around her shoulders, walking her down the long corridor like she was a little old lady, but as fragile as she felt, that was probably a good thing.

What in the world was Zach doing there?

“Here’s his room, Meg.”

She glanced at Evan and slowly nodded—it didn’t feel real, as if she walked through a waking nightmare—as he walked her into the room. Zach lay on the bed, both eyes bruised black and swollen shut. Elle’d been sitting next to the bed, but she leapt up and hugged Meg.

“He’s gonna be okay, sweetie. The doctors are terrific. Dr. Mabry said his injuries aren’t nearly as serious as they look.”

Meg nodded. She didn’t seem to have any words, but Elle took over Evan’s job and led her across the floor to Zach. Tuck pushed a chair beneath her, and she sat, trusting him to have it there. Hell, trust had nothing to do with it. Her legs wouldn’t hold her.

She wrapped her fingers around Zach’s hand, careful of the needles and wires anchoring him to way too much equipment all beeping and gurgling and whooshing. “Zach. Sweetheart … what happened?”

She’d missed him so much, wished he were here with her, but not like this! This was awful. And scary. She heard a shuffling behind her, soft voices, someone coming into the room. She turned, saw an attractive young woman in a lab coat. A doctor?

“You’re Megan Bonner?”

When Meg nodded, the woman held out her hand. “I’m so glad we’ve found Zachary’s people. It’s terrible to have someone here who’s hurting and not know who they are. It’s good to meet you. I’m Dr. Mabry. Angie Mabry. I’m not sure what Elle’s told you, but we weren’t certain how serious Zach’s head injury was when he was first brought in. He was unconscious when paramedics got to him, but we’re unsure how long after the accident that was. I doubt it was too long because that road is well traveled. A rancher spotted the wrecked car and said the engine was still steaming.”

Meg covered her mouth. What if there’d been a fire? What if he’d been dying, what if …

“Stop.” Dr. Mabry rubbed Meg’s shoulder. “I can tell you’re doing the what-ifs. And I know that because I do them, too, but remember this: whatever you’re thinking, it didn’t happen. He’s going to be fine. He was awake a bit ago, confused and not sure what happened, but he’ll come around. He’s got a concussion, but scans are clear, and there’s no bleeding. It still might take him a few days to get his bearings.”

She felt sort of silly, sitting there with Zach’s hand in hers, doing exactly what the doctor had accused her of. She wished he’d wake up. She really had to tell him how much she loved him, how much she’d missed him since Sunday, which was silly, considering it was only Tuesday.

Sighing, she thought about that. She’d wait and tell him after she found out what had brought him here in the first place. What if he’d come all this way merely to tell her it was over?

Tuck had gone outside about fifteen minutes earlier when Evan left to return to the resort. Meg hadn’t let go of Zach’s hand, though she’d asked Elle if her healing worked on people. No way was Elle going to experiment on Zach, and she said as much, though in a nicer way. Meg looked horribly sad, even though the doctor’s last visit to the room had been really positive. Zach was coming around, he had sensation in his extremities, and other than a couple of broken fingers, he essentially appeared to be okay.

“Elle?”

She turned. Tuck was there, obviously concerned. “What happened?” Whispering. Meg didn’t even notice them, she was so tuned in to Zach.

“Trak’s been hurt. I need to go back to the resort, but I want you with me. Do you think Meg will be okay by herself?”

Elle nodded. “She’s not alone. She’s with Zach, and we can make sure someone’s there to hear the phone if she calls. Let me tell her.”

She did, and minutes later they were in Tuck’s big truck, heading out to the resort as if the dogs of hell chased them. Elle waited until they’d hit the main road to ask.

“What happened?”

“I’m not sure. Manny, Cain, and Trak were checking the perimeter of the northern fence line. There’s been sign of poaching up there near a logging operation. Manny said they came across a couple of guys gutting a doe who ran them off, but not before one of them fired at Trak. I’m not sure how badly he’s hurt. Cain’s with him. Manny’s waiting at the lodge until we get there so he can lead us to them.”

“Were they running as wolves or human? Because I don’t think I like the idea of you facing guys with guns willing to shoot someone who gets in their way.”

Tuck shook his head. “Me, either.” He paused a moment, and she knew it had to hurt him to speak words he’d been forbidden to say to anyone not of their pack.

“It’s okay,” she said. “I know. Look, you need to go to him as soon as we reach the resort, because you can get there a lot faster as a wolf. Is there someone who knows where you’ll be? I’m fast, but not that fast.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure. Trak needs a doctor now. You can get to him faster on four legs. Can you carry your medical bag?”

He smiled, and she knew he’d finally given in. “I’ve got a harness just for things like this. I rarely have to use it.” Quietly, he added, “Trak was a wolf when they shot him.”

She reached across the center console and squeezed his thigh. He covered her hand with his, only for a moment, but she had a feeling she’d just passed some sort of test.

They went through the gate to the preserve, and he punched it. The road that had taken the women at least fifteen minutes to cover on their first trip in to Feral Passions was a quick five-minute, white-knuckle ride. Tuck skidded to a stop in front of the lodge. Manny ran out to meet them with Evan on his heels, holding an odd-looking harness in his hands. Tuck explained their plan. Elle grabbed his medical bag out of the truck, and when she turned around, Tuck was ripping off his clothes and going to his hands and knees with the pickup as a shield.

She had no idea where the other women were, but Elle knew she witnessed magic. This wasn’t at all like the movies. No cracking of joints or snapping bones, merely a smooth, almost poetic process of sleek skin rippling in shimmering waves as fur appeared and his body changed. It happened quickly, magically, and where a large man had knelt, a dark gray wolf now stood in his place. Manny had shifted as well, so Evan clamped the medical bag into the harness and fastened it quickly to Tuck.

“Go,” he said. “Manny told me exactly where they are. Elle and I are right behind you. We’ll bring the stretcher, clothes, and shoes.”

The wolf nodded and took off.

Elle glanced at Evan. “We good to go?”

“Yep,” he said. She reached for one of the tote bags loaded with clothes for Tuck, Cain, and Manny and hoisted it over her shoulder.

Evan slipped a folded stretcher over one shoulder and grabbed the other bag. “You ready?”

When Elle nodded, Evan took off at a slow jog along a narrow trail. They headed due north to the place where Trak lay wounded.

Cain had shifted to his human form to do what he could to stop the bleeding. The bullet was somewhere inside Trak’s chest, most likely one of his lungs. There was bloody froth at his nostrils, his breathing was labored, and he’d started shivering. Cain knew Tuck had gone into town, but he didn’t know how much longer Trak could hang on without medical care.

Bastards. He’d spotted the hunters gutting a doe they’d shot, and he and Trak had tried to get closer for a better look. They’d gone in as wolves, but they hadn’t counted on a lookout who was quite willing to shoot wolves on a preserve. The guy got off one shot, but it was enough. At least he was far enough away that Cain had been able to hide Trak in heavy undergrowth.

Manny had stayed hidden until the men gave up searching for the wolf and went back to their deer carcass, but then he’d found Cain and Trak and stayed long enough to assess Trak’s condition.

It wasn’t good. They’d been out here in the brush with Trak bleeding for at least a couple of hours. He’d been conscious at first, but obviously in considerable pain. Now his breathing was shallow, his eyes closed, and Cain was terrified.

He knew he wasn’t alone. There were at least a couple of wild wolves nearby, keeping watch. It helped, knowing they worried about Trak as much as he did. It was a strange sort of relationship between the werewolf pack and their wild brothers. They didn’t compete, didn’t really interact, but there was definitely a sense of community among them.

When he’d left Trak in search of something for a compress to put pressure on the wound, the wolves had stood watch. He’d found as much damp moss as he could scavenge off nearby rocks and trees and used that to keep pressure on the wound. Once he had things under control, the wild wolves faded into the forest, but he sensed they were still close.

Holding the compress in place, he sat beside Trak and stroked his thick coat. The man had hated him since the very beginning. Cain was never quite sure why—he’d tried to be a good pack member, but no matter what he did, Trak found fault. He’d often wondered if it had anything to do with his basic nature. He’d been born an alpha, a very strong alpha in a pack ruled by one even stronger than Cain.

He’d learned that the hard way, challenging the man when he was still too young and too stupid to know how to run a pack if he’d actually won the fight. Instead, he’d had his ass handed to him on a platter, and then he’d been exiled. That was actually a good thing—most alphas would have killed the usurper. Trak was still trying to build his pack and had been the only one willing to take him in. Cain would always owe him a debt of gratitude for that, though there were times he resented his own strong sense of obligation.

That was another part of his nature he couldn’t control.

He really didn’t want Trak to die, though he’d sensed Manny’s misgivings at leaving him here to guard their alpha. Everyone knew that Cain and Trak had issues, but Cain was the better fighter, Manny the faster runner. It was the logical choice that Cain be the one to stay.

But the truth was, Cain admired Trak. Wished he could be more like him.

Maybe he needed to tell him that sometime. Before it was too late. He studied the wounded wolf, knew he was slipping away even as Cain sat there with Trak’s lifeblood seeping around his fingers, feeling so damned useless. He wanted to make that poacher pay. Even more, he needed Trak to know how he felt.

Sighing, Cain buried his fingers in his alpha’s thick fur, but he spoke from his heart—the one Trak didn’t think he had. “You’re a strong bastard, Traker. Don’t give up. You’ve got to come through this. The pack needs you. Whether you know it or not, I need you. You’re the alpha I will never be, a man I’ve always admired. You’re not a hothead like I am. You don’t get pissy.” He smiled at that, because … “Well, not too much, but damn it, you’re important to this pack, so you’ve got to keep fighting. If you’re not here, who’s going to ride my ass over every little thing?”

The wolf whined and shivered. He was going into shock, and the ground was cold beneath the trees. “Well, fuck.” Cain shifted. His wolf was warmer than his human, and once the shift was complete, he wrapped himself around Trak with his chin holding the compress against the wound. He would do whatever it took to keep his alpha warm—and alive.

Elle was glad she’d dressed comfortably to go into town with Tuck today, wearing a short-sleeved top, jeans, and her hiking boots, because she and Evan covered the two miles of rough trail to a thick copse of trees at the edge of the property in less than twenty minutes. Tuck was human again, naked as he worked over the injured wolf. He looked up with relief when Elle and Evan arrived.

“Elle? Have you ever worked with bullet wounds? Removed a bullet from a patient?”

“No, but I can try. Let me take a look.” She nodded, acknowledging the big silver wolf with forest-green eyes—Cain—guarding his alpha, and then knelt beside Trak’s wolf. There was a bloody pad of gauze pressed against the entrance wound, more blood-soaked moss on the ground beside Trak. She moved the pad aside and held her hands to the injury until she sensed the bullet in Trak’s lung. Tracing the trajectory of the bullet meant following a trail that felt wrong. The trick would be pulling it out without causing more damage while keeping his lungs working. Her gift snapped fully into place as she slipped into the strange fugue state that allowed her to heal. The soft whispers of Trak’s worried pack faded into the background.

_____________

“What’s she doing?” Manny’s question probably echoed all their thoughts. Cain knew he was damned curious, but Tuck seemed to trust her.

“I wish I knew,” Tuck said, “but I saw her heal a fawn’s cracked leg with the touch of her hands. She said it’s a gift, that her grandmother could do it, too. Quiet, now. We don’t want to pull her out of whatever she’s doing.”

About twenty minutes after Elle began her healing, Tuck remembered food. “She’s going to need to eat when she finishes. She’s burning a lot of energy, and she’ll come out of this totally depleted. Can one of you guys get a sandwich or something and bring it out here?”

Cain stood, raised a paw, and scraped Tuck’s knee. “Good. Go, Cain. Whatever you can find for her.”

The wolf spun away from the group and was gone.

“When Trak is all healed up,” Manny said, smiling for the first time in hours, “someone had better tell him how hard that man’s worked to keep him alive.”

Dar, Jules, and Cherry hung out by the pool. The place had been unusually quiet today. Drew was bartending at Growl, and Cherry’s mate Brad was in the kitchen working on dinner. Lawz had driven over to Eureka on business. Dar didn’t expect him back until tonight. As far as she knew, Elle was still in town with Tuck, and Meg was with Zach, though she’d expected to have heard something by now.

She said as much, but Cherry suddenly raised her head. “What’s going on?”

They all turned just as a huge silver-and-gray wolf raced up the front steps to the lodge and shoved the door open with his shoulder.

“Something’s wrong.” Cherry was up in a flash and running across the grass to the lodge. The others followed. They raced into the lodge just as the wolf rippled and shimmered and Cain quickly rose to his feet, naked and obviously distraught.

He glanced over his shoulder, said, “Sorry, ladies,” and turned to Brad. “I need food now. A sandwich, something with protein to take back for Elle. Trak’s been shot. Tuck was working on him, but Elle’s there now doing some kind of mojo to heal him. She needs to eat as soon as she’s done. She’s burning a lot of energy.”

“Gotcha.” Brad reached into the refrigerator and grabbed a couple of big sandwiches left over from lunch. Cherry went to the pantry for a bag of cookies and a couple of sports drinks. Between the two of them, they had a meal ready to go in about a minute. Brad stuck everything in a bag with a harness while Cain shifted. Cherry strapped it on him.

Brad touched his shoulder. “Be careful, Cain. You know we love you.”

The wolf nodded, a very human response.

Jules walked across the room and held the door open. Cain turned away from Brad and Cherry, raced past Jules, and disappeared into the forest.