She'd said yes to dinner because she needed a fucking distraction. The motel she'd stopped at the previous evening didn't accept cats, so she'd gone for a one-night rental on Airbnb instead. When she got there, the place smelled damp, and Princess peed on the floor right away to show what she thought of it. Tania ended up sleeping in her car in the driveway, only going in to take a quick shower before heading out to work. She had a change of clothes at work, thankfully.

 It was an hour away from the practice, which meant that she had to get up super early, too. 

What she needed right now was twelve straight hours of sleep, , on a clean bed, or her weight in caffeine. She'd found another listing that looked a little more promising for the following evening, but she had another night in her car to look forward to tonight. 

Nevertheless, she wasn't about to accept Ian's offer. She wasn't that desperate. Okay, so maybe she was, but she was too proud. And too cautious. She didn't for one second believe the crap that her father spewed about shifters, but Ian was a man she didn't know; smart women didn't stay with strangers. 

A smart woman wouldn't have stayed with her father, either. 

She'd been considering calling her uncle and asking if their couch was free, but found herself calling Ian instead. At least, she knew where she was eating. 

Rather than going all the way back to the horrible rental, she took a shower in the staff room, and changed into the clothes she'd worn when she'd come in that morning. Jeans and a red sweater. Definitely not fancy, but it was what she had on hand. Wishing she'd taken the time to grab her cosmetic bag, at least, she checked her purse, only finding a cherry-scented lip balm. That'd do. 

Ian had said she was welcome to come over any time; dinner would be ready at seven. She hoped that turning up at six wasn't against protocol. 

The Wyvern house was easy to spot, as he'd told her: at the edge of Lakesides, the white, modern, fenced home wouldn't have stuck out on Hollywood Hill. She lowered her window to press the intercom, but before she'd touched the button, the iron gates slid open. 

She drove up to the house, parking the beetle next to a handful of cars and trucks. They were all new, top of the line, and well used, if one was to pay attention to the mud and wear on the wheels. 

Between the house and the cars, it was obvious that these shifters did very well for themselves. Tania tried not to feel intimidated. She had a good job, but a ton of student debts that went with it. She'd grown up on a modest income and none of her acquaintances were wealthy. She bit her lip. Hopefully, she wouldn't feel too out of place. 

The main door burst open, and a handful of kids rushed out, laughing as they all ran toward her. A young girl almost as tall as her, wearing boots, tight leather pants, and a shredded t-shirt despite the cool weather, reached her first, and touched her shoulder. 

"Tag!" she yelled, before fist-pumping the air. "Oh yeah," she danced around a little. "Got her first." 

Another kid, a boy around ten years old, sighed dramatically. "It's not fair. You got longer legs." 

"Whatever. I tagged Tania, I get to show her around." 

She grinned at her. "Come on in! Ian can't leave the kitchen 'cause he's making cheese soufflés, and no one wants him to mess those up. Wait, is that a cat in your car!" 

All the kids surrounded the beetle, peeking through the windows. "Awww, she's adorable." 

Tania had set up Princess' litter box in the trunk, and had removed the back seats to give her some room. 

"She's an indoor cat," Tania explained. "They're very territorial, and she might freak if we let her out." 

"She wouldn't," one of the children stated with a shrug. "Not with Ace around. Ace is a cat whisperer." 

"That's because she's a cat," said the youngest, a small, ridiculously adorable girl wearing a pink penguin onesie. 

"Enough of that, Lola. Y'all let the poor girl breathe." 

The voice had so much authority Tania half considered saluting, bowing, or something. She turned toward the house, to find a short brunette watching her. She had a toddler on her hip and there was absolutely nothing about her that should have seemed threatening. 

Tania blinked. Then she lowered her head, staring at her shoes. She couldn't even help herself. 

The brunette smirked. "Well, aren't you interesting." The brunette strode forward, crossing the distance between them. Tania wished she didn't. Each time she stepped closer, she felt a little more aware of the woman. Aware that she wasn't...well, normal. Regular. This was a shifter, no doubt, but not like Ian or the other shifters she'd come across in her life. 

Tania knew the term. She was in front of a born alpha. 

The woman extended her free hand. Tania shook it, still unable to meet her eyes. 

"Ace," she said. "Aisling Wayland-Cross." 

"Oh. Tania Martin." 

"Nice to meet you. And chill, Tania Martin. I only hunt enemies." 

That wasn't exactly reassuring, somehow. Tania took it for what it was: a warning. If she proved to be an enemy, this woman wouldn't hesitate to...hunt her. 

Holy fuck, she was way over her head. 

"My, that is a beauty." 

Glancing up, she found the alpha staring at Princess. The Bengal stood on her back legs, paws extended on the window, and stared right back at her. Hell, her cat had more guts than she did. Tania felt even stupider. 

"Do you mind if we let her out? She won't run or feel stressed here." 

Tania nodded. "Sure, that'd be great. She's used to more space than that." 

The alpha female smiled kindly. The moment she opened the door, the traitorous cat leaped in the air to curl up right between the alpha's chest and her baby's. "I can tell she's very spoiled. And she loves you." 

Tania chuckled, saying, "Apparently, she loves you more." 

The alpha shook her head. "No, that's not love. That's submission. Come on in, everyone. Tania is freezing."