Well, one thing was beyond all doubt. He knew who the Queen was, and it was Lucy. In the elevator she’d filled his senses, familiar and strange at once, carrying the scent of a Queen along with a bouquet of flavors that were definitively her own. Alpha males were always drawn to Queens, it was no real surprise—it was how his father had found his mother, after all. It kept the clans strong. But there was no way he could explain that to Lucy, and she was probably still angry with him for seeking her out earlier. He’d gotten off on the wrong foot with her. If he was lucky, maybe she’d understand later that he was just doing his job. She certainly knew her father wanted all three women kept safe.
The rest of the night was uneventful, which gave his wolf far too much time to mentally roam the party, keeping track of Lucy from a distance, wondering how he could even start the conversation he needed to have with her, much less the conversation he wanted. You’re beautiful. I want to get to know you better. How do you feel about dating a white guy from the West Coast, and is it better or worse if he’s a werewolf?
Ian sought him out about an hour before the event ended. “You haven’t eaten anything,” he said.
“Not hungry,” he said.
“Full moon’s next week,” he said. “You gotta fill up on the red meat.”
Jason just rolled his eyes. “I’m fine.” He’d had a bacon-wrapped scallop and a little beef Wellington, which was more than enough. He’d get a steak tomorrow at breakfast or something. What he was hungry for right now had nothing to do with the buffet.
“I’m going to get you something anyway,” Ian said. “You look like you had a nose full of Queen, and I’m not dealing with you freaking out.”
“I won’t freak out,” he said.
“Yeah, you won’t, because I’m going to get you something to eat. Come on.” The crowd was starting to thin out, which meant everyone was easier to track, so Jason let Ian steer him over to the buffet table. “There’s still salmon left, it’s really good.”
“Fine,” he said, and grabbed a plate.
“It’s Lucy, isn’t it?” Ian asked, when they were both munching away on salmon and crackers. Ian was right, it was really good.
“Yeah,” he said. Her trail had given it away, and being isolated with her on the elevator just underlined it.
Ian nodded. His face looked thoughtful. “Art teacher.”
“Yeah.”
“Didn’t picture you with an art teacher.”
“I didn’t say—”
Ian snorted. “Like you need to say anything. Like I can’t smell it on you. And it’s all over your face, too.”
It was?
Ian laughed. “Calm down, I don’t think she can see it. But she doesn’t know you like I do.” He speared another chunk of salmon with a toothpick. “We have a plan for coming clean?”
He shook his head. “No idea. I still can’t figure out what they know, if anything. I think we need to crack the case of the animals first. Give us a chance to introduce the idea of werewolves slowly.”
Ian nodded. “First wolves, then werewolves, then, ‘hey, baby, want a clan alliance?’ Smooth.”
“Very funny,” he said. But that had, basically, been the plan. “You got a better idea?”
“I do not,” Ian said. “You think Frieda’s single?”
“I have been told that Frieda’s a lesbian,” he said. “I asked the father about any exes, romantic partners. Had to look like I was covering all the bases.”
“She’s gorgeous,” Ian said. “I know Lucy’s more your style, but damn, Frieda’s like a warrior princess.”
“They’re a very attractive family,” Jason said. But Lucy was the prize. The prettiest face, the softest curves, and that dark velvety skin. He just wanted to touch her.
Well, he wanted to do a lot more than that, but touching her would be a damn good start. His wolf suggested it would have been easier in the days when marriages between alphas and queens were arranged, but he reminded it that back in those days he would’ve been married to a fellow West Coast wolf, whether he liked it or not. It was only in the past hundred years that geography had started loosening and people were allowed to marry outside their territories. Werewolves could be just as dumb as full humans. He’d certainly learned that over the years. Hell, he’d learned that his first day helping Ian.
Frieda was by the door. She had her bag. She looked like she was ready to sneak out the door. “Think she’s done,” Ian said. “You introduce me? I’ll give her a ride, you can take Lucy and her sister later.”
“You don’t need to do me any favors,” Jason said. And besides, a ride with Ophelia and Lucy is just a conversation with Lucy.
“Yeah, I know,” he said. “Introduce me anyway, I want to get back to the house. Close enough to the full moon that we should be patrolling early and often. You wanna run Remus?”
“Yeah, we probably should.”
Ophelia was headed his way, purse in hand. Ah, shit. Lucy was still over in the corner, talking with that gray-haired woman—Sophia, that was her name. With the purple flowers in her hair. “Maybe you could give both the girls a ride,” he said.
Ian chuckled. “Cut the younger one off at the pass?”
“She’s pretty,” he said. “But she’s too young for me, even if—”
“Maybe she’ll like me too,” he said. “Divide and distract.”
“Yeah, good luck with that. Hope you like one-sided conversations.”
“So I think we’re about ready to go,” Ophelia said, with a smile she probably thought was shy. “I thought we could—”
“Yeah,” Jason said. “This is my partner, Ian. He’s going to take you home. Frieda, too, I think, she looks like she’s winding down. I can take Lucy home when she’s finished.”
Ian put his hand out, as charming and outgoing as he always was. “Really nice to meet you.”
“Oh,” Ophelia said. Was she trying to hide her disappointment or not bothering? She wasn’t doing much of a job either way. “Nice…nice to meet you too.”
“We’re going to get to the bottom of this,” Ian said. “Get your dad his peace of mind, make sure all of you are safe.”
“Thank you,” she said, her eyes darting between them. Ian was blond and broad-shouldered. He was plenty good-looking. Girls who weren’t in the werewolf line usually picked him first; even some of the girls who were had an eye for him. But Ophelia didn’t seem to be changing her mind. Great. “But we can wait, if the car—”
“Nah, I have plenty of room,” he said. “No worries. You don’t mind introducing me to your sister, right?”
“Um, no—”
“Great.” Ian clapped Jason on the shoulder. “We’ll meet you back at the house.”
“Sounds good,” he said. I owe you one, he thought.
Ten minutes later, Lucy and Sophie were still talking like old friends. A man in a suit came over to him. “Everything all right?”
“Ah, yes,” he said. “I’d offered Ms. Johnson a ride, and she’s having such a good time…” He shrugged. “I don’t mind waiting.”
“And if I go over to her—”
She was, actually, glancing in their direction. He gave a little wave, which felt incredibly dorky, but at least got him a smile back. “I don’t think she’s forgotten me,” he said.
“All right,” he said. “You understand—”
“No, it’s good,” Jason said. “I’m glad you ask.”
“Wouldn’t be doing much of a job if we didn’t,” he said. “Marcus Cho. My wife’s the CEO, and I help out some.”
“Jason Murphy. I’m visiting from California, and they let me tag along. It was a nice event. Seems like they do good work.”
“Definitely,” Marcus agreed. “Nice to meet you. Lucy’s a great young woman.”
“I’m glad to have met her, for sure.”
“What do you do?”
“I work in private security, actually. I’ve worked some jobs…let’s just say I really appreciate organizations like this.”
Marcus nodded.
Sophia and Lucy walked toward Jason and Marcus together. “Oh, Jason,” Sophia said. “It’s nice to see you again!”
“A pleasure to see you too,” he said. “Did you need a ride home, too? I’m happy to—”
“I’m fine,” she said, reaching out and touching his arm. “How sweet of you to offer!”
Well, at least he’d gotten in better with Lucy. “Are you ready to go?” he asked her.
“Yeah,” she said. “Thanks for waiting.” They both knew he had no choice, but it was nice of her to say. Now he just had to survive an elevator and the long car ride back to the house. It hadn’t seemed that long when the night was young and there were three women. Now he was going to be alone with Lucy and her scent. It was a good thing Ian had shoved more food at him. The full moon was getting closer. It was going to start getting under his skin. The wolf had a lot more power now. He had to be careful.
The dress she was wearing was the perfect color—it was a deep blue that made him think of the sky just before it faded to midnight. It took his breath away. The style wasn’t what he would have picked for her—he would’ve had something that showed off more of those delicious curves—but she was still beautiful in it. She would have been beautiful in anything. Her scent was amazing, and it wrapped around her, around them both as the elevator descended. Just get to fresh air, he reminded himself. It’ll be all right then.
She would still be astonishingly beautiful. She would still smell like something out of his fantasies. But it would be easier.
“You don’t have to do all that,” she said.
“Do what?” he asked, as the elevator descended.
“Get the door, push the button.”
He hadn’t even thought about that. “Oh,” he said. “I guess it’s just a habit.” Usually women expected him to take the lead. But of course, she was more independent. She hadn’t been the one to hire him, and she was still reluctant to be protected. “You can hold the door on the way out.”
She didn’t look impressed by his concession. He couldn’t blame her. Get it together, Anderson. He wished he’d suggested the stairs, even though he wasn’t sure where they were. Anything to spare himself the agony of not looking at her, not thinking of the things he wanted to do to her—of the things they could do right there in the elevator—
The door opened and he didn’t bother letting her go first. It wasn’t what she wanted, right? And he was desperate to get away from her scent. How was he going to stand the drive back to the house?
“Sophia seems like a nice woman.”
“Yes,” she said. “She’s very sweet. Did you see? The family room was dedicated to someone with her name. I think maybe a daughter…I hadn’t realized.”
“That’s…I can’t imagine,” he said. “Poor woman.”
“I don’t know for sure,” she said. “But I wonder.” She shook her head. “It’s not fair.”
“No, it’s not.” He dug his keys out of his pocket. “Do you want me to bring the car around?”
She shook her head. “I can walk. These heels aren’t too bad.” He caught a little irritation in her scent. Great. He was just screwing this up top to bottom, and he didn’t even know what had done it this time. He’d be lucky if she was still speaking to him by the end of the night.
The walk to the car was short, but it helped. The evening air was crisp and cool, and the moonlight wasn’t exerting too much power. It cast a beautiful light, too. Lucy certainly looked like a Queen now, the dark blue disappearing into the night, her skin rich and dark. The wolf was telling him to forget about winning her over; instinct should be enough, shouldn’t it? He told it to shut up and bide its time.
Somewhere in his mind, as he unlocked the car and got into the driver’s seat, the wolf started pacing.
He started the car. “Do you want any music on?”
“Nah, that’s all right,” she said. She looked back out at the Opera House. “It’s weird. I didn’t think….” She buckled her seat belt. “No one treated me any differently,” she said. “I’m glad.”
“I’m glad you had a good time,” he said. “Even with us tagging along.”
“You were all right.” She adjusted her purse. “After the little stunt you pulled chasing after me, you were pretty quiet. And I never saw your partner at all until he left with my sisters.”
“He’s better behaved than I am.”
“I noticed,” she said wryly.
“Is anyone in your family allergic to dogs? We might bring one in, try to get a lead on where the animals are coming from.”
“No,” she said. “Never any trouble with dogs.”
“Good.” More importantly, it would give both he and Ian a chance to be themselves during the full moon. “I’ll call the breeder tomorrow morning. I really don’t think it’s going to take long to take care of all this. And you can all get back to living your own lives.”
“That would be a huge relief,” she said.
There was a flash of something in the road. Fur. A wolf. Jason slammed on the brakes.
“What was that?” Lucy asked.
“Some kind of animal. A wolf, maybe?”
She shook her head. “There’s no wolves around here. Maybe one of those hybrid dogs, but I haven’t seen one of those in years.” She squinted into the darkness. “What the hell was it doing out in the road like that?”
“Hard to say,” he said. Most werewolves had enough sense to stay out of sight. Jason hoped something weird wasn’t going on. Maybe he and Ian would have more work on their hands than they’d suspected.
“There a lot of animals around here? Dogs, that sort of thing?”
“Couple of neighbors with dogs,” she said. “Don’t recognize that one, but I haven’t been back here all that long, either.”
“You hear howling at night or anything?”
“No,” she said. “First thing we thought of, when the animals…you know.”
“Yeah, that makes sense,” he said. No howling. That could go either way: no wolves, or wolves smart enough to stay quiet. He wasn’t sure which he’d prefer. He wondered what Ian had found at the house. He’d had enough time for a decent recon. Wolf form would help them with scents, but human eyes and ears were enough to get a good idea.
“So,” she said. “How’d you end up in security?”
“Uh, well, I was kind of drifting after college,” he said. “Ian and I’ve been friends since we were kids. He’s been head of Okami for, I think five years now? His stepdad owns the company, and he was the only one of the kids who wanted in.” Also the only werewolf, but he could tell her that later. “I’d done a lot of odd jobs, but nothing really caught my interest.”
Her heartbeat was steady now. She didn’t smell like she trusted him yet, but she was less wary. That was a relief. “What’d you major in, back in college?”
“Business Administration,” he said. “By my senior year I was bored with it, though. I wanted to do something, not help other people do things. Does that make sense?”
“I always knew I wanted to work with people,” she said. “I couldn’t stand being alone in an office all day.”
“I get that,” he said. “This is good. I get to help people, move around—Okami’s been expanding, and I’ve helped set up a couple offices—and still use the degree I actually earned.”
“How’s your student loan situation?”
“I never had much for loans, was lucky that way.”
“You are,” she said. “Once this inheritance comes through, I should be out of it too. Load off my mind, I won’t lie to you. O’s gone part time just to save money. Wasn’t easy for Dad with three kids and only his income.”
“Your mom died when you were kids?”
She just nodded. “He dated some, but he never remarried. Just never worked out, I guess.”
“If your mom was anything like you girls, she was a tough act to follow.”
“I don’t really remember her,” she said quietly.
“I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for.” She fished in her purse. “It’s hardest on Frieda, I think.” She pulled out something. A mirror? No, lip gloss. Lip balm? Something she started putting on her lips, anyway. It smelled waxy. “What about your family?”
“My parents are back in Colorado,” he said. “A brother. He’s a lawyer.”
“What kind of lawyer?”
“Mostly property stuff, not very exciting.” He put on the signal and headed into the driveway. “He seems to like it.”
“That’s good,” she said. “I kind of wonder if my sisters are ever going to find the right thing.”
“Really? I figured Frieda was—I don’t know. She seems like the kind of woman who knows what she wants.”
“Sometimes,” she said, putting the lip balm back in her bag. “Not always.”
He’d parked the car next to Ian’s rental. Half of him was eager to leave, to escape the maddening attraction he was feeling. The other half wanted to transform and roll around in her scent for hours. “We’d better get in. I should touch base with Ian.”
“Of course,” she said. As she got out, he could see the curves of her body; breasts, hips, ass, a little bit of tummy. He wanted to put his hands over every inch of them. He wanted to make her heart beat faster. He— “You coming out?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Just…thinking.”
“Okay,” she said. The door slammed, and he took a second to collect himself. To drink in her scent. At least he was old enough that his dick stayed under control. He couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened if he’d met Lucy when he was sixteen. He never would’ve been able to stand up. He hoped Ian had had an easier drive home than he’d had.
***