“I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

Shooting the woman standing next to me a wink, I couldn’t help but laugh as her friend nodded vigorously, her jaw dropping open and eyes widening. The two human women—Mandy and Sarah—blinked, Sarah adding, “I’m not drooling, am I? Because I feel like I should be.” She licked her lips. “Damn,” she whispered.

And who could blame them. It was shifter show and tell, and the guys had decided to get the hell on with it while Owen was busy dealing with something in town. They were also having a lot of fun with it, especially once they’d clocked the women’s reactions. “When the calendar comes out, you might want to snag a copy,” I mock whispered, wresting their attention away from the hunks in front of them.

“Calendar?” Both women echoed, their attention piqued.

“Harper, the photographer who works at the gift shop down town, came up with the idea to make a shifter calendar. She’s hoping to have it completed in the next month, so it can be on sale by the time Christmas rocks around.” At their raised eyebrows, I winked. “It’s going to be called ‘shifters unwrapped’.” Or that was the name Harper was most fond of at the moment. She alternated between that, ‘shifters between the sheets’ and ‘unleashed: shifter style’. I winced, biting down on the inside of my cheek. Yeah, at least she still had time before she finished messing around with the photos for inspiration to strike.

Mandy grinned, her eyes sliding back to half-naked men. “Count me in for a dozen.”

Sarah elbowed her friend, shooting her a leer. “Geez, Mandy! Ever heard of laminating?”

I snorted, the water I’d just gulped down shooting out of my nose. Coughing, I managed to get myself back under control. I pointed at them, my lips curving up. “I like you two.”

The two women grinned. Then Sarah continued, “Same here. This bootcamp has been a lot more fun than we expected. For us anyway.” She indicated her coworkers with a roll of her eyes.

Yeah, the human men were enjoying the show … not so much. Chris and Don were staring at the ground or off into the sky, only Kel watched, impassive and unimpressed.

Grant, now down to just his jeans which were unzipped to reveal the fact that he’d forgotten to put something else on this morning, grinned at me before shoving them down to his ankles.

“Is this really necessary?” my new friend Don asked, his hand firmly plastered across his eyes.

Daryl, the other volunteer for show and tell just laughed, his jeans joining Grant’s in a heap on the floor.

Tom smirked, safely clothed and standing over to the side. “Clothes cost money, why waste it by ripping them?”

“But couldn’t they have done this…” Chris waved his hand in the general direction of the two muscular, very naked men in front of him, his eyes darting around in a spectacular effort to avoid eye contact. I smirked. Or maybe to avoid cock contact. “…striptease somewhere else?” he finished weakly.

I fielded this question. “It’s important to watch them shifting, so you know what to watch for.”

“Amen,” Mandy huffed out, fanning herself.

Don grunted, his attention locking on me. “Maybe you could have demonstrated?”

And where would the fun have been in that?

Tiny flexed the arms he had folded over his wide chest, biceps bulging. “She’s our alpha’s mate and not for your eyes.”

My mouth dropped open, then hit the floor when the huge guy actually winked at me. Wait … was the wink because he’d shocked the freaking hell out of me by speaking, or because he knew I wasn’t Owen’s mate in truth, or because he was being a gentleman and guarding my modesty? Not that shifters had any modesty, not with all the, yeah, you know, shifting. Naked was normal.

Don was grumbling under his breath, but the point had been made. No eye candy for the guys today. I blew him a mental raspberry, grinning to myself.

“Time to pay attention.” Grant flexed his shoulders, all business now. Once all eyes were facing front and center, he nodded at Dylan and they began to shift.

I held back the wince as bones cracked and fur sprouted. Ouch. I cleared my throat. “They are going at an average speed so you can see the process, but when faced with danger and the adrenaline starts pumping, they can go a lot faster. The shift starts with the large bones in the body and is filtered out, down to the hands and feet. The more dominant a shifter is, the more controlled they can make it—they can shift only their hands or their faces.” The men were now in the final stages, shaking off the fading pain and stretching into their wolf shapes.

“Why don’t you demonstrate, Bree?” Tom asked.

All eyes turned to me, some more skeptical than others.

I couldn’t stifle my snort; they still saw me as the little, helpless woman, even though I’d kicked all of their asses over the last couple of days. “Sure, thing.” What to show them? I mused the idea over, eventually settling on the obvious. No need to give away too many secrets. Holding my middle finger up, I smirked as the digit twisted, the nail lengthening into a talon.

“The guys had claws when they were fighting the other day.”

I scratched my head with the claw as I scowled at Chris, who didn’t look too impressed. And since he’d been the one to admit he knew shifters outside of the settlement, that was kinda telling. They had to be dominants.

I huffed, sending a puff of smoke floating out of my mouth.

His eyes widened, giving him a deer in the headlights kind of look that my dragon appreciated a lot.

Prey… she murmured, licking her snout.

Feeling the familiar churn inside my belly, I grinned. Maybe there was one secret I wouldn’t mind sharing… I tilted my head up to the sky. Almost like a burp, a flash of fire sizzled through the air. Coughing into my hand to clear the sting of heartburn, I continued my lecture, “Every shifter has their own strengths and weaknesses, you’d be wise to remember that.”

Now I had his full attention.

Actually, I had everyone’s attention, including my fellow enforcers’.

“Hot damn,” Tom muttered, exhaling hard.

My dragon preened inside of me. Yep. That was me. Hot.

Tiny blinked, which was pretty much a rant from him.

Grant and Dylan in wolf form barked, cocking their heads in my direction.

“Neat party trick,” a low voice murmured behind me, his husky voice sending a shiver racing down my spine.

Turning slowly, I looked him up and down. “You’re back.”

“I missed my wife,” Owen replied with a grin that just about melted my panties off. His arm snaked around me as he nuzzled into my hair. “You never cease to surprise me.”

Tilting my head to give him better access, I sighed when he nipped at the skin behind my ear, his warm breath tickling my throat. “I have to do something to make sure you don’t grow bored of me … husband.”

He licked the sting caused by his teeth, his low growl vibrating through my jaw. “That will never happen.”

“Are they always like this?” I wasn’t sure who’d spoken, but it snapped me out of the fog that Owen had managed to pull me into.

Grant replied as he finished fastening his jeans—damn, how long had I been canoodling with Owen?—“When we mate, we connect soul to soul. If you shared your soul with another, wouldn’t you find it hard to keep your hands off them? You’re a human, which means you’ll never understand.” His words were sharp, but if you listened carefully you could hear the longing buried deep down inside. A longing duplicated in every shifter I’d ever met.

But I didn’t have what he described with Owen, which meant I had no excuse to keep losing myself in him. I gave myself a shake, pulling out of his embrace. Now, if he could only stop being so damn … sexy all the time, maybe a girl could concentrate.

* * *

“Come on, I know you’re in here somewhere.” Scanning the shelves for my prize, I almost jumped out of my skin when a hand landed on my shoulder, spinning around and barely stopping myself from springing on my would-be attacker.

Julie threw her hands up in the air, sending the bare bulb swinging back and forth over her head. “Sorry! I thought you’d heard me, but then when you didn’t reply…”

“You thought you’d follow me into the pantry and scare the bejesus out of me?” My lips twitched at her sorrowful expression, which didn’t match the mischief in her eyes.

“At least I’ve still got it,” she eventually said with enough smugness that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Got what, exactly?”

She sniffed, popping her hands on her hips. “I’m a cat shifter, we pride ourselves on being able to prowl around, sneaking up on anyone we damn well please.” Then she pointed at her swollen belly. “Even with junior on board, I’m as light as ever.”

“Honey, you’re tiny.” She lit up like a Christmas tree. “And I was distracted.”

“Don’t go spoiling my ego boost,” she muttered. “What were you looking for anyway?”

“Gooseberry jelly. I could have sworn we had another couple of jars in here.” Going back to scanning the shelves, I almost missed the guilty expression that flashed over her face before she managed to smooth it away. Almost. I turned back around, putting my hands on my hips and tapping my foot. “Where’d you hide it.”

She scuffed her shoe, her hands dropping from her hips to clasp in front of her. “Would you deprive a pregnant woman her cravings?”

“I’m not Tom, that won’t work.” I wiggled my fingers at her. “But I’ll share.”

On a groan, she pointed at the far right corner.

Looking up at the top shelf, I glanced back at her. “Seriously? Nobody looks up there.” The shelf had to be seven feet in the air.

“Exactly.”

“And you shouldn’t be climbing up there, not in your condition.”

A scowl twisted her lips as she pushed her pale blonde hair behind her ears. “And now you sound just like Tom, so I’ll give you the same answer I give him: I’m a cat shifter.”

I paused, mid scramble, shooting a quizzical look back at her. I went for the obvious answer. “And you always land on your feet?”

“Of course,” she replied with a huff, and for the first time since meeting her, I could see the same traits that made up the rest of her species. Cats were confident in their superiority. Overly confident, if you asked me. They couldn’t even fly.

“Bree, I know you’re in there!”

Talking of cats. Snatching my prize off the shelf, I let go and dropped back down to the floor, landing with only the smallest thump. “Coming right out, Nita,” I called back, waving the jar of jelly in front of Julie’s nose. “One catnip sandwich coming right up.”

She grinned, her tongue peeking out from between her teeth.

Yep, she really did love this stuff.

Following her out of the dusty pantry, I zeroed in on my friend, who was trailing a hand over the stove, her nose wrinkling like she wasn’t quite sure what it was for. Pulling out some bread, I grabbed some plates. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” With a knife, I indicated the sandwich fixings, raising an eyebrow.

“Ooooh, gooseberry jelly?” She nodded vigorously, sliding into a seat at the table … and not answering my question.

Huh. Definitely catnip. After quickly making the sandwiches, I joined them at the table, taking a big bite. Several minutes passed in silence as we chewed and the other two women silently orgasmed, before I placed my sandwich down. “Nita, why are you here?” I’d snuck off for some quiet time—something which was hard to find in a house full of wolves—but the pack was having a meeting and then going for a run, so I’d thought I was in the clear. Owen had wanted me to go with him, but after painting a detailed picture in his mind of a dragon running, he’d finally gotten off my case and let me be. I mean, really, a dragon running?

Licking her fingers, Nita let out a happy hum. “Girls night out.”

Three little words that immediately lifted my spirits. “Sounds good. When?”

“Tomorrow night at the Lair.” She referred to the bar downtown, run by the cat shifters, open to shifters and the human tourists that visited the town.

Julie let out a squeal. “Count me in!”

I squinted at my friends. “Will there be shifter moonshine?” I almost licked my lips, but restrained myself, knowing that I stood a better chance of scoring if I didn’t let on to my dealer how much I was craving another hit.

Her corkscrew curls bobbing, Nita gave me a predatory stare. Her eyes narrowed and I began to sweat. “Damn straight,” she eventually purred and I mentally let out a whoop and punched the air. Don’t judge me, it’d been a hard week. Month. Year. Whatever, I needed a break and a way to let down my hair.

She tidied her plate away, eyeing the jar of gooseberry jerry out of the corner of her eye. “The rest of the gang will be there.”

This time, Julie’s squeal was deafening, then she frowned. “I have nothing to wear.”

I plucked the edge of her shirt. “You’re not exactly naked right now.”

“Shopping!” Her war cry echoed around the kitchen.

And … she appeared to be looking in my direction, Nita having already beaten a hasty exit. Traitor. Or sensible? It wasn’t that I didn’t like shopping—in fact, I loved it. It had just been a long time since I’d done something so normal, and especially with someone I could call a friend. The thought left me feeling … unbalanced. “I have, you know, enforcer duties to attend to,” I mumbled, tearing the crust off my remaining sandwich.

She flicked my excuse away with a wave of her hand. “Your mate will give you some time off.”

I goggled at her, stupefied by the thought that I’d need someone’s permission to do anything I damn well pleased. “Excuse me?”

Peering at me, she enunciated clearly, “Owen, your mate.”

“Oh, right.” I forced a chuckle. “He doesn’t have a say in what I do.”

“Oh, I know, neither does Tom. I just meant with Owen being your boss…” She slid out of her chair, a smile pasted on her face as she snuck toward the exit.

Which meant I had my scary expression on.

“Sounds good, Julie,” I shouted after her. No way was I asking Owen’s permission. And, if he expected me to, he had another thing coming, supposed boss or not.

I blinked. Then blinked again, shoving the rest of the sandwich into my mouth and chewing thoughtfully. Yep, I was pretty sure I’d just been played. Sneaky cat.

* * *

The bedroom door swung open and I lifted my eyes from my book, marking my page with my finger. “Did you have a good run, sweetie?”

His eyes narrowed at me, suspicion clouding his brilliant green eyes. With a flex of his arm, the towel that had been hugging his neck flicked down in front of him, sweeping across his incredible chest.

I’m jealous of a towel. I let that thought sit there in my head as my eyes followed the white cotton on its happy trail across moisture beaded skin.

“It was good.” A smirk tugged at his lips as he slowed his movements, towel dipping lower and lower. “Just what the pack needed.”

And something I could never share with them. With him. Swallowing past the surge of pain inside my chest, my eyes had returned to my book, when he continued, “The humans behave themselves?”

“Not a peep out of them.”

Dropping onto the bed, he brushed his hair out of his eyes. “Good. What do you think?”

I lowered my book again, this time using the bookmark rather than my finger. Well, that was a leading question, if I’d ever heard one. I had a lot of opinions, pretty much on everything, though I’d found out a long time ago that most people preferred it if I kept them to myself. Pffft. Their loss—I had a whole lot of awesome swimming around inside my brain.

The tightness inside my chest loosened, a flutter of pleasure replacing it. He really wants to know what I think.

Tucking my feet further up under my ass, I angled myself from where I was curled on the corner of the bed, lounging in my self-built nest of pillows. “About what?”

Owen grunted, his head flopping to the side so he could see me, hand snaking out to trail along my bare calf in an almost absentminded gesture. “About the bootcamp,” he replied.

“You really want my opinion?” I blurted out before I managed to give my old insecurities a quick kick in the ass.

He blinked at me, as if bringing me into focus, highlighting lines of stress that clung to his mouth that I hadn’t noticed up until now. He looked … tired. Worn out. “I most certainly do. Your honest opinion, please.”

“Oh, he said please.” I clasped my chest. “Be still my beating heart.”

“Bree…” His growl was a low rumble as he rubbed his stomach, drawing my eye to the waistband of his sweats, and the incredible V-shape he had going on down there.

I dragged my eyes back to his face, which was now turned back to the ceiling, completely oblivious to my ogling. “Well, if you really want to know.” Setting my book down beside me, I stretched my legs out, poking his side with my toes.

“I’m dying to,” he replied in a dry voice.

“I don’t really see the point of it,” I finally said.

He rolled over onto his stomach and rested his head on his hands. “Exactly what I was thinking. It’s been nagging at me all week.”

“It doesn’t make any sense.”

His hand slipped up my thigh to toy with the hem of my shorts, sliding it back and forth between his fingers as a frown dug into his forehead. “Bringing humans here to train with us for a week doesn’t achieve the brief. They want shifters to work with humans, but that’s only going to happen if we go to them. Meet them on their turf.” He swiped a hand over his face, pinching at the bridge of his nose.

“You mean, integrate with a team that’s out there, working together already?”

He nodded, the furrow deepening. “It’s almost as if they’re testing the water.”

I tapped his hand, my breath catching when he slid his fingers between mine without a second thought. “What do you mean?”

“Checking to see if we can be trusted around them.” He grunted to himself, his eyes shuttering. “Or if we’re keeping anything from them.” At my confused expression, he sighed, then said, “I don’t know what I mean. I just feel like we’re”—he paused, searching for the word—“on display somehow.”

I agreed with him. Something wasn’t making sense, at all. “Like there’s some hidden agenda that we don’t know about?”

He blinked at me, then one corner of his mouth twisted in a grimace. “And who would know more about hidden agendas than anyone?”

A heartbeat later, we both answered together, “Carter.”

Owen swiftly cursed, sliding off the bed and tugging me with him. “Only one way to find out what’s really going on.”

We headed to the door. He hadn’t let go of my hand, which could only mean… “I’m coming with you?”

He looked over his shoulder, flashing me a smile that had my pulse thudding in my ears. He really was one sexy fucker, even without trying. “I’d like you to,” he replied simply.

We headed downstairs, only pausing to shrug on coats and shoes, then my hand was back in his. “As your enforcer, you mean?”

Rounding the side of a truck, he unlocked it and opened the door, ushering me in. Slamming the door, he raced around to the other side, jumping in and gunning the engine. A quick glance behind him and we were off, hurtling down the dirt road and toward town.

He still hadn’t answered my question when his eyes slid to mine. Reaching across, he tangled our fingers together, his other hand keeping the vehicle steady and steering us around potholes. He broke the silence, his voice gruff and low, his eyes fixed on the road ahead of us, “As the person whose opinion I value the most.”

Oh. Okay, then. That’d do just fine as an answer.