When breakfast was over, I went back to my room to shower.

My room.

I had thought it automatically, and I guess if I had been staying in a hotel, I would have called it 'my room', as well. It didn't have to mean anything.

But damn it, it did.

I was increasingly thinking of it as 'my room', just as I was thinking of Heir’s House as my home, as Gray had pointed out. It all tied in with what Tanner had said when I walked into the kitchen.

'Welcome to the family.'

I'd smiled when he said it and I had been glad to hear it, but the more I thought about it... Did I want to be part of a werewolf family? And a family like the Kenai, at that? I liked the guys very much, in fact - why pussyfoot around it - I was fast falling in love with them. But there was so much more to consider.

Physically, we were obviously compatible, and we all enjoyed each other's company, but how long did that last when the novelty wore off? How long could it last?

In my experience, relationships did not last long, not when I was involved. Besides, for how long could one woman be enough for these three males?

If I was a werewolf, then the fact of them taking other mates, as well as me, would have been normal, but I was three-quarters human and that part of me did not want to share. Which was pretty selfish, seeing that I was asking them to share but the heart wants what it wants. Gray obviously had a track record of monogamy but could he ever love me as he had loved Yuko?

Hudson had said he was looking for 'his Yuko', but how long would he stick to that when the sexually precocious werewolf was confined to one woman whom he had to share?

And, as for Tanner, he was an alpha male, who would one day, in all likelihood, be Pack Leader of the Kenai, that made him the most eligible of werewolf bachelors, expected to take many mates to secure his line. Why would a male like that content himself with a single part-wolf?

It was a lot to think about as I showered, and thinking about it probably would have taken up the rest of my day had I not come out to find a message on my phone. It was from Kenai King, informing me of an event that night at the Kenai Pack Lodge that I would be attending, in case of further attempts on his life. The man had yet to master the word 'please' but I would have wanted to be there, either way. That said, circumstances had changed recently and I had some decisions to make.

"Obviously, we'll be there," Tanner acknowledged, "but will we be there with you?"

"I say yes," grinned Hudson. "Just for the look on the old man's face, it'd be worth doing."

"It would completely undermine Lana," pointed out Gray. "Our father is a vengeful man, who would not be best pleased to see her coming in with three people he suspects of trying to kill him."

"And you're telling me you wouldn't want to see that look on his face?"

"Of course, I would, but that's not the point."

"None of it's the point," Tanner interrupted. "All that matters is what Lana wants." He turned to me. "Sorry."

"That's okay," I shrugged. "And, actually, you're wrong. What matters is how it effects the case."

"The case?"

"You're right," I continued. "Me coming in with you guys is going to send King's blood pressure to the point where the assassin may not have to bother and I may need a bodyguard of my own to get me through the evening..."

"You've got three," said Gray.

"But," I went on, "the important thing is; what effect might it have on the real killer?"

The three brothers all looked thoughtful.

The event tonight was a lunar eclipse, a huge deal in werewolf lore, and one of the very rare events at which packs put aside their enmity and all got together in one room. Theoretically, they took it in turns to host, in reality, the Kenai usually strong-armed their way into that prestigious position. It afforded a rare opportunity for me to gauge the reactions of the Pack Leaders to each other, all in the same room, and gave me the chance to push their buttons and see what happened.

"The question is," I concluded, "what way of me arriving - of us arriving - is most likely to get some sort of reaction?"

"If we go in together, then it'll get a reaction from father," pointed out Hudson.

"You're just not letting that go, are you?" muttered Gray.

After reflection, we reluctantly decided that, while going in together might provoke a useful reaction from the other Pack Leaders - and a hilarious one from King - it might also make them less likely to act. Whoever was behind the assassination attempt had to believe that they could pin the blame on the brothers. Better we went in separately so they felt safe.

In the same dress I had worn last time, I went to the Kenai Pack Lodge, and I arrived early.

"Miss Malone." I was met by King himself. "Glad to see you here alone, I have been hearing some unwelcome rumors."

"I hope you don't listen to rumor," I said, knowing very well that he did.

"And I hope you don't think you can fuck with me," growled King. "More to the point, I hope you don't think you can fuck my sons. One of them is trying to kill me."

"Of course."

I wanted to tell him that he was wrong, to tell him about the evidence I had, but suddenly that evidence didn't seem to amount to very much. Tonight was my chance. It seemed unlikely there would be an attempt with all the Leaders in the room, but if I could see something that might give me a lead, then I would be one step closer to saving King and removing the guys from suspicion.

"Given there are only three suspects," King went on with acid in his voice, "you're taking your sweet time about figuring out who is responsible. Are you any closer?"

I shook my head. "Whoever hired the assassin left no trail. I'm working on the idea that the assassin came from outside Kenai territory, possibly there's a link to another pack. Some sort of deal been done."

This seemed to satisfy King, who was happy to believe that he was important enough for more than one person to want him dead.

"You'll keep your eyes open?"

"Damn right."

King grinned. "I like you. If I were a younger man, that dress would already be on my floor. Part-wolf or not."

"Hard to believe someone is trying to kill you," I commented.

But King's grin just broadened.

The party was larger than the last one I had attended, but a lot less fun was being had. As each pack retinue arrived, it was like someone had poured ice down the pants of the party spirit. Arctic Venus arrived with all the style I would have expected, making an entrance, smiling thinly at King before sweeping past him, her well-dressed entourage on her heels.

Half an hour later, not wanting to do something as polite as be on time, Hokkai Jack turned up with his people, looking as if they had come from a Game of Thrones costume party. One-Eyed Jack did not even acknowledge the other Pack Leaders as he entered. The most important arrivals, as far as I was concerned, were Tanner, Gray and Hudson - who were late, I would guess, because of Hudson. They were as well-attired as before and their clothes seemed all the more beautiful to me, now I knew what lay under them.

I tried not to let my eyes linger on them, but made eye contact with Tanner - they would be keeping a close watch on proceedings, as well. I sought out Venus and Jack to see if they had reacted to the heirs’ arrival, but Venus seemed not to care and Jack not to have noticed. MacKenzie Sean and his pack were the last to arrive, the MacKenzie not believing in such frivolities as clocks. They had put on clothes for the occasion but stuck with their rough, 'straight out of the wilderness' look, which...

I froze, not quite believing what I saw. There, amongst the MacKenzie retinue, was one of the men who had attacked me, the one who had foolishly taken off his mask. Surely, he would not have been dumb enough to come here? And yet, the more I looked, the more sure I was that it was the same man. At the very least, it warranted a word with him.

I strode towards the MacKenzie. But as I moved, the man looked my way and a look of horrified recognition shot across his face. He didn't try to make excuses or claim it hadn't been him, he just turned to the door and ran.

I broke out into a sprint, following him.

"Tanner!" If the man changed form, then I would never be able to keep pace with him. I needed help.

I heard a smash of crockery as Tanner dropped his plate, rushing toward me. More cries and shouts of alarm told me that Gray and Hudson were also on their way.

"What the hell is going on?!" The voice of Kenai King carried above the rising chaos in the room.

The guard on the door, who had been pushed aside by the running man, now stepped out to stop me, but I sidestepped him, ducking past. A second later, I heard the thump of Tanner going straight through him. I skidded to a halt in the entrance lobby, glancing this way and that.

"Which way did he go?"

The man on the door looked up, confused.

"Which way did he go?" Tanner repeated, his voice thick with snarl.

The doorman pointed to a staircase.

"Is there another way up?" I asked Tanner.

"That way."

"Right. Me and you will follow. Gray, Hudson - try to cut him off."

"Where's he heading?" asked Hudson as I ran for the stairs.

"The roof."

I couldn't know for certain but it was what I would do. Inside the Lodge, he was trapped, but as a wolf he had the strength and agility to leap from building to building.

As I reached the stairs, Tanner went past me, now in wolf form and running on all fours. He howled and I heard the answer from his brothers, echoing behind us.

As we left the entrance lobby, guests were starting to spill in from the Great Hall, wondering what was going on. I could still hear King's voice in the background, demanding that someone tell him what was happening.

I was out of breath by the time I reached the top of the stairs, emerging out onto the roof of the Lodge. In front of me, I saw a werewolf running along the edge of the parapet with Tanner in pursuit. A door at the far end of the roof flew open and Hudson and Gray burst through, both in wolf form, growling ferociously. The running wolf nearly tripped over its paws trying to turn, and ran instead for the edge. It made a huge attempt at the leap, out across the street, aiming for the buildings opposite. Even without a good run up, it nearly made it, but its claws skittered on the brickwork as it fell just short and was left hanging from a parapet.

Gray took a run up and launched himself across the distance, his muscles standing out like cables beneath his fur. He landed securely on the far side and stalked toward the dangling wolf, letting out a harsh bark at it.

"We need him alive, Gray. We need him alive!" I yelled.

Gray raised his hairy shoulders in what might have been a wolfish shrug, got back onto his hind legs - werewolves walk on their hind legs but run on all fours - and reached down. The stricken wolf grabbed the outstretched arm and Gray hauled him up, just as Tanner landed beside him to make sure there was no funny business.

I peered off the top of the building to see the street outside Pack Lodge filling up with people - werewolves spilling out of the brightly lit front entrance, staring up at the buildings to see what was going on. Amongst them, I saw King, looking up at his sons apprehending the MacKenzie wolf. He looked around at me, an expression of confusion on his features. I gave a nod and King's face changed into one of grim resolution.

"Where's Sean? Where is MacKenzie Sean? I want him held. He is bound by wolf lore to answer for the attempted assassination of a Pack Leader."