Alice’s heart was pounding a mile a minute as she ran out into the street and flagged down a cab. Dressed as she was in only Rex’s shirt, she received a few curious glances, but not many. Apparently, Rex had appeared behind her and all attention focused on him instead. Fan mobs could be a problem, but at that moment, she was grateful for one.

Onlookers and lurkers surged past her and created an instant mob, giving her the time she needed to get away. Scrambling into the back of the cab, she rattled off the address for her hotel and sat back as the vehicle pulled away. She held her belongings on her lap. There was no way to get dressed now, but at least she had her phone and purse.

What the hell had she been thinking, exposing her secret and shifting in front of Rex like that?

Clearly, she hadn’t been thinking. She had been too distracted by both worry for Carly and Rex’s sudden, unexpected appearance to think logically. Then the tigress with the crazy eyes had shown up and went all furry, intent on doing damage. Sensing an imminent threat, her lioness had simply taken control and put that bitch down hard.

She half-laughed, half-sobbed, seeing Rex’s reaction replay in her mind. Surprise, shock, confusion, then anger as the truth finally sank in. Of all the times she’d pictured revealing herself to him, it hadn’t gone down quite like that.

Nobody had been more surprised than little Miss Stripes, though. Thinking she was all badass, trying to stake a claim on Rex, as if he were her mate. That was ridiculous. Everyone in that room had known that wasn’t true.

Only Alice knew who Rex’s true mate was, and she sure wasn’t going to say anything.

Alice had recognized the tigress as the same woman who had been with Rex on his tour bus when she and Johnny had taken Carly back weeks earlier. The memory still hurt. No matter how many times she witnessed the same scene, no matter how many times she told herself it didn’t matter, it did.

If there was any consolation, it was knowing that none of Rex’s playthings meant anything to him, including his current PA. No doubt the she-cat thought she had Rex by the short hairs, but she didn’t. She was just one in a long list of females who had thought they could be The One. Eventually, the tigress would realize that - probably when Rex decided he’d had enough and sent her packing - and not even her Hoovering skills were going to change his mind.

No one could make a male lion do something he didn’t want to, and Rex liked females fawning all over him far too much to settle down with one woman. That was just the nature of the beast ... along with being vain and believing everyone existed to serve his needs.

The tigress might be good at taking care of some of those needs, but clearly, not all of them.

Rex had looked tired, worn. His beautiful golden eyes hadn’t held the arrogant, devilish twinkle that had dampened so many panties over the years. Was he eating enough? Getting enough rest? Who was ensuring he wasn’t being taken advantage of by all the leeches who wanted a free ride? Looking after Rex and keeping the hangers-on at bay was a full-time job.

A job that was no longer hers, Alice reminded herself.

Rex was a big boy, and as he had so painfully pointed out, she was no one special. Just because her lioness had pegged him as her mate didn’t mean that his lion recognized her as his.

Obviously.

When the cab pulled up in front of the hotel, Alice paid the cabbie then walked barefoot through the lobby with her head held high. Only once she was in the elevator did she finally relax enough to take a full breath.

When she walked into their suite, Johnny was sitting on the plush sofa, wearing his usual silky black pajama pants and little else. He looked up from the sheet music he had been working on, arching a perfect black brow as he took in her appearance.

“Give me a minute,” she said, staying his questions until she had a chance to change.

Rex’s shirt smelled like Rex, and as much as her lioness liked being covered in his scent, it was hindering Alice’s ability to think clearly.

Johnny had a glass of wine waiting for her when she returned a few minutes later in her yoga pants and oversized silk tunic. Alice took a long swallow, hoping it would settle her nerves, knowing it wouldn’t.

The television had been turned off, and Johnny was giving her his full and undivided attention as he waited patiently for her to get to it.

“Carly’s missing,” she blurted out, pacing back and forth. “I went to the hotel, and she wasn’t there. While I was typing out a text to her, Rex walked in. He hasn’t seen her since Dallas, Johnny. Dallas.”

She took another drink. No doubt it was a good vintage—Johnny had excellent taste—but it could have been tap water for all she noticed.

“Then his current PA”—she spit the letters—“came in, took one look at me and Rex talking, and decided to go all claws and fang on me.”

“Ruh-roh.”

“I know, right? It was all so sudden. I didn’t stop to think ...”

“You shifted,” Johnny guessed. She nodded. “I hope you put that bitch on her ass.”

She nodded again. “I did.”

“Good for you. What did Rex do?”

“He looked at me as if he’d never seen a woman shift before.” For as long as she lived, she would never forget the look on his face. The king of beasts, gone absolute deer in the headlights. It might have been funny under other circumstances. “Then I grabbed the first intact article of clothing I found and got the hell out of there.”

She finished the wine, waving off his offer of a refill.

“Now that he knows the truth, he’s not just going to let that go, Alice,” Johnny said softly.

Alice wasn’t so sure. Nothing had changed, except Rex now knew what she was. That kind of knowledge had little influence over the heart or the soul, both of which were major players in selecting a mate.

“Well, it’s not up to him, is it?” She sniffed, lifting her chin. “Besides, I can’t worry about him now. We’ve got to find Carly.”

Johnny nodded, thankfully dropping the subject. “Right. Any ideas?”

“Yes. Remember when we met up with her in New York? Carly said her essay had won a trip to the finals, but she hasn’t said anything since. What if that’s where she went?”

“She snuck away for the semis without Rex finding out,” Johnny mused thoughtfully. “It stands to reason she’d do the same for the finals.”

“Exactly. And she probably would have gotten away with it, too, except my surprise visit got her busted. We need to find out when those finals are and where.”

“Agreed. Got a name?”

“No.” Alice frowned, angry with herself for not knowing the name of the organization running the contest. “Wait! It’s probably on her finalist medal!”

She searched through the photos on her phone, finding the picture she had snapped of Carly proudly holding up her medal. Spreading her fingers across the screen, she enlarged the picture until she could make out the writing. “Got it! The North American National STEM Foundation!”

A quick online search and a couple of screen flips told them everything they needed to know.

“Go grab your stuff,” Johnny said, putting his phone up to his ear. “I’ll get us on the next flight out.”

“What about your benefit concert in Atlanta?”

“What, you never heard of the ‘Chicago to Atlanta by way of Phoenix’ route?” He grinned. “I’ll catch a late flight out tomorrow.”

“That won’t leave you much leeway.”

“I’m not worried. I’m sure you’ve got everything planned down to the smallest detail and things will go off without a hitch as usual. Besides, this is important.”

Alice took a moment to kiss his cheek. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

Johnny laughed. “Yeah, I know. Now get that tail in gear. We’ve got a conference to get to.”