“Cheryl will be by soon. Thank for you calling your Pride.” Ren seemed more upset than relieved.

Rebecca sighed. “This will be a complete pain in my ass, but I don’t see any other way around it.”

DJ leaned on the wall next to the elevator door, waiting for them to finish talking. It felt like every other sentence was code for something else. Shifter politics at work, or something like it. No wonder Mack tried to stay clear.

“See you later, DJ.” Rebecca tilted her head and DJ nodded in return. “Try to keep her out of trouble.” She picked up a remote and pressed a button. The elevator opened and DJ stepped in.

Ren followed close behind and the door slid shut, trapping them together with his scent. She fought the urge to move closer and instead, moved to the furthest corner of the box. The last thing she needed was the sensuality his presence kicked into high gear. She’d made it a rule to keep men, and especially shifters, at arm’s length during a shoot.

“So why aren’t we calling the police or doing anything like that?”

“Aren’t we supposed to protect the interest of the movie?” Ren seemed amused as he leaned against the brass handrail.

She put a thumb to her chest. “Me, yeah. You, I don’t think so. You turned into a completely different person in there.” Once Rebecca had said she’d call her family, Ren’s speech and mannerisms completely changed. For some reason, it really pissed her off.

“Since she was targeted first, she had the option of calling in her family to oversee the investigation. It’s a territorial thing.”

“Like animal kingdom territorial thing or what?” Her skin electrified under his intense gaze. He hadn’t taken his eyes off her since they entered the elevator.

“Yeah, something like that.” His smile kickstarted her pulse in a way that only explosions and adrenaline had in the past.

He stalked her with his eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Doesn’t this situation completely go against your integrity as a fireman?”

He shrugged and stood up straight as they reached the lobby. “I have a duty to my kind, first. That nose of yours can help us sniff out any more explosions, and I’ll be right there to move when needed.”

They stepped out into the frigid air and he waved at the valet.

She watched the guy move quickly to get his vehicle. “I can punch about thirty different holes in your master plan.”

“Unfortunately, the only other option is to take it to the director.”

“Let’s try that, then. I don’t trust my nose.” The car pulled up and she whistled low and sweet. Nice Camaro, Mr. Fireman. So much better than the company truck you drove earlier.” She was surprised to find that she didn’t want their conversation to end, yet.

“Thanks. I think this is more my style. Where did you park?”

“My truck is over that way in some parking lot that’s charging me an arm and leg to stay there.”

He opened the passenger side door with a small flourish. “I know this amazing coffee place right around the corner. Why don’t we grab some and figure out our next move? I’ll bring you back to your truck, later.”

He looked absolutely scruffy and delicious standing there waiting for her. Every time he got close, her senses went haywire. She wanted to spend more time with him. And that wasn’t such a bad thing. Right? “Sure. Let’s go.” She settled down into the seat.

He ducked his head close and his scent wrapped around her.

“You won’t regret it. They also make the best midnight omelet you’ve ever tasted.”

“Sounds perfect.” He shut the door and ran around the car while she unsuccessfully tried to avoid thinking about why she was happy to extend their night together.

He chatted with her about the place until they arrived at an all-night diner chain she’d never heard of.

“Don’t open the door. Let me do it.” He parked and stared at her for a moment.

“Sure thing.” Yeah, a girl could really get used to this.

He shut down the car and made a big deal about opening the door and taking her hand as she got out of the car. He opened the diner door for her without making a big deal out of it. She raised her eyebrows and said thanks. When she was with her crew, she was one of the guys, and stuff like this didn’t happen. Ren was knocking her out of her comfort zone, and if she was completely honest, she was starting to like it.

“Find a place to sit and I’ll order our drinks up here. What do you want on your omelet?”

“Make it spicy and cut the veggies. I also like my coffee black and leaded.”

“Got it.” He turned to the waitress standing behind the register and she grabbed a booth toward the back of the diner. As she sat down, the weariness of the past day weighed on her shoulders and neck. Her lower back ached from the fight scene gone wrong, and the bruise on her thigh was throbbing.

Ren sat down and looked as bright and lively as he had yesterday morning. She kinda hated him for that. Or maybe it was jealousy. “Are you tired?”

“I don’t sleep much, actually. But when I do, it’s like I’m in a coma. Nothing in the world can wake me up.”

“Don’t you have to wake up when you’re on duty or something?” The waitress set down their cups and she smiled up at her, grateful to have the scalding heat of the cup to warm her fingers up with.

He tapped the side of his nose. “That’s different. When the alarms go off, everyone’s adrenaline spikes, and my shifter senses wake me up. I can smell the change in the air and feel it deep in my bones.” He added several spoonfuls of sugar and then took a sip.

She watched him add two more, wondering if he just had a sweet tooth tonight.

“Do you want the sugar?”

“No, thanks. I like my coffee straight.” She preferred the bitter taste since no amount of sugar made coffee taste good to her. Chocolate, on the other hand, was a totally different story. She loved mochas more than any other drink in the world. But there was no way she’d tell him that.

“You poor thing.” His expression held pity, but it turned to bliss the moment he took another sip. “Perfect.”

“So, what exactly happened with Rebecca? Why did you start acting weird up there when she mentioned calling her family?”

Ren eyed her over the rim of his cup as he took a slow drink. He put it down on the table and leaned toward her. “This situation is complicated. In Texas, the wolves have jurisdiction over most shifter-related crimes, but Rebecca is a different story. She’s a lion, and they’re protected by every clan. They’re a revered people and are often contacted to intervene in territory disputes among rival clans.”

“Okay.” She took another drink to hide her expression. What she knew about his world wouldn’t fill an index card. He could tell her the moon was owned by the wolves, and she wouldn’t be able to contradict him. If only Mack hadn’t refused to tell her anything.

“I take it you didn’t know that. How much do you know?”

“My dad was a wolf, but he died when I was young, and Mack refused to get tangled up into what he called ‘shifter bullshit’. I know you guys heal quickly, and that what kills most humans won’t kill you guys. Other than what you’ve told me, the rest is up in the air.” She took another drink.

“You know that we’re allergic to silver, though the wolves and coyotes have the worst allergies of us all. Now you know about the lions. Rebecca’s family will take jurisdiction over this case, and that’s a good thing for you and your director.”

“Why?”

“Let’s just say the wolf clan’s enforcer is a pain in the ass to deal with. And so is the head of the Pack.”

“You keep saying clan, but Mack told me he didn’t affiliate with anyone else.”

“Every shifter without an affiliation is free to do what they want within the limits of our laws. The wolves enforce the laws, but one main family and their Pack runs the show.”

“What are your laws?”

He ticked them off on his fingers. “Don’t hunt humans. Don’t turn humans without permission. You can only turn a human with the permission of the regional head and the willingness of the human. There’s a whole mess of red tape with that one. The third one is to respect the will of the regional head and his enforcers. The fourth is to never leave definitive proof of our existence. Telling someone is one thing, getting on camera or recorded is another.”

She figured it was something like that. The silence lengthened, and she watched him take another drink. “That’s it? There’s nothing else?”

“Nope. The laws are enforced in a strict and painful sense. There are other codes of conduct that are dependent upon the area of the world we live in. Texas has a lot of laws, but we have a wide area and close to twenty species of shifters to cover. Not all of us are predators. The others have to be protected, too. We have a sanctuary agreement with New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Alaska. If a shifter’s in trouble, we usually find a place for them.

“Wow. That’s a lot to take in.”

“You don’t know the half of it. Now let’s get to the part where we plan out our next move.”

“Right.” The quiet rage she’d been keeping in check slipped through the cracks. The waitress took that moment to plop down two giant omelets in front of them. She set down a bottle of her favorite hot sauce and asked if they needed anything else. Ren said no, and she walked away.

“What’s this?”

“I went for the cheese and jalapeno special. Spicy and no veggies. If you want something else, I can have that brought out, instead.”

“No. This is great.” Perfect, actually.

“Good, eat up while we talk. You’re going to need the energy if tomorrow’s schedule is anything to go by.”

He didn’t have to tell her twice. She’d skipped dinner in her rush to see Mack, and there was no way in hell she’d eat anything at Rebecca’s. There was no way she could eat after realizing the woman’s water filters had been contaminated. Who knew what else could have been screwed with.

“I think we need to inform the director.” He said it without hesitation and she nodded in agreement. The omelet was probably delicious any other time, but it was like ash in her mouth as she thought about her team and anyone else on the set being in danger. Even Ren could be targeted.

“Does anyone know that you’re a…” Her voice trailed off, unsure what to call him, exactly.

“A wolf in human clothing?” He chuckled. “Most of us can sense one another. I guess that makes me a potential target, as well. But my position probably affords me some protection.”

She pointed her fork at him. “It didn’t protect one of Hollywood’s most popular actresses.”

He looked amused more than worried. “True enough. But don’t think you’re immune, either.”

“Me? But I can’t shapeshift.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think it matters to this guy.”

She brushed off his concern, more irritated that he wasn’t taking his own risk seriously. “I’m as boringly human as they come.”

“Darlin’, there is nothing boring about you. And whether you’ve transitioned in your first shift or not, there is no shifter worth his weight in salt that doesn’t know what you are. You can mark my words on that.”

Her phone buzzed. She was thankful for the distraction since his words had knocked her into a world of confusion. She checked the message.

Her heart clenched. She clenched her jaw and then breathed out slowly the way she always did right before a big stunt. Things were already moving. “Looks like you got your wish. Rebecca just texted me to tell you that the director wants to meet with you on set at six. She had to make arrangements with him because of her family or something.” She bit back her disappointment that their night was winding to a close, but her mind was still sluggish with exhaustion. “If you take me back to my truck, you’ll have just enough time to make it.” And she could catch a few winks on the set since her meeting wasn’t until eight. She tried to get the waitress’s attention.

“I paid earlier.”

Irritation flared through her and his hands came up in supplication.

“You drove. I’m just saying thanks for bringing me here. Look, when this is all over and no one is trying to kill off my favorite movie series, you can buy me coffee. Deal?”

She let her head fall back against the cushioned back of the bench. It eased some of the aches in her neck and shoulders, and the cool vinyl soothed her flushed skin. Going out with Ren when there wasn’t life and death on the line might be interesting. “Okay, that sounds fair.”

“Good. It’s a date, then.” He rose from the bench and held out his hand.

She eyed for a second before letting him pull her free of the bench. “A date, huh? You’re assuming a lot there, fireman.”

He squeezed her hand but didn’t let go. His breath tickled her ear as he spoke. “You’re not the only one with a keen sense of smell, sweetheart. I’m not imagining this attraction between us.”

She glanced at him through lowered eyelashes, expecting to see a mocking, cocky smile. Instead, she found an intense heat. Her body welcomed it, responding with instant warmth and molten need. “I don’t date people I work with. Or shifters.”

“I stop working with you in three days.” He opened the door and an icy wind chilled her flushed cheeks. When she would have moved past him, he took her hand and brought it up to his lips for a slow kiss across the knuckles. “And you should really change that policy of yours about dating shifters. We tend to be a very dedicated and loyal bunch.”

His lips shot electric heat to her core with every kiss. “And you’re also full of weird protocols and politics I don’t understand.” This close, she could see flecks of green and gold in his eyes.

“That’s exactly the way I feel about Hollywood and films. To tell you the truth, this may be the last time I volunteer for one of these things.”

“Why? Once you know your way around, it’s easy to avoid making mistakes.”

“Exactly. You invest the time into knowing a bit about my culture, and I’ll do my best to learn more about yours.”

“Hey! Shut the door, man. You’re letting out all the heat out,” a diner yelled from across the room.

Ren grinned big and wide and lowered his head. She grinned back and met his lips with hers. Electricity pulsed between them, and he deepened the kiss as he moved them out of the doorway and into the cold air. He pulled her into his arms and returned the warmth that the air stole from her skin. Her senses expanded, and she wanted nothing more at that moment than to breathe in his scent.

He cupped the back of her neck and deepened the kiss, sizzling her nerve endings as she dug her nails into his t-shirt. They broke the kiss, and she was surprised to find her hands trembling. “You’re only wearing a t-shirt under your jacket. How are you still this warm?”

He grinned and dropped another soft kiss on her lips. “I tend to run a little hot all the time.” He winked, and she bit back a laugh. That smile slipped from his face and he cupped her cheeks. The thumb that tenderly brushed her skin sent little chills of excitement down her spine. “We have a bad guy to catch and a movie to finish. Once this is over, promise me you won’t run from me. You’ll give me a real chance to prove that this attraction isn’t a momentary distraction.”

She pulled away, hating the regret that ate at her already frayed nerves. “We get through this, and we’ll see. I can’t make any promises, Ren.”

“Then I’ll make you one. When this is all said and done, I’ll kiss you. And if you don’t feel the same spark of attraction you do now, just tell me and I’ll walk away forever.”

“You would do that? I would just have to tell you it wasn’t the same as now?”

“You have my word. Not that I think that will happen.” He kissed her again and let her go, grabbing her hand and jerking her out of the spot she’d rooted herself to in shock.