Sunday comes too quickly. I’m a little nervous for my first werewolf party. So far, as a whole, I’ve really liked werewolves, but it’s like they’re all extreme extroverts. Haven’t met one yet that wasn’t energetic, outgoing, fun, flirty, and intense. Even Wulf—the lone wolf—is still extroverted. He just doesn’t like other wolves. Get him around anyone else, and he’s the life of the party.
I’m not shy, but nor am I an extrovert. Little wallflower me is going to be strung out by the end of the night. I can just sense it. Even the guy in the guard shack as I enter the compound tells me his name is John and asks me to save him a dance tonight.
The party is held in the large multipurpose room in the pack’s clubhouse. There’re no decorations, just a stage at one end where a DJ has a nice setup, and there’s room to dance on the floor in front of the stage. The other half of the room is filled with tables and chairs, where families and friends are eating and socializing. There are buffet tables lining the back wall piled with food. The party seems to be potluck style, with the exception of the hot dogs and cheeseburgers they’re bringing inside from some sliding glass doors that open to an outside picnic area.
I’m glad I meet Rook at his house instead of showing up to the social alone, because when we get there, the party is in full swing and every pair of eyes looks my way when we walk in. There are almost five hundred wolves here, from babies to elderly, and every single one of them stops what they’re doing to openly gawk at me. That they’re all smiling doesn’t make me feel better about the staring.
Maya dissolves the awkward tension by breaking away from the group of people she was talking to and shooting straight for me, squealing my name. “Nooooorrrrraaaa!”
I brace for the tackle hug, but Maya is so strong that if Rook didn’t reach out and steady me when he did, we would tumble to the ground. “Easy on the human, Maya,” he growls.
Maya blushes under the reprimand and lets me go. “Sorry. I keep forgetting you’re so fragile,” she says to me. Her grin quickly comes back. “I’m so glad you made it. I’ve got a ton of people to introduce you to.” She elbows me and winks. “Everyone’s interested in the woman who saved my life and got Wulf to come home, even if temporarily.”
She grabs my hand, and her thoughts immediately swarm me. She doesn’t just have a list of people to introduce me to; she’s been talking me up to all of the pack’s single males. She likes me—likes how brave I was when we were captured last month—and hopes to find me a mate within the pack so that I’ll join. I hate to burst her bubble, but that’s not going to happen, for several reasons. Still, for this job, I do need to be social, and I couldn’t have thought up a better plan than to have someone else throwing me at a number of dance partners.
“Hang on a minute, Maya,” Rook says, grabbing the hood of my jacket before Maya can successfully sweep me away. “Alpha Toth wants to introduce her to the luna, and I get the first dance.”
Maya pouts, but it’s playful, and she hands me back over to my escort. “Oh, all right. But don’t hog her all night. She’s my friend, too, and I promised I’d introduce her to a few people.”
Rook snorts, as if he knows Maya’s plan without needing to read her mind. He drags me away without promising her anything. “I don’t know whether I should thank you or yell at you for acting like you own me,” I tease Rook as we make our way to the stage, where Alpha Toth is standing with his mate.
Alpha Toth is talking to someone who has a clipboard and is saying something while pointing toward the food. He’s wearing designer jeans and a nice button-down shirt, and is holding hands with a beautiful blonde woman wearing a warm smile and a short black cocktail dress. The handsome couple makes me feel underdressed in my jeans and hoodie. “You said this was casual,” I mutter to Rook, who’s got my hand tucked in his arm like some old-fashioned gentleman.
Rook chuckles. “I said casual, not sloppy.”
I scoff, but he has a point. “For your information, I have on a nice halter-top blouse that Cecile picked out for me under the hoodie. And my hair is down, for once, thank you very much.”
Rook looks at me with an envy-worthy cocked eyebrow that I immediately find annoying. “And you’re wearing the hoodie because…?” he asks.
“Hello. It was cold outside. We humans don’t have the same inner heater you werewolves do.”
He sighs as he leads me up onto the stage beside the alpha and the luna. “All right, fine, you’re excused, but hand it over.” He holds out his hand to me, waiting for me to give up the hoodie, and my stomach drops. I know I need to glean some thoughts from these people, and I can only do that by skin-to-skin contact, but knowing that and being ready to do it are completely different.
“Come on, take it off.” Rook shocks me by leaning in so close to me that his lips brush my ear. He rubs his cheek against mine and says, “You were the one who said you’d need to show a little skin to get good reads on people, or whatever.”
I gasp when he lifts the bottom of my hoodie up, forcing my arms into the air. He slowly raises the hoodie over my head, caressing my sides as he works it off, and tosses it aside, all while giving me a heated gaze, as if we’re in a bedroom about to get naughty. The move is sensual and so full of tension that it makes my body shiver and my face flush.
My eyes grow so wide they begin to hurt. Rook has just marked me with his scent and sort of undressed me in front of the entire pack. Rook’s mouth twitches, snapping me out of my shock, and I immediately punch him on the arm. “Rook!” Everyone in the room laughs—Rook most of all. I hadn’t realized they were all still watching us. My face turns bright red. I lean in and hiss at him. “I can’t believe you just did that! That is beyond giving them something to gossip about.”
Rook nods, unrepentant. “That was the point.”
“What? Since when are you a possessive douche?”
That earns me another laugh—from the crowd and Rook. “Sweetheart, I’m a werewolf. We’re all cavemen when it comes to women.” The room chuckles again, and Rook lowers his voice a little. “Sorry. My wolf is close to the surface with you around so many unmated males. That was all him.”
I stand back and eye him skeptically. “I thought you don’t date.”
“I don’t. But my wolf senses your dominance. He can’t help himself. And it doesn’t help that even my human side feels protective of you. Wulf told me how you’re very wary around men. With good reason, he said.” Rook looks out over the crowd, narrowing his eyes at a few people. “Wolves can be…enthusiastic. I just want to make sure any man interested in you is a little more reserved than normal. Trust me, with my scent on you and a public display of intimacy, any man who wants you will think twice before making a move on you now. They’ll be too afraid of the competition.”
“Too afraid you’ll rip them apart for touching me, you mean.”
Rook gives me a proud smile that is all wolf. “Exactly.”
Inside, I’m really grateful, but I can’t say that to him with everyone in the room subtly listening to our conversation. “Well,” I say, huffing a little in exasperation, “I appreciate the thought, but isn’t the point of being here tonight to get to know people? No one is going to come near me at all now.”
Rook laughs again, waving his hand to point out several men hovering nearby with curiosity written all over their faces. “Oh, that’s not true at all,” he says. “I haven’t deterred most of them, I just sort of slowed them down. Besides, Maya seems determined to mate you off by the end of the night.”
I cringe, and am caught by the alpha and luna who have finally come over to join our conversation. “Would that be so terrible,” Alpha Toth asks, his expression not quite offended, but almost, “being mated to one of my wolves? Joining the pack?”
I force a smile. “Not necessarily. The joining the pack part, anyway. You wolves are a fun, friendly lot. But I don’t know if I’m ready to sprout fur—no offense—and I’m definitely not ready for a mate. I don’t date for a reason, Alpha Toth, but rest assured it has nothing to do with your wolves.”
Alpha Toth eyes me a moment before relenting. “Well, stick around and have some fun. We may convince you eventually. If you do find a man who catches your eye”—his gaze darts, embarrassingly, to Rook—“just know that such a union would be most welcome.”
He winks and puts his arm proudly around his mate. “Nora, I’d like you to meet Marie. The pack’s luna, and my mate.”
Unlike some of the single female pack members I’ve seen so far, the luna smiles at me with genuine kindness. She seems pleased that I’m here. When she shakes my hand, I confirm her sincerity. Such a pretty little thing, and so dominant. She would be a higher-ranking wolf. Peter is right; she would make a fine addition to the pack.
After quick introductions are made, and some small talk, Rook pulls me away, claiming I owe him a dance. The second he does, the DJ stops the song that’s playing and starts a slow song. It can’t be coincidence. The DJ is smiling playfully my way. He gives me a wink before sending a subtle nod to his ex-alpha, Rook.
I groan, and Rook laughs before hoping off the stage and holding his hands out, offering to help me down. I let him lift me to the floor, but I complain the whole time, so it isn’t exactly romantic. “Is everyone in your pack determined to embarrass me?”
Rook moves me onto the small dance floor and begins waltzing me around in slow circles. People stop to watch us like we’re the bride and groom at a wedding. “Nah, werewolves are just hopeless matchmakers, and I think a lot of them hope I’ll find another mate again someday.”
“That’s sweet of them, really, but don’t any of them care that we both said we didn’t plan to date?”
“And yet, here we are on the dance floor.”
Rook smirks, spins me in a circle, and then pulls me close, tightening his grip on me. If I couldn’t hear his thoughts, and they weren’t completely focused on wondering how I could point out the man from my vision without giving us away, I’d be worried by how flirty he’s being. But the truth is, Rook’s just a good actor. He’s also enjoying being able to dance with a woman and not having to worry that she’s expecting a mate bond at the end. I laugh at that thought and relax, allowing him to twirl me around the dance floor. The man’s right, after all. I never get to enjoy a worry-free dance, either.
“So,” I say, after our dance is over, “why don’t you introduce me to a few people before Maya steals me away? I happen to like tall, muscular men with brown hair and brown eyes.” I scan the crowd and spot the man from my vision. I don’t just want to single him out, so I point at several men who meet my description. “Like that guy, or him, or…him.”
Rook shoots me a sharp glance, and I give him a subtle nod. Yes. That’s our guy.
“Him?” Rook asks incredulously.
I’m surprised by his shock. “Definitely. What’s wrong with that guy?”
Rook shakes his head. “Nothing. He’s just…”
“Just one of the most submissive wolves in the pack,” Maya says, shamelessly butting into our conversation.
“What’s wrong with a submissive wolf?” I ask, offended on the guy’s behalf. “He’s probably sweet, and he’d probably do anything for the woman he loves.”
“He’s a big pushover,” Maya corrects.
“Whatever.” I wave at Rook as I let Maya drag me off. “I think he’s gorgeous.”
Maya huffs. “Woman, you’d be wasted on a guy like that. You’re too dominant for him. You’re a fighter. I’ve seen you in action, remember? You need a real man. Come on, I’ve got a few in mind.”
The next hour is exhausting. Maya pushes me into the arms of what feels like half the pack. The number of men that want to dance with me even though I’m human surprises me. I guess Wulf really wasn’t kidding about them not having a problem with my kind. Several of them even ask if I’m considering applying for transformation. I leave it vague but tell them Alpha Toth already gave me permission, if I should decide I want to.
Dancing and keeping up conversation with them all is hard to do while listening to all of their thoughts. It’s the hardest task I’ve ever tried to do with my powers yet. If helping people out like this is going to become a thing, I need more practice using and controlling my powers. I’m going to have to stop being afraid of them.
I barely finish a song, and am going to try and make my way to the food, when Alpha Toth’s beta catches me by the elbow. “Well, little human, seems you’ve danced with everyone else. How about you give me the honor next?”
This is the man who challenged Wulf. I can tell without touching him that he likes me just as much as he likes Wulf—whom he attacked. Either that, or he’s just a condescending asshole to everyone. That’s a good possibility. “I suppose.” I force a sugary sweet smile and take his offered hand. “If you really want to.”
“Of course I do.”
He takes me into his arms just in time for me to hear him think, Time to see what all the hype is about. The music morphs into another slow song, so Jeffrey begins to move me around the floor with as much expertise as the others—werewolves sure can dance. “Are you enjoying the party so far?”
“Sure. I usually prefer things quiet, but your pack has been very friendly.”
She’s as dominant as everyone says. Probably stronger than Maya. She’d be an alpha female. Just what the hell is Rook up to? Or is it Wulf she’s working with? Maybe the three of them are working together. “Especially Rook, eh? He seems very friendly.”
The smile on his face turns hard, as if he’s clenching his jaw beneath it and trying not to glare at me. What a lovely man. I’ve received questions about Rook all night, and I’ve been quick to explain we’re only friends, but I keep it vague this time, hoping to draw out his thoughts and figure out why he’s suspicious of Rook and me. He can’t know what we’re really up to…unless he’s Mr. McSneaky’s accomplice. That’s a good possibility. He’d have all the right access to the accounts and stuff as Toth’s second. “Rook’s been great.”
His jaw definitely clenches this time. “So you like him?”
“What’s not to like?”
He’s a coward, for one. He deserted his clan when they needed him the most and left us in Peter’s hands. Peter, who is also a coward because he wouldn’t take care of Rook and Wulf properly, and who isn’t strong enough to lead this pack the way it should be led. “You could do better.”
I hate this man’s thoughts. Rook was broken after the battle and after losing his parents and mate. Stepping down when he knew he needed to wasn’t cowardly; it was brave. I could tell from our one conversation that it had been hard for him to do.
I’m also shocked by his words. I could do better? Than Rook? Is he talking about himself? Is he flirting with me? “Let me guess,” I say dryly. Jeffrey pushes me out, spins me, and pulls me close again. I give him my best smirk when he wraps his arm around me again. “I could do better with you?”
“Rook may be dominant, but he doesn’t have a real place in the pack. He’s a glorified handyman. I’m the pack’s beta.” For now. “I could give you a good life.” And you could make a strong luna when I finally take over the pack. Much stronger than that stuck-up bitch Maya.
Whoa. Wait. WHAT? He plans to take over the pack? Could the missing money have something to do with that? Could he be planning to hire help for his hostile takeover? And what about the other guy? Is he a willing partner in this crime, or someone being coerced? It would fit the vision I had. The guy was so nervous, after all.
It takes everything in my power to hold my smile and not let him know I’m onto his thoughts, but I can’t concentrate the rest of the dance. Our conversation dies, and he assumes my silence is because I’m considering his offer. He pulls me uncomfortably close, as if we’re already lovers, and when the song ends, he grabs my hand before I can escape.
His eyes turn toward the doors, and his thoughts race. I can’t claim her without her consent. Rook would challenge me on principal. But if I could convince her to choose me, Rook is honorable… Perhaps she’s been telling the truth all night, and they aren’t romantically involved. Maybe he wouldn’t challenge me if she didn’t want him. I just need to win her over. I could use someone so well liked by the pack on my side. She’s a hero to them. They would follow her. “Would you like to go outside and take a break for a bit—get some fresh air?”
That sounds heavenly, but not with you, I think. I pull my hand from his and give him a smile I hope he can’t tell is fake. “I’d love to, but I’d freeze outside right now, and I’m technically Rook’s date to this party. I wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings by sneaking off with another guy. Thank you for the dance, though. It was nice meeting you.”
I take off before he can say anything. I don’t think I’d be able to keep myself from telling him off if he tried to argue. Rook isn’t hard to find. In fact, he’s so easy to find, I have a feeling he’s been subtly hovering all night. “How’s it going?” he asks. His smile is pleasant, but his question is loaded. His eyes keep drifting to Jeffrey, as if I’ve given something away of my thoughts. Or perhaps Rook was already suspicious of Jeffrey.
“I’m exhausted. Is there someplace quiet we could go hang out for a bit? I need a breather.”
“Of course. Follow me.” He holds out his arm to me, and once again we start strolling about like a couple in a Jane Austen novel.
Instead of leading me outside where I would freeze and there are other wolves mingling about, Rook takes me through the empty clubhouse, down a dark hall past Alpha Toth’s office, and then past the accounting office, until finally we come to a door marked MAINTENANCE. Rook unlocks the door, and before me is either a small office or a large supply closet. It’s probably the same size as the accounting office, but it’s so cluttered with tools and random parts to things that saying it’s cozy inside is being generous. “This is your office?” I ask as he clears a pile of junk off the desk chair.
He pats the chair, gesturing for me to have a seat. “Home, sweet home.”
I sit in the chair, and he rests his butt against the desk that’s also cluttered to high heaven. “I suppose it’s a good thing you’re the handyman and not the janitor.”
Rook snorts. “I keep it like this so people are afraid to come in here. A lot of the wolves around here still think of me as their alpha and come to me with problems they should take to Peter. Having an office like this reminds them I’m not the alpha anymore. And hey, soundproof walls, so speak freely.”
I smirk. “Thought I just did.”
He shakes his head and chuckles again. “I can see why Wulf likes you. He’s always had a thing for sass.”
“Then why’d he try to pawn me off on you?”
Rook’s mouth twitches at the corners. “Because I like sass even more.”
I roll my eyes. “So about Jeffrey…”
Rook laughs at my obvious subject change.
There’s a quick knock on the office door, and then Alpha Toth slides in. “I can’t stay long.”
“We shouldn’t, either,” Rook says, indicating himself and me.
Both men look to me. I don’t have great news, so I take a deep breath and just blurt it out. No sense beating around the bush. “So Jeffrey’s planning to take over the pack.”
I don’t get the response I expect. Rook rolls his eyes, and Alpha Toth sighs.
“Are we not taking this seriously, then?” I ask.
Rook lets his alpha explain. “Jeffrey is ambitious. He’s always wanted to lead the pack. He’s challenged me twice before. Don’t worry, he can’t beat me, or he would have by now.”
I shake my head. “That’s fine and dandy and all, but this felt different. He was suspicious of Rook and me. He thinks we’re up to something. And I don’t know how to describe it exactly, but his thoughts felt solid. He felt like he had a plan.”
Rook pulls his shoulders back, blinking at me. “His thoughts?”
My face turns red as I cringe. “Busted.”
“You’re a mind reader?” Alpha Toth asks, eyes wide. “You hear actual thoughts?”
I sigh. “When I make skin-to-skin contact, yes, I hear thoughts and sense feelings. But that is very dangerous information, so I appreciate you both forgetting you know it.”
Both men frown at me. I raise my hands in surrender. “I know you won’t tell anyone. I just hate people knowing that. It’s not a talent people are fond of.”
“It’s a helpful one, though,” Alpha Toth says.
“Yes and no. I only get surface thoughts and feelings. I can’t just dig around in someone’s head. So I can’t necessarily find out if Jeffrey is Hottie McMoney Thief’s accomplice unless I straight up ask, and I can’t do that without raising suspicions. More suspicions. All I can tell you is that he is planning to take over the pack, and that he feels very confident it’s going to happen.”
“Hottie McMoney Thief?” Rook snorts. “Really?”
I groan. “Again, focusing on the wrong information here. I need to find out more. I may need to talk to Jeffrey again, though he gives me the creeps. And I really need to spend some time with—”
“Hottie McMoney Thief,” Rook supplies with a grin.
“Yes.”
“His name is Daniel McCrary.”
“Well. I had the Mc part right, then.” I stick my tongue out at Rook, and he laughs. “Fine. I need to talk to Daniel, but that means you have to keep Maya and the other wolves away from me for a while. No offense to your pack or anything, Alpha Toth, but those guys are acting like they’ve never seen a woman before, and they’re starting to annoy me and piss off all your pack females.”
Alpha Toth chuckles. “Ever heard the term fresh meat?”
“Gee, how charming.”
Alpha Toth shrugs. “You’re a novelty, and everyone’s curious. Can’t blame them for being interested in a beautiful, dominant, brave, sassy, confident woman who is rumored to be very powerful and saved the life of one of our pack’s favorite females.”
“Well, shit, when you say it like that, I feel like I need to be paraded around the complex on a float.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“We’re getting off topic again. Have either of you considered that Jeffrey could be using the stolen money to buy help if he’s not capable of taking you down himself? Or that Daniel may not be acting of his own free will? He did look scared shitless in my vision.”
“Daniel always looks scared shitless,” Rook says. “The man is spineless.”
“Spineless enough to steal from the pack if he’s being threatened by someone like Jeffrey?”
Alpha Toth’s eyes flash, and he stands up straight. He’s finally taking this theory seriously. “Possibly. As possible as Jeffrey stealing the money to pay mercenaries to take me out and using Daniel as a fall guy.”
I scoff. “If Jeffrey is such a disloyal bastard, why is he your second?”
“He’s the strongest wolf below me. That’s pack way. Besides, having him close, I can keep my eye on him.” His hands clench into fists, and he growls. His eyes start to glow faintly as his wolf rises to the surface. “Obviously, I’m not watching him closely enough.”
“Hey, we’ll get him,” I say, trying to calm him down before he shifts in this tiny cluttered room and accidentally rips me up. “I’ll help you guys with this until we know for sure, and then you can tear him apart, or whatever it is you wolves do.”
Alpha Toth takes a deep breath, pushing his wolf back and calming his temper. His eyes focus on me, and his face softens. “Thank you for doing this, Nora.”
I hold up a hand. “Hey. No worries. We’ve already been through the thanking. No need to do it again. I just want to help bring the creep down.”
Alpha Toth nods. “Very well. I’ll let you get back out there to do just that. Rook. Keep a close eye on her. If Jeffrey is suspicious of the two of you already, I don’t want him getting too close to her where he can do something stupid.”
Rook growls. “If he touches her, I’ll kill him.”