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“Ma’am, have you got anyone you can stay with for a while? A friend or relative?"

"Um…" Cassie Grey exclaimed as she sat outside on the step leading to her townhouse.

The police officer continued to stand over her. He wrote something down on his notepad as he waited for her to answer. The portable radio hooked to his belt buzzed to life, requesting responses and giving out locations to other incidents.

She couldn't believe this was happening…

Even though it was in the middle of the night, some of her neighbors began to come outside to investigate. For the past two years, Cassie had been renting this townhouse unit. Nothing like this had ever happened. But she was no stranger to the world of crimes and various scandals in Aspen Valley and other surrounding areas. Just yesterday she was helping a lead news anchor with the live reporting of a story just outside of a food mart that had been robbed. And today… she had just become the main victim of a similar crime. Cassie couldn't believe her luck.

"Do you at least have somewhere you can stay for the night?" the police asked, raising his voice a little louder this time.

"I think so," she replied.

The police officer looked at her with his eyebrows drawn tightly together and his lips set in a frown. "It's not safe for you to stay here alone right now, so is that a yes or no?"

"Yes. I have a relative here in town. My brother."

"His name?"

"Neil Grey," she said. "Look, I just need to collect some of my things before I leave."

The police officer nodded. "No problem. Get what you need, but please be careful. Our team is still collecting evidence. We should have the police report ready in a few days for you and your landlord. And for the threat you received, we'll likely need more time to gather and process leads. We'll find this guy. Don't worry."

She hoped so. Her life wasn't the only life at risk. And whoever had written the threatening note, affixed it to an eight-pound rock, and hurled it through her living room window had made it clear that he was serious.

Cassie walked over the threshold into her home where the detectives worked side by side as they looked for clues and took pictures. Maybe she was lucky to even be alive. The perpetrator could've done more than break through a window in the middle of the night.

She hurried down the hall and grabbed a large suitcase from her closet where she began picking out clothes and shoving them inside. As she packed what she needed, she pulled out her phone and dialed her brother's cell.

"What the hell, Cassie? Do you know what time it is?" he answered groggily.

Cassie also heard the voice of a woman in the background asking, "Who is that?" Probably his girlfriend. Every month he had a different one, but that was beside the point.

"Neil, I need a favor," she said. "Someone left a threatening note in my house. I'm wondering if I can crash at your place just for the night." She was under-reacting, but she didn't want to rile up her brother.

"I'm up now! What happened?"

Now that she had his full attention, she knew he'd never let her live this one down. There was a time when her one and only brother monitored her every move.

When their parents got on board a plane nearly nine years ago to vacation overseas only to meet an untimely demise in a crash, Neil had turned into the strict older brother who thought everyone—and everything—would strip his only living family member from him. It had taken him a while to realize that she was moving into adulthood and to loosen up a bit. Now that she was twenty-one and had her own place now, she'd just experienced what real freedom from an overbearing brother felt like. But after what just happened, she had no doubt that his overprotective ways would return.

After the call, Cassie's thoughts trailed back to the moment when she lifted and read the note from the rock.

-Your article about how these animals pretending to be humans shouldn't be treated "inhumanely" was rather interesting. But really? THEY'RE ANIMALS! If you don't like how we protest, GET OUT OF OUR TOWN! Or I have an even better idea. Meet me at the county zoo where I can gut you and then throw you in a cage of lions. I hope you've got life insurance-.

It took her almost no time to come to the conclusion that her stalker was mad that she was connecting telling clues on a case involving the shifter murders. Someone didn't want to be ousted or caught. The note had been very telling. Her stalker was the real animal here and he deserved to be locked up in prison.

Cassie was committed to this case. One threat wasn't going to stop her from finding the real truth. But now she had another goal: staying alive.

Luke Lombardi dropped a bundle of mail on the counter in his kitchen, grabbed a glass, and filled it with tap water from the sink. As he guzzled down the beverage, he noticed the green light blinking on his answering machine. He had just cleared the messages this morning before his run, yet the screen indicated that he'd gotten five new messages since then.

When the warmer months started rolling in, business for his mountain lodging company came pouring in too. He wasn't complaining since there was once a time when campers and vacationers stayed clear of the area. But with his niece and nephew now away at college, he was having a heck of a time keeping up with the day to day operations. He'd held off for the longest on hiring full-time employees. Other than himself, only a few contractors came through every once in a while to make sure the lodging cabins were safe for guests and passed the state standards.

Luke pushed a button on the machine, hoping that someone suitable had answered his help wanted ad for office help. He toggled through the recordings. A couple messages were from other businesses trying to sell their services and a few more inquiries came from campers looking for group rates and such. The last message was from Neil Grey, his old roommate from college. Actually, he considered Neil a very good friend.

"Hey Luke. It's Neil. I've been trying to reach you. I know you're busy up there with the seasons changing, but I really need a favor. Please call me ASAP."

Speaking of being busy, Luke was a little disappointed that no other job seekers had replied to the ad. The last three candidates he'd interviewed didn't quite make the cut. Then again, he had to admit that he was being a little picky. His niece had left detailed instructions on what she did on a daily basis, but he knew no one could replace her. Sending those twins off to school in another state had been difficult for Luke, but he knew in his heart that this was best for both of them. At least they had each other.

He picked up the handset and dialed Neil Grey's phone number. Neil picked up right after the first ring.

"Hey Luke. Thanks for calling back."

"You seem worried. What's up?"

"I need a huge favor," he said.

Who didn't need a huge favor these days?

"Why do I get the feeling that you're in trouble?" Luke asked.

Neil laughed nervously. "It's not me this time. It's Cassie. She ran into some issues at work and she needs to lay low for a while. You remember my sister, right?"

He'd never officially met Cassie, but he'd seen her for a brief moment eight years ago right after the college graduation ceremony. At the time, her most striking features were her thick mane of curly mahogany hair, a cute button nose, and an innocent, but devilish smile.

"Yes, I remember Cassie. What's going on?"

"She's a journalist for the Aspen Valley Times. She was working on a story with a work colleague and she caught a lot of heat behind it. We agreed that she needs to get out of town for a few days, maybe even a few weeks until things settle down and the cops can catch these guys. I have to travel on business and I can't reschedule this. I'd be devastated if anything happened to Cassie while I was gone. We don't have anybody else, you know?"

Neil and his sister Cassie had lived together without their parents for five years now. They'd died in a plane crash that had taken the lives of several other Aspen Valley residents too. Neil had become his sister's guardian, but if Luke's estimates were correct Cassie was no longer a child. But as a man who had adopted his niece and nephew, Luke understand the necessity to keep them safe would never leave—no matter how independent they had become.

"It's that bad, huh?" Luke pulled out a chair from under the kitchen table and sat down. He began sorting through the stack of mail. "You know, I've got family out in Aspen Valley. What kind of story was she working on?"

"It's the case involving the shifter murders. About how they're being led astray and then gunned down."

Luke's back stiffened. He swallowed down his rising suspicions, but no amount of force would chase down the lump in his throat. He knew about the murders. In fact, every wolf in the valley was trying to find the creep—or creeps—responsible for the murders. The murders had slowed down following the Pack being proactive in looking out for their fellow neighbors, but the sporadic killings had gone on so long that Dane Magnus, Alpha of the Pack, had set up his own protection crew within the Pack to keep the members safe.

"She says she actually requested the assignment," Neil continued. "Would you believe it? She just got the job and has barely finished training and they're already giving her these high-profile dangerous cases. She's been acting out lately like she doesn't give a shit about her safety or anything. I don't get it."

"Sounds like someone else I know. Someone like the highly-successful detective that solved every crime he was assigned to in Aspen Valley," Luke commented.

Neil snorted. "Yeah, I think she got the brunt of my dad's drive to succeed at nearly everything." Neil's dad had been a police detective in Aspen Valley before his death, pursuing most of the area's dangerous cases.

"What do you need? You know I've got your back."

"Her home address has already been compromised so she's going to be staying at that log cabin I bought three years ago. With me still living in a one bedroom apartment the mountain cabin was our only decent and quick option. It's close enough to you that I thought you'd be able to look out for her while she's there. It doesn't have to be every day, but if you could just check in on her while I'm up in Maine."

"Sure."

"I really appreciate it, man," Neil said. "And we've gotta get together again, just like old times. Maybe when I'm done with this trip and if you have time, we can catch up. Last time we ran into each other, you were grocery shopping with your niece and nephew."

"Yeah, they kept me pretty busy."

"Cassie's packing right now, so we'll be driving up there either tomorrow morning or the following day."

"I'll see both of you when you get here," Luke said.

"Thanks man, I'll owe you big time for this one."

"Don't even mention it."

”Unbelievable!”

Neil pulled the cabin door close, turned around on the porch, and blew outward in frustration.

Cassie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. Her nerves had been shot since the moment she and her brother left his apartment this morning. Not only was she homeless, she was also at the mercy of her spur-of-the-moment decision-making brother. For his sanity, she had tried doing things his way. But his plans weren't panning out the way they'd discussed.

"I can't believe you didn't check this place out before you insisted on me staying here," Cassie exclaimed. "I like my alone time just as much as the next girl, but this is out in the middle of nowhere."

"It's not out in the middle of nowhere. It only looks that way. This area is safer than the city anyway."

"So what's up with the leak in the ceiling?" She gestured toward the small cabin that her brother claimed he had bought some time ago.

"The maintenance guy was out here two months ago. He didn't say anything about there being a leak," Neil said.

"Just in case you don't remember, most of the area had been in a drought for over three weeks up until four days ago when that storm tore through the Valleys and the Mountains. Maybe it wasn't visible when he came by." Cassie sighed. "I should have stayed with Clara like I planned."

"Clara doesn't exactly have her shit together either. Do you know how many times I've seen that chick drunk out of her mind at parties?"

"What does it matter? She was offering me a place to stay until this all died down. Just because she goes out partying doesn't mean I will too."

"You don't know what I know."

"Oh? Let me guess…you've slept with her."

Neil said nothing. He just slipped past her.

"Oh my God," Cassie exclaimed in disbelief. "That's why you don't want me talking to her. You've had sex with her."

Cassie followed her brother down the steps and through the thick shrubbery leading to his truck.

"Now's not the time to discuss my sex life. That's my business. You're in a whole heap of trouble and I'm trying to find someplace safe for you to stay. You're not exactly in a position to have your location compromised. I don't trust Clara and her mouth runs like a water faucet."

"Well you trusted her enough to fuck her," Cassie noted. "Now what? I might as well just go back to Aspen Valley and wait it out. Do you honestly think someone's going to try to kill me? It was a threat, that's all. I'm off the case now."

"You know nothing about what those men are capable of. Get in the truck. Be quiet and just let me think."

Reluctantly, Cassie slipped into the passenger side seat. "When will you learn that I can take care of myself? But if you insist…fine. Just know that after this I plan to move very far away from Aspen Valley."

"Hold your horses, sister," Neil mumbled nervously.

Even as Cassie made that declaration, she knew the only thing holding her in Aspen Valley was her older brother. Sometimes she felt that she was the one that kept him sane. And all they had was each other at the moment. It would've been so much better for her to hightail it out of the state if she knew he had someone stable in his life. But Neil never settled. Often times, Cassie thought he was afraid of commitment.

As Neil thumbed through his cell phone, she continued talking, "You know…about your sex life. You really need to settle down. If Aspen Valley is going to be your permanent residence, don't you think you need to be making some permanent bonds instead of having sex with every willing woman at every major company in the city? Last month, it was my friend Clara at Reverie Technologies. And now this month, a woman named Jacki from Pack and Ship kept calling your apartment phone for you. She sounded sprung. What did you do to her exactly? Ugh…never mind. I don't even want to know."

"Jacki was calling about a shipment. Look, I'm not going to talk about my relationships with you," he grumbled and then started the truck. "Not now…not ever."

He maneuvered the truck through the thick brush and then turned off down the road.

"Where are you going now?" she asked, peering out through the windshield at the top of the mountains miles ahead of them.

"There's a lodging business less than a mile from here. A good friend of mine owns it. He should have a unit that he can rent us for the time being."

"Which good friend?" she asked.

"Luke."

"Luke…you mean the hot hunk that you roomed with in college?"

Neil gave her a sideways glance. "I'm not sure about the hot hunk part, but yeah…we shared an apartment for a little bit. That was a long time ago. And you still remember him?"

Cassie bit her bottom lip as her memory ran across what she remembered about Luke the most. His eyes. She would never forget his deep-set gaze peppered with specs of gold when he had assessed her that first time after a graduation ceremony. She would always remember how at ease his penetrating stare made her feel when she was just a self-conscious teen. That had been eight years ago, but she had never forgotten him. Sometimes she even dreamed of him.

"I do remember him. Did you say he owns a lodging business? Like a hotel?"

"No, not like a hotel," Neil replied. "Lodging…like for the occasional vacationers, campers, mountain climbers…sight seers. We're not talking five-star resort here."

"Hmmm…just as long as I don't have to stay in a tent," she countered. "And in that case, you'll turn this truck around and head right back into town."

"Whatever, Cassie," Neil said. "If you think for one minute, I'm letting you stay in Aspen Valley on your own, you're dead wrong. You're just like Dad—stubborn and nosy. And I know for a fact that you haven't stopped working on the story that got you in this trouble in the first place."

Cassie neither denied nor confirmed his suspicions. In fact, she just kept her mouth closed for the duration of the short drive along the rocky dirt road. She didn't want to be the one to break it to him. He was right—on both counts. She needed to drop the case for her sanity and her safety, but she just couldn't. She'd been so close to learning the true identity of the person behind the shifter killings. Sure she could stop now while innocent people were being murdered for no reason. But the fact was…she didn't want to stop because she did care. Through her findings and research about the shifters living in this region, she came to the conclusion that they were entitled to remain here just like any other human being.

Luke abandoned his coffee and breakfast sandwich the moment he heard an engine rumbling toward his log cabin. The familiar sound of tires trudging across loose rock and gravel followed soon after. He had company.

His guests left him alone for the most part. The only reason anybody would be coming to call this early in the morning was if something had gone wrong on the property. He always made it a point to make sure all guests—both long and short term—had everything they needed up front in each cabin. And if any issues came up, there was a list of numbers hanging on the fridge in each log cabin. No one had called his cell or the main line about any unresolved matters, so he wondered what was wrong and why someone would be driving up to his private cabin, which was barely visible to the casual passerby.

Luke shoved on his work boots and pulled on a large flannel shirt before rushing out onto the porch to greet the guests. The male driver in the unfamiliar Dodge Ram pulled up close to his house like Luke was expecting him. It wasn't until the driver cut the engine and stepped out of the truck that he realized who the guy was.

Neil Grey.

"Neil." Luke grinned. "You're early."

"Yeah. Here I am."

They greeted each other with a handshake and a manly hug.

"My sis didn't take as long to pack as I thought. First time that's happened. You know how women are. How's it going?" Neil asked.

"I was just eating breakfast," Luke replied. "Well…second breakfast actually."

Neil laughed. "Of course. You're still an early bird, right?"

"Damn right I am," Luke confirmed. "I'm glad you came out before I made my rounds on the property. You know your way around here though, right? Or have you forgotten?"

"Well, I remembered where you live, so that's something."

Luke shrugged. "Hardly anything's changed really."

"Where are Henry and Nessa?"

"I didn't tell you?" Luke asked.

"Nah…what'd I miss?"

"They started college last fall."

Neil smiled. "Good for you, man. And congratulations." He clapped Luke on the back. "That means you're an empty nester."

"Yeah, finally. But it's not the same without them around here."

"I hear ya." Neil scratched his head and stole a glance behind him at the woman who was still seated in his truck.

"Is everything okay with you?" Luke asked. "I know you couldn't talk that long on the phone the other day."

"That's the thing…something else came up. The cell phone reception sucks ass around here," Neil exclaimed. "I couldn't get through. I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."

"No, not at all. You said you were coming out, so I was expecting you. Did you get your sister settled in the cabin?"

"Ugh…about that…" Neil bit at his bottom lip.

"Is that your girl in the truck? Why don't you both come inside? There's no need to stand out here."

Neil chuckled. "That's Cassie in the truck. You don't remember her?"

Luke's gaze traveled to the truck again, but this time he didn't have to adjust his vision to I.D. the woman peering out through the windshield at him. As soon as Cassie Grey—all beautiful and all grown up—stepped out of the truck, Luke literally stumbled back a foot or two.

He could barely breathe as the sight of her instantly took his breath away. Her hair color was now a mix of dark mahogany with cinnamon and blonde highlights scattered throughout. Instead of the lush curls from her youth, her strands were practically bone straight. She wasn't a teen anymore; she was a woman.

He hadn't remembered her like this—fuck no. The last time he saw Cassie, she wasn't wearing a red form-fitting top with her plump tits virtually pouring out of the top. Her jeans shorts were so short that they barely covered more than three inches of her long creamy legs. She must have left her shoes in the truck because her feet were bare, showing off her red-painted toenails. She didn't seem to mind the dirt on her soles. When Luke trailed his gaze back up her flawless toffee-colored legs, too-short shorts, and her belly button peeking out from her barely there top, he felt his cock twitching behind his fly. He knew he was done for.

"Oh, hell," he mumbled under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Neil asked.

Had he said that aloud? Oh, fuck.

Cassie moved closer, narrowing the distance between them.

"Hi Luke." She waved.

Her mascara coated eyelashes swept the top of her cheeks as she looked him up and down. "Remember me?"

Luke swallowed and diverted his gaze away from her tits. He didn't know how to answer that question anymore. The Cassie he had remembered eight years ago wasn't the same Cassie that was standing before him today.

“Of course. How could I forget?" Luke replied.

The huskiness in his voice seemed to flow directly toward her. A heated blush crept up the back of her neck, spreading downward through her spine. His stare was the same. Brown with specs of gold. Penetrating. Animalistic. If her memory was correct, he was now the same age as her brother—thirty-one. Ten years older than she was. Luke was more breathtaking now than he was eight years ago. Age progression had refined him to perfection. His beard was trimmed and well-manicured. He was dressed down in casual slacks and an unbuttoned worn flannel shirt. His hard-edged body was corded with nothing but lean, sinewy muscles. Her gaze slowed when she took in the dark trail of hair disappearing under his waistband. Cassie gulped dry air as she identified the sexiest part of his body—the sculpted V made by his defined lower abs and hip flexors.

Neil cleared his throat.

Luke diverted his gaze from what Cassie knew to be her breasts and turned slightly to gesture toward the log cabin.

"Excuse me for being rude," Luke said. "Come on inside."

He ushered them inside the home and offered them drinks. As the two men exchanged light chatter, she glanced about the small cozy space that made up Luke's home. The cabin couldn't have had more than one bedroom, maybe two. The living area was very spacious. A desk sat in one corner where Cassie noticed several hand-drawn geographical maps and building sketches scattered across the surface. There were even some drawings hanging on the wall. It reminded her of the type of sketches that Neil kept in his work binder at his apartment. She wondered if Luke had pursued the same architect career as her brother since they had both graduated with honors and held the same exact degree.

The men came back into the room with beers. Luke handed her a cold bottle of water, but truth be told, she needed the beer. She took the bottle from him anyway. The moment their fingertips brushed, something warm and electrifying passed through her. Affection radiated between them. She was not only happy to see him again but surprised by the effect he still had on her. Only when Neil popped the cap off his beer did that disrupt them out of their exchange.

"So…uh, here's the thing…I stopped by the cabin and was greeted by a nasty surprise," Neil said from his position on the couch.

"What happened, man? Have the locals been looting again?"

"No, it's the roof. The rain from a couple days ago leaked through the front half of the home."

Luke frowned. "Sounds pretty bad. I thought you had hired a maintenance guy to look after the property for you."

"Yeah, I did. I'm wondering if he was really looking after the cabin or just feeding me bullshit," Neil exclaimed.

"Who is this guy anyway?" Luke asked.

"Barry's Handyman Services. I signed a contract with him right after I bought the cabin. He was supposed to be doing all the quarterly maintenance."

"Never heard of him," Luke said, sitting down in the empty space next to Neil.

"The guy on the next lot recommended him as a jack of all trades. I guess he missed the darned hole in the roof when he was out there last time."

Luke shrugged. "It happens. Most of my older units need more than quarterly maintenance these days, so it could be that it's just time to repair the roof. If you want, I can go take a look at it and get it patched up until you can get a new roof."

"Ah man, I can't ask you to fix my roof. You've done enough. Plus that'll take more than a couple days, won't it?"

Luke sat back in the chair. "Possibly, but didn't you say that Cassie was staying there?"

"Not anymore, but I have to leave out tonight if I'm going to make my flight out to Maine in time. I don't have time to stick around and we're out of options."

"What do you mean? What happened exactly?" Luke looked from Neil to Cassie.

"I was on a high profile news assignment. I came across some information that made someone mad and they threatened me," Cassie said.

"The cops suggested that I not return to my apartment alone," she added.

"Cassie thinks there's no issue with letting the local cops handle it while she stays in Aspen Valley. I don't trust that at all. I'd rather have her lay low for a few weeks until the authorities can break the case. She's already handed over what she knows, so it's just a matter of them giving the case a little more priority," Neil said.

"I agree. She shouldn't be out on her own if the person who threatened her is still on the loose."

"The cops should have given this case a little more priority in the first place," Cassie said. "These shifter murders have been buried for quite some time now. I almost wonder who's helping them. You'd think the cops would at least try to work with the Pack Alpha to solve this thing with what little clues they have instead of trying to close the case every chance they get."

Luke's gaze swept over her appreciatively, but not in the same way as before. This time he regarded her with admiration. And she had to admit…she loved when he stared at her that way—as if what she did and said mattered. She worked in a department that consisted of mostly males and had always had to go out of her way to prove herself. The case had become near and dear to her because of how much safer Aspen Valley could be for all of its citizens, but case closure would’ve at least given her a chance to be recognized and recommended for the raise she knew she deserved. But no one had picked up on that aspect of it, not even her brother. When she returned to work again, she'd be back at square one, trying to claw her way to the top of an already populated news station. It didn't help that the jobs were sparse in Aspen Valley either.

Neil sighed. "See what I mean, Luke. She won't let it go. This case is out of her league. Why put a young woman on a case like this?"

"I'm not a child. If you want to know the truth, I asked for the assignment, okay? No one wanted it and I took it because I wanted it solved and it was a chance to prove myself in my new role."

"I agree with your brother, Cassie," Luke said. "You've done a lot of good with the assignment. I'm willing to bet that because of your push for the real story, the case is receiving more attention from the authorities. You've proven enough. Now it's time to think about your safety."

"You're damned right it's receiving more attention…and so is she," Neil said. "And the fact that she's standing here proves that she knows she needs to get away from Aspen Valley now that the murderers know her name and her face."

"The community here is pretty low key. She'll be safe if she stays out here until the dust settles in the Valley," Luke said.

Neil nodded. "I know you've got a lodging business running here, so that's why I need to see about renting one of your cabins."

Luke blew outward and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm booked solid for the next six months. That includes both short-term and long-term rentals. My next set of guests arrives in two days and that cabin is currently being cleaned out now. Besides the cabin that we partially converted into an office space last year for the hired help, I've got nothing."

"Bummer," Neil exclaimed.

"It's okay," Cassie said. "I'll just stay somewhere else. It's no problem. Didn't we pass another lodging company on the way here?"

"No, I don't know those guys up the road. I know Luke," Neil exclaimed. "And somewhere else, like where? How are you certain the place is safe for you?"

"I'm not. Maybe I'll just call Uncle Ronnie and Auntie Lynn in Illinois to see if they can spare a room. You know I'm always welcome there."

"That's not going to happen. The last time we visited them, a known drug dealer showed up at their home to collect money. Mom and Dad would never want you to stay there under any circumstances."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Auntie Lynn is clean now. And like you said, I'm out of options."

"Wait," Luke interjected. "You can stay in the office cabin until I hire someone. By that time, maybe we'll have the roof fixed on Neil's cabin."

"Are you sure?" Cassie asked. "I don't want to cause any issues for your business."

"It's fine. I'm having a heck of a time finding an Office Manager replacement. My niece used to keep all the books and now she’s away at college. I don't know if it's the pay I offered or the fact that I'm virtually out in the middle of nowhere, but I haven't received any suitable bites yet."

"Well, if you need someone to organize your books and records, Cassie has loads of experience doing that. She was the receptionist at the news station for months before they took her on as an intern."

Luke looked to her for validation.

"I was." She shrugged. "I'm not a pro at organization or customer service by any means, but I can help out around here if you need it."

"Yeah, put her to work. She can do any job you've got for her," Neil said.

Cassie nudged her brother hard in the side. "Look who's talking. Mr. I Play Hooky From Work Every Other Week Because I'm Useless."

"Just consider this a favor," Luke told her. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you either."

"We really appreciate this. Things have been rough for us lately and the trust fund our parents left us ran out quicker than we thought. I'm taking on double the projects at work and with Cassie being on a leave of absence from the station, that's not doing her any good either," Neil added.

"Yes…thank you," Cassie said, smiling shyly. "I just hope this isn't a big inconvenience for you."

"Don't worry about it," Luke reassured her. "We'll figure this out. Once the cops nail this guy, I'm sure you'll be able to return to work."

"I hope so."

The moment Cassie’s brother left her alone—and safe—in the cozy cabin to unpack and get settled in, a great burden rose from her shoulders. In the end, she had to admit that getting away from Aspen Valley for a little while had been in her best interests. In the days following the threat, admitting to Neil that she was concerned for her safety had been out of the question. After all, she didn't want him worrying more than he had to…and he had been a complete wreck once he realized just what kind of trouble she had gotten herself into.

But now that she was here, she realized that she needed something constructive to do other than worry about the what-ifs. But the never-ending urge to finish the article that got her into this mess in the first place remained with her. What would happen if she secretly continued to review and analyze the case facts? She just couldn't bear to let all of her months of researching and interviewing go to waste. And she wouldn't. Her business and personal writing journals were already unpacked and stacked high on the coffee table out in the main area. She couldn't wait to take them outside to sit and write for hours on end. But of course, she had to earn her stay here. She couldn't just lounge around like this was a vacation.

Cassie entered the smallest bedroom which had been used by Luke's niece as an office and filing room. She wondered just how much work was involved in being the Office Manager of a lodging business. Depending on the time commitment, she could easily split half of her day doing projects for Luke and the other half working on several half-finished articles. Even if she were only here for a week or two, that was enough time to complete a couple of her projects.

Just from the looks of things in the makeshift office space, Cassie could tell that Luke's niece was a very organized person. The exact opposite of herself. She wasn't exactly the messiest person in the world, but she'd never given a second thought to numbering and color-coding everything like Luke's niece had. An instruction booklet was conveniently laid out on the desk explaining where every record and every single supply was kept. Cassie could definitely jump right in where the daily responsibilities were concerned, but would she really be able to fill his niece's shoes? For the short amount of time she was here, she'd certainly do her best.

The next thing she found interesting about the office, as well as the interior of the cabin itself was all the photographs on the wall. They weren't the kind of photos one would find sitting on a shelf at the nearest retail chain store. Someone had taken these unique images and framed them. If the portraits of the mountains, woods, and the scenic lake were any indication of what she would see when she ventured out in her free time, she would probably never want to leave. The images were fuel to Cassie's writer's soul. There was a book of still photos lying out on a side table in the main area, and Cassie flipped through them. Some of the pictures were signed with the name "Nessa". She immediately recalled Neil and Luke referring to the niece as Nessa, so the pictures must have been taken by her.

Cassie found another photo book on a bookcase. Instead of photos of nature, this one had photos and illustrations of wolves resting, at play, running, and howling. They were beautiful wolves with furs in all shades of red, brown, and black. She silently wondered if Nessa's photographs were of natural wolves or of the shifters who were fabled to have roamed the valleys since before Cassie was born. If the latter were true, Nessa had captured each moment beautifully. Every photograph told a story. Every image delivered a message. Cassie got lost in trying to decode what each wolf's story was in every picture until she heard a motorcycle engine being revved up outside.

She dropped the photo book and ran over to stare out through the kitchen window in the direction of the noise. The smaller cabin that she was staying in was next to Luke's log cabin. Only a few trees and shrubs separated the two lots. From the kitchen window, she could see right in Luke's front yard. For a moment, she thought he'd revved up his own motorcycle and was heading out, but she was relieved to find Luke standing out in the front yard as his guest rode the motorcycle off the property. The man's helmet was already on, so Cassie didn't get to see his face.

Both Neil and Luke had said that there were permanent residents living out here, not just tourists. It was nice to know that she wouldn't be totally alone in the wilderness. She loved her alone time just as much as the next person, but she wasn't used to the complete silence she'd been faced with since they'd left her to unpack.

She lived on the first level of her apartment building, so she had gotten used to the sounds of people walking and stomping on the level above her, cars pulling in and out of the parking lot right in front of her unit, and the hum of the lawn mowers and leaf blowers whenever the landscapers came out. She had learned how to completely ignore all those nuisances. It was different out here. As evening approached, all she could hear was the sound of nature and the nightlife.

Luke hadn't gone back inside the house after the guy on the motorcycle left. He seemed to be fumbling around with something on his porch. He was shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans that fit him perfectly. She didn't know what had come over her, but her body temperature rose despite the great distance between them. Something about him sparked her curiosity. But of course, everything sparked her curiosity these days. She was observant because she had to be. Her job depended on it…and she loved her job. But this urge to close the distance between herself and Luke went beyond that.

Before she could change her mind, she pulled a light hoody over her tank top and pushed herself out into the calm evening breeze. A light chill folded across her bare legs reminding her that the temperatures out here weren't as mild as Aspen Valley. She probably should've packed more pants and dresses than shorts knowing how volatile the weather could be in the mountains.

Cassie hadn't even made it halfway across the backside of the yard yet when Luke stopped what he was doing to stare in her direction as if he'd sensed her coming before even seeing her. Knowing that his full, undivided attention was now on her as she approached his cabin, her legs felt like they were turning into putty.

Luke picked up a towel that was hanging on a banister and mopped it across his face. From where Cassie was, she couldn't make out the sweat on his skin. Only the perfection. And he seemed perfect in every way. She'd never told anyone this before, but after the very first time she'd seen Luke, she began imagining that her future husband would be just like him.

As Luke waited on the steps for her, he picked up a bottle of beer and lifted the bottle to his mouth. Although her heart was beating like hell, she couldn't drag her eyes off the rugged sight of him. The waistband of his pants fit loosely at his hips, where his hardened lower abs were accentuated well. A tattoo or some kind of distinct birthmark was partially hidden by his belt. Her nipples pebbled against the fabric of her blouse at the thought of what lie beneath his fly. If the noticeable bulge was any indication of his real size, then Mr. Luke Lombardi was surely packin'. Dear God, she couldn't remember the last time she had this type of reaction to a man.

When he licked his lips after taking a long swig and then fixed his amber colored gaze on her, she knew she was done for.

“Hey.”

That simple greeting and the sound of her voice had Luke tied in knots. He was so fucking mesmerized by everything about her. Dammit. He shouldn't feel this way. Not for Cassie. Not for his friend's sister. But he couldn't resist. He couldn't pretend he wasn't into her.

Ever since Neil had left his little sister on the premises, he'd fought the urge to have any kind of conversation with her because he knew there was no way around him losing his shit or his dick getting hard in the process.

Shit! This had been a bad idea. How was he going to keep his mind out of the gutter when she came to him looking like this?

He gulped down the last of his beer and tried to focus on something other than her tantalizing scent. She smelled like a thicket of honeysuckle flowers. He would give up everything he owned to lick the sweet nectar right off her body. Even the complexion of her skin reminded him of a jar of the purest honey.

"Hey yourself," he replied. She was so close he could almost taste her.

Cassie's smile was like a bright ray of sunlight. Her rose petal colored lips were full and plump. The little dainty shorts she had on wasn't even appropriate for this weather. Had she worn them to taunt him?

"Um…so I wanted to ask you something but I've completely forgotten what it was," she said, her dark lashes brushing the tops her cheeks.

She wasn't the only one who had completely forgotten the meaning of words. All he could do was look at her.

She assessed him with eyes that could have seduced any man to do her bidding. Suddenly, he felt unclean standing next to her perfection. Grease and dirt were spread across his chests, arms, and hands.

Cassie came up onto the porch with him, her painted nails gliding along the wood banister that he had just sanded yesterday in preparation of re-finishing the surface.

"Looks like you've been working really hard," she said, sitting down on the bench swing.

Her gaze moved away from the broken down generator lying on the porch up to his hands.

"Uh…yeah. You could say that." He grabbed the towel he'd used to wipe his sweat earlier and attempted to scrub the grease and oil from his hands. "I like to have a few of these on hand just in case we have a storm. I get guests that aren't too keen on spending their time here in the dark."

"Makes sense."

Her eyes dropped to his belt, or at least to what he thought was his belt. He hoped to God that she didn't notice the hard-on she caused.

"I noticed that you have a tattoo," she commented.

"Oh, that…" Luke breathed a sigh of relief. "It's actually not a tattoo. It's like a birthmark." He hooked his thumbs into his waistband and tugged his pants upward a bit to conceal the mating mark. Too bad he couldn't hide the fact that he was hard as fuck for her.

She swallowed hard and blushed noticeably. "Well, anyway…so is this what you do for a living now? Running this lodging business?"

Luke had never really thought of taking care of the family lodging business something he did for a living.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry," she said.

"No, it's fine. I took over the business when my brother passed away. He was always the businessman and I was the one who liked to build things, so yes, I run the business in addition to freelancing as an architect."

"Right. You and Neil graduated with the same degree. That's why you have all those building sketches all over your home."

He laughed. "I try not to let that part take over my whole life."

"I completely understand. I get teased a lot when I invite friends over and they ask when I'm going to open up my own library. I work on articles more than I read these days, though."

"Do your articles always involve stories of the dangerous sort?" he asked.

She pressed her lips together and narrowed her gaze. "Hmmm…well…kinda sorta. When I was little I always wanted to be a police detective like my dad, but then things happened and I had a change of heart, but I still love to solve a good puzzle."

"Let me guess? You love novels in the crime and mystery genre?"

She nodded. "Legal thrillers. Suspense. And a little fantasy."

"I didn't think you'd grow up to be the bookworm type," he commented.

"Well, why not?"

"Weren't you involved in your cheer and dance team plus modeling and all that stuff?"

"How'd you know that?"

"Your brother talked a lot about his family. He talks a lot period."

Cassie laughed. He hadn't noticed up until now, but she had small dimples on both cheeks.

"At least we can agree on that, but like I said, I grew up. I'm not a little innocent girl anymore. The death of my parents really changed my whole outlook on life," she said.

Luke frowned. "I can understand that."

"So what was it like raising your niece and nephew in your twenties? I mean, I can't imagine raising teenagers right now at this age. I'm a complete wreck as it is now and on a daily basis I wonder if I'm coming or going."

He shrugged. "It was hard at first, but they're my blood and it was my responsibility. If no one had taken them in, they would've been orphans. I became a parent quicker than I wanted to."

"I bet," she said. "Teenagers are rebellious."

"In the beginning, I tried to be more of a friend to them than a legal guardian. I had to set rules and boundaries that I had never followed myself. I thought I could never be the parent that my brother Avery was. I wasn't the responsible brother, and I got into all kinds of trouble while we were growing up. I guess it makes sense that our old man left the lodging business to Avery instead of me. I learned to respect my old man's decision, but only after the tragedy of my brother's death and realizing just how much work and dedication it required."

"Well, I think you're doing really well. Your business has been in numerous magazines and newspapers across the country for being a top spot for lodging," she told him. "And not to mention, you just sent two teenagers off to college. Two…at the same time."

He chuckled nervously. "I think they were more hesitant about leaving the nest than I was about letting them go."

Cassie smiled. "Then they must really look up to you."

"Who me?" he asked, jokingly.

"Before Neil graduated he told my parents that both of you had been contacted by the same firm with an employment offer. He was so excited about accepting and that he'd be moving on and working with his best friend. He's not too fond of change and he gets really anxious. He was a little discouraged when you turned down the offer."

"I did. The travel the company required would've been bad for the twins."

"You chose family over your career."

He nodded. "I knew there would be other opportunities. I don't regret turning down the job offer. I'm a free agent and I only accept the jobs that I'm most interested in."

"Sounds like the best of both worlds. Something smells really good," Cassie said, lifting her nose to the breeze.

"There's fresh trout grilling out back. Which reminds me…it's time to call it a day. I have a full schedule ahead of me tomorrow."

"If you're not too busy, I'm ready to start work. I looked through some of the instructions Nessa left behind."

"What about a tour of the property?" he asked. "I think that's what happens on the first day of any normal corporate job, right?"

"Sounds better than the online research I was going to do for an article. Just in case you haven't noticed yet, I don't have a car. I totaled mine about a month ago and was saving up a down payment for something else. I've been taking the bus in the meantime." She laughed. "And of course, the bus service doesn't exactly run through here."

"That's no problem. We get around just fine around here without buses. The trails are marked clearly. On any given day, there's always someone going into town for one thing or another.”

“Then that’s great,” she exclaimed.

"Alright…so uh…do you have any dinner plans, by any chance? I caught more than enough for both of us. I know you just got settled in and all and I…"

"I thought you'd never ask. Grilled trout sounds better than canned chicken noodle soup and I worked up quite an appetite putting all my stuff away."

"Well then…" He smiled. "Let me get cleaned up so we can eat."

”So how did you even get assigned that case in the first place?"

Cassie had just cleaned her plate. Dinner was delicious and not one edible morsel was left on her dish. They were seated at a patio table out on the back porch under the smoky orange evening sky. The warmth from the heated charcoals radiated from the grill toward her, keeping her comfortable and cozy even though the temperature had dropped. But she was least concerned with the weather and mostly intrigued by the man sitting across from her.

Her beer bottle was half empty and she took a couple sips before answering Luke.

"Well, I wanted to prove that I could handle a big story so I kind of asked for it. No one else wanted it because of all the work involved and I guess because they didn't care one way or another about what was happening to the shifters. Our State has a number of scandals going on at the moment and those are the stories my colleagues were trying to get their hands on. I knew the risk involved but I didn't think things would end up this way."

"The murders are becoming more frequent now. It's a serious issue," he said.

"Have you been following this case too?"

"Well…something like that. I hear a lot through word of mouth. Like you said, our community is closely knit."

She traced the sweat on the neck of the bottle. "I'm not really supposed to say much about it, but not one hour goes by that I don't think about what happened to me, you know? Yet still, I want nothing more than to finish what I started. My brother doesn't want to hear about it. He doesn't want me to have anything to do with it."

"He's just trying to keep you safe," Luke said. "That's what brothers do."

"Of course. You're the first person I've talked to about this since it happened. I was so close to finishing the story. Now that I'm off the case someone else at the station will likely get credit for it, which is okay really. All I wanted to do was to shed some light on the issue. It's like nobody, except for the shifters, was really paying any attention."

"That's probably because they didn't believe the murders affected them much. This is a local crime…or probably regional at this point."

"I just wish they would find this guy, that's all," Cassie said.

"You've done your part when you didn't have to," Luke said. "It's not your job to put your life on the line. Everything is being taken care of. I promise. Don't worry."

Cassie smiled. "I really enjoyed the dinner. Hopefully, before it's time for me leave, I can return the favor. I used to be the worst cook in the world until I stumbled across several YouTube channels on how to prepare meals. Now I can make a mean grilled cheese sandwich without screwing it up."

"Sounds like a plan."

A chorus of wolf howls broke out somewhere off into the distance. The impact of it and the resulting echoes throughout the forest made it seem as if the wolves were only meters away from Luke's backyard. A cold chill crept up Cassie's spine and goosebumps rose on her bare arms and legs.

She looked across the table, meeting Luke's gaze with uncertainty. His hands gripped the edge of the table and his back was stiffened. A look of turmoil crossed his face. It all just seemed so odd.

A flicker of a brighter amber color flashed within his irises. She leaned forward, her attention focused on his sudden change in demeanor, trying to decipher if he was afraid or just anxious. He tore his gaze away, looking out into the direction of the dense trees in his yard.

She looked out into the forest too but saw nothing. All she heard were the wolves howling. This time she realized that the frequency and pattern of the howls were becoming more distinct.

"Do you have a lot of wolves living out here in the mountains?" she asked, breaking the morbid silence.

"Yes, but they're harmless."

The wolves howled again but this time the sound came from different directions. Cassie was now certain that they were communicating with each other.

"It sounds like there are a lot of them. A group of them. Calling out to each other."

"It's a warning," Luke said.

"A warning about what? To whom? To each other?"

Luke nodded.

"How do you know that?"

"I just know," he said, quietly.

"Are they natural wolves or…?"

Luke didn't answer her question, but now that his full attention was on her, she saw that his lips were pressed firmly together and creases formed on his forehead, solidifying her earlier conclusion that he was dead worried about something.

"There are shifters living out here, aren't they?" she asked under her breath as if what she'd just discovered was some deep, dark secret that no one could uncover.

Luke rose from his chair. "Let's get you inside. It's getting cold out here."

She rose with him. "Shouldn't we clean up the food? Won't the wolves smell the food?"

"I'll take care of all that. Don't worry. And for the record, no one will be encroaching on this territory. Trust me," he said.

Without hesitation she trusted him. Coming from an upbringing that taught her never to trust strangers, this feeling seemed odd to her. But physically and emotionally, she felt this instant connection to him. The fact that he still had a worried look etched on his face as they filed into the cabin brought out those same fears in her. Plus, she was a little irritated that their dinner talk had ended. It felt like he was just beginning to open up to her. But there was always tomorrow and she had plans to make the best use of her time out here living in seclusion on this beautiful landscape next to the mountains. The presence of wolves didn't bother her, but Luke's reactions to the howling did.

“I’m sorry we had to cut this short, but I hope you at least enjoyed the food."

Luke stood under the door frame and Cassie had her back leaned against the door.

"I enjoyed every last bit. Thank you. I didn't mean to take up too much of your time, though."

"No worries. I could use some company every now and then."

"You mean you don't have anyone else out here…to talk to?"

"Of course I do. My neighbors. My guests."

She folded her arms across her chest and an innocent smile flashed across her face. "I meant like a girlfriend."

"Nope. Not a one. I've had zero time to mingle around the city."

"Earlier you said that you barely get out to visit the bars and nightclubs much, but who says you have to visit the city to find some company?" she asked.

He laughed. "You're onto something there, but why are you worried about me?"

"I was just wondering. A man who has his shit together, works hard, is extremely good-looking, and knows how to cook…I would say that's a plus in any woman's book."

"Too bad I'm not just looking for any woman."

Cassie narrowed her gaze. "So you're just being picky?"

He couldn't help but assess her from head to toe for a long minute. At this point, he wasn't even sure that he wanted to hide his blatant arousal anymore. She'd grown up a great deal since the last time he'd seen her. She carried a conversation at the dinner table like a person two times her age. She was well-educated, well-versed, and…well…she was perfect.

"I guess I am picky as hell when it comes to who I want in my bed."

She cleared her throat and shuffled around on the doormat a bit. "Well maybe if you step out of your comfort zone a little bit, you'll run into your future girlfriend or wife."

"And maybe I'll never have to step foot off of my property. Maybe she'll come to me."

"Picky, patient, and sure of himself," she said. "Before long, I'll have you figured out."

"Are you sure about that?"

"That's what I do. I didn't graduate from any fancy college or anything like that, but I like to think that I know how to dig deep to find out exactly what I need to about any person, place, or thing."

She was ambitious. Probably even fearless in her pursuits. And she wasn't afraid to gain knowledge no matter what the outcome was estimated to be, that was for damn sure. Her determination had already backfired once, but he was certain there were many other instances in which she succeeded.

"For the career you're in, that drive will come in handy."

"Sometimes my drive gets me in trouble too," she added.

"But you're working on staying safe, right? Stay inside tonight, will ya? We can start the tour early in the morning. Most of my guests checked in midweek and since tomorrow is Friday, it should be a slow day. "

Luke backed away from the door, putting some distance between them. But the scent of freshly bloomed honeysuckle flowers came with him. The innocent aura was driving him crazy.

"Goodnight," she said, and then she warned playfully, "Don't let the wolves bite."

He chuckled under his breath. "I'll try not to. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

She closed the door and secured both the lock, the bolt, and the chain making certain that she was safe inside. Although, he had meant what he said. No other wolf would dare encroach on his territory bringing threats. The safest place for Cassie to be at the moment was in that cabin. Neil was right to bring her. The trouble she'd gotten herself into wasn't her fault. The issue had become widespread.

A fellow wolf howled again in the distance, reminding Luke that it was his duty to appear when he was called. As a scout serving Dane, the Alpha of the Aspen Valley Wolf Pack, he had a duty to protect his Pack. The wolf calls that he and Cassie had heard earlier had been a forewarning and a call to strengthen protection around the Pack's borders.

Luke moved out, shielding himself behind the massive trunk and thick, bushy branches of an Oak tree, took off his clothes and hid the garments behind a rock. He shifted into his wolf form seamlessly and quickly. When he had all four paws on the ground, he tilted his face up toward the moon and replied with his own unique howl. He started off, racing through the woods toward his fellow scouts, hoping that the meeting hadn't started without him.

“It’s about time you got here, Luke," Grim commented as soon as a stark-naked Luke entered the barn.

Grim Nathaniel was the current leader the of the Aspen Valley wolf scouts. He took orders from the Pack Alpha Dane Magnus and was put in charge of rounding up more than a dozen wolf scouts at any given time. With Nathaniel looking to retire in a couple years, Dane had already approached Luke a few times about stepping up in the role. Only that would add a third major responsibility to his current list with the twins and his business being a top priority.

"Thanks for waiting. I have a personal guest who was visiting me when I heard the call," Luke said.

On instinct, he moved toward a chest that held some extra clothes. He'd done some work here for Grim before, so he always kept clothes stashed here just in case he ever ruined his clothes during a shift. The barn was also the one place that the scouts could hold uninterrupted meetings as a group.

Luke fished out a t-shirt and pants and pulled them on. Looking around him, he realized that only eight scouts were present tonight. Their next regularly scheduled meeting wasn't until the following week so the call to meet had been a little unexpected.

"Well don't you always have guests?" Patrick, a fellow scout, inquired. He pushed off a wall, dropping his cigarette to the ground and squashing it with the toe of his boot.

"I'm still in business, but she's different. I'm looking after her for a friend."

"She?" Patrick grinned. "I get it now. I can tell when a man has got fresh pussy waiting on him. No wonder you were late."

"It's not like that," Luke grumbled. "Her brother is a good friend of mine."

"Uh-huh," Patrick replied, skeptically. "We all know where you'd rather be."

"Enough about me. That call was pretty sudden. What's going on?" Luke asked.

"More murders. We have reports of almost two or three shootings in almost every county east of Aspen Valley. At the rate this is going, and if it doesn't stop, these killers could wipe out a whole Pack if they wanted to," Grim said.

"What have the cops been saying about this?" Luke asked. "I presume nothing since the killer is still at large."

"They're saying the evidence doesn't add up and that none of the crimes can be linked. They claim these are random incidents. Even though the killer has been cornering stray, rogue wolves, we know better."

"Of course we do," a shifter named Frederic offered from across the barn. "This is another ploy to chase us out of the area…maybe even annihilate us all."

Grim pounded his fist down onto a makeshift table. "We won't stand for it. As a Pack, we're now taking matters into our own hands. A dozen other surrounding Packs are doing the same too. The Alpha and I had a long talk this afternoon and he's given us scouts the responsibility of bringing down anyone and anything threatening our livelihood. We can't wait for the police on this one or we'll all be shot dead when we least expect it. Our murders have been swept under the rug. Our coroner has two dead shifters at his station now. He found the cause of death to be gunshot wounds. However, the murderer tried to cover it up by throwing the carcass out onto busy highways where the bodies were rolled over a whole bunch of times. They were labeled roadkill until Coroner Jack picked them up."

As Grim continued to hash out the details and discuss strategies, Luke's mind kept drifting to Cassie and not just because she'd been the center of his attention since she arrived but because of the incident that drove her to seek the safety of the mountains. He had no doubt that the two crimes were linked even though the cops were saying these were random occurrences not necessarily carried out by one person or group.

What if Cassie really was onto something? What if she had gotten so close to finding out who was causing such fear among the wolf community that she'd rattled fear in the perpetrator himself?

It was possible that Cassie had encountered clues that no one else could…or perhaps, no one else dared to pursue. Before bringing the story to his fellow scouts, he had to be certain that the facts added up. But would Cassie be willing to revisit her research and share her findings? By doing so, would it trigger the bad memories that caused her to hide in the valley to begin with?

“Did you have a good breakfast?" Luke asked as Cassie pulled the door to the cabin close and locked it.

"Lots of oatmeal and fruit," she replied. "Plus the chocolate candy bar I forgot to eat yesterday on the car ride here."

Luke grinned. "Sounds good, but we'll wrap up a bit early right before lunch. I'll show you where the market is. They have a small restaurant there and Pat owns the grocery store. She can pretty much order just about anything so if you need something over the next couple weeks, let her know."

"I'm pretty stocked up for now. As far as food, I kind of put myself on a diet."

"Why?" he asked, narrowing his gaze.

"Well look at me."

"I am looking at you," he said.

It seemed like his eyes undressed her as he made his point by staring long and hard.

She blushed and gestured toward her hips.

"I gained like ten pounds these past few months, just in case you haven't noticed.

They walked down the path to his work truck.

"I haven't noticed," he told her. "A little advice: Don't diet. You're perfect. And by the way, once we make our rounds this morning, you'll have worked off that chocolate bar…and the breakfast. I guarantee it."

"Then let's get started."

They reached his truck where he opened the door for her. He took the mini cooler that stored some drinks and snacks and pushed it toward the center of the seat and then gestured for her to get inside. When she swung her bare legs into the truck, she didn't miss his lingering look on her thighs. The tiny shorts and fitted tee she wore weren't exactly secretary or office help type of attire.

"There were reports of the weather being in the mid-eighties today," she noted.

He tore his gaze away and cleared his throat. "That's okay. I want you to be comfortable."

Luke pushed the door close and walked around the front of the truck to get to the driver's side. Cassie admired his manly, sexy gait. His trimmed beard made him look older than his years and a little rugged. She loved it. Even though he was ten years older than her he carried himself better than the guys she was used to dating back in Aspen Valley. Luke was nothing like the young men fresh out of grad school that would say anything to get her in bed with them. He didn't have to say anything at all.

Something had been missing from Cassie's love life for a long time. She hadn't quite pinpointed it before, but now she was almost certain what it was. More responsible men like Luke who had a bit of mystery surrounding them. Men had become too predictable these days and that was boring. Why would she settle for the rich playboy who had already bedded every woman in town when she had access to a rugged mountain man who was both seasoned in age and experience?

Even if she could experience what it was like to be with an older man for just one night, she'd be satisfied enough to come to her own conclusion. Was she just not interested in men or was she just being choosy? Funny…just last night she'd teased Luke about being picky when it came to his dating life, but she'd been doing the same.

Luke slid into the driver's seat and started up the engine. He looked at her and grinned. "Ready? We've got a lot of ground to cover."

"I'm excited. I brought my journals and everything," she said, pointing to the small satchel next to her feet.

Luke laughed. "I wouldn't expect anything less from a journalist."

”Does all this land belong to you?" Cassie asked as she sat on the back of Luke's truck. As she'd requested, they'd stopped next to a lake so she could snap a few pictures of the scenery.

"Just about. There are three main landowners out here. The Nathaniels, the Landers, and the Lombardis. My eldest brother and I split my dad's estate fifty-fifty shortly before he passed away. And then when my brother died in the house fire, the twins got his share."

"So the family lodging business was being run by your brother before he died?

Luke nodded. "For the most part, my brother was the brains behind why we became so profitable."

"But I thought you were the one in charge of building and renovating the new model cabins. And keeping things running."

"I was. I guess you can say we equally transformed it into what it is today."

It seemed like he wanted to say more, but he remained quiet after that. Instead, he leaned against the side of the truck, looking out at the lake.

"Do you miss him?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah, I do…after all these years. I looked to him for guidance but he used to claim I never listened to him. But I was listening. More than he'll ever know. I should have gotten over his death by now."

"I understand. Trust me. I know what it's like. Like with my parents being gone, I want to move on but the void still exists. Not just a physical void but the emotional ones they used to fill when they were here."

"Yes, my sentiments exactly."

Cassie drew in a deep breath, pulled her legs up toward her, and then rested her chin on one knee. "It's so beautiful out here. I could stay all day and do nothing but daydream and write."

"It's certainly peaceful, that's for sure, especially if you park yourself right under that big oak tree in the shade. You might see a wolf or two out here jumping in and out of the lake trying to catch lunch but you won't find any aggressive wolves out here. This stretch of land was deemed a non-hunting zone by the State decades ago. Which is why it's so peaceful."

"So I've been told. And according to my research, this is why the camping grounds come highly recommended in several regional magazines. Not all areas with wolves living about can get a recommendation like that," she said.

Luke nodded. "That's mostly what keeps Lombardi Lodging in business. Along with the help of my neighbors, we plan to keep this a danger-free zone."

"About last night…" she started.

He turned to her, his eyebrows drawn together in concentration. "What about it?"

"You never answered me. Are the wolves harmless because they're natural wolves or shifters?"

"Most wolves are harmless. The same can be said about most humans."

"Aspen Valley is full of shifters. What about here? Do shifters live out here? You would know if they did, right?" she questioned him.

When he didn't answer right away, she continued, "You've been living out here your whole life. While you were giving me the tour, I saw several homes that looked like permanent residences with kids playing in the front yard."

"It's not my place to tell which families are shifter-kind or not. That's forbidden actually."

"Forbidden by who?"

"The Pack."

"Do you know a lot about the Packs that live around here?"

"Pack," he corrected. "As in one wolf pack."

"So that means this one wolf pack that lives out here either consists of natural wolves or shifters," she concluded. "Right?"

Luke chuckled under his breath. "Neil used to tell me that you had your dad's personality and his talent for digging for the right answers. He was absolutely right."

"He said I had talent? That's a first." Cassie smiled. "Once I started doing research about these murders, I realized that I wanted to do more research on the shifters themselves. Their history. How they thrived before they were ever discovered. I think it's so fascinating."

At that moment, Luke's cell phone rang. He fished it out of his back pocket and appeared to contemplate about answering the phone.

"Excuse me for a moment. I've gotta take this one."

Cassie nodded, fully understanding that he'd spent a good chunk of the morning with her when he could have easily left her in the office cabin by herself thumbing through the instruction log his niece left.

Luke's voice drifted off as he moved away from the truck, inch by inch. She had a couple weeks to get to know Luke, but his retreating back told her that he had more important things to do than taking her on tours of the property or listening to her ramblings about shifters. What she did know about him was that he liked drawing structures and repairing things. Maybe if she switched the conversation up a bit and away from shifters in general, she'd learn a whole lot more about him.

When he turned around and came back toward the truck, Cassie anticipated what he would say by the worried look on his face. The look was almost the same as the one he sported yesterday when the wolves howled out into the night in warning.

"I hate to do this…but something happened at one of my cabins and I need to get out there stat."

Cassie frowned. "Well, what happened? Is there anything I can do?"

She slid off the truck and landed on her feet, dusting off the back of her shorts with her palms.

He shook his head. "A garbage disposal unit malfunctioned. My guests say it's been like that for two days. I should fix the problem now before they try and shove any more food down inside. It shouldn't take but a few hours. And maybe we can do an early dinner instead of lunch."

"Okay." She grinned. "I'll make the grilled cheese and you grill the fish."

He smiled, nodding as he held the door open for her.

Once Luke was seated and backing the truck out onto the dirt road, Cassie glanced down at her watch. It wasn't even noon yet, but it felt like she'd spent an eternity with Luke.

"I have a few more hours on the clock. I'll work on some office stuff in the meantime," she mentioned on the way to the cabin.

"Don't work too hard. We got a lot accomplished today with you learning about how I operate things," he said.

When they reached the cabin, Luke made sure that she was inside. He almost looked hesitant about leaving her, casting an unresolved and longing look in her direction when he set down the small cooler near the foyer. Nonetheless, he left her and drove off to take care of his business, leaving her to ponder why she had a burning need to remain at his side.

Cassie had dedicated a few more hours to the Lombardi lodging business after Luke dropped her off. With a little music playing in the background and her mind drifting off to memories of a shirtless and toned Luke, the time had passed quickly.

By the time she got done with the project she was working on, Luke still hadn't called or indicated that their dinner plans were still on. She hoped it was true what they said: no news meant good news. He could've been so caught up in his work that he hadn't even realized that dusk was settling in. Or maybe he'd forgotten about what they had planned. Her belly wouldn't and couldn't wait on any man, so Cassie had managed to get in a quick, light lunch right after a half hour of yoga. But after yoga, there was still no word from Luke, so she had treated herself to a much needed hot shower.

Even now, she nibbled on her bottom lip as she dried her hair wondering if she should be worried about him not showing. Looking out through the back window at his front yard, she could confirm that he wasn't home yet. Or at least it looked that way.

Get a grip! Stop feigning for this man.

You're clearly too young to get his attention like that. He only thinks of you as his friend's innocent kid sister.

He doesn't have time for you…he has a business to run.

The little voices in Cassie's head persisted, creating more doubt than promise.

Sighing, Cassie grabbed a wide-tooth comb, plopped down on the sofa and began untangling her damp, curly hair. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed that her cell phone's message indicator was flashing. Sure enough, when she checked the voicemail, there was a message waiting for her from Luke.

"Hey, it's Luke. I'm out on the porch. With the food. I know it's kind of late. I don't blame you for not answering. Um…I'll come by tomorrow before I head out to do my morning property checks."

"Ugh," Cassie grumbled. When had he come by? She didn't hear anyone knock or anything. She replayed the message and this time she checked the time. Coincidentally, she'd been in the shower the same time he'd been standing on her porch with the food.

She didn't want him to think that she hadn't answered the door on purpose, so she ignored the time and called him back. Surprisingly, she didn't have to leave a message. He answered on the first ring.

"Cassie," he greeted.

"Hi. I missed your call and the knock at the door."

"That's okay. It was later than I realized."

"I did some yoga earlier so I must have been in the shower. You could've just come right in. You have a key, right?" she asked.

There was a pause. "I didn't want to invade your privacy or your space. After all, that is your temporary residence. I would never just use a key to barge in without your permission."

Cassie smiled into the phone, admiring his thoughtfulness. "Well, you have my permission. My brother trusts you. I trust you. It goes both ways. You and I…we're cool, right?"

"Yeah."

"Plus if you ever have extra food, I wouldn't want to miss out," she added. "By all means, do barge in with food."

Luke chuckled. "Don't worry. Won't happen again."

"Um…I was expecting to finish our chat and stuff. Can you still come by?" Cassie blushed. Heat raced up and down her arms. Her request that he come back by surprised the heck out of her. When had she ever been this straightforward with a man?

"With the food, you mean?" he asked.

"Doesn't have to be with food." She bit her bottom lip and then added, "Just yourself is fine."

Next came a long pause and shallow breathing on the other end.

Cassie thought he'd decline until she heard the sound of keys jangling on the other end of the line.

"I'm walking over now."

“I didn’t see your truck out back earlier," Cassie said.

They were both seated on the couch, each with a beer in hand, and winding down for the night.

"Sometimes I run home," Luke said, appearing to be in a daze and focused on her hair.

She had French-braided her hair quickly after Luke had accepted her offer to come over, so it must have looked a mess.

"I know my hair is one curly mess," she said. "But my stylist is miles away from this place, so bear with me."

He grinned. "I wasn't thinking that your hair was a curly mess. I was thinking that you have the most beautiful hair I've ever seen. And it's been like that since I first saw you."

"I didn't always love my hair. It used to take my mom over an hour to wash, detangle, and blow dry it back then. Thank God I was paying attention when she did it. I've been wanting to cut this thick mane into a short bob for years now."

"Don't," he said almost too quickly. "I mean, I like your hair this way."

"Thank you. I didn't know you were a runner," she said.

"Well, I'm not officially a runner. I prefer getting around on my own feet rather than the truck. Sometimes it’s faster. But when I need my tools, I take my truck."

"Did you get the garbage disposal fixed?"

"Sure did. It took less than thirty minutes. Luckily, I was able to free the bottle caps stuck inside and get it running again."

"Bottle caps? Wow, that's certainly not a food item."

"Tell me about it." Luke shrugged. "It happens though. I don't think they did it intentionally. They're a bunch of college seniors just having a good time is all."

"Ohhh." Cassie rolled her eyes. "I hope you fished out their brains too because clearly, they left those behind at the college campus if they were throwing bottle caps down the drain."

Luke laughed. "I think they left their brains on the campus intentionally."

"Must be nice. I'm glad those days are behind me now. You must be exhausted," she said. "You know, if there's anything else you need me to do around here besides filing paperwork let me know. I'm handy with tools too. I have my dad to thank for that. And plus my brother and I couldn't always afford a repairman when things broke down in the house so I binged on YouTube a lot."

Luke grinned. "The best way to learn is by doing. I do this all the time. It's just the routine…not exhausting. I ran into my neighbor Mrs. Lee on the way back which is why I was late. She had a list of stuff for me to fix. I didn't want to leave her out in the dark with a broken porch lamp, so I went ahead and took care of it for her along with the other things she insisted was urgent. I was praying that you wouldn't get mad or anything."

"Of course I wouldn't get mad. Not at all. That's so sweet of you to make sure she's not in the dark."

"She's a widow who's been living out here for the past decade or so. She used to help me take care of Nessa and Henry when I had to leave out of town on business. Plus I get most of my vegetables straight from her garden. It's a win-win."

"You have a really closely knit community here. I'm beginning to see why it's so safe out here."

Luke nodded. "I keep telling myself that once my niece and nephew are old enough to make a decision about what to do with this business, I'd hand everything over to them and head out west. But I don't think I could do it. I'd be leaving too much behind."

"I'm sure everyone you know would miss you."

"Maybe." Luke sighed and leaned back, resting his arm on the back of the sofa. "I've been meaning to ask you more about the research you did on the murders."

She curled her feet up under her and gave Luke her full attention.

"I don't want to press the issue too much so if you'd prefer not to talk, I would understand," he said.

"No, it's fine. I want to talk. It's just that no one seems to want me involved in any of it, is all. I was kind of used to keeping it all to myself."

"And I agree with that one hundred percent. You need to stay uninvolved with this. Your safety is important. Remember when you questioned me about shifters and about if they lived here?"

"I do."

"You were right. There aren't any natural wolves here. Only shifters. I…uh…" He cleared his throat. "I've known the Alpha of the Aspen Valley Pack for years. As you'd guess, he wants to nail the killer just as much as anyone else."

"Killers," Cassie corrected.

Luke looked at her questioningly.

"Killers…," she repeated. "As in more than one of them. The threatening note that was left in my apartment stated quote if you don't like how we protest, get out of town unquote.

"That only confirms the Pack's suspicions about a group being lead by one or two powerful individuals," Luke replied.

"What did you want to ask me about my research?"

"Didn't you mention that you were close to connecting the murders to someone or something?"

She nodded. "At first I didn't think the connection was legit, but after the threat, I'm almost certain there's some validity in what I found."

"That's interesting. We've been trying to connect the dots for months." His arm came down off the back of the sofa and he scooted to the edge of his seat. "What did you find?"

Cassie looked toward the door as if one of the investigators who told her to lay off the case would barge through at any moment to witness her reneging on the deal. She wasn't supposed to be speaking to anyone about this.

It could jeopardize the investigation…

You don't know who's in on it…

This isn't your job. We're trained professionals. Let us do our jobs…

She could hear them now as she tried to get it through their thick skulls that her research was legit. That she just wasn't some stupid girl trying to fill her dead father's boots.

But she trusted Luke like her own brother. And it meant the world to her that Neil and Luke were on very good terms with each other.

She exhaled, pushing aside all her reservations and then asked, "Have you ever heard of Midway Industries?"

"I have…"

"Several months ago, this company and a few others were behind the eminent domain agenda that was the talk of this town. Some were opposed to this idea because they didn't want big corporations setting up shop in Aspen Valley and putting all the little guys out of business. And others supported the agenda because they saw this as a chance to decrease the unemployment rate," she said. "I read into it a little further and realized that most of the lots that were marked for the eminent domain process were areas known to be populated by shifter families. Some of the areas were even deemed as deserted or uninhabited by humans, but the reports failed to mention the presence of shifters on the land."

"Yes, that's correct."

Luke seemed in awe of just how much information she possessed on the subject. She had to admit that she'd taken the research far but if she hadn't done so, she never would have made the break in the case.

"I was curious about why a public company like Midway Industries would choose a town like Aspen Valley to further expand their operations. Gaining a hundred or so acres of land here and there throughout the county and surrounding areas didn't seem like it was going to boost the company's bottom line any higher than it already was. I was stuck and dumbfounded. My colleagues were turning in their news articles left and right, but I was just stuck on this one story…spending so much time on it. To keep my job, I pushed it to the backburner for the longest until a guy in my department asked me to read something he had written for the newspaper. It was about how Teddy Ammo & Sons, one of the oldest privately owned companies in Aspen Valley, prematurely shut down all manufacturing activities. Mind you, this shutdown happened just under a month after Teddy Ammo miraculously pulled themselves out of bankruptcy. Why climb out of bankruptcy if you're going to shut down anyway? Something wasn't adding up." She shook her head. "According to my colleague's article, Teddy Ammo was literally on the brink of total destruction until a private investor swooped in and saved them. Then, after getting out of the bankruptcy and restructuring, the company was able to temporarily save face by ensuring that no one would lose their jobs. Well, what he failed to mention in his article was that Teddy Ammo cried poor once again around the time the eminent domain proceedings were halted—and that's when they shut down."

"Teddy Ammo & Sons…," Luke exclaimed, quietly. "I vaguely remember them being a major player in every state and county election."

"With their industry being regulated so heavily, I'm willing to bet they would put money behind any candidate they wanted to win. But I believe these murders have more to do with gaining power and money than with politics," she offered. "I found out who the last investigator was on the case involving the shifter murders. His sixty-year-old dad used to work for Teddy Ammo. It turned out that the investigator was working to get the case closed claiming that there was insufficient evidence to prove that any of the shifter deaths were connected. Luckily, he was fired for inappropriate conduct on government property before his last push to get the case closed. I can't really confirm since my research was cut short, but I'm willing to bet that someone—a lot of someones have been taking their anger out on shifters and retaliating against them."

"And the timing is right. The first set of murders started happening right around the time the County started pushing for eminent domain after land owners wouldn't sell."

"Right," Cassie agreed. "The way I see it, the killers had anticipated that they'd most likely have to eliminate some threats to reduce opposition…which goes back to the documents I found that proved that every lot held up in the eminent domain proceedings were deemed shifter territory. I think this is a case of premeditated systematic execution of the shifter population in Aspen Valley and surrounding areas simply because they were on the land and would not move."

"You're brilliant, you know that."

"Why thank you. No one has told me that since…well…my dad died."

"That's unfortunate. You should be reminded of this every day. You could be a private investigator if you wanted to.”

She shrugged. “I’m not that good.”

“Yes…you are,” he urged.

"I'm just glad that my research might help the new investigator. If it took some lunatic scaring the shit out of me for people to pay attention and to get more eyes on the case, I can truly say that I did my job. When I took the case, I expected validation from my boss once I cracked it, but as I got further into my research, I knew that this couldn't just be about validation. This was a serious matter. Innocent lives were being lost and shifters were gunned down for no reason."

"And someone is covering something up. You've stated all the facts clearly. If you were able to access this level of information as a journalist, why couldn't these investigators do the same?"

A strange ominous feeling hung over Cassie and she experienced a sharp pang of anxiety deep in the pit of her stomach.

"I think the shifters should know about this. Maybe this was what I was meant to do all along. If someone higher up is covering something up about these murders, that's not good at all." She leaned in and grasped him by the forearm eagerly. "You know the Alpha of this pack, right? Can you convince him to speak with me?"

Luke looked downward at something on the couch, avoiding her gaze. He almost looked remorseful and unsure.

"If you can't do that because of this code or whatever then maybe you can get the message to him for me."

"It's not that, Cassie," he said, finally looking up to meet her gaze. "The Alpha isn't the one concealing his true nature."

His enchanting eyes nearly hypnotized her as peered into them. Now that she was so close to him with not even an inch to spare, his irises appeared more golden than brown. The shape of his eyes changed, widening and then narrowing as he stared at her with discord swirling in them. Something was different about him now. She sensed it, yet she was too distracted by the rising heat between them to further speculate.

"Then what is it?" she asked.

He wanted to tell her something. She had conducted far too many interviews to know when someone was holding back something.

"It's nothing," he said. "I haven't talked to the Alpha in months, but I'll take you to him. I agree. He needs to hear this from the source itself."

”So what did he say?" Cassie asked, flipping the grilled cheese sandwich over in the pan.

"His voicemail said that he was currently out of town on business," Luke said.

He bent his head under the door frame to enter the galley kitchen. He practically filled the small space with his thick shoulders and broad build.

"He generally calls back within the hour. If push comes to shove, I can always give one of his brothers a ring. They usually know where he's at."

"He sounds like a busy man," she said, scooping up the sandwiches with a spatula and putting them on plates.

"Just like you said. Being the Alpha of the Pack is sort of like being the Mayor of the Town of Aspen Valley."

When she tossed the spatula and pan inside the soapy dish water, he gently grabbed her forearm. "I want to thank you for wanting to do this. It means a lot to me and I'm sure it'll mean a lot to our Alpha as well."

She swallowed, focusing on his eyes and on the statement he just made.

"I want to do it because I feel this is the right thing to do. If the cops of Aspen Valley can't or won't, perhaps the shifters of Aspen Valley will…with the right information."

Luke closed the distance between them. Virtually nothing was stopping them from coming together. Attraction sizzled in the air around them and the blinding heat between them seemed to draw them closer.

"I always thought you had the most perfect set of lips," he whispered. "Even now, they're the most beautiful I've ever seen."

She blushed. "I always wondered what happened to you after the graduation. I imagined that you were living the perfect life with the perfect wife. I was so sure of it. All I could do was hope that I could replicate a real life based on what I imagined for you. Too bad my happily ever after hasn't come true."

"It will," he reassured her.

"The chances seem slim. Most of the women I went to high school with are already engaged or married with kids. Maybe I'll be waiting forever. Maybe I'm only deserving of temporary happiness, " she said.

"And maybe your perfect guy hasn't yet revealed himself," he added.

Cassie didn't know what came over her. She only gave herself up to the moment. She pulled herself up on her toes, grabbed hold of both of his forearms with her hands, and kissed him. A hot surge of electricity shot up through her spine and fanned out across her body. Their lips parted slightly and she reveled in the gentle, but needy way in which he kissed her back. She was swooning, for sure, until he wrapped his big arms around her and held her to him.

It wasn't long before he took control, sliding his tongue against the seam of her lips and then further still until their tongues were entwined as they embraced. He was a great kisser. Very attentive and very thorough.

She pressed her breasts to his chest and slipped a thigh between his strong legs. She heard a deep rumble—a mix between a growl and a moan—erupt from him. The sound of it caused her nipples to pebble instantly.

When she parted a moment to catch her breath, he caught her by surprise by backing her up swiftly and pushing her back against the wall. When his moist lips connected with the delicate skin on her throat, she moaned wantonly. She pulled on the collar of his shirt and gripped the back of his neck, pulling him securely to her body.

He sucked and licked at her neck until she was trembling and writhing against him, practically begging for more. His beard felt surprisingly soft as it rubbed against her skin. Almost like downy smooth fur. His lips were agile and cool against her as he worked to caress and please her. Something tingled along her collarbone—in the exact same spot where he focused most of his attention.

"Oh God…Luke."

He growled into her throat, lapping at the throbbing vein on her neck.

"I was right," he moaned. "You taste like honeysuckles."

"Mmmm," she moaned, closing her eyes and relishing in the way he made love to her lips, face, neck, and throat by showering kisses all over her and using his gentle tongue to stroke and taste.

His cock was big and hard against her. She wanted to do nothing more than yank those pants down his hips and see all of him in the flesh. Her fingers slid under the seam of his belt and along his lower abdomen before swooping lower. His muscles were taut and hard as a rock against her roving hands.

Suddenly, he broke the kiss and took a couple steps back. A chill swept in between them to fill the void, but her body still craved him like a raging hunger.

"I can't. We can't. You're Neil's little si—”

"Don't say it." She held up her hand. "Don't use that as an excuse. I want this. I kissed you because I want you.”

He swallowed visibly and parted his lips. That's when she saw a flash of something long and sharp that couldn't have been regular teeth. Fangs? Canines? They looked oddly out of place.

Cassie stepped forward, taking a closer look.

She placed her hand on the side of his face and he pressed his cheek against her palm and then turned his face inside, breathing in and out deeply.

"You want this too, don't you?"

His only reply was a low, deep growl of confirmation. The feral reaction sent warm chills up her spine. She wanted to embrace him again. She wanted him to hold her tightly and kiss her all night long.

He opened his eyes and caught her gaze. "Yes, I do. I think about you…I know I shouldn't."

At that moment, she saw an image of them on his bed in the throes of passion. She wanted him badly. The sight of his canines slightly piercing the skin on his bottom lip made her think of his thick, hard cock plunging into her pussy.

"Your teeth…Luke. Your teeth are different."

His aroused expression faded, turning into one of shock and revelation. He covered his mouth with his palm and looked away.

"I shouldn't have," he commented. "I'm going to leave now, Cassie. You're not here for me to ruin. I'm certain of that."

"But—”

"Please Cassie. Don't make me break my promise to your brother."

Her shoulders slumped and she frowned as she watched him rush off toward the door. He opened the door and before passing through it, he gave her one last lingering long look before shutting himself out and leaving her behind. Wanting. Needing.

She had suspected something was different about him before. Now she knew the truth. She was her father daughter's, who had been one of the best detectives in the state of Tennessee before he and the love of his life perished in a plane crash. He'd taught her to pick up on subtle, hidden clues well. And the truth didn't bother her. Didn't scare her. She already knew the man inside was more honorable than any other man she'd ever met. That's what mattered.

Luke Lombardi was a shifter.

She wanted him with the passion of a thousand burning suns.

Cassie's fingers went to her bruised lips and then trailed down to the spot right over her collarbone where he had paid the most attention. She concluded that he had kissed her so firmly there that he'd left a lasting mark on her skin. There was no pain. Just a sweet sensation which would remind her that Luke had once touched her the way she'd wanted him to.

Luke chugged down a glass of water, splashed ice cold water on his face, walked back and forth in his home, and started working on some sketches.

He did almost any and everything to keep from following his instincts and running back to the cabin to claim…what was his.

Cassie Grey was his. There was no doubt in his mind. Even his wolf rose up against his skin fighting against him to break free. The mating mark on his lower waist burned hot. That had never happened to him. He knew the legends. He'd talked to dozens of mated shifters, even his doctors. The mark that every shifter was born with flamed brightly every time one was in the presence of a true mate. There was no denying that this was the case. He'd suspected it before when the birthmark started bothering him the day Cassie and her brother showed up.

The mark wasn't the only thing bothering him. He was so hard up for Cassie that he couldn't even contain himself or think rationally. If he went back over there now, he was afraid he'd hurt her, fuck her so hard that she'd probably run off and never return.

So he did the only thing that could eliminate his raging hard-on if only for the night. He disrobed, jumped in the shower, turned the faucet on ice cold, and let the water cascade down over him as he stroked his cock over and over again. He gripped his shaft hard, pumping long and twisting upward until his nutsack tightened and filled with his seed. He would rather be pumping between Cassie's creamy thighs with his cock driving balls deep into her.

Luke couldn't get Cassie out of his mind. Her face. Her kissable lips. Her soft fingers as they slipped under his belt. He imagined that her pussy tasted just like the fresh honeysuckle flowers she smelled like. He'd give anything to bend her over the table and eat her pussy for breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner, and supper. She needed punishing for the way she'd teased him. He wanted to squeeze and slap her plump little ass and watch it shake and jiggle as he fucked her long and hard from behind.

"Shit!"

Luke's orgasm surged violently through him. The force of his release sent loads of cum shooting out in the shower. There was so much semen, he could have painted the walls with it. He pumped himself dry, fully expecting the images of sexy ass Cassie to disappear from him. He was a fool. He could never get Cassie out of his mind. Not now. Not after he knew what she meant to him. Not after she'd admitted to wanting him just as much as he wanted her.

He leaned back against the shower wall and panted, trying to think of some type of solution to honor Neil's promise to keep his sister safe and untouched but at the same time making Cassie happy too. Could he do both? Would he have to choose? He couldn't fuckin' think. All he saw were pretty brown eyes staring at him and Cassie begging him to fuck her.

Cassie closed her eyes and breathed inward, curled back into a child's pose stretch, and then exhaled long and deep. The tranquil music filled the small interior of the cabin as she pushed through the last fifteen minutes of a yoga workout. Her muscles were relaxed, and the negative tension was non-existent. The windows were propped open and crisp mountain breeze blew inward and against her bare skin.

The yoga workout was only meant to aid as a distraction to what was really going on with her body. Last night had been rough for her. She couldn't believe how tempting it was to offer herself to Luke. Hell, she still craved his touch. She had tossed and turned all night in bed with nothing but arousal pulsing between her legs and the "love mark" heating up on her skin.

She continued the workout routine until someone knocked on the door of the cabin. It didn't take long for Cassie to guess who was at the door. She hadn't been expecting Luke's presence this early. He had called earlier that morning, claiming he needed to run an errand up the road. She had wondered all afternoon if that had only been an excuse because he wanted to avoid another episode of what had happened last night. She didn't know if she should be mortified of him seeing her sweaty and overworked or if she should be thankful that she wouldn't miss his visit this time.

"Luke, is that you?" she yelled out over the music and toward an open window.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Come on in," she instructed, and then raised her hands upward to give her forearms a good stretch.

"It's locked," he yelled back.

Cassie chuckled. "Don't act like you don't have a key."

She heard him turning a key in the lock at the same time she grabbed a towel. After lifting herself up on her feet, she met him in the foyer. She dabbed at her damp skin and pushed some stray curls back from her forehead.

His mouth was slightly open as he assessed her from head to toe. "Wh-what have you been doing?"

"What does it look like? I was exercising. Why else would I be sweating?"

He closed the door and dropped his keys on a console table. "When I talked to you earlier you said were going to be working on an article today. By the way, people do sweat from doing other things besides exercising."

"Well the place is virtually spotless thanks to the excellent cleaning company you have, so I wasn't cleaning. And I don't have a boyfriend and a certain someone ran off last night, so I wasn't exactly having sex—which is unfortunate. What else is there?"

She threw him a teasing grin.

The beginnings of a smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. "You have a whole lot of sass for being such an innocent, petite lady."

"I'm not always innocent. Only when I want to be."

"And how's that working out for you?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I tend to get what I want most days…except for last night." She threw him another accusing look before saying, "Oh! I wanted to ask you something." She dashed over to the office desk where she was looking over some files earlier that morning. As she shuffled through a small box labeled lost and found items, she asked, "Any word on if your Alpha will meet with me?"

"That's one reason why I stopped by. He wants to meet you," Luke said with a nervous expression settling over his face as he watched her shuffle through the box.

"Good. I hope I won't be too much of an inconvenience."

"No. Not at all." Luke shook his head. "Believe it or not, you could be the key to saving a whole lot of shifters."

"I hope so." She scooped some items out of the box to move her search along faster. "What else did you stop by for?"

"Oh yeah…I tried calling your brother but he must be stuck in meetings or something. I met the roofing construction guy at the cabin. I have the estimate. I just need Neil to look it over and approve."

"I'm sure he'll call back soon. My brother and cell phones don't mix. He drops and loses them all the time. Oh, here it is!" She held up a credit card and pushed it across the desk. "Sorting through the lost and found box was one of the projects Nessa was working on before she left. It's strange. The credit card has the name Nessa Lombardi on it. There's an emblem in the right corner that clearly means she identified herself as a shifter. I've seen these before." She peered up at Luke who's expression had gone completely blank. "Was your niece a shifter?"

Luke didn't speak and he kept his gaze on the credit card for the longest before stuffing it down into his front pocket.

"She was looking for this. I think she lost it last year," Luke said.

"Luke…" she said, interrupting the uncomfortable silence between them. "You didn't answer me. Was that intentional?"

Luke sighed deeply and pulled an empty chair. He didn't move the chair behind the desk. He positioned it so that nothing was between them. Their knees were almost touching. His attention was hers. His gaze held a high level of sincerity.

"Cassie, some things are better left uncovered. You won't always like what you find."

"Don't you think I know this by now?" she asked quietly. "I wouldn't risk my life to uncover things that don't matter to me. This case mattered to me. It still does. And I'm asking you this for a reason."

"Of course…" He settled back in his chair.

"You know who I am. You knew from day one that if I had any doubt or any questions that I wouldn't stop until I knew what every little clue meant. If you wanted this to be a secret from the world—"

"Not from the world." He shook his head.

"From me?" she asked.

"Not intentionally."

"Does my brother know?"

"Know what?"

Cassie swallowed. "That you're a shifter?"

"He doesn't," Luke confirmed. "My bloodline hadn't been outed as shifters when Neil and I went to school together. I mostly lived as a human until the fire took my brother. I finished my last year without having to change my status at the Dean's office. After that, Nessa, Henry, and I made the decisions to come out as such. We anticipated it would affect the business in some way, but we were surprised to find that it didn't affect our profit margins by much. We're pretty established in the lounging business though."

"Well, that's also because your kind has been accepted into our society by everyone with the exception of a few bad apples," Cassie offered. "I'd be wrong if I said I understood why you kept it a secret from everyone for so long. I haven't experienced what you have so I don't know what being a shifter in a predominantly human world is like. I just know that it doesn't change the way I look at you. I'm just mildly curious about your way of life."

"Just mildly?"

"That was an understatement," she replied. "You know, I was wondering why most of your storage sheds had a change of men's clothes in them."

He grinned. "A little nuisance of being a shifter who prefers to travel on foot. We can shift with our clothes on but it's not very comfortable."

Cassie's mind went back to last night and the way he'd kissed her so thoroughly…and then left her. Why did she feel like such a whore for wanting something so badly and not being able to have it?

"About last night," she started. "I'm sorry for causing you to almost break your promise to my brother."

"You don't have to apologize," he said. "I overreacted. In fact, I should have stayed."

"I guess you think I'm some loose woman addicted to sex or something." She sighed.

He shook his head. "No, that's not what I think. I just think you're perfect and have your whole life ahead of you and I don't want to ruin any chances that you might have a normal life."

She blew outward, shaking her head. "But that's my decision to make, but I see you've already made yours."

"Cassie…"

She rose from her seat. "I need to take a shower. You said the Alpha will meet with me, right?"

Luke nodded. "He'll arrive in a couple hours."

Before Cassie could slip past him, he rose too and caught her by the arm. He touched the mark on her neck.

"What's this?"

"You kissed me there, remember?"

His eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed.

"Oh, now you have amnesia," she exclaimed, trying to pull away.

"It's not that, Cassie." He swiped his thumb across the mark again. "I didn't put this there. It was there before I kissed you."

She looked at him perplexed, and then she felt her eyes widen when she realized what he might be inferring.

"No. Just no." She shook her head. "I haven't slept with anyone in almost a year." She pulled her arm away. "I'm glad you stopped by to give me a heads up about your Alpha. Now, I'm really going to go take a shower. Should I call you before I come over?"

Luke took her cue and rose from the chair. "No need. Just come right over. I'll be on the back patio, so if I don't answer the doorbell just come right on in.”

"Will do."

Cassie turned around and took her hair down from the high ponytail on her head, letting her tresses cascade down over her shoulders. She didn't have to look behind her to know that Luke stared at her retreating backside, but she did anyway. Even from across the room, she could sense the hunger emanating from him. Too bad he wouldn't act on it the way she wanted him to, but she was having fun teasing him anyway. She grinned at him and slipped inside the bathroom, leaving him standing aloof in the center of the cabin.

”Did he change his mind?" Cassie asked, folding her legs under her as she sat on Luke's couch.

"He's probably just caught up in other things at the moment, but when Dane says he'll be somewhere, he'll be there." Luke picked up the remote from the center console and turned off the TV. "While we're waiting on him, I picked up something for you while I was at the market."

Cassie smiled. "I like presents."

He got up, walked over to the fireplace, and removed something from the mantle. He returned to the seat beside her and handed her something wrapped in a brown wrapper and tied with a thick white ribbon.

"Thank you." She opened the package and pulled out two leather handmade journals with linen threads and a white button seal. "Very nice. I love to collect these. I put the prettiest ones on display on my bookcase which is where these will go." She traced the outline of the journal. "You didn't have to get me these, after all, I owe you so much with you allowing me to stay in your cabin."

"You don't owe me anything at all. I'm glad you came. I was getting lonely in these mountains. While you've been here you've reminded me that life isn't always about working endlessly but pursuing what matters the most."

"Then we're helping each other," she replied.

"Cassie, I don't want any more secrets between us. I know I wasn't open about what I was in the beginning. I'm not the kind of guy that just walks right up to folks and reveals that I'm a shifter. If a person knows, they just know. Plus, I really didn't know how you'd react. You came here for safety and I didn't want to run you off."

"I'm in the safest place right now. With you. I'd never run away from you."

"I didn't mean to hurt you last night. We both know that I'm very attracted to you. But eight years ago you were…" He chuckled under his breath and ran his hands through his hair.

"You don't even have to say anything. I know what you're thinking. I'm too young. I was just a tween when you first saw me." She shrugged. "Well, guess what? I'm now a grown ass woman. A woman who does what she pleases and knows what she wants."

"I've learned that about you."

"I'm not bothered by any age difference. Actually, I'm quite pleased that you're not the average run of the mill playboy. I don't like playing games."

"I'm flattered that you're pleased with me," he commented.

"Tell me about what happens if we had ended up in bed with each other last night," she requested.

"I would have fucked you thoroughly."

She blushed and her sex clenched just thinking about it. "I bet. What I meant was…if we do have sex, where would that leave us?"

"I can't predict the future, but I know I want you. And not just for one night. You're wearing my mark for a reason."

"Your mark?"

He reached out and caressed the "love mark" near her collarbone. "Do you remember seeing my birthmark?"

She nodded. "Yeah, the one I thought was a tattoo at first. I couldn't make out what it was."

"All shifters have birthmarks somewhere on their body. Mine happens to be shaped like a pineapple with stems and all. I have no idea what it means, that's just what it looks like to everyone who's seen it." His gaze dropped again to her neck. "My birthmark looks just like that."

"But that's impossible."

"Shifters have certain abilities. We know when we've found our true mate when she wears our mark. Sometimes the mark isn't visible on a human mate unless she comes in close contact with her mate."

"So when we kissed…?"

"When we kissed, your birthmark revealed itself."

"That's fascinating but very surreal," she said. "Has this happened before with other couples?"

"Oh yeah. Hundreds and thousands of times before."

"So what are you saying…?"

"You and I are what they call true mates. If we come together and have sex, the process will complete itself and there's nothing that you or I can do about it. We'll be mated naturally."

"Wow, really? No dating? No marriage?"

Luke chuckled. "If you'd like to do all that stuff before we have sex and the mating occurs naturally, I'm more than willing to do that for you. We have all the time in the world."

"You're so honorable. And I like it, but I could barely contain myself when we kissed last night. I'm not exactly a saint and you knew I wanted you and you left anyway. Did you know this before last night?"

"Not entirely. I had a feeling but it was confirmed when I saw the mark on your body for the first time today. I guess I was in denial that someone so pure and beautiful could be mine."

"So, what if you're wrong? What if I'm not your mate and we ended up having sex?"

"I know I'm right, but let's just say you and I weren't mates," he said. "When a shifter has sex with someone, doesn't matter if he or she is a shifter or human, they imprint on that person. It's when a wolf's essence is transferred to his or her lover. Kind of like a chemical imbalance in the body. An adult shifter will have developed enough willpower to counteract the effects, but, in a human, it'll cause the person to have increased sexual drives that only his or her shifter lover can satisfy. If they continue to have sex, the chemical imbalance will remain. If they never have sex again, the imprint will eventually fade. There is an exception to that."

"What's that?"

"If the lovers are true mates, the imprinting will never fade. In that case, you'll find that the couple wears each other's marks. We don't even have to have sex. If you keep kissing me, eventually we will be mated naturally."

"Do you mean like this?" She leaned in closer and kissed him deeply.

Luke never got the chance to answer her because she covered his reply with her mouth. His mouth tasted just the way she remembered it and she slipped her tongue between his lips where they came together in heated bliss.

Cassie propped herself up on her knees and swung a leg over his thigh and positioned herself so that she was straddling him on the couch. Her sundress inched all the way up her thighs and she pressed her hot sex right against his thick erection. She moaned into his mouth when he grabbed her waist and pulled her closer.

Their lips parted.

"You're so beautiful," he said.

He kissed along her face and across her skin. She lifted her chin, giving him easy access to her most sensitive parts.

"You will be mine, Cassie. No matter how long it takes,” he whispered against her throat.

A hard knock at the door jolted them violently from their make out session. They'd gotten so heated in the moment that they had forgotten about the guest scheduled to arrive.

"Ah damn," Luke mumbled. He stood with her legs still wrapped around him and held her steady until her feet hit the floor.

"Well…" she exclaimed, using her fingers to comb her hair and her palms to straighten her dress.

Luke glanced at her to make sure she was decent and then said, "Ready to meet my Alpha."

"Been ready. I just hope I make a good first impression."

"You have nothing to worry about," he reassured her.

When Luke opened the door, a dark, tall figure filled the frame. The Alpha's back was turned as it looked like he was buttoning up his shirt. When he turned around, Cassie was met with smoky gray eyes and a welcoming grin. He looked so young considering that he was the Alpha.

"Good evening," the Alpha said. "I'm Dane Magnus, Alpha of the Aspen Valley Wolf Pack. It's nice to meet you, Cassie Grey."

He already knew her name?

He held out his hand to her. Cassie looked to Luke, who gave a nod of approval. She shook the Alpha's hand.

"Lovely," the Alpha said. His nose flared when his gaze landed on the mark on Cassie's neck.

Her hand went up automatically to cover it.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything," the Alpha said, giving Luke a sly wink.

Luke cleared his throat. "Come on in."

The Alpha was bare footed when he stepped into the home. He must have been putting on some clothes before he knocked on the door. She recalled Luke’s comment earlier about how it was uncomfortable to shift in their clothes, and then she realized why there was a rectangular-shaped wooden box on Luke’s front porch filled with men’s clothing.

"Dane, can I grab you a beer or anything like that?" Luke asked.

"No thanks, I'm good. I just left Roger's Inn to sort out an issue and I had a few there," the Alpha said.

They sat on the chair. Luke and Cassie on one end and the Alpha on the other.

"You're a journalist with the Aspen Valley Times, right?" the Alpha asked.

"Yes…Alpha."

"Call me Dane. I anticipate I'll be seeing a lot of you in the future," Dane said, his gaze sweeping between her and Luke. "So, I think it's best that you and I are on a first-name basis."

"I finished my intern not too long ago and I'm only about half a year into my new job."

"Must be exciting working on some of the juiciest stories of the town," he replied.

"I love it. Most of all, I just love writing."

Dane fished his wallet out of his pocket, flipped it open, and passed it to her. "That's my wife in the picture. Her name’s Trina. We've been married for less than a year."

"She's beautiful. Her skin is so flawless."

Dane grinned. "Yes. She's human, like you."

"Oh…" Cassie exclaimed. "This is all so new to me."

"I figured this much. I just want you to know that you're in good hands with Luke…and with our Pack. What's happening between you and Luke is pretty normal…in a sense."

"That's good to know. Luke has been great about not rushing things. Me, on the other hand…" She blushed.

Dane laughed. "That's normal too. The only way to get through it is to let it happen. You did tell her why she's wearing your mark, right?"

"I just did."

"Good." Dane rubbed his hands together. "Now that we've established that you're essentially part of our Pack through Luke, let's move on to the reason why I'm here. I regret that the conversation has to go this route."

"So do I, but the murders have to stop," she stated.

"Then you've anticipated what will happen when you reveal to me what you know?"

"I don't know what kind of man you are," she said.

"I'm the type of man that serves justice to those that would threaten his Pack. There are certain clues that have been held back from us all this time and now I know there is a reason for that. Luke tells me that you've connected the murders to a company here in Aspen Valley."

"Yes. They're out of business now, but yes, I did."

"When you tell me what you know, I can't promise that I'll uphold the law. The human laws, that is."

"Trust me when I say this…I'm concerned about the safety of the citizens of Aspen Valley. I don't care if they're humans or shifters. Whatever your Pack has to do to get these killers off the streets and to stop the man who threatened my life, do it."

Dane settled back in his chair. "Well then…let's begin."

When the Alpha left with the information Cassie had given him, the heaviest brunt of the burden rose from her shoulders. She no longer had to live with the fact that the truth wasn't getting into the hands of those who really wanted to make a difference. She had faith in her small town, but now she was seeing things from a different angle. It was disheartening. She had never gotten involved in politics for this very reason. And if she had gone to college and pursued a career in criminal justice, her world would've been exposed to cases like this on a daily basis. This case had taught her that she was content with furthering her career as a journalist, instead of hunting down criminals and bringing down corrupted corporations.

"What are you thinking about?"

Luke came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as she looked out into his backyard. They had been resting outside on the patio around the grill waiting for the steak and potatoes to finish. He had just returned from taking the food inside, but she had remained behind.

She turned around and pressed her body to his, embracing his warmth.

"About how glad I am that I decided to come here," she replied. "I met you again, I'm not constantly looking over my shoulder, and I can finally say that the key to capturing these killers is within reach."

"I'm glad you're here too. I want to say I wish we had met sooner, but I think we discovered our mate bond at just the right time."

Thunder rumbled in the distance and a streak of light flashed across the skyline.

"The storm is getting closer. Doesn't look good either. I say we have another hour or so before it hits. Luckily I got all the backup generators working last week so I shouldn't get too many calls about power outages,” he said.

"I keep forgetting that you have a business to run. Here I was thinking that I could have all your attention." She slid her palm against the back of his neck and slipped her fingers up through his hair.

"You have more than my attention. You do understand that I'm not letting you leave now that I have you, right?"

She smiled. "I was hoping you felt that way.”

Their lips met and they shared a lengthy kiss under the stormy skies.

Luke's cell phone buzzed at his hips demonstrating just how busy he was. He groaned and pulled her against him securely, pressing his lips to her temple.

His phone buzzed again.

"You should get that," she told him. "We've got all night. We've got all the time in the world, remember?“

He smiled, fished his phone out of his pocket, but didn't let go of her waist.

"This is Luke….yeah. That was fast…he was just here. I already know. Tomorrow, it is. I'll keep my phone on me, but with this thunderstorm rolling in tonight, I'll likely be making rounds first thing in the morning. Yeah…good…got it."

After disconnecting the call, he powered down the phone and then kissed her again. "That was our scout lead letting me know that Dane has reached out to the Mayor about the case. According to the outcome of that meeting, we won't know what our next steps are until tomorrow. No more calls tonight, though. Just you, me, and this thunderstorm."

"I like the sound of that."

He swooped her up off her feet with minimal effort and took her inside the cozy cabin where it was warmer. A cold front had drifted ahead of the storm causing the temperature to drop. As he walked her over to the kitchen, she traced along the hard ridges of his arm and chest muscles.

"If you keep teasing me like that, I don't think I'll make it through dinner," he commented.

"Who says we have to eat dinner first?"

Luke sat her on the table top and planted a deep kiss on her mouth. She gasped, which caused her lips to part. His tongue pushed her lips open further and he began to explore her mouth, licking softly and meeting her tongue with every caress. Her breathing came hard and fast. She was hungry for him and she felt no shame at all. They'd teased each other long enough.

He sucked on her lips and flames of desire shot through her core. His hand was clamped gently at the back of her head, positioning her and letting his lips mesh with hers at just the right angle over and over again.

Cassie wrapped her legs around his waist and drove him closer. He responded by grabbing her ass cheeks and fitting her heated pussy against his cock. They moaned on contact. His touch felt like heaven, but she wanted nothing between them. To prove this point, she reached down and loosened his belt and then unzipped his pants. She shoved the pants downward. While she worked to completely disrobe him, his mouth left heated wet trails along her throat and shoulders.

He stood back for a second and then helped her lift her dress up over her head. Except for her barely-there red lace bra and matching panties, she sat on his table, on display, and ready to be taken.

"Beautiful," he said, licking his lips.

He closed the distance between them again, slipped a hand behind her, and undid her bra. He shoved the garment aside and took her heavy, plump breasts into his palms. Not wasting any time at all, he bent his head low to suck an already sensitive nipple into his mouth. His tongue licked quickly across the bud, flicking around each areola until they were hardened to perfection. He held her at the small of her back, taking her nipples into his mouth again and again as if he were enjoying ripe berries. He sucked greedily and she cradled his head in her hands, unable to contain the noises slipping past her lips.

"Luke," she moaned.

He growled into her skin. "Say my name again."

"Luke."

She was already soaking wet between the legs. If he continued in this manner, she'd probably reach orgasm before he ever entered her. She reached for his cock and felt her pussy clench at the feel of how incredibly big he was. She wrapped her fingers around the erect base of him and slid her hands upward until they reached his moist tip. He was long and thick and the way he hardened even more against her palm had her clit pulsing in anticipation.

"I'm ready to do really bad things to you, Cassie. Good things. Bad things. I want to fuck you so badly it hurts. I'm trying to be gentle," he whispered in her ear.

"I don't want you to be anything but yourself. Give me all of you tonight. I don't want gentle. I want you to take what you need," she told him.

Luke took her mouth again at the same time his fingers found their way across one of her thighs, tracing the edge of her panties. He gripped the flimsy fabric and pushed it aside until her pussy was exposed. One finger slipped upward through her slit until it reached her clit. She leaned back on the table, resting on her forearms, giving him ample access to her throbbing pussy.

"You're so fucking wet for me. Is your honey as sweet as I imagined? I wonder…" He brought his finger up to his lips and tasted the juices coating them.

The sight of him enjoying the taste of her and licking his lips in the process aroused her. He pushed two fingers back inside of her, stroking gently and meticulously stroked her clit with the pad of his thumb.

Cassie trembled on the dining room table. "Now Luke…you're driving me crazy. Please fuck me now."

He grinned and then drew her panties down her legs. "I'd like to drive my cock in your pussy, but after getting a taste of your sweet honey, I want more.”

Before she could protest, he was on his knees, pushing the back of her thighs so that she was fully exposed to him. His beard rubbed soothingly against her legs as he kissed the insides of her thighs.

"You're so fucking juicy for me, Cassie." He started licking her slowly and softly, brushing his tongue against her sensitive sex like he was enjoying the cream filling from his favorite cookie. He flicked his tongue against her clit until it became erect and then he licked some more, only stopping to dip his tongue deep into her center to collect the spilled juices. He pleased and licked and ate, not allowing one drop of honey to go to waste.

Containing her outbursts was no use. She screamed and squealed and moaned, calling out his name each time his devilish tongue tapped her clit at just the right angle.

"Oh my God…I'm gonna come," she screamed, knotting her fingers through his hair. "Luke. Oh God."

His face was buried in her sex. He used his mouth expertly on her, tongue-fucking her and licking her clit until her orgasm pushed through her.

She was literally purring on the table in the aftermath of her climax.

"That was good," he panted. "Turn around."

"Huh?" Her breathing was out of control.

"Turn around. Bend over with your knees on the table," he instructed.

Her entire body grew hot when she realized how he wanted her positioned. She obliged his request, kneeling on the table on all fours with her ass in the air.

"Goddammit, you're so fucking gorgeous." He coaxed her legs further apart on the table. "Look at this nice plump ass of yours. My damn nuts are getting tight as fuck just looking at the sight of you. I'm ready to fuck you so hard.” He slipped two fingers into her pussy, pumped a few times, and then removed them.

Cassie looked around to protest but then saw that he had his fingers in his mouth again. He had removed his boxers. When she saw the size of him, she felt her eyes widened. Her sex even clenched and creamed for him to the point where her honey spilled down her thighs.

"That's right. Get that pussy juicy and dripping wet for me again."

Taking her by surprise, he brought his hand down across her ass. She cried out as a series of mini orgasms took her.

He kneaded her where he'd punished her. She whimpered and shuddered, trying to hold herself up on the table as he requested. She was ready for him to fuck her, so she arched her back downward to give him free access to her needy pussy.

"Do you give yourself to me?" he asked.

"Yes, take me…please."

Instead of putting his cock in her, she felt his lips on her ass. He peppered kisses on her skin, kneading her like he was preparing her for something bigger. He took her pussy with his mouth again, this time focusing on the lips of her pussy and her labia. He must have known that her clit was already sensitive as hell. He seemed to intentionally avoid that area, driving her insane once again. He licked upward until he reached her anal, dipping his tongue inside her tender opening.

"Oh!" she cried.

He licked and sucking, paying attention to her ass in the same manner that he did her pussy.

"Even your ass tastes like honeysuckles,” he moaned, licking up and down her slit.

She couldn't believe that she was nearing yet another climax again. So surreal. It felt so fucking good. With his tongue still licking slowly and deliberately at her tight forbidden hole, he pushed two fingers into her wet pussy and worked his fingers in and out, around…up and down. Her sex clenched tightly around his fingers. Her clit cried for attention, yet he was working her over so good that she felt something building deep inside her. He probed her ass, tunneling deep. His fingers struck her G-spot over and over.

"Oh shit," she yelled out. "Luke." She bit down on her own tongue, trying not to draw blood. It was useless. He knew what he was doing, and he pulled the climax right out of her.

The way he prolonged her orgasm beyond its peak made her scream.

"Ohhhh, God," she wailed.

Luke Lombardi was a ruthless lover and she loved it.

"Was this what you wanted?" he teased.

"Yes. I wanted that. I want some more," she replied, turning over on the table. At this point, the mating imprint on her neck blazed hotly. She took one look at his lower abdomen to confirm that his birthmark was also darker than she'd ever seen. True to his word, the imprint matched hers to the "T". It was a distinct pineapple shape, just like he'd described.

Luke led her out of the kitchen and into the living room. They didn't make it to the big couch, but instead, she fell back against the arm of a side chair. He bent low to kiss her, allowing her to taste her own juices—their essence together.

He didn't move her into the missionary sex positions that she was used to. Instead, he lifted one of her thighs while she was still seated on the chair arm, pulled her forward and slowly pushed his thick cock into her opening. She hadn't had sex in a long time and it took her pussy a while to adjust to the size of him. He felt like heaven inside of her. No part of her felt unattended to.

Once he was deep-seated within her, he began stroking, forcing the walls of her pussy to accommodate him. His strokes were calculating and meticulous at first and then he started building up until the tempo and rhythm agreed with her. She lifted her hips upward to meet him thrust for thrust. The pleasure was so exquisite that Cassie cried out each time he drove his cock past her G-spot and every time he made contact with her clit.

"God, you sound so sweet." He kissed her throat as he pummeled her. "I'll give you something else to scream about."

As he promised, he grabbed her other thigh, hoisted it over her shoulders and then fucked her hard and vigorously. Her throat became so dry she was hoarse from crying in pleasure. He pressed the side of his face against her legs. He kissed her there, licked her there…his moans vibrated against her skin. She even felt the delicate scrape of his canines against her.

"Ohhh! Fuck." Luke held his face up to the ceiling and groaned out in pleasure. He slowed his pace as if to delay his climax. In and out. Deep, long, slow, calculated thrusts…in and out. His breathing slowed. He pulled all the way out to the tip and then plunged back in, burying himself balls deep within her.

The surface of Cassie's skin was peppered in sweat. He was drenched in sweat. His sweat and hers mixed together, literally creating the imbalance he talked about. She could almost feel it as his essence worked it's way through her bloodstream, controlling every sense, making her crave every last thrust in her pussy, every last lick against her skin.

She was coming again. Her body pulsated with carnal rapture. She cried his name as she came. Her sex clenched and creamed, coating his rod and his balls with her slick juices.

He came undone too. His manly groans and growls were the sexiest thing she'd ever heard during sex. When his semen coated her canal she felt a hot surge of energy spiraling through her giving her one last jolt of sexual pleasure.

When he removed his cock, she was still high from their session of blazing hot sex. He lifted her up with her legs still wrapped around him and took her to the biggest couch where he laid out beside her.

"That was out of this world," she breathed.

Luke grinned. "Ditto. It was actually the best sex I've ever had."

"It was the best for me too. Compared to what you just did to me, I can't even say that I've done anything like this before." Cassie smiled. "Man, if I knew you were going to fuck me like that I would have jumped you on day one."

He laughed. "I like to keep a few secrets up my sleeve."

"Oh, don't I know it…wolf."

"Now that we understand each other…human, I'm just about ready for another round."

Sure enough, his cock was becoming rock hard against her belly.

"You're beginning to spoil me rotten," she said before lifting herself up over him. She straddled him and positioned her pussy on his cock.

"That's why I'm here for you, mate. To give you everything you need and desire," he replied.

He gripped her hips and assisted her with taking every last inch of him.

Once she was seated on him to the hilt, she knew she was in for another wild ride with her mountain wolf.

”Scrambled or over-easy?” Cassie asked as she tossed a piece of butter in the cast iron skillet.

Luke looked up from his paperwork on the kitchen table. "Either way. I'll have it however you're having it. Four of them. I've gotta run up the road to meet the guy about your brother's contract when I'm done with breakfast. Wanna come?"

"Yes."

At that moment, the phone rang. Luke jumped up and checked the caller ID. "Speaking of the devil…"

"It's Neil?" she asked.

"Yup," Luke replied, and then answered the phone. "What's up, man? I've been trying to call you since yesterday. Ah…I see…did you at least get your cell phone replaced?…A storm rolled through last night so that probably wouldn't have been a good idea…so, uh…you think you're going to wait another day or two? Right….right…"

Cassie zoned out from the conversation and continued with breakfast. After barely eating supper last night due to their extracurricular activities, they had both worked up an appetite.

She cracked four eggs into a bowl and then two for herself. The sausages were already sizzling on the grill and she gave them another toss in the pan over the fire.

Luke slipped beside her still chatting with Neil on the phone.

"Yeah, she's right here. You want to talk to her?"

Cassie swallowed. She was glad to hear from her brother after not seeing him for a few days, but she wasn't ready to tell him how much had changed since he dropped her off on Luke's property.

"Hey Neil," she said into the phone.

"Hey yourself, kid. You okay up there?"

"Yeah, I'm doing just fine. We're just about to eat breakfast."

"You and Luke, you mean?" he asked.

"Who else?" Cassie asked.

"I'm glad you two are getting along. I suspect that's what kept you out of trouble. Luke says you haven't been giving him any smack, which is unheard of with your sassy-ass self."

"Maybe it's you I have an issue with," she joked. "How's the meeting going?"

"Oh, it went well. We've got another contract, so I'll be busy for the next six months."

Cassie passed Luke the bowl of stirred eggs and he poured it in the pan.

"Are you still in Maine?"

"I got back yesterday actually. I couldn't get out that way because of the storms rolling through here. I wish I could meet the roofing guy but Luke says you both have it under control."

"Yeah, Luke has everything under control. He’s great,“ she said, glancing up to smile at Luke who was tending to their eggs at the stove.

"So…um…I may not get out there tomorrow either. My schedule is all fucked up now. Are you sure you're doing okay?"

"Yeah, don't rush back. I'm perfectly fine."

"Hmm, last time we talked, you weren't too happy about staying in the mountains and now I can almost see you smiling through the phone. I know you, kid sis. You're happier than usual. Have you got good news or something?"

"I just love how peaceful it is out here, that's all. They haven't caught the bad guys yet so I guess you don't have to come pick me up anytime soon," she told him.

"And Luke? Don't you think he deserves a break? That guy has done so much for us. I'd hate to—"

"Everything's fine. Quit worrying," she said.

There was silence on the other end and then…

"I was just thinking about something Luke said a while a back." His voice was lowered as if he wanted to make sure Cassie was the only one who heard him. "Not sure what triggered the memory but I just wanted to make sure that nothing strange is going on or anything with him."

"You're just paranoid, brother. Everything is fine. I'm going to eat breakfast now. Do you want to talk back with Luke?"

"Uh…no…I'll call him back later."

"Alright then. Suit yourself. Bye."

"I'll drop by there as soon as I can. See you later, kid sis."

Luke took the phone from her and returned it to the cradle. "Your brother suspects something."

"Did you hear all that?" she asked, fishing out some plates for their food.

"I can't help it."

Cassie grinned. "Right. Wolves have excellent hearing."

"I'm going to tell him. About everything," Luke said. "It wasn't something I wanted to get into with him on the phone.

"I'll be with you when you do," Cassie said. "He gets a little agitated when I tell him I'm moving away, but we're not too far from Aspen Valley so he won't be able to use the long distance excuse anymore."

"Yeah, but that's not what I'm really worried about."

Cassie closed the distance between him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "What is it then? He has no problem with shifters. He knows better than that. We weren't raised that way."

"I know. It's just that I kept this a secret for so long. There's also the issue about how I've mated you when I was supposed to be looking after you."

"I'm an adult. We both consented. If he doesn't understand right away, he will eventually," she told him. "I don't want to leave here.”

"I know." He kissed her forehead. "I don't want you to leave me either."

"So, what are we worrying about? Let's have breakfast and then get to work."

Luke grinned, picked up their plates, and then gestured toward the kitchen table. "I'll take your lead."

The following evening, Luke and Cassie had just finished dinner and was flipping through some local channels when a live broadcast began to air.

"Stop," Cassie instructed. "That's the station I work for. They're getting ready to report live."

She read the caption on the screen:

Reporting Live. Significant Breakthroughs in a String of Tennessee and North Carolina Shifter Murders.

Luke pressed a button to increase the volume and they both slid to the edge of their seat in anticipation of what was being aired.

"This is Maxwell Graham reporting live here on the steps of the Tellevue County Courthouse. We're here today to bring you breaking news about the Tellevue police department's never-ending fight to find the criminals responsible for a string of shifter killings in Tennessee and North Carolina state. Some of the connected murders were even reported to have been committed as far south as Florida and as far north as West Virginia." Maxwell turned and gestured behind him at the Courthouse. "Not too long ago, the Mayor, Aspen Valley wolf pack's alpha and three other alphas from surrounding shifter packs met today to discuss the validity of dozens of anonymous tips received over the past several days. It turns out that many of our citizens want to see a stop to these senseless murders. One suspect, an Oliver Pentwood, was arrested earlier today for his involvement in the murder of Leonard Camp, a shifter of the Aspen Valley Wolf Pack. A resident of Aspen Valley reported that he had seen Oliver Pentwood loitering around the Westgate Apartments on the night that a local journalist received a note with a death threat. Pentwood's arrest has already led to two other suspects being taken in—a Daniel Fisher, who was previously fired from the Aspen Valley police department late last year, and an unnamed male who has ties to the now-defunct company Teddy Ammo and Sons. The sheriff reports that these individuals are connected to a crime ring and a notorious gang. He also states that more suspects are being questioned and more arrests will follow...Lindsay Moore, back to you…"

"They got him," Cassie whispered. "They're going to catch the other killers."

Luke breathed a sigh of relief. "That was fast. I'm so relieved that we can put a stop to this. No one else has to die."

"That was remarkably fast, which proves what can happen when every citizen comes together to make their neighborhoods safe."

"I haven't heard anything from the Alpha yet," Luke said. "It's likely that our work isn't done. He's not going to stop until he finds every last damn gang member involved."

"And he shouldn't. None of the Packs should stop fighting to take down every last one of them," she agreed.

The moment Cassie heard the keys turning in the lock of the office cabin, she closed up her journal and met Luke in the foyer.

"Hey." She threw her arms around him.

"Hey yourself." He hugged her and then held out his arm, revealing some bags. "You've been in here working all day so I thought you could use something to eat. I brought you some lunch."

"Thank you." She took the bags from him and placed them on top of a file cabinet to the right of them. "We'll get to that soon. I'm not as hungry for food as I am hungry for you." She hooked her fingers into his belt loop and pulled him toward the sofa.

When she got there, she undid his belt, opened his fly, and then allowed his pants to hit the floor in a heap around his ankles.

"What have I done to you?" He grinned, shaking his head.

"Who said this was all your doing? Maybe this was me all along,” she teased.

She got on her knees on the floor and ran a hand over his heavy cock. The moment she wrapped her fingers around him, he hardened and lengthened within her grasp.

"Oh Cassie," he groaned, looking down at her as she stroked his now massive erection. She couldn't wait to make him growl and call out her name when he came to climax.

She slid her mouth over the bulbous cockhead, taking him inside her mouth greedily until he hit the back of her throat. There was still more of him to please, but she planned to take care of that. She ran her tongue along the full length of him, leaving no part of him un-licked. She made sure the entire shaft was wet and slippery, and then she used both hands to stroke him, making him lengthen and grow firmer. She squeezed his taut flesh on the downstroke and sucked him hard between her lips on the upstroke over and over again until his legs looked like they were going to give out from under him.

He was making all kinds of noises. His fingers were threaded so tightly through her hair that she thought he was going to pull her hair off as he directed her mouth up and down his turgid shaft. He held her head steady and throat fucked her until she couldn't hold her breath anymore, and only then did he allow her to let it pop out before plunging it to the back of her throat once again.

She slurped at his cockhead sloppily, letting her wet hands glide effortlessly along his rod—just the way he liked it.

"Oh Cassie. Fuck…that's it."

His cockhead seemed to swell at the back of her throat, causing her to gag on him. Before she could suck him to completion, he tore her mouth off him, turned her around, bent her over the desk, and ripped her frilly lace panties off of her. Some of the lace threads hung on for dear life, and the garment only got as far as mid-thigh.

After slapping her firmly on the ass one good time, he speared through her like a rocket. As he pounded her from behind, his balls slapped against the back of her thighs. He fucked her with so much vigor that her feet came up off the floor until eventually, she was propping herself on her toes. He plundered her so roughly that it took her breath away. She was too ravished to speak any words of endearment. All she could do was scream as he fucked her senseless.

He loved to wrap her long hair around his wrist, and he did just that, pulling her head upward to make her arch her back so that her ass was suspended mid-air and her pussy was exposed enough for him to drive thoroughly into.

Her orgasm came without warning and the feel of his hot semen pouring into her pussy caused the most mind-blowing sensation Cassie had ever experienced. They climaxed together and came down from the climax together.

They were so caught up in the aftermath of it all, that they didn't hear the doorknob turning…and they definitely didn't hear Neil Gray coming through the door.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS GOING ON?"

All hell broke loose and there was nothing little petite Cassie could do as Neil came charging for Luke. Everything thing happened so quickly…

It was chaos. Luke tried to dodge Neil's punches without first punching the light right out of her brother. And it took her several tries to convince Neil to stop coming for Luke.

"I didn't want you to find out like this," Luke exclaimed, panting.

"Dude? Seriously. I left her here with you…Oh my God."

Neil paced the small space of the little foyer with Cassie still preventing them from coming at each other again.

"Neil, it's not what you think. I wanted this. We both wanted this. I know you're angry right now but let's calm down so we can explain to you how this happened."

"Explain right now. Because the way I see it, there is no reason why I shouldn't just beat his ass." Neil pointed to the desk where the dirty deed happened. "He was fucking you! I can't get it out of my head!"

"Neil…"

Neil rushed out of the door and onto the porch. "I'm gonna go. I'm going right now because if I don't I'm gonna kill him."

Luke came out on the porch and watched Neil leave. "Let him go. He needs to calm down.”

"Somebody needs to talk to him."

"We will. Just let him calm down.”

Neil jumped in his truck, backed out of the driveway, and drove off, leaving Cassie and Luke in the dust glancing out after him wondering where he was going and if he'd return.

Cassie folded her hands together and placed them on the patio table as Luke and Neil talked about the mating bond and what it meant. Neil didn't look convinced, but she was glad that he'd finally come back and that he and Luke could sit down like two grown men to discuss what had happened while Neil was gone. They were outside on Luke's back porch talking over beers.

"I can understand about you not wanting me to know that you were a shifter and all that shit, but you're a good friend. I consider you a brother. Why couldn't you have just told me that you were into my sister?"

“I was wrong. I should have told you,” Luke replied.

"It happened so fast," Cassie replied. "I've respected Luke all this time. I developed an innocent crush on him after seeing him for the first time that evening at your graduation. Little did I know, that innocent crush wasn't just a crush. I know you think it's silly, but Luke and I are mated. You see the evidence right here on my neck."

"That looks like a hickey to me," Neil said. "You could be feeding me some bullshit so I won't kick his ass."

Cassie sighed. "If it helps, I pursued Luke. He tried to convince me to wait, but I wanted to have sex with him right away."

Neil scratched his head and pushed away from the chair. "Man, you two could’ve warned me. You were fucking and that's what I had to come back to see. I didn't want to see that. All you had to do was call and say…well hey, we're getting ready to smash."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "It wasn't going to be that easy, and you know it.

Neil held up his hands. "Well, is it any easier now?"

"You accepting us is going to take some time to get used to, I know, but I'm here to tell you that I'm not leaving Luke. I feel so at peace here, like I have a home finally. Every time he walks into a room all I want to do is see him smile and to please him. I remember when mom and dad were like that and I want that. I want that so badly."

Neil sighed. "I love you, sis, and you're right. But you're only partly right. If you feel this way about Luke, I accept it. What I have a hard time with is that you'll probably no longer need me. I'll no longer be the guy you call when you have a flat tire or when you manage to clog the drain and fuck up the plumbing system with all that hair of yours."

Cassie rolled her eyes and laughed. "TMI, brother. And you'll always be that guy in my life. I'll just have two guys now. My big brother and my honorable mate. And you know what's even better? You two are best friends. That didn't happen by mistake. We're supposed to be here together."

Luke rose from the chair, pulled off his shirt, and hung it on the chair next to him. "I'll be right back, you two. I need to show you something."

When Luke left them alone at the patio table, Neil grabbed her hand.

"Sis, are you serious? Are you happy?"

She nodded. "I am. Now I see what you saw in him as a friend. You can't say that he's not honorable."

"I won't deny that. I admire his ways and I sought his advice all the time. I'm sorry we grew apart," Neil said.

"And now you have time to get to know each other again," she added.

"And I should say that I'd rather you be with him than any of those other young hooligans in Aspen Valley,” Neil said.

Cassie was grinning from ear to ear. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed something huge and brown in the backyard. It was a wolf. It prowled leisurely toward them as if it knew them. When the wolf reached the steps leading to the back porch with eyes the color of golden honey, Cassie knew. She knew the person was Luke Lombardi in his shifter form.

She rose from her chair, leaving her brother behind with a stupefied expression on his face.

Just before she reached the wolf, he shifted. It happened quickly and fluidly—as if by magic. Luke was stark-naked and so temptingly handsome in his human form that she couldn't help but to close the distance between them and fall into his embrace. He lifted her chin upward and took her mouth in the sweetest way imaginable. She gave herself up to him, letting her weight fall against him.

In that moment, Cassie knew that nothing could ever separate them. No one could ever convince her that Luke was not meant for her and vice versa. She would forever crave this man. Her honorable, lovable, mountain man.

"Well, I think that's my cue to exit stage left. I'm gonna leave you two lovebirds out here and go watch some ball," Neil said from behind them.

When Neil was gone, Cassie said, "Wow, that was something else."

"Easier than I thought too. That was actually the first time I've ever revealed myself like that to any humans," he said. "Two humans at once."

She chuckled. "Well, there's a first time for everything, huh?" She pressed her body against his hardened core. "Shall I take advantage of the fact that I have a hot, naked man standing in front of me right now?"

He laughed. "Be patient, mate. We have all the time in the world."