Ryenne woke on a couch. At least she was dressed. Squinting against the sun, she glanced around and recognized the office. Then she remembered sneaking into a heavily forested area in Central Park, leaving her clothes with Gavin, and shifting into a wolf to run free. She avoided people and lit areas and ran until her beast was sated.

She had scratched one of her itches, but it had left her ashamed. How had she ended up like this?

“It’s not your fault, Ry,” Gavin had said once she had put her clothes back on and they were walking to the office, which was closer than her apartment on the West Side.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m still a monster, the kind we hunt for a living. I feel like a hypocrite.”

All those feelings of shame washed over her again as she sat on the couch in their office. She didn’t know how to reconcile what she had dedicated her life to and what she had become. And the constant urges. It was embarrassing and inconvenient and...

“Hey, Ry. Coffee?”

Gavin stood at the kitchen counter in his boxers, scooping coffee into the coffee maker. The smell of the coffee grounds tantalized her but what she really noticed were his legs. He had nice legs. And he filled his boxers out nicely. She’d never noticed before, maybe because he was her best friend and she didn’t think of him... sexually. But everything about Ryenne’s life had changed and now she could almost see herself having sex with her gay best friend. Then she’d hate herself and he’d hate her and her life would be ruined even more than it already was.

“Ry?” Gavin had turned toward the main room, a measuring cup filled with water poised to spill into the tank of the coffee maker.

She shook herself and stretched. “Sorry, I was zoning.”

“You were picturing me naked, weren’t you?” He turned back to the coffee maker but not before Ryenne saw the wide grin on his handsome face. “Damn, you need your man.”

Ryenne jumped off the couch and went to the tiny bathroom. When she came out, Gavin—now wearing a t-shirt and athletic shorts—handed her a mug of coffee and she breathed in the scented steam and immediately calmed.

“Thanks for the couch,” she said. “And for not having a guy here last night. I might have stolen him away from you. I can’t believe how strong these urges are.”

“Well, at least you no longer want to eat me.” He sipped his coffee and stared at her over the rim. “I haven’t dated anyone since Marco. I haven’t even slept with anyone since him. Damn Fangs.”

The Fangs were responsible for much worse than killing Gavin’s sex life, but she gave him a sympathetic pout. “Is this your longest dry spell?”

He twisted his lips while thinking. “Nah, it’s only been about a month. I’m not a shifter, I can handle a couple of months.”

His words stabbed her. She hadn’t asked to become a shifter. In fact, she’d fought against it for most of her life.

“I’m sorry,” Gavin said, standing. “That was bitchy. Will you want to eat me again if I give you a hug?” He didn’t wait for a response. He enveloped her in his long, muscular arms and she melted into his embrace. The scent of him was strong but it didn’t tempt her or anger her. She could do this. She could learn to live as a shifter.

Besides, what choice did she have?

A knock on the outer door interrupted them.

“Are we expecting clients?” she asked.

Striding to the door, coffee mug in hand, he shook his head.

A police detective with dark hair, tan skin, and blue eyes filled the doorway.

“Scotty!” Ryenne ran at him and gave him a bear hug. When she’d first met him, Scotty had been a beat cop in a uniform and carrying obvious weapons. Now he’d earned his gold shield and looked dapper in suits that hid his weapons. She stepped back and looked him up and down. “It’s been ages. What have you been up to?”

Scotty entered the office and Ryenne now noticed another man with him. This one was of medium height with dark brown skin, close cropped black hair, and sparkling black eyes.

Ryenne swallowed past immediate attraction. She’d always been a sucker for gorgeous eyes. “And who is this?”

“Ryenne Cavanagh, meet my new partner, Detective Nick Walker.”

Nick offered his hand and Ryenne took it, clenching all of her muscles to keep from jumping on this guy and licking him. His scent filled her nostrils and images of him naked, rolling around on the floor with her, made her flush. She dropped his hand and took several steps back.

“Come in. Do you want coffee? Gavin just made some coffee. It’s good coffee.” She took a sip as if to punctuate the point but really she just hoped not to say the word coffee again.

“No, that’s okay.” Scotty gave her a wide smile and a wink.

Gavin stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. Which she had. Running and exercising apparently weren’t enough. Her body craved more. Lucien needed to get here soon before she couldn’t hold herself back any longer and she threw herself at Scotty or Nick. Either would do. She and Scotty had been together a time or two in the good old days. Until he’d wanted more and she’d wanted an occasional, no strings attached kind of a deal. So, she knew from experience he’d be a good lay. She didn’t know Nick, but boy did she want to find out.

“Ry,” Gavin was saying, “do you want a refill?”

She snapped back to their guests and saw they were all staring at her. Damn, how did shifters keep this secret?

“Sorry, no, thanks. Have a seat.” She gestured to the couch.

She watched them sit on the couch, their well-formed asses stretching their dark pants with the movement. She bit her lip and tore her gaze away.

“So, what brings you here?” Gavin asked.

“Well,” Scotty began, “we saw a report about an incident last night. The description of the suspect and the suspect’s accessory sounded suspiciously like the two of you. Were you guys at Dante’s Restaurant on the East Side last night? And did you dislocate a guy’s shoulder?”

A smirk played around Scotty’s lips but despite that, Gavin stood with wide eyes and his mouth agape.

Nick sat forward on the couch, his arms on his legs and hands clasped between his knees, as if he really wanted to hear what Ryenne and Gavin had to say for themselves.

“They sounded like us?” Ryenne asked, all innocence. “Scotty, is this merely a social call with a funny story or is this an official visit? Your partner looks ready to arrest someone. Am I a person of interest?”

“Nah,” Scotty scoffed. “It’s not our case. And I bet I can convince the guy not to press charges. I’m sure he wouldn’t want it to be public knowledge that a little thing like you beat him up.”

Little thing like Ryenne. Once upon a time that might have made her laugh because men usually underestimated her because of her size and her looks. But now, they didn’t know there was actually a beast inside her. A beast who had wanted to rip that obnoxious man limb from limb.

“You think you can convince him not to press charges?” Gavin asked, forehead furrowed. “And Ryenne wouldn’t get arrested?”

Scotty’s smirk took over his face and he turned to Nick. “See? I told you it was probably her.”

“Not that I’m admitting guilt,” Ryenne said, “but that guy so had it coming.”

The cops rose to leave, still smirking.

“Leaving so soon?” she asked. She could stare at these men all day.

“We’re on a case,” Nick said.

“Anything we can help you with?” she asked.

“I’ll let you know,” Scotty said. “A case of shifter on shifter violence. We’re running down some leads.”

Such a thing wasn’t unheard of but it did ping Ryenne’s radar. Was it Fang-related?

“One odd detail, though,” Scotty continued. “There was something resembling sap in some of the victim’s wounds. It seemed to keep the shifter from healing as quickly as he might have otherwise.”

This definitely piqued Ryenne’s interest and she shot a glance at Gavin whose eyes widened even more.

“Does this mean something to you?” Nick asked in a deep and rumbling voice that made Ryenne want to clench her legs together.

“We might have come across something similar in Paris, but I don’t have a lot of information.”

Scotty and Nick nodded. “Let us know if you learn anything,” Scotty said and strode to the door.

“Ditto,” Ryenne said.

In the doorway, Ryenne paused. “Hey Scotty, can I ask you for a favor?”

His eyes turned serious. “Of course.” Turning toward her, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Anything for you.” His hand sent warmth through her arm and straight to her core. She didn’t know how she would survive this transition period without Lucien.

“I got some info in Paris that has me wondering. Can you run a check on my dad, Mike Cavanagh?”

“Sure,” Scotty said, eyes filled with confusion. “Didn’t your father die ten or fifteen years ago?”

“Yeah, that’s what we thought.”

“What you thought?”

“As I said, new information. I don’t know if it’s anything. Can you take a look at his case and tell me if there’s anything I should know?”

“Of course.” His hand trailed down her arm and she had to forcibly hold herself together. His touch felt too good.

“Thanks, Scotty. You’re a good friend.” She was reminding herself of their relationship, as much as him.

“Anytime, beautiful.” He and Nick strode toward the elevator.

Once she closed the door, Gavin approached with tentative steps.

“Sap in a shifter’s wound? Do you think it’s the same stuff that the Fangs used on Lucien?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m going to send a message to Pascal and see if he’s found out anything new. He collaborated with Mom and we’ll see her tonight.”

Hopefully, her mom had some answers.