One good thing about using his bike and ditching the junker car was that it put an end to pretty much all conversation. Jack wasn’t sure he could answer anymore of Ellie’s questions right then, and he was already afraid he might have told her enough to jeopardize his mission—delivering her safely into her grandfather’s care.

Had he told her of her possible powers because he wanted what was best for her, wanted her to be able to defend herself if needed, or because he hoped on some level she would demand he take her someplace else instead? Somewhere they could hide away together, free from politics and responsibilities, on a deserted island, where they could live off the land and love. Together. In each other’s arms. Because he’d do it in a heartbeat. Shirk his duties, renounce his clan, and become her willing slave. She wouldn’t even have to use any special powers on him.

The only power she has over us is that she’s our mate.

His leopard sounded both irritated and bored with his inability to see the truth.

I’m ignoring you.

His leopard snarled.

Of course, Ellie had more questions. They bubbled brightly in her gold eyes, and she’d been about to ask them, only the business of getting settled on the bike—and then the roar of the engine making conversation impossible—had temporarily given him a reprieve. Questions about her family, about the nature of her power and her shifter abilities. Questions about his family, and why he’d left the clan of his birth to join another clan without such ties. One day he’d tell her about that, how Ryker took him in off the streets and offered him food, a job, and a home when he’d been clanless. How Ryker had built a family out of separate, unrelated shifters, creating a bond somehow stronger than that of blood. But not now. Not when he couldn’t be sure someone in his pack hadn’t betrayed them. It was impossible to believe Lyssa would have turned on the pack, setting Jack and Ellie up for ambush or worse. Lyssa was like a sister to him, for Pete’s sake!

But it didn’t necessarily have to be Lyssa. She could have told anyone in the team, updating Ryker and the others as usual after Jack’s report. As unthinkable as it was to consider Lyssa as the Judas in the pack, it was just as impossible to believe it might be any of the others, or even Ryker himself. A mean-spirited voice whispered doubts just the same. How had Ryker come by the money to create Redclaw Security in the first place? What if some of the success of the agency lay not in the competency and effectiveness of the various teams but because of shady back-room deals none of the others were privy to? With the state of politics in the US in particular, and shifters in general, it was hard to know who to trust these days. Corruption was rampant among the human governments, and the skirmishes for power among shifter clans was almost as bad. It wasn’t unheard of for a shifter clan to sell out other clans to the right-wing anti-shifter movement in the hopes of buying themselves protection.

Then there were the clans that believed being a shifter meant they had a God-given superiority over the humans—and they should act on it.

As much as his soul cried out it was impossible to accept anyone at Redclaw could have betrayed them, it was harder still to believe that it was just a coincidence their location at the safe house had been breached, or that after years of lying incognito, within hours of Jack reporting probable success on finding Ariel de Winter, Ellie got the first attack on her life.

Ellie clung to him now as they rode through the dark, wet streets, her face burrowed into the back of his sweatshirt, and her arms clasping him for dear life. Come morning, the borrowed clothing would probably be unbearably hot, but he was grateful for it now as they sped out of town, headed for the interstate. There was no help for it. They were both going to be cold tonight without the leather clothing he normally would have put on for such a trip. Hopefully the sun would warm them when it rose.

He only wished she’d left the amulet behind in the car. There’d been a moment, as she’d paused to tug her hair back into a ponytail before mounting the bike, when he could see she was torn about leaving the amulet or taking it with her. Had he been in her shoes, with the necklace being the only link to a family he’d never known but had always wanted, he’d have probably taken it with him too. But he could tell even when she wasn’t actually wearing it, just carrying it subdued her personality. Now that he knew the amulet existed, more of Ellie’s actions—and non-actions—made sense.

How ironic that the thing which would make her the most biddable and subject to his instructions was the thing that kept her from being everything she could be—and being herself was the one thing that would both protect her and take her out of his arms.

As tempting as it was to think about never letting Ellie come into her full powers and keeping her all to himself, he couldn’t do that. Whether she knew it or not, her entire life she’d been pretending to be someone she wasn’t. She deserved to come into her full strength and inheritance, even if that meant leaving him behind.

They left the Interstate on the other side of Asheville, picked up the Parkway, and climbed into the mountains. There were a couple of places they could have stopped for gas, but Jack wanted to avoid using his bank card, which meant waiting until they found a country store that was open, so he could pay in cash. Shortly after sunrise, they pulled into the small town of Briardale. To Jack’s relief, the town store was open for business. It was shinier than he’d remembered; someone must have bought out Old Man McNally and spruced things up. The row of gas pumps was well-lit, and the smell of fried sausage wafting through the main door made his mouth water when he pulled the bike up to a stop.

Ellie lifted her head. “Where are we?”

“Almost there. I need gas, and I thought we might grab something to eat. The road’s going to be a lot rougher from here on out.”

“You didn’t answer my question.” Ellie groaned as she straightened, and cautiously swung one leg off the bike. She hobbled a few steps and then arched with her hands pressed into the small of her back. The pink and black bra showed clearly through the shirt she wore, and Jack caught himself staring and wanting to cover her up at the same time.

He threw out the kickstand and took off his helmet. Ellie raked her fingers through her ponytail, grimacing when she hit a snarl.

“What?” She glared at him when he just shook his head.

“You. You look amazing. You know that, right?”

She turned bright pink, the same color as the streak in her hair.

Reminding himself he shouldn’t be flattering the future Queen of Coreldon, he reverted to the earlier subject. “This grand sight before you is Briardale, population fifteen hundred and some change. It’s what passes for a town in this area. Last stop for food, gas, and a restroom before we really go off the grid.”

He glanced around, trying to see the town through her eyes. It was pretty, he supposed, in a Mayberry kind of way. The white-washed buildings were perched in a neat row along the steep slope of Main Street, glazed orange and pink by the sunrise. He’d heard some enterprising soul had refurbished a bunch of cabins and was renting them out at steep prices to people yearning to play at the rustic life while visiting nearby Asheville. The gentrification of the stores downtown reflected the uptick in the class of person who shopped there now, but it was still a very small town by anyone’s standards.

“And just how long are we going to be off the grid?”

Leave it to Ellie to cut to the heart of the matter. He shrugged. “I don’t know. Until I can check some things out, which won’t be all that easy from here. In the meantime, I don’t want to leave a trail that can be traced, okay? So don’t call anyone, and if you want something to eat, let me pay for it in cash.”

From the way her face fell, he could tell that she’d intended to place some calls just as soon as she’d found a strong signal.

“I have to let Henry know I’m not coming into work. And tell Susan I’m okay and not to worry about me.”

He shook his head. “I know you want to check in with your friends, but I can’t risk someone tracking us down just yet.”

“Tracking us how? Have you got some shifter out there with supersonic hearing who can trace a cell phone signal?” Her words bit like vinegar.

“No, but people with money and connections can access phone records. Just give me a little time, okay? Please?”

She blinked at him, as though something as mundane as ordinary corruption hadn’t occurred to her, and then annoyance kicked in.

“You’re asking a lot, you know. I don’t have one iota of proof anything you say is true. For all I know, you’re the one trying to abduct me, and once you get me out in the middle of nowhere, I won’t be able to defend myself.”

Jack got off the bike and stretched before looking down into Ellie’s furious face. “Let’s call a truce for a bit. Neither one of us got much sleep last night, and riding on the back of a bike without the right gear sucks. Do you want something to eat? Some coffee to warm you up?”

Her eyes narrowed, then softened. “I need to make a stop in the restroom first. Then yes, coffee and a sausage biscuit, please.”

His gaze followed her as she walked toward the rest room. Unable to take his eyes off of her, he went through the motions of pumping gas mechanically. The stonewashed blue jeans hugged every curve as though she’d been poured into them, and he counted himself lucky for the magnificent view. When he finished filling the tank, he capped it and strolled over to the restrooms, to wait outside the door.

When she opened it and saw him standing there, she frowned. “I’m not going to run away. There’s no need to hover.”

“I’m supposed to be watching out for you, remember? Come on, I’ll buy you breakfast.”

After he paid for the gas at the register, they lined up in front of the grill, where a cook was busy putting together Styrofoam containers of food to go. There were quite a few people waiting for special orders, but to one side there was a glass cabinet with a heat lamp warming several different kinds of biscuits. He selected a couple of sausage biscuits and let Ellie pour them both coffee. After they returned to the register and paid up, they took a seat at one of the small tables covered with a cheap red-and-white checked cloth.

“So how do you know this place?” Ellie asked as they sat down. “And how much farther do we have to go?”

Best to get this out of the way now. Who knows what he’d find when he got back to his old clan? Still, he delayed a bit, fiddling with adding creamer and sugar to his coffee.

Ellie, bless her soul, opened the wrapper and dove into her biscuit, not waiting for an answer. Pity the perfect woman for him wasn’t his to claim.

Oh yeah?

His inner leopard flicked its tail in annoyance.

“Bent Creek is a logging community about twenty miles farther into the mountains. It’s a shifter community, too. Just about everyone there works in the forest industry in some capacity, or at least, they did when I was growing up there. My dad died in an accident when I was twelve. He was the clan leader, and my uncle took over with my dad’s death.”

Ellie looked up, her bright gold gaze fixing him sharply. She stopped chewing and swallowed. “I’m sensing a story here.”

Jack shrugged. “My dad’s side of the family are bear shifters. Most of the others in the clan aren’t nearly so impressive in terms of strength, mostly fox, squirrel, and beaver shifters, with a few hawks and owls thrown in. I was the odd one—the only leopard shifter in the bunch. Probably came from my mom’s side of the family—she said there were big cats in her family tree somewhere. Anyway, I was too young to take over the clan, but was the only one likely to challenge Uncle Seth one day, so he pretty much saw to it I’d leave before that happened.”

When he looked down, Jack realized he’d gripped his coffee mug so tight that his knuckles turned white, and he forced himself to relax his hold on the cup.

“Sounds like a real ass.” Ellie eyed him appraisingly over the brim of her mug as she sipped her coffee.

“Putting it mildly.” Even after all this time, Jack didn’t relish meeting his uncle again. His teen years had been hell on earth until his mother had persuaded him he should go before Seth killed him outright. After the day the chain inexplicably slipped on the logs he’d just loaded onto the big truck—and only his cat-like reflexes had allowed Jack to leap out of the way before the load came crashing down on top of him—he’d been ready to move on, even if it meant being clanless. Only he hadn’t wanted to leave his mother behind to the mercies of his uncle. She’d convinced him that once he was gone, Seth would probably have no reason to harass her.

“Don’t you worry about me none,” his mother had said. “This is all about Seth being afraid you’ll take him down someday. And you will, if you stay. Everyone knows it, including Seth. But things will calm down if you leave, Jack. There won’t be anyone to threaten him anymore.”

He’d just turned seventeen. His mother had presented him with a satchel full of money she’d squirreled away over time. He’d hitched a ride into Briardale, and caught a bus into Asheville from there. No one would hire a teenager without transportation or a home address, and when the money ran out, he’d wound up on the streets. Who knows what would have happened to him if Ryker hadn’t intervened?

That had been ten years ago, and since then, Ryker’s pack had slowly grown with other rootless shifters. That’s why the notion anyone at Redclaw could have betrayed him hurt so much. It was unthinkable, and yet who else could have sent attackers after him and Ellie last night?

“And you haven’t been back since?” Ellie lifted a skeptical eyebrow. “I hope you’re not expecting to be welcomed with open arms.”

“I’ve kept in touch with my mom.” Though not lately. Come to think of it, some warning might be nice. One of the downsides of modern technology was the abandonment of pay phones. Jack had checked while Ellie was using the rest room. The stand was still there by the air pump, but the glass was broken and the pay phone had been ripped out. “I’ll give my mom a call when we get ready to leave. I should probably give her a heads up before we show up on her doorstep.”

Amusement and annoyance warred for dominance on Ellie’s face, but the slight smile as she finished her biscuit indicated that amusement won. Barely. “Let me get this straight: you can call your mother but I can’t explain to my boss I’m not coming in today?” She glanced at her watch. “I’m supposed to be at work in an hour.”

The smart thing to do would be to buy a burner phone, but the shop didn’t lend itself to that sort of thing. Jack drummed his fingertips on the table before giving Ellie an answer.

“I guess a call to your boss won’t hurt, if you make it quick. You can’t tell him where you are, though.”

Ellie’s smile faded as she turned and pulled out her phone. Jack noted she’d had turned it off to save the battery, which was smart, considering neither of them had a charger at the moment. She flicked a sharp glance full of accusation and resignation in his direction as she dialed her boss. “Henry?” she croaked into the phone when her boss picked up. “I’m so sorry. I think I caught a cold staying out in the rain last night.”

Jack’s sharp hearing could pick up Henry’s squawk of dismay, as well as his assurances they could do without her at the diner—what was more important was that she stay home and get well. It was imperative she recover before the auditions next week. Ellie’s eyes snapped with anger as she made brief eye contact with Jack, and then unhappiness overtook her features as she wound up her conversation with Henry.

“I don’t like lying to him.”

“I know. I’m sorry you had to.”

The phone piped, and she studied the readout. “A bunch of messages are coming in. I don’t recognize some of the numbers though.”

“Let me see.”

She turned the phone over to him with a frown.

“Just as I thought. They’re from my boss. Don’t worry about it.”

“Aren’t you going to call him back?” Ellie’s eyebrow arched delicately.

Jack took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I don’t think so. Not just yet, anyway.”

“Jack, did you see how many times he called and texted? They must be worried sick about you.”

He wanted to believe that. Under other circumstances, he never would have doubted it in the first place. But somehow the people searching for Ellie had known they were at the safe house, and the number of people who’d possessed that information was very small.

“I’ll explain it to him once I see you safely returned to your relatives.” There could be no coordination with his team now. Not when he wasn’t sure who the leak was. He was on his own. He handed the phone back to Ellie.

She accepted it, lifted her chin, and eyed him coldly. “I still don’t see why I can’t participate in Nightingale. Surely this will all be over by then. You said as much yourself back at the park last night. That I’d be safe once I was declared my grandfather’s heir.”

“I think you’ll find yourself too busy with being crowned—and stuff—to worry about auditioning for a singing contest.”

It was the ‘stuff’ he didn’t want to think too hard about just now. How was he supposed to just let her walk out of his life? Heck, not let her walk out, but push her out into the arms of some other man?

“Is there some unwritten rule I don’t know about that precludes me from doing both?” She made a face as she took another sip of coffee and set the mug down. “Henry’s is much better.”

Jack squinted at her. “Your grandfather might have something to say about what’s expected of you next. What with the coronation and your birthday celebration and all. Not to mention, the little matter about your family abilities. For one thing, some folks might see it as having an unfair advantage in a singing contest. And as a general rule, shifters don’t call attention to themselves. The current political climate isn’t in our favor.” Jack didn’t even want to think what would happen if the President made good on his threat of starting mandatory registration and internment camps. It would mean open war between the shifters and the humans.

“If I wear my necklace, my powers—whatever they may be—will be kept under wraps, right? You said yourself it mutes them somehow. So I don’t see what the big deal is.”

She was a stubborn little thing. Damn it, it was just part of what made her the most fascinating woman he’d ever met. But he had a job to do. “The big deal is that your rightful place is with your people. You’ve got different responsibilities now.”

Anger blazed out of those topaz eyes. “My people. You keep saying that. Who are my people and why should I care about them? Just what kind of shifter am I supposed to be anyway?”

He blinked. Oh. Right. She hadn’t grown up in the shifter world. He’d told her that her family was powerful but it was probably just words to her at the moment. She couldn’t fully comprehend that the de Winters were one of the most influential families in existence, or that everyone knew what kind of shifters they were. Add to that some of the things she’d said, stuff about being a monster…

“Well?” Her anger was still written plainly on her face, but now he could also see the way she clenched the handle of her mug, and the tightness of the skin around her eyes.

She was afraid.

“Sorry.” He held up his hands in apology. “I forgot you don’t know anything about your family or your people. I mean, everyone’s heard of the de Winters. It’s like saying you’ve never heard of the Kennedys or the Bushes. Like them or not, you’ve at least heard of them and know who they are.”

“Well, maybe in your circle but not in mine. You shifters are pretty private when it comes to your personal lives.” She sniffed, sat back, and crossed her arms over her chest. Her entire posture was defensive, as if preparing for a blow.

“Right. So, you probably don’t know much about shifters except what you’ve seen on television.”

“I know there weren’t any before WW2. At least, none that we could prove.”

Jack nodded. “Well, we were there, but in very small numbers prior to the war. There’s some competing theories as to why that was, and where we originated from. All anyone knows is that something changed after the use of atomic weapons. Some people think the radiation activated dormant genes. Remember what I said last night about latent genes? There’s a theory that most humans have the shifter genes, only once they were switched on, not everyone developed fully into their potential, depending on how much genetic material they carry. They think it’s why some people can see and hear things the average person can’t, and why some people’s instincts and reactions are better than others. At any rate, a lot of crazy stuff began to surface after the war. People were already being thrown in internment camps for simply looking like the enemy. The shifter community as a whole decided a low profile was better, even though there were more of us than ever before. Despite our growing numbers, we still aren’t all that common, though. But people accidentally outed themselves, especially at first when no one was certain what was going on. The general reaction to finding out shifters existed made us even more cautious about going public on a large scale, that’s for sure. Most of us keep to ourselves in small packs or clans. If the clan owns property, it tends to be more powerful. Your people have a whole damn country.” He smiled but Ellie didn’t smile back.

She sat there, listening intently to his every word, her fingers tightly clenched in a fist.

“It’s not a big country, but the whole territory belongs to them. It’s high up in the Andes. Hard to access for most folks. Not for dragons, which is what the de Winters are. Dragon shifters.”

It was nearly impossible to assess her reaction. She just stared at him blankly for a long moment, and then began to nod slowly, as though it made sense to her. She lifted her chin and held out her hand, and in that instant, he could see the royalty in her.

“Some money, please.” Though she phrased it as a request, it was a demand. No doubt about it.

“Money?” He fished out his wallet. “How much are we talking here? I don’t have a lot left, and we’ve still got a ways to go.”

“I need another biscuit. This is definitely a two-biscuit kind of day.”

He grinned and handed her a five dollar bill. “Get me one too.”

She returned in a few minutes with a couple of hot sausage biscuits and handed him one along with his change. She took her seat again and peeled back the wrapper. They ate in silence. When they were done, he was loath to leave. He wasn’t looking forward to running into Seth again, even if he wanted to see his mother. The more he thought about it, the more he felt his mother would know what to do. Even if he didn’t like what her advice might entail.

Ellie was staring into her mug as though she might be able to see her future there.

“You okay?”

Ellie looked up sharply.

“What’s not to be okay about?” Her words had a definite snap to them. Before he could speak, she leaned across the table, so she could hiss intently, “You waltz into my life, telling me that not only am I the long-lost heiress to a kingdom I’ve never heard of, but apparently I can turn into a dragon and I’m some magical musical messiah to boot. I’m supposed to just give up everything I’ve worked so hard for—hell, even my identity—and go live with people I know nothing about? Oh, yeah, and someone is trying to kill me too. Forgive me if this is all a bit much.”

“Well, if you put it like that…” He smiled, hoping she’d see the humor in it.

She didn’t.

“Look, Ellie. I know this is a lot to take in, and believe me, I think you’re handling it really well.” It was a good thing being able to shoot daggers with her eyes was not one of Ellie’s powers. He continued hastily. “Amazingly well. Seriously. You have no idea. I wish I could’ve explained it better somehow. I don’t know, broke it to you gently or something.”

After a quick glance around to make sure no one was listening, Ellie spoke in a low growl. “Exactly how would you have explained that I can turn into a dragon more gently?”

Jack shrugged a little helplessly. Ellie rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat with a huff.

“Look, I’m telling you this because you need to know, but also because I don’t know what’s going to happen from here on out. If we get in a jam, I want you to shift and get yourself out of it, you hear?”

Ellie frowned. “I thought you—we—shifters had rules about changing in front of others. At least, that’s the impression you gave me. Isn’t that the whole reason you don’t want me at Nightingale?”

Jack checked out the other diners. No one seemed to be paying them any attention. “You’re right. The current atmosphere is pretty anti-shifter. If the US president goes forward with his plans to start internment camps, it would be bad for anyone to know you’re a shifter. That’s one of the reasons we don’t tend to shift in front of the general public. That’s why there are special resorts and compounds—so that shifters can change at will without fear of persecution. But if it comes down to protecting your identity or saving your life, Ellie, you have to shift.”

“I don’t know how.”

He laughed at that. He couldn’t help it. “Sweetheart, most people don’t know how to have sex the first time they try it, but they figure it out. Instinct kicks in.”

Her face reddened and she was unable to look him in the eye. Instead, she played with the empty paper packet of sugar. “I don’t see what the rush is to get me back home. It’s been almost twenty-five years—why can’t it wait a few more weeks?”

“I think it’s a timing thing. Your birthday is next week. Your grandfather wants to bring you home and introduce you to the kingdom with a combined birthday celebration and coronation. And besides, there’s the Prince to meet.”

“Prince.” She spoke the word with the flat coldness someone else might have used to say, ‘spider’ or ‘snake.’

Jack coughed. “Um, yes. Prince.”

“As in my brother? Another family member?” She tapped her spoon on the table in irritation.

Oh hell. “Not exactly. More like as in your betrothed.”

“My betrothed?” She didn’t shout the words, but she rose out of her seat and planted her hands on the table to snarl at him. A small puff of smoke released from her nostrils, and she gasped and sat down again, her hands clasped over her nose. Her pupils grew so wide her eyes appeared black, and her eyebrows climbed up into her hairline.

“I’m starting to think even the amulet can’t hold you back much longer. Why don’t you ditch it and accept who you are?”

She narrowed her eyes and lowered her hands to the table. “When were you going to tell me about the betrothed part?”

“I was working up to it.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, I’m sorry that I didn’t get the chance to tell you about things the way I wanted to. But you see now why you have to go to Coreldon, don’t you? There’s a lot at stake, and your kingdom is counting on you.”

“Oh that’s rich, coming from you.” The pink lock of hair had escaped her barrette again, and she tossed her head back to shake it out of her eyes.

“What do you mean by that?” Damn it, he was trying to be patient with her, to be sensible of how stressful and overwhelming this must be, but she wasn’t making it easy.

“You didn’t exactly stick around to take over your own clan, now did you? What about your family responsibilities?” There was a little smug gleam of satisfaction in her eye when she saw that she’d scored.

“That’s different.”

“I don’t see how.”

“I was only a teenager. I couldn’t stand up to my uncle then. I had to leave.”

“I was only a baby when my parents decided to abandon me.”

“For your own good!”

“Precisely.” She sniffed delicately. “I don’t see how things have changed all that much since then. Someone’s still trying to kill me. How is it you can avoid your family responsibilities, but I’m supposed to accept mine?”

“Because I’m not a princess!”

He didn’t exactly shout, but he might have spoken those last words a bit too loud. Heads turned in their direction, and at least one diner grinned at him. He pushed back from the table and stood. “We need to get a move on.”

Ellie didn’t say anything, but her eyes gleamed with amusement.

Outside, he borrowed Ellie’s phone and dialed his mother’s number. She still had a land line, but it was unlikely anyone would know her name to try tracing a call; so he felt it worth the risk. Hopefully she’d answer. He didn’t exactly want to leave a message on her voice mail.

That’s exactly what he had to do though. What had he expected? Knowing his mother, she’d probably risen with the sun and was out hunting. He listened to her brisk, outgoing message.

“I’m on my way to see you,” he said when the phone beeped. He hesitated, not sure what to add in case his mother wasn’t alone when she listened to her messages. “There’s someone I want you to meet.” His cheeks flamed at his words, and when he looked at Ellie, she was watching him with a wicked smile. “What?” he asked, disconnecting the call. “It’s true.”

“In a matter of speaking.”

He ignored her superior grin and headed for the motorcycle. There was a time when he was in control of his life. A big alpha male panther who got the job done. He knew how to work hard and party hard too. How was it one woman had the ability to turn his whole world upside down? “Let’s go. I want to get there before noon, and the road’s pretty rough from here on out.”

Ellie said nothing, but quietly got on the bike behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist as though she belonged there.

It was going to be a long day.