“I know I said this was a good idea, but you can’t go running off half-cocked, Savvy,” Aunt Jo grumbled. “Why don’t I go with you, an ambassador of sorts, since I have a relationship with most of the packs.”

I finger combed my hair while I considered her suggestion. “Not a bad idea.” Then I stared at her seriously. “You know we need to get on this immediately, right?”

She nodded. “Of course. So, go get changed and we’ll begin the Meet the Alpha Tour.”

I chuckled. “Is that what we’re calling it?”

“That’s what I’m calling it. Now scoot!” She motioned for me to leave.

“Right. I’m going shopping with the twins later. They’ve promised to make me look the part, all Alpha and girly, but for now, this is it.” I raised my arms at my side.

Aunt Jo shook her head. “Oh, no. Let’s go upstairs. I can fix this.” Then she made a beeline for the stairs, and I actually had to struggle to keep up with her.

“Where are we going?” I huffed.

“You need clothes. And make-up.” She turned to study me when she reached the top of the stairs. “Hair. More…adult hair.”

I groaned. “Is there anything you actually like about me? Damn, Aunt Jo. Way to make an Alpha insecure.”

With a laugh, she nodded. “You have an amazing smile. You should show it more.”

“Oh, my Lord! Was that even a compliment?” I frowned.

“You’re so witty, so clever, so smart and intelligent. You’re more capable than you even know.” She grinned. “Want me to go on?”

“It wouldn’t hurt,” I mumbled. “My ego could use a boost, since Quinn seems determined to crush it.”

She threw her head back and laughed. “We’ll get him to come around, Savvy.” Aunt Jo shook her head. “You should see the way he looks at you. I can’t imagine why he’s holding back.”

“Last night, he mentioned I deserved pure breed wolf shifter pups.” I bit my lip before continuing. “I don’t care about that crap. I want him. Our wolves have made their choice. He needs to make his before it’s too late.”

“What’s that mean—too late?” She frowned.

My shoulders drooped. “I gave him until the full moon.”

Clapping her hands together, she inhaled deeply before speaking. “Downstairs.”

“What?”

“Go downstairs. This is serious. We need to call in the heavy artillery.” She glanced at the time on her cellphone. “All right. You drive. I’ll make some phone calls.”

“Where are we going?” I started down the stairs feeling completely confused and off balance.

While working on her phone, she ignored me. Finally, my phone chimed and she responded. “Spa. It’s time for a makeover.” Aunt Jo pointed to the car. “I texted you the address and the details for tonight’s event. Let’s go.”

“Wait! What details? I have to meet with the other Alphas,” I grumbled.

“You’ll meet the Alphas at the dinner.” She stepped onto the porch. “I’ll tell you as we drive.”

“I give up. We’ll go.” I locked the door and soon enough we were driving.

“I just need to make one little phone call.” She glanced at me before selecting a contact on her phone. “Not a word, Savvy. I’m putting this on speaker.”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course. I can’t believe you thought you had to say it.”

Almost instantly, the call was answered. “Hello, Jo. You don’t usually call me.” Quinn was silent for all of two seconds before he took a flying leap at some conclusions. “Is this about Savvy? Is she okay? Does she need me?”

“Actually, I was hoping you could give me your Alpha’s email.” Aunt Jo sounded so calm.

“I don’t have an Alpha,” Quinn responded flatly.

“Semantics. You know, Stewart what’s-his-face. Is he still the Alpha, or did he finally kick the bucket?”

My eyes widened at her tone. Aunt Jo placed a finger to her lips as if I needed to be reminded yet again to hold my tongue. My chin jutted out in annoyance, and I decided to focus on the road.

Quinn sighed. “I’ll text you his email and phone number. At least, they were about five years ago. You know we had that falling out after I graduated.”

“Of course. How could I forget? The fight was the reason I helped you go rogue.” Aunt Jo tapped her teeth for a moment. “I hope you’ve figured out the Phoenix Pack is nothing like the Malvaggios. Savvy is nothing like Stewart.”

With a groan, he responded. “I can see this, but it doesn’t change anything.”

“You’re kidding, right? The life you could have with Savvy should change everything.” My aunt looked at me and winked. “Well, this isn’t something to be forced. My niece will need a strong mate, one who is willing to support her, stand up for her, and respect her. Maybe that isn’t you. Maybe I don’t know you at all.” She sighed and listened for Quinn, but when he said nothing, she hit him with her toughest talking point yet. “After all, I’ve heard rare situations where when a shifter is denied by the intended mate, the wolf has sought out a new match, a better match. Let’s face it, if Savvy is anything, she’s rare.”

“Yes, she is,” Quinn whispered.

“If you’re certain, then you need to give her wolf a chance to find someone new. I’m sure one of the March Pack men would be happy to have her.” Aunt Jo laid a hand on my shoulder.

My chest ached at the idea of never seeing Quinn again. How could I be so attracted to someone who clearly didn’t want a life with me? How would I ever get over him so I could find a new mate?

“Well, I’ll let you go, Quinn. I have to help Savvy plan a cocktail party and dinner tonight. She’s meeting the Alphas of the neighboring packs at The Grove Park Inn. They’re all bringing their most eligible unmated males to meet her. There’s so much to do, I’ll have to talk to you later. Thank you for your help.” Then she ended the call.

Swallowing hard, I struggled to breathe. “He’s really not going to come around,” I whispered. Even those words caught in my throat.

“Is that what you heard?” My aunt shook her head and chuckled.

“Yes?” I glanced at her as I drove up the mountain road to our destination.

“No.” She chuckled. “Honey, I planted seeds. I sowed seeds. That man is one smitten kitten.” Aunt Jo leaned back in her seat. “I would be shocked if you went the rest of the day without hearing from him. There’s no way he can let you go forever. He couldn’t even speak.” Then she turned her attention to the text he’d sent. “Well, now I have the contact information for each pack. I’m just going to send an email with the details.” She shrugged like it was no big deal, but my stomach had begun to churn in anticipation.

By the time we parked at the spa she’d selected, I wished I hadn’t heard the conversation I kept replaying in my head. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. Then I took a few deep breaths.

“Come on. I booked a massage for you, among other treatments.” She smiled mysteriously.

As we entered, we were passed mimosas. I took a sip and sighed. “Okay, this is a nice start. What’s next?”

“Come this way, Miss Silver. I’m Lacey, the aesthetician who’s taking care of you today.” A petite, young woman with jet black hair and pale blue eyes motioned for me to follow her down the hall. “We’ll start with your facial, then we’ll do a full body scrub, followed by a massage. Then it’s all about the finishing touches: your mani-pedi, then hair and make-up.”

I frowned. “How long will this take? I’m supposed to meet my sisters at three this afternoon.”

“Actually, your aunt arranged for them to come here after school.” Lacey grinned. “You’ll probably all be having mani-pedis at the same time.”

“How did she manage to accomplish so much on one short drive? How did I miss it? How is all this possible?” I threw my hands up in the air.

“Well, money moves mountains.” Lacey winked at me. “Relax, we’ll have you out of here by six.”

“But I’m supposed to find something to wear tonight,” I grumbled. “According to the text Aunt Jo sent me earlier, cocktails are served at six and dinner begins at seven. When will I find time to shop?”

“The boutique down the road will be bringing over a selection of cocktail dresses.” She pushed open the door to the right. “Go change into the robe. Put all your clothes in the basket.”

“Naked, huh? Completely butt nekkid?”

“Yes. Come out when you’re ready. I’ll wait right here for you.” Lacey smiled serenely.

I shrugged. “See you in a second. This won’t take long.”

Before long, I had returned and the treatments began. I’d never had a facial before, but I loved the hot towel on my face. When she’d finished with my face, Lacey wore a strange expression on hers. “Did I do something wrong?” My head tilted as I waited for her response.

“No. Of course not.” She smiled, but I sensed something bothered her. We wandered to the next treatment room in silence. As we entered, she murmured, “Now for the scrub.”

She took my robe and had me lie down on the table. Soon the scrub was slathered all over me. While it seemed mildly awkward to have someone I didn’t know touching me virtually all over, I also found it to be more relaxing than I expected.

“Time to rinse.” She closed the top over me so only my head stuck out and then water shot out of the holes in the table to rinse me. Her eyes sparkled as she opened the top of the table and began to dry me. When Lacey finished, she pursed her lips and shook her head.

“What is it?” Goosebumps broke out over my entire body while I worried over what she would say.

Leaning low, she murmured in my ear, “Savannah Silver, you’re a wolf shifter.”