His muscles were screaming when he finally saw Denise and the others waiting at the finish line.

A few more steps and he was there, collapsing at her feet with her brassiere in his jaws.

Yogi had driven a little over a mile before swearing and turning the car around. He couldn’t let anyone else claim Denise. And regardless of what Jessup claimed, that was what the ‘hosting’ was—a thinly veiled attempt to snake his mate out from under him.

Trying to let her go had ripped his heart out. He’d nearly wrecked his Jeep getting back, then had run until every cell in his body throbbed and begged him to stop.

Now he was shutting down.

Denise hovered anxiously before she got on her knees and wrapped her arms around him.

Oh, that’s nice. Shifting to his two-legged form, he took a deep breath and settled in her embrace, too spent to move.

“He cheated,” Levi called out. Yogi cracked his lids, fixing a baleful glare on the Avery wolves just now crossing the finish line.

“How was that cheating?” Denise’s tone was incredulous. “He caught up to you despite being like miles behind and then he flew—fucking flew—like a goddamn psycho kamikaze over that gorge!”

Levi began to argue, but Jessup interrupted with a raised hand.

“Enough, boys. It’s obvious she’s made her choice.”

The Avery alpha’s tone wasn’t exactly enthusiastic, more like resigned and even slightly amused.

Levi scoffed and shook his head. “She just doesn’t know any better. He’s the first werewolf she met. It’s classic imprinting.”

Yogi raised a hand and flipped him off.

Levi started for them, but Denise scowled at him. She crawled around Yogi to put herself right between the two men.

Jessup laughed and walked over to join her. “It’s clear these two have formed a bond. While we are disappointed Denise won’t be joining our family, even temporarily, we should thank both her and Yogi for what they did for Oliver.”

Levi and the other Were, Gus, shuffled and looked away.

“Thank you, Denise,” Gus finally said after a beat too long. “We do owe you for that—big time.”

He cocked his head and smiled flirtatiously. “And if you change your mind and decide to ditch this loser, we’ll be waiting.”

Yogi was within his rights to rearrange Gus’ face for that comment, but he was still too tired.

“Anyone would have done the same in my place. Well, anyone decent…” Denise said.

Jessup’s tone was wry. “I really don’t think that’s true. Most people would have left a lost cub in the woods, thinking it was his rightful place. For a real wolf cub, that is true, but Weres require more care. We can survive like that, orphaned so young, but we would never learn to control our dual nature without guidance.”

Distracted, Denise tore her gaze away from the others. “Wait, what do you mean by in the woods?”

“When you rescued him, I mean. You did do that, correct?” Jessup asked, a note of puzzled condescension creeping into his voice.

Her lips parted. “Yes, I did, but not in the woods.” She looked down at Yogi, brow creased. “Did you think I found him in the woods, too?”

Frowning, he nodded. “Of course,” he said, voice fraying a little in his exhaustion. “At least that’s what I assumed. Are you saying that’s not what happened?”

“No!” She held up her hands.

Jessup frowned. “Wait, so you didn’t save him?”

“I did, but he wasn’t in the woods. He was in a lab—a place called Reliance Research. It does illegal animal research. That’s why I was there. I…I rescue animals from places like those.”

“Fuck me to the seven hells,” Yogi swore as he grabbed her hand and tried to stand.

When he looked at Denise, she was nervously glancing between him and Jessup, panic on her features.

One minute, Jessup’s face was mildly annoyed. The next, he was a beast. His face contorted with rage, he whipped around and howled.

Denise gripped Yogi’s hand tightly as every wolf in Lunar Springs poured out of their houses, shifting as they ran. Even the men who’d raced against him shifted back despite being nearly as tired as he was.

Yogi held Denise close as they were surrounded—the center of a snarling mass of wolves. Only he and Jessup maintained their human forms.

“We have a major problem,” Jessup announced to the group. “Get the chief.”