Night Play

Chapter 2

His heart heavy with regret, Vane made his way through the French Quarter down to 688 Ursulines Avenue where the bar Sanctuary stood on the corner. The redbrick building had saloon-type doors with a sign outside that featured a dark motorcycle silhouetted by a full moon on a hill.

A tourist attraction, the biker bar was crowded as always with natives and tourists. There were already several motorcycles lined up on the sidewalk outside that belonged to the local biker gang who called themselves the Vieux-Doo Dogs. The first time he'd seen the gruff bikers enter the building, Vane had laughed The biker humans had no idea that Sanctuary wasn't just a place for them. It was one of the very rare true havens for his kind.

All over the world and in various time periods, certain Were-Hunter families had established places like this one where Katagaria members could hide out while running from their enemies. But of all the known animal havens, Mama Bear Peltier's Sanctuary was the most respected and renowned. Mostly because hers was one of the few establishments that welcomed Dark-Hunters, Apollites, Daimons, and gods equally. So long as you came in peace, you were allowed to leave with all body parts intact.

As the Sanctuary slogan went: Don't bite me and I won't bite you.

Anyone who breached that one rule was quickly sacrificed by one of Mama Peltier's eleven sons or her exceptionally large mate. It was a well-known fact that Papa Bear Peltier played with no one but Mama Bear.

Though Mama and her boys were bears in their native form, they welcomed all Katagaria branches: lions and tigers and hawks and wolves. There wasn't a single known group that didn't have at least one member hiding here.

Hell, there was even a drakos, and as a rule the dragons seldom made the twenty-first century their home. Due to their size, dragons had a tendency to live out their lives in past times where a smaller human population and open fields made it easier for them to hide.

The Peltiers even had an Arcadian Sentinel who watched over the place and that was the greatest feat of all. Arcadians were the Were-Hunters who had human hearts and they were mortal enemies to the Katagaria, who had animal hearts. In fact, the two species had been at war with each other for thousands of years.

The Arcadians were supposedly the kinder branch of Vane's people, but his experience said that was wishful thinking on their part. He'd much sooner trust a Katagaria with an animal heart than an Arcadian with a human heart any day.

At least the animals attacked you openly. They weren't nearly as treacherous as a human.

But then, no Katagaria female had ever held him the way Bride had. None had ever made him feel this strange protectiveness that wanted nothing more than to go back to the restaurant where he'd left her, take her into his arms and carry her home with him.

It didn't make a bit of sense.

He strode through the saloon doors to find Dev Peltier sitting on a tall barstool at the entrance. Dev was one of Mama Bear's quadruplets. Even though they were identical in looks, each of the quads had a very distinct personality and carriage.

Dev was easygoing and slow to anger. He exuded an air of powerful grace and moved methodically like most bears—as if he had all the time in the world. But Vane knew the bear could be damned near as quick to move as any wolf. The first time he had seen Dev lunge at his younger brother Serre in a play fight, he'd developed a healthy respect for the bear's abilities.

Tonight, Dev wore a black T-shirt that didn't quite cover up the Artemis bow mark on his biceps that he had as a goof on the Daimons and Apollites who occasionally ventured inside the bar. He was playing five-card draw with Rudy, one of the human employees who had no idea that half the "people" in the bar were really animals walking on two legs.

Rudy had straight black hair pulled back into a ponytail, and a rough face that showed every sign of how hard the ex-con's life had been. He had a full black beard and every inch of exposed skin was covered with some kind of colorful tattoo.

The man was truly grimy and, unlike the Were-Hunters who made this their home, he wasn't attractive. In fact, that was the easiest way to tell the humans from the animals. Since Vane's people valued beauty above all else, it was rare to find an unattractive Were-Hunter.

Like his brothers', Dev's curly blond hair fell all the way down his back. As always, he wore it loose. He had on a pair of tight, faded jeans and black boots.

Dev acknowledged him with a tilt of his head. "Hey, wolf, you okay?"

Vane shrugged as he neared them. "Just tired."

"Maybe you should cop a nap at the house," Dev said as he reached for two more cards.

Peltier House was adjacent to the bar. It was there that they could assume their animal forms without fear of discovery. The Peltiers had more alarm systems than Fort Knox and at least two members of the family were on guard at all times against any intruder, human or otherwise.

"It's all right," Vane said. He earned his keep and Fang's. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to accuse him of taking charity from the Bear clan, so he worked an average of ten hours a day, every day, for the Peltiers. "I told Nicolette I'd relieve Cherise at the bar tonight."

"Yeah," Rudy said as he took a drag on his cigarette, then adjusted his cards. "Cherise is dying to go home early. Nick is going to take her to Antoine's for her birthday."

Vane had forgotten it was the human's birthday. For some reason, those were special to humans. Probably because they had so few of them.

Vane excused himself and headed toward the bar. He passed the tables where Wren, a rare white leopard Katagaria, was clearing them. Marvin the monkey (the only animal at Sanctuary that couldn't take human form) sat on the leopard's shoulder and held tight to Wren's blond hair.

Those two had a strange relationship. Much like Vane and Fang, Wren had come to the Peltiers as an exile. He kept to himself and seldom spoke to anyone other than Marvin. Even so, there was something lethal about the leopard's eyes that told everyone to leave him alone if they valued their lives.

Wren looked up at Vane as he passed the tables Wren was cleaning, but said nothing.

"Hey, Vane!" Cherise Gautier said, her face beaming as she caught sight of him. She was a beautiful blond woman in her early forties. Her ever-ready smile and warm heart could win over just about anyone. "You okay, honey? You look tired."

It still amazed him just how intuitive Cherise was for a human. Vane lifted the back section of the bar's countertop and let himself into the serving area. "I'm fine," he said, even though he didn't feel that way.

He felt as if something were missing. As if he should go back to Bride.

How stupid was that?

"You sure?" she asked.

He could sense her concern. And that made him extremely uncomfortable. No one other than his brother and sister had ever given a damn about him.

Cherise was a strange human.

She flipped the white towel she'd been cleaning the bar with over her shoulder. "You know, my son is your age…"

Vane fought the urge to laugh at that. Nick Gautier was twenty-six in human years while Vane was four hundred and sixty. But of course, Cherise had no idea of Vane's true age. Any more than she knew her son was working for the Dark-Hunters, who were all immortal vampire slayers.

"And I know how you guys burn yourselves out. You need to take better care of yourself, sweetie. I swear you haven't had a day off since Mama hired you. Why don't you take the night off for once and go have some fun?"

"It's all right," he said quietly as he took the towel from her shoulder. "I've got it. Besides, Rudy said it was your birthday."

She blew him a raspberry. "I'm too old for birthdays. I'd rather see you enjoy your youth while you still have it."

"Yeah," Kyle Peltier, the youngest of the bears, said as he joined them from the back room with a large rack of clean glasses. Just Nick's age, Kyle was barely out of puberty since Were-Hunters didn't mature until their twenties. "Why don't you enjoy the six seconds you have left of your youth, Vane?"

Vane flipped him off, then urged Cherise toward her purse. "Go home, Cherise."

"But—"

"Go," Vane growled, "and have a good birthday."

She sighed, then patted him on the arm. "All right." She grabbed her sweater and purse from under the bar.

"I'll punch you out," Kyle said, lifting the bar counter for her so that she could step out.

"Thanks."

Vane started pulling the glasses out of the rack and putting them away while Kyle went to help Wren bus the tables.

Colt Theodorakopolus sauntered up to the bar. The Ursulan Arcadian stood even in height with Vane, who felt an instant dislike for the were-bear. Though, to be honest, Colt seemed decent enough. His mother's mate had been killed while his mother was pregnant with him. Knowing she would die as soon as her cub was born, she'd come to Sanctuary and begged the Peltiers to raise her son for her.

To Vane's knowledge, Colt had never met another Arcadian bear member. As a Sentinel, Colt should have one side of his face covered by Sentinel markings—strange, geometric designs that appeared as a birthmark once the Sentinel reached maturity. But Colt, like many Sentinels who lived outside of their clans or in seclusion, chose to hide them, along with his powers.

No one knew how powerful Colt was until they crossed him. Then it was too late.

A hiding Sentinel was a most dangerous thing.

Unlike the other bears, Colt had short black hair and looked remarkably clean-cut.

"Give me whisky," Colt said to Vane. "And hold the human hair."

Vane nodded at the phrase that meant Colt wanted the hard liquor that would completely inebriate a human with one shot. Since their kind had a higher metabolism, they could handle a lot more alcohol.

He poured a large shot glass, then placed it on the bar in front of Colt. The instant he pulled his hand back, he felt a strange burning sensation.

Hissing, Vane blew across his palm. He moved to one of the bar lamps to see what he'd done to it.

As he looked, a strange scrolling design seared itself onto his skin.

"Oh shit," he breathed as he saw it take form.

Colt ducked under the bar and came up behind him. His jaw went slack. "You're mated?" he asked incredulously. "Who's the lucky she-wolf?"

Vane couldn't breathe as he saw the marking. How could this be?

"It's impossible."

Colt laughed. "Yeah, right, you sound like Serre when he got mated. Trust me, it happens to the best of us."

"No," Vane said, meeting the bear's gaze. "She's human. I'm a wolf. I can't be mated to a human. It's not possible."

The color faded from Colt's face as the full impact of Vane's situation hit him. "You unlucky bastard. It's not often that an Arcadian mates to a human, but it does happen."

"I'm not Arcadian," Vane snarled. There was nothing human in him. Nothing.

Colt grabbed his hand and held it up to Vane's line of sight. "Argue with this all you want to. But face it, Vane. Your three weeks are ticking. Either you claim the human or you'll live out the rest of your life without ever feeling another female's touch."

"Ow!" Bride snapped as her hand started burning. She pressed it up against her glass of water.

"What's wrong?" Mina asked as she picked out another oyster to eat.

"I don't know," Bride said. "My hand just started hurting."

Tabitha touched Bride's plate. "Nothing's hot. Did you cut your hand on an oyster shell?"

"No," Bride said, pulling her hand back to look at it. There was a beautiful design on her palm. It reminded her of some ancient Greek design. "What on earth?"

Mina frowned as she looked at it. "Did you get a henna tattoo?"

"No. I didn't do anything. I swear. It wasn't there five seconds ago."

Tabitha leaned over to look at it. "How weird," she said. "And coming from me, that means something."

That was very true. Tabitha Devereaux was the epitome of odd.

"You've never seen anything like this?" Bride asked Tabitha.

"Nope. Maybe we're all delusional. Maybe it's like Plato's theory and there's nothing there but skin. Maybe we're just seeing what we want to see."

Mina snorted as she poured Tabasco sauce on her oyster. "Just because you live in a constant state of insanity, Tabby, doesn't mean the rest of us do."

Bride laughed at them.

She traced the design on her palm and wondered what on earth could have placed it there.

Colt gave Vane a hard stare. "Look, I know you can't stand me. But I've got your back. Go see your woman and I'll cover here in the bar."

"I don't need you to—"

"Stop being so damned stubborn," Colt said from between clenched teeth. "You have a mate out there, Vane, and whether you're Arcadian or Katagaria, you know the one law that governs us all. Your mate's safety comes above all else."

Colt was right and Vane knew it. The animal inside him was already straining at the human half of him. It wanted its mate. It demanded it.

Normally the human and animal parts of himself coexisted in a delicate balance. Hormones and stress could easily disturb that balance, and then he became truly dangerous. If the animal took control of him…

Many of his kind, both male and female, lost themselves to that animal half. Unable to handle it, they went mad from it and became ruthless slayers who killed anything or anyone who crossed them. It was similar to a rabies infection and there was no cure for it.

That was why the Arcadians had Sentinels. Their job was to track and kill those who couldn't control their animal soul. Slayers. Of course, the Arcadians as a rule were rather liberal when applying the term "slayer" to one of his people. Pretty much any Katagari who crossed their path was usually classified as a slayer… with or without evidence.

"Go, Vane," Colt said, urging him toward the door.

The bear was right. There was no use fighting his nature. It was a battle he could never win.

He handed Colt the towel and quickly left the bar.

Out on the street, Vane made sure no one could see him and then flashed himself into wolf form. Unlike his brother, he was a solid white timber wolf. He was also bigger, weighing in at one hundred and forty pounds.

It was why his pack mates had feared him most in his animal state. As powerful as they were, he was more so. And he didn't follow rank the way the others did.

Animal he might be, but at the end of the day even though he denied it, he had enough human in him to refuse to follow anyone docilely.

He was a born alpha and everyone around him knew it.

Vane sprinted through the streets of New Orleans, careful to stay to the shadows of the darkening evening. He'd learned long ago that humans had a tendency to make him out to be a large dog if they saw him, but still the last thing he needed was a dogcatcher after him.

He had a long history of animal-control encounters. None of which had ever been good for the humans.

It didn't take him long to return to Iberville and the Acme Oyster House where he'd left Bride. Rising up on his hind legs to stand against the glass, he peered inside to see her seated with two other women.

One had dark auburn hair and a ragged scar down the side of her face. If not for the ghastly mark, she would have been exceptionally attractive. The other one was a very pretty brunette who shared similar features.

However, neither of the skinny women appealed to him.

Only Bride did. The sight of her cut through him intensely, making him ache with need. She might claim to be human, but there was more magic in her smile than his entire wolf pack possessed.

She was absolutely beguiling and those lips did the most amazing things to his body.

To his heart…

The three women were talking and laughing while they finished a platter of oysters. None of them seemed to notice anything different about Bride.

Maybe she wasn't his mate, after all.

But that was a futile thought. The mark only appeared after a Were-Hunter had had sex with his mate, and usually within a short time frame. Vane hadn't been with any other woman for months now.

There was no one else it could be.

Her hand markings should match his exactly—they were emblems that showed his parental lineage and could only be read by another of his kind.

But then again maybe it was different because Bride was human. What if the mating mark wasn't binding on a human female?

He went cold with that thought.

He would be screwed. Literally.

The only hope he would ever have for a family rested in his ability to claim his mate.

But she must be willing…

Bride and her friends got up and headed out of the restaurant. Vane crouched low as he tried to decide what to do.

"I'm telling you, Bride," the brunette said as she led the way out into the street, "our sister Tia can hex anyone. Say the word and we'll turn Taylor into a eunuch."

Bride laughed at that. "Don't tempt me."

The scarred redhead stopped as she caught sight of him in the shadows. "Hey there, big boy," she said kindly, holding her hand out for him to sniff. "Want Tabby to scratch you behind your ears?"

"Tabitha!" the other woman snapped. "Leave the strays alone. I swear, one day you're going to get rabies."

"He doesn't have rabies," Bride said.

"See," the one called Tabitha said. "And the daughter of the vet should know."

Bride held her hand out to him.

Vane went to her immediately and sniffed her hand. Her scent went through him, piercing and hot, along with images of what she'd looked like in complete surrender to him. The sounds of her pleasure…

Nosing her fingers, he forced her to open them so that he could see his worst fears confirmed.

She was marked.

Damn.

What was he going to do now?

"He likes you, Bride."

Tabitha had no idea just how true her words were.

"I think he likes her leftovers," Mina said with a laugh.

Bride knelt down while she stroked his ears. She cupped his head and examined him carefully. "I think he's a wolf."

"A wolf?" Tabitha asked. "Are you nuts? How did a wolf get in the city? Besides, he's way too big for a wolf."

"You are a big boy, aren't you?" Bride said as Vane nuzzled her face. She looked up at her friend. "Contrary to popular opinion, Tabby, wolves are the largest of the canines. But I think he might be some kind of mixed blood."

If she only knew…

She stood up and started off with her friends.

Vane followed. In wolf form, it was compulsory. His human half had very little control now. He could still understand and listen, but his animal ruled him in this state.

So long as he was in his current body, he was feral and lethal.

Bride had the strangest feeling down her spine. She paused and looked back over her shoulder to find the white wolf following behind her. She could swear his eyes were an exact match for Vane's hazel green, and the way he looked at her…

At them…

It was as if he understood exactly what they were saying and doing.

It was really weird.

Tabitha and Mina walked her back to her shop.

"You sure you don't want to spend the night over at my place?" Mina asked. "I can easily kick my guy out."

"Or my apartment," Tabitha offered. "I have no guy to kick out, and since my twin absconded with my dog and Allison wanted to find a saner, safer bunkmate, I have all the room in the world."

"I thought Maria was living with you now?" Mina asked.

"Nah," Tabitha said. "Her stuff is there, but she's been spending all her time at her boyfriend's house. I never see her anymore."

Bride smiled at their kindness. "It's okay, guys. I have to get used to being alone again. Really. I just want to curl up with a good book and put him out of my mind."

But what disturbed her most was that all she had to do was think of Vane and all thoughts of Taylor went flying out of her head.

Maybe her "encounter" with him had been a good thing after all.

"Hey, just keep dreaming about the guy you met," Tabitha said, winking at her.

Bride frowned at that spooky coincidence. Of course, Tabitha claimed to be able to read minds. At times such as this, Bride could almost believe that.

"Yeah," Mina concurred. "Maybe he might pass back by."

Bride sighed wistfully. "I have a feeling I've seen the last of Mr. Bodacious."

Mina gave her a sisterly hug. "Call me if you need me."

"I will. Thanks."

Tabitha hugged her too and patted her on the back. "Remember, if you need Taylor's kneecaps broken, I have just the tire iron and I won't ever tell the media who put me up to it."

Bride laughed, grateful for her friends and their kindness to her in her hour of need. "You're such a nut."

"I'm serious, though. You change your mind, speed dial the number. I can be at his place in under twenty minutes."

"Ha!" Mina said. "With your driving? You'd be there in less than ten and that's with a flat tire going against traffic."

Bride shook her head at their teasing as she pulled her keys from her pocket and opened the door on the side of her building that led to the courtyard and the wrought-iron stairs in the back. Her store took up the entire bottom floor of the building, but the upper three floors had been made into apartments by her grandmother. The stairs back here led to each of the apartments above. There was one more tiny studio apartment in the back near the garage that used to be a barn back in the days before New Orleans was paved.

Up until Taylor had talked her into living with him, she had lived in the biggest apartment on the top floor. Now all the apartments were rented except for the one studio out back. It was so small that she had never felt right about taking money for it. Instead, Bride used it for storage.

Now it was going to be home sweet home for a while.

She wanted to cry again, but she refused. If the worst thing that ever happened to her was Taylor leaving her, then she was truly blessed.

Still, it did hurt. Deeply.

As Mina and Tabitha walked off, the wolf came forward to stare up at her.

"You are beautiful, aren't you?" she asked, reaching down to stroke his ears again.

He licked her hand before he rubbed himself against her legs much like a cat might.

"C'mon," she said, indicating the courtyard with a nod of her head. "I don't really want to be alone tonight and you look like you might appreciate somewhere warm and dry to sleep."

He padded inside the gate while she locked the door and made her way over to the renovated stable/apartment.

Her heart heavy, Bride was grateful that she had this one tiny place left, otherwise she would be in a hotel room tonight. Or worse, her parents' house. She loved them dearly, but she wasn't in the mood to answer their questions or see the look of disappointment on her mother's face as she lamented the fact that if Bride didn't get married, she'd never have any more grandchildren.

At least here in her own place she had some comfort.

Maybe.

She opened the door and switched on the lights. Luckily, the water and electricity for this apartment was turned on since it ran off the same line that provided the water and electricity for her store.

The wolf hesitated as he looked around the three hundred square feet of boxes and artwork.

"Oh," she said playfully, "you feeling picky, huh?"

If she didn't know better, she would swear he shook his head no before he came in and started nosing around her boxes.

After locking the door, Bride went to the dusty desk and dropped her keys on top of it. Then she pulled the cover from the couch and coughed as she unearthed a dust bunny farm of death.

"I really hate you, Taylor," she said quietly as she sniffed. "I hope you choke on your skinny new girlfriend's thong."

As if he sensed her sadness, the wolf came over and rubbed against her side. Bride sank down to the floor to pull him into a tight hug.

The wolf didn't complain at all as she let her tears fall into his snowy fur. He sat there quietly with his head on her shoulder as pain flooded her.

How could she have been so stupid as to think for a minute that she loved Taylor? Why had she given him so much of her life and time when he'd only been using her?

Was she really so desperate for love that she would lie to herself about him?

"I just wanted someone to love me for me," she whispered to the wolf. "Is that so wrong?"

Vane couldn't breathe as Bride held him in a death grip and her words tore through him. Worse, he understood exactly what she meant. Rejected by everyone except his brother and sister, he knew that the only thing that had saved him from being the omega wolf in his pack had been his willingness to kill anyone who tried to make him or Fang a scapegoat.

Every time they had tried to pick on them, Vane had fought back, and with maturity, he'd grown to such a size that no one dared challenge him again.

Not even his father.

How could anyone hurt Bride like this? His heart pounded wildly as the wolf in him craved blood from the man who made her cry.

He didn't understand what kind of man could voluntarily let her go. Once his kind mated, it was eternal. Unbreakable.

And now that he had confirmation that she was in fact his predestined mate, he was honor bound to protect her until she either finished their mating ritual by accepting him or they parted ways.

The latter wouldn't affect her at all. But as a wolf, he would never be able to have sex with another female so long as Bride lived.

That was completely unacceptable to him. Vane Kattalakis wasn't meant for enforced celibacy. The idea of spending the next few decades impotent was enough to make him do someone damage.

But how could a human ever accept an animal as her mate?

Damn the Fates for this. They were evil bitches who lived for no other purpose than to make others suffer.

The phone rang. Bride released him and went to answer it while Vane nosed around the small, cramped room. It was a dismal place.

"Hey, Tabby." Bride pulled a sheet away from a table and sent a box falling.

Vane yelped and dodged away from it.

Bride patted his head, then moved the box. "You didn't have to do that, you know?" He could sense she was a bit irritated at her friend, but underneath she seemed pleased. "Okay, I'm coming to let you in."

Bride hung up the phone, then grabbed her keys and opened her door. Vane followed her outside to the street where she opened the wrought-iron door to let Tabitha, who stood on the other side with a wheeled cart loaded with bags, into the courtyard.

"Good grief!" Bride said as she saw bags. "What did you do?"

Tabitha shrugged. "Creature comforts every woman should have." She handed a six-pack of Corona Light beer over to Bride, then wheeled her cart inside.

Bride locked the door and followed Tabitha.

Vane trailed behind them.

Once they were inside the small apartment, Tabitha smiled down at him. "I had a feeling you'd still be here."

She pulled a bone out of the top sack and unwrapped it.

He grimaced inwardly as she set it down on the ground. There was no way in hell he was going to chew on that.

His gaze went to Bride. She was the only chew toy that interested him.

Bride stood with her hands on her hips. "Tabitha—"

"Don't, Bride. As a recent member of the I-Ain't-Got-No-Man-and-Don't-Ever-Want-Another-One Club, I know the last thing you need is to be alone tonight." She pulled a set of silk sheets out of the sack.

"What are these?"

"I told you, creature comforts. We have everything in here. Krispy Kreme doughnuts, beer, soda, creme horns, potato chips, dip, and enough hunk-filled DVDs to sink the Titanic. It's time for a hunk fest of men who can't break your heart." Tabitha handed her a small bag.

Bride shook her head. "Thank you, Tabby. I really appreciate this."

"No prob."

Vane sat back as Tabitha hooked up the TV and VCR while Bride opened up boxes that held plates and silverware.

"I'm glad I kept all this," Bride said as she dusted off a crate and set it up like a coffee table in front of the TV. "Taylor didn't want all my things mixed in with his. I should have known then, shouldn't I?"

It was all Vane could do to stay in wolf form. He wanted to soothe her so much, but didn't dare. Especially not with Tabitha present.

"Don't think about it, hon," Tabitha said as she popped the sealed top off the beer with her bare hand and handed it to Bride. "We never see the signs we don't want to see. You know? Look on the bright side, at least your guy didn't leave you because you were nuts."

"You're not nuts."

Tabitha gave a disbelieving laugh at that. "Yeah, right. Amanda aside, only fruits and nuts come out of my family tree. But hey, at least we're entertaining."

Bride gave her a chiding stare. "Does Mina know you say that?"

"Mina? She's a bigger loon than I am. Have you seen her collection of ancient vampire-killing kits? I swear she's the one who made that anonymous bid at Sotheby's for that turn-of-the-century vampire-slaying kit."

Tabitha placed an entire doughnut into her mouth and swallowed it whole.

Bride wrinkled her nose at the action. "Please tell me how you stay so skinny eating the way you do. I barely eat half a Pop-Tart and I gain thirty pounds. I swear I've seen you eat more tonight than I eat in an entire week."

Tabitha licked the sugar from her fingers. "You sound like Amanda."

"Why would she say that? You guys are twins and she's every bit as twiggy as you are."

"Yeah, but she's a good fifteen pounds heavier than I am and she hates me for it. I don't know why you guys complain, at least you two have boobs. I have the body of a twelve-year-old boy."

Bride scoffed. "Any time you want, I'll trade you."

Vane growled at that. The last thing he wanted was a skinny mate. There was nothing wrong with Bride, and if he were in human form, he'd show her exactly what those lush curves did to him.

Unfortunately, he needed her girlfriend to leave first.

"Is something wrong, boy?" Tabitha asked as she came over to him.

He trotted over to Bride.

Tabitha gaped at him. "Well, I've just been dissed by Benji. Jeez. I think you've picked up a lifelong friend here, Bride. Just wait until he finds out your dad is the if-you-love-them-neuter-them king."

Vane cringed in spite of himself.

They wouldn't dare…

"Shush, Tabby, you'll scare him." She looked down at him as she stroked his chin. "But you're right, he hasn't been fixed."

And he damned well wasn't going to be, either.

"Maybe I should take him over to Dad's tomorrow and have him look him over."

"You going to keep him, then?" Tabitha asked.

Bride lifted his head so that she could look him directly in the eyes. "What do you think, Mr. Wolf? You want to stay with me for a little while?"

She had no idea. If he had his way, he would be a permanent addition.