Wanted: Wild Thing

Chapter Six

The saber-tooth growled low as I stood there in shock, and when the rhino swung that massive horn, Hugh pushed it away with a gigantic paw. I expected the rhino to react badly, but it only gave a humanlike snort and squatted. A moment later, its form morphed—again, so quickly that I could scarcely blink—and a man crouched in its place. He straightened and glared at me from behind craggy, thick brows, a heavy forehead, and an enormous nose that dominated his ugly face.

If it was possible, he was even bigger than Hugh.

I crossed my arms over my scaly chest and took another step backward, my tail flicking with anxiety. “Hugh?”

The saber-tooth crossed in front of me, growling low.

“I smelled a female,” the rhino-man boomed, his voice incredibly deep and incredibly loud. “You bring one here? Is this—”

He was interrupted by a ferocious cat-growl from Hugh.

“I see,” the man said. “Very well.”

“See what?” I asked.

Hugh growled at me.

I frowned at him. “Don’t you growl at me. I’m asking a question. I don’t know what’s going on.”

“You are changeling,” the rhino boomed.

“And you’re a freaking rhino.”

“I am a primordial—” he began.

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I know. Hugh, can you please change back so we can have a conversation about this?”

The saber-tooth’s eyes gleamed, and he hunched his shoulders. Moments later, Hugh was crouching on the ground, naked, then he rose to his feet. I felt a hot blush cover my cheeks when he stretched to his full height in front of me.

I blushed. I mean, I couldn’t help but notice that he was a shower and not a grower. Hugh was definitely big everywhere.

“Artur heard us coming and decided to meet us,” Hugh said, striding past me to clap a hand on Artur’s big shoulder. “And now he is going to quit staring at you.”

I glanced over at Artur curiously and noticed him suddenly averting his eyes, looking over at Hugh. “Forgive me,” he said. “I did not mean to be impolite.”

“It’s okay,” I told him. “I am standing here naked, and it sounds like you don’t get a lot of changelings.”

“We do not—” Artur began.

Hugh clapped him on the shoulder and forcibly turned him away from me. “Lead us back, friend,” he said, interrupting Artur’s thoughts.

The rhino-man gave Hugh a curious look. “Come.”

I trailed behind them, frowning. Now no one was looking at me. God, was I that disgusting? I pinched my scaly skin, hoping it would respond and I’d change back to human form. Transformations normally didn’t last this long, but this one didn’t seem like it was going away anytime soon.

I followed the two men as they moved ahead a short distance. They mumbled things to each other, but their voices were so low and my hearing so bad that I couldn’t pick it up, which was frustrating. I felt like a freak, an outcast, and my feelings were hurt. I knew my form was hideous, but they weren’t supposed to be shocked by it, were they?

I mean, I’d just met a woolly rhino and a prehistoric saber-tooth, and I wasn’t flipping out, was I? No, I was not.

The thick underbrush gave way after a time and led to a crude set of caves set into the side of a sheer cliff. It looked like a rat warren, almost, with the hillside riddled with cave entrances. A curving, twisty path led between the entrances, and several of the caves were covered with crude animal hides as makeshift doors.

Hugh glanced over his shoulder at me. “These are my people, Ryder.”

This . . . was not what I’d been expecting. As I stared, my arms crossed over my chest, more and more people emerged, until soon enough, two dozen men had emerged from the caves. The center of the area was churned with muddy footprints, and the trappings of a crude civilization were here—an animal hide stretched over a low-hanging limb, strips of meat drying.

All the men, though, were naked. All had equally wild hair and enormous bodies. And they were all staring at me like I was a freak.

Hugh snarled at them and stepped in front of me, shielding my hideous naked form from them. “This one is my vow,” he explained to them. “Do not touch her. Do not stare at her.”

But some of them stared anyhow, trying to look at me from around Hugh’s big shoulders. Artur moved to Hugh’s side, effectively shielding me from the others’ view.

“How many of you are there?” I asked.

“There are two dozen males of my people.”

Two dozen? Out here living in the wild? “I don’t understand,” I whispered to Hugh. “I thought you guys dealt with the fae a lot? Why are you here living in caves?”

“We have always lived here,” Hugh told me. “The fae only enter our realm when they want something.”

“And we normally turn them away,” Artur sneered.

Hugh glared at him, his eyes gleaming with anger. “Say no more, Artur, lest you compromise our friendship.”

Artur’s mouth snapped shut, but I could see the anger burning in his craggy face. “You torture us all with your decisions,” he said. “It is only my friendship with you that allows me to remain at your side.”

Torture? Decisions? I leaned down and peered at the others from under Hugh’s arm. The men here were naked, huge, and just as savage as Hugh, from the looks of them.

All men.

And they all stared at me.

I gasped as things clicked. “Oh, my God. There aren’t any women here, are there? That’s what Finian offered you. A bride.”

“Silence,” Hugh snapped at me.

That pissed me off. I kicked his calf from behind. “Don’t you tell me to be quiet! I’m not some meek little creature that you can boss around. You’re protecting me for the next month, remember? Nothing about that says I can’t talk.” I stepped from around Hugh and glared at him with irritation. Just as quickly, he moved to step in front of me. “I’m right, aren’t I? There aren’t any women here.”

The men looked at Hugh, frowning, but I noticed a few kept gazing at me. Even though I was hideous, they still wanted to look at me. Yeah. I strode to the tree and grabbed the animal hide, shrugging it over my warped wings to cover my body in a semblance of modesty. “Okay, can I just say that this is fucked-up? Pardon the French and all, but seriously.”

“You were the one that wished to see my people.” Hugh gestured at the surrounding men. “Here we are. Does this make you happy?”

He sounded offended. Angry.

It was too much for me to process. I just shook my head. I’d wanted to see them because I’d wanted to understand Hugh. I’d hoped that understanding Hugh would help me come up with a counteroffer to entice him away from Finian’s deal.

But if Hugh wanted a mate . . . I was screwed. “This female that you’re doing the vow for. Is she a primordial?”

“She is,” Hugh told me in a low, serious voice.

I couldn’t compete. “What’s her name?” I asked softly.

“I do not know it.” His eyes gleamed. “The fae keep our females separate from us. We do not know how many there are, or who they are. The fae created this realm for us.” He gestured. “They hold us here. We cannot leave except by their means. No one comes. No one goes.”

I hugged the pelt closer to me, staring at my surroundings. At the naked, enormous men and their crude cave dwellings. “I don’t understand. You have the portal necklace that Finian gave you. Why not take that and just get everyone out of here?”

“And leave our females?” Artur’s deep voice was clearly disapproving. “Abandon them with no hope of reunion?”

I shivered at the bleak looks on the men’s faces. “Do they always offer you this reward? A mate?”

Hugh shook his head. “This is the first time.”

And judging by the avid looks on the men’s faces? It was the thing they all craved most.

Well, hell. I was screwed. “I . . . think I’ve seen enough,” I said faintly. “Can we go back now?”

I felt sick. Finian had promised a mate to Hugh for selling me out. How could I possibly compete?

We used one of the caves to draw the door. The others hovered nearby, and it was clear they had questions about me. They kept staring, even after Hugh snarled and tried to drive them away, and even after Artur pitched in to assist him. Eventually, though, they backed away, and we created the portal.

I looked behind us as the portal slowly developed. The men watched me from afar, eyes gleaming. “What’s stopping them from coming after us?” I asked Hugh. “Why not follow us through? There’s only a mate for you, not them.”

“Finian said there were mates for all of us,” Hugh told me. “No one will risk his female’s life.”

“Wait . . . so if you do this, he promised all of you mates?” At Hugh’s nod, I felt even more miserable. It was bad enough when I thought I was just competing with Hugh’s future mate. To learn I was competing with the future mates of twenty-four lonely males? I was doomed. Finian had played the ultimate trump card. “I must be worth a lot of money to him.”

Hugh’s grunt of reassurance didn’t make me feel better.

Silence fell, and with it, a weird tension. No one spoke as the air shimmered, the square outline of the portal slowly coming into view like a developing photograph. Once it appeared, Hugh gave the others a meaningful look. “Patience, brothers.” He took the fur throw from my shoulders and tossed it to one of the nearby waiting men, then took my hand and pulled me back through.

And then, a brief second later, we were in the bright, comforting light of my bedroom.

I blinked in surprise. My stomach growled, as if I’d been starving, even though we’d eaten not too long ago. I clutched a hand to it. Immediately, my body shuddered and I felt my wings tighten, aching. Oh, no. “Reverting,” I moaned, crouching low on the carpet in my bedroom. I panted, trying to get breath into lungs that suddenly ached too much.

Hugh squatted next to me and stroked my hair again. “It is the fae realms that affect you. Here, you are able to control things much better. Just relax and let it happen.”

Easy for him to say. His body didn’t feel as if it was twisting inside out. I scrubbed at my scales, waiting for them to disappear under my skin again, and was relieved when they began to recede. I felt my tail and wings shift, and knew they were folding inward. As I changed, Hugh continued to stroke my hair, trying to ease me in the only way he knew how. It was weirdly . . . comforting. I knew he found my form repulsive, but he hadn’t left my side. That counted for a lot in my book.

And in a way, I felt like we were in this together. Finian was using us both to get what he wanted. I hated that, but now I knew that Hugh hated it, too. And it wasn’t just his happiness that was on the line; it was the happiness of all the primordials.

That changed things. If I pursued freedom for myself, I condemned so many others.

The thought ran through my mind over and over again as I sweated and heaved, my body returning back to its human state in slow, deliberate fashion. First my scales disappeared, then my wings sank into my back and my fangs retreated. Inch by inch, I returned to normal. Last, my claws retracted and I was left naked and shuddering and wholly human again.

I was also crouched low in front of Hugh, who was also naked. And now that I was human again? I was very aware of all this bare skin. This time, I was the one to avert my eyes, and I reached for the blanket on my bed, dragging it off and holding it against my skin to protect my naked body.

“So . . .” I said.

“Now you know,” Hugh said in a flat voice.

“Now I know,” I agreed. “And I understand. I really do. It doesn’t make it easier for me, but I understand why you must do what you do.”

He nodded.

“You understand that I’m not changing my mind, though? It makes me sad that my happiness will come at the cost of yours and so many others’, but damn it, I have to think of myself. I’m not going to be some guy’s stud animal. I still plan on finding a way around all of this.”

Hugh looked almost amused. “I expect no less.”

“All right, then.” I rubbed my face, my skin aching from my hard transformation. “I think I need a shower, and a meal, and then we should head off to work.”

“You lead,” he said, gesturing.

“You want a shower, too? I have extra towels. And that realm you’re from isn’t exactly lending itself to clean and fresh skin.”

His mouth twitched, as if amused. “Are you asking me to bathe?” He lifted one arm and sniffed under it. “Smells all right.”

“This is coming from a man who lives in a realm without women,” I teased. “Trust me. You should shower.”

He chuckled. “Shall you join me, then?”

I sucked in a breath, scandalized . . . and titillated . . . all at once. “You realize men are not supposed to offer to share a shower with a woman?”

“Are we not?” He looked surprised. “Is it because your bathing pool is small?”

“My bathing pool is very small,” I agreed, my cheeks flushing red. “And your skin would touch mine. And we’d rub all over. And that would be bad for my monster . . . and your vow.” I shouldn’t have said the flirty words, but I couldn’t help myself. “Wouldn’t want that.”

“No,” he said, and his husky voice sent ripples down my spine. His gaze rested on my face, and then he abruptly stood. “But I will bathe if you request it.”

I blinked, hurt by his sudden change. One mention of my changeling side and it didn’t matter how flirty I was. That stung. I sighed and headed to my linen closet. “I’ll get you a towel.” I thought for a minute, then glanced over at him. He was standing in my bedroom, his back to me, his tanned buttocks flexing as he poked my alarm clock. “I just realized . . . you don’t have any clothes, do you?”

He snorted. “I prefer no clothes. They are annoying and they itch.”

“Um, well, you need some clothes,” I told him. “Unless you plan on not leaving my apartment for the next month.”

“I will remain at your side.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then you really, really need clothing. I won’t get many places with a big naked giant—no matter how sexy—at my side.”

“What is this ‘sexy’?”

“It means women will want to lick you up and down.”

He paused. “You find me—sexy?”

Count on a man to focus on that. “I’m a changeling,” I flirted back. “I’m not blind.”

He grinned over his shoulder at me.

While Hugh showered, I called my bestie, Marie. To my relief, she picked up after the first ring.

“Hey! Where the hell have you been?” she said.

“Sorry, sorry.”

“Don’t be ‘sorry’ at me, missy. I’ve been texting you like a fiend and I’ve heard nothing! Nothing! Do you know how freaking annoying that is? How worried I’ve been? How many snarky things I’ve sent to you that were ignored?”

“I know. I’m a bad friend.”

“The worst. It’s unforgivable. So where have you been?”

“Been?”

“Uh, yeah. You’ve been MIA for the last two days.”

I had? I didn’t realize. Maybe with Hugh at my side I’d been ignoring my best friend. That was lousy of me. “I’m sorry. I suck.”

“See? You don’t even have the heart to disagree with me.”

“I don’t,” I said with a laugh. “Listen. Can you do me a huge, huge favor?”

“Oh, boy. I guess I can. Does it involve a pinky swear?”

“It does. Are you at work at the security office? Can you go and bring me the biggest pair of Ramsey’s clothing you can find? I need skin-out. We’re talking underwear, T-shirt, shoes, and pants. Or shorts. Whatever he’s got that’s big and roomy.”

“Men’s clothes?” She chuckled, the sound throaty. “You little devil. Does that mean your problem—”

“Something like that,” I interrupted, not wanting to get into the details. Marie knew about my issue—she was the only person who did—but I didn’t want to have to explain the mechanics of the weird relationship I had with Hugh. “Can you just bring some of Ramsey’s stuff over ASAP?”

“Okay. Be there soonish.”

True to her word, Marie came over within an hour. I opened the door and she held out the bag of clothing she was carrying, eyeing the fact that I was sweaty and mussed, and wearing nothing but a sheet. “Is that the shower going?”

“It might be,” I said, blushing.

“Oooh, girl,” she drawled. “I smell a guy all over you.” She wrinkled her nose. “And you smell like an old fishbowl or something. Where have you been? Everyone’s been looking for you. Do you know how long—”

I cut her off with a wave of my hand. “I know. Long story. I’ll tell you later.”

Her eyes widened. “No way am I waiting for our regular lunch. We need to go out ASAP for a gossip-fest.”

“Deal.” I stuck my pinky out. Anything to get her off my porch and get back to Hugh. Normally I’d love to chat with Marie for a while, but I was leery of her seeing the big, naked shifter I was currently harboring.

She locked her pinky through mine. “I hope there’s a good explanation for all this.”

“There will be.”

She shook her head at me. “Suit yourself. I have to run.” Then, she waved and trotted down the stairs.

I shut the door and pulled out clothing, going through the bag. She’d brought me one of Ramsey’s work uniforms. I could tell from the enormous size. The black T-shirt had the Russell Security logo on it, though it still didn’t look nearly big enough for Hugh. It’d have to do. Marie was a smart cookie. She’d included some soft cloth athletic shorts and a pair of men’s sandals, along with some boxer briefs. It would suffice, but one thing was sure—I’d need to take Hugh shopping. I considered his long, tangled hair and his claws. He needed a mani-pedi if he planned on blending. If I was taking him under my wing? That’d be the first thing I’d tackle.

Right after my shower.

When I got out, Hugh was sprawled on my bed, completely and utterly naked and flipping through a magazine with wonder. He stopped on a picture of a half-naked model, his hand tracing the photo. His cock was semierect, too.

“Find something you like?” I asked.

“Women are very beautiful,” he said. “It gives me pleasure to look upon them. Also, your bed is far more comfortable than where I slept. I think we should trade.”

“I don’t think so,” I said. “If you want to be in my bed, you have to take me with it.”

He stiffened and sat up, a frown on his face. “You know that cannot be.”

I shrugged. “You’re the one with the vow, not me.” I just have a monster inside me. I sighed. “I’m going to get dressed, and then we’re taking you to a salon.”

“Salon?”

“Yep,” I said, wrapping my towel tighter around me and heading to my closet. “It’s a place where they fix your hair and nails.”

He snorted in derision. “Why is this important?”

“Because,” I said. “You’re going to be with me for the next month, and it’s imperative you blend in. I don’t want people wondering why we’re hanging out together. You have to look like one of my clients in order for this to work.”

“And my appearance is an issue?”

“Only to humans,” I flirted. For some reason, his seeing me in my changeling form had broken the ice. The worst had happened, so I had nothing else to worry about. He’d seen me at my ugliest, and he’d looked away. He hadn’t vomited at the sight of me, or screamed in horror. He’d simply looked away. It hurt my feelings, but I could handle it. It was oddly relieving to have someone to share my secret with. It made Hugh safe. Throw in the fact that he was tall, muscular, and more than a little wild? He was hitting all my buttons.

Hugh grunted. “If I must change my appearance, I shall.”

“You must,” I said sweetly. “And now you must get out, because I need to get dressed.”

He didn’t move. His heavy-lidded eyes ran over my towel-clad form. “I’ve already seen you naked, Ryder. And I find I like looking at women.”

“Doesn’t matter,” I said, though I did feel a flush of pleasure to hear that he liked looking at me. “I’m naked and you need to leave.”

“I am naked. You are not asking me to leave.” He raised an eyebrow at me.

“Okay then, leave.”

“I told Finian I’d remain at your side.”

Oh, was he going to play this game? “Suit yourself,” I said in my sweetest voice and dropped my towel. If he wanted to torture himself, he could. I didn’t care, and I never backed down from a flirty challenge, that was for sure.

I smiled in satisfaction as I heard him give a soft groan, audible enough that even my poor senses could pick it up.

I studied Hugh, tilting my head as I considered his frame. “This might not have been a good idea.”

He jerked at the tight collar of the T-shirt. “I agree. These clothes are very uncomfortable.”

“It’s not that,” I murmured, pressing a hand to my hot cheeks. He would find most modern clothing uncomfortable, I suspected. Most men weren’t built like Hugh. The black tee that fit Ramsey comfortably was skintight on Hugh, outlining his large, firm pectorals in an almost indecent way. His big arms bulged against the bands of the short sleeves, and I could even see the outline of his eight-pack abdomen. The boxer briefs he wore cupped him in rather magnificent ways, which made me blush.

I held out the shorts. “You need to put these on, too.”

They were a must. I didn’t want to think about his junk bouncing around all loose while I took him around town. It made me feel a little . . . flushed. Distracted. And I couldn’t afford either.

I had to come up with a plan. First, disguise Hugh into normalcy. Then, work. Then, figure out how to lose my virginity.

It was going to be a busy day.

Once Hugh had (protestingly) donned the rest of the clothing, we set out. I knew just the place to take him where they wouldn’t ask too many questions. After grabbing breakfast—and giving Hugh a quick lesson on debit cards and how they worked as money in exchange for goods—we drove out to Little Paradise. I lived in Fort Worth proper; my condo was close to downtown so I could be closer to work, but most of the shifters lived out in the country, northwest of the city and out in the sticks. Little Paradise was the current settlement of choice, and most of the businesses in the small town were owned and operated by shifters. Thanks to my line of work, I ended up there on a fairly regular basis.

I pulled up to Sweet Scissors, a small, bright teal building with pink curtains along a strip of Main Street. “Come on, Hugh. Let’s go get you dolled up.”

“What is this place?” he asked as he followed me in, ducking into the small doorway.

“It’s called a salon,” I told him as we stepped inside. “It’s run by shifters, so they won’t give you any trouble. Just follow my lead.”

As soon as we entered, all heads turned in our direction. An elderly lady sat in one chair at the back of the room, her gray hair in curlers as the stylist fussed over her. Both of them had turned, as had the other woman, who was sweeping up hair from under her chair. Hugh’s hulking form blotted out the light coming from the doorway, and one of the hairdressers blinked at the sight of him.

“Do you, um, have an appointment?” the hairstylist asked.

“Hi, Lisa. I’m Ryder from Midnight Liaisons.” I beamed a smile at her. “I think I met you and your sister Lauren at the dance last month?”

Her wide-eyed gaze turned to me, as if seeing me for the first time. “Oh. Hi.” Her voice was breathless. “Did you have an appointment, too?” Then her gaze flicked back to Hugh and I saw a frank appreciation there. “I’m sure I could squeeze you in.”

The way she said that made my eyes narrow. “He needs a haircut and a mani-pedi. He looks a little too wild at the moment, and I need him to look more human.”

“Why?” Lisa breathed, moving closer to Hugh, her broom still clutched in her hand. The other stylist continued to just stare at Hugh as well.

I was starting to question the wisdom of coming to a salon run by a pair of were-mink sisters. Clearly someone like Hugh was the equivalent of catnip for them. “Because he needs to blend,” I snapped, crossing the room and thumping into one of the waiting chairs. I picked up a magazine.

“All right,” Lisa said, moving closer to Hugh. She reached out to touch his hair—

And Hugh grabbed her arm, looking over at me, frowning.

“It’s okay,” I said, feeling a little better. “She’s just going to look at your hair.”

He released Lisa’s arm. “My apologies.”

“It’s okay, big guy,” Lisa said, reaching out to touch his hair again. She didn’t look discouraged in the slightest. Her fingers brushed through his tangled locks, and she made a noise of appreciation at his streaks. “Are these highlights natural?”

He frowned. “I do not understand this question.”

“Natural,” I chimed in from afar and turned the page in my magazine, even though I hadn’t looked at it once.

“Oh, mercy,” she said, then fanned herself. “You are gonna be fun to work on.”

Damn. I viciously turned another page in Field & Stream, wondering why it bothered me so much to watch Lisa leading Hugh by the hand to the sink, beaming all the while. Once he sat down, she spent a few minutes undoing his small, tangled braids and chattering up a storm to him while he cast helpless looks in my direction.

The other stylist seemed to recover from her trance and turned on her hair dryer.

Immediately, Hugh shot to his feet with a fierce snarl.

I jumped to my feet and crossed the room to put a hand on his chest before he attacked one of the now frightened women. “It’s just a tool to dry hair,” I murmured to him. “Be calm.”

He looked down at the hand I’d placed on his chest, then at my face. “Calm,” he repeated, glancing at the hair dryer again.

Lauren helpfully clicked it off.

“Nothing to worry about,” I assured him. “Nothing to protect from here, either. I promise.” I gave him an encouraging smile. “And I’ll be right here.”

He pulled up one of the salon chairs, dragging it closer to the sink. And he pointed at it. “You will sit right here, Ryder.”

I didn’t miss the annoyed look Lisa cast in my direction. I reveled in it and took a seat next to Hugh. “Right here.”

And I bit back my smirk when his big hand landed on my clothed knee, making sure I was close at all times. It was just because he was sworn to keep me safe, but Lisa didn’t know that.

And I kind of liked it.

A few hours later, Hugh was transformed into normalcy. His big claws had been filed down to regular fingernails, and his toes had been pedicured and buffed, which Hugh had proclaimed “ticklish.” His unkempt hair had been chopped short on the sides and a bit longer on top, just long enough for Lisa to fashion into a lock that flopped onto his forehead in a most rakish fashion. She’d suggested shaving his sideburns (and had run a hand down his jaw, which I’d noticed). I’d declined.

I liked his sideburns. There was something about them that appealed to me a lot, and I didn’t want him to become completely civilized.

We tipped her well for the quick makeover, and I ignored the fact that she slipped Hugh her phone number.

After all, we hadn’t even gone over phones yet.

Next we headed back into Fort Worth proper and hit up the mall, where we dropped into the Big and Tall store. He didn’t want the suit that I kept pressing on him or anything even remotely close-fitting. I had to settle for more loose athletic clothing: plain T-shirts and shorts, and the biggest pair of sneakers I’d ever seen. I didn’t even know there was a size 18. We had a bit of a fight over the shoes; I insisted, but Hugh didn’t like them because he couldn’t “grip anything with his toes” with them on. I won the argument once I pointed out that every other person in the store wore similar shoes, but it didn’t stop Hugh from muttering about how stupid they were.

But now that Hugh was dressed and wouldn’t cause people to stop and stare when we walked down the street, it was time to head to work. I checked my watch. Almost six. We’d make it right on schedule.

I looked over at Hugh to give him one last word of caution. “Just remember to be silent if you don’t want to answer someone, and let me cover it. The important thing is that we have to seem like things are normal, or else everyone’s going to be up in our business.”

“And that is bad?” he asked, his tone thoughtful.

“Very bad,” I agreed. At least, it’d be bad for me. I was going to have to circumvent the rules and try to date a shifter if I wanted to get rid of this curse of mine. Marie had been fired for doing the same thing, and I didn’t want to get fired. I loved my job. But I also loved being human way more than I did being a changeling, so something had to give.

When we entered the office, I was surprised to see Bathsheba still at work, and even more surprising than that, one of the Russell twins sat at Savannah’s desk.

“There you are,” Bath said, rushing over to me. “Where have you been? We’ve been worried sick.”

I glanced at my pink rhinestone-encrusted watch. “I’m five minutes early?”

“For your shift, yes. But what about the last two days?”

Last two days? “What do you mean? I was here with Savannah at work last night.”

Bath shook her head, looking frustrated. “Savannah’s been out sick for the past two nights, and you were a no-show. I had to call Beau to get him to send someone over to help out. Everett volunteered, but he’s still learning the systems. Marie held down the fort last night.”

My eyes widened. Two days? “No way. I swear, I was here. With Savannah. It was just last night . . .”

Hugh leaned closer to me, his breath whispering in my ear. “Do you recall our conversation about time?”

I thought for a moment, distracted by his nearness, which was making my monster flicker under my skin. Time? The only time we’d talked about time was when . . .

Oh, no. When we’d talked about time, he’d said that it passed differently in the fae realm. And I’d unthinkingly demanded that he take me to see the primordials, never realizing that spending an hour there meant losing days here. “Two days?” I asked Bath again. Marie had mentioned that I’d been MIA for two days, but I thought she’d been griping that I was ignoring her. I didn’t realize she’d actually meant two days had completely gone past.

“Two days,” she repeated, the worry in her voice taking the snap of annoyance out. “I was about to call the police.”

“I’m so sorry,” I said lamely. “I guess I just . . . lost track of time.”

“I see,” Bath said primly, her gaze going to Hugh. She took him in, and her head tilted. “Is . . . excuse me, sir. Are you a shifter?”

“I am a primordial—”

“He’s a were-tiger,” I interrupted quickly. “From out of town.”

“One of Vic’s?” She looked over at me, her expression chilly. “Are you dating a client after all the agency’s been through the last few months?”

“No,” I said in a high, fake laugh. “Don’t be silly.” No one had to remind me of the chaos that had disrupted our small office when Marie had been caught dating vampires. It had nearly started World War Three between the shifters and vampires, and Bath was still sensitive that her agency had been used as the vehicle for the illegal dating. “Nothing like that at all. Hugh here is not local and he’s not good at meeting girls, so I said I’d take him under my wing for a few days and show him how to flirt. I hope that’s okay?”

She nodded absently, glancing over at Everett, who had a phone to his ear and was typing. “It’s good that you’re here,” she murmured. “You can handle the Speed Dating meet-up tonight at Konstantine’s. I was worried we’d have to reschedule.”

Oh, rats. I normally ran the speed dating matches, but tonight wasn’t great for me. For one, I had Hugh tagging along at my heels. “I’m not sure . . .”

“You said you want to date the harpy?” Everett was saying into the phone, a look of consternation on his face. “No, no, I don’t know if she’ll do that, sir. What she does in her personal life is up to her.” He shot Bathsheba a “help me” look.

“Oh, dear,” Bath said, hurrying back over to Everett’s desk. “I’d better help out. Glad you’re back, Ryder.”

“Sure,” I echoed, heading over to my desk. I set down my purse and turned on my computer, watching as Hugh took a standing stance next to my desk, since the stool had been moved. Bath was giving him an odd look as she pointed out things over Everett’s shoulder. “Hugh,” I whispered as I logged in to my computer. “We need to set up your profile. Can you write?”

“Write?”

“I’m going to guess that’s a no. Okay, I’ll help you, then.” I pulled out a piece of paper and one of my pink, glittery pens, uncapping it. “What’s your last name?”

“I am Hugh. You know this.”

“You’re not Hugh Hugh, though.”

“No. Just Hugh.”

“No one here has just one name,” I told him. Well, unless you were a pop star. “You need a second one.”

He looked puzzled. “Why?”

“You know what? Never mind,” I told him, writing. “You’re going to be Hugh Merino. The local tigers are all in the Merino clan.” Now I just needed to hope that the tiger alpha didn’t show up for any reason. Not that there was a high chance of that happening—his mate was pregnant with their first child, so it was safe to say that the odds were against him showing up at a dating agency.

I continued to fill out the form as Hugh peered over my shoulder. “Sex is male,” I said, checking the box. “Age? You know what? I’m just going to put down thirty before you can give me another one of those ‘time moves differently’ answers.” I marked religion as “other” and status as “networking,” since he wasn’t really seeking a woman. He had one of those waiting for him as soon as he delivered me to the fae. I wrinkled my nose in distaste at the thought.

“What does that say?” Hugh asked, and he leaned in so close that his breath whispered against my ear as he regarded the paper I made notes on. His nearness was making my skin ripple in response to him, and my nipples hardened. Eep. Under my desk, I shook my hands out and flexed them, willing my monster to stay back. I fought with it for a few moments, won the battle, and scowled at Hugh. He knew my problem.

Time for a little revenge. “Favorite sex position?” I asked sweetly. I’d intended to leave that one blank, but since he was being a jerk . . .

He jerked backward. “What?”

Both Bathsheba and Everett turned to stare at us, and I waved at Hugh. “Keep it down,” I hissed. “Now. Favorite sex position.”

He gave me a blank look, then leaned in again to whisper in my ear. “There is more than one?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“What is it?”

I turned and stared at Hugh, who was leaning way too close again. His cheeks were ruddy, as if he was blushing, and he looked uncomfortable. He shifted from one foot to another and gave me an expectant look. “Are you kidding?” I asked.

“No.” He glanced at the others, then leaned in again, giving me a very interested look. “Tell me more. I must know these things if I am to please my mate.”

I tapped my glittery pen on the desk, regarding him. Something told me I wasn’t the only virgin here. “You know what? We’ll come back to that later.”

“But—”

“Later,” I hissed. I gave Bath a sweet smile as she looked over at us and tucked her purse under her arm. “You leaving, Boss?”

“I’m meeting Beau for dinner,” she said and smoothed a hand over her ponytail. “Date night.”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” I said and gave her an exaggerated wink.

“But you—” Hugh began.

“Hssst!” I said, turning to glare at him. He was going to ruin my carefully crafted persona of office flirt if he blurted out that I was a virgin.

Hugh raised an eyebrow at me but went silent.

I turned back to Bath and gave her a cheery wave. “Like I was saying, have a good one.”

“You, too,” she said. “Call me if you or Everett need anything.”

“Will do. Though I am sure I can help Everett with everything he needs.” I wiggled my eyebrows at the handsome were-cougar at the desk across the room. “He just needs to ask.”

“You flirting with me, Ryder?” Everett grinned at me.

“You know it.”

I heard a low growl in Hugh’s throat, and I stomped on his foot under my desk.

Everett gave us a curious look, leaning back in his office chair. “So, man,” he said, turning to Hugh. “Where you from?”

“He’s from Alaska,” I said quickly, thinking fast. “You know how they say that there’s only one woman for every eight men there? The town he grew up in was more like thirty to one, so he’s not familiar with how to talk to girls. Which is why I’m helping him out.”

Everett scratched his jaw, regarding us. “Okaaaay,” he said, drawling the word. “And what kind of shifter did you say you were again?”

“He’s a—” I started.

“Primordial,” Hugh finished. “Long-tooth.”

I scowled at Hugh.

“Huh? What the hell is that?” Everett looked confused.

“It’s an Alaskan name for tiger,” I said quickly, then turned to glare at Hugh. “Isn’t that right?”

Hugh stared back at me.

“Why don’t you go and get the stool out of the storeroom so you don’t have to hover over me any longer?” I fixed Hugh with my sweetest smile. “And I’m going to make myself some coffee.”

He considered me for a long moment, then glanced at Everett. “I will return.”

“You do that,” I said and headed to the coffeepot.

As soon as Hugh left the room, Everett got up from his chair and sprinted to my side. He touched my elbow—which made me glad I was wearing a daisy yellow long-sleeved cardigan over my floral white-and-yellow sundress—and leaned close. “Hey, Ryder?”

“Hmm?” I pulled out the bag of coffee grounds, noticing that we had a new coffeepot. Sweet.

“How well do you know that guy?”

I sniffed the bag of coffee, enjoying the scent. God, I loved coffee. “Why?”

“There aren’t any shifter clans in Alaska. At least, not voluntarily.” Everett frowned and leaned closer to me. “And I’ve never heard of a long-tooth. I just don’t—”

A big hand shoved Everett backward. Hugh stepped between us, a low, angry rumble in his throat. “Do not stand so close to Ryder.”

Everett raised his hands. “Chill, man. I was just talking to her—”

“You were standing too close,” Hugh reiterated.

“It’s okay,” I said, putting a hand on Hugh’s clothed arm and patting his sleeve. “Everett was just looking out for me. Everything’s fine. Isn’t that right, Everett?”

But Everett was scowling at both of us. Crap. I looked from the snarly were-saber-tooth at my side to the bristling were-cougar a few feet away. I needed to defuse this situation or there was going to be a catfight. Literally. I quickly scooped coffee into the basket and shoved it back in place, then hit the button to start the pot. “So, Everett, where’s that tall, dark, and handsome twin brother of yours?”

Everett eyed us a moment longer, then returned to his desk. “Ellis? He’s Lily-sitting.”

“Ah,” I said. Lily was the feral human girl who had been rescued from the crazy vampire at the same time as Marie. Problem was, Marie had been turned into a shifter, so she was considered “safe” and one of the team. Lily was human and completely messed up from her captivity, so everyone was afraid to release her for fear that she’d spill the Alliance’s secrets. Last I’d heard, Lily had tried to escape twice now, so someone was constantly with her. Today, it seemed, it was Ellis. “Well, tell him I said hello and I miss him.”

“I’m sure he misses seeing your pretty face, too,” Everett teased back.

Hugh scowled at me, crossing his arms, as if he disapproved of this entire conversation.

I ignored Hugh, hovering by the coffeepot until the first cup was brewed. I took it for myself and doctored it with massive amounts of cream and sugar. Then I blew on it, humming as if this had been a normal day and a massive Ice Age shifter hadn’t been hovering a step behind me. “Hey, Everett, I’m leaving shortly for the speed dating session. You going to be okay without me?”

“Lonely,” Everett teased. “But okay.”

Hugh said nothing, but his brows were low on his face. He was clearly not happy.

“Well, you have my number if you need me,” I said to Everett. “I’m taking Hugh with me.”

“And you have my number if you need anything, right?” I couldn’t miss the stress in Everett’s voice. It was so cute that he was being so protective.

“I do,” I said with a sunny smile, and ignored Hugh’s snarl.