“We’ll help you catch the red who’s killing the women in the area.”

He narrowed his eyes. “How do you know it’s a red lupus garou?”

“I have evidence. We’ll help you and your pack catch him.”

“Why?”

“Because,” she growled, frost surrounding each word, “he threatens to give all of us away.”

He looked over at his mates, but they waited for him to give the word. Seconds hung like hours while Thompson’s gaze shifted around the room. Her chest tightened.

“All right. Come on then,” Alfred finally said, his words ominous. But, considering that the zoo man searched for her, guarded relief washed over Bella even though Alfred didn’t seem to be buying the bit about her being Devlyn’s choice.

“What evidence do you have that it’s a red?” Alfred asked, shoving the metal door open at the back of the club. “Some of his fur.”

A dark shadow crossed Alfred’s face. “If you give it to me, we can have a DNA match done to find out which one of my pack he is.”

She glanced back at Nicol and Ross. Neither seemed worried about the notion. “I don’t have it with me. But I can meet with Ross tomorrow night as I planned — “

Devlyn squeezed her hand hard.

She frowned at him. “Devlyn will come with me, of course. Then I can turn it over to Ross.”

Alfred nodded. “Ross can let me know the details, and we’ll meet you there.”

The smell of garbage drifted to them through the doorway on the chilly breeze. One security light dimly illuminated a section of the parking area, while the rest remained dark. A cat scurried past employee vehicles parked next to a dumpster.

Dread trickled down Bella’s spine. What if Alfred and his pack ganged up on Devlyn with no one to see — no one to stop them? They could force her to give up the fur afterward. One female red lupus garou was no match for three red males. Even one would be too difficult for her to handle.

“Coming?” Alfred prompted, walking outside, testing Devlyn’s steel.

Still holding Bella’s hand securely in his own, Devlyn followed. “Tomorrow night. And thanks.”

“Thank you for assisting us in this matter.” Despite the words he spoke, Alfred’s tone remained couched in hostility.

Devlyn nodded. “Tomorrow.”

When Devlyn led Bella down the back alley, they caught Nicol’s words. “You’re not going to let her be his, are you? She’s too much of a red for him.”

They’d moved too far away from the three to hear the response when other voices in the dark caught their attention.

“I really think the chief’s going to be ticked off about this. That guy and his girlfriend gotta be long gone from this area by now.”

She recognized the men’s voices. The police officers who were at the hospital — the ones Devlyn had knocked out. Her heart raced and her hands grew clammy. If they caught Devlyn...

Her big gray steered her away from them, slipping through the area without making a sound.

Thankfully, they’d parked far enough from the dance club that no others, not even the red pack, would see them leave unless they had followed them. The breeze blew in their favor, and no scent of the reds met them on the turbulent night air.

Devlyn opened the door for Bella and then hurried for his own. After climbing into the vehicle, he drove her home, his hands clenching the steering wheel.

Reaching over, she rubbed his back. “I don’t think Alfred’s ready to give me up, do you?”

“Nope.”

“Did you get anything out of Ross or Nicol?”

Devlyn’s back muscles relaxed with her massaging them. “Just that Nicol is a professional hunter — the more dangerous the prey, the better.”

“But women aren’t dangerous.”

“Maybe not to most, but if he’s afraid of their reaction to the sight of him as a wolf, perhaps so. When I asked him if he ever thought about changing a woman, he said he had.”

“He told you that? Without coercion? What with a killer on the loose, I would think he’d keep his mouth shut.”

“I fabricated that I wanted to change a human female. You know how it goes. One tells of his darkest fantasies and the other doesn’t want to be bested.”

She stared at him, not sure whether to believe he’d fibbed or not.

When her hand stilled on his back, he glanced at her. “Humans killed my family, remember?”

“Men only, remember?” She couldn’t curb the jealousy washing over her.

Reaching across the console, he squeezed her thigh. “It’s good to know you care. I’ve never had a woman envious over me before.” He winked at her. “Truly, Bella, I’ve wanted a mate for years. It’s unnatural not to desire one when you live in a pack, but you’re the only one I’ve ever wanted for keeps.”

“Okay, so you fibbed to Nicol about wanting to change a human female.” She began to rub his back again, relieved he had no interest in any other females but her.

“Yes. Then I asked if he ever started to turn wolf while he made love to a woman.”

“You said this had happened to you to convince him to talk more?”

“Yes. A couple of times during the phase of the full moon.”

She raised a brow. “And had it? For real, I mean.”

“No.” He chuckled. “You sure are suspicious of me. I’d never make love to a human woman during the full moon. I didn’t trust anything like that could really happen, but I certainly didn’t want to risk it.”

“He said he had?”

“He didn’t really say, but I got the impression he might have.”

“Jeez. What happened?”

“Not sure. I must have gotten distracted.”

She slapped his leg. “Typical man. When the story really gets good, you don’t know the ending.” She sighed. “What if Nicol had killed other women before the pattern emerged here in portland? What if he’d done so in other countries where he’d led hunting parties? Out in the wild, where no one would suspect his actions? He could say it was a man-eating lion or something else that attacked the women.”

Devlyn shook his head.

She wished he hadn’t been so... distracted. “So... what about Ross?”

“I didn’t get a chance to talk to him.”

“Because?”

His lips turned up.

“What?” she asked, annoyed.

“I had to dance with you, Bella.”

Frowning, she couldn’t hide her irritation. “You were supposed to find out who the killer is.”

“And you, with Alfred?”

Now that she was on the hot seat, she looked out the window and smoothed her dress. “I’m afraid I didn’t get anywhere with him.”

“Because?”

“I couldn’t seem to broach the subject.”

He snorted. “Except when you offered him the fur of the killer.”

“Yeah, sorry. I couldn’t think of any other way to solicit their help while avoiding the fight that seemed headed your way.”

After a prolonged silence, he pulled into her garage and shut the door behind them. “I’m not sure it was a good idea. What if he switches it with someone else’s fur to cover up the fact that he’s the killer?”

“I’m not giving him the whole chunk. Just a couple of strands. That’s all he’ll need.”

They climbed out of the vehicle, but before she could make it very far, he swooped her up in his arms and carried her into the kitchen. “I know it’s a human tradition, but call me a sentimentalist. I always liked the idea.”

“Carrying the lady across the threshold?”

“Yeah.”

When he crossed the dining room, she chuckled. “We crossed the threshold a while ago.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re taking me to the bedroom?”

“The wolf’s version of carrying the lady across the threshold.”

She laughed. “I like the wolf’s version much better.” She unbuttoned the top button to his shirt. “I can just guess what happens next.”

Chapter Ten

As soon as Devlyn laid Bella on her bed, the email butler on her computer said, “You’ve got mail, Madam.”

Devlyn growled, not wanting any distraction to keep him from fully claiming his mate. “You didn’t shut your computer down.”

“Sorry. By the time you return, I’ll be ready for you.”

He kissed her lips with feral possessiveness and then ran his tongue down her neck. “Better be.”

Unbuttoning his shirt, he strode out of the bedroom, but when he reached the computer, his fingers poised to turn it off, a message from Argos caught his attention.

Bella, I haven’t returned to Portland. I found someone had sent a message from my computer saying he’d meet you there, but it wasn’t me. Argos

Devlyn cursed under his breath and typed in a reply. This is Devlyn. Who had access to your computer? We’re safe for now, but I need to know who sent the message. He added: Who knows her home address? Dev

The message came back quickly. Thank God, you’re all right. I’ve been sitting at the computer all night waiting for your response in the hope all was well. Argos

Who was it? Volan?

Volan’s the only one I can think of. I might have left my computer on when I ran some errands.

Poor old Argos. He wouldn’t do anything on purpose to hurt Bella. I’m not turning Bella over to him. I want you to know that. Devlyn rubbed his chin, waiting for an answer, respecting Argos above all others in the pack.

Bella approves, I suspect?

Yes. Tapping his bare foot on the floor, Devlyn waited for his response.

You’ll have to fight Volan to the death.

Yes.

I always knew it would happen, Devlyn. You’re following in my footsteps and, yes, I approve.

You and Myrta? Devlyn couldn’t believe the old codger had fought to be pack leader over a female, too.