“What do you mean?”

“Most of us were born lupus garou.”

Rourke’s eyes widened. “How many of you are there? I had the impression that a wild wolf had some kind of a weird virus and infected a few people.”

“We have no idea how many there truly are of us. Since we live in secret, most of us only know about our local packs. Sometimes we learn of others while we’re searching for a mate.”

“A mate.” Rourke perked up.

“Yeah, and that’s one of the more important rules we have to live by. We don’t turn humans.”

Rourke made a disagreeable face. “Right. Very important to remember that.”

“Yeah, otherwise we have to deal with the consequences.” Hunter raised a brow.

“Like me.”

“Exactly. That’s another thing. You’re part of my pack now.”

“Just curious, but why wouldn’t I be part of the pack of the ones who actually turned me?”

“Just a gut feeling, Rourke, but I don’t think they’re soliciting newly changed lupus garou pack members. I doubt another male would be accepted.”

“Okay, not that I was interested since they’d tried to murder you, but I just wondered.”

“Another thing—when we take a female for our mate, it’s for life. We don’t have marriage rituals, wear wedding rings—or any other jewelry for that matter—too hard to change into our wolf form quickly. We don’t believe in divorce. It’s for life. And we live very long lives.”

Rourke’s expression brightened. “For how long?”

“After we reach eighteen, our aging metabolism slows down. We age one year for every thirty we live.”

Rourke whistled. “Man, oh man, what a deal.”

“We can die early.”

“Silver bullets?”

“Supposedly, if they’re in the heart or brain and not extracted quickly enough. But we can drown, die in a fire, a snapped spinal cord at the base of the neck will do it. Probably other ways. Old age eventually, too. Although our bodies have an unusual capability to heal quickly, as we grow old, the ability wanes. So we’re not completely invincible.”

“Good enough for me. So what are you going to do about Tessa?”

Chapter 9

ASHTON RANG THE DOORBELL AT ROURKE’S APARTMENT and although Tessa worried Hunter would try to steal away earlier than the hospital staff recommended, she never expected him to leave this soon or be resting on Rourke’s couch.

“I can’t believe this! What did the doctor say, Hunter? That you needed to be at the hospital for at least a couple of more days. At least! Didn’t he? What happened to sharing lunch with you? What happened to…” She growled, whipped around, and stalked out of the apartment.

Outside, she shivered and rubbed her arms, her frosty breath filling the air. How could Hunter be so damned stubborn and illogical about this? What if he got sick again?

Rourke joined her outside. “He’s got a horrible phobia about hospitals, Tessa.”

In disbelief, she stared at him. Was he telling the truth or making up another Rottweiler tale? “Why?”

Rourke shoved his hands in his pants pockets. “I don’t know. Maybe somebody special died in one. I don’t think he remembers. He’s doing really well physically. Psychologically, he couldn’t handle the hospital stay any longer. If he starts running a fever, we can bring him back here. All right?”

“No, it’s not all right. You didn’t get the doctor’s permission, did you?”

“I talked to the nurse.”

“She doesn’t sign the release forms.”

“He can’t go back, Tessa. Trust me on this.”

“If he gets worse…”

“If he gets worse, I promise we’ll return him to the hospital and chain him there.”

“I don’t like it.”

“I think he’s afraid of Nurse Godzilla’s return also.”

Rourke winked.

Tessa frowned. “Not Hunter. I don’t see him being afraid of anyone or anything.”

“Maybe not, but that woman was scary. She’d definitely wear the pants in the family.”

“Is Hunter well enough to travel?”

“Yes, Hunter is well enough to travel!” he roared from the couch. “And I want to arrive at your place before lunch.”

Despite how annoyed she was with him, she smiled to hear his gruff voice. “Hmm, he’s sounding better already. Grouchy and hungry.” She returned to the apartment and glowered at him. “If you get sick again, we’re bringing you back and chaining you to the hospital bed. Phobia or no phobia.”

“Hell, Rourke, you didn’t tell her about my phobia, did you?”

The devil shined in Hunter’s amber eyes, and Tessa had the feeling he and Rourke were bamboozling her.

When they arrived at Tessa’s house, she wanted Hunter to return to the couch, but he organized a search of the place to ensure the stalker wasn’t there first. Always business first, although she felt Rourke and Ashton could have done the deed so Hunter could rest.

After Rourke and Hunter checked the rooms while Ashton stayed with Tessa, she made Hunter lie down on the couch and covered him with blankets. Rourke and Ashton hauled in the groceries and Rourke’s bags. Ashton had brought his own. One big happy family. If only her brother were here. And here she thought she would be alone until she could obtain her brother’s release.

What else could go wrong? If it hadn’t been for her stalker and the wolf attack, Hunter might have made some headway into investigating Bethany’s murder.

Disheartened at the turn of events, Tessa started putting away the groceries: meat, and lots of it.

“Rourke and I are going to replace the window now,” Ashton said. “If you need anything, just holler.”

“Thanks. I should have gone grocery shopping with you. Don’t you guys believe in eating vegetables?”

They laughed and headed outside. When they began pulling the boards off the house over Michael’s broken window, it sounded like a tornado was ripping the place apart. She hoped they didn’t do more damage than the thief had done.

“I’ll fix lunch if you don’t need anything else,” Tessa said to Hunter.

“I’m fine.”

“Good. Just yell if you need anything.”

She started preparing ham sandwiches for lunch and was glad that Rourke had helped foot the bill. When Ashton and Michael ate her out of house and home, it was bad enough, but at least Michael always brought in an income, too.

Hunter’s shoulder seemed okay, but he appeared disquieted about something else. He and Rourke had shared a look between them after checking out the house, although it was fleeting enough it had been barely noticeable, but she suspected something was wrong. Had the intruder been here again? She suspected so.

Ashton was oblivious, happy to be one of the “gang.” She guessed maybe one of his problems was he had never fit in with most anyone, and for whatever reason, he had latched onto her brother. Hunter was more of a leader figure, and Ashton seemed to need his kind of guidance.

“Tessa,” Hunter called out.

She set the bread on the kitchen counter and hurried into the living room. “Are you feeling badly?”

Still looking weary, Hunter was sitting up on the couch.

“Why don’t you lie back down?” she asked, touching his good shoulder.

His expression uncomfortably serious, he motioned to the couch. “We need to talk.”

She didn’t like those words. They were the same the sheriff spoke when he informed her he had arrested her brother for murder. She stood rigid.

Hunter took her hand and eased her onto the couch next to him. He draped his arm around her shoulders and his free hand held one of hers in her lap. “I’ve been so wrapped up in this business with the stalker, I haven’t talked to you about some things I need to.”

She barely breathed. Did he remember who he was?

“When I went after the wolf—”

“The Rottweiler?” she asked, her voice and brows arched.

“The wolf. I discovered the place where I was pushed off the cliffs. I need to return there, to discover clues of why I was thrown from there.”

Her heart raced. “Do you know who did it?”

“I remember there were three men, but I didn’t know them, and I don’t know why they did it. I might have deserved it. I don’t have any clue. I just wanted you to be aware of the fact I need to return there. Maybe seeing the place will help the rest of my memories return. I’ll take Rourke with me, but I want you and Ashton to stay here.”

“Not right now. You can’t leave until you’re perfectly healed.” She hated how desperate she sounded. “You haven’t seen these men again, have you? Is that why you need Rourke? Why don’t you call the sheriff? Even if these men were mad at you, they had no right pushing you off a cliff. That’s attempted murder.”

“I’ll deal with it, Tessa.”

“You’re not invincible, Hunter. When will you get that through your thick head?”

He smiled and melted some of the icy worry collected in the pit of her stomach, but she still couldn’t shake loose of all her concerns.

“Listen, there’s another matter Rourke and I were anxious about,” Tessa said.

Ashton opened the front door and he and Rourke walked inside.

“Window’s done,” Rourke announced. “We’re not interrupting anything, are we?” He almost looked like he hoped they had.

“I was just about to tell Hunter another of our concerns. About the guy who disappeared after he rang the doorbell. We opened the door and the wolf jumped on you. Had he killed the man first and dragged his body off?”

“The guy got away,” Hunter said. “When I was fighting with the wolf, I saw the man looking scared to death in the cab of his truck. Then he drove off.”