Hour of the Lion

trying to court her?”

“No, she doesn’t,” Calum said. He was leaning against the wall. “Forgive me, Daniel. I did lose control.”

Daniel laughed and slapped Calum on the shoulder. “Good to know you’re not perfect, buddy. And though it’s been thirty years or so, you still throw a wicked punch.”

“Indeed. I see you can still provoke a fight faster than anyone in the territory.”

Daniel gave a mock bow. “Thank you, my son, thank you. So what’s the story with the little lady? She looked lost as a heifer without a mama.”

“That’s a disgusting analogy,” Alec said. “I take it you and Tanner are still running the Summerland in Rainier Territory?”

“Yup. Aside from the hellhounds increasing-we lost a new shifter to them last month-we’re doing good.” Daniel brushed the snow off a wooden chair and sat down, propping his boots up on a protruding log of the cabin wall. “Are you going to tell me about Vicki? I’d like -”

“No you wouldn’t,” Calum said flatly.

“Got it.” Daniel shook his head ruefully. “I heard she joined us by way of the Death Gift. What form is she?”

“Lachlan was a cat,” Alec said, “so she must be one too.”

Daniel stared. “Must be? She hasn’t shifted yet?”

Calum sighed. “She was not completely certain she wanted to be a shifter.”

“Hell, littermate, be honest. She knew she didn’t,” Alec said. The thought of her leaving chilled him faster than the air outside. “I’m not sure she’s changed her mind, especially after meeting”-he snorted, remembering her words-”Cleavage and the Ice Queen.”

Daniel’s laugh sounded like a bull’s bellow and echoed off the mountains. “You should have seen your faces, like she’d kneed you in the balls.”

“She was angry with us for some reason,” Calum agreed. “But-”

“Damn, you’re blind, man. With anybody else, you’d see it. The girl’s jealous of you both.” Daniel gave a snort of disgust. “If she hadn’t shown me that, do you really think you could have kept me from her?”

Alec managed to close his mouth. Jealous? He saw the slight smile appear on his brother’s face. “We’re idiots, all right,” Alec said.

“I’m gonna go get some sleep.” Daniel stood up and stretched, then glanced at Alec and Calum. “The way you both arrived within seconds of me touching her, I’d say the jealousy goes two ways, wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah, well, we knew that,” Alec said, then saw the blank look on Calum’s face. “Or not.”

Chapter Fifteen

Vic escaped the house before breakfast. She needed a break from all the people and emotions. These last few days, her emotions had turned as topsy-turvy as a B-15 with a drunken pilot.

After hiking the village, she followed a stream into the forest. The breeze whipped around her, blowing a fine dust of snow off the pine branches, and clearing her mind. Last night hadn’t been her finest moment. Then again, what the hell had the guys been growling about? All three men stiff-legged and snarly, and that wasn’t something she’d expected to see from Alec and Calum. Especially Calum.

Vic sighed and leaned her back against a tree. The mountain was so quiet she could hear snow plopping to the ground from the branches, the wind sighing through the pines, the little gurgle of the half-frozen stream.

Yeah, the guys had been pushy. She hadn’t shown much better. What had possessed her to make those waspish comments-Cleavage and Ice Queen? Alec would razz her forever, and Calum might not say anything, but oh, he’d know she’d been jealous. She thumped the back of her head against the trunk. Crap.

Jealous. The thought made her want to run away. But it was too late. She was here and entangled. And a shifter if she wanted to be.

Do I? At first, the thought had horrified her, but now, it didn’t sound that bad. Everyone she’d met seemed pretty normal. Running around as a big cat? How cool would that be?

If only being a wereanimal didn’t have so many downsides, like not being able to return to duty. No way could she pop into fur skin every month-not in Baghdad where people lived cheek by jowl. Or, what if she got shot? Might she wake up in a zoo rather than the hospital?

But how would she earn a living otherwise? All her skills were for war. Give up being a spy to work as a barmaid? Or a housewife? Did these guys even marry? She frowned. Don’t want to go there. She needed to keep her times with Alec and Calum light-hearted. Fun. If it got more serious, well, who would she choose? Calum with his deep, commanding voice, who stole the control from her? Or Alec with that mouth she just wanted to bite and nibble, and who could make her laugh. Who she understood right down to the ground as another soldier.

Damn men. Didn’t they know that one guy was supposed to call dibs and the other back off? No matter what Calum said, she felt guilty to have fucked him. It would be wise to just plain get away from them.

Yet the thought of leaving was so painful, she turned around and started back to the village.

Halfway there, she met Helen hiking up with a large basket over her arm. “Vicki, how nice to see you this morning.” She raised her basket. “I’m hoping the squirrels left me some nuts. There’s one lonely walnut tree just over this rise.” Helen’s face was nipped pink with the cold, her eyes a bright blue under a furred hood. “We’re making cookies in an hour and expecting your help.”

Vic grinned. “I’m there.”

“That’s my girl.” Helen patted her on the shoulder. “If you’re a good child, I’ll let you take some back to your men. They both love their sweets, Alec especially.”

Oh, yeah, she’d seen that. But-'They aren’t mine.”

“Of course not. Whatever came over me to say such a thing?”

Vic gave Helen a suspicious look.

Helen’s eyes danced with laughter. “You can give them cookies anyway-and Jamie also. We’ll bake extra. You change out of those wet clothes when you get back.” She patted Vic and continued up the trail.

Vic watched for a moment, feeling unsettled. Would her mother have been like Helen if she’d lived? Would she have taught Vic to make cookies? And scolded her now and then?

Walking slowly, Vic had just reached the edge of the forest when she heard Helen scream.

* * *

“She a woman yet?” Maude and Calum stood in the doorway of her house, watching Jamie play tag with the other teenagers.

“For about two months.” His baby was almost grown up. He felt a pang of mingled pride and grief.

“So her first trawsfur will be any time now.” Maude pursed her lips. “With all the problems down in Cold Creek, you should leave her up here with us, Calum.”

“I’ve considered it. But I’m the one she’s worked with. She responds to my voice.” Fear squeezed his chest as he remembered the child last year who’d panicked and lost the ability to return to human. “What if something went wrong and I wasn’t here?”

Maude opened her mouth, and Calum cut her off. “I can’t stay. My responsibility lies in Cold Creek, especially now. I need to remove that human before he draws attention to us. Or harms another of mine.”

“I understand, Calum. It’s an evil time when a child has to be fearful in her own town.”

“Aye.” He handed Maude his cup. “I’ll see you at Aaron’s in an hour. We-”

A woman’s terror-filled scream ripped though the quiet village and echoed off the mountains. Silence reigned for a few seconds before the noise began.

* * *