As she prepared to jump down and slink back into the forest, Troy shook his head.
“Stay,” he murmured. “Please stay with me, Jenny.”
So seldom had he ever asked her for anything. She licked the air, testing it. They were all Lupine… surely there could be no harm. Just this once.
For you, I’ll do it, she said silently.
Jenny shifted back and clothed herself by magick in jeans, a powder blue T-shirt and sneakers. Everyone at the table gasped.
She glanced down at her clothing. “What’s wrong? Too informal?”
“No,” Aiden’s mate, Nia, stared at her. “I’ve never seen a Lupine shift with all those colors before. Smoky gray swirled with cinnamon and green.”
“And the fragrance…Lupines usually don’t emit that strong of a scent while shifting,” the one named Jackson added.
Had to diffuse these suspicions now or she’d bolt. Jenny shrugged. “Sorry. I thought that deodorant I used earlier was funky, but it was all the drugstore had.”
Troy reached over, squeezed her hand. “You smell amazing to me.”
Low and husky, his voice soothed her. She’d missed him so much in one day, it pained her to realize how much.
What if they had to part for good?
“It’s the sunset,” Aiden announced. “The setting sun got into our eyes and flashed those colors.”
The alpha announced it as if it were law, and everyone resumed eating and drinking. But she saw him studying her as if she were a bug beneath a microscope.
Aiden might have said that to reassure his pack, but she hadn’t fooled him. He was watching her. Not in the way a powerful alpha would watch an intruder, but more observant, as if trying to figure her out.
Good luck. I haven’t done that yet, either.
She noticed the woman who vacated the seat still lingered. The woman held out a hand. “Now I can formally greet you. Hi, I’m Zoe. So good to meet you! Troy told me all about you.”
Jenny slid her palm into Zoe’s, shook it and withdrew it as if it burned.
Zoe gave Troy a fond glance. “Troy’s my hero. He saved me back in Portland when I thought everything was lost. Convinced me to return home here. I’m so glad you both decided to visit. I can’t repay him enough.”
Troy shrugged. “It was the right thing to do.”
Jenny felt a glimmer of pride for her friend. “The right thing to do is not what many would choose.”
Zoe’s expression dropped. “True. No one else offered.”
Turning to Zoe, she nodded. “I’m glad Troy was there for you.”
“Enjoy your dinner. I’ll join my parents.” Zoe headed for another table.
Jenny kept her gaze on the female as she wended through the tables and noticed a handsome Native American watching Zoe’s every move. Longing shadowed the man’s face. He caught Jenny staring and then returned attention to his meal.
Troy slid an arm around her shoulders, his hand massaging the tensed muscles in her upper arm. His scent filled her senses, and she breathed it in as she had in the past when the world threatened to turn upside down. This Lupine centered her.
For now, she’d focus on his presence, and not entertain a single thought of the future.
“How was your day, dear?” she asked Troy, aware of the sarcasm in her voice.
He flashed a smooth grin. “Fantastic, now that you’re here, honey.”
His butter smooth voice made her belly tighten and her heart flutter. She’d missed him, even though he’d only been gone a day.
Someone slid a rare steak the size of a dinner plate before her, and next thing, her plate was piled with carrots and spinach and grilled zucchini. She began to eat, too hungry to be self-conscious anymore. Troy told her about the ranch, moving the cattle to the summer field and how they worked together as a team.
Samantha finished feeding Hunter something green, peas maybe. The baby made a face and Jenny grinned.
I don’t like peas either, kid.
“Glad you joined us, Jenny. I wanted to thank you again for finding that evil in our backyard and destroying it,” Samantha told her.
Forks stilled and silence draped the tables.
“How did you know it was bad?” asked Ellison in a friendly tone. The cowboy wore a battered straw hat and seemed to be at ease with everyone. He was lean, lanky and tanned.
Jenny wiped her mouth with the napkin, feeling the burn of dozens of curious gazes upon her. “I don’t know. I knew it was bad. I could sense it.”
“Interesting. I’ve never heard of a Lupine with that ability.”
Jenny shrugged. “Maybe you need to get out more.”
Darius laughed, a carefree, boisterous sound that eased the sudden tension. “Tell him, Jenny. He’s seldom off this ranch. You need to take a day off, Ellison. Go into town and find a pretty woman.”
Ellison grinned. “Someone has to work around her when everyone else is partying in town.”
Talk turned to a local rodeo as Jenny finished her steak. Troy touched her arm. You okay? His gaze asked.
She hated being the center of attention. Part of her longed to bolt for the woods, run free as wolf again. Jenny forced a nod.
For Troy’s sake, she’d stay here, at least for the night. This was important to him, and he’d stuck by her side for months, never complaining, her shadow who made her feel safe and accepted.
“Thanks for not running away,” he murmured.
She gazed into his brown eyes, feeling herself falling again. For the longest time, she’d thought Troy was a roving wolf like herself. Never thought he’d settle for a pack. Her need for him and her biological need for a mate threatened to override her instinct to keep moving.
Safety in moving around.
No safety in staying in one place.
“How do you know it’s safe here?” she whispered.
“I don’t. Reckon it’s a gamble. But I won’t let anything happen to you, Jenny. Trust me on this.” He brushed back a lock of hair from her face, his touch gentle. “My gut says this is a good place. I need this, Jenny. I need pack, and I’m hoping you
