Bailey ended up riding with Jaxon and Parker again as Gavin and Wyatt cleaned up their camp and checked for signs of pursuit. With Jaxon driving-to keep him out of trouble, Parker had explained with a grin-she ended up seated in the back with the giant. Perfect, because she brimmed with questions, and now that the wolf was out of the bag, so to speak, she hoped he'd answer them. "What's a pack?" Parker's brows lifted. "Jumping right into it, are you? Fair enough. I guess there's no hiding anymore what we are. A pack is what we call a group of Lycans who live together under the rule of an alpha." "So, what, you share a house, and one guy makes up the rules?" A chuckle rumbled forth. "Not quite, baby. We tend to live on compounds, fairly self-sufficient ones, where we use solar energy and wind to create electricity, draw our water from wells, and where each family has its own house." "Like the Amish," she supplied, trying to picture in her mind what ex

Bailey couldn't help from lighting up when she saw Gavin and Wyatt strutting into the roadside diner. It especially pleased her that their grim expressions melted into warm smiles of welcome upon seeing her. In short order, she found herself squished in the center of the U-shaped booth, ringed by men. It was enough to render a woman breathless-and make her girly parts moisten. As the new arrivals ordered, Bailey frowned, noting some contusions on their knuckles and faces, marks that seemed days old, but which she knew neither had sported that morning. "What happened to you?" Stretching his arm across the top of her shoulders, Gavin hugged her into him. "Nothing, except I missed you." "It looks like you were in a fight." She flicked her gaze up to him, but he met her query with a soft smile. "Nothing Wyatt and I couldn't take care of. Don't worry. You're safe." "I'm not worried about my safety," she said, her stomach suddenly tight. "I'm worried about

Coasting through the woods, following the trail Jaxon left in drops of blood, Wyatt let his fury against rogues build. Why won't they leave her alone? Why are they still brazenly chasing her? It baffled him. Rogues weren't known to go after complicated targets. So what was it about Bailey that made them keep coming? What did Roderick want from her? The time to ponder those questions would have to wait, as he came across the snarls of animals sparring. Springing into the fray, he took in the scene, from Parker grappling viciously with a mottled-coated foe to the others circling, preparing to launch their own cowardly attack. Assessing the imminent danger to his friend, Wyatt landed on the back of a wolf who thought to attack Parker from behind while Gavin, with a snarl to frighten all but the most foolhardy, dove at the rest to keep them at bay. A bestial part of himself rejoiced in the yelp of pain of his enemy as his teeth sank into flesh. Bloodlust and the exhilarat

Gavin breathed a sigh of relief when he came across Bailey and Wyatt, thankfully unharmed, the cries he'd heard those of the mating kind. He slapped Wyatt on the back as he curled an arm around Bailey's waist. "Congrats." A blush pinked her cheeks, and Gavin laughed as he kissed her to show her that he wasn't bothered by her newest mate. "Relax, darling. I'm not going to go into a jealous fit and challenge Wyatt or anything." "That's good," she replied softly. Then her expression turned morose. "How's Jaxon? Wyatt said he'd be okay. Is he very angry?" "A better question is, should he be punished for letting you run off in the first place?" Gavin growled, still not over his anger when he'd found out what happened after he dispatched the rogues and returned to camp. "It's not his fault," she said, jumping to his defense. "Nobody knew I was going to-to . . ." Her voice trailed off, and she bit her lip. "It's not an embarrassing disease, sunshine," Wyatt

Lessons on helping Bailey accept her wolf began the next morning, with the decision made that Parker and Dana would act the part of teachers instead of using strangers. The arrangement suited Parker just fine, as it would allow him to spend time with Bailey. However, he'd imagined it as a pleasant interval spent talking, and maybe flirting. He'd not counted on her fear of the whole shifting process making her ornery. It took a lot to hold back a sigh of impatience at her now millionth time repeated, "But it hurts." "I know, baby, but that's only because you're new to the whole shifting experience. Over time, you'll get used to it." Seated in the shade of a tree, away from the hustle and bustle that comprised daily life in the compound, Bailey sighed and looked down at her lap, where her fingers restlessly weaved together. "So you all keep saying. Might I say that as a pep talk it sucks? Why can't I just stay in this body? I could hide in the basement on full moo