“So if I needed a bodyguard, since you’ve got the qualifications, could I hire you? Since you don’t believe anyone here is qualified. Although it depends on your going rate. I can’t be too frivolous with my hard-earned income.”
He frowned at her, not liking that she switched the subject, so he had no qualms about changing it again, thinking about what Jake had confided in him about Carol not shape-shifting yet. He didn’t believe she could fight the change for five months.
“You have shape-shifted, haven’t you? Without anyone being aware of it. You’ve had to run as a wolf and haven’t had time to sleep to make up for it. Am I right?”
The corner of her mouth inched up. “Sure, I’ve shape-shifted. And you’re right. I’ve been running around in the woods at night, but I have to work at the hospital during the day and haven’t had any time to take a wolfish nap. You really are a great detective. But then I’m sure you already knew that.”
She was too coy and had switched too easily from being indignant to being complacent. He gave her a small smile. “You can’t be fighting the shift.”
“Nope, when you’re right, you’re right.”
He’d rather she’d continue to be indignant. Like this, she was too agreeable and toying with him. He took another tack. “I found no sign of your wolf scent in the woods. You haven’t been running through them as a wolf.”
“Right again. I run around the guestroom at night. Haven’t howled yet, though.” She shrugged. “Not sure how to do that.”
Ryan lifted a brow. “It comes with the shift. A natural part of who you are. Instinctively, if you’re to howl to let others know where you are, to gather the pack, to warn others away, you howl. If not, you don’t.”
“Of course. I haven’t needed to howl.”
He rested his arms on the table and leaned closer, unable to shake loose of what he knew had to be the truth. “You can’t be refusing to shift.”
She smiled. “Refuse to shift? Of course I can’t. That’s impossible. Everyone keeps telling me that.”
Hell. She couldn’t be stopping the shift. But then again, the woman was unusual. Intriguing. Maybe she did have the inner strength to fight it. He tried another ploy.
“How does it feel when you shift?”
“Furry.”
He chuckled and then grew serious again. “How are you keeping from shifting?”
She smiled just a little, her eyes, her lips. Something about that look made him think of a wayward wolf, full of mischief, impish, not to be trusted.
“Don’t tell me. Your visions are keeping you from…” His mouth gaped as he recalled another incident. “When Mervin grabbed you in the great room, he triggered your need to shift, didn’t he?”
Her expression froze, and she didn’t say a word.
Which gave away what truly had happened. “You changed clothes but not to compete with the other women. That wouldn’t be like you. Hell, you were stripping out of your clothes when Lelandi chased you down.”
Ryan should have been there, not that lame Mervin. Although if he’d seen Carol fighting the shift, he wasn’t sure what he would have done. Tried to convince her to shift, learned what he could about how she was fighting it, maybe.
“You didn’t have a choice. Somehow you stopped the shift, and to cover up the fact you were in trouble, at least to your way of thinking, you changed clothes. Did Lelandi recognize what you were up to?”
Carol shook her head. “I can’t get anything past you, can I?”
Ryan rubbed his chin. No way could Carol stop shifting because of having so-called visions. Yet he’d never heard of anyone so newly turned being able to control that aspect of his or her new condition.
“You’re a danger to yourself and others, Carol. You have to allow the shift to occur.”
“You’re right.” Indignant, she rose from the table. “Tom can take me home, and I’ll shift and run around the house for a while. Sorry I couldn’t enlighten you further, but—”
The tavern grew deathly quiet.
Ryan rose to stand in front of her, towering over her. She looked up at him, and he swore her gaze pleaded with him to believe her. She looked so vulnerable, a little pale, and the dark under her eyes seemed to show even more now. She seemed tired—tired of the grilling, tired of being made to participate in werewolf activities that she wasn’t used to—and now she had to be concerned that the red might be stalking her.
“What vision did you have that stopped the shift?”
“That Darien shifts to a wolf and can’t change back,” she whispered, tears in her eyes. “And I feel guilty because I believe I’ll have more freedom if he is stuck as a wolf for a while, but Lelandi’s so frightened, and I think of how it would be if all of our kind ended up in the same predicament. What then? If I shift, I’ll be doomed to be a wolf forever.” She bit her lower lip.
“It can’t happen.” He took her hand and squeezed. “Carol, you can’t keep fighting this. It’s part of who we are. It’s our nature. Yours and mine.”
She swallowed hard, pulled her hand free, and folded her arms tight around her waist. “What better way to learn the truth about my future visions than to hang around and protect me while being my personal bodyguard?”
Ryan pulled her back to her seat, watching her and pondering the notion. When she retook her seat, he took his, but the conversation in the room didn’t begin again.
“You’ll tell me every time you have the urge to shift. No matter when or where you are. And you’ll let me know every time you have a vision? No matter what it’s about?”
She tilted her chin up. “Gladly.”
He smiled and finished his beer and then stretched his hand out so they could shake on it. She sighed and offered her hand. He gave it a firm shake, felt the heat and a spark of electricity, and saw the hope in her eyes, those large pools of liquid blue. He felt that if he looked into them much longer, he’d drown in them with pure pleasure. He released her, severing the connection. Somehow touching her made him feel as though he might be able to coax her to shift when others in her pack hadn’t had any success.
He scoffed at himself. She needed a mate who would encourage her to capitulate.
Silva immediately hurried over with another beer and their sandwiches. “Ohmigod, McKinley, you can’t be planning to stay.”
“You didn’t hear our whole conversation, did you?” Carol asked, her voice a little shaky.
“Well, no, I have been waiting tables, and Darien, who is on the opposite side of the tavern, asked me a few questions. Despite what everyone says, I don’t have hearing that sharp. But I did overhear you ask if Ryan would be your bodyguard.
“He hasn’t gotten Darien’s approval,” Silva warned. “And you know how he is with outsiders interfering in pack business.” She sighed. “You and Lelandi sure know how to stir up a pack. Did you need anything else to go with the sandwiches?”
Privacy. Ryan cleared his throat. “Looks good to me. Thanks, Silva.”
Silva barely waited for Carol to answer, and when she shook her head, Silva stalked to the bar to grab another tray of drinks and sandwiches, and then hurried to drop them off at a table. After that, she rushed to Darien’s table.
“If you want anyone to know your business, tell Silva. She’ll spread the word,” Carol said.
Ryan had already gotten that impression. He watched Darien’s reaction as Silva spoke to him. Darien’s eyes narrowed a bit.
Jake immediately looked in Ryan’s direction and gave a knowing smile. He must have realized Ryan was up to the challenge. Tom flat-out frowned. Ryan had expected that. Lelandi smiled. Darien shook his head, gave Ryan a stern look, and then listened to something Lelandi said to him. He leaned over and kissed her lips.
“So what do you think? Was that a yes or a no?” Carol asked.
Ryan felt as if she was testing him, but he turned the tables on her. He wouldn’t let up until he knew the truth. “You’re the one with future visions. What do you see?”
She smiled at him. This was going to be a real test of wills. She lifted her sandwich. “Nothing in any future visions, but I’d say Lelandi convinced him to give you a chance.”
“He’ll allow it,” Ryan confirmed, no hesitation in his response. “Either that or he’s going to have to put one of his deputies or his brothers up to the task of protecting you. They’ll be concentrating on Lelandi, in the event she’s at risk. Because no matter what, he has to consider that someone from her old pack may want revenge. And stealing Darien’s mate may be just the notion they have. So until it’s proven otherwise—”
“I’m more expendable.”
Ryan raised his brows, not believing she would think that. No one in a pack was expendable. “I’m very capable of protecting you.” He took a deep breath. “What I was trying to say is that until it’s proven otherwise, both of you need to be watched.”
“All right.” She took a bite of her sandwich, then set the rest of it down on the plate and eyed Ryan. I wasn’t sure why I’d seen you in a vision before. They’re always important for some reason and have some connection to me. Maybe this is it.”
He arched a brow. “You saw me in a vision?”
“Yeah, I mentioned it before, but you weren’t paying attention.”
“What was I doing?” He tried to sound like he believed her. He wondered if she was one of those people who told stories to get attention. He had a friend like that from Texas that he swore didn’t even realize he was embellishing the truth because he believed in his own stories to such a degree.
“I envisioned you watching me from the woods as a wolf. That’s why I went to the window and looked out. That’s why I went outside when I saw you standing there and then followed you. I wanted to know who you were and what you wanted. Now I suppose it was because you spied the red wolf and are going to protect me from him.” She smiled, the expression sweet and innocent, yet he was sure it was a façade.
