"No women's clothes in there," Laney warned.

Cassie stopped in the middle of the floor, knowing that would probably be the case, but she didn't care. Any clothes would do. Even the pack leader's. Then again, she probably should wait until Laney left the room. Which meant Cassie wasn't thinking very clearly, and if she hadn't needed so badly to go to Alex and the she-wolf's aid, she would rest a while longer until her brain was functioning more properly and her shoulder didn't hurt so much.

She'd considered telling Laney about the wolf pups, but not all lupus garous had the same sympathies for real wolves that she did. As long as the wolves didn't interfere with lupus garous' own pack dynamics, they tolerated them. She couldn't risk telling them if they thought her safety more important than that of the she-wolf and her litter. She was certain Leidolf wouldn't like it if he knew she planned risking her neck to return to the woods to check on a human wolf biologist, either.

Without knowing Leidolf's politics, she wasn't about to let him know what she had in mind to do. Only this time, she'd have to risk looking for the pups and Alex as a human. She didn't think that zoo man and his friend or any hunter would mess with her, but could she find the wolf before someone killed her? And the puppies were left to fend for themselves? They'd never last.

Laney considered the bandage on Cassie's shoulder. "Is your shoulder hurting a lot?"

"No, it's fine." No way did Cassie want Laney or anyone else thinking she needed further medical care. And her shoulder really was much better.

"Hmm. I'll let Leidolf know you're awake." Laney turned, opened the door, and let out a squeak, her hand flying to her breast.

Chapter 12

Cassie's own heart skipped a couple of beats as she stared at Leidolf standing in the open doorway of his bedroom, his fist raised, ready to rap on the door. He looked from Laney to Cassie, who still stood in the middle of his bedroom floor--totally aware she was naked except for the bandage over her shoulder and feeling way too vulnerable. Too late to hide her nakedness or her unnatural reaction. Which would be a sure indication she was a loner... and didn't live with a pack.

Wearing a pair of jeans, rugged hiking boots, and a soft, fuzzy flannel shirt, Leidolf was gorgeous in a dangerous, feral sort of way and taller than most red males she'd encountered. His chestnut hair, tinged red, had been ruffled by the wind, making him look wild and untamable. His darkened eyes held hers captive for a moment, like a wolf would challenge her, watching to see if she'd back down. The same way he had done when he saw her at the lake.

Was she alpha enough? That's what he was trying to determine. Or at least she thought so. She'd lived longer with real wolves than with her own kind, so she wasn't really experienced in dealing with a lusty alpha male lupus garou who was interested in her. Still, he had the same alpha male posturing.

His gaze roamed lower, all the way down her naked body, as if he was looking over his ultimate conquest. She glared at him and folded her arms across her chest, which sent another stab of pain into her shoulder. She winced, although she attempted to hide her discomfort. "I'm not looking for a mate, if you want to know my status."

His eyes flicked back to hers. She had a job to do--and mixing it up with a red lupus garou alpha leader and joining a pack were not in the plans.

Then his stern expression softened. "Where is your family, Cassie?"

"My family was killed," she said, not having told anyone the truth for many years. Saying it still hurt.

His expression turned sympathetic; she'd rather he was scowling at her. Much easier to deal with someone who was annoyed with her than someone who was tugging at her heartstrings.

"You said they had died. Did you mean your family?" he ventured.

Died? She frowned at him. She was certain she hadn't told him her life's story when she'd been out of it. "I don't remember what I said to you. It must have been the drugs."

He looked skeptical. Then he cocked a brow heavenward. "You don't have a mate." She'd stated she wasn't looking for one, but that wouldn't make any difference to him as long as she didn't already have one.

"No, I don't. Like I said, I'm not looking for one." She reiterated her stance because he seemed to need to hear it again, although she didn't sound as firm in her resolve as she meant to.

He smiled deeply, his eyes devilishly speculating. He bowed his head slightly, his tone nurturing when he said, "If you're feeling well enough and desire something to eat, you can join us in the den." The way he spoke wasn't an offer, but rather a command. His gaze slid over her again, this time in a languorous manner, as if she was there for his viewing pleasure. "I recommend you dress first. My bachelor males might get a little restless at the sight of you."

As if he wasn't the one who was restless at the sight of her!

"She said she's from a pack in the redwoods of California," Laney offered, her brows raised a little.

Did Laney know something about the pack living there, or was she just suspicious of Cassie's story?

Leidolf's eyes rounded as he looked from Laney to Cassie. "The California redwoods? Really. And your pack leader's name?"

Cassie ground her teeth and then attempted a smile. Leidolf probably didn't know a pack that far away from his own territory. Most leaders wouldn't. So it was a bluff on his part, she was certain. "Harold Wilden."

"Really. I thought the leader of the redwood area was a gray pack leader."

Her lips parted in surprise. "Uhm, yes, a gray." Hell, a gray pack lived there?

"Wilden's a red's last name. Hunter Greymere was the leader in that area until a fire forced his pack to move north. He took over his uncle's cabin resort along the Oregon coast. One of his grays actually joined my pack."

Oh, that's how Leidolf knew about them. Great. "Well, a little more south of the redwoods," Cassie amended.

"Ah. A red pack."

"Yes."

"The leader by the name of Wilden." His eyes sparkled in the low light of the room, and he shifted his attention to Laney. "We'll see you both in a few minutes." He spoke as if he was leaving Cassie in Laney's charge, and Cassie stiffened a bit.

No one was in charge of her. Not when she'd been a loner all these years and did just fine on her own.

"She's hurting," Laney said, telling on her.

Cassie wasn't about to take anything for the pain. Not when it would make it more difficult for her to return to the forest.

Leidolf frowned. "We have pain medication."

"No, I'm fine." Cassie tried to sound convincing, but she saw the look in Leidolf's eyes. He knew she needed something for the pain, but she wasn't going for it. And he knew why.

Then he inclined his head toward Cassie, his eyes spearing her with a look that said he wanted her and she was already his, so get used to the idea. "Just to let you know my status, I am looking for a mate." He bowed his head a little, punctuating his remark.

The way he said it, he acted as though she was available just for him anyway. He was so arrogant! The last time she had put up with a male that had wanted her like that, he hadn't been half as egotistical, or half as hot, either. And she definitely hadn't felt anything for him. Leidolf? He was real trouble, triggering needs she didn't even want to consider. More than just feeling the physical needs, though, she didn't want to deal with the emotional baggage. She'd always worked extra hard to avoid feeling anything for her kind because it brought back memories of what she'd lost.

Leidolf was undoing that resolve.

And then the physical side of the equation created more punishment. Her nipples tingled beneath her arms, traitors, and she had the unfathomable urge to either throw him on the bed and make him show her just what he had in mind to do with her--or strangle him. She tried to convince herself that strangling him was preferable. It wasn't working.

He seemed a little hesitant to leave and shoved his hands into his pockets, the all-powerful alpha male now appearing a little unsure of himself, which made her feel somewhat uptight. Even Laney looked a little apprehensive, as if she didn't know what to do.

Then Leidolf directed his question at Laney. "Can you leave us alone for a moment?"

She glanced back at Cassie, almost as if she wanted to stay and chaperone, but she quickly bowed her head to Leidolf and left the room, closing the door behind her. Leidolf pulled the fuzzy, brown blanket off the recliner and wrapped it around Cassie in such a protective, endearing way that tears formed in her eyes. Damn it.

He led her to the bed and sat her down, then knelt beside her and took her hands in his. "Cassie, you were pretty out of it when I talked with you earlier. I asked if you would like to stay with our pack. No strings attached. Just join us. Get to know us. And--"

She attempted a sincere smile when she was really trying to hide her true feelings. Hell, she ought to just come clean. Although if she did, he would think he had more leverage.

"But I have a pack." Which, in a way, she did. Although not just one, several. Except the wolves couldn't shape-shift. "I want to thank you and your people for your generosity in taking care of me, but I really have business to attend to. So if Laney could drive me back to the forest and drop me off, I'd be forever grateful."

Leidolf gave a conceited half smile, not buying into her story or her request. "Laney must have told you what's happening in the forest right now. With hunters crawling all over the place? The police? Reporters? Not only that, but you're still injured. And it wouldn't do to let you return there and get yourself into more trouble." He swept away a curl of hair tickling her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. His gaze shifted from her eyes to her lips, and she knew he wanted to kiss her.

And damn it, she wanted him to!

A little voice nagged at her to do it, just because she was dying to feel what it would be like to be kissed by the alpha pack leader. It wouldn't mean anything, she assured herself. Just a kiss. Her lips feeling dry as sand, she licked them. His mouth curved up a hint, and his gaze refocused on hers. Then he took her hand and kissed it, as if he were a proper English gentleman coming to call.