The bike jerked and the engine began to sputter. She was driving the motorcycle with the oil leak. When she glanced down, she saw flecks of dark liquid staining her jeans. Yup, there was no doubt about it. She'd just about reached the end of the line. Motioning Joshua up beside her, she pointed to the engine. He nodded and smoothly moved in front of her. She guessed that meant he wanted her to follow him.

She pushed the motorcycle as hard as she dared, knowing any moment could be its last. Finally, she had to pull over, reaching the curb just as the engine died. Joshua turned a corner, obviously not yet realizing she wasn't following.

For a brief moment, fear filled her. She was truly alone. Her home and her life had been summarily ripped from her.

Taking a deep breath, she put down the kickstand and dismounted from the bike. Opening the side compartment, she dropped the keys inside. Slamming it shut, she stepped up onto the sidewalk and walked away without a backward glance. The city would eventually tow the bike and impound it. This was a good part of town so she wasn't concerned about leaving it here, and it wasn't as if anyone could drive off with it. It should be safe until her father hopefully got the chance to reclaim it.

She strode down the long strip of concrete, no particular destination in mind. It was a fine time to realize that she was the only one who didn't know exactly where they were going. Where was Wolf Creek anyway? Not that it mattered. Joshua would probably turn back to look for her as soon as he noticed her missing. That is, unless one or more of those nasty men chasing them caught him. She shivered at the thought. In case something happened and he wasn't able to come back for her, she needed to make a plan. She'd go to the library and look it up.

If she had to she would go into hiding on her own. She could get word to Divine, letting the other woman know where she was. Her father would look for her if she didn't show up at Wolf Creek. He would check with everyone in the old neighborhood and Divine would be able to give him her location.

Now that she had a plan, she felt better. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten her m.u.f.fin this morning. She was hungry and she needed coffee. With everything that had happened, she still hadn't had hers yet. Maybe it was stupid to be focused on such a mundane thing, but it was the best she could do right now. Looking around, she spotted a likely establishment. She'd get her order to go and keep moving in the same direction Joshua was headed. Hopefully, she'd be able to find him.

She glanced inside to check out the interior before pulling open the steel and gla.s.s door and stepping inside. The heat from the kitchen hit her, reminding her that she was still wearing the leather jacket. It was already heating up outside as the sun rose higher in the sky. She started to unzip the jacket only to remember she was wearing a gun strapped to her hip. She casually pulled the zipper up again, hoping no one had caught a glimpse of it. She'd definitely take her order to go. The quicker the better.

Thankfully, the service was quick. Alex paid for her order and was heading back out the door within five minutes of entering. Raising the cup to her mouth, she took a sip, sighing in pleasure as the dark, rich brew slid down her throat. It was heaven. It was normal and everyday, which was exactly what she needed.

A heavy hand descended on her shoulder. She didn't stop to think. She dropped the brown paper bag she was holding. Pivoting on one heel, she tossed her paper cup at her attacker, letting the hot liquid fly over him.

"f.u.c.k!"

Too late she realized it was Joshua and right now he looked none too happy. Coffee stained his shirt and dripped down his jaw. Well, too bad for him. She wasn't happy either. Her fresh cup of coffee was all over the sidewalk. Thankfully, his fast reflexes had kept him from being hit too badly by the hot spray. Unfortunately, his foot had landed on her breakfast.

"What the h.e.l.l is wrong with you?" Wrapping his hands over her shoulders, he tugged her to him. She thought he might shake her, but his fingers dug into the heavy leather jacket as he stared down at her, dark eyes snapping with anger. "You were supposed to stay right behind me, not stop for coffee. Of all the asinine things to do. This isn't a game you know." The last was said with a mixture of anger and exasperation, but beneath it she could hear the tinge of fear. For that reason alone, she held onto her own temper, which was hanging by a very thin thread.

She shrugged away from him and propped her hands on her hips. "First of all, the bike died. It was in the shop because it had an oil leak. I was supposed to fix it this morning. I didn't have any other choice but to stop, and you were too far ahead for me to signal you. I dumped the bike and started walking. Second, it's your fault I never got my coffee this morning. I didn't think it would hurt if I ducked into a shop long enough to get one. How the h.e.l.l can I fight the bad guys if I don't have my coffee?"

"I'm beginning to think you can fight them better if you don't have coffee," he muttered.

She took immediate offense at the insinuation that she was being b.i.t.c.hy. He probably hadn't had to do without his morning coffee. She opened her mouth to blast him, but stopped. Joshua was glancing around and Alex realized they were starting to attract a crowd.

"Come on." He slung his arm over her shoulders and all but forced her to walk down the street. She stopped long enough to scoop up the now flattened paper bag. As they pa.s.sed a garbage can she dropped her smashed breakfast into it.

"What was that?"

"My bagel," she replied. Her voice sounded forlorn, but d.a.m.n it, she'd wanted her breakfast.

"Let me guess." He grinned as he continued and she curled her fingers into her palm to keep from smacking him. "You didn't get a chance to eat your bagel this morning either."

She didn't bother to answer and tell him it was a blueberry m.u.f.fin she'd missed earlier. The place she'd stopped at hadn't had any. Her stomach growled and suddenly she was overwhelmed by everything that had happened. Her coffee and bagel were the last straw. Pushing away, she glared up at him. "You might find this funny, but this is my life that's spiraled out of control. All I wanted was a d.a.m.n cup of coffee and something to eat. Is that too much to ask?"

Casting him a glance that had been known to wither lesser men, she stalked down the sidewalk. He could follow her or not. She didn't care. She could take care of herself. She certainly didn't need some muscle-bound idiot male to take care of her. Okay, so he wasn't muscle-bound. He was actually sleek and s.e.xy. But he was still an idiot.

His arms wrapped around her from behind and he lifted her right off her feet. "I didn't mean to make light of what you've gone though, Alex. I think you've handled everything amazingly well."

She absorbed his words and waited. After a minute pa.s.sed, she realized that that was about as much of an apology as she was likely ever going to get from Joshua. She had a feeling he was the kind of man who didn't apologize for anything and probably didn't need to. She doubted he ever made many mistakes. There was an air of self-containment and control surrounding him that was rather intimidating. That is if one could be intimidated by such things. Which, she a.s.sured herself, she couldn't. She didn't like the fact that pleasure suffused her when he'd praised the way she'd handled everything. Who cared what he thought?

He lowered her back to her feet and took her hand, threading his fingers though hers so that their palms were touching. Heat radiated from his hand into hers. "Come on. We can't stay here."

She followed him, quickening her pace until she was walking beside him. It was either that or be dragged behind him.

"Where's your bike?" she asked him.

"Ran out of gas." He shook his head, a black scowl on his face. "That's why it took me as long as it did to backtrack and find you."

Alex couldn't believe their bad luck. They were stranded without a vehicle with a group of nasty men-werewolves, she corrected herself-on their tail.

They walked for almost an hour and Alex did her best to ignore the hunger in her belly and the headache forming behind her eyes due to the lack of caffeine. She tried to focus on the city and her surroundings.

Chicago was a study of contrasts. Large, expensive homes were blocks from slums. Busy business districts existed alongside vibrant ethnic neighborhoods. Chicago was alive and ever changing. To Alex, it was home.

People scurried past them, hurrying to whatever their destinations were. Buses chugged down the roads, vying with city garage trucks and cars for s.p.a.ce, some of them honking their horns even though it didn't force the traffic to move one second faster. The "L"-the elevated, rapid transit system-rumbled off to their right, carrying people to work or school or wherever they were headed. Businesses were open, all trying to entice shoppers inside.

Unfortunately for Alex, the only thing that held her attention was the man beside her. She was very conscious of the fact that their palms were touching, their fingers entwined. She'd never walked hand in hand with a man before. It was surprisingly intimate.

He seemed so large alongside her. She'd never thought about herself as small before, but somehow next to him she felt that way. He was probably six inches taller than her, and he was much more muscular. He exuded a sense of strength and confidence that was far too alluring.

Which didn't make sense at all. She'd worked in a garage her entire life and seen all kinds of men come and go, including handsome, well-built ones. Not once had she ever been attracted to one of them.

His black T-shirt clung to his shoulders like a second skin. The jeans he was wearing were old and soft, molding to the thick muscles in his thighs. She'd watched him walk up the stairs back at the garage and knew he filled them out from behind. He had a first-cla.s.s a.s.s. And the bulge in the front, well, that was impressive too.

His s.h.a.ggy black hair fell to his shoulders, tempting a woman to brush it back, to try to tame it. She could sense the wildness lurking just beneath the controlled surface. This was a complex man with many layers. His face wasn't handsome, but strong and compelling. He exuded a s.e.x appeal that no doubt had women falling at his feet. Alex scowled, not liking that last thought at all.

Why should she care if women threw themselves at him? She barely knew him. Yet the thought of him and any other woman naked, their bodies rubbing against one other, made her sick to her stomach. She placed a hand over her belly to settle it, blaming its upset on the fact it was far past her normal breakfast time and she still hadn't had anything to eat.

Joshua tugged her to a halt and she forced herself to look at him. The corners of his mouth turned up the tiniest bit and her stomach flip-flopped. Her nipples pebbled and moisture seeped from between her legs. His smile died, his eyes darkened, their pupils enlarging.

Oh, G.o.d. He could smell her arousal. Her father had mentioned heightened senses. She waited for some kind of crude comment, but it never came.

Reaching around her, he tugged open a door and urged her inside. "Come on. Let me buy you some breakfast."

Alex swallowed hard and stepped over the threshold.

Chapter Four.

Joshua watched the woman sitting at the table across from him, unable to pull his gaze away. Alex was on her second cup of coffee already, having practically inhaled the first one. He rubbed his hand over his mouth, hiding his smile. It faded when she took the first sip of the second cup. Her eyes were closed, her head tipped back, her expression one of pure bliss. She looked like a woman in the throes of s.e.xual release. He swallowed hard and shifted in his seat, trying to adjust himself so that his b.a.l.l.s weren't squashed and his c.o.c.k didn't hurt.

They hadn't spoken, except to place their order, since they'd taken their seat in a quiet back corner of the small, yet surprisingly busy, restaurant. By unspoken agreement, they'd both decided to wait until they had their breakfast in front of them before they started talking. Less chance of interruption that way.

The waitress hurried up to the table and deposited his bacon, eggs, hash browns and toast in front of him. It smelled delicious. He watched Alex all but grab her plate out of the waitress's hands. Once she'd realized she was going to get a chance to actually sit down and eat, she'd opted for blueberry pancakes and bacon instead of a toasted bagel.

He quietly thanked the waitress as he watched Alex pour warm syrup over the hot cakes. Some of it dripped from the spout of the small metal jug, running down her fingers. Switching hands, she kept pouring as she brought her fingers to her mouth, licking the sweet syrup from them.

Joshua groaned and shifted again. She was the picture of sensual enticement as she popped one finger in her mouth and sucked it. Her lips were full and pink and he longed to taste them. They would be sweet from the syrup and warm. She pulled her finger out slowly, making sure she got every last drop.

She glanced over at him when he groaned again, freezing when she saw the look in his eyes. Her eyes were a misty gray, framed by long, dark brown lashes. She raised one of her slightly curved eyebrows in question. He shook his head and she shrugged, plunked the jug back down on the table and picked up her utensils. Without another glance at him, she dug into her meal.

Joshua wasn't sure he'd survive breakfast.

To save his sanity, he concentrated on eating his meal. In spite of what Alex might believe, he hadn't had time to eat this morning either. He'd spent all last night searching every privately owned garage in the city, as he'd done for the past two nights, while laying down false trails for the rogue wolves that were hot on his tail.

It had troubled him to see the area of Chicago in which James LeVeau Riley had raised his daughter, but from what he'd seen of the man and his daughter, James had obviously known what he was doing. Alex was confident and capable, more than able to hold her own with him or any other male.

The bacon was crisp, the toast golden brown and the eggs cooked to perfection. Even the hash browns weren't greasy. No wonder this place was busy. It might not look like much, but the food was exceptional. They shouldn't really have stopped for breakfast, but it was worth the risk to witness Alex's obvious enjoyment as she ate and drank.

He glanced at Alex and wasn't surprised to see her sopping up what was left of the syrup on her plate with the last bite of pancake. When she finished, she placed her utensils carefully across the plate and sat back with a sigh.

"That was excellent." She picked up her mug of coffee and took a sip before placing it back on the table. Clasping her hands over her stomach, she eyed him carefully. "So where exactly is it we're going and what will happen when I get there?"

The question and her posture were both casual, but he could see that her knuckles were white she clenched her hands so firmly. Alex was feeling anything but casual at the moment. Picking up his mug, he took a fortifying mouthful, draining the last drop.

"Wolf Creek is in North Carolina. It's about a ten-hour drive from here if we don't' stop and everything goes our way. He set his mug back on the table. "It's a beautiful area in the mountains. We bought up the land about a century ago and have a compound there where the main family stays. Once we get there you'll be safe and have time to meet with all the eligible males from the pack."

"Main family?"

He noticed she avoided any mention of meeting the males of the pack, but he answered her question. "The alpha, Ian, and his mate, Patrice. My brothers and I stay there as well."

"You said something about being in charge of security or something." He could tell she was sorting through her memory, trying to recall bits and pieces of this morning's earlier conversation.

"Yes. A Striker is always the head of security. Our loyalty to the pack is unquestioned."

"So it's a big deal."

He tried to think of a way to make her understand. "Amongst our people, we are the judge, jury and executioner when there is a dispute. We are like the police, making sure the pack is protected from any outside violence as well as any upheaval from within. Our job is to protect the pack at all costs. To ensure its continued existence."

"That can't be an easy job." Her voice had softened. "Nor is it fair to put so much on one person. You know what they say about absolute power."

"That it corrupts absolutely." He tilted his head slightly, acknowledging her point. "Yet it is necessary. Besides which, my brothers help me. I am merely the head of security, not its only member. And Ian is still the alpha. His word is final."

Alex motioned the waitress over, thanking her profusely when she refilled the coffee mugs. She added sugar and stirred before picking up her mug and taking a taste. She licked her lips to catch a drop that beaded on her bottom lip. Joshua wanted to lick her lower lip, take it into his mouth and suck on it. Instead, he focused on Alex, waiting for her next question.

"Tell me about your family. You have brothers?"

He cleared his throat and kept talking, hoping to hide his growing discomfort. His erection, which had been under control, had swelled again the moment her tongue touched her lips. "My parents are both dead, but I have four brothers, one older, three younger."

"Really." She sat forward, resting her elbows on the table and propping her chin in her hands. "I always wanted a sister or a brother. It's always been just Dad and me."

"It was great to have brothers growing up, although sometimes I wished I'd been an only child." Thoughts of his siblings brought a reluctant smile to his face. "Isaiah is the firstborn, then there's me, Micah, Levi and Simon."

She stared at him, fascination in her gaze.

"I had a sister." It had been years, but he still didn't like to talk about it. "Rachel disappeared when she was a teenager. We never found her body. She would have been about fifty years old now. She was the baby of the family, about thirty years younger than me."

Alex's eyes were as big as full moons, amazement shining out of their depths. She opened her mouth to speak and closed it again. She swallowed hard. "You're saying you're eighty years old?" She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

"Yes."

"That's old. I still can't wrap my head around that one." Alex rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

"You will in time. I would imagine that you'll live almost as long as the rest of us as the wolf is dominant in your genetic makeup."

Alex slumped back against the seat, shaking her head. "Amazing." She swiveled her head around. "I've got to go to the ladies' room. We should probably get going."

The change in subject was abrupt. Joshua sensed her reluctance to dwell too long on her altered circ.u.mstances. He couldn't blame her, especially when they weren't safe here.

Joshua rose from the table, fished into his pocket and left more than enough on the table to pay for their meal and cover a generous tip. The delay was worth it, if only because the coffee and food made Alex happy.

Keeping his hand on the small of her back, he led her down the short hallway to the restrooms. "I'll meet you right here. Don't go anywhere without me."

She saluted smartly. "Yes, sir."

He gave her a playful swat on the behind as she pushed open the door to the ladies' room. She jumped and shot him a glare over her shoulder as she rubbed her bottom.

He smiled even as he shook his head. No one outside his immediate family treated him the way she did. Most others gave him a wide berth, fearful of drawing his attention, but Alex teased and questioned and glared at him at every turn. Pushing his way into the men's room, he decided to hurry. Who knew what kind of mischief she would get up to if he left her on her own.

Alex flushed the toilet and exited the stall, heading straight to one of the two tiny, cracked sinks. In the privacy of the stall, she'd checked on the knives, which were tucked safely in her boots, and had stashed the gun in the deep pocket of the leather jacket for now. It was late September, but it was warming up outside. It was too hot to keep wearing that coat.

Tossing it over the other sink, she stared at the image in the mirror as she soaped and washed her hands. There were no paper towels left in the dispenser, so she dried her hands on the legs of her jeans. For someone whose life had changed so drastically and who had been through so much, she looked surprisingly normal.

Her hair was disheveled, her skin pale, but the face was the same. Not even her eyes looked different, the familiar silvery gray staring steadily back at her. For some reason, she'd thought she'd look different somehow.

Her hands began to tremble. The quivering went up her arms and down through her body. She'd killed a man this morning. Rather, a wolf. But he was still a man, wasn't he? The fact that he'd meant to kill her father and kidnap her didn't make that any easier.

The first sob came from deep within her, taking her off-guard. She'd buried all her emotions up until now, needing just to function, to keep moving forward. But now that she was well fed and relatively safe, those emotions bubbled to the surface, demanding release.

Gripping the edge of the sink, she concentrated on taking one breath at a time. It was no use. She gave into the inevitable and allowed the tears to flow.

A sharp knock came on the door, but she ignored it.

The door pushed open. "Hurry up, Alex. We don't have all day."

His voice made her sob even harder. How dare he tell her to hurry? It had been her suggestion to leave. He'd been sitting there like they had all day. She'd tell him off just as soon as she got a grip on herself.

"f.u.c.k," he muttered as he shoved the door open. She raised her head long enough to glare at him and then buried her face back in her hands. She wasn't normally a crier, but right now she couldn't make herself stop. The snick of a lock being set was loud in the otherwise quiet room and then two strong arms wrapped around her.

"Everything will be all right," he crooned in her ear as he rocked her lightly in his embrace. She felt surrounded by his heat, comforted by his unique scent. It was a fresh outdoorsy smell of pine trees and rich earth, and she pushed her nose closer to his chest, wanting to absorb it into her skin.

"I killed a man. A wolf. A man," she wailed. "Whatever he was, I killed him." She'd done it without thought, without a moment's hesitation when she'd seen him going for her father's throat. It was strange and disconcerting to realize she had a killer instinct inside her.

"You protected yourself and your father. I would expect nothing less from James LeVeau's daughter. It was self-defense, pure and simple."