"Why?" He gave her body an admiring glance. "You don't need to lose weight."

"Actually, if Samantha wishes to compete against other account executives in the business world, she could stand to lose a few pounds. Salads are best for that. I tell her that as a friend, of course. I only want her to succeed at the firm," James put in.

Sam studied the table, but her flush deepened. Incredulous, Darius looked at James, barely resisting the urge to smash the smile off his thin face.

The waitress returned with water for Darius and glasses of iced tea for James and Sam. Sam ordered a salad. James ordered a sandwich with sprouts and vegetables.

What a wuss.

Darius flicked his gaze to the Other. "No meat?" Like crickets or live mice? Snake shifters enjoy those. You look like a snake.

James smiled. "I'm a vegan."

"I like vegan food, too," Sam told him.

Darius turned to the waitress. "You have only goat cheese?" He arched a brow, pointing to the menu. "Happen to still have the goat hanging around? I don't mind goat."

The server wrinkled her nose. "We have a delicious free-range chicken sandwich with goat cheese."

"Since I've been in Oregon, I've eaten enough poultry to grow feathers. I'll take the roast beef sandwich. Put it on sourdough bread and leave everything else off."

As the waitress walked off, James folded and unfolded his napkin. "How do you like our fair city, Darius?"

"I've always enjoyed visiting Portland. The women here are quite lovely. One in particular."

Sam shot him a scathing look, but he only smiled.

"Oh? You've met someone?" James asked.

"I plan to take her back with me when I return to Montana."

Fire crackled in Sam's violet eyes. Good luck with that, her look clearly stated.

"Back to the ranch? The city has culture, theater, music and everything one could wish for. You should stay a while and take in everything Portland has to offer," James told him.

"He's right, Darius. There's a lot in the city to do. I adore living the urban life." Samantha smiled at her co-worker.

The edges of Darius' composure cracked. Every cell in his body screamed to distrust this blond man held in such high regard by Samantha.

"I don't think so. I visit Portland enough on business. I need to return home, and bring this woman with me. She'll find plenty to keep her happy. Our ranch has wide, open spaces and freedom, and if she desires theater or music, the city does offer a wide selection of both-and it's close by." He glanced at Sam. "The Mitchell Ranch is a perfect place to raise a family."

She looked away, but he saw the flush of passion creeping up her neck. James studied her, a vein jumping in his throat. He turned back to Darius.

The Other's eyes shifted, turning from pale blue to bright green to scarlet. He blinked, and then they were normal again.

"Have a little problem with your contacts?" Darius asked. "For a moment, your eyes looked red."

James looked bewildered. "Dust, perhaps. We were discussing life on your ranch. Tell me about Montana."

"My state is peaceful, lots of range with wild, open spaces. Billings is the closest city and offers all the advantages you can find here in Portland."

"Ah, it sounds wonderful." James turned to Samantha. "I should pay Montana a visit some time. But I must admit a preference for Oregon's coast. What about you, Samantha?"

"I like living in Oregon, and the city. There's so much to do after a hard day at the office." She beamed at James.

Darius watched the man carefully and inhaled the same odd scent. What the hell was he? He knew James was Other, but could not pinpoint his origins.

He decided to remove the gloves and go in full speed ahead. He pinned James with a severe look. "What the hell are you?"

Sam choked on a sip of tea.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You're playacting at a role. Why? What species are you? And why are you such good friends with Sam? What do you want from her?"

"Darius," she hissed. "Stop it."

Darius leaned back, disturbed she had no clue about her friend's real origins.

James laughed. "Truly, Darius, you have nothing to fear from me. I am gay." He smiled at Sam, reached for her hand and squeezed it. "It's why Samantha and I get along so well. She considers me to be like a girlfriend, only with better fashion sense."

He winked at her. Darius was not appeased. The male hid something, but what?

Temper rising, he gave James a long, steady look. "I don't care about sexual preferences. I have gay friends and I know exactly what they are."

Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward, locking his gaze to James. "One is a wolf shifter and another is a cougar. They don't hide behind a human facade like you. I don't give a damn what you wear, only why you've chosen to wear Skin. I don't trust Others who lie and pretend to be something they are not."

The male's eyes flashed red again, but he gave an amicable smile. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Giving a bright smile, Sam gestured to Darius. "Can I talk to you a moment? In private?"

He joined her just outside the restaurant, every cell in his body screaming caution, screaming for him to spirit Sam away from here and this Other who hid behind his Italian silk suit.

"Are you insane? Talking to him as if he knew about Others?"

"He knows about them," Darius said grimly.

"Why are you acting so rude to James? He's my friend!"

"He's not what he seems, Sam."

"Stop being so overprotective. I can look after myself. You're not my mate."

I will be your mate, sweetheart. Darius forced himself to calm. "Sam, James isn't a human. Can't you scent anything different about him?"

For a moment she frowned, seeming to consider. "He wears Armani. Like the other guys in the office. I can't smell anything past that."

He roped his frustration. "You've lost your Lupine sense of smell. The guy is Other. I can detect his scent beneath the cologne."

Samantha blinked. "Please, Darius. Don't blow this opportunity for me. It's hard enough, trying to be as professional as possible working with you, considering our past. Do you want to screw this up for me by thinking every single male I work with is a paranormal?"

He gave her a level look. "I don't want to screw up anything for you, Sam. I wanted you to have this chance to prove yourself in business. But I call 'em as I smell 'em and this James, he smells Other."

Her mouth wobbled. Doubts flashed in her eyes and then she peered into the window at James sitting alone at the table, drinking his iced tea.

Sprouts. Hellfire. Who ate sprouts?

Sam bit her lip, suddenly looking vulnerable. Damn, he hated when she looked like that. Hell, she'd always been his weak spot and he'd do anything to make her smile again.

"Darius, please be nice to James. You've always been charming and friendly to everyone else. Please, for my sake?"

Charming and friendly. Not when I sense the man is a shifter and could hurt you, Sam. Are you that oblivious and desensitized to your Lupine powers that you can't sense anything about him, even after the time you've spent with him?

Darius fisted his hands. "Fine."

They returned to the table. For her sake, he'd keep the peace.

But only until he sensed a threat, and then he'd tear James apart. No peace. Just little, tiny pieces of the man or whatever the hell James was.

Sam and James began discussing food. Oh gods, sprouts. He wanted to gag.

When they'd finished debating the merits of fresh greens, Sam gave a bright smile. "Excuse me. I'm going to check out the cupcake bar. The carrot cake is calling me."

When she left, Darius leaned across the table, catching the discernible scent of Other. Screw it. He wasn't letting this drop. "What are you?"

The man's gaze narrowed. "I beg your pardon?"

"You'll be begging, all right, if you don't tell me. You have ten seconds to level with me before my claws come out. I bet a year's worth of your salary that you're Other and your comfort level isn't with software, but worm-infested logs."

James' face reddened. Satisfaction filled Darius. Gotcha. He'd narrowed down the choices.

"Or am I wrong?" he asked in a soft voice filled with menace.

The man's pale blue eyes flashed red again before returning to normal. James shrugged. "Gloves off, wolf? I know what you are. You're Lupine. And I suspect you're here not because of business, but because of Samantha."

"Samantha is my business. Stay away from her. No one's hurting my Sam."

"Your Sam?"

"She's my mate."

James raised his brows, showing no other sign of surprise. "Odd. She doesn't act like it."

"She is my mate." Darius wanted to use his claws to swipe the smile off the bastard's face. "And no one gets between myself and my mate."

"You have nothing to fear from me." The man/Other sighed, as if he truly meant it. "I'm gay and Samantha is my friend. You have no idea what my life is like."

Darius' temper fractured. "No, I don't, but I know what I smell and what I smell is something paranormal."

James fingered his tie. "Really, Darius, I wish I could convince you I'm harmless. My wish is for you to hire us because we're the best at providing solar power and we can aid your ranch tremendously. If there is something I can say to convince you of this, please let me know."

"You can start with the truth. Why are you interested in Sam?"

"The truth? About me? I told you what I am. I'm friends with Samantha. Nothing more."

Enough of this game. Darius growled deep in his throat. "You have no idea of my powers, you red-eyed son of a bitch. You lay a finger or a claw or a fucking scale on her and you'll answer to me. Sam's suffered enough. I'll do whatever it takes to protect her. Understand? Whatever it takes."

"Truly?" James looked amused. "Don't go all alpha male on me. It's unnecessary."

"Not where Sam is concerned. And I am an alpha. A naturally born one." His little secret out, Darius gave a thin smile as his claws emerged. Red tinted the very edges, a known trait only among alpha males. He shoved his claws into the table. When he withdrew his hands, ten deep gouges dented the table's surface. Summoning his powers, he let them surge. Let the bastard see the amber in his eyes.

"I have a lot more tricks to show you. Such as ripping out your throat before you can open your mouth. You won't even see me coming at you."

James leaned back, looking uneasy for the first time. Ah, so the mask drops slightly.

"I thought you were a business manager. Now you claim to be an alpha. You mean you aren't in charge at the ranch?"

Darius laughed and retracted his claws. "I'm in charge when it comes to all the business matters, but Aiden Mitchell runs the ranch. I chose to work under Aiden Mitchell. He's my friend and the best damn alpha a pack could want. Let's say we have a partnership."

"Then perhaps," James said, "it is best we call it a truce for now. I told you, I am not a threat to you, or Samantha."

Still wary, Darius glared at him. "Then who are you and what do you want?"

"Someone who wants what she wants. To make the environment cleaner, and clean up the mess people have made of this planet. We must work with many others to achieve our goals of creating a less-polluted environment."

Mentally Darius zipped through his internal file folder of OtherWorlders who had the power to hold to a Skin form for months at a time. Ogres, no. The bastard was too slick and smart. Snake shifters were too interested in their own welfare to care much about the planet. Besides, if a snake shifter saw a Skin polluting the planet, he'd merely eat him. Problem solved.

No, the only species of OtherWorlder with power and interest enough in clean energy were Glythen, woodfolk like the Fae who made the forest their home, and needed wild spaces to survive. They needed clean air and water, which was why so few lived in smog-laden cities like Los Angeles.

"Of course. I wish for the same. Even if I'm not a fairy like you." Darius gave a charming smile. "I'm not talking about a derogatory term for gay people, but the type of Fairies that fly and sprinkle glitter."

James narrowed his eyes to slits. Bingo.

Sam returned to the table. Her worried gaze flipped from James to him. "Are you two discussing business?"

"Business of sorts," Darius replied, his eyes focused on the silently fuming James. "I was telling James how I deal with competitors."

Sam sipped her water. "How?"

"I tear them up."

James glanced at the counter. "Our food is almost ready. Before the server brings it, I have a confession to make, Samantha."

He looked down at his plate, his lips drawn tight. "Darius has called me out of the proverbial Other closet. He's right. I am a Fairy."

"James, don't degrade yourself like that."

The Other shook his head. "Fae, Samantha. I am Other, as Darius is Lupine." He took a deep breath. "As are you. I am truly sorry. I wanted to pretend I was human, Skin, and when I met you, I could tell you were a shifter. I've been so lonely in the city, all by myself, and I couldn't help but befriend you because you're Other as well."