CHAPTER 2

The bartender clinked a few glasses as he studied her with a cunning wolf-like glare. He was definitely younger than middle age, but the beard made him appear older. His lips were still curled in a grin. Do you want to understand her? Or did he see what a fraud she really was? Wild animal hunting was nothing new, but this kind of hunting...

She removed the cap from her bottle of water and took another look at her watch. Four twenty-five alone.

"Are you waiting for anyone?" Sam enquired while cocking a dark brow.

She gave a headshake. Her obnoxious earrings danced, her cap jiggled, and her spectacles fell.

The door wrenched open as two guys suddenly emerged in front of one of the dark tavern's windows. Her chest twitched.

Sam, hey! One of them said, "Bring us a pitcher of beer.

His amber eyes suggested cheeriness, and good humor echoed in his comments. He was around six feet tall—the same height as her brother—with windswept shoulder-length black hair, a freshly begun beard, and windswept dark hair. The two males, who looked to be twins, were dressed similarly in leather jackets, plaid shirts, jeans, cowboy hats, and boots. There was no surprise there because lupus garous frequently had multiple births. They entered the building with an air of ownership and appeared to be in their mid- to late-20s.

I said, "Jake, Tom." Sam gave her a quick glance to let them know that a stranger was there.

She tensed up and held her glass more firmly.

Tom fixed her in the eye, lifted his brows, tilted back his Stetson, and grinned. He had the lighter, longer hair of the two, and it curled about his broad shoulders.

She felt self-conscious, her body heating, and alarms going off. Keep your distance!

Tom inhaled deeply, as if he were infatuated. "Sam, the place looks much better now. I've done some lovely decorations.

The man with the beard arched his dark brows. "Didn't you tell her it's a private club and that table is reserved no matter what?"

"Today, we're breaking the law. One who arrives first is served. Sam gave Ravena a wink and a smile.

Damn. Was this Lucian's usual seat? She assumed he would take a seat in the middle so that everyone could view their leader. That is how Bruin operated back home.

What's next? Move? To what? She was afraid she would attract too much attention if she went to the table across from Lucian's. Not that she anticipated being injured while she was here, but she had imagined being able to maintain a low profile. The tables that were positioned on the other side of the bar were close to the bathrooms.

Anywhere else was either too close to the entrance or in the center of the floor, and she insisted on facing the wall. She wouldn't go until she had the opportunity to see the pack leader and as many of his members as she could, any of them could have killed Freya.

Tom seized a glass and the beer pitcher. "Jake, get moving. Change is beneficial to the soul. He crept up to the table next to her and took a seat so that he could view both the front entrance and, more importantly, her.

She pondered why she had believed she could approach the wolves' den without raising suspicion while submerged in a goldfish bowl.

To get a better look at the door, Jake sat with his back to the wall. He would have to turn his head and be rather conspicuous if he wanted to examine her. He did. His features bore a menacing and brooding look. The smile that had been on his face when he entered the room had vanished.

Three additional men burst into the tavern laughing and shouting. They gave Jake and Tom a quick look before turning their focus to Ravena. What did that mean? That Lucian usually sat with Jake and Tom at the table where she was presently seated?

Terrific!

The oldest bearded man in the group nodded and said, "Howdy, boys." The other two were almost as elderly, with brown beards that were graying, and they both had their eyes fixed on her. Bring us the standard fare, Sam. She was in front of Jake as he turned to face Jake. "He knows about this?"

Mason, I'm still issuing orders at the plant," Tom responded.

"Fourth of July's coming for a second time this year," the bearded guy said.

Ravena grabbed her bag and decided it would be wiser to sit close to the facilities in order to reduce the likelihood of setting off pyrotechnics.

Once more, the door slammed open. The chitchat stopped.

She immediately recognized him as soon as she saw him, and not just because the room became silent and everyone in it was watching Lucian Silver's response. His collar's upper border was framed by a curl of sable hair. Dark eyes, stern lips, and attractively rough, but unmistakably hard, features distinguished him. Everything he was wearing, including his boots, pants, and western shirt, was as dark as his gloomy disposition. He was the head of the local gray lupus garou, and because of how much he resembled Tom and Jake, she assumed that they were triplets. It had to be, given how everyone was waiting for the fireworks while watching him.

She had never seen him before in her life, yet something about him caused her blood to race. Not his face, clothing, or physique, but the way he moved—commanding, strong, and with an easy grace—triggered some deep memories.

He said hello and cast a sidelong glance at the bartender. Was he moody, mute, or still grieving for his mate? He would be furious if he learned Ravena was here for this reason.

She felt a chill run down her spine. For the time being, she let go of her purse and remained seated. She assumed that the strange behavior of everyone was the cause of his fast inspection of the existing seating arrangement. She was startled when his gaze first landed on her.