“Are you okay?” Rance asked, holding on for a heartbeat too long before releasing her.

She decided to be honest. “Not really. I’m confused and a bit unsettled.”

“I’m sorry.”

“If you really were sorry, you’d leave town.”

“Ah, you know I can’t do that.”

Somehow Jade had suspected he’d say that. “Can’t? Or won’t?”

“Good point.” As they climbed over another rocky patch, he once again took her arm. And once again, she had to pretend her skin didn’t tingle from the contact. Funny thing that. She hadn’t realized she could be capable of such tangled emotions. She both wanted the man gone and to wrap herself around him and never let him go.

Tempting The Dragon
Karen Whiddon

www.millsandboon.co.uk

KAREN WHIDDON started weaving fanciful tales for her younger brothers at eleven. Amid the Catskill Mountains, then the Rocky Mountains, she fueled her imagination with the natural beauty surrounding her. Karen lives in north Texas and shares her life with her hero of a husband and three doting dogs. You can email Karen at KWhiddon1@aol.com or write to her at P.O. Box 820807, Fort Worth, TX 76182, USA. Fans can also check out her website, www.karenwhiddon.com.

To my father, Charles J. Corcoran. He fell ill right before I started this book and sadly passed away when I was about a hundred pages into writing it.

I will always miss him. Love you, Dad. Always.

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

“A lake monster?” The elderly man peered at Rance Sleighter as if he’d shown up drunk at church on Easter Sunday. Never mind that they were standing in front of Rex’s Hardware store on Main Street in the small town of Forestwood, New York. Upstate New York, which Rance understood as anywhere north of New York City.

“Yes, a lake monster,” Rance repeated patiently, mentally wishing, as he still did several times a day, for a beer. The craving never went away, but at least now he knew he was strong enough to resist it. He hadn’t been once, right after his wife, Violet, had died. His drinking had cost him too much for him to ever go back.

Meanwhile, he had to think of Eve. As usual, the thought of his tiny stepdaughter made his gut clench. He’d loved her since the moment he’d met her, when he and her mother had started dating. Luckily for all of them, Eve’s human father, Jim, and her mother had remained on civil, almost friendly terms. Rance and Violet had even invited Jim to their wedding.

Now Violet was dead and Eve lay seriously ill in a hospital bed in Houston, silent except for the steady beeping of the machines. Though Jim had taken custody, he’d allowed Rance full visitation. The two men had remained friends, sharing Eve’s love.

She couldn’t die. She wouldn’t die. He wouldn’t let her. The thought strengthened his resolve. Eve was why he’d come here. No matter what, he refused to let her down. He’d do anything for his little girl. Even find a lake monster.

“The story has traveled all over the country. It’s the reason I’m here. You can’t tell me you haven’t heard about it.”

The old man puffed up at that. “Harrumph. I might have heard nonsense, but you won’t catch me discussing it. You want to talk lake monsters, go talk to the witch’s family.”

“The what?”

“You heard me.” Pointing a shaky finger north, the codger grimaced. “Burnett family. Daughter is a witch. I’m sure they’ll be delighted to discuss lake monsters with you.”

And then, while Rance struggled to formulate a reply, the old-timer stomped off, heading across the street toward a restaurant titled Mother Earth’s Café.

As small towns went, Forestwood had a picturesque, holiday-postcard-type of appeal. The brilliant reds and orange of the fall leaves helped. In Houston, where Rance was from, they didn’t have much of an autumn. When the trees did shed their leaves, they just sort of turned yellow and fell off.

He took another glance around him, charmed despite himself. It almost felt as if he’d stepped back in time. Fully restored old buildings lined Main Street, and all of the houses surrounding downtown were large and beautiful and...old. Painted and pretty, but from another era.

Not his thing. Rance grimaced. Give him a sleek modern condo downtown in any large city any day. Much less upkeep, especially for a guy who lived the way he did—constantly on the move in search of the next story. If he were to be perfectly honest, which he usually was, a guy who stayed on the run from his internal demons.

Dramatic, too, he supposed. Guess that was what investigative journalism and losing his family had done to him. Lifting his camera, he snapped a few shots of the street with the beautiful trees in the background. Nice to get a sense of place to go with the story.

His stomach growled, reminding him it had been a while since he’d eaten. What the hell, Mother Earth’s Café sounded as good as anything else. He could go for a juicy hamburger right now.

As soon as he stepped inside, Rance took note of how many diners were crowded into the small room. That might have been due to the restaurant’s relatively tiny size or the fact that he hadn’t noticed any other eating establishments in the immediate vicinity. Whatever the reason, the scent of good food—beef and fried chicken among other things—made his mouth water.

Taking a stool at the lunch counter, he checked out the place’s leftover-from-the-seventies vibe. Perfect. Surely someone in here would have no problem telling him about the region’s very own mythical beast. A local Loch Ness monster would be a great way to attract tourists to this out of the way town. He’d think someone would have gone out of their way to promote it already.

The waitress came over, smiling. “What can I get you today?” she asked, batting her false eyelashes so much he wondered if Forestwood also had a shortage of single men.

He smiled politely back, placing his order for a burger and fries, along with iced tea. If his lack of flirting disappointed her, she didn’t show it. Instead, she jotted down his order, nodded and disappeared. Listening to the hum of chatter and clink of utensils, he decided to wait to ask anyone anything until after he’d eaten.

His food arrived a few minutes later and he dug in. The aroma of the place hadn’t lied. The juicy burger tasted great—one of the best he’d had in years. The fries were perfect, too—crisp and flavored with a hint of seasoning spice. And the tea—sweet tea, without him asking—tasted like it had been made in Atlanta rather than up north.

A meal like this deserved him taking his time. He tried, but hunger had him scarfing it down. He considered it a tribute to the cook that he completely cleaned his plate.

As soon as he’d finished, the waitress reappeared, asking him if he’d saved room for dessert.

“I don’t think so,” he told her, genuinely regretful. “Maybe next time. Listen, I’m wondering if you can tell me how to find the lake monster.”

Just like that, the smile vanished from her pretty face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, no longer batting any eyelashes. She thrust a paper at him. “Here’s your check. Pay the cashier on the way out.” And she took off without a backward glance, her shoes making slapping sounds on the linoleum floor.

Stunned, he stared after her. Wow. Two for two. People in this place were awfully defensive about a thing that was supposedly nonexistent.

What about asking the witch’s family? Seriously? This had him shaking his head. They’d admit to the existence of a witch, but not admit the possibility of a giant lizard living in their lake? Made no sense. A witch. Whatever. The man earlier had called them the Burnetts. Maybe he’d have better luck asking around how to find them. He guessed it couldn’t hurt.

After leaving a five for the waitress, he headed toward the cashier. Evidently, word of his questioning had preceded him since the pink-haired woman eyed him warily.

“I’m wondering if you could help me,” he began. She started shaking her head before he even had a chance to finish.

“I don’t know anything,” she answered, taking his ticket and his twenty and giving him back change. Her long fingernails were painted black with white tips.

He couldn’t help but find the way everyone wanted to stonewall him amusing. Did they not realize doing so piqued his interest more than if they’d simply laughed off his questions?

“I haven’t even asked you yet. You have no idea what I’m wanting to know.”

She shrugged, looking anywhere but at him. “Thanks for visiting,” she chirped. “Come again.”

“Where can I find the Burnetts?”

This got her attention. “The Burnetts? Which one?”

“Any one,” he responded.

Clearly unsure of how to react, she met his gaze and swallowed hard. “Are you in town at their invitation?” The way she said it let him know it mattered if he was. Sort of like being invited by royalty.

He wished he could lie, but he refused to start out on that kind of footing, so he shook his head. “No. But I need to ask someone about your local lake monster. You know, the one no one will admit is here. Someone else told me the Burnetts might at least be willing to talk to me.”

Her loud sigh let him know she’d rather be rolling her eyes. “Urban legend, sir. Nothing more. However, if you still want to find the Burnetts, three of them are having lunch at the booth near the back door. Their usual place.”

That was all he needed to hear. “Thank you,” he murmured, already turning and heading toward the back. He spotted them, three women, apparently all older. The two who faced him looked up as he approached their booth. The one sitting with her back to him, long silver hair streaming in luxurious waves over her slender shoulders, did not.

“Excuse me, ladies. My name is Rance Sleighter,” he began. Then the third woman glanced up, and he completely lost his train of thought. Desire slammed into him with all the force of a tornado. Whatever he’d expected, it hadn’t been this.

She was stunning, simply gorgeous. And younger than her hair color would make one think. Her brilliant emerald eyes, slightly upturned to give her an exotic look, were fringed with long lashes. Not false. Silver, like her hair. He took a moment to register the unusual color, still dumbfounded. Unable to help himself, he let his gaze travel over her, aching to touch her creamy skin with his mouth, to trace over the curve of her luscious lips, before claiming her with a kiss. A necklace with an unusual purple stone nestled in the hollow between her perfect breasts.

Women didn’t affect him so suddenly or powerfully. Not ever. Still marveling at the heat of his desire, he had to admit she might be the most exotically beautiful woman he’d ever met. The metallic glimmer of her hair added rather than detracted from her appeal.

His. Something clenched in his gut. His.

Even as the knowledge settled deep inside him, their gazes locked. Jumping slightly, she actually gasped. “You,” she said faintly.

He couldn’t respond. Or move. All he could do was stare and battle the urge to haul her up against him and claim her as his.

Something of his thoughts must have shown on his face. The two older ladies tittered. “Don’t worry, sonny,” one said. “Most men have that reaction when they meet Jade.”

Jade. The exotic name suited her. Pushing down his strong and almost violent arousal, he collected himself and managed to nod in what he hoped might be a passable semblance of a greeting. “Nice to meet you.”

“And I’m Amber,” the middle-aged one continued. She had fiery red hair and similar colored eyes. “Jade’s mother. And her—” she pointed “—she’s Opal. My mother. Three generations of Burnetts right here at one table.”

He nodded at Opal, the oldest woman. Her red hair had faded to gray and red tinted the short, spiky tips. Yet the eyes were the same vibrant green.

“What can we help you with?” Jade asked, her mouth curving in a sensual smile so delectable he knew he had to taste it as soon as possible.

“I...” Once again he found himself at a loss for words. This irritated the hell out of him. He earned his living with words and he’d traveled the world covering stories, for Pete’s sake. In the course of his work, he’d certainly met tons of beautiful women, all sexy, and photographed most of them, too.

Yet none had knocked him off his game. He shifted his stance, hoping his arousal wasn’t apparent to them.

“Yes, the Burnetts. I was told to talk to y’all,” he began, his voice coming out a bit more raspy than normal. “I was hoping you could answer some questions for me.”

The three women shared looks and smiles, as if his simple words reminded them of some private joke. “Oooh. I adore a man with a Southern accent. We can definitely try, honey,” the oldest of them replied. “What do you need to know?”

Judging by the way everyone else he’d talked to had reacted, he figured they’d shut him down really quickly. He braced himself and went ahead with the rest of his request. “I’m trying to find out information about the Loch Ness–type monster reported to be living in your lake.”

Again that shared secret glance among them. “Have people been talking about her?” the middle-aged woman asked.

Her. He made a mental note to file that information away for later. Even though Jade sat silently, every fiber of his being vibrated with awareness of her.

“No,” he admitted. “And that’s the problem. Every time I mention her, people shut down. They act like I’m crazy or overly familiar.”

At this, Jade looked down. Her mother and grandmother continued to smile benignly.

“Why exactly do you want to know?” Opal asked. “And think carefully before you answer. This is important.”

“All I can do is give you the truth. I’m a fairly well-known photojournalist. I even have a couple of books under my belt.” Despite having appeared on various national news programs as well as several late-night shows, rarely did anyone recognize him. He preferred it that way. “Currently I’ve been traveling the world checking out stories of beasts like yours.”

“And have you found any you could report on?”

“Not yet.”

“I can’t quite place that accent,” Jade put in, her green gaze meeting his and sending another jolt straight to his groin. “Like my grandmother said, I can tell it’s Southern. Where exactly are you from?”

“Texas.” Which might be a short answer, but actually said everything there was to say. He’d learned people up north had some strange ideas about his home state. So far, he’d done as little as possible to disabuse them.

“Really?” Interest showed in Jade’s expression. “I spent a couple of summers there when I was younger. What part are you from?”

“Houston.”

“Oh. I spent more time in Dallas.” The soft lilt in her voice had him leaning in to hear her speak.

Just then the waitress arrived with the women’s lunches. This one stood short and was built like a truck—all muscle with a no-nonsense air about her. “Excuse me,” she said, bumping his shoulder with the edge of her tray. “I need to serve these ladies their food while it’s still piping hot.”

Of course he stepped aside. Five more seconds. If he could have had five more seconds, he would have found out if Jade was actually willing to talk to him about the lake creature.

Once their meals had been served, the waitress gave him a quizzical look and strode off.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped back from the table. While the polite thing to do would be to excuse himself and let them eat their meal in peace, no one had answered anything.

“Really, I don’t think you want to be interrupting our lunch,” Opal said, her mild tone nevertheless containing a hint of reproach.

“I agree,” Amber chimed in with an arch look and a frown.

“I’m sorry,” he began, focusing his attention on the woman he most wanted to speak with. Jade.

Face once again downcast as she cut up the chicken on her salad, Jade didn’t acknowledge his presence. The rigid set of her delicate shoulders spoke volumes of her disapproval.

He didn’t exactly blame her. Still, time was short and courtesy warred with necessity. “Darlin’, I just need a few seconds,” he began. “One quick question. Maybe two.”

“Please go.” Jade’s request, though delivered in a voice as smooth as silk, made the other two women freeze. “You may come by the house later if you’d like, but right now, we’re going to have our lunch. And you’re going to leave. Now.”

“I’m...” To his complete shock, he felt his body begin to back away without him moving it. His legs and feet were not under his control. Like a puppet maneuvered by invisible strings, he traveled toward the doorway, his hand even coming up to grasp the handle to open the door before continuing outside. It was the damnedest thing.

Witch. Now the elderly man’s words made sense. Sort of. He wasn’t entirely sure he believed in witches. At least, he hadn’t until this.

Finally, once he’d traveled half a block down the sidewalk, the compulsion released him and he nearly fell. Heart pounding, he stood stock-still, examining his hands and stomping his feet, just to be certain he could.

“A witch, huh?” Mystified and more than a little intrigued, he knew he’d definitely stop by their house later. As soon as he found out where exactly it might be. This witch angle might make an even better story than a fictional lake monster.

* * *

With her heart still beating way too fast, Jade Burnett took a deep breath. She reached up and took her Guardian necklace in between her fingers, a gesture that never failed to bring her comfort. “It was him,” she said, full of both giddy anticipation and, oddly enough, a nameless sadness. “The photographer who interrupted our lunch. I don’t know how, but I knew I’d meet that man someday. I kept seeing him in my dreams.” She blushed, aware she couldn’t tell them the sexual nature of those dreams. “I’d know him anywhere.”

Both of the older women simultaneously raised their elegant brows.

“He was a handsome devil,” Opal mused. “Those eyes—gray? Silver? They were unusual. He seemed a bit cocky and maybe even overconfident, though I like them that way myself.”

Jade could feel her face heat. “Me, too,” she admitted. The curse of her family’s uncommon beauty meant she’d need a man who could be strong enough to resist her. Plus with all the silly (and hurtful) rumors about her in town, any man who’d be willing to date her would have to have enough self-assurance to ignore them.

Her mother and her grandmother exchanged amused glances.

“You want him, don’t you, dear?” Opal asked.

Jade nodded. “Inexplicably, I do. I have, ever since I saw him in my dreams.”

“Then why’d you send him away?” Amber complained. “You know I want grandchildren. So far, you’ve done nothing to make me think I’ll ever have them.”

Though this was an old argument, Jade’s blush deepened. Children. She wanted kids of her own someday, too. Ruthless, she quashed down the quick flare of hope at the thought. “Please,” she murmured. “I just met him. Let’s enjoy our lunch. I’m sure he’ll show up at the house soon enough.”

Her mother nodded. “I hope you’ve been practicing your flirting skills because you’ll need to do something to keep him distracted.” It went without saying that Jade must protect Libby, the shape-shifting beast who lived in Forestwood Lake, from the prying eyes of outsiders. Especially a photojournalist.

Flirting skills. Right. Miraculously, Jade managed not to snort out loud. Instead, she dug in to her salad.

Finally, silence reigned while everyone focused on eating.

The house. Her home... Jade tried to picture the handsome man who’d visited her numerous times in her dreams actually being there physically. The thought made her shiver. She wondered if the house would accept him, then shook off the thought. Sometimes she thought of her family’s ancestral home as a living entity rather than just a building.

Stranger things had certainly happened. Hers was a family of shape-shifting werewolves who were Guardians to a mystical lake creature named Libby. Jade was the current Guardian, and ever since she’d been chosen, she occasionally happened to have the odd magical power. Her family turned a blind eye to these, preferring to pretend they didn’t exist, unlike the townspeople, who loved to watch and gossip.

Almost all of the town knew about Libby. Forestwood was made up of both Pack—shape-shifters who became wolves when they changed—and humans. The shape-shifters, like the rest of the Burnetts, preferred to ignore the magic. The humans, who had no idea that such a thing as shape-shifters even existed, accepted the fact of Burnett magic and considered Jade a witch. They appeared to be well aware that only Libby’s current Guardian had small magical powers.

They apparently were surprisingly okay with that. Sure, there was a lot of gossip and rumors. Women hated her due to her beauty, while men desired her. And made up odd, hurtful stories about her imagined sexual prowess.

None of it mattered, or so Jade told herself when a particular rumor caused her pain. The only matter of any importance was the way the entire town of Forestwood had silently pledged over the years to keep their lake creature a secret from outsiders. Jade more than anyone else appreciated that, since as Libby’s caretaker it made her job easier.

Except someone had apparently broken their pledge. Otherwise, how would the photojournalist have heard about her?

After lunch, everyone piled into Jade’s bright green SUV and they headed home. The sunlight shone through the vibrant green trees, dappling the ground with yellow. As she drove the winding roads heading home, Jade found herself holding her breath the same way she always did as she waited for the first sight of her family home.

Burnett House sat perched up on a hill, high enough to appear sitting sentinel over the entire town. Ancient trees cradled the Victorian-style structure and the corner lot had been fenced long ago with wrought iron. The original house had been built in 1803 by one of her ancestors, Floyd Burnett, who’d made it big in the steel industry. The Burnett family had lovingly occupied and taken care of the place, keeping it freshly painted and updated with the latest plumbing and wiring, not to mention granite countertops and modern appliances. The house had been featured in several magazines over the years.

Despite having lived there her entire life, the sight of the huge two-story home never failed to take Jade’s breath away.

“Almost there,” Amber chirped. Aware of Jade’s admiration of their home, the entire family always watched for her reaction. They found it fascinating, Opal had once told her. The rarity of a Burnett with such strong ties to the house could only be a good thing, especially since ancient lore believed the Guardian’s powers came from there.

Jade wasn’t so sure about that. She tended to believe power came from within. Also, she felt it had something to do with Libby, her charge. Otherwise, why would only the current Guardian be gifted?

One more curve, and there it was. Bathed in yellow warmth from the sun, at this time of day the house appeared to actually glow. Smiling dreamily, Jade sighed with pleasure as she pulled into the driveway. It was a good thing she loved this place so much. Because she, like all the women who’d been given the title of Libby’s caretaker, had been cursed to die if they ever tried to leave. Only the Guardians had to remain—the other women were free to come and go as they pleased.

Or so legend had it. There had been numerous stories over the years. Jade wasn’t entirely certain she believed them. Mostly, she tried not to think about it. While she didn’t like the idea of being trapped, she couldn’t imagine herself making a life anywhere else but Forestwood.

“Here we are,” Jade said as she parked, ignoring her family’s delighted expression as they watched her. Her heart skipped a beat as she wondered when she’d see the handsome stranger from the café. Unable to help herself, she furtively looked around for another car. Seeing none, she relaxed a little, though she still felt on edge.

She couldn’t shake the sense that things were about to change. Her life, most specifically. She could only hope this would be a good thing.

Chapter 2

Once inside the large house, her mother and her grandmother scattered. One of the other reasons Jade loved her home so much was its size. Not only the various hallways and rooms, but the hidden compartments and tunnels had always ensured the one seeking solitude had a place to hide.

Jade had taken advantage of that when she’d been younger. These days, her younger twin sisters, Pearl and Sapphire, were the ones who often hid from the constant noisiness of the family.

Currently, there was only one man in residence—Sam Burnett, Opal’s husband and Jade’s grandfather. These days, due to his worsening dementia, he mostly stayed in his room with the aide the family had hired to look after him. On his more lucid days, Sam would announce to anyone who would listen that he considered himself lucky. He’d always claimed Opal’s first name, which followed the Burnett tradition of naming their women after gemstones, had been a sign that she was his mate.

He was lucky to find her, the rest of the family had always thought. Lucky to have been one of the few men who’d managed to live in the house. Probably because he’d been born a Burnett. Men who’d married into the Burnett family frequently died an early death or the marriage ended in divorce. Most couldn’t deal with the Burnett women’s amazing beauty. More than one bitter divorce had resulted from a Burnett female attracting far more attention than her husband could handle.

And then there were those, like Jade’s father, who hadn’t even attempted to marry a Burnett.

Her aunt Emerald, never named Guardian, had married and moved out, though she and her husband, Jack, and their daughter still lived in Forestwood. Jade saw her cousin Di often enough, though Di’s brother, Jack Jr., had moved to California as soon as he graduated high school. He’d never returned, not even at Christmas or Thanksgiving.

The only ones who couldn’t leave the house were the Guardians. Or so Jade had been told. Like her mother before her, as long as Jade took care of Libby, if she were to marry, her husband would have to agree to reside here. Jade didn’t know too many men—okay, none, other than her grandfather, who was related—who would agree to live in a rambling old house with a bunch of women.

Travel could be prohibitive for those chosen. Even before she’d officially assumed the title of Guardian, but after Libby had named her Amber’s successor, Jade had only gone away once, back in high school during spring break with her friends. In two days she’d become violently ill, and not from alcohol consumption. Her mother had been dispatched to collect her. Once Jade had arrived back home, she instantly felt better. After that, Jade simply stayed put.

These days it was Pearl and Sapphire who were chafing to go on a grand adventure of their own. They were only seventeen, the same age as Jade when she took her ill-advised spring break trip. Since Libby hadn’t mentioned wanting Jade to pass on the mantle to either of them yet, Jade figured they were safe. At least for now, until Libby decided she needed a new Guardian.

The only thing missing, as far as Jade was concerned, was a dog. Her grandmother claimed to be allergic to all pets, so they’d never had any. The longing for a dog was one of the reasons Jade had opened her business, a doggy day care called Dogs Off Leash. DOL, for short.

Jade headed for the kitchen, which was one of her favorite rooms in the house. Her aunt was visiting and, as she often did because she claimed to enjoy the feel of dough under her hands, she was baking bread. The heavenly smell made Jade’s mouth water. Emerald was one of the few talented cooks in the family. When her husband and kids got on her nerves, she frequently showed up and worked out her frustration by baking. Jade loved to be around when Auntie Em visited.

“Hello, dear.” Her aunt held out her arms, wrapping Jade in a mist of perfume and flour. “Did you ladies have a nice lunch?”

“We did.” Jade smiled. “Do you need any help?” she asked. Auntie Em never did, but simply asking was enough to earn a bit of whatever treat she’d made.

This time was no exception. Beaming, her aunt handed her a slice of fresh-baked bread with a dot of creamy butter. After giving her thanks, Jade carried her prize from the warm kitchen and out to the front porch, where she could enjoy it in peace.

She sat down on the wooden swing—her favorite place to sit and watch the world pass by, and took a bite of bread. Soft and fragrant, the white bread contained hints of cheese, onion and herbs and melted on her tongue. She chewed slowly, wanting to savor every single bite. She might even have let out a quiet moan of pleasure.

“You eat that like you’re making love to it,” a dry, masculine voice drawled.

Instantly, she froze, even though every nerve ending flared to life as his voice and words resonated with her. Him. Just like that, her entire body felt energized and taut. Making love. An ache seized her as she dared to let herself imagine—for a second—what it would be like to make love with him.

Damn.

Refusing to let him see how much he rattled her, she concentrated on her bread and took another bite while she tried to do her best to pretend he hadn’t startled her. She chewed deliberately, ignoring him until she’d swallowed.

Slowly, she let her gaze come up to meet his. Again, she felt the sting of desire, a sharp tug of attraction, immediate and undeniable. Her breath caught in her throat, but she let herself study him, aware she needed to size him up unclouded by memories of those dreams.

And what dreams they had been. Her blood heated as she remembered the sensual and provocative images.

Mouth curling in amusement, he stood there while she let her gaze slowly drift over him, up and down, from the top of his dark and shaggy hair to his worn, faded sneakers. His insolent gray eyes gleamed with amusement, and maybe a hint of desire. He had a craggy, handsome face, rugged and masculine. Muscles rippled under his flannel shirt, making her mouth grow dry. The confidence he wore like a shield gave him a powerful, nonchalant appearance. Despite his quiet manner, he radiated sensuality, making her feel a bit like a helpless moth drawn toward a flame. Even so, she sensed an air of isolation around him.

“Are you done?” he drawled. “Because now it’s my turn.”

Instantly, her face heated. She pretended a sudden interest in taking another bite of bread, chewing and managing to swallow even though she felt his gaze like a whisper-touch on her skin.

Normal, she reminded herself. She had to appear normal.

“You didn’t come up the front path,” she commented once she’d swallowed, her voice overly bright. “There’s no way you could have or I would have seen you.”

“I did, but after I knocked on the front door and got no answer, I went around to the back. The lady baking bread in the kitchen directed me back up front here to find you. And yes, she did let me try a taste of her bread.”

Surprised, she glanced up. As she did, he smiled at her. The masculine power of his smile made her entire body tingle. This struck her momentarily speechless and all she could do was stare.

Luckily, she had a little left of her slice of bread to focus on. She took another bite, a big one, the last one, intending to savor it. Instead, the soft bread stuck to the roof of her mouth when she swallowed and she nearly choked. Still, she managed to get it down.

He quietly watched while she coughed and wiped her eyes.

“Are you all right?” he finally asked, the husky drawl in his voice making her think of the overwhelming heat of Texas summers.

She continued to cough, trying not to snort or hack too much, until she could catch her breath. All she could do was wave her hand at him to wait. Finally, she had herself back under control. Gathering what was left of her shredded dignity around her, she stood and met his gaze. “I swallowed wrong. You can be a bit overwhelming.”

He grinned, making her regret her admission. “Coming from a woman who looks like you, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Her own lips curled up in the beginning of a smile. “Touché. Now tell me, why are you here?”

“Because you invited me,” he replied.

“Only to keep you from peppering us with questions at lunch,” she countered. She should have been annoyed, but wasn’t. And he knew it, she could tell. The glint in his gray eyes told her he was accustomed to using his charm to get his own way.

“My apologies.” That Southern drawl had a way of reaching inside her and curling around her entire being. “Speaking of lunch, what exactly did you do to make me move?”

Briefly, she considered batting her own eyelashes. Instead, she went for a steady gaze. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You do realize I’m a photojournalist, right? I told you that earlier, didn’t I?”

She nodded.

“Well, when a journalist has questions and everyone stonewalls him, that only intrigues him even more.”

He had a point. Disconcerted, she swallowed. “All right. You said you had questions. What exactly do you need to know?”

“First, start by telling me how you made me move outside of the restaurant. It felt sort of like being pushed by an invisible hand.”

For some reason, she found this amusing. From the intent way he watched her, he’d see if she tried to hide a smile, so she didn’t bother. “Around town, they call me a witch. Maybe now you can understand why.”

“I’ve heard that. Are you? A witch, I mean?”

To his credit, he didn’t sound at all disconcerted.

“Not really,” she finally admitted. “But you know how people talk. I have a few...abilities. Occasionally. Not many, and they’re unreliable, so I can’t really count on them.”

As a shape-shifter, he shouldn’t be surprised. He knew magic existed—otherwise every shape-shifter would be in trouble. But he’d never met a real life witch before.

“I can tell from your aura that you’re a shape-shifter,” she began.

“Ditto.” He narrowed his eyes. “Look, I’ll cut to the chase. I’m here because I’m doing a report on lake monsters. You know, like the Loch Ness monster, but in North America. There have been several reported around the United States and Canada. The one in Forestwood Lake came up several times, so I took a chance and traveled here to find out what I could learn.”

Monsters. Libby despised that word. And for good reason. Resisting the urge to defend her charge, Jade tilted her head, wishing she had one more bit of bread left. She felt confident no one in town would have told him anything. They were all united in protecting Libby. “And what did you find out?”

“Nothing, nada, zip. Like I mentioned at lunch, no one will talk to me. The only response I got was to ask the Burnetts. Which would be you, right?”

“That would be me,” she agreed, flashing her sweetest smile and feeling a swift stab of pleasure in his quick intake of breath. Might as well fight fire with fire. She knew how to use charm, too. “Honestly, though. If I did know anything—and I’m not saying I do—what makes you think I would confide in a total stranger?”

He shook his head, appearing unimpressed. “Honey, answering a question with another question isn’t going to make me forget I asked. If you won’t tell me about your lake monster, can you please point me to one of your relatives who will?”

Ignoring the thrill at his no doubt unintentional endearment—with a Southern accent like that, he probably called everyone honey or sugar or something—she shifted uneasily in her seat. While there wasn’t some kind of rule forbidding talk about Libby, her family also had a kind of tacit understanding the topic was off-limits to strangers.

Which this man, no matter how handsome, was.

“I’m a photojournalist,” he reminded her. “The fact that everyone keeps putting me off just makes me want to dig deeper.”

Nodding, she considered. Since they were both shifters, though she had no idea what he became when he changed, he’d know there were rules governing not revealing anything like this to humans. In other words, he couldn’t do it. As a shape-shifting wolf, she was Pack. The Pack was the largest group of shape-shifters and their wolves outnumbered all the other animals combined.

Pack Protectors policed this policy and the repercussions were severe. Maybe he reported for some internal magazine or newspaper, meant only to be viewed by their own kind. Though she’d never heard of such a thing, it could exist.

Still, she needed to know. “You say you’re a photojournalist. Who do you work for?”

A flash of surprise registered in his handsome face. “You’ve never heard of me?”

Tilting her head, she studied him. “Apparently not. What was your name again?”

“Rance Sleighter.”

“Nope, I haven’t heard of you. Should I have?”

He grinned. “I guess I deserved that. I used to work for National Geographic magazine. These days, I freelance.”

“For the general public?” she persisted.

“If you mean humans, yes. I also have done photo spreads for shifter magazines as well as a few vampire ones. Basically, whoever is willing to pay me.”

“And this story? The reason you’re here? Who is it for?”

A shadow crossed his face, so quickly she might have imagined it. “A friend,” he said. “Someone very close to me.”

Then maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t so bad. Yet shifter or not, she wasn’t sure she wanted to share Libby with outsiders.

“Let me speak with my family,” she said, merely to stall him. She’d have to call a family meeting to figure out how to best deal with this. “Can you come back another day?”

He eyed her. “Tomorrow?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure I can round everyone up that early.”

At this, he took a step closer. Close enough for her to smell the light masculine scent of whatever soap he used. “You make it sound like you need to call a board meeting. I’m just asking questions about a lake monster, not wanting to purchase stock in the town’s largest business.”

Chin up, she nodded, keeping her tone as dignified as she could, especially with the way her entire body heated every time she looked at him. “I completely understand. But I still need to speak with my family.”

“Fine, but you know what?” He crossed his arms. With his wide-legged stance, he was the picture of virility. “Until now, I pretty much figured this lake monster wasn’t real, like all the rest of them. A legend, a story, something the good people of Forestwood, New York, invented to help with tourism. But the way you—and everyone else in this town—are acting has got me to wondering what exactly you’re hiding.”

To that, she had no reply. “Check back with me tomorrow,” she finally said, even though she had no idea if she could pull together a family meeting by then. “Hopefully I’ll know more.”

Though she’d pretty much dismissed him, he made no move to leave. Instead, he reached into his backpack and pulled out his camera, fiddled with the controls and held it up to his eyes as if testing the light.

“Okay?” she prodded.

He snapped a couple of shots, startling her. Impulsively, she stuck out her tongue, instantly regretting it when she heard the click of the shutter. “Stop,” she ordered. “No more photos. That’s rude, taking my picture without asking.”

Lowering the camera, his intense gaze pierced hers. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I take pictures out of habit. Especially when I see something worth photographing, like you.”

“Compliments don’t work on me,” she declared, even though his words made her feel all warm and fuzzy. “You’ll still need to check back with me tomorrow.”

He grinned, a sexy, savage lift of his mouth that made her insides twist in response. “Since you give me no choice, it’ll have to do. In the meantime, I think I’ll head out to the lake myself and check things out.”

She would have expected no less. “Just be careful,” she said, her standard warning as she turned to head back inside. At least she didn’t have to worry about him seeing anything. Libby always somehow sensed the presence of strangers and remained in the deepest part of the water. The only reason rumors had floated out of town had to be because someone had talked when they shouldn’t have.

Back straight, she walked away. As she did, she felt him watching her. She halfway expected him to stop her and felt faintly disappointed when he didn’t.

Once inside, she barely had time to take a deep breath before her twin baby sisters barreled around the corner. Blond ponytails flying, tall and leggy, they both had the all-American girl look going on. Except Pearl dressed exclusively in black while Sapphire favored vintage seventies attire, the more colorful, the better.

“Who was that?” Pearl demanded, grabbing at Jade’s arm. “He’s rock-god material.”

Amused and secretly in agreement, Jade glanced at Sapphire to see if she’d echo her twin’s sentiment. “He’s pretty cute,” Sapph finally allowed. “Who is he?”

“My new boyfriend?” Jade answered, ruining it by turning what should have been a statement into a question.

“Ewww,” Pearl squealed. “That would mean he’s old.” She shuddered, as if their visitor had taken out his dentures before asking for his cane.

Sapph, always the more thoughtful one, frowned at her sister. “Jade’s not old.”

Pearl shrugged, her expression unconvinced. “Fine. If you want to snag every gorgeous man in town, don’t let me stop you.”

The heavy layer of sarcasm in her voice made Jade smile. “He’s here because of Libby. He wants to do a story on her.”

At her words, both teens’ mouths dropped open. “Seriously?”

“Yep.”

The twins exchanged looks.

“So what are you gonna do?” Pearl finally asked, seeming worried.

Jade made a show of checking her watch. “Call a family meeting. That’s the only thing I can do.”

Family meetings in the Burnett clan were frequent, noisy and fun. Usually a potluck, everyone brought a home-cooked dish or two. Tons of delicious food, free-flowing wine and lots of talk made the meetings occasions to be looked forward to.

Even the twins and their teenage cousins attended without complaint. The abundance of food was enough of a lure.

“A family meeting!” Pearl brightened. “Oh, I so hope Auntie Em brings her fried chicken.”

“Oh, me, too!” The twins hurried off, heads together, planning what they’d eat first.

Watching them go, Jade sighed. Sometimes being around her younger sisters made her feel really old, even though she only had twelve years on their seventeen.

Jade made three calls, which meant those people would make calls of their own until the entire family had been notified. Due to the urgency of the situation, the meeting would be that evening at seven. Unless life-threatening, all previously made plans would be canceled. The family meeting always took precedence.

Opal and Amber took to the kitchen, intent on cooking whatever culinary delights they’d decided to team up and make this time. Jade barely suppressed a shudder. The pair’s creations were legendary, and not in a good way.

Finally, as the hour neared seven, cars pulled up in front of Burnett House and parked. People brought food—some in ice chests, boxes or bags, or casserole dishes they carried in their hands. Redheads outnumbered brunettes and blondes since almost all of the Burnetts and their offspring were gingers. Jade’s flame-colored mane had turned silver immediately after taking on the mantle of Libby’s caregiver. At first, this change had horrified her, making her fret about appearing old. But in the years that had passed, she’d come to love her moonlight tresses. She knew once she passed that task on, her normal color would be restored and the new caregiver would immediately go gray, like what had happened when Amber passed the title on to her.

Wonderful smells drifted out of the formal dining room as Jade made her way downstairs. She could hear the low hum of conversation, which meant the family had already begun to gather.

Stepping into the room, she stopped. It looked like it always did—a packed room, with the long mahogany table groaning under the weight of food that would soon be demolished when everyone descended on it like sharks on a feeding frenzy.

Her eyes watered at the competing smells of the older ladies’ perfumes and the men’s cologne. Jade had tried once to get everyone to agree to attend fragrance free, but she’d been immediately shot down by the elders. Despite the fact that wolves had super-sensitive noses, those ladies loved their scents, so Jade had to let it go. Even though every time she hugged her aunt Agate, Jade’s eyes would water and she’d have to stifle a fit of coughing, the overabundance of scent thrived to this day. Jade countered this by trying to stand as far away from the worst offenders as possible.

Since she’d called the meeting, she would have to do the majority of the talking. She remembered the first family meeting at which she had to speak, immediately after her mother had announced her retirement and Jade had been assigned the chore of looking after Libby, the popular and mysterious lake shape-shifter who resided in Forestwood Lake. Libby despised the term monster. Jade couldn’t blame her.

Since then, Jade had grown accustomed to giving speeches. She found she did better with little or no preparation. Winging it seemed well received.

But first, everyone had to eat. A line had already started forming at one end of the table, where someone had placed two stacks of sturdy paper plates. She watched, amazed even though it was always the same, as relatives took their places at certain dishes, filling their plates as high as they could, before carrying the mound of food over to their respective seats at the table.

Jade waited until just about everyone had gotten what they wanted before going over to check out what remained. Waving at a couple of her cousins on the other side of the room, she stepped in line. As she eyed the half-empty pans of pasta salad and fried chicken, her stomach growled. She made herself a small plate, wondering which dish her mother and grandmother had made. Amber and Opal had been holed up in the kitchen for hours, shooing away anyone who attempted to enter. They’d refused to say what they were making, only claiming it would be the best surprise ever.

Jade only hoped it would be edible. Separately, her grandmother was a good cook, but Amber wasn’t. And together... They ended up competing, each adding just another pinch of something, and the end result always, without exception, turned out terrible.

What astounded Jade was that no one could tell from looking at it. No, it wasn’t until you took the first bite and gagged that you realized what had happened.

Ladling a little bit of everything on her plate, she tried to spot Amber and Opal’s latest concoction. Since she couldn’t, she knew she’d find out once she started to eat.

The desserts had been placed on a side table. There were the usual cakes and pies, and a beautiful peach cobbler. Jade knew which one she’d be having. That is, as long as her mother and grandmother hadn’t made it. Unfortunately, without tasting it, there was no way to tell.

Taking a seat next to her aunt Agate since it was the only one available, Jade hoped the overwhelming scent wouldn’t ruin her taste buds, and dug in. Every single morsel she put in her mouth tasted delicious. Which meant, she realized after she’d cleaned her plate, that one of the desserts would be awful. But which one?

She caught Aunt Agate’s eye, aware she—and just about everyone else in the room—was thinking the exact same thing.

A few people had already gingerly approached the dessert table, selecting two or three things to be on the safe side. Jade did the same, helping herself to a slice of chocolate cake and the peach cobbler. Praying neither of her choices would be the one, she took her seat and dug in. The chocolate cake tasted moist, with just the right amount of airy sweetness.

She polished that off and turned her attention to the cobbler. Just looking at the peach slices swimming in a syrupy glaze and the perfectly browned mixture of crumble made her mouth water. Someone should have taken a photograph of the entire thing when it had been undisturbed. Surely, this couldn’t be the dessert item Amber and Opal had managed to ruin, could it?

Jade glanced up to find Aunt Agate watching her, spoon poised over her own mound of cobbler.

“You first,” her aunt said, grinning.

Taking a deep breath, Jade plunged her spoon down, scooping up a good-size bite. It appeared juicy and moist, and the fragrant steam whet Jade’s appetite. She swallowed, then shoved her entire spoonful into her mouth.

Her taste buds exploded with flavor. Slowly chewing, she let out her breath and swallowed. “It’s good,” she began, letting her relief show in her voice. “I’m not sure who made it, but neither Mom nor Grandma was the cook.”

As she reached for another bite, her tongue began to burn. Eyeing her aunt, who was happily tucking in to her own helping of cobbler, Jade tried to blurt out a warning. Instead, she only managed a croak.

Chapter 3

Tears filling her eyes, Jade grabbed her water glass and began chugging, too late to help Aunt Agate, who had just begun to feel the burn. What the heck had they put into that thing—peppers?

One glass of water wasn’t even close to enough. Jade jumped up, sprinting for the table where plastic cups had been stacked near water pitchers and ice. She filled two glasses, drinking one down and refilling it, before carrying them back to the table. Handing one to her aunt, she watched while the older woman drained hers before giving her the second.

“Oh, my,” Aunt Agate finally gasped. “Guess we know who made that, after all.”

All around the room, people were digging into the gorgeous cobbler. “It seems we never learn,” Jade commented, her voice as dry as her still-burning throat. All around her, people gasped, reaching for their water glasses and shooting murderous looks at the oblivious pair of cooks, who continued to eat and chat happily.

Finally, Jade figured everyone had eaten—and suffered—enough. Taking a deep breath, she tapped her fork on her water glass for attention. “As I’m sure most of you know,” she began, well aware how fast gossip traveled in this town, “a photojournalist is here asking questions about Libby.”

Her mother and her aunt exchanged knowing looks. “The handsome stranger,” Amber put in. “And I could tell by the way he looked at you that he found you attractive, as well.”

Both Pearl and Sapphire glowered at her. Several of the other relatives whispered behind their hands to one another, which reminded Jade her lack of a man in her life had been a topic of conversation for quite some time.

She used to find the pointed comments hurtful. These days, she simply ignored them.

Jade managed to shrug. “I don’t know about that, but we’re not here to discuss my love life.” Or lack of, she amended silently. “I need direction as to what to do about Libby. If he finds out about her and does a story, we can say goodbye to our privacy and hello to a wave of tourists.”

Another standing argument in both town and her family. People were equally divided. Some wanted to capitalize on the monster in their midst, while others insisted on leaving things the way they’d been for centuries.

“That old debate again?” Jade’s uncle Jack, Auntie Em’s husband, huffed. “Why do you want to go and ruin a perfectly good family get-together with that nonsense?”

“Yeah,” her cousin Coral, who hated her name, seconded. “Can you just finish up whatever you have to say so we can go?”

“This is important, everyone. A photojournalist is asking about Libby. I need to know what, if anything, to tell him.”

This time, her grandmother spoke. When Opal addressed the family in her matriarchal voice, everyone paid attention. “In all my years of taking care of Libby, not once did word about her existence leak beyond this town.”

The accusation seemed clear, at least to Jade. In fact, everyone in the room swung their heads around to stare right back at her, accusation in their expressions.

As if she’d already failed.

And it didn’t matter that she’d never asked for this job. It had been expected of her from the moment she’d been born.

The last thing Jade had ever wanted was to be put in charge of taking care of Forestwood’s resident lake beast. Libby had resided in the cool, deep depths for as long as anyone could remember, and the Burnett family had always been her caretakers. Libby personally chose whom she wanted and when. Since Jade’s mother, Amber, was still young and vibrant, Jade had figured she’d had at least ten more years before being asked to take on the task.

Thus when Libby gave her approval for Amber to retire from her duty and pass the chore down, Jade had been completely unprepared. Worse, Amber had said nothing other than a terse “Good luck.” Evidently, training wasn’t one of the perks of the job.

Jade had been caretaker since she’d turned twenty, nine years now. In the beginning, she’d often resented that fact. These days, she felt more comfortable, more at ease with her role, which mostly consisted of being Libby’s friend. Maybe in the beginning, when Libby had first come to Forestwood, the role had been one of a protector, Jade wasn’t sure. Every decision, even those made by the Burnett family in a family meeting, had to be run by Libby before being implemented. In truth, Jade privately thought the family meetings were all for show. And an excuse to get together and eat.

“I’m doing the best I can,” she muttered to herself through clenched teeth, while she tried to figure out what to say. “I think I’ve done well considering my age when I assumed the role of Guardian.”

Unfortunately, Opal’s hearing was the one thing that hadn’t declined with age. “Life is not fair, honey,” Opal drawled. “And since Libby specifically requested you, there wasn’t much choice in the matter.”

Ever since the first time Jade had heard Opal make that statement, she’d grit her teeth and wondered how anyone had actually known what Libby wanted. In the prior years when Jade had accompanied Amber to take care of Libby, not once had Libby—whether in human form or not—ever said two words to her. Not once. Jade had begun to sincerely doubt she could talk. Of course the minute Jade had stepped into her mother’s role, all that had changed. She and Libby had sat down several times and shared a meal and chatted. These days, Jade felt as if she and Libby could easily become close friends.

Once, the knowledge that Libby had requested her had filled her with resentment. Now, she felt a little glow of pleasure.

Belatedly, she realized everyone was staring at her, waiting for a response.

Jade dipped her chin at Opal to show she understood. “That may be,” she continued, addressing the entire family. “But the fact is, someone did talk to an outsider. Word traveled, far enough to attract that photojournalist’s attention.”

“Then deal with it,” her mother said tiredly. “Distract him. You’re pretty enough. Pretend to be helpful. You know as well as I do that Libby stays deep when a stranger comes around. That journalist will learn nothing, unless you tell him. And I know you won’t do something that foolish.”

And there she had her answer. She wondered why part of her had hoped...what? That they’d let their secret finally out in the open, for the rest of the world to marvel at and share? Or at least the shape-shifter world. Humans could never know.

“Are we finished?” cousin Coral demanded, sidestepping closer to the food table. “Because if we are, I’d sure like to eat my dessert.”

Jade glanced at her grandmother, who dipped her head yes. Then at her mother, who did the same, except with a smile. “Then I guess we’re done.”

The instant the words left her mouth, chairs scraped on the wooden floor as they all rushed, en masse, toward the bathrooms. All except Coral and a few others who clearly hadn’t yet tried the peach cobbler. Watching as they approached the dessert tables, Jade considered warning them, then decided not to. She snagged another slice of the chocolate cake and carried it out of the room, across the yard and into the main house. There, she took a seat at the kitchen bar and ate it slowly, needing to wash the taste of the cobbler out of her mouth. She had to plan a strategy. From what she could tell of the handsome photographer, he wouldn’t be easily distracted or put off.

“Are you about ready?” Amber asked as she entered the kitchen. “We’ve got a full moon. It should be a perfect night for hunting.”

The shape-shifting wolves were called Pack for a reason. There was nothing they loved more than changing into their lupine selves and hunting together. When a younger Jade had shown signs of reticence, preferring privacy over too much family togetherness, her mother had told her, “A solitary wolf is a lonely wolf.” As far as Jade had been concerned, a little loneliness could be a good thing.

These days, Jade relished her family hunting times. Sometimes, family meetings were called just so everyone could change and hunt together after.

“Of course.” Blotting her mouth with a paper napkin, Jade carried her paper plate over to the trash bin. “It’s been a while since I’ve changed.”

“Then this hunt will do you good.” Patting her arm, Amber wandered out toward the dining room to gather up any stragglers. Though technically, Grandpa Sam had been designated Pack leader years ago, his worsening dementia had made him unable to even attend the family hunts. Now, Jade’s grandmother, Opal, led.

The woods in back of Burnett House stretched back several acres and the boundaries had been clearly marked on certain trees. Behind that, lay forest preserve, protected from hunters. A bounty of wildlife thrived there, and the Burnett Pack did their part to keep rabbits, squirrels, foxes and other smaller mammals from overpopulating.

Already the family had begun gathering on the back lawn, talking excitedly. With their full bellies, not too much hunting would likely take place tonight, but there were always a few who so loved the thrill of the hunt they attempted to do a sort of catch and release. Of course, once most shifters gave over to their animal side, the term catch and release lost all meaning.

Jade joined her aunt Agate and Coral. A second later, Sapphire and Pearl joined them. The twins seemed especially keyed up tonight, judging from their flushed faces.

“How long has it been since you changed?” Jade asked them, concerned.

Both girls giggled, but neither answered. Jade let it drop, since they were about to rectify the problem any moment now. Still, she resolved to have a chat with the teens later and reiterate the dangers of remaining human too long. Shifters who neglected their need to shape-shift often went insane or became ill. She didn’t want anything like that to happen to her baby sisters.

The hum of voices quieted as Opal appeared on the back patio, followed closely by Amber. She led the way through the crowd, and they all followed her, their eagerness palpable.

An unpaved winding path led into the forest. Autumn’s fallen leaves provided a colorful carpet beneath their feet. The evening breeze fell off here, muted by the shield of the ancient trees. This was as sacred and holy a place as Jade had ever been.

In the deepest part of their land, they passed the large maple tree that marked the edge of the preserve. Here, the family fanned out. Each, whether individually or as a small group, had their favorite spot they liked to go to shed and store their human clothing before initiating the change into wolf.

Ever since she’d first shifted, Jade had claimed a little glade rimmed by sumac and pine trees that had been mere saplings all those years ago.

Slipping into her own private leafy enclosure, Jade quickly undressed, placing everything into a weatherproof plastic box she kept chained to a rock. And then, with the scent of the damp earth surrounding her, she dropped to the ground and began the change.

Some shifters rushed this, anxious for the change to wolf to be over. There were a few who claimed they found it excruciatingly painful, but the vast majority took pleasure in the act. Jade liked to take her time, enjoying the feeling of her bones lengthening and changing, her body going from human woman to female wolf. Each time, she treated this act with reverence, like the miracle she considered it to be.

Finally, she blinked to clear away the sparkling pricks of light that always accompanied the shape-shifting. Wolf now, she used her nose before her eyes, sniffing the air and recognizing the individual scents of her family.

Bounding from her clearing, she greeted them with play bows. And they were off. Running, tumbling, stretching out their lupine forms until they were more used to being in this shape.

This—wild and free—was when Jade felt happiest. The damp leaves under her paws, catching the tantalizing scents of rabbit and fox, the feel of her powerful muscles under her fur as she ran.

Often, the Burnett clan would stay out all night, only changing back to human as dawn neared. Sometimes the elders, tiring easy, would leave early, but often they, too, reveled in the freedom from human aches and pains.

This night, Jade took the opportunity to make sure when she returned home as human she’d be exhausted. She hunted, but killed nothing, enjoying the sport. She played and rolled, teased and ran. And finally, as the sky began to lighten, she returned to her little grotto and began the change back to human.

Then, aroused as she always was, the way all shifters were when they changed back to human she found herself longing for a certain man. Rance. Glad her fatigue kept her from thinking too much, she dressed and began the long trek home. Ahead, she saw a few others doing the same thing.

Once she reached the house, she headed upstairs to her room and slid into bed. Closing her eyes, she fell into what she hoped would be a deep, dreamless sleep.

Of course, the next morning she slept in. Bright yellow sunlight streamed in through her bedroom window. Immediately, she knew she’d dreamed of him again. Rance. Sensual dreams, the kind she’d never had until recently. Rance. The man she’d craved when she’d returned to her human form. From the instant she first opened her eyes, she could see his face. They wanted her to distract him, but she needed to be careful. Nervous with anticipation, she put extra care into her appearance, styling her long silver hair into a mass of curls and applying eyeliner and mascara as well as powder and blush. And gloss. As she smoothed that over her mouth, she couldn’t help but imagine Rance tasting her lips, lingering over the slightly sweet flavor.

The instant the thought occurred to her, she blushed. All over. Glad no one else was around to notice, she reminded herself she needed to distract him, nothing more.

Pearl and Sapph came running into her room, both talking excitedly at the same time. “He’s here. Or not here yet, but walking up the street toward the house. He’s got a camera with a huge lens and he’s taking pictures of everything. I saw him...”

“No,” Sapph interrupted, grinning. “I saw him first. So I get dibs.”

Dibs?

“No one gets anything,” Jade reminded them, keeping her voice stern while she hid a smile. “He’s too old for you both, anyway.”

“Staking a claim?” Amber lounged in the doorway, her gaze sharp, her expression interested.

“I’m the distraction, remember?” Jade summoned up a sweet smile. “Unless you want to do it?”

Amber laughed, the sound deep and throaty. “Don’t tempt me. That man is easy on the eyes.”

This made Jade snort.

“Ewww.” Pearl said, grimacing. “Mommmm. Don’t be a cougar. That’s disgusting.”

Inspecting herself in the mirror, Jade decided she looked presentable enough in her faded jeans and light green T-shirt.”

“You’re wearing that?” Amber asked, perfectly shaped brows raised. “How are you going to be a distraction dressed like that?”

Jade eyed her mother patiently. “Don’t you think he’d find it a little strange if I met him on the front porch wearing a miniskirt and six-inch heels?”

Both Pearl and Sapph snickered.

“You could put a little effort into it,” her mother began. “At least wear a dress. Even a nice blouse.”

Jade stared at her. A blouse. She wasn’t even sure she owned such a thing. “No,” she finally answered. “Now if you ladies will excuse me, I’ve got some distracting to do.”

With that, she swept out of the room, her head high.

In the hallway, her steps slowed. Unlike her heartbeat. So much for bravado. She’d been racking her brain trying to figure out exactly how to distract Rance.

She wasn’t sure how far her family expected her to go, but she had no intention of getting even the slightest bit intimate with the man.

Her body’s reaction to the idea of seeing him again called her a liar.

“Good morning.” Pasting a bright smile on her face, she strode forward, hand outstretched. Tall and broad shouldered, his gray eyes blazed as he looked at her. He took her hand, but instead of shaking it as she expected, he lifted it to his lips and kissed the back, his mouth lingering.

Damn. She thought she might melt into a puddle right then and there. Somehow, she remembered to breathe.

Then, while her knees still shook and she couldn’t find her voice to save her life, he released her and flashed that same charming smile. “Hold on, darlin’,” he said, lifting the camera that hung around his neck and snapping a few shots of the house, the front porch and her.

When he’d finished, he was still smiling. “How about you and I go visit Forestwood Lake?”

Together? And then she remembered she needed to distract him.

“Okay,” she managed. Because she knew he wouldn’t see anything unusual there at all. Not once in all the time her family had been taking care of Libby had Libby let an out-of-towner see her.

* * *

How Jade Burnett could manage to look so damn good in blue jeans and a T-shirt, Rance didn’t know. But when he turned and saw her sauntering toward him, her long silver hair tumbling in a luxurious fall over her shoulders, his breath caught in his throat. And his entire body went on red alert. At least he’d gotten a few shots with his camera.

Giving himself a mental shake, he focused on what she’d just agreed to do. Go to the lake. With him.

“Do you want to walk or drive?” she asked.

He pointed to the shiny red Mustang convertible he’d rented in Albany. “Let’s take that. I’ll put the top down so we can enjoy the day.”

Most of the women he knew would have immediately protested, claiming the wind would mess up their hairdo or something. Jade appeared supremely unconcerned. In fact, she seemed delighted. “I love convertibles,” she said.

“Did they tell you to be extra nice to me?” he asked, suddenly suspicious.

“They? Who is they?”

The perplexed frown didn’t fool him. Especially not when she combined it with a mischievous grin. “If by they, you mean my family, then no. They did not ask me to be nice to you.”

Interesting. “Well, then, what exactly did they decide?”

This time, the blank look she gave him was decidedly fake. “What do you mean?”

He waited until they were both inside the car, seat belts fastened, before answering. “About the lake monster. You were going to call a meeting to find out what you could and couldn’t tell me.”

“Put that way, you make it sound as if you truly believe there is a lake beast,” she quipped, well aware of how much Libby hated the word monster.

He shook his head and pressed the ignition. The engine came to life with a powerful rumble. When he glanced at her, she grinned. She dug a hair-thingy from her pocket and expertly put her hair up in a ponytail.

“Nice ride,” she said. “Too bad it’s a rental.”

Amused, he chuckled. “If that’s your attempt at a dig at me, it’s pretty weak.”

She widened her eyes, the picture of innocence. “A dig? Why on earth would you think that? It’s just that this is such an awesome car, probably nothing like what you drive at home.”

Instead of responding, he had the strongest urge to kiss her. This didn’t surprise him, not in the least. Jade Burnett was gorgeous, with her long sexy hair and those amazing green eyes. Not to mention the lush curves of her body. Rance liked women, all women, but until today he’d never really figured he had a type. But now he knew. That type would be Jade. Slender and perfectly shaped, gorgeous creamy skin, with a tiny dusting of freckles across her nose. Lips that were made for kissing and a body that begged for his touch.

Yep. Jade was his type. He had the awful feeling that, forever after this, he’d be comparing other women to her.

Astounded at this thought—after he’d lost his wife Violet and started drinking, he hadn’t ever thought of getting close to any other woman—he concentrated on the drive. He’d already taken a solo trip to Forestwood Lake, walked the trails, stood on top of the marbled stone cliffs. With the wealth of leafy trees and undergrowth all over the rolling hills, the area was pretty, but then so was every other lake or hiking trail in the Catskill Mountains. This part of the earth called to something primal, deep inside him.

In fact, in his previous life, Rance had thought if he ever wanted to become a country guy, he’d buy some land and build a house here. Now, he knew he never would. He needed the fast pace of the city to distract him from everything he’d lost.

“Take the next right,” she said, startling him out of his reverie.

He did as she asked, turning onto the unmarked dirt road. Though there were occasional ruts and bumps, for the most part it seemed to be well maintained. As he drove, he noticed with a sense of amusement the way it wound through the forest in an apparently nonsensical pattern. Then they made one more turn and he slowed, awed despite himself.

The lake spread out below them. From this vantage point, higher than any of the others he’d been to, the sparkling expanse of water was a dark, vibrant blue. He let the car coast to a stop, even though the road continued, and got out, grabbing his Nikon D4S out of the bag on the backseat. While he had several cameras and lenses, he liked this one the best for everyday use.

He walked to the edge of an area that had apparently been set up for viewing purposes and stood still, marveling. A sense of rightness settled low in his chest. He’d only had this feeling a few times in his life—once in a remote area of Alaska, another on Vancouver Island and now here, on the opposite coast.

Lifting the camera, he lost himself in his art.

Jade came and stood by his side, silent, as if she understood. He appreciated that she didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with meaningless chatter.

Once he’d taken his fill of pics, he lowered the Nikon and drank the scenery in with his eyes.

As he soaked in the strange feeling of contentment, he reminded himself he’d come here for a reason. “The only thing that could make this better would be if the so-called lake monster would make an appearance,” he joked.

She snorted, but when he cut a sideways glance her way, her intent expression as she stared at the water seemed far too serious.

For maybe the eightieth time, he caught himself wondering if there really was such a creature. In his world, where shape-shifters walked the streets unnoticed alongside humans and vampires, who was he to even think to discredit such a possibility? Just because he’d never seen one—not Nessie in Scotland or any of the others reported to have been sighted—didn’t mean they didn’t exist.

Hell, he could shape-shift into another creature entirely. Judging by Jade’s aura, so could she, as well as the rest of her entire family. Pack, he figured. Most of the other shape-shifters he met were wolves. Even though he wasn’t, not by a long shot, the aura revealed nothing about what kind of beast they changed into.

He eyed the lake and wondered. A flash just below the surface of a wave caught his eye. As he peered hard at whatever it had been, something big—something huge actually—leaped out of the water as if trying to fly. Or maybe like a whale breaching. Except this was fresh water, not the ocean. Moving fast, its large body arced in a flash of glinting silver scales before it dove back under.

It looked like... No. It couldn’t be.

Stunned, he didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. While he wasn’t entirely sure what he’d just witnessed, he felt a sense of awe that he’d been privileged to have seen such a sight. And of course, he hadn’t been holding his camera.

Chapter 4

“Did you...?” Turning to the silent woman next to him, one glance at her ashen face told him she had also seen. “So there is a Forestwood monster.”

“Which never, ever shows itself to strangers,” she mused, her voice breaking.

“I guess there’s a first time for everything.” He glanced from her to the lake and back. “Why do you think that is?”

“Since we’ve already discussed the fact that we’re both shifters, what kind are you?” she asked, staying true to her apparent penchant for avoiding answering questions by asking one of her own. Still, her question surprised him, since an unwritten rule existed forbidding discussing this sort of thing. While everyone recognized one another from their auras, they were specifically forbidden from discussing intimate details unless you were a mated pair.

Which he and Jade definitely were not.

Since he wasn’t sure how exactly to answer, he settled on simply staring at her.

Deciding to see where she meant to take this, he waited. When she didn’t speak, he finally had to. “You know better than to ask me that.”

“Yes. I do. And since you apparently do as well, you’re clearly aware of the law,” she continued. “We are not to reveal ourselves to humans.”

“True.” Intrigued, he watched her, waiting to hear what she’d say next.

“So you can’t write an article about Libby,” she said.

Momentarily confused, he frowned. “Libby? Who’s Libby?”

She clamped her lips together tightly before lifting her slender arm and pointing toward the lake. “Her. The so-called lake monster. Except she hates being called a monster. Use the word creature instead.”

“Libby?” Flabbergasted, he stared at her for so long her face turned pink. “Y’all named it?”

“Her, not it. And yes. She’s lived in that lake for centuries. My ancestors’ ancestors took care of her, just as I do today.”

He lifted his camera, pushing the video option and getting ready to record. Before he did, he was about to ask her if she minded, but the way she froze at the sight of it told him she did.

“I’ve said enough,” she told him, her voice sharp. “If you’d like to see more of the lake, we can continue. Otherwise, I’d appreciate it if you’d take me back home.”

He lowered the camera and headed back toward the car. “I’d like to see more.”

Her deliberate movements telegraphing her reluctance, she climbed in the passenger seat and secured her seat belt.

“And while we’re driving,” he continued, “you can tell me why the people in town consider you to be a witch.”

* * *

A witch. If she hadn’t been so upset, Jade would have laughed. For as long as she could remember, people in town claimed to know that the Burnett who took care of the lake monster had magical powers. Jade has always laughed it off. Until she’d been assigned to be Libby’s Guardian, and realized quite suddenly she did have powers. The day she’d been given the necklace by her mother, she’d felt the sense of honor the heirloom conveyed. On that day, she’d come into her own powers. Each Guardian’s was different. Amber had never said what gifts she’d been given, but Jade didn’t doubt that her mother’s had been inconsequential just for that reason. Amber was the type to shout from the rooftop.

As for herself, Jade considered her own powers minor, as well. She couldn’t do a whole lot, just a bit of telekinesis. Oh, and the occasional bit of prophetic ability. Not entirely reliable, most of it came to Jade in her dreams, usually as a jumbled mess, leaving her to puzzle out the meaning.

No, the only one with actual magical abilities was Libby. A powerful seer and oracle, there were many written accounts of her being asked to help the Burnetts with something. Every single recorded time, her answers were correct.

Still. If Rance wanted to believe Jade had really strong magic, well... Since she needed all the advantages she could take, she decided she wouldn’t disabuse him of the notion. Let him think she had true magical powers. Maybe if he focused on that, he’d let his determination to write about Libby fall to the wayside. Being called a witch was the least of her worries right now. Actually, she’d grown quite used to it.

Why had Libby chosen that moment to rise out of the water? Jade didn’t know what to think. In all the years her family had been taking care of Libby, she couldn’t think of a single instance when the beast had revealed herself to an out-of-towner. Scratch that. The only ones in town Libby had let see her spectacularly beautiful scales were all shifters. Maybe because she knew they, unlike humans, would never betray her.

Forestwood seemed pretty equally divided, as far as Jade could tell. Her entire family was part of the Pack, which meant they shifted into wolves, as did most all of the other shifters in town. There were a few large cats, but not many as they preferred a warmer climate.

Shaking her head, she tried to clear her jumbled thoughts. Worry and uncertainty had her second-guessing herself. Would it have been better if she’d pretended she hadn’t seen Libby jumping out of the water? In her shock, she’d inadvertently revealed the truth of Libby’s existence.

And she wasn’t even certain she could trust him with that knowledge. As her stomach roiled, she saw another family meeting in the near future.

They rounded a corner and the picnic area sat directly ahead of them. Rance pulled into a parking spot and killed the engine. He glanced at her once with his hand on the door. She pretended not to notice, so he got out and walked down the path that weaved around the little pavilions and picnic tables.

Heart hammering, she followed him all the way to the edge of the water. As she came up beside him, she half expected to find him staring out into the expanse of lake, searching for another sign of Libby. Instead, he looked down at the shallow pools where the gentle waves slapped against the rocks worn smooth.

“It’s peaceful,” he murmured. “Not exactly the kind of place one would expect to find a monster.”

Not a monster. She bit back the words, her automatic defense of Libby hovering on the edge of her lips. She’d already revealed too much. And warned him not to use that word. Anything else she said would only make the situation worse.

“You can’t go back, you know.” A half smile curled his sensuous mouth. The combination of his deep, sensuous voice and Southern accent made her weak in the knees.

“I don’t know what you mean,” she lied, aware she sounded more prim than dignified, even though she’d tried for the latter.

His smile widened. “Pretending you didn’t tell me about Libby.”

Though she should have known it was coming, she winced at the sound of the name on his lips. “I made a mistake.”

“Maybe.” He shrugged, turning again to look out at the water. The wind whipped his dark hair, giving him an otherworldly look, and she found herself wondering exactly what kind of shifter he was. If he were wolf, she’d bet he’d be magnificent in his lupine form.

If he were something else... She shook her head. No matter what form of beast Rance Sleighter changed into, he’d be golden and perfect.

“Hey, Jade.” The familiar greeting made her turn, smiling. She often ran into Lucas Everett, one of the other sets of twins in town. Lucas and his brother, Monroe, were identical twins and made no effort to help anyone tell them apart. They both wore their dark hair long, brushing their shoulders, and the same blue eyes. The two had been pining after Pearl and Sapphire for as long as Jade could remember. They were one year ahead of Jade’s sisters in school and rumor had it that they’d actually considered failing so they could share the same classes. Both brothers loved hanging out at the lake and often one or the other could be found here, making sure the picnic area remained pristine.

Lucas gave her his usual one-armed hug. “How’s everything?” he asked. By “everything,” she knew he meant her sisters.

“Fine. They’re both fine.”

He grinned. She grinned back.

Rance coughed. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?” he asked.

“Sorry. Lucas, this is Rance. Rance, meet Lucas.”

After she finished, she expected the usual handshakes. Instead, Lucas took a step back, his eyes wide.

“Rance Sleighter?” The reverence in his tone was usually reserved for his favorite musicians.

“That’s me.” Rance held out his hand.

After vigorously shaking it, Lucas exhaled. “I’ve followed your work. In fact, I even did a report on you last year for journalism class. I dig photography, too, though my camera isn’t as nice as yours.” He glanced from Jade to Rance and back. “How do you two know each other?”

Jade clamped her mouth shut, making a mental note to do a Google search once she got home.

Rance glanced at her once, then shrugged. “I came here to do a pictorial report on your lake monster, er, creature. Ms. Jade here has been trying to convince me not to. Says Libby wouldn’t appreciate it.”

All the color blanched from Lucas’s face. “Jade told you her name? Seriously?”

Crap. Jade swallowed hard, hating the look of dismay and condemnation on Lucas’s face.

She wasn’t sure how exactly to respond—in fact, she wasn’t certain she should. This was not the kind of thing she wanted the kids gossiping about in the hallways at school. She could only imagine Pearl’s and Sapphire’s reactions if they learned what she had done.

When he realized Jade wasn’t going to answer, Lucas turned again to Rance. “Why are you bothering with stories about a hypothetical lake monster? I’d think you were famous enough without having to spend time on fluff like that.”

Only because she was watching Rance closely did Jade see the kid had scored a direct hit. Though the wince seemed barely perceptible, she saw it.

“Fame is a fleeting thing,” Rance responded, a trace of bitterness in his voice. He’d once been famous, but jobs had dried up when he’d started drinking. And then once Eve had became ill, he’d basically quit. “But if you’ve followed my work, you surely know I’ve always specialized in photographing offbeat, unusual stories.”

“And put your own personal spin on them.” Lucas shook his head, clearly disappointed. “But this is different.”

Rance’s gaze sharpened. “How so?”

Jade placed a warning hand on the teenager’s shoulder, just in case he might be goaded to say something he’d regret.

“This is beneath you,” Lucas tried, his voice vibrating with the urgency of his conviction. Not for the first time, Jade wondered why her younger sisters refused even to give him the time of day.

“Is it?” Though Rance spoke in a mild tone, his gray gaze blazed. “These sorts of things have long been a personal interest of mine. And I’m finally at a point in my career where I’ve earned the right to do what I want.”

“Even if doing what you want hurts people?” The kid stared intently, perhaps realizing his idol might actually have feet of clay.

Rance tilted his head, his dark shaggy hair glinting in the sunlight. “Explain.”

Double crap. “I think that’s enough for now,” Jade interjected, giving Lucas a stern look. “I appreciate your help, Lucas, but I’ll be handling this.”

Immediately he dropped his head. “Whatever. I guess you have to since you’re the Guardian.”

Though she winced inside, she managed to keep her face expressionless. Of course Rance missed nothing. She had no doubt he’d made a mental note and would ask her about this later.

So be it. For whatever reason, Libby had chosen to show herself to him. That had to mean something. Until she knew more, all Jade could do was try and distract him. And hope and pray she could talk him out of writing that article.

“I’d like to walk along the shoreline,” Rance said. “Would you care to join me?”

“Of course.” She hoped she managed to sound as smooth as he did. Her inner wolf, reacting to her heightened emotions, paced. Snarled, wanting to break free. Even though she’d just changed the night before, her beast wanted more. She’d need to make an effort to shift and have another hunting run that evening. Since she preferred to become wolf in a group, her large family came in handy at times like this. She’d have to see who else might want to go with her.

“Hey, darlin’.” Rance’s light tap on her shoulder startled her, nearly making her lose her footing. Only his quick grab of her elbow stopped her from falling.

“Are you okay?” he asked, holding on for a heartbeat too long before releasing her.

She decided to be honest. “Not really. I’m confused and a bit unsettled.”

“I’m sorry.”

She sighed. “You sound like you mean that.”

“I do.”

At this, she shook her head. “If you really were sorry, you’d leave town.”

“Ah, you know I can’t do that.”

Somehow she’d suspected he’d say that. “Can’t? Or won’t?”

“Good point.” As they climbed over another rocky patch, he once again took her arm. And once again, she had to pretend her skin didn’t tingle from the contact. Funny thing that. She hadn’t realized she could be capable of such tangled emotions. She both wanted the man gone, and to wrap herself around him and never let him go.

* * *

Days like today, Libby felt the full weight of her many years. Her kind did not live forever, but their lifespan far exceeded that of humans or other shape-shifters. She’d constructed the Guardian necklace when she’d first arrived in Forestwood years ago, using an unusual purple-colored stone she’d found deep in the lake. Since then, each Guardian wore the talisman, passing it down to their successors. Libby had a matching one in her jewelry box somewhere, though she no longer felt the need to wear it. She’d learned long ago that a piece of metal and stone couldn’t replace an actual connection between living beings.

Sometimes the loneliness made her bones ache. When that happened, she’d go out into the lake, change into her beast and sink to the bottom, holding her breath as long as she could. Long enough to make herself dizzy. Long enough to almost convince herself that she could make herself drown.

Libby hadn’t always been alone. Once, a long time ago, she’d been surrounded by others of her kind. Friends and lovers, family and strangers. A vibrant community, similar to the one Jade and the Burnetts enjoyed here in Forestwood. Like those of the Pack, they’d spent most of their time in human form, taking great care never to allow regular humans to see them change.

Unfortunately, due to their great size, sightings had abounded. Through the centuries, they’d been alternatively revered and feared, worshipped and hunted.

Now there were so few of them they’d become mysterious. The lake creature that might be real. Or just myth.

Libby no longer cared. After years of doing what she should, she wanted a normal life. With friends and a man.

She wished she could discuss this with Jade. She had, at least inside her head, many times. She could picture how the conversation would go, could see Jade shoving her fingers into her thick silver hair to push it back from her face, and demanding to know why Libby didn’t have those things she claimed to want so badly.

The sad truth was, Libby didn’t know. When she’d been younger, before the illness killed off so many of her kind, she’d fallen in love. More than once. She’d broken hearts and had her own shattered. And then...so many got sick, so many dying, and her father had spirited her away to this small town and ordered her to stay here, away from her own kind, her own people.

“Only until the illness passes,” he said, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll come for you then.”

Except he hadn’t. He’d fallen ill, just like a score of others, and she never saw him again.

These days, her aloneness lay gently across her shoulders like a cashmere cloak. She’d long ago stopped wanting more. She even managed to convince herself that she was satisfied—satisfied—with her life.

And then Amber Burnett had asked if her daughter could take over as caretaker. Libby hadn’t hesitated to agree, even though she usually was the one who chose the next Guardian. After her agreement, Jade had visited Libby for the first time alone.

At first, a young Jade had been terrified of her. Libby had felt the pain of that like a knife stabbing in her gut. For the first time in her life, she’d hated being considered a monster. Once, her iridescent scales had been considered beautiful. Now she’d been relegated to a thing, a creature or a beast, lurking in the depths of Forestwood Lake.

That hurt more than she would ever have believed possible.

Over the past nine years, she and Libby had grown close. Her relationship with Jade gave her hope. Of all the Guardians over the years, only Jade treated her like a friend or a relative, rather than a creature to be feared. Originally, when Libby had first arrived in Forestwood, she’d done as her father requested and set the whole Guardian thing up. She’d chosen a Burnett simply because one happened to be hiking out near the lake. At first, the Burnetts had been tasked with protecting her from outsiders and making sure she had everything she needed to survive. She’d even used a bit of her very basic magical skills to ensure they wouldn’t leave, by making her Guardian become ill if she tried to leave Burnett house.

Since then, Libby had become pretty self-sufficient, except for her crippling shyness that kept her from making friends. After all, if she went to town, she looked like everyone else. Half the time, people had no idea she was actually the “lake beast.”

With all of her kind gone, Libby had felt the weight of her aloneness grow heavier. It wasn’t until Jade had taken over that Libby had realized she didn’t have to live as an outsider. She just needed Jade to help her figure out how to make that happen.

* * *

It had been a long day. Rance had seen the panic and condemnation on that kid Lucas’s face. The sickly sort of disbelief on Jade’s. Though he’d itched to photograph everything, document it for posterity, in that particular instance, he knew better. For the first time since starting out on this quest, he’d felt a faint prickle of conscience, as if the teen might be right and he should focus on other things.

Except he couldn’t. Not if he wanted to bring Eve what she’d asked for.

Deliberately forcing his thoughts to other things, Rance remembered the pub he’d seen on the way to Jade’s house. The thought of pub food—greasy hamburgers and seasoned fries—made his mouth water. Though as a recovered alcoholic he no longer drank, he’d refused to avoid places that served alcohol entirely, viewing it as a way of testing his fortitude. Tonight, this would be exactly what he needed to get his mind off both his predicament and the sexy silver-haired Jade Burnett.

Since the evening air felt perfect, he left the rental car parked outside his motel and walked the few blocks to the bar. The road climbed and dipped, but the Brew and Chew Pub sat halfway up the first hill, making his walk more of a workout than he’d anticipated. Which was all good. Hiking around the lake had made him realize he needed to get out more. He’d even purchased a nice pair of hiking boots so he could do this.

He also needed to change. But in what he assumed must be a community of shape-shifting wolves, his kind of beast would definitely be noticed, so he had to be careful.

The unhurried pace of the locals as he strode past them made Rance smile. In larger cities, these people would get mowed down by the fast-walking crowds. Even compared to Houston, Forestwood seemed positively bucolic. Here, even though he would have thought they’d take the scenery for granted since they lived here, every person he passed appeared to be engrossed in the picturesque storefronts with blooming flower boxes and towering trees, enjoying one another’s company. Inhaling deeply, Rance could smell the scent of hamburgers and fries cooking somewhere drifting on the breeze.

Unable to resist, he got out his camera and snapped a few shots. Then, because he never knew if he might want to take another, he kept his Nikon in his hand, secured by a neck strap.

His spirits lifted. All in all, this began to look like it would be a perfectly great night. The possibility of achieving his goal put a spring in his step and hope in his heart.

Even better, he felt like he might fit in while here, despite having only been in town a couple of days. No one stared at him or gave him sideways glances. No, sir, generally the locals didn’t even appear to act like he might be out of place. Which was in stark contrast to the way they’d acted when he’d first arrived in town.

In fact, one might consider them a bit overly friendly. Especially the other men. Rance noticed every single guy—old or young—gave him a broad beaming smile. Sometimes a wink, or a dip of the chin, and even once a thumbs-up. All very convivial and jovial, almost like they were congratulating him for something, though he had no idea what. Maybe word had leaked out that he’d seen their lake creature? Judging from the teenager they’d run into at the lake, he wouldn’t have thought that’d be a good thing.

In fact, it was beginning to creep him out.

Ahead, he saw the sign for the Brew and Chew Pub.

Finally reaching the bar, he yanked open the surprisingly heavy red painted wooden door and went inside. As the door swung closed behind him, he blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the dimness.

The inside smelled like heaven. Grilled burgers with onions and fries. No cigarette smoke, for which he felt grateful. In fact, several no-smoking signs were prominently displayed.

One empty bar stool in the middle of the bar beckoned him. Red pleather, he thought as he took a seat. While he waited for the bartender to notice him, he thought about grabbing a menu, but decided he didn’t need it. He already knew what he wanted.

When the bartender—a tall, thin guy with a close-cropped head of gray hair—appeared, he slid a tall glass of draft beer to Rance. “Guys at the pool table bought it for you,” he said, grinning.

“Why?” Perplexed, Rance eyed the drink, his mouth suddenly dry with longing. He even reached for the glass, feeling the cold sweat on his palm before turning and raising it in a salute of thanks in the general direction of the pool area.

Cheers erupted.

When Rance turned back, he carefully relinquished his hold on the glass and slid it away from him. “I don’t actually drink,” he said. “Could I get a ginger ale instead?”

“No problem.” Dumping out the beer, the bartender, whose nametag read Earl, refilled the glass with a can of Canada Dry. “You’re kind of a local hero today. Do you want to see a menu?”

A local hero. Deciding food trumped hearing gossip, Rance shook his head. He’d ask why later. “No need. One burger and fries is what I need.”

“Double or triple?”

Since he needed meat, Rance opted for the triple.

“Coming right up.” Earl left to go put in the order.

The guy on the bar stool to the right of Rance swiveled around. “Lucky bastard,” he said, grinning. “Not sure how you managed it, but every single guy in town wishes they were you.”

Now Rance knew he had absolutely no idea what this man meant. He took another pull on his ginger ale and shrugged. “Thanks, I guess. Though to be honest, I have no idea what all of this is about.”

The other guy’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to say something, but just then Earl appeared with Rance’s dinner.

“Here you go,” Earl said, sliding the plate in front of him. “The cook had started making one for my meal, but I’m letting you have mine. Hope you enjoy. And, Ted—” he shot Rance’s neighbor a warning look “—let this guy eat in peace, will you?”

Mumbling what sounded like a disgruntled affirmative, Ted turned back to his beer.

Mouth watering, Rance grabbed the burger and dug in. He tried to make himself eat slower, but the food tasted so good and he was so hungry he practically inhaled it. Luckily, he had the soft drink to help wash everything down.

When he’d cleaned his plate and drank all his ginger ale, Earl brought another. “This one’s on the two guys at the end of the bar.” He jerked his head toward them and they waved.

“Okay.” Rance began to wonder if he’d inadvertently wandered into a gay bar. “Listen, Earl. Why is everyone buying me drinks?”

Earl scratched his head. “You really don’t know?”

“I have no idea.”

Ted snickered.

Ignoring him, Earl leaned on the counter. “Two words. Jade Burnett.”

Chapter 5

Since he still didn’t understand, Rance took another sip and waited.

“Every guy in this town has been wanting to date her. You’ve been seen hanging out with her on more than one occasion. Most of the guys are taking bets that you’ll be the one who finally breaks through.”

Though he knew he shouldn’t, Rance had to ask. “Breaks through?”

Earl’s grin widened. “You do know she’s a witch, right?”

“I’ve heard that, yes,” Rance answered cautiously.

“She has...powers. If you get my drift.” And Earl actually winked.

Though Rance now had a good idea where this was headed, he figured he might as well make the bartender spell it out.

“What kind of powers?”

Next to him, Ted tried to stifle a laugh and ended up spewing a mouthful of beer all over the bar.

Earl tossed him a rag. “Clean it up,” he ordered, before turning his attention back to Rance.

“Listen,” Earl said, lowering his voice. “There isn’t a single guy in town who hasn’t tried to tap that. And her rumored powers are the main reason why. Sure, she’s gorgeous and sexy as hell, but if the stories are true...”

“Stories?” Despite the anger beginning to simmer inside him, Rance deliberately kept his face expressionless and cocked his head. “What kind of stories?”

Grinning, Earl shook his head.

Apparently, Ted couldn’t take it anymore. “Sexual powers, you idiot,” he said, unable to contain his glee. “And we’re counting on you to let us know if it’s true.”

Rance had to suppress the sudden, strong urge to punch the guy in his face. All of them, in fact. Poor Jade. He couldn’t help but wonder where all this had come from if no one had gotten near to her.

“Does Jade, er, know about this legendary power of hers?” he asked, jaw tight. “Is she aware what y’all are saying about her?”

“Y’all?” Earl shook his head. “You ain’t from around here, are you?

“No, obviously I’m not. You didn’t answer the question. Does Ms. Jade know?”

Earl shrugged. “I don’t know. This is a small town, so I imagine she might.”

Damn. Rance had to look down at his hands to hide his fury. “I’d like the check, please,” he said. Getting into a bar brawl wouldn’t do anything to help his position in this town. “And don’t ever let me hear you talk about Jade like that again.”

The walk back to his motel wasn’t enough to dispel the turmoil inside him. Despite knowing the rumor had to be complete and utter nonsense, even the thought of it fueled his already deep desire for Jade.

Frustration coiled inside him. He wanted to claim her as his. Part of him already had. And truth be told, a lot of it was sexual. Jade Burnett’s beauty attracted him. His inner beast roared, reminding him of his earlier resolution to change and let his other self run free.

Perfect. Exactly what he needed to do. As long as he took precautions not to be seen. His kind was not only rare, but largely misunderstood among other shifters.

Increasing his stride, he continued on past the intersection where the business part of town gave way to residential. The well-kept houses were fully restored and beautifully landscaped. As he passed one house with colorful flower gardens, he could smell the heady scent of lilac.

For some reason, this made him think of Jade, with her clear green eyes and uncertain smile. No wonder she seemed a little standoffish. People spreading wild rumors about her would have a way of messing with her self-confidence.

Yet despite all that, or because of it, he couldn’t keep himself from picturing her naked underneath him, her perfect skin gleaming in the moonlight.

Aroused and furious, he picked up his pace, heading toward a wooded tract of undeveloped land he’d seen when driving around. As soon as his feet left the pavement, the sound of the fallen leaves crackling underfoot began to soothe his restlessness. He inhaled sharply, pine and earth and wood, continuing on, in search of a meadow or a large enough clearing to accommodate him once he assumed his other form.

Finally, deep within the forest, he found a meadow. The overgrown wild grass rustled in the light breeze, and above, the black night sky twinkled with a thousand stars. Rance made a slow turn, listening, scenting, just to make sure no creatures other than wild ones roamed near. The last thing he needed was for an errant pack of wolf shifters to see him.

Even though the wolves and the dragons were allies, until their Pack council found a way to announce the existence of his kind, he and all the few others like him had been asked to keep everything low-key.

Sensing nothing other than an owl in one of the nearby trees and a rabbit cowering under a bush, he stripped off his clothing. He dropped to all fours and initiated the change. He couldn’t wait to soar into the air, rushing toward the stars. Flying felt so weightless, and the distances he could travel in a few hours, brought its own kind of freedom.

Except flying could be dangerous. His heart sank as he considered his choices. Then, with a rush of excitement, he realized what he’d do instead. The cliffs overlooking the water weren’t too far away. The vastness of Forestwood Lake beckoned. There, he could dive deep into the water, unseen by anyone who walked the land. For his kind, swimming felt akin to flying, except for the necessity of holding one’s breath.

And if he happened to run into the local lake monster, even better.

* * *

The unsettled feeling had come over Jade during the night, startling her wide awake at 3:00 a.m. Lying awake in her bed, desperately wishing for sleep, she’d seen shadowed images. A beast of some kind, flying. At first, she thought Libby was making contact—her charge had done that before—but this felt different. As if someone or something was watching her, hearing every breath, feeling every stuttering pulse of her heart. Her necklace even felt warm, but that could have been because of her rising bodily heat. Now every nerve ending along her skin came alive as she waited, wondering what she was supposed to do.

When she finally fell asleep, she saw his face again. Rance. In her dream, she reached for him as he came in for a kiss. The instant their lips touched, she knew...

Because she shied away from the knowledge, she’d startled awake again. This time, her clock read five-thirty, which meant she could get up and shower.

Once she was dressed, she snagged a cup of coffee and carried it out to the front porch like she always did. Settling in the large wooden swing, she took a sip and watched the sky lighten as the sun readied itself to come up over the horizon.

Today, she fully expected Rance Sleighter to make an appearance. Her entire body heated as she pondered what she’d do if he tried to kiss her. And then, she wondered if she’d be disappointed if he didn’t.

Inside the house, all was silent and still. Her entire family still slept. Her mother, Amber, didn’t believe in getting up before sunrise and Pearl and Sapphire were teenagers. Enough said.

This morning in addition to opening up Dogs Off Leash, she’d be helping out her mom by opening their store, Jewels and Essence. Over the weekend Amber and Opal had each taken turns, since they’d given their healthy-oil classes to twenty-two attendees who’d signed up in advance. That part of the business had really taken off. While interest in aromatherapy had blossomed worldwide, Jade had a feeling the popularity of theirs had a bit to do with the way the townspeople believed she had magic.

Opal and Amber weren’t bothered by this. In fact, they capitalized on it whenever they could. Pearl and Sapph rolled their eyes and giggled whenever the topic of magic came up.

It appeared the only one bothered by the rumors and gossip was Jade, the so-called sexy witch. When she’d first learned of the tales of her sexual prowess, she’d been mortified. And then, the embarrassment had settled into a simmering anger, which made her retreat from any attempts at dating. Of course, it didn’t help that she’d recently turned twenty-nine and, with thirty looming on the horizon, was more than ready to settle down and have a family. With the ridiculous expectation looming over her, all any of the men in this town were interested in was seeing if it was true.

Recently, she’d signed up for an online dating service and was careful only to go out with men from one of the neighboring towns, where they’d have no idea who she was. So far, while she hadn’t met anyone she couldn’t resist, none of the men she’d dated had any preconceived ideas about her. That had been a relief.

She yawned and checked her watch. Time to finish her coffee and get inside and eat. Her first clients would be dropping off their dogs at 6:00 a.m. sharp.

When she’d decided to open Dogs Off Leash, her mother and grandmother had scoffed. Her aunt and uncle had rolled their eyes and her sisters couldn’t have cared less. Only Grandpa Sam had clapped her on the back and told her he thought she had a fine idea. Since Grandpa rarely spoke to anyone since the dementia had taken hold of him, Jade considered his words a high compliment.

In the year and a half since her doggy day care had been open, business had been brisk and increasing in increments. She’d taken her profits and reinvested in the business, adding on to the fenced dog play areas and hiring additional staff.

Even better, she loved her business. Every morning she greeted the day with a smile on her face, eager to get to work. Raised as a child without pets, she adored being around the dogs, often sitting on the floor and rolling around with them. Even Sapph had taken to stopping by to play, much to the amusement of her twin sister.

Once she’d eaten, Jade hurried to her room to grab her watch since today she needed to make sure to be aware of the time. With the timepiece clasped securely around her wrist, she went back to the kitchen, intending to make one more cup of coffee to take with her. When she got there, she stopped short, surprised to find her mother sitting at the kitchen table, her head down.

“Mom?” Jade hurried over, alarmed. Amber never rose before sunrise. “Is everything okay?”

When Amber raised her face, her cheeks were wet with tears. “Your cousin Diamond has gone missing.”

Diamond, aka the Wild Child. Still... Jade stared. “But she just came to the family meeting the other day.”

“I know.” Amber sighed. “My sister says she didn’t come home after that. They assumed she went out with friends, but she’s not answering her cell. They have no idea where she is and they’re worried sick.”

This said a lot. Amber’s sister Emerald wasn’t the dramatic type. If she was worried, this meant she believed she had good reason. Of course, ever since Diamond had started running around with a partying crowd, Jade had been concerned enough for the both of them.

“What are we going to do?” Jade asked quietly. “I assume we’re going to organize a search or something?”

“I don’t know. Em said something about Diamond’s new boyfriend. No one has actually met him, but Di never stopped talking about him.”

Which meant, Jade thought privately, he probably didn’t exist. It wouldn’t be the first time her cousin had made up a boyfriend. Especially since none of her friends had actually seen him.

“It isn’t like Di to just disappear,” Jade mused. “Unless she’s pulling some sort of stunt for attention.” Attention appeared to be the one thing Diamond couldn’t seem to get enough of. Add to that the fact that several of Di’s close friends had done this exact same thing, and Jade figured they considered it a trend or something. Jade had never pretended to understand how her cousin or her friends thought.

Amber’s frown deepened. “You do have a point, but I can’t see her willingly causing her mother this much worry. Something must have happened to her.” She took a deep breath. “Will you help?”

“Of course. What would you like me to do?” When her mother raised her gaze, Jade knew. It always came down to this. Anytime someone had a problem, the family sent Jade to talk to Libby. To be fair, they had no choice, as Jade was the only person Libby would speak to.

When Libby agreed to respond to Jade’s questions, her answers were always correct. Not seventy-five percent of the time, or ninety. But one-hundred-percent, every-single-time correct. Worse, when Libby went into one of her trances, she’d relay to Jade her visions. Often, these were ten times more vivid than any dream.

Of course, the family knew Jade had magic, though they erroneously assumed she could do more with it than she could. And everyone regarded Libby as a Seer as well as a lake creature. Because there was no way any normal person could have all the answers. Only those who had been caretakers before her knew the truth. Amber knew. The magic was real and special. Because Libby wasn’t a normal person, or even a normal shape-shifter. She was one of a kind. Maybe the last of her kind. And Jade believed fervently that Libby didn’t deserve to be bothered with small stuff.

Jade had gotten to the point of hating to have to ask favors of Libby. She wasn’t sure her cousin Di taking off for a few days warranted asking for magic.

“Please,” her mother pleaded, correctly interpreting Jade’s hesitation. “Your Auntie Em specifically asked me to ask you since you and she are so close. She knows your connection to Libby. If I still had the ability, I’d ask her myself.”

And therein lay the problem. No way could Jade say no now. Not to a worried-sick parent and her favorite aunt. Even if her cousin was a little bit...wild. Jade wondered if her aunt Emerald knew that several others in the crowd Di ran around with had taken off at various intervals for a few days, only to reappear suddenly, acting like nothing had happened.

“Fine. I’ll do it.” Grabbing her stainless steel coffee mug, she poured one more cup, keeping herself busy as she added cream and sugar, and stirring.

“When?” Amber pressed. “Can you run out there this morning?”

Reminding herself that her mother felt a sense of urgency even if Jade did not, Jade sighed. “Remember, you asked me to open up your store for you?”

“I can take care of that.” Amber stretched. “I feel much more rested. So you’ll talk to Libby today.”

Jade nodded. “Yes, of course. After I get DOL open and make sure my employees show up, I’ll head on out to the lake.”

“Oh, thank you.” Amber gave a wan smile over the rim of her coffee cup. “Let me call Em. She’ll be so relieved.”

Jade slipped out of the room as her mother turned away to make the call. What was Diamond up to? While of course Jade hoped her cousin was all right, if this disappearance was some sort of prank, Jade would let the younger girl have a stern lecture. The time had come for that girl to grow up and start thinking of others besides herself.

At least they had Libby. Either way, she knew Libby would be able to help.

Pushing away the bad mood that now threatened to ruin her day, Jade took deep breaths and willed herself to return to the calm, serene happiness she’d felt earlier while having her first cup of coffee. She had to get the doggy day care up and running for the day and no one could be out of sorts around dogs. The thought made her smile. It seemed the pups could always sense emotional distress and would work extra hard with wiggles, wagging tails and doggy kisses to cajole a smile or a laugh.

As a shape-shifter, sometimes she thought the dogs sensed the inner wolf inside her. Other times, she guessed they didn’t even have a clue.

Arriving at DOL, she hurried inside and unlocked the door. Inside, she went from room to room, flipping on lights as she passed through. She checked to make sure both the indoor and outdoor play areas were clean and ready. After she’d made sure the gates were closed and the toys put up, she was ready. Dusting her hands off on her jeans, she smiled as she heard the sound of a car pulling up. The day had just begun.

Some days, her morning crew barely beat the first of the dogs. People liked to drop off Fido or Lucy before work and pick them up after. After a day of play with the other dogs, by the time the client returned to collect their pet, the animal was exhausted in a happy way. People loved it, the dogs had a great time and everyone won. Jade laughed out loud sometimes when she realized what a terrific job she had.

By the time the sun shone in the cloudless blue sky, Jade had a packed house. Her employees were already outside in the play yards, which were segregated due to dog size. Happiness colored the air, making the place practically sparkle with joy—on the faces of both dogs and people.

She didn’t want to leave. How many people could say that about their jobs? Still, duty called.

“I’ve got to go run an errand,” she told Sue, her most long-term employee. “Keep an eye on things until I get back, okay?”

Sue nodded, her short gray pixie cut swinging. “Are you going to...the lake?” Her hushed, almost reverent tone made Jade smile. Everyone acted as if visiting Libby was some sort of sacred duty. Which in a way, it was, she supposed. Though not like the others appeared to think. She didn’t bring offerings of food, though occasionally she’d take out a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses for the two of them to share. There were no rituals involved, no magic. Nothing but a little conversation. If Libby happened to be swimming as her beast, she’d emerge from the lake and shift into her human form, heading into the small cabin she occupied year-round. There, she’d put on one of the numerous dresses she owned, some of them reminiscent of years gone by. She’d brew a pot of tea, and she and Jade would hang out.

Hanging out with the lake creature. Who knew what people would think if they realized? She supposed the shape-shifters in town wouldn’t be surprised, but the humans would be simply flabbergasted. As far as they were concerned, the lake creature was a myth, like bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster. Long ago, the local shifters had made it law to keep Libby’s existence a secret from the rest of the world. This, they reasoned, was the only way to protect her.

Until Rance had shown up, this law had worked for decades.

Today Jade would take the proper precautions to make sure she wasn’t followed—Rance Sleighter immediately came to mind—and drive out to the lake to have a chat with Libby. She hated to have to ask the other woman to access her prophetic abilities, but she would. She had to ask about Diamond vanishing.

Until she knew more, Jade decided not to say anything about her cousin’s disappearance to anyone outside of the family. News—aka gossip—traveled fast in a town this size.

“Yes, I am going to the lake.” Her grin widened at Sue’s gasp. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

* * *

Though showing up again at Burnett House unannounced would have Jade Burnett considering him a major pain in the ass, Rance hadn’t gotten to be an excellent photojournalist by worrying about annoying people. Plus, if he were completely honest with himself, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Jade and her exotic green eyes. He’d actually caught himself viewing the photos he’d taken of her again and again. Even if he hadn’t been chasing a story, he knew he had to see her again.

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