The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2

Sharon Ashwood Fragile Magic

A wingtip brushed Selina’s ear. She yelped, a short, sharp cry of surprise.

Jolted out of her grocery-shopping stupor, Selina whipped around. Her skin tingled where she’d felt the whisper of suede-soft skin. The sensation rippled down her neck like tiny fingers.

What the. .?

With a thunderous smack, the cereal aisle exploded in a storm of frosty, flaky goodness. Seconds later, the air filled with the sound of cereal pattering back to earth like the inside of a breakfast-food snow globe. Selina scanned her surroundings, trying to make sense of it all.

She squinted at the mess. There were certain things she expected to encounter in the grocery aisle. A gargoyle floundering in a drift of Toasty-Os was not among them.

“What is that thing?” a man demanded, picking up a jar of peanut butter like an offensive weapon.

“It’s hideous,” someone else said.

“Is somebody going to call animal control?”

“It’s just a gargoyle,” Selina put in.

They were one of the many oddball species that had started popping up lately, some humanoid and some — like the gargoyles — definitely not. It had started happening during Y2K, when the vampires had swanned on to the talk show circuit and revealed themselves to the world in an emo tell-all. After that, being a plain old human was just so last century. Paranormal was instantly the new black. More and more supernatural species were emerging from the shadows and signing up for cell phones, credit cards and cable TV.

Which was exciting unless, like Selina, you’d rather not be special. Having a fey daddy and three fey sisters was enough to drive anyone to the relative sanity of business college. Nothing said “get that magic wand out of my face” like an MBA and a pinstripe suit.

Thankfully, she’d managed to tune out most of the media monster madness — until now. There, between her and the Toaster Tarts, was a gargoyle: pointy ears, beak and all, right where she couldn’t ignore it.

Man, that is one ugly critter.

She wanted to back away but morbid fascination made her stare. Gargoyles were, for want of a better description, animals. Its hind feet — two claws front, one back — were made to perch on medieval architecture. Sadly, the Save-It Store lacked flying buttresses. Now the creature couldn’t get its footing on the treacherous Toasty-Os and it squawked with cartoonish alarm. One wing drooped, perhaps injured in the collision with the display unit.

“What’s it doing here?” the man asked, still clutching the jar.

Selina shrugged. “Some people keep them like dogs.”

“Sick monster-loving jerks.” The guy took off down the aisle with his peanut butter.

“Whatever.” She checked her watch, her mind back at the gallery where she worked. She’d been dragged from the back offices to cover for the owner during his illness. As a result, she was slammed with appointments. This sideshow in the cereal aisle was going to make her late. Selina gripped the handle of her cart, a wave of grumpiness overtaking her.

Seconds later, a man in a green apron advanced with a broom and a scowl. At the sight of him, the gargoyle began flapping its one good wing, making a frantic noise somewhere between a cheep and the belch of a hairballing cat.

From the look on the clean-up guy’s face, the gargoyle was about to be scrubbed out of existence. Selina pulled her cart to one side, willing the critter to make a break for freedom. Do not pass go, do not collect Klub Kard points. Flee, little monster, be free.

No such luck. It cowered before the broom guy, wings pathetically askew. It had big, round eyes the colour of lime Jell-o. Her heart began to hurt for it.

“I think it’s a juvenile,” Selina blurted. “It’s kind of small.”

Mr Clean-up poked the gargoyle with the head of the huge push-broom. The gargoyle staggered, its round body overbalanced. She could feel its panic like a wave of electricity, millions of sharp needles pricking her skin. That was her dreaded fey blood talking but even a plain old human could see the creature’s distress.

The guy just jabbed it again.

“Stop that!” she snapped, coming out from behind the cart. Selina was small and slight, but outrage made her bold. So I’m going to be late back to the office. I can’t just leave the poor thing sitting in a pile of cereal.

Broom Guy gave her the once-over, taking in her smooth blond hair and smartly tailored business suit — then turned away without interest. His expression said he preferred skinning baby monsters with his pocket knife.

“Damned thing probably got away from the pet store next door,” he ground out, voice filled with as much light and laughter as the dirty floor tiles. “The flying rats figure out how to get the cage doors open.” He knocked the gargoyle again. It toppled over with a moaning rattle.

Selina felt her skin growing hot with anger, her silk blouse sticking as she marched forward. “Why don’t you just take it next door and give it back?”

“I’m not touching that thing. Have you seen that beak?”

“Coward.” She didn’t like touching supernatural creatures either — they stirred her own powers to life — but this was an emergency. Selina scooped up the gargoyle, cradling it against her chest. Its grey, wrinkled skin was soft as kid leather, warm and slightly fuzzy. It grabbed on with its front paws, digging tiny claws into the wool of her jacket. That had better not leave holes.

“Whatever.” Deprived of a monster to bully, Broom Guy took a swipe at the Toasty-Os. “Pet store’s to the left of the front door.”

The gargoyle snuggled, making an odd little gurgle. One wing was definitely crooked. It looked broken to her. She could feel its panic fading to desperation as it curled against her, seeking the comfort of her warmth.

Selina turned on her heel and walked out, snatching up her purse as she abandoned her cart.

Half an hour later, she left the pet store with a shocking Visa bill, a carry-bag of canned food, and a Getting to Know Your Gargoyle info folder, complete with feeding instructions and veterinary referral.

She hadn’t been able to stand the sight of the tiny wire cages along the back of the Exotic Pet Emporium — especially once the gargoyle had started to keen and cling to her. Its panic came back in hammering waves that sent her fey senses spinning. Other animals — some golden Lab puppies and a baby griffin — gave her big, sad eyes as she stood there hovering on the knife-edge of guilt and temptation. It was hard not to take them all.

“Congratulations,” said the pet store cashier, all smiles as he rang up the sale. “You’ve got a great guard animal there. He’s only eight weeks right now but they grow fast. This little guy will get to be about 120 pounds.”

Oh, no way! She was so not keeping a gargoyle for a pet. She was just rescuing him until she could find a better owner. If she had a pet, it would be something like a fish or a canary — something that stayed in its cage and didn’t break anything. Something that didn’t kickstart the empathic powers she’d buried beneath a cartload of accounting texts and sensible shoes.

Dismay settled over her as she crossed the parking lot to her car. A hundred and twenty pounds?

Selina tossed the back-seat clutter — a woollen car blanket, a map book and some binders from work — on to the floor and made room for the gargoyle. It hunkered down until it was wedged between the seat back and the passenger door. Every few seconds, it worried its crooked wing with its beak, poking at the injury.

Selina pulled out her cellphone and dialled the gallery with one hand while, with the other, she fished in the pet store paperwork for the vet’s address. The card was stapled to the inside of the folder and gave an address about ten minutes away. The vet’s name was simply listed as “Dr Jake.” What kind of a name was that?

Sounds like a frontier medical man, scalpel in one hand and bar room floozy in the other.

Meanwhile, the phone at The Old World Art and Antiques Gallery went to voicemail. The recorded message jerked her back to the present. Her boss, Richard Janos — still at home after heart surgery and grouchy as a bear — was too sick to run the gallery but still trying to micromanage from afar. He wouldn’t be happy that she was MIA, especially right now.

In a little over a month, collectors were coming from three countries to attend Old World’s exhibition and sale of eighteenth-century French antiques. There was a lot left to arrange, even though Selina had taken over the planning when Janos fell ill. She’d always shied away from working with the public, never wanting to advertise the fact that she was anything but a numbers gal, but this was an excuse to show off what she could do. Fey were the ultimate party planners, with a flair for turning the dullest affair into a smash hit. Combined with her human knack for financial detail, Selina was bred for the job. Not only was the show hotly anticipated, clients had started asking for her by name.

Hopefully, her recent successes would buy her some slack. Selina pushed a button to get the admin assistant’s voicemail inbox. “Hi, it’s me. Listen, would you please cancel the one-thirty with the caterer and tell him I’ll be in touch tomorrow. Reschedule my two o’clock with Mrs McAdams to five and would you please call the framers and tell them I’ll be by in the morning? Something personal’s come up. I’ll explain when I get there.”

She disconnected before anyone could pick up. Sighing, she leaned back against the seat, trying to relax for a split second before tackling the next problem. She was getting a headache.

Part of the reason was that Selina could feel the gargoyle’s anxiety like something gnawing at her belly. Instinctively, she reached out with her mind. If she could just steal away the animal’s distress — that was her magical talent, the one trick her half-fey blood could sometimes manage. On a good day, she was just empath enough to catch emotion and blow it out like a candle.

But she was rusty, her fragile magic sluggish from disuse. It felt like moving blocks of concrete by will alone. Can I do this?

Selina opened her eyes, realizing she’d been squeezing them shut. Gasping a deep breath, she wiped her eyes and glanced in the rear view mirror. The gargoyle was staring at her, round-eyed, but the look was now adoration instead of fear. It worked!

On the other hand, she didn’t look so good. Sweat dewed her face, tendrils of her blond hair darkened where they clung to her damp cheeks. Her expression looked bruised.

She’d sworn off using her talent for a good reason: it sucked. And people thought being a fey meant dancing in dew circles with a mushroom cap on your head. Yeah, right.

With shaking fingers, she stabbed the key into her car’s ignition.

With a final glance at the back seat, Selina pulled out of the parking lot. The gargoyle whimpered as the car moved. It crawled down to the floorboards, doing its best to hide under the folds of the blanket. So much for taking away his fear. That only worked if there was nothing new to be afraid of. Car rides were no fun for any animal. Must get one of those dog carriers.

Which would only make sense if I was keeping him. Involuntarily, she twitched. One bad landing, and he could take out her collection of rare Chinese vases. And who knew what those claws could do to the Louis Quatorze escritoire? She’d bought that piece with an eye to her retirement plan. A good antique just kept gathering value — at least it would until Gary the Gargoyle smashed it to smithereens.

Gary. It sort of suited the little guy, who was now sending up an occasional pathetic moan. She hoped that didn’t mean he was about to be car sick.

She turned into the Bayside Vet Clinic, wedging the car into one of the three visitor spaces. The building was showing its age — low, white and plain except for tattered green awnings. Selina got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side. She opened the door, ready in case the gargoyle made a run for it. It didn’t. It flattened to a whimpering pancake.

Selina reached in, picking it up under the forelegs and catching an unpleasant smell. It had piddled on the plaid wool car blanket. It looked away, the picture of guilt, and hid its face against her arm. Oh, damn. Poor little guy.

She kicked the car door shut and, cradling the gargoyle, carried it into the vet’s office. Dr J. Hallender’s name — Dr Jake? — was the only one stencilled on the door, right above a line of bold lettering that read: Everyone deserves the very best care. No furry friend too unusual.

Selina wondered how much more this act of mercy was going to cost her.

The receptionist, identified by her name tag as Tracy, looked up as Selina came in. “Hi, can I help you?”

“Broken wing, I think.”

“Are you one of Dr Jake’s clients?”

“As of now I am.”

Tracy gave a grudging smile. Selina eyed her. The young woman had a sharp, hungry look that wasn’t quite human. Werewolf? Werewolfism wasn’t contagious but did that matter once you were digested?

“How soon can we see Dr — um — Dr Jake?”

Tracy leaned across the reception desk, gently scratching the gargoyle’s head. Selina could feel the heat of the she-wolf’s skin even though they never touched. Shape-shifters seemed to run at a higher temperature than humans.

An affectionate look softened Tracy’s features. “What’s his name?”

“Um, Gary.”

“Hey, Gary.” She ran a finger down the crooked wing.

The gargoyle flinched into Selina’s chest, gripping the front of her coat for dear life. He turned pain-filled eyes up to her.

A thin line formed between Tracy’s brows. “Yeah, there’s something wrong there, poor baby. Go right into Exam One. There are a few people waiting, but I’ll make sure Jake sees this little guy right away.”

Tracy pointed down the hallway. The sign for each exam room was clearly visible.

As she walked down the hall, Selina took quick peeks through glass windows into the other rooms. There was a storage space filled with surgical equipment, cages, and shelves of medical supplies. Another held a woman and what looked like a giant lizard. In a third, an ordinary-looking guy was pacing the room in a stew of anxiety. There was no pet in sight. Hm.

Exam One was empty. Selina went in and carefully set Gary on the table. He didn’t want to let go, but he was getting heavy. The little guy has to be a good twelve pounds.

Fortunately, there was an open jar of dog treats on the counter. As she bribed him on to the table, he grabbed the cookie with paws that reminded her of a raccoon. No wonder they break out of ordinary cages.

“Don’t give him too many of those,” said a soft male voice from the doorway. “You should really be looking for grain-free products.”

Selina felt like a mom caught feeding her infant french fries. Heat flared in her cheeks as she wheeled to face the door. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

Oh! She caught sight of the speaker. “Dr Jake, I presume?”

He was young, in blue jeans and a navy T-shirt under a rumpled lab coat. The look was more outdoorsy than doctorish, his footwear sturdy hiking boots. His eyes and wavy hair were both a rich brown that made her think of dark chocolate fudge.

“Jake Hallender,” he offered a hand.

“Selina Pearson.” As she grasped his hand, she felt the same heat that had radiated from the receptionist’s skin. Wolf. She resisted the urge to flinch away. It wasn’t hard. His smile was filled with easy-going, good-humoured amusement, with just a pinch of mischief. There was nothing obviously threatening about the vet, unless one could weaponize male charm.

I bet he knows he’s cute. He has that look, like he could get away with anything and you’d forgive him. Who knew male arrogance crossed species lines? The doctor’s gaze was travelling up her body, eventually coming to rest on her face. From his expression, he liked what he saw. She took back her hand and turned pointedly to the exam table, avoiding inspection.

Gary was poking at his wing again. He’d abandoned the treat.

“I think my gargoyle’s wing is broken,” she said, getting right down to business.

“How long have you had him?” Dr Jake picked up a stethoscope and hooked it into his ears.

“About an hour.”

He stopped short. “An hour?”

“Yes, I got him this afternoon,” Selina looked at her watch. “And, I’m sorry, but I need to be back at the office by five for an appointment. I’ve already put it off once.”

The vet all but rolled his eyes. “If you’ve got a full schedule, maybe you should adopt a cactus instead of a pet.” Although his tone was polite, there was a sudden edge of frost.

She felt the heat in her cheeks deepen. “I didn’t set out this morning to adopt anything. It was an accident.”

Dr Jake gave her a curious look before pressing the end of the stethoscope against Gary’s back and stomach, making him squirm. “An accident, huh? Gargoyles need at least some attention, and they’re not small. This boy will grow to seventy-five pounds or so.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

Dr Jake raised an eyebrow. “A relief?”

“The pet store said one-twenty.”

“Stores often don’t know what they have. The big gargoyles are the European breed. The greys like yours are smaller. Friendlier, too.”

As if to demonstrate, Gary made a gentle squawk into the stethoscope, grabbing it in one paw and then trying to stuff it into his beak. The vet winced, pulling the earpieces out and hanging the instrument around his neck. “Well, there’s nothing wrong with his heart or lungs. You’re lucky. Domestic specimens are often so inbred there are birth defects. Your boy’s just fine.” He turned Gary around and began examining his damaged wing. Gary chittered a protest, but didn’t try to bite.

Selina watched Jake’s square, competent hands as he worked. Firm but gentle. What else were those hands expert at?

He administered a shot, explaining it was to freeze the wing. Then he cast her a sideways glance. “So what made you accidentally buy a gargoyle?”

“I rescued him from a guy with a broom. Gary was on the lam from the pet store and took a dive into the cereal aisle at the Save-It Store.”

The vet looked at her with new interest, one that went beyond physical appreciation. Rescuing Gary had obviously scored her points, which should have been a good thing. For Selina, not so much. Her empathic gift told her more than she wanted to know. She could feel his attention like a klieg light. That was the difference between a human and a wolf. When a wolf chose to notice you, he really looked. But Selina spent her life flying under the radar, and that much scrutiny was uncomfortable.

“I’m not sure I can keep a pet,” she said flatly, hoping that would put him off. “I work in an antiques gallery. I’m gone most of the day and I live in a small apartment.”

“Does the landlord allow pets?”

“I guess so. The lady next door used to have a parrot.” She watched him dab what looked like a gel on the back of Gary’s wing. Despite herself, she leaned closer to get a better look. “What is that stuff?”

“Glue, actually. It will help immobilize the wing while the bone heals.” He carefully folded the wing into a natural, closed position. “Can you hold him just like that?”

Selina slipped her hands next to his, conscious of the warmth of his skin and the soft fuzz of Gary’s hide. Dr Jake began binding the closed wing against Gary’s back, wrapping the bandage just below the creature’s armpits. “The worst habit baby gargoyles have is a tendency to swallow small objects. Rings, erasers, marbles—”

“Stethoscopes.”

He laughed, a quick flash of white teeth. “Yeah. You have to watch them pretty carefully. Otherwise, they’re excellent company. Easy to house train. As long as they have a window and somewhere to perch, they’re pretty content to watch the world go by.”

“Good to know,” Selina replied. “How long is it going to take the wing to heal?”

He caught her eye, a smile lurking at the corners of his mouth. He brushed her hands more than was strictly necessary as he fastened the bandage. “About a month. There will be follow-up visits.”

Selina caught the teasing tone in his voice. “Is that so?”

He gave her puppy dog eyes. “Several.”

He held her gaze. She felt like ice cream slowly turning to a sticky puddle. Don’t go there. Really. Do. Not. Encourage. Him.

Jake’s smile was taking over his face, one dimple at a time.

Dammit. “Are you flirting?” Stupid question.

“Would you like me to?”

“I didn’t think wolves dated humans.”

“But you’re fey.”

Selina’s whole body jolted with shock. Oh, crap. She was busted.

“Ah, sorry,” he said, smile fading. “From the look on your face, you’d rather keep that private.”

“I’m only half fey,” Selina countered, feeling her heart skitter. “You’re the first person in town who’s guessed.” And you’d better be the last!

“I knew quite a few fey back in my home town. I recognized your scent.”

“Guess I’d better wear heavier perfume.”

“Your secret’s safe with me.”

“There are professional reasons. .” No one does business with a fey. The humans think we’re all tricksters. I’d lose my job.

“Say no more.”

“Please. .”

“Don’t you trust wolves?” His eyebrows arched. “Why don’t I try and convince you of my honesty over coffee?”

Selina’s shock morphed into exasperation. This guy just won’t quit! “Aren’t there professional ethics about seeing your patients?”

“I don’t want to ask your gargoyle out for dinner.” He stroked Gary’s head. “As a species, they’re sweet-tempered but deathly short on conversation.”

Selina opened her mouth but struggled for words, outraged and intrigued at the same time. I heard wolves moved fast. She suddenly felt less articulate than Gary.

A crash came from outside the exam room door. The noise was metallic, as if a tray of medical instruments had fallen. It was followed by a loud thump.

Dr Jake pulled off his stethoscope and set it on the counter, his movements quick and precise. Selina read tension in the bunched muscles of his shoulders. “Stay here.” He stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

What’s going on?

Gary started bobbing up and down, squeaking like a rusty pogo stick. Automatically, she picked up the gargoyle to comfort him, stroking the soft skin of his back. The bright white bandage made him lopsided, his injured wing bound tight.

Cuddling him, Selina stood to one side of the exam room door and tried to peer through the narrow window. She could see part of the hallway and, sure enough, a rolling cart of supplies had crashed into the wall. It leaned drunkenly, a trail of surgical tools marking its path to collision. One of the other exam room doors stood open, blocking the rest of her view. She heard Dr Jake’s voice. “Tracy! A little help here!”

Wasn’t that the room where the ordinary-looking guy had been pacing? Selina tried to remember as she set Gary back on the table. The gargoyle cheeped, reaching for the dog cookies. Selina gave him one, hoping it would keep him busy for a moment. “You be good,” she admonished.

Gary blinked his lime green eyes, the picture of innocence, and stuck the cookie in his beak. Selina opened the door, cautiously peeking out. Common sense told her the thumps and growls coming from the exam room were bad news, especially in a clinic like this. She stepped into the hall, pulling the door shut.

Tracy stumbled backwards into the hall. She caught sight of Selina. “Get back in the room!” she snapped. “We’ve got a first-timer in here.” Her voice sounded rough, as if her wolf were lurking just beneath her human mask.

A first-timer! Someone — usually someone adopted as a kid — meeting their inner beast for the first time. Selina had heard horror stories about those poor shlubs who went through life as Grade A human, and then one day succumbed to a genetic time bomb that turned them into ravening fuzz balls. The late onset was due to a mysterious complex of factors — hormones, no pack socialization, human diet — but the outcome was predictable. Even if their bodies survived, their minds usually didn’t. Unexpectedly turning into a wolf wreaked havoc with the psyche.

“But it’s not full moon,” Selina said.

“Don’t believe everything you see in the movies. Full moon isn’t the only time the change can happen.”

Selina stood mute for a moment, fighting a dread so strong it felt like nausea. Some of it was hers, some came from outside. She took a breath, forcing her stomach to hold steady. “I think I can help.”

“Yeah, right.” Tracy flashed her a look of contempt. “Get back in the room or get out the door. This is going to be ugly.”

The receptionist lunged for the rolling cart and began rummaging through the jumble of supplies. Two more bodies exploded from the room, hitting the worn carpet with a thump of bone and flesh. Selina jumped back. They rolled, momentum smacking them into the baseboard. Dr Jake was on top, kneeling on his opponent’s back and wrenching the other man’s arm into a hammer lock. The vet was a big man, but the other was surfing supernatural adrenaline. He threw Jake off and scrambled to his feet, roaring with fury and confusion.

Selina had seen the change just once before. It had been fast and fluid, like a ripple in water — one moment a man, the next a wolf. This guy looked like he’d become stuck. He was hairy more than furry, one eye blue, the other yellow. The bones in his head looked all wrong, and there were definitely too many big, sharp teeth.

The wolfman and Dr Jake noticed Selina in the same instant. The vet was on his feet again, scrambling to put himself in front of her. Jake was starting to look a little wolfy himself, his teeth bared and shoulders hunched.

“Get back,” he said to the other man in a low voice. “Stay away from her.”

The wolfman sprang at the vet, teeth snapping.

“Watch out!” yelled Tracy.

Jake rolled into the motion of his attack, throwing his attacker to the floor with a practised flip. The man’s foot caught the edge of the cart and it went down with a crash, scattering supplies. Jake leaped on top.

Tracy crouched beside him, wrenching the wolfman’s shirt aside and jabbing a syringe into his shoulder. The drug was too little, too late. Black, curving claws thrust from the wolfman’s fingers in a spray of blood. He shrieked in pain, the sound cresting in an inhuman howl that tore through Selina.

A wave of hot nausea slammed into her. Choking it down, she pushed forward.

“Get back!” snarled Jake. He made a move to get up, to stop her, but checked himself because it was his strength alone that was holding the wolfman down.

“Cool it,” she snapped. “I know what I’m doing.”

“Yeah? What?” Jake puffed, forcing the wolfman’s shoulders to the floor.

Selina wanted to run so badly her legs twitched under her. Tracy grabbed her shoulder, but she shook her off. I don’t want to do this. I moved a thousand miles so that no one knew I could even try. She fell to her knees by the wolfman’s head, fighting dizziness.

“The drugs aren’t working,” she said.

“No shit,” Tracy snarled.

Selina opened her mental shields a crack. The wolfman’s eyes were squeezed shut, tears streaming down his hairy, malformed cheeks. But even sightless, he could sense she was there — fresh, tender meat. He twisted his head, neck craning toward her, nose twitching to scent her. Selina leaned closer, letting him catch her aroma, letting her awareness drift closer to his.

“Are you crazy?” Jake looked aghast. “Get out of here!”

“Forget it,” said Selina. Terrified, she damned her sense of obligation. There was a reason she worked where she did, with logical spreadsheets and beautiful antiques. They weren’t live creatures filled with volatile, wrenching feelings.

She grabbed the wolfman’s head, one hand on either cheek, and felt the black hole inside him. It was a dark whirlpool of pure terror. Her mind teetered on the edge, in danger of falling into the vortex of madness.

I can’t. She snatched her hands back, her heart hammering in her mouth. She could feel Jake next to her, the heat of his body prickling against her skin. Their shoulders brushed, their breath mingling. Close enough for his werewolf senses to pick up on what she was trying to do. Because her mental shields were open, she felt the jolt of his realization. “You’re an empath!”

“Sort of.” There was no time to explain how her magic didn’t always work right. Her hands clenched, as if her very skin shrank from touching the wolfman again. What if Jake talked? Or Tracy? Everyone would know what she was. She’d lose everything.

What possessed her to come here? She should have left Gary in the grocery store.

What if she screwed up?

What if. .

Enough! She grabbed the wolfman again, pressing his face between her hands. His eyes, wild with horror, stared into hers. With a sick fascination, she felt his thoughts pour into hers. His name was Steve Collins. He was watching his body twist and deform, turn into something sickening and foul that he didn’t understand. When the first symptoms had started a month ago, he’d thought the changes were signs of some degenerative disease and that he might die. Then he’d started to guess what was happening and came to the one doctor who might know how to help. But help how? Death would be better. He’d had a wife, a job. They were as good as lost.

His body was. . the sheer terror of it was driving him mad. He was hungry. The smell of blood was revolting and good and he’d looked at his wife, wanting to touch her and eat her at the same time. He’d reached for her and she’d screamed and he’d run out of the house. I didn’t mean it! and he was so sorry, sorry, sorry. .

Selina pulled the plug on his conscious state, putting him instantly to sleep. She bit her lip, holding all those emotions in, putting them out one by one by one. . like all the candles on a birthday cake from deepest Hell.

Dear God! The anguish was killing them both. Slumping back on her heels, she closed her eyes and released a huge, pent-up breath. Tears of anger and sorrow leaked from beneath her eyelashes. So many losses. The enormity of Steve’s suffering was too big for one heart to hold.

I can’t do this!

But she’d already done what she needed to do. Steve lay unmoving, his body slowly reverting to his human form. Jake let go of him, releasing a sigh of his own.

“Holy crap,” said Tracy.

“Call the pack,” said Jake in an exhausted tone. “We’ve got to put him in lock-up until this is over.”

Tracy moved swiftly to the reception desk and picked up the phone.

Selina lifted her head. It was starting to pound, the hangover of embracing all that fear and rage. “Lock-up?”

“Sort of house arrest, until he changes all the way to wolf form. Once that happens, usually everything’s okay. It’s like the body learns what to do and can start developing some control.”

“How long is that going to take?”

Jake shook his head. He looked as exhausted as she felt. “Hard to say. He has to stay aware to gain wolf form. A lot of first-timers keep passing out from sheer terror. It takes a few times before they make it through.”

“This wasn’t his first try, was it?”

“I don’t know. This guy had just come in for initial tests. Really didn’t want to talk. I had no idea his situation was this far advanced, or I wouldn’t have had him sitting in the office.”

Selina heard the defeat in Jake’s voice. She guessed past cases hadn’t gone well. “Isn’t there a sedative? Something to relax him but not knock him out?”

“Not so far. We try new drugs as they come on the market, but the werewolf body does odd things during the change.” His warm brown eyes were serious. “What you just did took serious guts.”

Selina didn’t feel brave. She felt depressed and slightly, inconveniently turned on by the concern in his gaze. Guys wanted her, but usually vanished once they got a whiff of her magic. Dr Jake Hallender wasn’t a coward. Then again, he wasn’t a human, either.

She managed a small smile, but it quickly faded. “I’m glad I could help. On the other hand, I guess I didn’t. He needs to change. I stopped him.”

Jake shook his head. “That wasn’t going to happen today. He was too afraid. Besides, we need to get him someplace safe — for himself and others. You gave him that.” He touched her shoulder, the contact light yet comforting as an embrace.

Selina dipped her chin, looking sadly at the now-human Steve while Jake gave some instructions to Tracy. Selena looked at her watch, realizing how much she used the gesture as a shield. Being busy kept people at a safe distance.

“I need to go. Please don’t say anything about what I did here. I have to be able to pass for human.” She swallowed hard, feeling suddenly awkward.

Jake nodded, his expression filled with understanding, but that intense gaze dimmed to a socially acceptable wattage. He was giving her space. The wolf no longer looked out of his eyes, just a tired man.

His withdrawal was a relief, but a disappointment at the same time.

The transition from the vet’s office back to her normal life was disorienting. It was like leaving Friday Night Fright Night and landing in an episode of Antiques Road Show. Not that she wasn’t grateful for the upgrade, but it was a weird segue.

Selina dropped Gary off at home. She made him a nest of towels in the bathtub where he couldn’t hurt himself or anything else, filled bowls with food and water, and shut the bathroom door. She’d gargoyle-proof the rest of the apartment when she got home later and had more time.

As it was, she barely made it back to her office in time to meet with Mrs McAdams about the sale of her snuff box. An ivory oval no more than an inch and a half long, it was decorated with a coat of arms in delicately worked gold. Though small, it would be one of the attractions of the gallery’s upcoming show — if she could get the elderly widow to part with it.

Despite the afternoon’s drama, or maybe because of it, Selina presented the gallery’s offer with extra elegance and passion. She’d always been content to work behind the scenes, but today she sparkled as Old World’s negotiator. Some day, she thought breathlessly, I might even have a gallery of my own.

But not if you keep tempting fate. You have secrets to keep. What do you think you‘re doing, stirring up your magic like that? You know better than to play with other monsters!

Selina pushed her nightmares and daydreams aside, returning her attention to Her Lady of the Snuff Box. “It’s a very good offer,” Selina insisted.

“I just don’t know, dear,” Mrs McAdams wavered — more a negotiating tactic than any sign of weakness. The old lady was herself a keen collector and one of the gallery’s best clients. “The box has been in my family for generations. It would stay in the family if only I’d been lucky enough to have children. Are you planning any children, my dear?”

“Not right now. But did I tell you about my new gargoyle?”

“Once or twice since I arrived,” Mrs McAdams nodded. Laughter softened the sharp, shrewd look in her eyes. “I think your new pet is going to be a keeper. You seem happier than I’ve ever seen you. Much more chipper than old Janos.”

“But about the box — what if I sweetened the deal a little?”

Selina was tempted to add a pinch of fey charm to her smile, but wouldn’t give in to the impulse. She just smiled with all the happiness she’d felt rescuing her new housemate.

Not even Mrs McAdams could resist that.

After the papers were signed and her client shown to a cab, Selina hurried home, conscious that for once someone was waiting for her. It was nice, even if he was short, fuzzy, and an odd shade of grey.

She stopped at the Pet Play Barn to buy a few more supplies. It was a good thing she was warming up to the idea of keeping him. So far Gary had cost as much as the pair of really nice designer shoes she’s been eyeing at that cute downtown boutique.

As she lugged a large driftwood perch up the stairs of her elevator-free apartment, she tried to focus on the fact that shoes weren’t cuddly. Nor did they require squeeze toys, organic Gargy-Treatz at ten bucks a bag, or a freaking thousand-pound perch that shed slivers like a porcupine shooting quills. She was used to flying solo, not catering to another creature’s needs.

That thought ricocheted her mind to Dr Jake and his capable hands. What am I thinking? That whole Hairy Met Sally thing would never work.

She unlocked the door and switched on the apartment light. When she opened the bathroom door, Gary was still burrowed into the terry cloth heap. He cheeped when she came in.

“Hey, champ, how’s it going?”

Gary reached up. She picked him up, careful of his bandaged wing. He tucked his head under her chin, snuggling close. To her alarm, he was burning hot. Do gargoyles get fevers?

She went straight to the phone, where she’d left the number for Dr Jake’s after-hours pager.

Gary clung to Selina, refusing to let go of her blouse, so she stood in front of the big balcony window, looking out at the twilight. With her arms full of baby monster, there wasn’t much else she could do.

She thought about facing Jake again. She normally tried to stay away from other supernaturals because, like him, they could sense her fey blood. Everyone assumed the fey were cheats, which was unfair. Sure, their species had different cultural concepts about bargaining. Back in the day, they’d pay in gold that turned into dead leaves or horses that became a pile of straw — but they only did that to people who deserved bad luck. Plus, this was the twenty-first century. Everyone played by human business rules. She hadn’t charmed the snuff box out of Mrs McAdams; she’d negotiated the price fair and square.

Unfortunately, old ideas died hard. Janos certainly wouldn’t keep her if he knew what she was. If Selina wanted to work in a human company, she had to bury half her identity.

By living a lie, was she cheating? Or was she cheating herself? Why, oh, why had she used her magic on Steve? For all the right reasons, her soft heart had dragged her into a mess — with a vet who knew she was fey just by her scent. She felt horribly exposed.

As if picking up on her mood, Gary fussed, restless and uncomfortable. Selina paced back and forth, hoping the motion quieted him. One by one, lights in the surrounding buildings came to life.

The apartment buzzer rang, making Selina jump and Gary chirp. Selina pushed the intercom button to the downstairs door.

“It’s Jake Hallender.”

“That was quick,” Selina said.

“Fast, furry and fabulous.”

That surprised a laugh out of her. “Your self-esteem is doing okay, too.”

Selina pushed the button to unlock the downstairs door, dismayed to find her stomach fluttering like a schoolgirl’s before a big date. Give me a break. Then she opened the apartment door, still holding Gary like a security blanket. Jake arrived dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans and carrying an old-fashioned doctor’s bag.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi.” Selina swallowed. “Come on in.”

He did, filling the room and making her antiques seem small and flimsy. “You said Gary had a fever?”

Selina suddenly felt feverish, too. “Just feel him. He’s burning up.”

Jake put his bag down and took Gary from her. The gargoyle resisted, nearly taking Selina’s blouse with him. Finally, Jake nestled Gary into the crook of his arm. “A fever’s not all that unusual after an injury.”

“Is there an infection?”

“There was no open wound. It’s more likely the stress of today’s adventures. I can give him something to take his temperature down but the real medicine will be rest and good food.”

Jake’s eyes met hers. “Don’t look so worried. Gargoyles were bred to protect sacred places. They can take knocks and bumps better than most creatures.” He saw the perch and smiled. “I guess you’re keeping him.”

Selina sighed. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

The smile turned to a grin. “I’m glad. He really likes you.”

Jake set the gargoyle down on the driftwood arm of the perch. Gary’s bird-like hind feet clamped around it, leaving his front paws free to reach for the array of toys that Selina had hung from the perch’s other arms.

“So, how are you doing?” Jake asked Selina. He opened his bag and pulled out a stethoscope and thermometer. “I can’t apologise enough for what happened back at the office.”

Selina watched him calmly examine the gargoyle. She could hear the regret in his voice, but also resignation. Maybe wrestling wolfmen was just a day in the life of a veterinarian to the supernatural.

On the other hand, he was opening the door to more than pet owner chit-chat. Part of her wanted to hide, like she always did. A larger part of her wanted to talk to someone about everything that had happened, and Jake was the only choice. No one else knows my secret.

“I’m fine. A little stirred up. Glad what I did for poor Steve went okay. Being a half-breed, I don’t risk using my magic much.”

“Risk?”

She grimaced. “An empath’s powers are fragile. At the best of times, they’re sort of — well — sometimes they just go sideways.

One time my older sister was dating a vampire, and I kept thinking Ew, this guy is dead. Suddenly, he was.”

Jake looked shocked and a little amused. “Dead? You killed a vampire? That’s not exactly empathy.”

“Like I said, my magic is wonky. And I don’t know that killed is the right word. I sort of de-lifed him for a while. And there he was, rotting on the kitchen floor, half an hour before prom. I don’t think my sister ever forgave me. I mean, he was supposed to be the hottest guy around, all pale skin and tousled hair. Suddenly he was Mr Stinky in a cummerbund. I was so in trouble.”

Jake shook his head, laughing softly.

Selina slouched miserably against the wall. “Hey, it wasn’t like I meant to do it.”

“What does your family do?”

“My dad and sisters are sorcerers for hire. My magic wasn’t reliable enough for that.”

“So you struck out in your own direction.” He gave Gary a treat and then slipped the gargoyle a shot when he wasn’t looking. “I did that too. There were four boys in my family, and three of us wanted to be alphas.”

Selina squirmed. It was a strange conversation to be having with a near stranger but Jake listened with the same intensity with which he looked at her. She could tell he was absorbing every word. It must be something to belong to a wolf pack, if they’re all like this.

She’d never been so very much the centre of attention. She could feel herself craving it, like an instant addict — and the gentle, clever way he handled Gary was mesmerizing. Whoa, slow down there, kiddo. Don’t make this more than it is.

“Where does your family live?” he asked.

She cleared her throat, drawing herself up. Distance yourself. “A long way away. I’ve kept what I am a secret up until now.”

Jake put his medical instruments away. “Don’t worry. I get it. The business world is fey-averse. I won’t tell a soul.”

The way he said it made Selina feel bad about involving him in her lie. “Sorry.”

He snapped the bag shut, his expression suddenly tight. “It’s not just the fey who’ve got a bad rep.”

“But we’re the only ones who can’t join the Chamber of Commerce, or get an import/export licence, or bid on government contracts. Wereanimals aren’t treated that way. Neither are vampires.” Selina heard the heat in her voice, but couldn’t help herself. “Not all fey are leprechauns, you know. Most of us are honest.”

Jake shook his head. “Some humans still think my people carry lycanthropy. I wanted to be a doctor. Only the vet school would accept my application. Of course, to a werewolf, vet and doctor are pretty close to the same thing. Then again, I might have tried to be a cop and ended up the dogcatcher.” He laughed ruefully.

“So you don’t even get the prestige of being an M.D.?”

Jake continued to smile, but something more serious lurked in his eyes. “The prestige I can live without, but I wish I had more resources. There’s a lot of work to be done in supernatural medicine. As you saw first-hand, no one has even discovered an effective sedative for people like Steve.”

Selina swallowed. Her clients could drop a fortune on an antique vase. How much research would those dollars buy? “You’d think people would do the research just for the sake of science.” The moment she said it, she realized how naive that was, coming from a businesswoman.

For a moment, it looked like he struggled with how much to say. “The medical community doesn’t understand us, and doesn’t want to. I even had to fight to get a veterinary licence. The board was seriously afraid I would eat some old lady’s chihuahua. Get serious. One of those things wouldn’t even cover a piece of toast.”

Selina smiled at his jibe, but she could hear his bitterness. She dropped her shields a notch. His emotions were clear: frustrated, passionate, but also relieved to be sharing his feelings. That threw her. He was the perfect listener, but he also needed to be heard.

But why me? Why was he talking to her, a half-fey recluse?

The answer wasn’t hard to find. As an empath, she could feel what he felt in her own body. Jake faced the world with squared shoulders, feet firmly planted, his muscles braced to take everyone’s burden. He was the go-to guy for his community, always on call, always ready to answer someone else’s needs. He didn’t get much chance to let his fur down. An alpha.

She was isolated by choice, he by responsibility. Suddenly, they had something very important in common.

“Do you want to get a pizza?” she said impulsively. “I know a good place that delivers.”

Selina felt suddenly faint. The impetuous move had taken her breath away.

His eyebrows lifted. “Are you sure? I didn’t think you were into wolves.”

She looked out the window, unable to meet his eyes. “I’m more of a cat person, but I’d feel better if you stuck around for Gary’s sake.”

“I’m happy to be of service but, uh, Gary’s going to be just fine.”

She gave him a sidelong glance. She felt that hot, hard focus again, as if every cell of his being were paying attention only to her. It was unnerving, but there was something incredibly attractive about finally being seen. All at once, she wasn’t the family misfit or just the numbers gal. She was, judging from Jake’s expression, someone wonderful. Go, me.

“What do wolves take on their pizzas?”

“This one likes pepperoni. The hotter the better.”

Selina ordered two huge pies, and it was a good thing. Werewolves were bottomless pits. So were baby gargoyles. Gary revived enough to flop off his perch and waddle over to the Victorian-era clawfoot side table, where Selina and Jake had put the pizza boxes while they watched a baseball game on her woefully tiny TV.

Jake, it turned out, had a thing for the Mariners. Gary had a thing for pepperoni, napkins, hand wipes, and anything else that would fit in his beak. Selina was grateful when Gary finally slumped against her side and started to snore. She’d begun to daydream about duct taping him to the perch before he choked on the remote control.

Jake wiped the gargoyle spit from the remote on to his jeans and muted the commercials. “So, I’ve got a question.”

“What?” Selina asked around a mouthful of pizza.

He frowned, lacing his hands behind his head and stretching out his long legs. He was utterly at ease, taking up as much space as he wanted. “I totally understand wanting to hold down a humans-only job, but did you give up magic just for that reason?”

She chewed and swallowed. “My magic’s not very good. I have the family talent but not always the strength to control it.” She could feel her powers now, moving of their own accord, testing the atmosphere. They sometimes did that when her emotions were aroused.

“But you can help people. I don’t just mean like Steve, but you can tell what people really need or want. Doesn’t that apply no matter what you do?”

She stopped and took a swallow of cola, telling her magic to go back to sleep. “I don’t need superpowers to do my job. I’m successful in the human world.”

He pinned her with that hundred-watt stare. “But your non-human talents?”

“Spending my day around beautiful art and antiques makes my fey side happy.”

“Is that enough? Doesn’t it bother you having to hide who you are?”

“I’m fine with things the way they are.” The lie tasted ashy. “Someday I want a gallery of my own. I have to play by the rules.”

“You can partner up with other people. Other supernaturals, maybe. Get them to buy the import licences.”

The idea momentarily stunned her. She’d been so set on living as a human, that this was an option she’d never considered. It flew in the face of the things that made her feel safe: working alone, and hiding who she was.

“I’ve made it this far on my own.”

Jake flashed an amused grin. “You’re very determined. I like that.”

Selina was suddenly breathless again. “And I order a mean pizza, too.”

“I think your pizza is the soul of kindness.” He leaned forward, bringing those intense brown eyes of his closer and closer.

His lips were so soft that she wasn’t certain when the kiss started, but she sure knew when Jake ramped it into high gear. If his gaze was as intense as a searchlight, his kiss was. . search turned to rescue. Or maybe that was surrender.

She tasted pizza and cola and something darker, the essence of wolf. It spiced his scent, the texture of his dark hair, the way he finally released her mouth only to place feathery nips along the shell of her ear. Her blood rushed with eager desire, suddenly hot with the need to know exactly how well a werewolf played doctor.

Selina subsided, yielding to Jake’s weight. Gary squawked an indignant protest. They’d forgotten he was cuddled between Selina and the arm of the couch. Selina and Jake froze mid-swoon. Selina bit her lip, then cleared her throat.

“I guess not in front of the kids.”

Wordlessly, Jake pulled her to her feet, leaving the gargoyle in possession of the warm couch cushions. Gary waded to the softest spot and curled up into a sleepy ball.

Jake slid his hand down Selina’s back, his touch so slow and precise that she nearly felt every ridge of his fingertips through the silk of her blouse. She wound her arms around his neck, resting her head just under his chin.

Empathy and dating were normally a bad mix. First dates — and who knew at the start of the evening that this would be one? — were sucky enough without brutal truths. But, with the same impulse as squinting through her fingers while watching a horror movie, Selina couldn’t help it. She peeked into Jake’s emotions.

Of course, she could feel his sexual interest. It was all male. But, beneath all that was admiration. He was curious. Intrigued. Fascinated. He saw her as worthy.

And so is he, her powers whispered. Her mind understood that he was smart, handsome and kind. Her body knew something wild inside him made her heart pound. The knowledge was instant, as immediate as a touch or sound.

Jake popped the top button of her blouse, letting his lips roam. She thrust her fingers into his thick hair, feeling the springy texture of it. He smelled wonderful; his mouth on her throat felt soft and dangerous at once. Dizziness spun her senses. She let them. The pure, strong enjoyment of a new lover was too good to miss.

“I can feel your magic tingle over my hands,” he whispered. “You’ve the taste of the fey, sweet like wildflowers, but you’re also warm and earthy, like a human.”

“All the better to eat me?”

“All the better to keep you close. You can’t hide from me.”

His kiss brought her to her toes. His fingers skimmed the silk of her blouse, lingering over her ribs, then closed over her breasts. Selina made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a cry of protest. He was moving too slow and too fast at once. Her own hands reached downward, finding the rough cloth of his jeans. Her palms felt incredibly sensitive, the denim the most fascinating texture she’d ever touched.

Her magic was riding his desire, multiplying it by her own, and feeding it back to both of them in an ever-stronger loop. She’d opened her shields after that first doozy of a kiss, and now her magic was running amok. Fey power crashed through barriers that would have prolonged the dating ritual for weeks before she’d have allowed this kind of heat. Oops.

“Guess what,” she murmured in Jake’s ear.

“Hmm?”

“I think my magic has got us on the fast track.”

“Better than striking me dead on the kitchen floor.”

“I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

He gave her a toothy grin. “Concern duly noted. Now, do you want to play Red Riding Hood or a really twisted version of Three Little Pigs?”

The gallery opening finally came on a clear, moonlit May night. Selina arrived early for two reasons. One was to deal with last-minute details — Janos had resumed complete command of the gallery and everything had to be perfect. The other was that Mrs McAdams had asked to meet Gary, and an antiques collector of her calibre couldn’t be denied. Not when her request was so easily fulfilled.

“Here he is!” said Selina, carrying Gary to where Mrs McAdams was standing by the plinth with her snuff box. Nearby, a waiter hovered with a tray of hors d’oeuvres. Another passed out flutes of champagne.

Gary blinked his big, green eyes and stretched out one of his front paws to the old lady. The appealing gesture melted everyone who saw it.

“Oh, he is adorable!” Mrs McAdams exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

The sound disappeared beneath the low murmur of conversation. It was still early, only half the expected guests present, but the champagne was already causing the sound level to rise. The gallery looked wonderful, its gilded plasterwork lit by candles and artfully concealed track lighting. The space had once been the lobby of an Edwardian hotel and still had the original high, coffered ceiling and marble floors. The rest of the fixtures were spare and modern, showing off the French antiques and artwork with no distractions.

Except for one baby gargoyle. Gary rapidly became the main attraction, especially with the ladies. They crowded around, cooing like a flock of diamond-studded doves. As they all watched, Mrs McAdams fed Gary a mini-quiche. He stuffed it in his beak and chirped happily, looking around for more. A collective “aw!” filled the air, drowning out the string quartet.

More guests crowded around, asking questions.

“What’s his name?”

“What a cute little tail!”

“What’s with the bandage? Is something wrong with his wing?”

“Where did you get him?”

“Does he eat caviar?”

It was at that moment that Selina saw Jake approaching, looking handsome in a dark suit and crisp white shirt. He’d even put on a maroon silk tie. Selina caught her breath. She’d expected him to dress up a bit, but this was above and beyond for a guy who lived in boots and old jeans. This is worth putting on a hundred of these shows!

They’d been going out for a month — movies, dinners, checking all the right dating boxes — and she’d caught plenty of glimpses of his alpha wolf side. But this was the first time she’d seen Jake on display, dominating a room. The guests turned as he walked past, their expressions both admiring and cautious. If Jake wasn’t that far from the wild, neither were humans. Their instincts still knew a potential predator, even when one walked by with a happy smile on his face.

That confidence was contagious. Just by being around him these last weeks, she could feel herself getting bolder, thinking far beyond her mind’s usual neat rows and columns. She’d broken her own rules and let her liaison with a supernatural boyfriend become public. After all, no red-, blue-, or green-blooded woman would miss an opportunity to point to Jake Hallender and say, “He’s mine!”

“Caviar would be too rich for a gargoyle’s digestion,” Jake replied, pitching his voice perfectly to carry over the cocktail hour din. “The consequences would be unpleasant.”

All attention, including Gary’s, switched to Jake. The gargoyle reached out, and Jake took him from Selina’s arms. She brushed the wrinkles out of her dress, thinking for the thousandth time how nice it was that Gary didn’t shed. Although it had cost her a mint, she’d broken out of the pin-stripe fashion rut for the opening. She was wearing a bolero of heavy Tibetan cream silk over a grey-green halter dress. The full skirt was cut on the bias and moved like water, kissing her knees in sensuous swishes. She felt beautiful and exotic, her fair hair piled on top of her head in a mass of loose curls. From the look on Jake’s face, the outfit was a hit.

Janos chose that moment to stroll in. Tall, with iron-grey hair and a stern brow, he looked like somebody had ordered him from the Tycoons “R” Us catalogue, complete with the extra-grumpy options.

“Good evening, Selina,” he said, giving Gary an evil look.

“Good evening.”

“I must admit, for an accountant you’ve done a fine job with the show.” Janos took a step over to the plinth where the snuff box was displayed on a black velvet cushion.

“Thank you, sir.”

It didn’t take an empath’s powers to tell that her success had irked him. Janos needed to be top dog — quite a contrast from Jake, who simply was the first among his pack.

Janos turned back to face her. “I’m not certain, however, how your gargoyle will do anything but distract our clientele. I would prefer that you put it away and circulate among the guests.”

She’d planned to do that anyway but refused to make excuses. “Understood, sir. I’ll put Gary in my office.”

“Thank you.”

“She brought Gary at my request,” Mrs McAdams said with an edge in her tone. “I thought it was kind of Selina to make the effort to please an old lady.”

Janos gave a slight, old-fashioned bow. “I would expect nothing less of my staff.”

Jake passed Gary to Selina with a look just short of an eye roll. He bent to whisper in her ear. “Just give the word and I’ll get the whole pack to pee on his Jaguar.”

Smothering a laugh, she shouldered the gargoyle in time for Jake’s cellphone to ring. He answered it as she watched Janos stride away in search of more employees to harangue.

Gary struggled, trying to lean out of her arms and snag more of the mini-quiche. Selina turned the other way, facing Gary away from temptation, and watched Jake’s face. Phone calls often meant problems with a patient. She hated the possibility that he’d have to rush off. This night was her triumph. She wanted him there to share it.

Waiters pushed through the double doors at the far end of the room, bearing trays with more food and drink. Like a school of fish, the guests drifted in their direction, leaving Selina and Jake behind.

She began to pace back and forth from table to plinth, waiting for Jake to get off the phone.

“Selina!”

She jumped. It was her boss, glowering and pointing. Jake abruptly hung up his phone.

“What?” Selina glanced down just in time to see Gary stuffing the snuff box into his beak. Oh, shit! Gary’s wing was still broken. She couldn’t exactly whack him on the back.

“Stop him!” Janos snapped.

Jake solved the problem by grabbing Gary’s beak and prying it open before the gargoyle could swallow. With one quick sweep of fingers, Jake pulled the snuff box off the gargoyle’s pointed black tongue. He dropped it, sticky with spit, back on the plinth.

“Get that animal out of here!” Janos snapped. “Get it out before I put it out.”

Jake wheeled on him, a sudden blast of irritation breaking through Selina’s shields.

“Jake, don’t,” Selina said quickly. “I’ll put Gary in the back right now.”

The gargoyle burrowed against her, hiding his face. Janos and Jake glared at each other. Jake’s eyes narrowed, an eerie stillness settling over him. This is bad. This is really bad. The guests were starting to drift back their way, fresh glasses of bubbly in hand.

“Jake?” She touched his arm.

He blinked and was suddenly back to normal. “I’m really sorry. There’s an emergency and I have to go.”

Disappointment stabbed through her. “Okay.”

He saw her look and gave a small, apologetic smile. “I was hoping this wouldn’t come up tonight. I really wanted to be here, but. . it’s Steve. It’s his last chance, and it’s not going well.”

She suddenly felt sick. “Oh, no.”

Jake held her gaze. “Come with me. He — I — both of us could use your help.”

“Don’t you dare,” growled Janos, who’d been eavesdropping but was obviously unmoved by anyone else’s emergencies.

Jake’s eyes flickered in her boss’s direction, then back to Selina.

“Selina?” Janos took a step forward.

“What happens if Steve doesn’t make it?” Selina asked quickly.

Jake gave a quick shake of his head. “Then he really doesn’t make it. His time’s running out.”

Damn. Selina bent to kiss the top of Gary’s head, breaking his gaze. She resented Janos for being hard to deal with and resented Jake for asking so much of her. For a moment, she even blamed Steve for being an incompetent werewolf. They were pushing her into a corner.

Janos glared at her. “If you leave, you’re fired.”

Shock stabbed through her, but she knew Janos wasn’t kidding. This was about control. It didn’t matter if she was a valuable employee — she was committing the double sin of stealing the limelight away from her boss, and then valuing something other than the job he bestowed on her.

“Don’t do this,” she begged.

“Trust me, you’re on thin ice right this minute. Choose wisely.”

How can I? The decision boiled down to her life — the gallery and everything she’d worked for — or Steve’s. No, there’s more to it than that. It’s my human and fey sides at war all over again.

It was the life she’d built with her own hard work versus all the traumas and disappointments of her early years. It was the freedom to be all she could be, or the freedom to be who she truly was.

Neither choice would give her a complete victory, but turning her back on Steve wasn’t possible. Just like success based on living a lie wasn’t really success.

She looked around at the magnificent gallery that she loved, and the show she’d worked so hard to put together. She could tell by the smiles on the faces of their clients that the event was a hit. And some of that was because Gary charmed their socks off. Supernatural is the new black. Cute supernatural just ups the appeal. A smart businessman would be taking notes, not kicking me out the door.

It all flashed through her head in an instant. The next moment hummed with trepidation. I’m throwing my life away on a newbie werewolf I don’t even know. But behind Steve’s plight was her own. She was caught between two species herself, hiding what she was under a placid, human face.

She was sick of it. Sick of being on her own. Sick of never being honest.

She couldn’t blow Steve off when he needed her.

Jake was right. Why didn’t she get business partners and strike out on her own? All she’d lacked was confidence enough to think outside the box. Money wasn’t the problem. She’d led the life of a hermit and saved enough to bankroll her own gallery.

Selina felt a thrill of defiant pride as she looked Janos in the eye.

“Buh-bye.”

They took Jake’s vehicle. He’d installed a gargoyle carrier in the back, which looked like a large, felt-lined box with barred windows. As Jake sped down the country road, Gary cheeped every time they hit a rut.

Selina sat in silence, doing her best not to let her anxieties spiral out of control. What am I doing? Leaving Janos was a bold stroke, but Selina was left with a feeling of free-fall, kind of nauseating and exciting all at once. What am I doing? Everything I’ve worked for just went poof!

Jake had kissed her once and then left her to her thoughts, silently supportive. That was fine with Selina, who needed the space to come to grips with her sudden freedom. His phone rang twice more before they reached their destination. The news wasn’t encouraging.

Selina cracked open a window, letting the night air wash over her. Finally, they pulled into what looked like a farm. The driveway forked and they went left. The path wound through a dense stand of cedar trees, finally coming to a dead end at the foot of a steep rise. Jake threw open the door of the Explorer and ran up the tree-covered hill. Selina went more slowly, wincing as the kitten heels of her fawn suede sandals sank into the spongy earth. She laboured up the slope, grateful when Jake turned to grab her hand.

As they crested the hill, she saw that a clearing spread under the shifting night sky. Cedars ringed much of the space, hissing in the fitful wind. Clouds drifted across the full moon, morphing from shape to shape like skaters bending, stretching, spinning in a slow ballet. Selina shivered, the thin bolero nowhere near warm enough. Her feet were freezing and ached from trying to balance on heels on rough ground. Jake’s hand was the only solid, comforting thing.

A couple of battery-operated lanterns had been left at the edges of the clearing, adding sharp shadows to the moonlit glade. As they drew nearer, Selina blinked rapidly, realizing the dark shapes beneath the cedars weren’t bushes or clumps of grass as she’d first assumed. Wolves ringed the space, a huge, hairy form every six feet or so. There must have been twenty. Or thirty. Eyes glinted like scraps of fire as they stared into the circle, but that was the only movement. Otherwise, they remained as statues. She wondered which of them she’d met in human form.

Selina pressed closer to Jake. “I had no idea there were so many werewolves in town,” she whispered under her breath.

“It’s not like we’re in the phone book under W.” He slipped an arm around her waist and drew her to the edge of the circle. A thin grey wolf stood and moved to one side, making room for them to join the ring. As Jake guided her forward, Selina could see the object of their attention. Steve sprawled in the middle of the clearing, half-changed just as he had been in Jake’s office. The wind rippled through the grass, wavelets of silver through the darkness. He seemed to float, marooned on a restless sea.

“What’s going on?” she whispered.

“He passed out partway through the change.” Jake swore. “I had hoped this would work.”

“What would?”

“We put him in the full light of the moon.”

“I thought the full moon didn’t make wolves change.”

“But it helps, especially when you’re new at it.”

Selina shivered. “And he dies if he doesn’t go all the way?” Her heart seized with pity. So much more than distance separated Steve from the circle of watching wolves. They were on a safe shore. He was on a perilous journey.

Jake looked uncomfortable. “He could. Or he could stay like this forever. There’s no question he’d go crazy.”

She remembered the terror in Steve’s mind. “I know.”

“He’s dangerous in this state. All those old horror movies didn’t come out of thin air. That’s why so many wolves are here. We can’t let him get away.”

At the moment, Steve remained perfectly still. He wasn’t going anywhere.

“Stay here.” Jake turned away, leaving her to go look for something in the pile of coats and shoes left heaped by one of the lanterns.

Selina felt his absence as if she had suddenly been set adrift. There was nothing to anchor her in that shifting sea of cloud and grass and whispering cedars.

Last time I knocked Steve out and that wasn’t the answer. How can I help now?

Then Steve began to stir, and she understood. As consciousness returned, his emotions rippled like a shockwave, slamming into her with all the force of an atomic blast. Steve had blacked out from pure terror, and he couldn’t turn unless he was awake and aware. She had to keep him calm enough to complete the change. Magic had to be the sedative science hadn’t invented.

Selina felt a sudden urge to vomit. Sharing Steve’s fear long enough to see him through the change would be like falling into that churning vortex of panic. If Steve didn’t tear her to shreds first. She started to shake. I’m not a coward. I’m not a coward.

Jake rejoined the circle, holding a weapon big enough to atomize an elephant.

“Please tell me it’s a tranquilizer gun,” she rasped.

Jake looked stricken. “Sedatives didn’t work on him, remember?”

“Why do you have to shoot him? You’re a doctor.”

“I’m also the pack leader.” He said it in a voice meant to end debate. “I have to bear the responsibility.”

She could feel Jake’s heart breaking as he said it. Selina’s mouth went dry. “Steve’s just afraid.”

“That’s the problem.” Jake’s mouth flattened.

“I’m scared, too.” She couldn’t help saying it.

“I know,” he said. Regret and desperation warred in his voice. “But I have this rifle, and thirty-two werewolves are ready to tear his head off if he so much as growls at you. You’ll be safe, but that doesn’t mean the magic won’t be ugly. He’s terrified, so I know it’s going to be hard on you. I’m sorry.”

Selina gulped air. Jake was right. Steve radiated a slimy film of panic. Her heart began to beat faster, making his fear her own.

No, no, no! She’d left the supernatural community to get away from her unpredictable magic. Jake was making her face it again. She really, really didn’t want to do that.

But Jake had asked, and Steve needed her, and — as hard as it was to admit it — Selina needed to be whole again.

Now Steve was getting up, his limbs not quite working properly. His feet had an extra joint, making him wobble worse than Selina did in her high heels. He fell forward to all fours, the motion jerky with pain. Craning his neck, rising up on his haunches, Steve let out a moan that grew and swelled and shivered into a howl. A handful of the wolves responded, filling the chill air with a sound that seemed to fall in veils, layer on layer of mournful, haunting notes.

They were encouraging Steve, helping him along, but they were grieving with him, too. Tears streamed down Selina’s face, her whole body aching to take away that sorrow. It was the loss of everything Steve had known, even his own flesh.

And the loss of everything I worked for.

Jake, on the other hand, had raised the muzzle of his gun. Selina grabbed the barrel, forcing it down. “What are you doing?” she hissed.

“If he’s going to rush us, it’ll be now.”

Selina swore long and hard enough that several of the wolves looked astonished. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, not caring anymore if her makeup smudged. She had a sudden flashback to Gary crashing into the cereal boxes at the grocery store, helplessly floundering because there was no one willing to pick him up.

She had dealt with Gary. She would deal with Steve.

But Steve was the terrifying black vortex. Nevertheless, she stepped forward. Jake stepped with her, rifle at the ready.

“Back off,” she said.

“You’re not doing this alone.”

“I’m not doing this with you hanging over my shoulder. I’m trying to get rid of his fear. You’re pointing a gun at his head.”

“But—”

Selina turned on him. “Trust me. Do what no one else has done for me and trust my magic!”

Jake said nothing, but he lowered the gun. His eyes held all his objections.

Selina ignored them.

Steve was silent now, slumped in an awkward squatting position. He was panting, globs of drool and blood stringing from his malformed jaws. Fangs had punched through his gums like ivory razors.

She slowly approached, dropping her shields a bit at a time. Emotion blasted from him with a bonfire’s heat. Fear. Pain. Despair. She realized he recognized her and knew she was the one who had helped him at Jake’s office. She had made the change stop.

Steve reached out with one imploring, claw-tipped hand. The gesture said everything. Make this nightmare end.

Trembling so hard her teeth chattered, she took his hand. You just need to go a little further and everything will be all right.

The moment she touched him, she felt the undertow of his panic sucking at the edges of her mind. The black whirlpool churned with sickening speed. Survival instincts screamed at her to back away. Selina felt her shields closing down, the reflex as inevitable as squinting against the sun.

No! Steve’s hand — paw — tightened around hers, the strength of his terrified grip grinding the bones of her fingers together. Don’t leave me.

Selina’s consciousness flowed into Steve’s mind. Before, she’d snuffed out his fear like flame, but this time there was only the dark panic filling his soul. She felt it as their thoughts collided, hurtling her into a chasm of fear. He gave a wrenching, ragged scream, a creature forever snared in a merciless trap. His thoughts grabbed her, a suffocating embrace.

Hold on! Selina cried. His terror sucked her down, like a drowning man dragging his rescuer under. Selina fought with sheer willpower, struggling against the undertow of raw emotion. We will not go under.

But she was losing.

In the physical realm, Jake closed the distance between them. Selina felt his presence like a shadow across the moon, distant from the place where she strained to anchor Steve. He put a warm hand on her shoulder.

Jake was urging her, offering something. Her conscious mind was confused, but her powers were intuitive. They clutched at him, seeking the information Steve’s body required. They needed the template to change. Show us how.

Within the three-way link, energy began to flow, as if a dam had washed away. All at once, she felt the change come over Steve, fur flowing, bones reshaping themselves. Her physical self felt the shift. The hand she held was suddenly a hand no more, but a broad, powerful paw.

Through her, Jake showed Steve how to finish the change. Unfortunately, while Steve’s body was ready, his senses lagged after.

What’s happening? Steve demanded. Human needs were falling away, wolf thoughts crashing into their place. A hunger for meat and flesh tangled with thousands of scents, each a puzzle to be decoded. Steve’s thoughts stuttered, unable to sort through it all. Overwhelmed.

The panic had slowed for an instant. Now it came lurching back.

The sudden jolt made Selina falter, and her half-fey strength wasn’t enough to hold on. Everything she’d feared came true. In an instant, she was in his panic, going under like the spars of a wrecked ship. With a plaintive wail, her own psychic scream joined Steve’s.

But Jake caught them, pouring his strength into the web her fragile powers had spun. Behind him were the others, the pack a solid wall of energy waiting to be tapped. Cautiously, Selina drew in that strength, filling her magic with the cool, silver energy of the wolves.

She opened her eyes to find her face buried in the wild grey ruff of Steve’s neck. She pulled back, gasping as she saw the great yellow eyes, his long snout, and the strong limbs. A perfect, magnificent beast.

Steve nuzzled her cheek, the cold, wet shock of it snapping her fully awake. He rose, bumping her playfully, the rough brush of his tail slapping her arm. Then he took off with a bound, racing to greet the members of his new pack.

Tears blurred her eyes. She blinked them back, fighting a sudden, painful lump in her throat. She’d never been able to save a life before. She’d never been able to make that kind of magic. Now there’s a way to help the first-timers!

With a blink of surprise, she realized Jake’s gorgeous suit was on the ground, paw prints squashing the supple fabric into the grass. Jake himself, a huge, brown wolf, was sprawled before her.

“The magic pulled you over, too?” she asked.

He shimmered, and suddenly there was a naked man on the grass, his chin propped on one hand. Selina couldn’t stop her gaze from roaming over all that muscled flesh. She was in a mood for celebration, with Jake as the party favour.

He gave a lazy smile. “So, was that good for you?”

Selina fell on to her side, bringing her face close to Jake’s. Her hair was in shambles, her dress a ruin, but she felt magnificent. “I’ve never been strong enough to do magic like that before. I don’t think anyone’s ever blended wolf and fey power before. This is entirely new.”

He kissed her, digging his fingers into the tangled curls of her hair. “You’re magnificent.”

“I had a lot of help. I needed the power of the wolves.”

Jake gave her a serious look. “Everyone needs help, but don’t sell yourself short. Your human side is a brilliant businesswoman. Your fey side is a brilliant healer. I honour both sides of you. If a little wolf gets thrown into the mix well, hell, that’s so much the better for me.”

Selina thought naked and serious was a good look on him. “I can’t turn my back on what I am anymore. I can’t deny that I’m part of the supernatural world. Not after Gary, and not after you. Especially not after tonight. What we did together was amazing. Important.”

“So you’re ready to be fey again?”

“Half-fey — but I still want my own gallery. No one has opened one with exclusively non-human artists.” She rolled on to her back, the grass cold and damp beneath her. “There are plenty who need representation. You should see some of the vampire portraits. Dark, but so gorgeous. The art world will eat it up with a spoon.”

They were silent for a moment. Selina watched rags of cloud drift across the full moon. Jake’s breath brushed her cheek, warm and familiar.

“You up for a werewolf partner?”

She grinned. “Who do you think is going to help me hang my first show?”

“Gary?”

She swatted at Jake, but he caught her around the middle and flipped her on top of him. The strength in his long, sculpted limbs made her shiver. His eyes were playful, but wild as the distant howls of his kin.

He slid his hand up her thigh, under the flowing fabric of her skirt.

“What are you doing?” She whispered it because the night was too dense, too charged for talking out loud.

“Thinking up new kinds of magic.”