why Jake wasnât interested in having her for a mate. Unless he didnât want to deal with a woman who supposedly had second sight.
âSo tell me the truth. Whatâs keeping you from pursuing her?â Ryan asked.
Jake gave a sly smile.
What the hell did that mean?
Chapter 5
O N THE PLAYING FIELD, ANOTHER BRUISER OF A GUY ON Darienâs team lunged after Carol with a wicked gleam in his eye as she again tried for Darienâs tag. Perseverance had always been a way of life for her. Target what you want, and get it. Although getting a job at the hospital meant becoming a werewolf first, which wasnât quite what sheâd thought sheâd have to go through.
Sam was on his feet, intent on tackling the new threat to her, when Silva distracted him. Smiling, dodging around him, she tried to grab Samâs ribbon. The bartender grinned at her, but instead of attempting to get her ribbon, he mounted a full frontal assault and tackled Silva in a sexy way. Pinning her to the ground with his body, he nestled between her legs. Forget the tags. Their lips locked together, and they were busy with a new form of entertainment.
Carol sighed. One guard down. And what a way to go.
She lunged for Darienâs ribbon. Her fingers latched onto the slip of silk. She tugged, sheer elation boosting her mood, and pulled the tag free.
In the same instant, Darien jerked Lelandiâs ribbon off and tucked it into his belt with a satisfied wink at Lelandi, who smiled back at him and shook her head.
The whole crowd of playersâand the older lupus garous cheering on the sidelinesâceased speaking and laughing and stood in shocked silence.
Carol grinned and, in triumph, raised Darienâs tag, which fluttered in the breeze like a proud flag of honor. âGot one!â
But not just anyoneâs .
Darien gave her a small smile, looking pleased instead of annoyed that sheâd managed to swipe his ribbon. That minor acknowledgment made her feel as though she was standing ten stories high. That, for an instant, he truly accepted her. And that meant everyone else would also. She hoped.
Everyone began clapping and cheering.
Darien fondly patted Lelandiâs ribbon in his belt, but then without warning, he dodged after Jakeâs ribbon first. His brother, already eyeing him warily, bolted away from him in time, and Darien headed for Tom with an evil glint in his eye, aggressively, no holds barred this time. Carol figured he was leaving her for the bachelor males instead of retaliating and taking her tag.
She went back to protecting her tail and targeting the guys who were out to get her, never having had so much fun in her life.
Six tags so far, andâ¦
Bang! She was hit, shoved onto her back, taken down byâ¦the red-and-white-striped fiend from her vision. Mervin, the barber?
He smelled of heavy hair tonics and sweat. She moaned, just thinking what being mated to him would be like. He was the only man in town who wore a costume year-roundâa barber quartet type of affair, complete with bowtie, red-and-white-striped sports coat, and dark pants, even for playing a rough-and-tumble gamesuch as this. At some time or another during the game, heâd lost his white straw hat.
At least while he had her pinned on her back, he couldnât get to her tail. But then he wasnât trying very hard to get it either, she belatedly realized. Keeping her pinned beneath him, he seemed to be enjoying another sport just fine.
She squirmed, trying to unsettle him, but her actions only brought a smile to Mervinâs thin lips. His pale yellow eyes smiled just as brightly. Great.
Without warning, Mervin flew aside, his eyes wide and mouth gaping. Her rescuer, Ryan McKinley, crouched next to her and rested his hand lightly on her shoulder, his brows knit in a deep frown, his eyes dark as a stormy night.
âAre you okay?â
The entire playing field grew silent again, and her heart pounded in
âSo tell me the truth. Whatâs keeping you from pursuing her?â Ryan asked.
Jake gave a sly smile.
What the hell did that mean?
Chapter 5
O N THE PLAYING FIELD, ANOTHER BRUISER OF A GUY ON Darienâs team lunged after Carol with a wicked gleam in his eye as she again tried for Darienâs tag. Perseverance had always been a way of life for her. Target what you want, and get it. Although getting a job at the hospital meant becoming a werewolf first, which wasnât quite what sheâd thought sheâd have to go through.
Sam was on his feet, intent on tackling the new threat to her, when Silva distracted him. Smiling, dodging around him, she tried to grab Samâs ribbon. The bartender grinned at her, but instead of attempting to get her ribbon, he mounted a full frontal assault and tackled Silva in a sexy way. Pinning her to the ground with his body, he nestled between her legs. Forget the tags. Their lips locked together, and they were busy with a new form of entertainment.
Carol sighed. One guard down. And what a way to go.
She lunged for Darienâs ribbon. Her fingers latched onto the slip of silk. She tugged, sheer elation boosting her mood, and pulled the tag free.
In the same instant, Darien jerked Lelandiâs ribbon off and tucked it into his belt with a satisfied wink at Lelandi, who smiled back at him and shook her head.
The whole crowd of playersâand the older lupus garous cheering on the sidelinesâceased speaking and laughing and stood in shocked silence.
Carol grinned and, in triumph, raised Darienâs tag, which fluttered in the breeze like a proud flag of honor. âGot one!â
But not just anyoneâs .
Darien gave her a small smile, looking pleased instead of annoyed that sheâd managed to swipe his ribbon. That minor acknowledgment made her feel as though she was standing ten stories high. That, for an instant, he truly accepted her. And that meant everyone else would also. She hoped.
Everyone began clapping and cheering.
Darien fondly patted Lelandiâs ribbon in his belt, but then without warning, he dodged after Jakeâs ribbon first. His brother, already eyeing him warily, bolted away from him in time, and Darien headed for Tom with an evil glint in his eye, aggressively, no holds barred this time. Carol figured he was leaving her for the bachelor males instead of retaliating and taking her tag.
She went back to protecting her tail and targeting the guys who were out to get her, never having had so much fun in her life.
Six tags so far, andâ¦
Bang! She was hit, shoved onto her back, taken down byâ¦the red-and-white-striped fiend from her vision. Mervin, the barber?
He smelled of heavy hair tonics and sweat. She moaned, just thinking what being mated to him would be like. He was the only man in town who wore a costume year-roundâa barber quartet type of affair, complete with bowtie, red-and-white-striped sports coat, and dark pants, even for playing a rough-and-tumble gamesuch as this. At some time or another during the game, heâd lost his white straw hat.
At least while he had her pinned on her back, he couldnât get to her tail. But then he wasnât trying very hard to get it either, she belatedly realized. Keeping her pinned beneath him, he seemed to be enjoying another sport just fine.
She squirmed, trying to unsettle him, but her actions only brought a smile to Mervinâs thin lips. His pale yellow eyes smiled just as brightly. Great.
Without warning, Mervin flew aside, his eyes wide and mouth gaping. Her rescuer, Ryan McKinley, crouched next to her and rested his hand lightly on her shoulder, his brows knit in a deep frown, his eyes dark as a stormy night.
âAre you okay?â
The entire playing field grew silent again, and her heart pounded in
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