“Did you find something to wear?” Ric asked, walking into the room while mixing up batter for pancakes. He stopped in the doorway, took in the scene, and said, “Oh. Sorry. Didn’t realize you were busy.” And walked away!

Stein tried to call him back. Tried to beg him to get his ass back here and help his poor, baby cousin! What was he playing at? He had a pitbull loose in his apartment but he didn’t have voice control?

The female sized him up again. “You know him?” she asked and Stein didn’t know why she was asking him questions when she gripped his throat so tight he still couldn’t speak.

“Yeah,” Ric replied, coming back into the room. He leaned against the doorjamb, still mixing that batter as if his cousin wasn’t in mortal danger. “He’s my cousin.”

“Invited?”

“Yes. Invited.”

Her fingers tightened once more, convincing Stein she was going to snap his neck anyway. Then she released him, letting him drop to the floor.

Bent over at the waist, Stein took in big gulps of air, wheezing while he rubbed at his throat. He looked up to see the She-wolf pick up the towel and wrap it around her body. She walked past Ric and he watched her with a territorial gleam that Stein had never seen from his cousin when it came to a female.

“Dee, your clothes were cleaned last night and I put them on the bed. Or you can borrow something of mine if you’d prefer.”

“Thanks.”

“Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes.”

“I should go,” she called back.

“You need to eat, Dee-Ann. You’re skin and bones.” Skin, muscles, and bones. Did the man not see those muscles? Was he blind to the size of that woman? Did he not see the way she’d tossed his baby cousin around his guest bedroom like one of those bouncing chew toys?

“You didn’t seem to mind last night.”

“Only because I knew I’d be feeding you this morning. Don’t argue with me on this,” Ric said, walking out of the room. “You’re eating before you go anywhere. You wouldn’t want me to get cranky, now would you?”

Stein got to his feet, feeling shaky all over. He didn’t know what to make of his cousin with that She-wolf, but it was none of his concern, now was it? Stepping back to the drawer, Stein pulled out a T-shirt and sweatpants. He’d go commando before he’d wear someone else’s boxers, though.

He was digging for some socks when he found a wad of bills tucked into a corner. The wad was thick, at least four or five grand. Stein’s fingers brushed across the cash, his mind whirling with the possibilities of what he could do with that much cash. A few rounds at a card table and he could win enough to pay everyone back and . . . and . . .

Make things worse. He’d make things worse.

Curling back his fingers, Stein grabbed a pair of white sweat socksand quickly closed the drawer.

Trying to ignore what had become second nature to him was definitely the hardest part of this, but he was determined not to fuck up this time.

He left Ric’s bedroom and found another bathroom with a shower he could use. By the time he’d showered, shaved, and put on clean clothes—his first in months that hadn’t been hand washed in a dirty sink—the She-wolf was gone and his cousin was sitting at the counter staring blankly at the morning edition of The Wall Street Journal.

Stein didn’t think Ric would notice he was in the room, but without looking up he pointed at the stove. “There’s batter left for you. I already made the bacon. Eggs are in the refrigerator. You remember the basics, don’t you, cousin?”

“Yeah. Sure.” Stein walked to the stove and, man, but did it feel good to be back at one.

As Stein got to work, he asked his cousin, “Are you all right, Ric?”

“Yes. I’m fine.” Ric sighed, placed his elbow on the table, and his chin on his raised fist. “Just in love.”

Remembering clearly the cold wolf eyes that had gazed up at him as if he were some sort of bug she’d trapped in a jar and the grip that female had had on his throat, Stein didn’t have any response to his cousin’s statement other than the tried and true, “Oh. Good for you.” Because really . . . what could a man say to his cousin after that?

CHAPTER 12

R ic sat at his desk. He was completely alone in his apartment now. His cousin was gone and so was Dee-Ann. Her scent still lingered in his place, though, and he liked it. Probably more than he should since he had no idea what would come of all this. But he was willing to fight for her. She might not realize she was perfect for him, but he knew she was. They just fit together like a really odd puzzle no one could figure out.

But he could think about that later. Right now, he had to focus on something else.

Getting out several pencils and a notepad from his desk drawer, Ric opened the package his Uncle Van had sent him to review and got to work. And the deeper he got into the Van Holtz books, the worse it got.

Dee-Ann stopped by the Group office first and checked in. She also looked in on the young hybrids that currently called the Group office their home. Every day the hybrid pups, cubs, and kits she’d found and brought in received all sorts of training, from basic hand-to-hand combat techniques to learning how to manage their bodies when they shifted. A challenge for a few of them whose DNA mix created something brand new and different. When they weren’t getting training, they were in classes that would hopefully let most, if not all, of them get their high school diplomas. The only one who’d already graduated high school was Hannah, but whether she’d end up going to college or not, Dee didn’t know. The girl didn’t talk much.