“Too dangerous,” Clay said, crossing his arms and leaning back against the fireplace, as if that settled the matter.

“Dangerous? Do you remember what Xavier’s power is? Teleportation. Limited teleportation. The guy can move about ten feet. Worst thing he can do to me? Poke me in the eyes, go ‘nyuk nyuk nyuk’ and zip away before I can smack him.”

One look at Jeremy and I knew I was losing “calm and reasonable” points fast. When he opened his mouth, I cut him off.

“Yes, the first time I met Xavier, I ended up as a guinea pig for mad scientists and a play-toy for a sadistic industrialist. I could argue that it took him two tries and a good dose of my own stupidity to finally nab me, but it’s still a valid point.”

“You think?” Clay muttered.

I glared at him. “I admitted to the stupidity part. Don’t push it. Yes, it’s possible that Xavier has found someone willing to pay big bucks for a female werewolf, and he’s said, ‘Hey, I can get you one of those.’ But I doubt it. He learned enough last time to know that if he tries it, he’d better spend that money fast, because he’s going to end up in little bitty pieces when either I get free or Clay catches up with him. But it is a possibility. That’s why I won’t even suggest going alone. The meeting will be held in a public park, which we’ll scout first. You can bring the whole Pack as backup if you like. I’m taking Clay too, whether Xavier likes it or not. But I want to catch David Hargrave, and if this is our shot, I say it’s a chance worth taking.”

Clay opened his mouth.

“Let me rephrase that too,” I continued. “I want Hargrave caught. I do not intend to play any role in catching him. For the next eight months, I’m out of the mutt-chasing business. I not only accept that, I wholeheartedly agree with it. No matter how bored I get, I won’t take chances. Talking to Xavier, though, is a reasonable balance of risk and reward.”

Clay and Jeremy looked at one another, and I knew I’d won…this time.

Ripper

I SQUEEZED THROUGH A BARRICADE OF STROLLERS AND past a small army of parents circled shoulder to shoulder around the playground, like a herd of bison protecting their young. A toddler shrieked. Her father swooped in and rescued her before she was trampled by a swarm of school-age boys who’d claimed the lookout tower. The father glared at the boys, then took his daughter out of the line of fire and wiped away her tears as she sobbed that she wanted to climb the tower. I had a mental flash of my own child in her place, Clay as the father charging in to find that someone wanted to keep his child off a piece of equipment and-

Oh, God, what was I getting us into?

On the other side of the playground was a cluster of picnic tables. Only two tables were occupied. At one, a mother divvied up animal crackers to three howling preschoolers, allthe while shooting furtive glances over her shoulder at the lone man sitting a few tables away. He was brown-haired and in his late thirties, with a thin scar running down his cheek and no attached kids in sight. When the man met her gaze with a level stare, she looked away and doled out the crackers faster.

I snuck up behind him, then leaned into his ear.

“She thinks you’re a pervert,” I whispered.

Xavier jumped, realized it was me and grinned.

“Is that it?” he said. “Whew. I thought she was trying to pick me up.”

The woman at the other table breathed a nearly audible sigh of relief as I sat across from him.

“I was starting to think you weren’t going to show,” he said.

“Good thing I did,” I said. “A few more minutes and she’d have been calling the cops.”

He shot a look in the woman’s direction. “You know, she doesn’t seem completely convinced. Maybe if you gave me a big ‘hello, honey’ kiss…Did I mention you look good?” He grinned. “Damned good. I forgot how-”

“Hard I hit?”

“That too.” His grin broadened. “Wanna refresh my memory? Really give momma hen a reason to gawk?”

“You’ve given everyone enough reason to gawk already. So much for keeping a low profile.”

“Hey, I wanted you to feel safe. Nothing safer than a playground. Absolutely no reason to regret not bringing the boyfriend.”

I glanced over the crowd by the play equipment. “How do you know I didn’t? You’ve never met Clay.”

“I’ve seen pictures, remember? Blond curls, big blue eyes, everything but the goddamn cleft chin.” He shook his head. “Brains, looks and the lovely Elena on his arm. I’d feel really inadequate…if he wasn’t a raging lunatic. Score one for the half-demon. I may be a little nuts, but no one’s ever called me a psycho.”

I shook my head and sighed.

“Hey, don’t tell me I’m wrong. I’ve heard the stories. Saw a photo too. You ever seen those pictures?”

“No, but I’ve heard about them.”

“So you think they’re fakes?”

“I’m sure they’re not.”

“And…that’s okay with you? Your boyfriend spent his teen years hacking up people and taking pictures? But hey, high school was rough on all of us. Everyone has his own way of coping.”

I could have set Xavier straight, told him the pictures were of one trespassing mutt, and Clay had his reasons-as alien as his reasoning might be to the rest of us. But to clear the record would be to wipe away the reputation Clay had so painstakingly built for Jeremy’s protection, so I kept my mouth shut and shrugged.