As Jesse and his pack mates headed for the rental vehicle, Jesse said, “Hector’s life was probably pretty comfortable when he was part of his pack, as the Alpha’s son. Then they were blackmailed and he lost his life as he knew it . . . all because of an ambitious shifter.”

“Of course, none of it would have happened if Hector hadn’t been so fucking cruel as to rape and kill that poor girl,” clipped Roni. She had once almost been gang-raped by a bunch of human boys, so she could no doubt relate to the terror Jenny must have felt. “But Hector doesn’t see that he did anything wrong.”

“I think he killed Jerold,” said Jesse.

“So do I,” said Nick. “But I think it wasn’t enough for Hector.”

Marcus nodded in agreement. “So he revisits that crime onto others again and again, avenging his own ‘wrong’ again and again. Really, it’s not about vengeance. It’s just that he’s a sick fuck who’s stuck in a loop of rage.”

“Loop of rage,” repeated Roni. “I like that.”

Inside the vehicle, Nick said, “Knowing the facts helps, but we still have no evidence of his involvement. Nothing to blackmail him with.”

“We could bluff him, tell him we have the photos,” suggested Eli. “It’s not a great plan, but I don’t see what else we can do.”

Sad as it was, neither could Jesse.

The little cat slowly prowled across the branch, never making a sound. She watched the bird that was perched on the branch below. A kestrel. A shifter. It was looking at the lodge, not sensing the danger stalking it. Her prey never did.

The cat stopped directly above the bird. Tensed. Coiled. Prepared to strike.

She pounced.

She didn’t go for a killing bite. The bird needed to live. She slammed one paw on the kestrel’s body and sank her teeth into one wing. The shifter froze, understanding that to move would mean terrible damage to her wing.

“She won’t release you unless you shift back,” a female voice called out from below. Ally. The Mercury Pack males were also there, two in wolf form, two in human form.

The kestrel squawked, so the cat pressed her paw down harder.

“Shift,” ordered the she-wolf. “That’s a margay that has a grip on you, Tweety Pie. This particular margay ain’t what I’d call predictable. Definitely not patient. Right now, I’m guessing you’re testing that patience.”

“I once tested her patience,” said the Head Enforcer. “It didn’t end well for me. Now shift before she mangles your wing.”

The cat didn’t understand all of the words, but she sensed what her pack mates wanted. So she waited. Tension began to gather in the bird’s body. Feathers shrank and receded. The cat released the bird and knocked it off the branch. By the time the body hit the ground, it was human. A juvenile female, to the cat’s surprise.

The Beta male said, “Who are you and why are you here?”

Harley pushed for dominance, but the cat wanted freedom a little longer. She didn’t trust the bird not to shift. Harley understood and ceased pushing, though she stayed close to the surface and listened to the words.

“No sense in playing dumb, little bird. You invaded our territory. You owe us an explanation as to why.”

Fear tainted the bird’s scent, making the cat’s nose twitch.

“Are you part of a flock?”

The bird slowly stood, holding her injured arm. “No.”

“Who hired you?”

Two wolves padded close, and more fear wafted from the bird. “Hector Flynt.”

Recognizing the name, the cat hissed. Eyes snapped to her. The cat stared back.

“Come on, kitty,” called the Beta female, tapping her thigh.

The cat didn’t move. She didn’t want the she-wolf’s touch.

The Beta female let out a long breath and then turned back to the bird. “I’m guessing you weren’t sent here to kill any of us.”

“No, he just wanted some information.”

“What kind of info?”

Tension again gathered in the bird. Not trusting the shifter wouldn’t try to flee, the cat slid off the branch so she was hanging upside down, gripping it with her hind paws.

The young female jerked, and the level of anxiety in her scent rose. “He asked me to look around, listen to some conversations, find out what’s happening, and report back to him.”

The Beta female looked at her mate. “He wants to know if we’re making preparations to leave; he’s checking to make sure we’re doing what he wants.”

The bird blinked. “Why would you leave? This place is awesome.”

“Glad you think so,” said the Head Enforcer.

Looking at the cat, the bird smiled. “Even she’s pretty cute.” The female reached out to touch the cat; she whipped her tail, making her jerk again. “Or not.”

The Head Enforcer said, “It’s best not to antagonize our little margay. There’s really only one wolf in this pack who can calm her down. And he’s not here.”

Sadness was thick and heavy in the female’s scent. She rubbed her wounded arm. “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you? Just make it quick.”

The Beta female folded her arms. “How did you become a loner?”

“My family was exiled.”

“Because . . . ?”

“My father dueled with the Alpha and lost. Even though my dad was badly hurt, they cast out my parents and me. My dad died a few weeks later. My mother was dead within days of his death.”