Eric tasted the primal excitement of the rivalry. He hadn’t felt like this about a female since Kirsten, a need for a mate he thought he’d never experience again. He’d told himself he’d been keeping quiet about Iona all these months to protect her, but in truth, he was as old-fashioned as Graham, sequestering Iona from prying eyes while he worked on winning her. He laughed.

“Eric!”

Eric came out of his reverie to avoid slamming into a truck stopped in front of them.

“Maybe I should drive.” Iona was already halfway out of the truck.

“Don’t try to run away from me, Iona. I’d just have to catch you again.”

No, let her run. Hunt her. Bring her in…

Eric shut off the thought.

Iona didn’t run anywhere. She came around to the driver’s side, and Eric slid over for her. Another driver whistled as Iona climbed into the driver’s side, the slit in her bridesmaid’s gown riding up her thigh. Eric barely stopped himself from leaping out and ripping out the guy’s throat.

Iona put her foot to the gas and glided the truck down the road again. “I’m not going to run away. I like my truck. Besides, the sooner we resolve this, the sooner I can get back to my normal life.”

Eric sat close enough to her to touch her, loving the way her body moved beneath the satin gown. “You won’t have a normal life ever again. Your mating hunger is calling to you. You can’t fight it forever.”

“Not the best sales pitch you could make.” Iona gripped the wheel and turned through streets without asking directions, heading north to Shiftertown.

Iona had driven past the Las Vegas Shiftertown before, unable to stem her curiosity about it, though she’d never been through its gates. She’d seen that, behind the high chain-link fence, Shiftertown was a grid of streets with small, neat homes.

The fact that the gates were left wide open, the fence not topped with barbed wire or anything, had always made her feel better. The fence and gates were more symbolic than imprisoning.

A number of Shifters seemed to have motorcycles, she saw as she followed Eric’s directions down a street a block away from the gates. She also saw that, though it was dark and around dinnertime, Shifters were out and busy, some carrying boxes from house to house, some stacking furniture on front porches.

“They’re moving in with their families and neighbors,” Eric said to her curious glance. “Doubling up because Graham’s Shifters get here day after tomorrow. Stupid humans wouldn’t wait for the houses to be built.”

“We can get them done quickly,” Iona said. “But that still means a couple of months.” She slowed and turned where Eric indicated. “The new Shifters arrive day after tomorrow? After your fight?”

“Why do you think I picked tomorrow night? Graham and his seconds will have to follow the rules of the Challenge and the fight club, but I wouldn’t trust the bulk of his wolves not to do something dumb-ass while he fought me.”

Iona was surprised. Eric had been in a flat rage when he’d faced Graham in her office, ready to kill him. He’d made no sign that he’d been coolly calculating the best time for the fight. “Do you always plan everything so carefully?”

“I do, my love. Remember that.”

Iona pulled into the driveway of a long, low house with a deep front porch that looked little different from its neighbors—except that the driveway and yard of this house were full of Shifters.

In the center of the driveway, standing in front of Iona’s pickup as she halted it, was a tall blond woman who was obviously pregnant. She stood shoulder to shoulder with a Latino human, and another Latino, resembling him, stood next to him. A younger version of Eric stood at the tall woman’s other side.

Two enormous men came to flank the truck. They were accompanied by a dark-haired woman who was a bit smaller than them but no less intimidating.

Eric hadn’t called anyone after Graham had gone and before they’d left the office. He’d helped Iona roll the blueprints into the tubes, and then he’d hustled her out the door and opened the gates. That meant Graham McNeil must have alerted the Shifters that Iona was on her way.

Iona set the brake, but she didn’t turn off the truck’s engine. She doubted she’d be able to ram the truck through the surrounding Shifters, but it never hurt to be prepared.

Eric got out, unworried, and came around to the driver’s side of the cab. He reached in, shut off the truck, and took the keys, then opened the door and held out his hand to Iona.

Swallowing, Iona got out.

It was dark without the truck’s headlights, though a small porch light on this house and the one next door provided some illumination. But Shifters didn’t need light—they could see fine in the dark. Iona knew they were all scenting her, knowing she was half-Shifter, knowing she’d been all over Eric, and Eric all over her.

Eric led Iona to the younger man. “Jace,” he said. “This is Iona Duncan. Tonight, I mate-claimed her. Iona, Jace Warden, my son.”

Jace was no kid—he was a full-grown adult. He had the same hard build and dark brown hair as Eric, and he looked back at her with his father’s measuring green stare.

“Iona,” Jace said before she could speak. “I acknowledge and respect the claim.”

The next thing Iona knew, Jace had opened his arms and folded them tightly around her.

Iona started, but Eric’s hand warmed her back. “It’s all right. Hug him. You’re supposed to.”

Tentatively, Iona brought up her arms to return the embrace. Then Jace really hugged her, pulling her in so tight that her breath left her. Her nose picked up how similar his scent was to Eric’s and yet had a unique character of its own.

Jace was grinning when he released her. “Welcome to the pride, Iona. Dad, I commend your taste.”

Eric took Iona by the shoulders and moved her to the pregnant woman, who was regarding Iona with great interest.

“Cassidy Warden,” Eric said. “My sister and my second.”

“I acknowledge and respect the mate-claim,” Cassidy said, sounding delighted.

She pulled Iona to her for a warm, cushy hug, which Iona returned less hesitantly. As with Nicole, Iona breathed in the fragrance of Cassidy’s child inside her, and Iona’s sharp need to mate rose up to bite her once more.

“You’re half-Shifter,” Cassidy said as she released Iona but held her by the hands. “Your father?”