“Case of mate abuse?” Tom asked, shocked. “Did he arrest his brother?”

Darien shrugged. “He said they were getting it on hot and heavy, a big-time sparring match. Peter asked if they could stay here.”

Tom couldn’t believe it. Peter was so good-natured, so how could he have a brother like that? “You told him no, right?”

Chapter 12

Elizabeth woke in the middle of the night feeling much better. She wanted to check the footprints in the snow outside her room at the B and B before winds covered them up or the sun melted them away the next day. She was an excellent tracker, her father had said, because of her coyote heritage. She’d found a couple of lost dogs and several lost or runaway human kids because of her keen sense of smell and tracking ability.

She would have inspected the men’s trail earlier if not for all the fuss Tom made about her accident. She’d leave right from the house, but she was so far out in the country that she’d prefer driving back into town and then exploring a bit while wearing her wolf coat.

She hated to wake Tom. But she was certain that if she asked to borrow his truck, he’d either say no to her going, worrying about her condition, or insist he go with her. She didn’t need his help at tracking, which she almost always did alone. She really didn’t want to trouble him at this hour of night, but she didn’t have much choice.

She hadn’t taken two steps out of the guest room when Tom walked out of his bedroom wearing only a pair of black-plaid flannel boxers. “Did you need something?”

She considered his nearly naked body and tried very hard not to stare and sigh. Well, kind of tried not to. He was in excellent shape, rugged and hot. She rarely thought of a wolf in those terms. She didn’t think anything of a man being ripped if he was cruel to her. But Tom was so different. Actually, everyone in his pack was. Kind, welcoming, sincere. If only all families were like that.

“Sorry. Did I wake you?” she asked.

“Very light sleeper. So, did you need something?”

“Yeah. Your truck? Can I borrow the keys?”

He leaned against the wall and folded his arms. “It’s three in the morning. You’ve been injured. You don’t have your driver’s license.” He glanced at her wrist. “Where’s your wrist wrap?”

She wiggled her hand back and forth. “All better. I want to take a run and do some tracking.”

“At the B and B.”

“Yeah. To see if I can learn anything.”

“In your wolf coat.”

“My back feels a hundred percent better.”

One eyebrow raised, he gave her a skeptical look.

“Eighty-five percent.”

He smiled.

“Seventy.”

He didn’t budge from the wall.

“Nearly seventy percent.”

He exhaled heavily and moved toward her. She stood her ground, and this time she folded her arms. She knew that look on his face. He didn’t believe she could track better than his wolves. Nobody ever believed it until she proved it to them.

“We’ve got pack members on it.”

“I can do better.”

He smiled.

She reached out her hand for his keys.

“Darien would have a fit.”

“Don’t tell him.”

“I’m part of a pack.”

“I’m not.”

“I still have to tell him.”

She sighed. “So tell him.”

“He’ll say no.”

She turned and stalked toward the bedroom at the end of the hall. She didn’t know which room was Darien and Lelandi’s, but this one had more of their scent leading up to it. Others had been here also, probably doing what she was about to do. Bother them for pack business.

Tom said, “I’ll call him. It’s less likely to disturb Lelandi than knocking on the door.”

He slipped into his bedroom and walked back out with his phone in hand. She’d already headed in his direction, and he put his arm around her. “Darien—”

“No,” Darien said over the phone. “I heard everything. Wait until tomorrow.”

Tom looked to see if Elizabeth had heard what Darien said.

Elizabeth made a face. “Help me strip out of my clothes.”

Tom smiled just a little.

“I’m going running, no matter what Darien says. Since I’m only seventy percent healed, I might need a little help pulling off my clothes.”

Tom still had the phone up to his ear, still smiling, but Darien didn’t say anything.

“Okay,” she said, “I can do it myself. I’m probably more like ninety-five percent fine.”

She pulled away from him, and he hurried to join her.

“She can’t run,” Darien said.

“’Night, Darien. Sorry we disturbed your sleep.” Tom shut off the phone and took Elizabeth’s hand. “Come on. Let me get dressed.” He glanced down at her stocking feet. “You’re going like that?”

“I thought you might help me get my boots on.”

“Are you sure you’re able to run in your wolf coat?”

“Sure. If I start feeling bad, we’ll come back here.”

“You promise?”

“Yeah.” But only if she didn’t get a lead.

***

Tom and Elizabeth drove into Silver Town and parked in front of the B and B. Bertha met them at the front door, wearing a pink floral flannel nightgown, a big fluffy pink robe and slippers, and a nightcap on her silver curls. “Darien called. Said you were on your way over here. Said it was a case of life-and-death.”