“Smitty?”

Smitty faced his business partner.

“This is Sierra Cohen. Miss Cohen, this is my business partner Bobby Ray Smith.”

Smitty shook the female’s hand and sized her up at the same time. Yum. Jackal. There weren’t a lot of jackals in the world, but the few he’d met were damn cute.

Using his most charming smile, Smitty asked, “So, this is your business, Miss Cohen?”

“Oh, no. No, I’m just a hard-working employee. The owners aren’t very comfortable with the general public. So I’m kind of the face of the company.”

“I can see why, darlin’.”

She gave a throaty laugh and took a step closer. “I have to say, Mr. Smith—”

“Smitty, darlin’. Everybody calls me Smitty.”

“Smitty, I have to say I was very glad to find... uh... our kind with a security business. I know my employers felt much safer with your team than with the full-humans we usually hire for this event.”

“Well, we are available for any security needs you may have. Actually, any needs at all.”

He had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing when he caught Mace rolling his eyes in disgust. Before Detective MacDermot came along, it would have been an ugly fight between the two friends to see who got this little honey into bed first. But now that the big-headed lion had mated and married the lovely and big-breasted cop, poor Smitty was all on his own.

“That’s very good to know. I’m sure there’s something you can take care of for me later tonight.”

“Any chance,” Mace cut in, “you two can put a hold on this lovefest until the job is done?”

“Don’t mind him, darlin’. He’s married.”

Mace snarled and Sierra looked at him in confusion. “Married? Why?”

“Because it made my sister want to set herself on fire.”

Smitty laughed, clearly remembering the way Missy Llewellyn growled and snarled her way through the ceremony. Then Sissy Mae, Dez, and Ronnie Lee, Sissy’s best friend and next in command, spent the entire day torturing Missy. Definitely fun to watch.

“My employers are big on marriage,” Sierra added absently. “Marriage and pups.”

“Aren’t we all big on our pups and cubs?” Mace asked, although he looked like he really didn’t care what her answer might be.

“Sure. But they’re really big on their pups. Anyone gets too close and they get really tense.”

Smitty frowned. “Wolves?”

Sierra shook her head. “No.” She turned and nodded toward the enormous doorway. “Wild dogs.”

Surprised, Smitty watched Sierra’s employers walk into the room. There had to be about ten of them and, he guessed,not the full Pack. They wouldn’t leave their pups alone except with other dogs they trusted.

Seeing them immediately reminded him of a sweet little She-dog he used to know. And, like her, they weren’t large like the other shifter breeds. In fact, wild dogs were the only breed that shifted into a smaller animal. As human, the men weren’t usually taller than five-ten or five-eleven and the women five-eight or five-nine. They were wiry and lanky, and watching them move, Smitty guessed they were a lot stronger then they seemed.

Another wild dog burst through the doors and made a beeline toward Sierra. She was gorgeous—Asian with almond-shaped brown eyes and full, sexy lips. Her dark hair reached to her waist and she exuded sex appeal.

Unfortunately, she was marked. Smitty could smell it on her a mile away.

“Sierra, you need to get up onstage,” she said with a country lilt he hadn’t heard in a long time from anyone not in his Pack.

Sierra nodded. “I’m on it.” Her hand brushed Smitty’s arm, letting him know she’d be back.

After she walked off, dark brown eyes locked on him and Mace. “Gentlemen.”

“Ma’am,” Smitty answered back. “How y’all tonight?”

The female raised one eyebrow. “Y’all making fun of my accent?”

“No, I thought you were making fun of mine.”

Her expression changed quickly when she smiled. “Where you from?”

“Tennessee.”

She pointed at herself. “Alabama.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Alabama.”

They shook hands and laughed while Mace looked about two seconds from jumping out the closest window.

“I’m Maylin. But everybody calls me May.”

“Bobby Ray Smith. We’re handling your security tonight.”

“Oh, that’s right. The shifter-run security company. I have to say I was quite surprised to find a Smith this far north. I’m from just outside Smithburg myself, and I never thought y’all would cross the Mason-Dixon line.”

“Well, too many Alpha Males and not enough territory. Figured it was time to see what else was out there.”

She glanced at Mace. “Your kin can’t be too happy with you working with a cat.”

“They tolerate him more than you’d expect.”

May started to say something else but stopped when the music cut off and Sierra walked out onto the stage at the front of the room.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Sierra Cohen.” Catcalls and whistles followed her statement and Sierra dismissed it laughingly with a wave of her hand. “I’m the VP of Promotions. And I wanted to thank you all for coming tonight.”