She hated going over to her aunt’s for this reason. Ronnie had planned to call first, find out if her aunt even wanted to see her after all this time. It had been nearly fifteen years since Ronnie’s momma and her aunt had that big knock-down-drag-out scuffle. Daddy and her oldest brother had to drag the women apart. Yet even though they hadn’t spoken to each other in all that time, her momma always said, “Family is family, Ronnie Lee. You need her, you go on over there or call her.”

Glancing over at the big man next to her, happily snoring away, Ronnie hoped her momma was right.

Chapter Two

B rendon sat up in the strange bed and looked around the room. He didn’t recognize this place, but he liked it. It smelled good.

He’d like it better, though, if that She-wolf were here. Where could she have gone? He knew she hadn’t left him. Not while the fever still raged through his body. Unlike the Pride, she wouldn’t desert him. He knew that about her already.

Leaning back against the pillows, Brendon tried to remember how he got here. It had something to do with his brother. Maybe. To be honest, he couldn’t remember at the moment, but his brother being involved wouldn’t exactly shock him. Mitchell had been a fuckup since birth. Brendon’s twin sister, Marissa, had written Mitch off a long time ago, but Brendon couldn’t do that.

Had the kid gone missing? Again? Mitch, now twenty-eight, went missing a lot, it seemed. The brothers were born to different mothers but the same father. A father who raised Brendon and Marissa when their mother died during childbirth and her Pride seemed less than interested taking in the two of them. A father who had very little to do with Mitch over the years. Something Mitch couldn’t forget or forgive.

The life of the Pride. It definitely wasn’t for everyone.

Christ, why couldn’t he remember? Was Mitch in New York? For some reason Brendon thought he might be. Was that why I was looking for him?

Brendon shook his head. He didn’t know. Everything was so fuzzy. But he’d been in those tunnels for a reason, and probably when the fever finished with him, he’d remember why. Now, however, all he wanted was more time with that She-wolf. Fabulous kisser that one. Amazing. Lust inducing.

She wouldn’t leave him.

Even though his body burned with fever, he couldn’t see the harm in checking out the rest of the house. Maybe he could find She of the Wonderful Lips. Besides, he could explore a bit, couldn’t he? That wouldn’t be such a big deal, would it?

Ronnie smiled at the man sitting in the enormous SUV at the curb, waiting for her aunt.

“My hot date.” Annie Jo Lucas winked at Ronnie.

“Very cute.”

The older woman grinned. “Polar bear. I love bears.”

Ronnie laughed. She’d completely forgotten how entertaining her aunt could be. And hermomma had been right. Family was family. Her aunt didn’t blink an eye when Ronnie knocked on her door holding on to a man only wearing a hospital gown. Annie Jo let them in, got Shaw settled, and even handed Ronnie a Christmas present she would have mailed to her after the holidays, like she’d done for fifteen years. True, Annie still had nothing good to say about Ronnie’s mother but that went both ways.

Her aunt even talked about canceling her date, but Ronnie had no intention of getting between a wolf and a “proper layin.” That would be plain wrong.

“What about you and that cat?” One dark brown eyebrow peaked up as her aunt smirked at her. “Hhhhmm?”

“I’m just doing my Alpha a favor.”

“Oh. Is that all?”

“What does that mean?”

“Well I just find it surprising you haven’t called in the Pack yet. Let them take care of Mr. I’m Gorgeous.”

“Why should I ruin their Christmas?” The way hers had been ruined.

“Because when you’re Pack, you’re never alone.”

“I’ll call them in the morning. I promise.”

Annie headed toward the SUV, Ronnie trailing behind. “You know, Ronnie, I really can stay. Help you with that boy. He is a big one.”

“We’ll be fine. Go! Have a great Christmas date.”

“You have my cell number if you need me.” Annie opened the door and blew a kiss at her date.

“I won’t need you. I can handle him.”

“Really?” Annie didn’t sound like she believed that for one second.

“Yes. He’s one man. I can handle one man.”

Annie’s date leaned down to look at Ronnie through the open passenger door. “Is that your lion?”

Ronnie spun around and watched Brendon Shaw—all seven feet and five hundred pounds of him now that he’d shifted to lion—trot down the nice quiet streets of Long Island, New York.

“Oh Lord!”

Laughing, her aunt waved at her. “Have fun, darlin’.”

Ronnie didn’t wait to see her aunt drive off with her date. Instead, she took off running after the big idiot.

Thankfully he wasn’t really trying to get away. Instead he seemed to be just wandering…and romping.

She caught up to him nearly three blocks away, rolling around on some poor person’s lawn.

“Shaw,” she called out softly. He ignored her.

“Brendon!” she tried this time, whispering as loud as she dare, hearing music and the people inside the house laughing and having a wonderful holiday. “Come here!”

Shaw, on his back with big paws in the air, stared at her, his tongue hanging out. Lord, what was he doing?