“We should get her out of there,” Gwen suggested.

“I was thinking the same thing.” Blayne started to skate out when Kowalski cut in front of her. Blayne squealed at the sight of the dangerous female and quickly skated back to Gwen’s side.

“You want me to handle Cherise?” the female asked, appearing unfazed by Blayne’s hysterical response.

“You don’t have to kill her,” Blayne said, panic in her voice.

Kowalski rolled her eyes and headed out to the track. She stopped by Cherise’s side and whispered something. When she was done, Kowalski returned to them.

“Okay,” she said.

The first whistle blew and Cherise, and another girl trying out for the jammer position shot off. A second whistle sounded and the rest of the pack went after the two females. Whichever jammer got out in front first would earn points by passing the girls on the other team. It sounded easy, but trying to bypass a seven-two She-bear with mommy issues was easy for no one.

What blew Gwen away, though, was not that Cherise was screaming every time one of the players got close to her, but that Cherise was moving so fast. Unbelievably fast. While squealing and screaming and slapping bodies, hands, and anything else that came too close to her, out of her way.

It was entertaining in a really horrifying way.

“What did you say to her?” Gwen asked Kowalski.

The female shrugged. “She’s got a thing about germs. I just pointed out that no one trying out today had bothered to wash their hands in the last two hours, not even the ones who went to the bathroom. She’s a canine who runs on fear. You just have to find ways to use that fear to your benefit.”

Appalled, Blayne said, “But you’re like family with her.”

“Yeah. That’s why I know how to manipulate her. That’s what family does to each other.”

And that made Gwen laugh—because the honey badger was right.

“Don’t encourage her, Gwenie!”

“I can’t help it!”

“I think there’s something we need to talk about.”

Toni sat up and stared at him. They’d somehow ended up on Ricky’s hotel room floor. Toni continued to surprise him, not remotely concerned about little things like having sex with him on the floor.

“I told you I was sorry,” Toni said. “I didn’t even break the skin this time.”

“I’m not talking about that.” Although the pain he was feeling all across his back suggested she had broken the skin, but he wasn’t going to argue the point. It had just been her claws. It would be a different discussion if she’d used her fangs. “I just want something clear before we go see the bears tomorrow.”

“I know. I know,” Toni said with a wave, stretching back out across the floor, her head landing in hissheet-covered lap. She was allowing him to play with her curls, but she’d insisted, “Only before I get into the shower. After that, no touching!” Well, they’d see about that.

“Don’t put my feet on the table,” she went on. “Russians consider it rude. And don’t stand around with my hands in my pockets. They hate that. I wonder why. Does it suggest you’re hiding something when you put your hands in your pockets? I just do it because I like to have something to do with my hands other than play with my fingers. Cherise plays with her fingers and she always looks like a nervous wreck.”

“I’m not talking about that damn meeting tomorrow.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“I just want it to be clear that when we get back, we ain’t really done.”

“We ain’t?” She blinked. “I mean, we’re not?”

“No. Don’t see why this has to be a one-night stand.”

“I thought that’s what we agreed to.”

“When did we do that? I merely suggested wolves are great for the occasional one-night stand. I didn’t say that’s what we had here.”

Toni sat up again.

“I ain’t done with your hair,” Ricky complained.

“Forget the hair.”

“I can’t. I love it.”

“What if it falls out tomorrow?”

“Why would it fall out tomorrow?”

“It might!”

Ricky could see the panic in her pretty eyes. Knew she was just scared. Didn’t blame her. He wasn’t exactly sure what the hell was going on, either, but he knew he didn’t want to go back to the States and pretend the last two nights had never happened.

“Is this because I’m a poor country boy from Tenne—”

“Oh, shut up.”

Ricky laughed, unable to keep the pathetic look on his face. Didn’t matter. She always saw through that in seconds.

“This has nothing to do with any of that and you know it. But we are from different worlds.”

“You’re Romeo and I’m Juliet? Wait.” Ricky thought a moment. “Switch those.”

“That’s a stupid comparison, but it’s not far off. I’m a jackal. You’re a wolf. I mean,” she went on, “can you imagine me being part of a pack? Living only for the needs and wants of others—and my God! Why didn’t you tell me I sounded so idiotic?”

Chuckling, Ricky admitted, “I figured you were smart enough to figure that out on your own.” Because her whole life had been about living for others.

“Look, darlin’, all I’m saying is that when we get back, I don’t want to pretend that we don’t even know each other.”