It entertained Brendon to watch her constant struggle between wanting to find a nice “wolf” and settle down and wanting to remain that traveling wild child on her own timetable.

It would not be easy to convince Rhonda Lee Reed that he could give her everything she ever wanted. But he’d always been determined, and he had no intention of giving up now.

“So…” Smitty began.

“So…?”

“You and our little Ronnie, huh?”

“Yup.”

“My sister says you like her.”

“Yeah. I like her.” Brendon shrugged. “I like her a lot.”

Smitty gave a surprised chuckle. “Man, you and Mace sure do confuse things.”

“How do we do that?”

“We’re the loyal ones. The ones who love forever. Y’all are the alley cats. Not to be trusted. Y’all are ruining what I’ve been using in my favor for many pleasurable years, and I don’t appreciate it one damn bit.”

Brendon laughed. He could see why Mace liked Smitty. Smart and funny hidden under a veneer of slow-moving Southern male.

“Sorry, but I never saw her coming.”

“Most don’t.” He sipped his beer. “A lot of people think Ronnie just follows Sissy Mae around like a lemming. I think she even thinks it sometimes. But she’s smarter than that. There’s no one else I would have trusted my baby sister with when she went traipsing over to Europe.”

Smitty looked over at him. “Her brothers are probably going to be coming this way soon, Shaw. If you’re not serious about her, I’d suggest you end it right quick.”

“I’m very serious. But she scares easy.”

“So does Sissy. They’re afraid of becoming like some of the Smith females. Trapped in a small town, mated to men they love but can barely stand with five or six more Smith males to raise. The two of them wanted more, and they went out and got it. I admire that myself.”

“Me, too.”

“Then I best warn ya…the Reed boys, they love their sister something fierce. But she uses them and her daddy to keep any male serious about her away. You want that little gal, you’ll have to face them boys head-on. They’re gonna mess that pretty face up some, but I doubt they’ll kill ya…unless they really don’t like you. Which, with the Reed boys, is a definite risk cause they don’t like many.”

Brendon shook his head and faced Smitty. “Why are you telling me this? Warning me, I mean?”

“I don’t know really. You don’t irritate me much. And you’re kinda funny. Plus, I guess, because Ronnie and Sissy are two peas in a pod. The two of them can convince the other of anything and often do. But maybe if Ronnie finds somebody…”

“Then maybe Sissy will stop fighting it?”

“Don’t get me wrong. I’d rather take a bowie knife to my eye than think of my baby sister with any male on this planet. But I don’t wanna see her alone and bitter because she’s trying to not be like our momma. Because the harder she tries not to be like our momma, the more like our daddy she becomes. And, hoss, I simply can’t have that.”

Brendon motioned for two more beers from the bartender. “Then I guess I’m on deck to make this thing happen, huh?”

“Better get your cat ass in gear, too, son. Because that Ronnie…she don’t stand still long for any male.”

The four females stepped into the main part of the club. Music pulsated, lights flickered and flashed, and bodies writhed on the dance floor. It surprised Ronnie the little interest this held for her anymore. At one time, she and Sissy would have been right in the middle of all those people dancing their asses off.

Sissy stood beside her. “You wanna dance, darlin’?”

Ronnie looked at her friend. “Do you?”

She scrunched up her face a bit. “Not really.”

“Me neither.”

“Lord, we’re gettin’ old, aren’t we, Ronnie?”

“Nah. Not old. Maturing. Maturing’s a good thing.”

“Who taught you that lie?”

Ronnie started to laugh, but stopped abruptly and stared out over the dancing crowd. A few of them shifters, but most of the writhing bodies were humans. Still, she’d always been good at recognizing scents.

Sissy Mae watched her. “What is it?”

Ronnie sniffed the air and growled. She took several steps forward and her eyes caught sight of one of them. She remembered the scar on his neck, bruises still on his face from his run-in with Shaw, and the persistent smell of gun oil.

She started toward him, watching as he headed to a back door and slipped out. Like most humans, completely oblivious to being tracked.

Not clear why, Ronnie went after him. But she knew she didn’t track him alone. Without having to say a word, the She-wolves were right behind her, slipping out of the crowd and following. The best part of being in a Pack—you were never alone. They always had your back. They always protected their own. No matter what internal fighting may go on as each member tried to stay out of the Omega spot, they were always a unit. With a helpful howl, they’d have the males by their side as well. But they didn’t need the males. They rarely did when it came to hunting a full-human.

Ronnie reached the emergency exit the man had slipped through and pushed open the door. Ten feet below, the exit door slammed shut. Ronnie grabbed the railing and leaped over it, landing in a crouch.