He unfastened her belt and unzipped her pants. Smiling sinfully, she never twitched a muscle to stop him. Although mating as a human could occur anytime and with relish, the wolf’s side demanded mating from January through April. And he intended to ensure that she was well satisfied for the rest of that time and beyond.

Suddenly, a deep male voice from the next room said, “You have mail, Madam.”

Devlyn spun around, but seeing no one, he stormed out of the room to kill the intruder in her office.

Bella laughed and chased after him. “He’s my email butler, Devlyn.”

Staring at the monitor, he read the message Bella had posted on a local board. Mystic Red seeks male interested in lifetime mate, who loves to hunt, free-spirited and wild in nature, Portland, Oregon.

“Damn it, Bella.”

Bella ran her hand down Devlyn’s bare back, trying to coax some of the tension out of his tight muscles.

“When did you post this message?” he growled.

“An hour after we fell asleep. I woke and couldn’t get back to sleep. I couldn’t quit worrying that the lives of other women could be at stake.”

He turned to her, his face stern, teeth clenched, jaw set. “So you decided you’d be the bait? Without asking for my input? I thought we were doing this together. What if he decides it’s a hoax? That you don’t really want him for a mate? That you only want to turn him over to his pack to determine his punishment? What if he tries to kill you?”

She traced his ribs with her fingernails, beguiling him. “I’ve never done anything useful in my life. I’m a website graphics designer, but I’ve never truly done anything that makes a difference — well, except for caring for childless human couples during my teen years by mutual arrangement. Several provided a home for me when I needed one badly. I acted the loving adopted daughter and took care of them when they grew too old to care for themselves.”

He caught her wrists to stop the sweet torture that her fingers did on his aroused body. “They never caught you slipping out of the house to take a run on the wild side?”

Shrugging, she admitted as much. “A couple of times, but they scolded me for sneaking out to see a fellow, even though, of course, I hadn’t. In each case, I took care of the couples in their advanced years until they died. When I finally reached the age of majority and could live on my own, I did so, using the money and properties they had bequeathed to me. I moved from time to time so as not to alert others that I aged so slowly and to keep Volan from finding me.”

Rubbing her face against Devlyn’s whiskery cheek, Bella loved the feel of his scratchy stubble against her skin, undomesticated and wolfish. “But I’ve never done anything for our own kind. You saved my life once. You’re a hero in my eyes. I want to help stop a killer who could expose all of us for what we truly are before it’s too late.”

“It doesn’t matter to you that I don’t want you to do it?”

“Of course it matters to me. I want you to protect me.”

His darkened eyes sparkled with desire. “You want me to be your mate.”

“I don’t want you to die, Devlyn.”

“Damn it, Bella. I don’t want you to die either. You want me to allow you to jeopardize your life to save others, but you refuse to be my mate because you’re worried I’ll risk my neck? I’ve already gambled my life for you once. I wasn’t that powerful a swimmer when I was young and carried you across the swollen river. I was determined at all costs to save you. Even now, trying to protect you against this killer, I’m risking my life. So why not take the chance against Volan?”

Devlyn shook his head when she didn’t respond and searched through the thirty-two messages she’d received. “Lots of damned nutcases living here.”

“Yeah, I didn’t expect to get that much of a response.”

“I think you’ve been too cryptic.”

When she ran her hand over his toned bare butt, the muscle tightened. He flicked an interested glance her way, but she tried to keep his mind focused on the task at hand. “What would you have me say, Devlyn? ‘Red lupus garou female seeks mate. Horny right now. Only a red lupus garou male need apply’?”

“You might have half of the lupus garou population in several states applying for the position. Lord knows how many are looking for a red.” Sitting down at the keyboard, he typed, Little Red Wolf seeks mate. Preferably big gray wolf terminally in lust with her.

She hit his shoulder. “Be serious.”

Grunting, he deleted the words. “I am serious.” He typed, Rufus lupus female seeks mate in Portland, Oregon, area only.

“A red wolf seeks a mate? The humans will think she’s a nut and — “

“The lupus garou will know she’s one of them, a loner, looking for a red wolf pack to join.”

“Okay, sign it as Rosa.”

“But what if Thompson — “

She combed her fingers through Devlyn’s shoulder-length brown hair, highlighted by the sun, satiny-smooth to the touch, soft, where the rest of him was hard. “He probably wouldn’t be looking at the personals for the local community. And if he did, he’d never figure it out.”

Devlyn rubbed his chin.

“Do it, Devlyn.”

He flashed her an annoyed look. “You sure are bossy.”

“You love me for it,” she teased.

He clicked on the send button and scanned the email responses to her first message. Hello, Mystic Red. I’m High-on-Poppy. Would you be my love forever? Just blows my mind what we could do together, wild thing. Set the world on fire. Looking for your loving response. HOP

Devlyn looked back at her as she read over his shoulder. “Sounds fun loving, huh?” she asked.

“Idiot hopped-up human.”

They looked at the next message. Hey, Mystic Red. Want to be my sweet thing? Don’t you just hate zoos? If I could, I’d free all of the wild animals. And eat the grazers. I never did catch your name, so guess Rosa will have to do for now. Email me and we can arrange to get together. Sooner than later. Lovesick in Oregon. Al

She shuddered. “Alfred.”

Devlyn looked back at her, all at once his posture dark and wolfishly protective. “What?”

“He’s the one from the zoo. The one who wanted me.”

“Red lupus garou,” he muttered. “Damn it, Bella, what if he’s the killer?”

“What if he is? We could catch him then.”

The email butler, dressed in his tux, walked across the screen and then stopped and faced them. “You’ve got mail, Madam.”

Devlyn clicked on the next message.

Hey, Rosa, I posted to your old message. Guess you were afraid I wouldn’t catch it. So how about a date? A romp through the Cascades? Email me. Al

Devlyn rose from his chair and shoved it aside. “I don’t like this guy.”

“He’s smaller than you. You can beat him if we get into a bind.”

His expression turned stormy. “Damn it, Bella. You think I can only whip smaller guys?”

The darkness in his voice startled her. She hadn’t meant to cut his masculinity in half. She touched his lightly haired chest. “I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant you could protect me.”

“Like hell you did. You think I can only whip a smaller red’s ass but that I’d buckle under when the competition’s a little more my size.” With his long stride, he stormed off to the bedroom.

She fought chasing after him to console him. It wasn’t their way, and he wouldn’t appreciate it. It would emasculate him all the more. Her stomach clenched into knotted ribbon. Damn lupus garou male pride.

Turning to the computer, she typed in a reply. Hi, Al, hadn’t seen your previous response. Meet me tonight at the Papagalli’s Dance Club. See you there at seven. Rosa

The response was immediate. Hey, Rosa, what’s your real name? Al

Had he been waiting for her response all of this time? Desperate to get in touch with her? Or was he an Internet junkie too?

She stared at the question. What was her real name? She typed: Rosa.

All right, Rosa it is. I’ll play the game for now. Don’t you think a place a little less crowded would be better? Al

Having no intention of meeting loverboy in private, she tapped her fingers on the desk, considering the best response. I love Papagalli’s. Besides, I believe in courtship, don’t you? Rosa

Whatever you want, Rosa. But. . . I don’t believe in long courtships. See ya, sweet thing. Al

Then a new message popped up. Male rufus lupus seeking female. Have cabin in the Cascades for hunting and wild romps in the woods. Where can we meet? Charlie

She reread the message. Was it just some nutty human? Hey, Charlie! What do you prefer to hunt? Rosa

Deer. What about you? Charlie

How about two-legged mammals? How about redheaded women? Are you the killer, Charlie? She tucked her hair behind her ear and then typed, A male rufus lupus. Rosa

I like a lupus with a sense of humor. Can we have lunch this afternoon? Charlie

Don’t you work? Rosa

A significant pause followed. She chewed on the inside of her cheek. Come on, come on. Let me know what you do.

Independently wealthy. But ifyou’re working... maybe tonight? Charlie

Liar. Do you know Papagalli’s? Rosa The dance club? Charlie Yep. Make it for seven? Rosa The more the merrier.

See you there. Oh, what will you be wearing? Charlie Something black. And you? Rosa Something to match. Charlie

Most everyone wore black to the club, and she had no plan to stick out. Another lupus would smell her scent.

Humans wouldn’t have a clue as to who she was, and best to leave it that way.

The kitchen door to the garage slammed shut, sending her heart skittering. Jumping up from the chair, she nearly knocked it over in her haste and headed for the garage. She didn’t believe Devlyn would run off and expose himself to the world while the police were looking for them just because she’d angered him. She yanked the door open.