"what if this condition affects people differently? what if i take longer to change?"

cameron let out his breath in a frosty huff and hurried her faster toward her cabin, but didn't reply. then he mumbled, "i shouldn't have gone with you and charles. i put you at risk."

surprised, she glanced up at him. he was feeling this was all his fault? "right, you protected me from the big bad wolf behind the shower room."

when he raised his brows at her in disbelief, she frowned. "he was coming for me. you got in his way. so you just delayed the inevitable. he still got me, only through you." she gave a half smile. "besides, i've been in worse predicaments."

he opened his mouth and she figured he planned to contradict her.

she shook her head. "okay, maybe not anything worse than this. although i did have a mad killer after me once."

he snorted.

"i did. in my line of work, sometimes the crazies go after the forensic scientists. he didn't want me to learn how he'd murdered three of his victims."

a look of admiration crossed cameron's face for a second, then he was back to being annoyed. "okay, so that was one mad killer. this is a pack of them. and i'm serious about sending you home." cameron took faith's hand and continued walking her down the path to black bear den cabin. but as soon as he stepped on the deck, he paused to smell the air, and frowned.

she smelled something, too. a hint of spice, and something else.

cameron pulled the door open.

leidolf wildhaven, his brows lifted, stood in the middle of the cabin amongst faith's colorful bras and panties, which were strewn about the floor.

chapter 14

"who the hell told my men to go after cameron and the woman at their campsite?" kintail asked lila, suspecting she had everything to do with it as he glow ered at her, and then he switched his deadly look to the rest of his pack.

twelve males and six females stood around his great room, their expressions wary, looking rebuked. the only two who didn't seem that way were david and owen. but then they wouldn't have had anything to do with it. and if anything, they seemed pleased to hear that things went so well for their partner and friend.

kintail growled. two people murdered at the hands of fanatical killers and two more dead because of this damned cameron macpherson. although kintail didn't blame him. the newly turned wolf was protecting what he felt was his property. but she wouldn't be for long.

"who?" kintail asked again, his voice just as hard. no one spoke. he motioned to one of the older women. "katina was the only one who did what she was told. well, she and vance and luke." he bowed his head slightly to them, glad they'd been so quick thinking when charles appeared out of the blue with his sled teams and cameron and faith. katina locking cameron and faith in the barn while they were snooping around couldn't have been better planned, and vance and luke guarding the building in their wolf forms was the perfect touch. even if it didn't work to keep his hostages where he wanted them, at least some of his people were making the right effort.

"despite that he's newly one of us, cameron is an alpha, folks, if any of you are too shortsighted to see that. he's not one to mess with. but from what i could see of the track marks at their campsite, baker targeted faith. to kill her? or to have her? since he's dead, the case is moot. but if anyone else tries to touch the woman, you won't only have her newly turned protector to deal with, but me. understood?" he gave lila a hard look.

her expression sulky, she lifted one brow, not to be cowed.

david and owen exchanged glances.

"as to the ones murdering our people without provo cation, i want them brought to me alive. understand?"

officer whitson and adams shifted a little in their stances. hell, why have a couple of his people on the police force if they weren't going to learn who the murderers were pronto? except for getting his wolves out of hot water when need be, this was the first real test of trouble, and they hadn't been able to do anything about it.

although kintail suspected faith might have a clue. "get the woman to share her theory about the killings, adams."

"but you said not to involve them."

"they're involved up to their hairlines, damn it. find out what faith suspects. maybe as a forensic scientist, she can uncover the truth."

"she'll cause problems," lila said, sounding as if she hoped the woman would.

kintail suspected she was going to be trouble, but in a different way than lila was. he had every plan to keep faith under his control better than he had lila.

"and cameron? he's a private investigator and former police officer. we checked his credentials and he's been at this a lot longer than we have," adams said.

kintail should have gotten adams and whitson on the force and trained a long time ago instead of just six months ago. "how long has he been in the business?"

"eight years."

hell, no way did he want to solicit the outsider's help. on the other hand...

kintail nodded. "yeah, see if he can shed any light on the situation." once they located the murderers of his people, cameron wouldn't be needed any longer.

"what about that nosey red?" adams asked.

"leidolf? you were supposed to question him. what did he say he was here for?"

"he explained he was on vacation. but he wouldn't say anything further."

"vacation, my ass. and where's hilson?"

"he's around. but making himself difficult to locate." adams looked back at david and owen. they both perked up. adams turned his attention to kintail. "we have another situation."

before adams said what it was, kintail knew.

"their partner, gavin summerfield, booked a flight and is on his way to bangor."

owen shook his head. david raised his brows at his friend.

kintail pondered the situation before he spoke. "where are cameron and faith now?"

"michael roux told us he sent his brother george with them to return to their cabin rentals. charles wants them gone. he figures he's upset you."

"none of my people better have injured charles." kintail looked over at trevor. "faith wants to speak to you about her father's work. they won't fall into the same trap twice. go to her. make up a bigfoot story. appease her. unless she's learned what we are. then tell her what ever satisfies her. i want cameron and faith to stay right where they are. it's easier to monitor their movements than if they're back in millinocket. until we have some answers about the murders committed recently, i want their help. gavin's, too, if he can provide it."

"what about them?" adams asked, motioning to david and owen.

"they stay here, out of sight, and away from harm. the four men together would be too much of a risk. not when they're still learning pack rules." kintail cast a small smile at owen.

the guy was trouble, but at least he had david in line.

"i can't believe gavin's coming here," owen said to david as they were locked in the basement again, the windows barred, the room smelling of mold. owen sneezed again. "i'm afraid i really blew it this time." he slumped on a mattress resting on an iron bed frame that looked like old army issue-olive drab blanket, scratchy bedsheets. hell, he was used to the kind with the silky high-numbered thread count-courtesy of a former girlfriend who'd hated his own rough sheets. now he couldn't get used to anything else.

"don't be so hard on yourself. you were only trying to save cameron's ass. you can't help it that commu nications are so spotty out here. and you know gavin would have come out anyway if he never could get hold of cameron. besides, together, they'll be able to do more." he sighed. "you know the more you create problems, the more they watch you though."

"yeah, and while you're doing nothing, they figure you're a real beta, complacent, willing to do whatever they say." owen couldn't help sounding disgruntled. he was always a man of action, take control of a situation, push for a solution no matter how difficult the trials. in that respect, he was more like cameron. david? he was the ultimate laid-back kind of guy. but owen couldn't be like that, no matter how much he tried. and who has the heart attack? the no-stress guy. but on the other hand, maybe david's no-worries attitude was all a facade, and all this time he'd held the stress in.

"what do you think they'll do when gavin reaches cameron?" owen asked, clenching his hands into fists, wishing the hell he had his gun, but recalling belatedly it wouldn't help anyway. not against these wolf types.

david reclined in the bed, arms beneath his head, and stared up at the concrete block ceiling. "not sure. sounds like cameron's got his hands full, protecting some new little lady in distress. i'm kind of surprised after the way marjory stiffed him. i just hope faith doesn't put him through the wringer, too."

"hell, what about these werewolf hunters? at least if kintail would let us, we could put our heads together and deal with them." he growled, hating to be locked in the basement for most of the time. at least he'd gotten the shapeshifting business pretty well under control. he wondered how cameron was taking it. "cameron's been turned," owen said, tapping his fists on the bed frame. "he's got to be pissed."

david closed his eyes and yawned. "no more than you are. as for the werewolf hunters, we can't do anything about it. but as many people as kintail has guarding us, we shouldn't have to worry. relax. if we seem like we're not going any place, kintail and his people will get sloppy. then we'll make our move."

"what about elizabeth?" owen raised a brow at david. when david ignored owen, he persisted. "she's got the hots for you. you might use it to our advantage." although he knew david was the kind of man who wouldn't use a woman no matter what the circumstances. owen took a different approach and shrugged. "once we get out of here, you could always send for her if you're that interested." he knew david was. he'd seen the shared glances. the shy intrigue on elizabeth's part. the way david tried to hide his interest in her. but owen recognized she meant some thing to him.