Pity.

Not that she and the stranger were really flirting, but theywere standing awfully close together. And his smile was making her feel all tingly and warm.

She hadn't been involved or even vaguely interested in anyone in a long time, and now she was going to a party with one man and having a hormonal rush over another. Not that she was was going todo anything about it; the rush simply proved she wasn't dead.

Suddenly she found herself wondering how long they'd been staring at each other, and why the tingling was stronger and the room warmer. And were they even closer, almost touching? The world seemed to have just gone away.

"The world does that, sometimes," he said.

It was as if he knew exactly what she was thinking, and Marj wasn't prepared for this, at all. Even if she was used to this sort of thing going the other way-but not with people. She'd probably spoken out loud, and the embarra.s.sment of having done that shot a bolt of irritability through her.

"You're in my way."

Marj took a step sideways, but he moved with her, still blocking the dairy section. She ducked around him when he opened the case. She saw what she wanted, and there was only one; a yellow quart carton sitting between rows of chocolate milk and lactose-free milk.

She and the stranger reached for the eggnog at the same time. Their hands met inside the cooler.

The electricity that arced between them was as tangible as lightning. All of Marj's nerve endings short-circuited. Her head went haywire, and she jumped back with a gasp.

The man looked stunned as well and cleared his throat. Then he reached for the eggnog again, and Marj got her senses back.

"Excuse me," she said, "but I need that."

"So do I," he said. "I have to go to a party tonight, and I'm told I should bring something."

"Me too."

He looked down at her from a height of at least six-foot-three. She generally wasn't aware of being only five-foot-one, but this man made her feel small. She didn't like it.

"You're hogging my eggnog."

"And you're expecting me to be a gentleman and let you have it." He shook a finger at her. "I touched it first."

"You distracted me."

"I touched your hand." He gave her a c.o.c.ky grin. "I admit I'm devastating, though."

She didn't know whether to laugh or be annoyed at this masculine self-confidence.

She turned her head and called to the storekeeper. "Do you have any more eggnog in the back, Sam?"

"With the Holiday Fete at the high school tonight?" Murphy called back. "What do you think?"

"Everybody can't be bringing eggnog."

"Take some chips and salsa," the stranger suggested. "Or potato salad. That's always a hit at a party."

"Eggnog is more festive. And I brought cookies to go with it."

"But not everybody likes eggnog."

"Taffy does."

Marj winced, realizing that she'd just admitted to catering to the tastes of a big, s...o...b..ring retriever.

The stranger laughed, and handed her the last quart of eggnog. "I'm a sucker for animal lovers."

She smiled her thanks and hurried to pay Sam. She found it oddly hard to walk away from the stranger, and was sure she felt his gaze on her the whole time.

Harry liked her. He wasn't sure if he should, and he wasn't going to let hieing her get in the way of solving his current missing person case, if she was involved in any way. But he liked her-and he desired her.

He liked the way she walked; he liked the way she talked. He liked her dark red hair, her big brown eyes, and her heart-shaped face. He liked the way her shapely bottom was nicely molded by the khaki slacks she wore. He liked her voice, and the way she smelled, and the roundness of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s beneath the teal sweater, and the way she had hips like a real woman and a slender waist.

That sharp chin indicated a lot of stubbornness, and there was sorrow deep in those brandy brown eyes.

She was a human, but he didn't hold that against her. He was human himself most of the time. And Dr.

Piper had a little extra psychic energy that definitely appealed to the animal in him.

He was certain that he was going to bed her before he left town.

Though she didn't know he knew it, he knew a lot about her. Along with his nose, and an ability to ask questions, he had a laptop, and knew how to use the Internet.

After catching the scent of one of the missing kids at her ranch, he'd done a little digging with his laptop.

Dr. Piper was single and wealthy. She'd been born and raised here, though she'd gone to school in California and practiced there for a while. Then she'd returned home and lost both parents within several years of each other. First her mother, to heart failure, then her father to cancer a year ago. She ran her animal shelter with private funds and kept to herself.

What was her connection to one of the missing teenagers Harry was hunting? And why hadn't she told anyone about him-in either his wolf or human form? Not that she'd recognize him in either form, since he'd spent a lot of energy projectingyou've never seen me before at her in the store.

He also wondered how soon he would see her again and how soon he could get her alone. He'd like touching Marjorie Piper, and wanted to do a much more thorough job of it the next time.

But for now, it was time to get to the party at the high school. He'd told his kinsman he'd meet them there, as soon as he bought something for the potluck. And it looked like it was to be salsa and chips.

chapter 4.

"May we join you?"

Marj was surprised at shy Annette Fennick's request.

Terry and Annette Fennick made her look like a social b.u.t.terfly. They kept to themselves, home schooling their teenaged son, Phil. Over the years, Marj had seen far more of Phil than she had of his parents. It was from Phil that she'd learned about a new baby sister arriving six months ago. They must have found a sitter tonight, because here they were, with Terry standing diffidently just behind Annette, his hand on her shoulder.

Marj had been sitting alone with Pat for nearly an hour, and the conversation wasn't getting any more interesting, no matter how hard they tried. She smiled at the couple, and said, "Sure, join us."

She didn't look at him, but she could practically feel Pat Mutter's frown at the intrusion. Well, maybe he'd been more entertained than she was, but she didn't think she'd been exactly scintillating.

The Hobday Fete was being held in the gym, with round tables and folding chairs set up in one half and a line of long tables for the auction of crafts and such on the other side of the room. Red paper tablecloths alternated with green ones and there was a potted poinsettia as a centerpiece on each of the dinner tables. The food for the potluck meal was heavy on decorated cookies, fruitcakes, and boxes of candy.

She wasn't the only one to have brought eggnog, and there was also a bowlful of punch and an urn of coffee. Fortunately, Pat and Alice had made sure there was turkey, mashed potatoes, and other real food, so the guests weren't subsisting solely on a sugar-and-caffeine buzz.

Marj had left Taffy, the black greyhound, a pair of mixed breed puppies, and the rescued kittens in kennel crates behind one of the tables across the room. A sign reading name the greyhound hung over the black beauty's crate. Taffy was there to keep the greyhound company. And Marj had hopes of finding homes for the kittens and puppies before the evening was over.

Unfortunately, many of the dinner tables were only half full, or even empty. Not a lot of the population of Kennedyville had shown up for this holiday event. It was sad, really, and Marj was beginning to think that maybe there was something to Alice's repeated statements about how they were a "town in crisis."

"The fire should have brought us together; instead it's torn us apart," Alice's had proclaimed, and they organized this get-together with the new minister's help. Though she'd badgered everyone within fifty miles to come, the turnout was pretty disappointing.

Across the gym, Alice was now frowning furiously at the Fennicks for interrupting Marj and Pat's tete-a-tete, and Marj had to grin. Alice was seriously into matchmaking mode.

Marj's smile disappeared in surprise as the tall stranger from Murphy's store strode up behind the Fennicks.

"Hey, cousin," he said, putting a big hand on thin, sharp-featured Terry's shoulder. Then he held a chair out for Annette.

Quite the gentlemen, Marj decided.

Annette blushed and looked quite fl.u.s.tered at this gallantry. Terry took a seat beside his wife, and the stranger settled into the folding chair next to Marj. He reached a big hand across the table toward Pat, and said, "I'm Harrison Blethyin, but everybody calls me Harry. Nice to meet you."

The whole time he spoke, Marj couldn't help but notice that he was looking at her. And she couldn't help but look back. She wasn't sure what to make of it, and the amused twinkle in his blue eyes was-disconcerting.

It made her want to snuggle up close to him, unb.u.t.ton his shirt, and start doing things that it was best not to think about while sitting across from the minister. She also had the feeling that Harry Blethyin knew exactly what she was feeling, and it was exactly what he wanted from her.

"h.e.l.lo, Marjorie Piper," Harry's smile widened and his eyes turned hot. "It's good to see you again." His look implied that he definitely hadn't seen enough the first time.

Marj went hot all over but managed to say calmly enough, "It's only been an hour."

"You two know each other?" Pat asked.

"How's Taffy?" Harry asked, as though it was the most urgent thing in the world. He put his big hand over hers on the tabletop. "Did he enjoy the eggnog?"

"We do not know each other," Marj answered Pat. Yet she didn't pull her hand away, though there was no reason for allowing Harry's familiarity.

"It was the eggnog that brought us together. And Sam Murphy, of course."

"You are being inane," Marj told Harry. She looked at the Fennicks as Harry's fingers twined with hers.

"How's the baby? And how's Phil? I haven't seen him for a while."And who is this man, and why is he with you ?

"I'm a distant cousin," Harry said. "I've come for the holidays."

Marj didn't believe him. She didn't know why. Maybe because it felt like he'd plucked the words out of her head. It was as if they could silently speak to each other, which shook her. This was an intimacy far different than the empathy she'd always shared with animals.

"Welcome to Kennedyville, Mr. Blethyin," Pat spoke up.

"Call me Harry."

You should be called dangerous, Marj thought She could sense it, beneath the good looks and the easy charm. He shrugged out of his brown leather jacket, rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt to bare muscular forearms, and sat back in his chair, looking like he was simply enjoying this small-town social function.

But there was something watchful about him. An aura that said he owned whatever s.p.a.ce he was in.

Everyone was looking at him. He knew it, expected it, and paid it no mind. The man filled the room, and this being a gym, that meant he took up a lot of emotional s.p.a.ce. He was alpha to the max, even just sitting there, smiling.

Marj didn't think she liked his overwhelmingmaleness , but it certainly was compelling. She'd bet every woman in that room felt a bit flushed and more female because of Mr. Blethyin's charisma.

The deep, inner wolf part of Harry didn't like it that Marjorie Piper was with another male. He must be more attracted to her than he'd thought, or he wouldn't be having this reaction. And he wouldn't want to be touching her above all else. Touching was a very important part of the mating ritual.

He was here to work, he reminded himself, not to start a ruckus with another male over the right to possess a mate. Especially a male like Patrick Muller. It was beneath his dignity; it wouldn't be fair to pick on someone who was so obviously a beta.

The first thing he'd noticed when he entered the gym was Marjorie Piper sitting alone with the man, looking bored. He'd been tempted to cross the room and take her away immediately. But since he was here on business, he'd sent his kinfolk to make sharing this table seem ordinary. He hated having to use the Fennicks. They were worried parents and wary of being around their human neighbors for any length of time. But they'd volunteered to do anything they could to help, so he took them at their word.

"So, you know my young cousin, Phil," he said to Marj, getting down to business. "He's grown a lot lately, don't you think?"

"I don't know about lately," she answered. "I haven't seen him for a couple of months."

The scent he'd encountered at her ranchhad been an old one, and it hadn't been just the scent of a young were-fox. There'd also been a werecat of some sort, cougar, maybe. The scent had been faint, and carefully masked. The kids had used the animals on the ranch to cover their own trail, and he hadn't been able to follow it, even though he had the best nose in the business. He didn't like being thwarted. Surely, this woman had some information that could set him on the right trail.

He felt Annette Fennick straining to ask about her boy, and he put a hand gently on her shoulder for a moment, letting the quick touch both rea.s.sure her and remind her that he was in charge.

"A couple of months? What was he doing at your ranch?" he asked Marj.

She gave him a suspicious look. "Did I say he was at my ranch?"

Her challenging tone made him bristle, instinctive alpha behavior, but he didn't let it show. She felt it though. He could tell by the way her brown eyes dilated and her body chemistry shifted, that she was aware of him, as a female. Across the gym, he heard a faint growl from her protective dog.

"I a.s.sumed," he said to Marj. "Perhaps I shouldn't have."

"Phil did stop by back in October," she said, looking at Annette. "He showed me a photo of the baby.

She looks a lot like Terry, doesn't she?"

"A lot," Annette agreed.

"Was his friend with him?" Harry asked.

"Clark?" Marj nodded.

So, it was the werecougar. He was the ringleader of the crazy, little runaway group.

"What do you do for a living?" Patrick Muller spoke up.

"I'm a private investigator," Harry answered. No reason not to be honest with these people, but lots of reasons to be very cautious.

"That's a pretty macho profession," Marj said, not admiringly.