“Maybe. I’ve known enough like her to see the signs. She’ll keep working her way up the social ladder until someone takes her in hand.”

Cassandra frowned. “If that’s really the case, we need to contract her—and do it before she pushes one of the boys too far.”

“Gabriel didn’t seem very interested. He might not let us do it,” Heather said.

“I know. I’ll talk to him about it after he gets home. I need to clear my head so I can think. You ladies want to go for a run?”

Heather glanced back toward the house, frowning. “I’d like to, but I’m Tiffany’s ride.”

“She’ll make it home fine, I’m sure,” Alexis said. Heather gave her a scathing, offended look before collapsing into giggles as Alexis added a leer and suggestive waggle of her brows to go with it. “Come on. The party is winding down anyway. Let’s go have some fun.”

Together the ladies drifted into the woods, pausing only to remove their shoes. Once they had their heels in hand, they did not stop until they reached a small clearing far from the lights and prying eyes at the party. Alexis cursed when her silk skirt caught on a thorn and tore, yanking the delicate material free so hard that she widened the rip. Heather smothered a laugh, while Cassandra busied herself with removing her blouse.

“There goes fifteen hundred dollars.” Alexis sighed, tugging the offending material off and hanging it on a low-hanging branch.

Vera silently drifted out of the shadows, her eyes aglow and her feet bare, Jimmy Choos dangling from one hand. She took in the scene, the curl in her lip lessening when she noted Tiffany’s absence.

“I take it Gabriel said no?”

Heather, busy removing her own clothing, huffed impatiently. “Darling, I don’t know why you’re so dead set against her. Even if you’re suspicious of her, it wouldn’t kill you to be polite.”

“I’m rich. I don’t have to be nice.”

Heather frowned at her. “It certainly wouldn’t hurt for you to try once in a while. Besides, Gabriel hasn’t given his answer yet. Cassie will convince him tonight.”

“With a little lip action, I’m sure,” Alexis muttered. Cassandra shot her a glare that she pretended she hadn’t seen. “Give the man some deep throat and he’s yours.”

Heather and Vera broke out in laughter while Cassandra swiped nails arched into talons at Alexis, who danced out of the way just in time. Grinning, she shimmied out of her skirt and top a safe distance away as Cassandra growled and huffed, tugging off her own clothes and folding them into a neat pile.

“I’ll get you for that!”

“Got to catch me first!”

Alexis laughingly dashed off into the dark, her body changing as she ran. Her skin grew darker in tone, limbs stretching, bones and tendons cracking as the shift brought out her inner beast. Without losing a single stride, she was soon running on four legs rather than two, the gray-coated timber wolf racing deep into the forest.

Vera, who had already shed her clothing and jewelry in preparation for a shift, set the bundle of her belongings aside and joined her. Her coat as a wolf was as dark as her deep auburn hair, a rusty reddish brown that easily blended with the forest. Cassandra raced to catch up, ghosting between the trees as a pale gray shadow, seen only briefly as she flashed through patches of moonlight that filtered through the canopy of foliage. Heather was the last to shift, a mousy brown color, smaller than the others, but much faster. She soon caught up, and they were away, a silent pack running together and enjoying the freedom of the night.

Tiffany stepped out from between the trees, tucking a video camera back into her purse before she toed the clothing the girls had left behind.

CHAPTER 6

I don’t need a man in my life.

—Enya

Afew days after the party, the ladies made plans to meet again. Cassandra had been attempting to corner Gabriel long enough to speak to him about Tiffany, but he was too tied up in both his company and his pack’s business to discuss it. She’d put off getting together as long as she could; Tiffany had started questioning Heather about whether she’d upset Cassandra.

As they didn’t want to have her snatched up by another pack or to take the lack of time spent together as a slight, Cassandra was bound and determined to make this their last social call before she put a contract in front of Tiffany.

By way of apology, Cassandra had offered to pick up the tab for dinner at a new restaurant that had just opened a few blocks from Times Square, some fanciful place with a theme of diamonds and crystals. It was all the rage, garnering rave reviews in the local papers and an excellent ZAGAT rating. Anybody who was anybody had been spotted there. It was, rather inevitably, called Star Dust.

Tiffany had gladly accepted, and the women met outside the restaurant, decked out in shining Gucci as only it had the requisite number of rhinestones to match their need to outshine the restaurant’s décor.

“Good to see you all again,” Tiffany said. She smiled at Alexis and Cassandra when they joined her at the fringes of the line waiting to get in. Her expression quickly turned neutral when she saw Vera bringing up the rear, trailing a few yards behind the others.

“You, too! I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get away. My husband has been an absolute beast these past few days, and I simply haven’t had the time.”

Heather, Vera, and Alexis nearly choked on their laughter at Cassandra’s statement, though they quickly got it under control. Tiffany smiled, shaking her head. “Men can be such a pain, I know.”

Alexis, curious, broke in. “Speaking of which, how did things go with Travis?”

Heather and Cassandra both shot her a warning look, while Tiffany simply shrugged. “Not as well as I had hoped it would. Let’s discuss it over drinks, shall we?”

Cassandra took the lead, the other girls falling into step behind her as they headed to the front of the line. Security took one look at the designer clothes, the painted faces, the svelte bodies, and the killer heels, and let them pass without hesitation, drawing aside the white velvet rope to allow them inside.

There was not a single voice of complaint from the people waiting in line, as not a one would dare—until they were out of earshot, that is.

Once he spotted her, the maître d’ came around his lacquered white podium to extend a welcoming hand to Cassandra, beaming. Like much of the furniture, his tuxedo was white, his tie, cuff links, and pocket kerchief of a fine silver material. Columns of white and silver marble flanked the doors. Crystal vases filled with crystal flowers sat on low silver tables, and the white couches for waiting guests were full. Against the alabaster white walls, it was much like stepping into an icy cavern, too perfect, too austere, to be welcoming.

They fit right in.

“Mademoiselle, lovely to see you again. Your table is ready. Right this way.”

The rest of the restaurant was done in similar style. The music drifting from hidden speakers was soft, melodic, with chimes resonating with the crystal and silver statues that gleamed and glittered from recessed alcoves around the room. The raised ceiling was painted such a deep, dark blue that the tiny lights set into it made it feel as though one were outdoors, staring up at a velvet night sky filled with stars. Even the hum of conversation was muted, giving the place an intimate feel, as though one were lost in the icy tundra of the frozen north.

Once they were seated, Tiffany lounged back, examining the menu. “Well, this all looks very good. What do you recommend?”

“Maybe you should try the grilled salmon salad with orange-basil vinaigrette. I hear salmon is good if you need to lose weight.”

Tiffany lowered her menu to give Vera a flat stare, clearly not amused at the insinuation. Vera gave nothing back, her expression bland and innocent. Heather, exasperated, gestured at the menu.

“Whatever you like. Everything I’ve had here is excellent. Try their house drink, though, the Starlight is amazing.”

Some of the tension at the table eased, and before long the waiter came and went with their order. Tiffany surprised them all by offering to cover the drinks, looking very deliberately at Vera when she said it. No one argued, and everyone was fairly quiet until the waiter returned with their cocktails. Once they had their drinks in hand, everyone relaxed a bit more. Tiffany exclaimed over the sweet liquor, thanking Heather for the recommendation before sighing dramatically and pressing a hand to her brow.

“I need some help.”

Alexis frowned, glancing at Cassandra. “What’s wrong? What do you need?”

“It’s Travis,” Tiffany said, cradling her drink as she leaned forward. “Can one of you please get him to stop calling me? I swear, that man hasn’t given me a moment of peace since the party.”

The other women shared confused and mildly alarmed looks, and Heather sputtered something unintelligible before Cassandra held up her hand for silence. “What happened at the party? I thought you two were getting along so well.”

“So did I. Until he started telling me how much I reminded him of his sister.”

The other girls couldn’t help it. They all cracked up.