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“It’s a long story. The son-in-law is a shapeshifter.”

“Is that like a werewolf?”

She grinned. “No, and don’t let Kael hear you suggesting such a thing. The Council apparently looks on werewolves as animals.”

“What does that make you?”

“A temporary animal.”

She didn’t add that Kael had very good reason to hate her, as did his wife, Gina’s daughter. Raven had spent years of her life imprisoned in the dungeons of the fire-demons, and a lot of people considered that to be Regan’s fault. She never bothered to deny it. What was the point? Besides, she didn’t care what people thought of her. She never had.

But that wasn’t the only bad blood between her and the Council. Kael had hated her long before that. And all because she’d helped save his life once a long, long time ago. She wasn’t going to explain that either. Let them hate her.

“What’s the matter?” Caleb asked.

She glanced up to find him watching her. She shrugged. “Nothing.”

Caleb rose to his feet and stood, hands thrust into his pockets, aggression in every line of his body. “Darius has no right to investigate me.”

She frowned. “I can’t believe you don’t want to know. Aren’t you just a little bit curious?”

His expression was hard but beyond that she could sense, or rather wolf could sense, his anxiety. Caleb was scared. Scared of what he would discover. That it would forever put an end to his hopes of a normal life. She had a strange urge to wrap her arms around him, hug him, tell him it didn’t matter. That she liked him whatever he was.

Instead, she studied him closely, attempting to gauge what he could be. He certainly looked human, so whoever his mother was she must have appeared normal.

Who did Ethan Stone find to bear him a son, and how did she manage to carry the baby to term? She must have used some form of magic, so one of the magical races.

“I’m coming with you,” he said.

“What? Why? I thought you weren’t interested in knowing.”

“I never said that. And I don’t want you people discussing me behind my back.”

“You people? Don’t tie me in with the Council. Anyway, I’m not sure they’ll let you in. I don’t think they allow dogs in the building.”

“Ha ha. I’m coming.”

“Hmm, I suppose I could put you on a leash.”

“You could try.”

She shrugged. “Come along if you like, but perhaps you should have a cold shower first”—she allowed her gaze to trail down the front of his body—“to get rid of that bulge in your pants?”

His eyes narrowed, he opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment, the phone on his desk rang. He picked it up and listened, his eyes flicking to her, a frown forming on his face.

“Okay, send him in.” He put the phone down and turned back to Regan. “I’m sorry,” he said pleasantly. “I have some business to sort out first, but perhaps we can arrange to meet later.” He came around to stand beside her chair, she could almost see him twitching with the need to pull her to her feet and shove her out the door.

Something was definitely up. He wanted her out of there. Which of course made her want to stay. She sat back in her chair and rested her booted feet on the desk in front of her. “Actually, there’s no rush,” she said. “I think I’ll stick around.”

His eyes narrowed. “It’s a business meeting.”

“I’ll sit in the corner and be very quiet.”

He jammed his hands into his pockets, his whole body radiating frustration. Then he closed his eyes, and the tension drained away. When he looked at her again his lips turned up in the semblance of a smile, and she knew he was going to try to appeal to her better nature—how strange.

“Look,” he said, his tone conciliatory. “It’s one of my father’s men on his way up. He needs to speak with me, but he’s very shy, and he won’t talk in front of outsiders.”

Her smile was equally sincere. “You’re forgetting something.”

“I am?”

“I’m not exactly an outsider. I am, in fact, a werewolf.” She bared her teeth to prove the point.

Regan could almost hear the grinding of his teeth. Then he threw up his hands in an admission of defeat. “Stay then. You know, my life used to be simple.” His eyes narrowed on her. “Why the hell didn’t I just drive away that night?”

A knock sounded at the door and she grinned, then swung her legs down off the desk. “I’ll go sit in the corner then, shall I?”