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“Freaking giraffe,” I mumbled, waiting for Sloane before heading into GSG. “Dad left sentinels to…”

Upon hearing voices, three women exited the kennel area dressed in GSG scrubs from the laundry room.

I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction I expected when they caught sight of me, but the way they each bent a knee wasn’t it.

I glanced over my shoulder, expecting Fayne to walk in, but they kept staring. At me .

The knee thing was odd, but maybe it was the Walshes’ way of showing respect? As an alpha’s daughter, I had seen my fair share of peculiar shows of deference, but this one took the cake.

“Let’s not overwhelm her,” Rían chided them, ruffling his hair as he soaked in my discomfort.

“These aren’t Dad’s people.” I didn’t miss the flex of his jaw at the mention of my dad. “Who are they?”

“Jess, Mindy, and Rochele.” He ducked his head. “Jess is a vet tech, and Mindy and Rochele are both dog trainers for the police in Abbeville.” He stuffed his hands into his jeans. “Are you comfortable with them, just for tonight, or would you rather have your own people put in place?”

“You just happened to have them on speed dial in the event of a hostile grooming takeover?”

“I’ve been in talks with your father for the right to claim Brentwood for the past year. I’m familiar with the town, and your business.” He rolled a shoulder. “I had concerns that the transition might go sideways, so I took the necessary steps to ensure your animals wouldn’t pay the price.”

The forethought set my skin prickling, but I couldn’t tell if I liked the sensation or not. I wasn’t sure what to make of him or how he had known it would come down to this, to me . And why he had been ready to take such extreme measures to accommodate someone he was booting out of town.

All the ways I could have used that year to prepare for this moment, to nail down my contingency plans, spun through my head. But I hadn’t known. No one had told me. Dad hadn’t told me.

“I appreciate it,” I murmured, still uncertain. “They can stay.” I glanced back at Sloane. “For tonight.”

With a cautious smile for me, the woman on the end, Jess, I think, herded the others back to the kennels where soon the comforting sounds of the closing routine rang out as if they had done it a hundred times before.

“We can use my office,” I decided, aware shifter ears would hear every word through its door anyway.

Gentleman kidnapper that he was, Rían said, “That works for me.”

“Freaking giraffe,” I grumbled again, ceding my chair to Rían. Not out of respect or deferment or any of those other polite reasons. No. I wasn’t sure the three of us would fit into the small room otherwise.

“Okay.” Wood groaned as he sat, and even the desk complained when he leaned forward, resting his forearms across it, as if that might lighten the load on the poor chair.

“That’s twice now you’ve called me a giraffe.

” He cocked his head, curious but not insulted.

“Are you trying to guess my animal or…?”

“Have you looked at yourself in a mirror lately?” I claimed one of the client seats, and Sloane sat next to me. “You’re stupidly tall.” I gestured toward him. “You have a ridiculous amount of leg.”

A snort at my elbow turned into a cough, but Sloane was losing the battle against laughter.

Rían glanced down at his lap, at his tree-trunk thighs, and pushed out a sigh.

“I like being tall, my mom was tall, so I’m not going to apologize for hereditary traits.”

All of a sudden, I tasted foot in my mouth. Which was insane. Bowie kidnapped me. Brought me here to meet with this stranger. A stranger who was about to cost me my home and business.

“But—” he continued before I found a way to remove said foot, “—as someone who routinely bumps his head half a dozen times a day on doors, ceilings, and the interiors of cars, I will admit my height can be a lot.” His slow grin revealed bright-white teeth.

“I like that you’ve already given me a pet name. ”

“Um…”

“Here’s the thing.” He laced his fingers. “I don’t know how you feel about giraffes, sexually, but…” His moonlight eyes drifted toward the ceiling. “That came out wrong.”

“Thank God.” I laughed, and yeah, it sounded a tad manic. “I have no feelings about giraffes, sexually or otherwise. I would, quite frankly, be concerned for myself if I did.”

“Um.”

“That’s my line,” I prompted him, when he only examined the light fixture which could have done with a good dusting. “What’s yours? You do have non-giraffe reasons for bringing me here, right?”

“Yes.” He drew out the word, which wasn’t comforting whatsoever.

“Can you get to the point?” Sloane perched on the edge of her seat. “What do you want with Ana?”

That, at least, brought his attention swinging back to her, and the weight of his stare made her squirm.

“Ana and I are betrothed.” His shoulders bowed with the relief of getting out the words. “We have been since before we were born.” He spread his hands. “That’s why I wanted Brentwood.” He cleared his throat and held my widening stare. “And that’s why I want…you.”

“Sloane.” I fumbled for her hand. “I need you to dial 911. I’ve had a stroke. I wasn’t sure before, but it’s the real deal this time.” I dug my nails in. “I just hallucinated an entire conversation with a giraffe.”

“I don’t think sympathetic strokes are a thing, so unless I also need an ambulance, I think he’s serious.”

“Dad would have told me if he sold me off for a pack alliance.”

Beside me, Sloane grew pale, and a frown pleated her forehead as she stared off into space.

Not the most reassuring gestures, but hey. I was hitting my stride. I could rationalize myself out of this.

“ And Dad wouldn’t have told me to pack up and get out of Brentwood if he had engaged us.”

“Ana…”

“Therefore, we are not getting married, and I am going to go home to…”

…start boxing up my things.

That was what I meant to say, since the Walsh occupation of Brentwood was fact given the numbers I had witnessed since my arrival. But it gutted me knowing I would be required to move to my childhood home until I talked Dad into letting me purchase another house in another town.

How was this my life? I was an adult. I shouldn’t have to ask my dad to let me do anything.

“You don’t have to leave.” Rían coiled like he was seconds from springing across the desk to grab me before I walked out.

“Brentwood is your home. You’re the only reason I’m here.

The betrothal is a lot, I get it, but it’s not like I’m slapping you with an ultimatum.

There’s no timeline. No rush. All I’m asking is for you to please stay.

” His hesitant smile tugged on his scarred lip.

“Get to know me and the rest of the clan before abandoning the life you worked so hard to build here.”

This was too big. I couldn’t hold it all in my head without it exploding. But I had to start somewhere.

He was giving me what I wanted, what had gotten me in that SUV, without my having asked for it.

“Explain how you ended up in my shed.” I started off easy. “Who did that to you?”

“Mercer Bates caught up to me after a heated meeting with your father. He decided I should be taught a lesson in respect.” He spread his hands.

“I couldn’t shift within Brentwood city limits, not then, but Mercer didn’t have that problem.

I can hold my own, giraffe legs and all, but not against a wolf with the element of surprise and three sentinels to back him up if he started losing. ”

I wish I could say I was shocked Mercer would stoop so low, but where I was concerned, Dad placed few limits on what his second could do to protect me. Even if it was dishonorable to attack someone unable to defend themselves with tooth and claw. Or whatever Rían had aside from his great height.

“Why couldn’t you shift?” I found myself curious what his answer might reveal about his character. “Part of the bargain for the meeting? To remain on two legs for the duration?”

“You really don’t know?” He raised his eyebrows at Sloane. “You have a token, I’m sure.”

“I have a charm that allows for instantaneous shifting,” she admitted after I nodded my permission.

“Can I see it?” He extended a hand, and Sloane, to her credit, only hesitated for a second before she placed her charm on his wide palm.

“This engraving on the front?” He indicated the wolf’s head.

“It’s the rune for instantaneous shifting.

” He flipped it over. “This one?” He showed us a magnolia blossom.

“This one grants the bearer the ability to shift within the city limits. Otherwise, you’re locked in whatever form you enter in until you leave. Though we’ll be tweaking that soon.”

“That’s what Fayne meant by wards.” I had trouble wrapping my head around it. “I had no idea.”

“I had no idea it was possible.” Sloane accepted her charm. “A whole town on magical lockdown?”

“I imagine there are several aspects of life in Brentwood you weren’t privy to,” Rían said with a frown.

“Sartori didn’t want to chance Ana smelling a lie on you or suspecting you of being complicit.

Anyone he thought was getting too curious he got rid of before they could voice any concerns to her.

” The chair hit its breaking point, crunching under Rían, who grimaced but appeared confident it wouldn’t outright dump him onto the floor.

A man his size was probably a better judge of such things than me.

“Bowie had reason to believe you were next. Not for asking questions, but from concerns raised by your behavior.”

A growl tickling the back of her throat, she leaned forward, into his space. “What behavior?”

“ That behavior.” His peculiar eyes crinkled at their corners. “Your loyalty to Ana was growing too deep.”

“From where I’m sitting, that’s a plus. Not a minus.” Sloane’s upper lip quivered. “She’s my friend.”

“I think…” I swallowed hard, “…he might be right.” I curled into myself. “You’re the first person who ever pushed me to be open, to trust them. Everyone else kept their distance, and that was fine with me. I had gotten used to the revolving door.”

I told myself I didn’t need them. That I didn’t need friends. Never had I considered the sentinels who wound up in my employ might have wanted to forge a connection, or that Dad might have warned them away from forming an attachment.

Why would he do that? Isolate me? Force me to be so alone?

More than once I had fallen asleep in his lap as a child, crying because no one liked me. I had shed more than a few tears in high school too, when I got dumped for not being enough. Not being a real shifter.

“Can I take her home?” Sloane started rubbing my back, as if sensing I was near my breaking point. “She’s had enough for one day.” I started to protest, but she cut me a glare. “You need food and sleep.”

“Today was a lot to take in.” He rose with caution, but the poor chair had given up on life and toppled on its side. “Today’s not looking any easier.” He pointed at the wreckage. “I’ll, uh, replace that.”

“I have more questions. More every minute.” I let Sloane tug me to my feet. “I don’t want to walk out that door and lose my one chance at getting answers.”

“I would like to spend the rest of my life with you, which is a lot, I know, but that means you’ve got all the time in the world to ask me anything you can think of.

If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find someone who does.

” He hesitated. “I won’t make you beg or bargain or buy the truth from me.

Ever. That’s not who I am, and it’s not what I want for us. ”

Too good to be true. No one was this transparent. This open. There had to be a catch.

“What if I decide I don’t want there to be an us ?”

“Then there won’t be an us .” He massaged the base of his neck. “But I’m hoping I can convince you that I have more than a pair of stupidly long legs to offer you.” He inclined his head. “Sweet dreams.”

“Are you sure her father can’t breach the town?”

“Sartori can’t get in, but no one is getting out either.

Cell towers and internet are blocked too.

We notified residents who will be affected by the outage to expect a disruption in services.

They’ll be compensated for the inconvenience, and we’ve gently encouraged human residents to spend a few days out of town until the matter is resolved. ”

“No one notified me.”

“A strategic decision, for your safety and ours.”

Well, I had wanted to stay in Brentwood. It looked like I was getting my wish, just not on my terms.

“From one cage to another,” I murmured, ignoring his flinch. “Let’s go, Sloane.”

Life might be a dumpster fire, but at least I had a friend willing to brave the flames with me.