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  The dog gave her that you have to be kidding look.

  Chloe sighed. “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Ramsey is just like the others.”

  The dog cocked his head to the side and gave her a questioning look.

  “All of my boyfriends haven’t been anything to write home about.” She rubbed her belly. “The father of my baby seems to have a temper and can’t keep his hands off anything in a skirt.”

  The dog dropped his gaze to the floor and his ears drooped.

  “The guy I dated before that just used me for sex. And now Ramsey… I don’t know what to make of Ramsey. I thought I’d found a winner. Maybe he had good reason not to tell me what was going on, and to run off like that. But what if he didn’t tell me because he knew I’d be unhappy about it?”

  Chloe shrugged her shoulders. “I guess maybe there really aren’t any winners out there after all. I really do have only myself to rely on. Come on, I need to get to work. I don’t think Matt will mind if I take you with me today.”

  The dog gave her a look that Chloe would have sworn was a grin.

  “Besides,” she said, “I’m feeling a little vindictive. Let’s see how much dog hair we can get in Ramsey’s car.”

  The dog made a noise oddly like a laugh and trotted after her.

  ***

  When Chloe arrived at work, to say her boss was shocked to see the large wolf dog at her heels was an understatement.

  “I know I should have called you to see if it was okay to bring him, but I didn’t want to leave him home alone,” Chloe explained.

  “Uh, Chloe, where exactly did you get that, um, dog?” Matt asked.

  The dog in question gave him an innocent look.

  “Ramsey had to go out of town unexpectedly and said he was leaving a guard dog to watch over me. When I woke up, the dog was beside the bed.”

  Matt eyed the dog doubtfully. “I somehow doubt Ramsey left that dog to watch over you.”

  The dog growled a warning at Matt.

  Chloe beamed at the dog. “See, he’s a good watch dog.”

  Matt mumbled something under his breath. “He can stay, but I don’t like it, and neither will Ramsey, I assure you.” He glared at the dog. “You bite so much as one customer and I’ll let Gabriel deal with you.”

  Chloe looked at Matt like he’d lost his mind, but she didn’t say anything, merely sat at her desk and waited for him to leave to go on his rounds. Once she had the office to herself, she looked down at the dog.

  “I think he’s not getting enough sleep these days. I hear their smallest one is teething and is getting up at all hours.”

  The dog smiled at her.

  Chloe busied herself with filing and browsed the internet when she wasn’t answering the phone or helping customers. Her short day flew by and before long it was time to go. Gathering her things, she headed for the door, the dog right on her heels.

  As she locked up the office, she felt the prick of something sharp at her side.

  “Don’t make a sound and don’t move,” a deep voice said in her ear.

  Chloe froze. “What do you want?” she asked shakily.

  “Hand me your wallet.”

  At her feet, the dog positioned himself between her and the attacker and growled.

  “Shh,” Chloe said. “Here, here’s my wallet,” she said, reaching into her purse.

  “Get the damn dog away from me or I’ll kill it,” her attacker said.

  “He’s just trying to protect me. He doesn’t know any better,” she said.

  The dog squeezed himself further between Chloe and the man, forcing the man to back up a step. When the knife was no longer pressed against Chloe’s side, the dog lunged at the man, knocking him to the ground.

  The knife clattered across the sidewalk. Man and dog fought on the concrete; the man cursing and beating against the slavering beast on top of him, the dog growling and snapping.

  Chloe reached into her purse with shaking hands and pulled out her cell phone. She quickly dialed 9-1-1 and told the operator what was happening. Within minutes, police sirens could be heard in the distance. Her heart was pounding against her ribs and tears streamed down her face. At that moment, she wished more than anything that Ramsey were with her.

  When the police arrived, the dog immediately backed off and allowed the officers to take over. After Chloe answered their questions, she and her guard dog were allowed to leave. But once she was in the SUV, she found that her hands were shaking too badly to drive. She sat in the driver’s

  seat and cried. The dog nudged her and licked her cheek, trying to give her comfort. She threw her arms around his warm furry neck and hugged him.

  “Thank you! If you hadn’t been with me today, I don’t know what would have happened,” she cried against his fur.

  When she felt more in control of herself, she started the monstrous vehicle and pulled out of the parking space. Driving aimlessly, she found herself in front of the Victorian. The dog gave her a quizzical look.

  “I don’t know what I’m doing here. I guess I just don’t want to be alone right now.”

  Chloe wiped the tears from her eyes and got out of the SUV. She made her way up to the front door and rang the bell. When Kiera answered, Chloe started crying again. She poured out the whole story – about Ramsey leaving, finding her guard dog, almost being robbed, and missing Ramsey.

  Kiera looked down at the dog and raised an eyebrow, but she refrained from outing beast. Instead, she let Chloe and her guardian in the house. Once her guests were settled, she called the garage and told her husband what was going on. It didn’t take long for Gabriel to join them.

  “You’re welcome to stay here until Ramsey returns,” Kiera offered.

  “That’s sweet of you Kiera, but I like being at the house. It feels a little empty right now, but the bed smells like him.”

  The dog made a grumbling noise.

  “Hush,” Gabriel said.

  The dog groaned and lay down on the floor at Chloe’s feet, turning his head away from Gabriel.

  Kiera grinned. “I take it you miss him.”

  Chloe sighed. “I do. He said it was an emergency and I want to believe him, but…”

  “Why wouldn’t you believe him?” Gabriel asked.

  “A woman started calling from Colorado about a week ago. Her name is Sabrina. She’s the one that called the day Ramsey said he needed to go to Colorado. If it was innocent, why couldn’t he just tell me why he had to leave?”

  Kiera looked at Gabriel and then down at the dog before looking back at her husband. “You need to tell her, and you need to tell her now.”

  “Need to tell me what?” Chloe asked. “Does this have to do with that family secret Michael mentioned?”

  The dog’s head popped up, and he looked from Chloe to Gabriel and back again.

  “Yeah,” Gabriel said with a sigh. “It does, and it’s time you knew about it.”

  Kiera reached over and took Chloe’s hand. “What he’s going to tell you is going to sound impossible. In fact, you’re going to think we’re completely insane. But it’s true… all of it. I need you to keep an open mind.”

  “How open?” Chloe asked uneasily.

  “About as wide open as the ocean,” Kiera replied.

  Chloe nodded.

  Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck. “Our family, and all of the guys you met at the party that night, has a secret. You’ve probably heard fairy tales of werewolves and shapeshifters growing up.”

  “Yeah, who hasn’t?” Chloe wondered.

  “Well, they’re more than just fairy tales. The stories are based off reality to some extent.”

  Chloe looked from Gabriel to Kiera waiting to see if she was the brunt of a joke. When she realized they were serious, she remembered Kiera’s words about keeping her mind open. Surely they didn’t expect her to believe they were werewolves?

  “So you’re telling me you’re werewolves?” she asked.

  “I am, but Kiera’s not. Only the
males can be werewolves.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “And the dog at your feet isn’t a dog…. It’s the father of your baby,” Gabriel said.

  Chloe jumped out of her chair and backed against the kitchen counter, eyeing the dog with huge eyes. “Michael?” she squeaked.

  The dog grinned at her and winked.

  She gasped and blushed. Once the realization that her guard dog was Michael truly sank her, her embarrassment turned to fury. “You son-of-a-bitch! I changed clothes in front of you! I hand fed you! You – you – you….”

  She lunged at the dog, but he scooted out of the way with his tail tucked between his legs and his ears drooped to the sides. Before she could lunge again, he ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Chloe was hot on his heels. He had barely cleared the guest bedroom when he shifted in a blinding flash of light.

  Chloe gasped at the sight, the realization that werewolves truly existed sinking in. The last think she remembered was hearing Michael call her name as the room faded to black.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Michael leaned over the bed, his brow furrowed. “Maybe we should take her to the hospital.”

  Gabriel pulled him back. “Or maybe you could just give her some breathing room. She’s had quite a shock.”

  “Maybe we should call Ramsey,” Kiera said.

  Michael gave her a dark look.

  “I know you don’t like it, but regardless, she’s staying with him. You heard her in the kitchen. It’s obvious they’re sleeping together,” Kiera said.

  “I posed as her guard dog so I could get close to her again. Now that you’ve ruined any chance I had of doing that, you owe me. We don’t call Ramsey,” Michael said.

  Gabriel crossed his arms. “Last time I checked, I’m the alpha, and I make the decisions. If Chloe doesn’t wake up and has to go to the hospital, we’re definitely calling Ramsey. And if she wakes up and wants to call Ramsey, she most certainly may.”

  Michael grumbled under his breath as Kiera walked past him and out of the room.

  “You know, you’ve harped on me most of my life about settling down or at least dating someone. I finally find my mate and now you’re helping her settle down with someone else,” he complained.

  “How do you know she’s your mate and not Ramsey’s?” Gabriel asked.

  “She’s carrying my baby,” Michael pointed out.

  “And if you were half as careless with everyone else as you were with Chloe, most of the women in this city would be carrying your baby,” Gabriel replied. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

  Michael had the grace to blush. “I got carried away with Chloe. It’s the only time I lost my head and didn’t use protection. I think that alone should prove she’s my mate.”

  Gabriel sighed. “Michael, I would love to believe she’s your mate, but Ramsey obviously cares for her. I have to also do what’s right for the two of them.”

  “What about her comments about Ramsey leaving for Colorado?” Michael asked.

  “The alpha called and asked if Ramsey could come out there to help him with something. I gave my permission. It was just rotten luck that he had Sabrina call and ask him to come out,” Gabriel said. “And the real guard that he left for Chloe?”

  “I told Lucas that Ramsey had changed his mind.”

  Gabriel shook his head. “You know Ramsey is going to tear you apart when he gets back.”

  Michael puffed his chest out. “He can try.”

  Gabriel snorted. “As protective as he is of Chloe, I have a feeling he’ll do a lot more than try. Especially if he finds out you saw her naked. I can’t believe you did that Michael!”

  He shrugged. “Not like I haven’t seen her without clothes before.”

  Gabriel balled his hands into fists and counted to ten. There were times he truly wanted to knock his baby brother on his ass. “Do you have to act like Dad?”

  Michael stiffened. “I’m nothing like Dad! If I were, she’d be black and blue, and she’d still be in my damn house.”

  “She might not be black and blue, but you’re starting to lose your temper more and more. I heard about you grabbing her arm the night she went to the hospital. Can you say one hundred percent for sure that you won’t hurt her? Can you guarantee that she’s safe with you?” Gabriel asked.

  Michael looked away, unable to stand the questions his brother asked. Even worse, he hated that he wasn’t sure of the answers. “I don’t want to hurt Chloe.”

  “I know you don’t, Michael, but can you promise that you won’t?”

  He shook his head. “I just get so jealous of her. I want her to myself. Just the smell of another wolf on her drives me crazy.”

  “I’ve felt the same thing with Kiera, but I fought against it. You have to fight the urge Michael. You can’t be like Dad, not if you want a life. I can’t let you have a mate if I can’t be sure of their safety.”

  “I’d give my life for her,” he whispered as he looked over at Chloe.

  He walked over to the bed and gently caressed her cheek. “I’d give anything to have her in my life, to be a father to my child. I want her to be my wife, Gabriel.” He looked at his brother with tears shimmering in his eyes, “I want the life you and Kiera have, the life Cole and Marin have. I’m tired of being the family screw up. I want the peace you have, the happiness. Is that so wrong? Is it so wrong to want to be with the woman I love?”

  “Have you told her that you love her?” Gabriel asked quietly.

  Michael shook his head. “What good would it do now? It’s too late.”

  “It’s never too late. If you love her, you need to tell her. Don’t make her decisions for her, Michael. Tell her how you feel and then let her decide what she wants to do. She may still choose Ramsey over you, and there’s nothing you can do about that. But at least you’ll know that she made

  the decision knowing how you feel.”

  “How’s that supposed to be better?” Michael asked.

  Gabriel shrugged. “It isn’t going to feel good either way.”

  “Why can’t you force her to be with me?”

  “Is that really what you want? To know that she’s with you because it was a decree? Or do you want her to be with you because she chose you?”

  Michael sighed. “I want her to choose me, but that’s not going to happen.”

  “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”

  “When does Ramsey get back?” Michael asked as he looked down at Chloe.

  “The day after tomorrow.”

  “She still needs a guard while he’s gone.”

  Gabriel laughed. “And you think she’s going to let you stay with her?”

  Michael shrugged. “She doesn’t have too many options right now.”

  “She might decide to take Kiera up on her offer. Unless you think she won’t be protected enough in my house?” Gabriel asked.

  Michael snorted. “As long as vampires aren’t involved, I think she’ll be fine.”

  Gabriel winced, but nodded. “If she isn’t awake by dinner, we’ll take her to the hospital. For now, I think it’s best if we let her get some rest.”

  They walked out of the room pulling the door closed behind them, trying to be quiet. Chloe had had a very traumatic day, between her near robbery and her discovery that werewolves existed. Neither of the brothers expected her to wake up anytime soon.

  ***

  Chloe woke up two hours later in a strange room. At first, she was scared, but then she remembered she was in the Victorian. She started to shake when she remembered the man with the knife outside of her office and her rescue by her guard dog, which she now knew had really been Michael. He’d saved her life!

  Chloe lay back against the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. Werewolves! They really existed. Magic was real. Things she had only dreamt of had a place in reality. She was still having trouble wrapping her mind around it.

  She remembered chasing Michael up the stairs after she’d realized h
e'd seen her getting ready for work. Then she’d seen a flash of light and he’d been standing before her in his human form – naked! She blushed at the memory. Some things hadn’t changed. The man was just as yummy now

  as he had been the night she’d gotten pregnant.

  Groaning, she rolled to her side and buried her face in the pillow. What was wrong with her? She was laying her thinking naughty thoughts about Michael while Ramsey was in Colorado. He’d only been gone for one day and she was already being mentally unfaithful to him.

  She sighed and sat up. Might as well face the music… or rather the wolves. Struggling to her feet, she walked to the door and slowly opened it. She bit her lip when she saw the stairs. She couldn’t believe she’d run up the stairs without a thought for her safety. If Ramsey had been here, he’d have scolded her for sure.

  She held onto the banister and carefully walked down one step at a time. When she reached the bottom, she followed the voices to the kitchen. Gabriel, Michael and Kiera were gathered around the kitchen table. The guys stood when she entered the room.

  “We were worried about you,” Kiera said with a smile. “Are you feeling any better?”

  “A little,” she said quietly. Sitting down at the table, she gave them a tentative smile. “I’m sorry for scaring you earlier.”

  “We’re the ones who should apologize to you,” Gabriel said.

  “No,” Michael said quietly. “I’m the one who should apologize, for a lot of things.”

  Gabriel nodded to Kiera and they left Michael and Chloe alone.

  “Michael, what do you have to apologize for, other than tricking me today?”

  “I’ve done a lot of things wrong since meeting you. I knew you were special when I first met you. I should have stayed away, but I couldn’t resist.”

  Chloe listened patiently.

  “I tried to forget you after our short time together, but I couldn’t. You haunted my dreams, and my days. When I saw you in the living room, I was stunned. Then I noticed you were pregnant. It was like being punched in the gut. Here I’d been thinking of you night and day and you’d kept something so important from me. It hurt – a lot.”