Megan McShaw gripped the Honda's steering wheel tight. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as she listened to her passenger's ragged breathing from the seat beside her. She could also sense his fear, mingled with confusion, and the metallic scent of blood that lingered in the confines of the small car. The fact her wounded passenger was nude didn't help matters. Sometimes she wished she wasn't so aware, but it was a part of her sithech nature.

She glanced in the rearview mirror. No headlights. Megan exhaled a soft sigh of relief. "Don't worry. We're not being followed," she reassured her friend, not taking her eyes off the road.

"Meg, sweetheart, I-I don't know what came over me. I didn't mean to 'turn wolf' at the bar. Honest, I didn't." The sincerity in his voice caressed over her body like raw silk. "MacDonald was shooting off his mouth and, yeah sure, I got pissed, but -- "

"It's not entirely your fault, Derek." Megan sighed, glancing at the sky through the windshield. "It's the moon. Look -- almost full." She pointed to the large, rust-colored disk in the night sky.

"You're shitting me, right?" Even in shadows, she could tell he was staring at her, perplexed. "That's the kind of stuff in Hollywood B-flicks and fairy tales ... not real life!"

"We'll discuss it later, Derek. After we get to the cabin, we'll have a long talk." Megan glanced out of the corner of her eye and nervously licked her lips. "You just keep that blanket wrapped around you and lie back. Take it easy." She flashed him a tight smile. "And try not to bleed on my upholstery, okay?"

Despite the tenseness of the situation, Derek Lee chuckled. The warmth of his laughter trickled through her, from her heart straight to her sex. She'd seen every inch of him, running naked down Main Street right after he'd transformed back from wolf to man. And he was all man. For a split moment, she'd been spellbound, watching his muscles ripple under his flesh as he'd made a wild dash to her car, clutching his arm.

Now, even in the semi-darkness of the car's interior, she could see the rest of his unquestionable good looks -- the firmness of his jaw that accented the even symmetry of his face and those warm, amber-tinted eyes. Derek's stunning features were topped off by a golden tan and his wild, blond mane.

As he shifted in the bucket seat, a groan of pain escaped from his lips. Derek straightened, still cradling his wounded arm. "You know, you didn't have to stop to help me, Megan."

"And if I didn't stop, you'd run the risk getting caught or worse. Lucky for you Officer Murray is a lousy shot, but you're still in trouble," she firmly reminded him. Slowing the car, she turned onto a narrow strip of gravel road. In light of the moon, the road was half-hidden by an overgrowth of weeds, making it barely visible to the naked eye.

"Where are we going anyway?"

"You'll see," she quipped. To her relief, he only let out a heavy sigh. He settled back in the seat and fell silent.

Oh boy! He's definitely an alpha. Megan returned her attention to the bumpy road ahead. No doubt about it!

She had only met him a month ago and the attraction was instant, but she knew there was something different about Heather Grove's newest resident. Her keen intuition detected he was sithech. Whether he knew it or not, he was searching for something ... or someone. Derek Lee was not an aimless drifter who'd just happened to wander into town. But then, Heather Grove was no ordinary town.