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touch.”
    “What is she?” he asked. He knew her smell was animal, but he couldn’t identify it.
    “She is Raven.” Bianca smiled. “Apparently, the Goddess has a sense of artistic contrast.”

Chapter Three
    B IANCA W ATCHED J ACK A BSORB what she said. She saw a flicker of something like anger—perhaps jealousy—on his face when she explained that she and Sara were lovers. She knew the presence of the Guide wasn’t lost on him. This would answer at least some of his questions. In the mythology and prophecy of wolves, the Ushers were each led by a Guide: a shifter, not wolf, whose fate was tied to the fate of the pack.
    A part of Bianca was desperate to touch Jack. Her wolf wanted to rise and preen for him, but she subdued that part of her, at least for now. She took his hand in her own, allowing herself that much. “Jack. This is a lot to take in. Why don’t we talk more tomorrow? I can sense that your wolf wants to run.”
    He expelled his breath in a hard sigh. “With the permission of your pack, I would like to shift.”
    He knew that since her pack was not recognized, he didn’t need permission to shift in their territory, but at the same time, he offered them the respect he would any other pack. Diplomacy cost him nothing but time.
    “I think Kathy and I would enjoy a run, as well, if you’d like company.” She smiled. He was so polite, so in contrast with his gruff wolf exterior. She appreciated his manners—they went a long way toward establishing goodwill.
    Jack gaze turned to the petite redhead. He realized he had forgotten her presence entirely. “I’m sorry. I realize we’ve been speaking as if you weren’t there.”
    Kathy giggled, and he noted that Bianca and Ellen were both smiling, as well.
    “I told you I was sneaky,” Kathy said in her bubbly voice. Then she winked at him, bringing a smile unbidden to his lips.
    He shook his head. These women—these wolves—they confounded him. His pack, like most others, was dominated by alpha males. A wolf of Kathy’s size would have been Omega in his pack, the lowest. His wolf was puzzled by Kathy, but not afraid of her. As intriguing as he found her, he found that the moment she looked away from him, the presence of her wolf disappeared from his inner senses. It was almost as though she became fully human to him, and then his wolf disregarded her as irrelevant as any other human in the room. Clearly, more than her size set her apart from other wolves.
    He frowned.
    “Don’t worry,” Kathy said as she patted his hand. “You have nothing to fear from me, big boy. I’m like your littlest sister.”
    His wolf took comfort in her touch, and he felt his head nod slightly, almost without his will. Without conscious decision, he was pledging himself as a brother to her.
    “Well, that’s just sweet,” Ellen drawled slowly, drawing his attention back to the other women.
    Immediately, Jack felt Kathy slide from his awareness, but he held onto the little connection, not letting her slip away entirely. It took significant effort. How did she do that?
    “Brother, shall we run?” Kathy asked him, bouncing back into his awareness with a splash. She was so like a little puppy that he couldn’t help but be enchanted and amused.
    “I would like that,” he said with a smile. “Sister.” He shook his head ruefully.
    Somehow, he had given himself as family to this little pup, and he couldn’t help but be glad. She’d won him over just by the force of her personality. Her cheerfulness reminded him of his brother, Ted, his best friend. Her little button nose wrinkled when she smiled at him, freckles bunching together. Then she looked to her Guardian for instruction.
    “Check the perimeter, and wait by the edge of the woods. If it’s safe to shift, go ahead, and we’ll meet you out there,” Bianca ordered.
    Kathy slid from his awareness as she stepped away from the booth and disappeared into the crowd. This time, he let her slip