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Guardian, Neal Ingram, good at getting info Shifters weren’t supposed to have, said he hadn’t seen a bid come forward from Duncan Construction in the Shifter council’s records. It must have been sent at the last minute, right before this meeting, in fact.
    Graham’s gaze sharpened as he watched Eric, catching Eric’s subtlest reaction. The Lupine was good.
    “What construction company?” Graham asked without looking away from Eric.
    Kellerman consulted his notes. “A small, local company who does quality work. They put in a decent bid, and we accepted it.” He closed the file, but Eric couldn’t see it anywayfrom his vantage point. “Their architects are already drawing up plans. Within a month, you’ll have new places to live.”
    Eric didn’t let his expression change. The players in the poker tournaments downtown would have envied his blank face. Graham kept his gaze hard on Eric for a few moments before switching it to Kellerman.
    Graham turning away didn’t mean Graham was giving up. He’d sent Eric a signal that he knew there was something going on, and he was going to find out what.
    After the meeting ended—with nothing resolved—Graham fell into step with Eric as they headed for the parking garage and their separate vehicles. “Why so interested in the construction company, Warden?”
    Eric didn’t bother looking at him. “You aren’t?”
    Graham stopped. They were relatively alone, the upper floors of the parking garage sparse at the human lunch hour. “What are you up to?”
    “You know we have to alter the houses,” Eric said. “Be good to know what kind of plans these architects are coming up with. Better still to have the plans changed to fit our needs.”
    Graham’s wolf gray eyes narrowed, but he gave Eric a conceding nod. “I get that. But how would they make plans to our specs? Without us giving away anything?”
    “Agree to let me take care of that. Your idea of liaising is intimidation and fear. There’s an easier way.”
    “No, there isn’t,” Graham said. “Terrify the humans, and they do what you want. Works like a dream.”
    “In a place where Shifters outnumber humans, sure. Look around you.” Eric jerked his chin at the streets and buildings below them. “Humans everywhere. Trust me, subtlety works.”
    “Yeah, look where subtlety’s got you. You didn’t argue with them very much in there, and you tried to shut me down when I did.”
    “Because I don’t need humans knowing our business.” The more humans believed that the Collars controlled the Shifters, the better.
    “I’m not crawling and hiding from humans,” Graham said.
    “Keeping your hole shut about Shifter secrets is not the same as crawling and hiding. There’s too much at stake.”
    Graham’s scowl would have sent most of the Shifters in Eric’s Shiftertown running for cover, but Eric met him stare for stare. Graham was going to be hard to tame.
    Graham finally shrugged. “All right—I’ll keep my mouth shut around humans. Because I’m not talking to them anymore. You liaise , if that’s what you like. When you fail, tell me, and I’ll scare the shit out of them and get a few things done.”
    With a final glare, Graham turned his back and walked away. If they’d been in animal form, Graham might have sprayed behind him or done something equally disgusting to show Eric his contempt.
    Eric turned away himself, so that if Graham glanced behind him to see how Eric had taken the insult, he’d see nothing but Eric walking uncaringly toward his motorcycle.
    He knew Graham wouldn’t look back, though. Eric unstrapped his helmet and heard Graham start up his own bike. Graham was dominant enough to know his gestures made the right implications, without having to double-check.
    Eric waited until Graham had ridden out, watching the man drive through the streets toward Charleston and North Las Vegas, before he started his bike and departed the other direction, heading for Duncan