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stops by the post office on the way to work. That’s probably where she is.”
    Clint pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and sat back down. She didn’t answer when he called. He was alarmed, but he didn’t know if he felt that from her through the bond, or if it was because he just didn’t like not having her near him. When she returned, he vowed, he’d never let her out of his sight again. He knew without a doubt she would never put up with that kind of absolute possessiveness, so he tried to banish the promise, tried to focus on his breakfast.
    What had once been the best food he’d had in ages became cardboard. He ate anyway. Werewolves had higher metabolisms than humans, and he suspected he’d need all of his strength in the coming days.
    Fear spiked through him, and he knew it was Ellen’s. Knew she was reaching out to him for help, but he had no idea where she was or how to reach her.
    He looked at Anthony. “She’s in trouble.”
     
    * * * * *
     
    Ellen woke up warm and replete and happy. And waiting for the other shoe to drop. During the night, Clint had awakened her, hard and insistent and everything she’d ever wanted from him. But there seemed to be a desperate edge to it. She knew he was waiting, even anticipating, her rejection of him. Them. The bond between them. She had no idea why, but knew eventually he’d have to tell her.
    Heart lodged in her throat, she got up and prepared for her day, refusing to ponder what was so bad he was certain she would turn from him. She couldn’t imagine anything so horrible it would kill her love for the wolf who had finally made his claim.
    Downstairs, she checked the fax machine, but no new reports of rogues had come in. Odd. Things had been very quiet the last few weeks. That was why there were so many Hunters in the house now. Usually it was only Anthony and one more.
    The bell rang, and she hurried to answer it. When so many people were in the house, it was easier to order in meals. Breakfast should be waiting on the other side. She frowned when she answered the door to a new delivery guy. Something about him seemed familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She blew it off and took the bags from him before slamming the door shut, turning the lock, and resetting the alarm. Normally, they didn’t bother with the warning system, but after the attack at her condo, Anthony and Clint had both insisted.
    In the dining room, she pulled boxes out and set them up, then tossed the bags in the garbage. She opened everything, but nothing looked appealing, so she didn’t eat. She was fighting the urge to go wake Clint up for round fifteen or so, but fought it. He was hiding something from her, something bad, and she wasn’t in a big hurry to find out what it was. She was enjoying being new to a mate bond, like being new to marriage. She did not intend to ruin it with dark secrets.
    Sighing, she went to the room she sometimes used as an office. She preferred the library, where she could spread out her papers on the big table and the old chronicles were in easy reach. The office was where her work desktop was, however, and she hadn’t checked her email in a few days. Nothing was urgent, so she got her purse and keys.
    No one was around yet. No one to entertain or distract her. She’d do the morning post office run and hopefully, when she got back, the house would be awake and busy.
    The town was nestled in a small valley, the population a whopping four hundred. Everyone knew everyone. There were no strangers in Crossroads. She’d lived and worked with the Hunters since she was a teenager, so everyone knew her too. She spoke to several people before she went in the tiny building, but oddly, no one was around when she came out. She put a box of mail in the trunk and walked around to the driver’s door, but a hard male body pushed up against her, trapping her against the car before she could get it open.
     
    * * * * *
     
    Standing in the shadows of an