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handle it. It could have just been bad fucking luck.”
    She turned and tilted her head, moving away from his hand as she glanced down at it. “I’m not going to dissolve into helpless tears.”
    He could handle tears better than this tired, helpless fear. His tongue tangled like it always did. Words came so easily with Kaley and Eden, but with Lorelei, he could barely manage awkward reassurances. “I know. I know you’re not.”
    She rose, clenching her hand around the railing. “Picking you is the smart thing, but you’ll need someone who knows who to talk to. He is sending you to Memphis, right?”
    Colin glanced up at her but didn’t stand. For this discussion, she should have the high ground. “Yes. And yes, he thinks I should have someone who knows the wolves in Memphis.”
    “When do we leave?”
    That easy. That brave. “You don’t have to. You know that, right?”
    The corner of her mouth ticked up. “And you know that’s bullshit.”
    “It’s not.” Colin rose to bring his eyes level with hers. “If we have to, you can tell me who to talk to. I can make it work. I’ve done it before.”
    “If it were that simple, it’d be Plan A.” She took a step back, higher on the staircase. “I’ll pack some things.”
    “All right.” He let her get halfway up the stairs before calling after her. “I won’t let anything happen to you in Memphis. I promise.”
    “Memphis doesn’t scare me anymore.” Wry laughter trailed down after she’d turned the corner at the top of the first flight. “Not much does.”
    Then she was lucky. The thought of spending too much time alone with Lorelei when he wasn’t supposed to put his hands on her scared the shit out of him. If it didn’t scare her, too, they were both in trouble.

Chapter Four
    Waiting in the car felt too much like hiding, so Lorelei climbed out of the passenger seat and leaned against the front fender. The town was still waking up, the fog not yet burned off the chilly autumn morning…
    And she was on her way to Memphis.
    She swallowed hard and considered heading into the diner to find Colin, where they could eat in warmth and peace instead of taking their bagged breakfasts on the road. It didn’t matter if Zack knew about their trip, anyway—he couldn’t stop her. He wasn’t her alpha, not anymore.
    A bell above the front door jingled cheerfully as Colin stepped into the parking lot, taking away her choice. He had a brown paper sack clutched in one hand and a cardboard tray with two travel cups balanced on the other, and the wind carried the smell of coffee, cinnamon and bacon to her.
    Smiling, Colin lifted the bag. “Egg and cheese biscuits, muffins and fruit. Eden’s father isn’t planning to let us go hungry.”
    No, Austin wouldn’t do that. Lorelei peered up at the lightening sky. “Think we’ll miss the traffic?”
    “I’m more worried about getting pulled over.” Colin stopped a foot away, leaned against the car and offered her a coffee. “This car makes me want to drive fast.”
    She accepted the cup with a faint smile. “At least we don’t have to double up on your bike.”
    His eyes unfocused, just for a moment, and she knew he was picturing it. His wolf stirred, whispering power across her skin, but he jerked it back and handed her the bag. “Let’s get on the road.”
    “So you do like to live dangerously,” she murmured as she hauled open the car door.
    He laughed as he circled to the driver’s side. “I am what I am, sweetheart.”
    Dangerous, indeed. Lorelei settled into the seat, shut the door and reached for her seat belt only to freeze as movement on the second-floor fire escape above the diner caught her eye. Kaley, her brown hair swinging loose as she climbed out of Zack’s window.
    Colin noticed her too. He pulled his door shut with a soft click and watched Kaley traverse the narrow stairs. “Did you know about that?”
    Lorelei’s chest ached. “Who doesn’t?”
    He blew out a breath. “I