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hair while we analyze our feelings?"
    Rafe glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, almost like he was checking Finn's reaction to see how he was doing. "No, I thought we'd polish each other's nails while we waited to sprout boobs."
    Finn nodded, coming to his own conclusion. There was certainly more to Rafe than was apparent at first glance. The kid might be okay after all. Or he might be an excellent actor. He certainly had the brains for it. Finn shoved him companionably, like he would have Burke or Mac. Rafe staggered sideways, nearly falling on his ass in the sand.
    He caught the kid's upper arm to steady him. "Dude, you have got to get some more weight on you. A stiff breeze could take you down."
    Rafe righted himself and they continued walking in companionable silence. Finn wasn't surprised when the werehyena spoke. "Hey, let me know the next time you run. I'd like to come with."
    Finn nodded and they continued on to the car. He didn’t mind if Rafe tagged along with him on his runs. If Rafe was a spy and was hoping to get useful information out of him, Finn wondered if he'd considered that it went both ways. These runs might be a good way to figure out if the face Rafe was showing them was his true one after all.
     
     

Chap ter Seven
     
     
    Kess stared at Bomani and Masud carefully. They brought reports from each of the clan members: twelve total. The wereleopards were not a large clan, not anymore, and unless they were able to successful breed more of them, the clan was in danger of dying out. The situation was not helped by the war of attrition that threatened with the hyenas. Kess' clan was strong and had controlled the territory of Miami for generations, but with their shrinking numbers, they'd be hard-pressed to hold out against Samara and her pack.
    Each wereleopard had his or her own run within the territory that they were in charge of patrolling and guarding. Kess had asked that each clan member report to her any strange visitors or activity within their respective areas. They only came to the house for clan meetings or to report urgent business; Kess' father had run the clan this way and it seemed to work best. Cats weren't communal or social creatures, preferring their own space. Living in a group was not an option.
    "So everything's been quiet?" That was odd. She expected Samara to redouble her efforts to take control of Miami, especially after the fiasco that was her last attempt.
    Bomani nodded, but let Masud do the talking. Kess still wasn't sure how she felt about Bomani—he had been the one to engineer her brother's death, and he had been the one responsible for getting her back home. It wasn't something she was inclined to thank him for, but she needed his knowledge and expertise. Still, it was easier dealing with Masud, who was being groomed to take Bomani's place as clan counselor. She didn't have any weird baggage when it came to him.
    "Remarkably so. There have been a small number of incursions in the outlying areas, but these have been tentative and the hyenas have broken off quickly once they've sensed our presence."
    She gave the two older wereleopards a look that indicated how little she believed that. "Thoughts?" Kess had her own ideas about what Samara might be up to but she wanted to hear what her counselors had to say.
    "She's planning something." Masud walked over to look out the window. "She's biding her time."
    "For what?" Bomani prompted, although he looked at Kess as if he knew the answer.
    Rafe. The thought flickered through her head, but she refused to give voice to it. He hadn't done anything that indicated he was in contact with his mother; Kess got the bill for his cell phone so she'd see if he were calling Samara. And he never left the house unattended to be able to arrange for a meeting. "She's cautious. She came out badly the last time she tried to be sly. She's not going to make that mistake again."
    "Full on assault." Masud turned from his perusal of the lawn. Kess