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or at least not one that would come to the surface for more than brief moments, and never enough to allow her to shift. And with no real wolf, she could have no mate—that much the Omegas and pack leadership had been able to dreg up from historical records. Outcast, unwanted. Neither human enough to be tolerated nor mutant enough to be despised, it had taken years before she’d found a place of peace in her heart for who she was.
    Not-wolf. Not-human. Just…Shelley.
    But staring into this man’s eyes? For one split second when Caroline had asked if they were mates, Shelley had experienced that torturous twist in her belly of longing for something that could never be.
    Chase adjusted position, lowering his trim body to the grass on the edge of their blanket. The rush of voices around them rose in laughter, but he remained silent. Still staring.
    She curled her arms around her torso, and his gaze fell, traveling over her slowly, methodically. Shelley’s elusive wolf side was as active as she ever got, bumping upward and signaling high interest in the sexy stranger. A line of goose bumps rose on her arm, and when he stroked the back of his fingers up her forearm, she bit her lips to stop from groaning.
    Instead, she leaned back slightly. “Stop that.”
    Chase shook his head and blinked, drawing his hand away in a flustered manner. “I beg your pardon. I don’t know—sorry. I won’t do it again.”
    Her heart fell, because her entire body was screaming for him to do it again, and do more.
    But he was a shifter, and she didn’t fool around with shifters. Not anymore. That way led madness.
    She nodded tightly. “No worries. We’re just leaving. I hope you have a good trip to Whitehorse. Make sure you check out the Moonshine Inn. Best beer in town, I hear.”
    She reached down to grab the blanket, her other hand pulling the basket closer, frantic to escape. Chase held up his hand to stop her.
    “Don’t. I didn’t mean to make you leave. It’s time to call it a night anyway.”
    He rose to his feet, Shelley scrambling to follow. “I’m sorry, I’m being totally rude, but it’s just—”
    His smile lit his face, knocked off the rough edges and made him even more handsome. “You don’t need to explain. I feel your discomfort, and upsetting you was never my intention. Have a nice evening with your sister.”
    He dipped his chin, and regret arrived, but not hard enough for her to actually stop him from walking away. Although the sight of his ass in those faded, well-fitting pants made her mouth water.
    Something hit her arm, and she turned to discover Caroline glaring at her. Shelley rubbed her bruised biceps. “Ouch. What’s that for?”
    “You turkey. That’s not how you’re supposed to act around a good-looking fellow like that.”
    “He’s only in town for a few days. He’s a shifter.”
    “You nearly swallowed your tongue, he pushed all your buttons.” Caroline stared over the field, and Shelley followed her line of vision just in time for Chase to disappear into the crowds wandering the street fair. “Lost opportunity, that’s all I’m saying, Shell.”
    “Oh, stop it.” She collapsed back to the blanket, some of the fun and happiness of the past hours gone. “I’m getting settled in, and I don’t need a man to make me happy. Or complete. Or…whatever.”
    Caroline grinned. “Okay, fine, but at least acknowledge that even if you don’t want one for long term, men are dandy things to enjoy for the short term.”
    “I don’t want to talk sex with you, sis.”
    “You are such a weird wolf.” Caroline squeezed her tight as if to ease the sting from her words. “Talking about sex with wolves is like breathing. Since you insist, I’ll zip my mouth after this, but at some point please reconsider your stand on abstinence. Because frankly, your moaning will drive me nuts since I know some action would make you a whole lot more relaxed.”
    How her sister had managed to adapt to the wolf