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"Or," Addie said, "we could go with her."

Nell's voice rose beside hers. "We were heading that way, anyway."

Gunnar didn't answer immediately. I could practically hear the gears turning in his head. "Fine."

His hand caught mine before I could take a step toward my unlikely saviors. Gunnar pulled me close enough that his mouth brushed my temple. "Stay with them. Or when we get home and I trap you in the closet, I will not let you come for a very, very, very long time."

My pulse kicked. Every instinct screamed at me to run, even as heat pooled low in my belly. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, eager for the chase, while the rest of me was already imagining the moment he caught me.

I don't know how I managed it, but I got out. "Possessive bastard." And yanked my hand free. I slowed my steps even though I wanted to sprint away from him and make him chase me. Later.

Addie moved ahead, clearing a path through the crowd. Nell stayed slightly behind and to my left. Neither took my elbow. Neither grabbed my hand. Neither announced steps nor obstacles unless someone moved unexpectedly into my path. They simply made space for me to navigate.

Addie and Nell were intelligent women. Very intelligent women. Neither had mistaken my impaired vision for an impaired brain. It was inconvenient that I respected that about them.

The bathroom was quieter than the main room, though the bass still vibrated through the walls. I had barely crossed the threshold when Addie sighed.

"Oh, for God's sake."

"What?" Nell asked, putting her forearm in front of me like an arm bar.

Addie marched forward, straight into whatever danger she perceived. "I can see you."

Astrid's voice called out from one of the stalls. "No, you can't."

"Are you hiding in the bathroom?"

"No."

"I recognize your shoes."

"I'm taking a number two."

"That's lasted an hour?"

"My bodily functions are none of your business."

"No? I'll tell your mother you need more fiber."

"Bitch."

"My brother is not that bad. But I'm starting to wonder if you're good enough for him."

That made the stall door swing open. The two continued to bicker as I went into an open stall and did my business. I was still smiling when I finished and opened the stall. The bathroom had acquired another occupant. I smelled her before I heard her.

Floral perfume. Sweet. Powdery. Cheap, strong enough to announce itself.

There was nothing wrong with cheap perfume. Most people didn't have hundreds of dollars to waste on a few ounces of scented water.

I caught a vague impression of her. Sleek dress. Chunky jewelry. Metals, I could detect. Probably a defense mechanism since wolves didn't appreciate silver. It was not gold she was wearing. It was a cheap knockoff.

I moved toward the sink. Fabric whispered beside me as the woman shifted. Synthetic. Not silk.

I'd spent my entire life running my fingers over designer clothing. Silk whispered. Cashmere had weight. Good wool moved differently against the body. Expensive clothing wasn't expensive because someone had sewn a famous name into the collar. The materials themselves told you what they were. Hers were lying.

I glanced down out of habit and caught the dark shape of a handbag near her feet. She'd put it on the floor. The bathroom floor. I recoiled on its behalf. Whatever label was stamped across that bag, it wasn't worth enough to her to protect it. She was lingering at the sink, clearly eavesdropping. I couldn't blame her. The tea was hot.

"You and Elias have lots in common," Addie was saying. "You both like computers and coding. And you're a gamer, right? You can share a joystick."