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They subsided. Ryder shucked out of his leather jacket and handed it to Ken. His thermal Henley sweater was barely warm enough, but a gray sweatshirt was less threatening than a biker’s jacket complete with zippers everywhere. “No point in scaring the waitstaff.”
“Not sure it’s going to help, boss,” Ken muttered. “You’d better stuff that dominance back in the closet, or they’re going to call the cops on you.”
Ryder snorted, but he practiced the deep slow breaths that Benny had taught him years ago as a way to control the rage and hide the dominance. His eyesight cleared, and his wolf subsided a bit. He started toward the shop. “Come on,” he said. “I need a good cup of coffee myself.”
He paused at the door and took another deep breath. He plastered a smile on his face and went inside to buy a cup of coffee.
Warn her,he advised Jessie.Point me out. Explain that I’m now the most powerful shifter in this town, and that I will protect her with my life. Do you want another cup?
I’m good,Jessie said.I didn’t think to tell you until we were too far away, I guess. I couldn’t reach you.
Ryder nodded.I couldn’t reach you either until we were almost here. The bond has limits for words. But the bond itself led my wolf here — just like it did to you out on the steppe yesterday.He got his coffee, tipped, and smiled at the clerk. Nothing scary here, he projected. She smiled back.
Jessie was sitting next to a woman in a booth in the back. Benny was across the table from them. A chair had been pulled up to the end of the table. Titus’s, he assumed. He sat in it. Titus was now sitting at the counter. Good enough. The woman was arguing with Jessie. Benny just watched and listened.
“Hi,” Ryder said, reminding himself to smile and use the vague language all shifters used when among humans. He glanced around; he didn’t think anyone was close enough to hear, but it never hurt. “I’m Ryder. Jessie’s man. I suppose she told you? I became the boss yesterday. I can protect you, and I will.”
“What if you can’t?” she said tearfully.
“I can,” he said firmly, and he let his dominance show. “I’m here to protect those who have been abused. Seems like there might be a lot of people in the category. But let’s start with you and yours. Are they alone?”
She nodded. “The guards left yesterday afternoon, and they didn’t come back,” she whispered. “They locked us up. But they didn’t worry about the bathroom window. Too small for them, but not for me.”
He nodded. “Smart,” he approved. “And brave.” He considered it. “How many friends?”
“Three more,” she said.
“OK,” he said, encouragingly. He sipped his coffee. “So did these two tell their names? That’s my brother, there. He often forgets his manners.”
Benny snorted. “Not with a woman, I don’t,” he said, smiling gently at the woman. “And you already knew Jessie.”
She nodded. “I’m Amanda,” she said. “Amanda Chen.”
Ryder stared at her. He’d been expecting her to be one of the once-human women. But Chen? Ryder looked at Jessie. She met his eyes and nodded. “Great-granddaughter.”
“You know he’s dead?” Ryder asked.
“Jessie said as much,” Amanda answered. “Said there’s a new Alpha? I didn’t feel him die, didn’t feel a new Alpha. None of us did.”
“Are you all pack?” he asked, horrified.
She frowned, puzzled. “Yes?” Then her expression cleared. “Oh, you know about the others. No we’re all daughters of the pack.”
“Did anyone say anything about missing daughters?” Ryder asked Benny. Benny shook his head. Ryder blew out a breath. Damn it. He resisted the urge to walk back to his bike, get on and ride away.
Do I get to come with?
Ryder took a deep breath. Another one, he told himself. He took another slow breath.I don’t plan to go anywhere without you for as long as we both shall live, babe.
Jessie smiled at him.
“Benny? Do you suppose you and Titus could go after his pickup? And see if one of the others has transportation?”
Benny nodded and slid out of the booth. “You’re a brave woman, Amanda,” he said. “Stay strong just a bit longer, and we’ll get this sorted out.”
She didn’t look like she found that reassuring. “Tell me,” Ryder said.
“I can’t go back to Vancouver,” she said. The sorrow in her voice broke his heart. “How can I? My family....” She shook her head.
