“Please,” I said again, when he hadn’t moved. “Give me a chance.” I touched his face and forced him to meet my gaze. “I’ve asked so much of you already and know it’s not fair to ask again, but I am.” I chose my words carefully aware of our audience inside the apartment and in the hall.

He sighed, reached up to cup my face, and gently smoothed his thumb over my cheek. A tender look crept into his eyes before he abruptly dropped his hands, turned, and headed toward the still laughing Luke. Clay dragged his feet as he stepped over Luke. Luke grunted when a foot connected with his ribs, and his laughter started to quiet.

As Clay settled on the chair against the wall, Luke sat up.

“Most people wouldn’t laugh while being dragged through the Compound like that.” I stayed by the door because I didn’t want either of them leaving. I knew I couldn’t stop them physically even on my best day, but I’d cry if I had to.

Luke stood and turned toward Clay with a grin, ignoring me to taunt Clay.

“I’ve never seen anyone hold a transformation like that. He was man, but the fangs, ears, fur...it was amazing, and hilarious, mate,” he said as he settled himself on the couch.

“Um, isn’t that a sign that he’s in an extreme emotional state?” I asked Luke. He didn’t appear to hear me.

I walked behind Luke and smacked him hard on the back of the head. It really hurt my hand, but it got his attention.

“Meaning, you should stop trying to annoy him.”

Since Clay sat across from Luke, I moved to Clay and gingerly perched on one of his knees. He held still for a moment then his hands gripped my hips. He pulled back so I fully sat on his lap and turned me so we could both see Luke. Much better than sitting in my own chair. Warmer, too.

Having successfully gained both their attentions, I decided to get to the point.

“Luke, what happened when I touched you? What did you feel?”

“One hell of a shock. Listen, did you bring me here for a reason, or was it just to rub your relationship with him in my face?” Luke nodded at Clay, and though Luke’s usual smile still curved his lips, his words conveyed the agitation he tried to hide.

“It’s for a reason.” I tried to lean forward, but Clay wrapped his arms loosely around my waist. He didn’t give an inch, and I didn’t fight it. I’d pushed him enough for the night...or day. I still didn’t know how long I’d been out.

“How long have I been sleeping?”

“Two days, love. Everyone’s been pretty worried, and the Elders are waiting to talk to you.”

“I bet.” My eyes drifted to the door. I focused and immediately cradled my throbbing head. My eyes watered as I tried to breathe through the pain. “Crap.”

Behind me, Clay grunted in annoyance.

Luke’s smile slipped. “Listen, I think you should still be in bed, little one. No disrespect intended, but you don’t look well.”

My hair hung wet and uncombed around me. I could imagine what I looked like. I pressed my cool fingertips to one temple and wished I hadn’t been so stupid. Clay started to rub my back soothingly, working his way up to my neck and then lightly stroking my hair. It helped.

“I know you’re right, but I can’t go back to sleep yet. I need you to tell me what happened.”

Nicole told me that she’d really connected with Randy. Even after my pull wore off, they had continued to date. I couldn’t go back to the two women at the club to find out what they’d experienced. I needed to get more information from Luke.

“I don’t know what happened, love. You shocked me, told me not to leave, then fainted. After that, Clay picked you up and ran inside with you. He hasn’t let anyone near you for two days. We only knew you were still alive because he didn’t take off into the woods.”

Clay’s tight hug when I woke made more sense. He’d been worried about me, taking care of me and keeping the Elders away.

I forced myself to stay focused on Luke.

“And after Clay left, what about you? What did you do?”

Luke began to look uncomfortable. “Uh, I went out for a bit then came back here.”

“The constant attention probably went to your head,” I muttered. Luke was too sure of himself for any woman to have a chance.

His startled expression told me I was right.

“Did you meet anyone special while I was out?” I asked glancing at the door again and wishing we didn’t have an audience.

I looked back in time to catch Luke shaking his head. Still unMated. I’d thought as much but had to be sure. Normal humans wouldn’t tempt him, and there were too few unMated females at the Compound. I had an idea but needed sleep and time to think through everything.

“Luke, there is so much I don’t understand, and I really need your help.” I nodded toward the door and hoped he’d know I meant with the Elders who probably waited outside. “I need some time to myself to understand what I’m feeling.” This is why Clay had to be in the room with me. Anyone standing in the hall would probably think I felt torn between Clay and Luke.

Luke looked from me to Clay then back again. He started to ask a question, hesitated, then gazed at the door once more. Finally, he stood.

“I’ll be around,” he said.

I hoped he’d understood I wanted his help to get us out of here. The door had barely closed behind him when a knock sounded.

Still sitting on Clay’s lap, I turned to him. He met my gaze. I shook my head and wrapped my arms around his neck. His arms cradled me as he stood and carried me to the bedroom. He set me on the bed, covered me, then closed the door. I listened to him answer the apartment door.

I heard Sam’s voice but didn’t bother trying to hear what Sam had to say. The Elders would come to get me soon enough. My exhaustion didn’t wait for them. I fell asleep again.

My stomach growled so loudly it woke me. I listened for a minute before opening my eyes. Clay had left the lamp on so I could see. I turned my head. He lay next to me, on top the covers. Given the steady cadence of his breathing, he still slept. I let my mind drift, content to think and let him get the rest he needed.

Whatever I had in me, I could temporarily pass to people via a shock, but the effect only lasted until I recovered. I could also zap more than one person at a time, and I felt certain now that my emotions, in addition to my touch, triggered the transfer. The drain I experienced afterward varied. It felt like the flu the first time, but when I passed it to the two women, the symptoms intensified.

Shocking Luke had been different. I couldn’t say if the drain had been worse since I’d started out drained. However, focusing on a specific person’s spark was new.

Based on the yellow-violet coloring, I guessed it belonged to another compatible, like me. Could it mean my ability was to find Mates for the people I touched? But then, why hadn’t I zoomed in on a single person when touching the others? Maybe a werewolf amplified my ability, and the view appeared whether I wanted it or not. Or maybe one spark had stood out when I’d touched the rest, but I hadn’t focused on my spark-sight to check.

But what about my pull? Where did that play into this? There were still too many possibilities. I needed a test group. Immediately, I thought of Rachel and Peter. When I sensed them without touching Rachel, I knew they were a perfect match. If I tried to pass my pull to Rachel and saw Peter’s spark, I’d have my answer. If it didn’t work on them, I wouldn’t rule out my theory completely. The difference between human and werewolf might be the key to the results. I could experiment on Clay. He knew I was his match.

In addition to figuring out why I had the ability to pass on my gift, I needed to understand why I saw different werewolf colors. The one who’d left the line and the others waiting for him worried me.

Regardless of my anger at Sam, if trouble stalked the pack, he needed to know. But I needed to talk to Clay about it before I could talk to anyone else. He would help me figure out how it all tied together. However, I couldn’t talk to Clay here. There were too many ears, and I was still uncertain if I could trust Sam with everything.