Rhonda was a nurse much like Allie, and it sent a slice of sadness through Michelle at the thought.

“Let’s take a look at you.” Gina looked back over her shoulder to Tracy. “Can we use the office down here? It’s hard to get a good read with all this magick around.”

“Oh, of course!” She opened the door and let them in. Rhonda closed it and magick rushed through the room.

“I’m just going to look you over, all right?”

Michelle nodded, watching Rhonda and Gina, seeing how they drew energy and used it.

It didn’t take very long, less than three minutes or so, before Rhonda’s gaze sharpened and she looked into Michelle’s eyes.

“You’re all right. Nothing permanent. I expect you’ll feel nauseated for a bit. Whatever was done was unnatural. A gross misuse of energy and power. It’ll rebound eventually if the caster was human or witch. I don’t know though. There’s something else here that seems more than stolen magic. This is…” Rhonda licked her lips as she thought. “To aim a spell like that, to cause one person to harm another, much like what they did in the convenience store, it takes a lot of power and focus to do something like that.”

“Do you think there’s something else helping? Another sort of paranormal we don’t know about?”

“We need to talk to Gage and Lark about this. And Josh too. He’ll want to protect the pack, as will the Alphas.” Gina ran hands through her hair and still looked gorgeous afterward. If Michelle had done that she’d look like a hobo.

“Let’s have Josh come in when we call Gage. I don’t want the children to hear.”

“Good idea.”

She went out to get Josh, Gina right behind her, but found yet another woman touching him when they got to the dining room. Only this one wasn’t touching him like a friend. She looked up into his face like she wanted him to kiss her, and her back was arched like she was trying to brush her boobs against him.

Something hot and unpleasant ran through her veins at the sight.

Tracy was speaking quietly to Josh and the woman, but it was Josh who turned and started. “Michelle.”

“So glad you remembered my name. I’m going to make a call to Owen. I thought someone from the pack might want to be present. If you’re not too busy.” She turned and walked back into the office.

Gina closed the door and leaned against it. “I need to talk to you about this whole thing. Wolves are…casual about their affections. But with the one—the one as in the forever one—it’s different.”

Josh tried to open the door, Gina poked her head out. “Back off. I’ll let you know when you can come in.” And closed it in his face.

He knocked. “Michelle, let me in. I want to explain.”

“Wolves. Pushiest motherfuckers on Earth.” Gina opened again. “Do you need to be put on a time-out? Back. Off.” This time Michelle heard Tracy’s laugh as she told Josh to be patient.

“As I was saying. I know who the female with Josh just now is. She’s been into Josh for years. But he’s never made any promises to her. You are not her. Do you understand?”

Michelle shook her head. “No. I don’t. It wasn’t anything. I just felt…jealous, I guess. It sucks. I don’t like it.”

Gina laughed. “Gurl. I hear you. It’s part of that connection you have with Josh. I can see it. Anyone can. I’m trying to say…God, how do I say this?”

Michelle rolled her eyes. “Josh got around. There will be lots of ladies everywhere we go who’ve taken him for a long ride.”

Both of them laughed at that.

“Be that as it may. You are not them. The difference will be apparent immediately if he’s standing with you. Word will get out. Once people know he’s, um, in a relationship with you, a real one, they’ll back off. Wolves are orderly even as they are bossy and possessive and overbearing. Our wolves anyway. There are beta wolves. Damon and Josh aren’t that kind.”

Gina took Michelle’s hand and squeezed it. “I like you. We’re glad you’re around and we want to keep it that way. We understand that a lot of this will be new to you and we just want to help. Explain what we can, when it’s necessary.”

“So the blonde out there used to bang Josh, but now that I’m around she’ll stop petting him?”

Rhonda laughed. “Yes, you’ll fit in just fine.”

Josh came into the office. “If you don’t mind.” He gave Gina a look and she waved it away. “I’d like to talk to Michelle alone for a few minutes.”

Rhonda and Gina strolled out. “They heal pretty fast,” Gina called out as she shut the door in her wake, leaving them alone.

“Did she just encourage you to kick me or something?”

“Depends. Did you do something you need kicking over?”

He took a deep breath and stepped closer. “No. Will you let me explain?”

She shrugged, feeling like a dumbass.

“I was not a virgin when you came to Portland. You ought to know, I lost it with you anyway. She’s my past. On and off. Never serious.”

“Did you use a condom with her too?” Holy shit. Did she actually say that out loud?

He stilled. “What?”

“I don’t know an awful lot about shifters, but I do know they don’t get or give STDs and they can scent when a female is fertile so you guys don’t usually suit up. But when you’ve been with me you have. I’m not at the fertile part of my cycle. So is it a thing? Like you don’t want to be naked in me? Or what?”

It was like a bad dream where she was saying all this stuff and had no ability to stop herself. She finally put her hand over her mouth to stop.

She was mortified because, hello, that was not the time and place. Wolves all over the place and they probably heard.

She gathered her tattered self-control and faced him again. “This is not my first case and I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I don’t…I’m not prone to being jealous and saying stuff that is entirely inappropriate for the setting. I’m sorry. I’m so embarrassed.” She turned, her face in her hands.

He came to her, enfolding her, his front to her back. Given the very hard cock at her ass, he wasn’t upset with her at all.

“It’s all right. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, suffice it to say seeing you jealous and off balance actually makes me hot. Can we make this call to Owen and let them know what’s going on, and then you and I can go and talk? I’ll explain everything, I promise. Will you trust me enough to do that?” He kissed her temple and she leaned back against him.

“They all heard me. I wish a hole would swallow me up.”

He chuckled softly. “Beautiful, wolves are passionate. There’s lots of this stuff. All the time. I promise once we talk you’ll understand more.”

She dragged in a breath and agreed.

They made the call. In Seattle, Gage and Lark were both on it, along with Meriel Owen and her husband Dominic, who ran the Owen Clan of witches.

They were fairly tight lipped, but they did indicate they believed there was something larger at work. Some big bad they didn’t know a whole lot about but were looking into. They urged Rhonda and Gina to teach Michelle some healing and defensive spells and told them to introduce her to Cesare, one of the Portland witches who was apparently a whiz at battle spells. Which should help with her police work.

It was clear the witches in Seattle had an overflowing plate of trouble and they had to deal with this on their own. Which worried Michelle as she tried to imagine what would be worse than that spell she’d felt at the jail.

Things just kept getting worse. Darker and more overwhelming. Which, she supposed, helped her keep in perspective that she’d sort of acted like a jealous dick earlier within the supernatural hearing range of a house full of wolves.

Still, she kept her gaze averted as she ended the call. All around her there was conversation as she gathered her things. Gina hugged her and told her not to worry, Rhonda followed, whispering for Michelle to keep in touch.