I frowned for a brief moment. “Yes.He.Wait. Did you think it was a female wolf?”
“We don’t have any leads yet.” Nate picked at a hangnail on his thumb, a terrible habit he’d never been able to kick. “Go on . . .”
“Well, he said he was part of the pack, butI’venever seen him. Plus, it felt very convenient. The murder happens this morning, and suddenly there’s a new wolf in town?” The door snicked open, and Mom exclaimed an exuberant welcome. Since I had my brother’s full attention, I gave him mine. I’d play good hostess in a second. First, I wanted to relate my run-in before any detail slipped my mind. “He was wearing a baseball cap. I mean who wears a hat at night, right? And he had a baby strapped to his front, but I think it was a decoy.”
“Nikki,” Nate said.
“I know I’m not a cop, but it was all very suspicious. I doubt there was a real baby in there.”
“Nikki.”
“And he was tall, like 6’2” and had dark eyes, but maybe they were dark because of the hat.”
“Nicole,” Nate growled.
I jumped from the intensity. “What?”
He nodded to our guest.
“Fine, I’ll go say hello, but please jot everything down. Actually, how about I draw you a picture of . . .?” As I finally turned, the wordhimfossilized on my tongue.
I stared at our guest, and he stared back. My mouth parted in shock. His curled in amusement.
His fingers went to the baby carrier, and he popped out one snap, then the other, and then he lifted a kid—a real one—and handed him to my mother whose fingers wriggled like a drug addict about to get her fix.
Most shifter mothers had two, maybe three werepups. Mom had five. She wanted more, but nature decided I’d be her last.
Mom hugged the child, bouncing him a little when he started to cry. “Liam, I don’t think you’ve met my youngest yet, Nicole.”
I stood stock-still as the guy unhooked the baby carrier from around his waist and then removed his cap and hooked both by the door. Mom was on a first name basis with this guy? Who . . .? Oh.Oh.My hand crawled up to my mouth.
I’m 6’3”. Just in case you plan on drawing me accurately.
My lashes snapped higher, scraping across my browbone.
Youweretalking aboutme, right?
Oh . . . great . . . Lycaon. Had he just spoken inside my head?
Only mates and Alphas could do that, and since he and I weren’t mates—I would remember having sex with a man like him—that left . . .
“You’re the new Alpha?” I’d heard he was young and good-looking, but the guy standing in our foyer took handsome to ano shade in the middle of summerlevel.
“Not so new anymore.” Liam smiled, and that smile filled my blood with so much heat I was afraid I’d shift right there and then.
Or liquefy.
“Excuse my little sister, Liam.” Nate stepped past me and extended his arm. Liam caught it and they shook arms. Yeah. Not hands. I guess it was more manly. “She thought you were the murderer.”
“Nicole Raina Freemont, you did not think such a thing,” Mom hissed, which made the little guy in her arms scrunch up his brow. She kissed his temple. “Sorry, baby. No more shouting tonight.” She started humming an Adele song, and the baby’s brow smoothed, and then he was blinking his big eyes.
He’s real. Not a decoy.
I whipped my gaze back to Liam, whose dark eyes glittered. At my expense. I guessed I deserved it.
Mom turned to Nate. “Can you call the rest of the gang and find out where they are?”
Lifting his phone from his pocket, he stepped into the living room while she vanished into the kitchen, leaving me alone with Liam Kolane.
