“Ruby Wozniak, this is my friend and occasional coworker, Alexei. Alexei, this is my mate Ruby, and her friend Eleanor Parkhurst.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Ruby.” Alexei’s words were aimed at me, but his eyes were fixed on my friend. “And you as well, Eleanor.”
The two shifters exchanged a long, charged look before Eleanor spoke.
“Look I just want to tell you up front, I don’t want a mate.”
“Ah, your wolf is telling you that we are mates, same as my bear. This is good.”
Eleanor huffed in irritation. “No, it’s not good at all. Did you hear, Yogi? I don’t want a mate.”
“My name is Alexei,” he said.
Judging by his accent and the confused look on his face, he didn’t get the reference to a cartoon bear.
“Let’s get dinner, shall we?” I said loudly, interrupting the stare-off between the two shifters. “I’m starving.”
As if they’d planned it, Alexei and Cassie moved to the outside, flanking me and my friend, their gazes watchful.
“We’ll take the Sapphic Security SUV,” Cassie said. “It’s armored.”
Eleanor and I exchanged a look but didn’t comment.
Once we reached the vehicle, my friend pulled me into the backseat with her. Sending Eleanor a glum look, Alexei slid into the front seat with Cassie.
“Where should we go?” Cassie asked.
“We must go to my restaurant,” Alexei said. “My brothers and their mates will be very eager to meet my… meet Eleanor.”
Cassie sent me a look over her shoulder. “The bears have a great restaurant, you’ll like it.”
“Bears?” I asked.
“Yes, Alexei and his two brothers, Boris and Yuri. They work with us sometimes.”
As we made the thirty minute drive to the restaurant, Eleanor and I debriefed on the game, then fell into silence. Until I remembered something.
“Hey Cassie, do you know anything about a player from Vancouver finding the stalker in her hotel room? Some shifter dude who jumped off a balcony?”
Cassie nodded. “Yeah, my boss called me about it before the game. That’s why she sent Alexei to help me. Clearly this situation is ramping up. We have two agents from our office guarding the Vancouver players who were in Paris, with teamsfrom our other offices providing security for other teams around the league.”
“One of the Vancouver players is a shifter,” Eleanor offered. “She won’t need a bodyguard.”
“Well, she’s getting one anyway. The league is insisting. Speaking of which, Alexei and I are going to be keeping an eye on you too, Eleanor.”
“The hell you will!” my friend exploded.
Alexei turned to give her a stern look which Eleanor ignored. It was kind of hot. If I was into dudes I’d be all over that bear.
“Here we are,” Cassie interrupted, her tone unnaturally bright. “Let’s get some food.”
Alexei’s restaurant looked like an old school diner, with red vinyl booths, chrome tables, and napkin dispensers on the table. As soon as we walked in, two giant men came ambling over, one of them holding a toddler.
“Brother! You have brought our friend for a meal!”
Alexei clapped both men on the shoulder. “I come with good news. The vampire and I have both found our mates.”
He pointed at me. “This is Ruby, she belongs to Cassie, and this…,” his smile grew so big it seemed to take up his whole face. “is Eleanor.”
