Moira Rogers: Crossroads

Derek Gabriel was born human in family of psychics, aware of the supernatural world but never a part of it...until a rogue shapeshifter took humanity from him in a vicious attack. He's spent two years struggling to adjust, not just to a change that's driven many insane, but also to the prejudices of a culture where transformed wolves are considered inferior. A serious struggle, indeed, when the woman who attracts the man and the wolf inside him is the daughter of the most powerful wolf in the country.

For Nicole Peyton, nothing is more important than escaping the stifling confines of elite shapeshifter society, an old-fashioned world where women are valued only for their bloodlines and bank accounts. In New Orleans, she has a bar she loves, friends she cares for, and a smoldering, unspoken tension with an unsuitable but incredibly attractive man.

Neither could predict how quickly forbidden longing would erupt into burning need, but Nick and Derek have more than themselves to think about when Nick's sister arrives in the city with a shapeshifter strike team hard on her heels. The only way Nick can save her sister may be to play by the Conclave's rules--but it will mean giving up the man she's falling in love with, unless he's willing to risk everything in a challenge that will shake the foundations of their world.

For Mylius, who always laughed whenever the society princess was actually supposed to know what to say.

Thanks to all the gamers who know how important this is, and that revisions should only be interrupted with chocolate tossed through a briefly opened door. And very heartfelt thanks to Yvonne, who helped make this a better book by knowing when to poke and when to cheer.

“If you don’t get off your ass, someone’s going to snake that woman right out from under you.”

Derek tore his attention from the paperwork spread out over his desk and leveled his sternest glare at his best friend and partner. “Excuse me?”

Andrew didn’t look up from his drafting table, but he cocked one eyebrow. “Hey, I’m just saying. It’s a small miracle she’s not already dating someone. At least, that’s what Penny says.”

“If you and Penny don’t have anything better to do than talk about my love life, maybe we should go find some more work.” He turned his attention back to his invoices, which had piled up at an alarming rate and made it clear that the last thing they needed was more clients. “Besides, give me one good reason I should listen to pithy advice on love from you .”

Andrew grinned and spun his stool to face Derek’s desk. “Tell me you don’t want to ask Nick Peyton out, and I’ll shut up about it.”

Two invoices went into the stack on the right, the ones that would go in the mail on Monday. Derek ground his teeth and picked up a third one, but he couldn’t focus on the words.

Maybe because he did want to ask her out, and everyone knew it. Hell, Nick probably knew it. But he had his reasons for hesitating. He had plenty of reasons.

He realized he’d been staring at the invoice in silence and put it down with a disgusted sigh. “I can’t believe the man who’s been in love with my cousin for, like, two years is over there lecturing me on getting off my ass.”

“We’re not talking about me.” Andrew’s easy smile didn’t fade. “You keep stalling, and you’re going to end up kicking yourself. Women don’t wait forever, not without a little encouragement, at least. And Jackson said that wizard’s been asking Nick for dates. The one who runs the fake ghost tour out in the Quarter.” He pulled out a small drawer, stored his technical pens and rose. “He’s coming to the party tonight.”

Derek had been a shapeshifter for almost two years, and he still wasn’t prepared for the rumbling snarl that worked its way out of his chest. It was instinctive, like the way his fingers tightened around the arm of his chair until he was sure he’d leave permanent dents. “Fuck.”

His friend eyed him solemnly. “Now imagine having to watch him hump her leg all night.” He grabbed his keys and wallet from another drawer. “I can’t pretend to know what it’s been like for you, Derek. But I know you don’t want to see her with someone else.”

Derek slumped back in his chair and tried to rein in the homicidal urges that accompanied the mental image of another man laying hands on Nick. “You’d think I’d have it under control now. Alec’s one cool fucker. He makes it look so damn easy .”

Andrew sat on the edge of Derek’s desk and made a face. “He was also born into all this crap. You’ve had a couple of years. That officially makes this the stupidest comparison ever.”

“Yeah.” Derek pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes. “Shit. I was going to ask her out anyway, you know. But every damn time something like this happens, I think I’m not ready. It’s fucking hell, Andrew, not knowing if something will make me snap and freak out.”

“She can probably handle a little crazy better than thinking you don’t know she’s alive.” He nodded toward the door. “I’m cutting out so I have time to go home and wrap Kat’s present. I’ll see you at the bar?”

“Yeah. Hey, send Mari in here, would you?” He picked up the next invoice on his stack and forced himself to look at it. “I need to talk to her before she takes off for the party.”

“Sure.” The door closed behind Andrew, but Derek still clearly heard his voice when he spoke to their office manager. The shapeshifter hearing had taken a while to get used to, if only because twenty-nine years of experience told him he shouldn’t be able to clearly make out words spoken in another room.

He shouldn’t be able to…but he could. Just like he could tell that Penny had been in the office earlier today, because she always smelled of an oddly soothing mix of sawdust, engine oil and cinnamon. The world was alive around him in a way it hadn’t been two years ago but, no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t seem to find solid footing.

The door opened again and Mariko stuck in her head. “Are my invoices ready, or do you want to ask me a question I’ve already answered four times? Because I’m about to start rationing those.”

“Invoices are ready. Mostly.” He waved to the mess of files on the desk. “You know I’m crap at this.”

She walked in, clad in head-to-toe black despite the lingering October heat. “I’ll check them before I mail them out. Did you have a chance to look over the subcontractor estimates for the Halstead project?”

“Those were…” He stared down at the disaster he’d made of his desk, trying to remember what color the folder had been. “Shit. When did you give them to me?”

Mariko leaned past him and pulled a yellow folder off a file cabinet. “They can wait, you know. It’s not urgent.” She eyed him sympathetically.

The sympathy grated on his nerves, but it had become a common fixture around the office since Jackson’s new flame had shown up. Now, more than a month later, Derek still felt the same panic that had gripped him when he’d learned Nick was about to make a suicidal assault on a madman’s stronghold to rescue Mackenzie—and that she’d left town to do so without saying a word to him.

Kat had pointed out, with some volume, that Nick didn’t owe him an explanation of her actions. What his cousin didn’t understand was that the truth only irritated him more. Fear had kept him from staking his claim, and that fear had left him in the dark when she’d been in danger.