keeping them in the pack to the rest of the Sunstrikers.”
I leaned over to kiss Chaz’s cheek, ruffling his damp hair. “Don’t be grouchy. You’re the leader, right? I’m sure everyone else will listen if you put your foot down.”
Kimberly laughed, her warm brown eyes sparkling with humor. “It’s not quite like that, hon. If there’s too much dissension in the ranks, someone could challenge him to take his place. It doesn’t happen often, but if Seth gets enough people behind him, he might try to oust Chaz.”
“‘Oust’ him? Why would he do that?”
“Not everyone is happy with having Chaz lead us. He’s not made many friends by calling us in to help the Moonwalkers before, especially since we never really got anything in return. And working with that leech, Royce? Not a popular move either. Seth’s young, so he can get away with some open opposition, but there’s grumbling in the rest of the ranks. Not everyone agrees with having you here, either. Just the way it is.” She laughed again, Paula snickering along with her. “At least, until he cracks some heads together. Then it might settle things down again. For a little while anyway.”
I frowned at her, not finding the idea particularly funny. “Is that true, Chaz?”
He was giving Kimberly a pointed look that she was just as pointedly ignoring, sipping her OJ. “Sort of. The ones who disagree are in the minority. Seth won’t get too many people willing to back him up against me. I’m still the alpha, and he knows it.”
The laughter and knowing looks faded under the bit of emphasis Chaz put to that last statement. Sean cleared his throat to break the silence, and then smiled encouragingly at me. “Don’t worry. We won’t let anything happen to you. Just be careful once everyone shifts, and stick close to the cabins and lodge at night.”
“Yeah, don’t wander off into the woods alone. I heard there are a couple other shifters in town. Don’t want to tempt them,” Nick said.
I made a face. “No worries of that. I wasn’t planning on going anywhere without Chaz.”
He slid his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close enough to brush a kiss over my temple, some of the tension in his frame filtering away. “I’m going to have to do some work with the pack while we’re here, but it shouldn’t keep me away too much. If I’m not around, any of these guys can help keep an eye on you and show you the ropes. Right?”
There was hurried agreement from everyone else, and we all quieted down a bit as Mrs. Cassidy returned with our drinks. As I sipped my coffee, I took a look around at the others, thoughtful. Paula’s pixie cut made her look innocent and cute, but her laughter at Kimberly’s mocking comments about Chaz’s enemies made me wonder if those two were among those not happy to have me here. Kimberly seemed nice enough, if a bit brazen. She offered me the cream for my coffee when she saw me searching for it, reaching over to give me a light squeeze on the shoulder.
“Don’t worry, we’ll protect you. Whether it’s Seth or someone else, we’re behind Chaz all the way.”
I smiled thinly at her. “I think I’ll be okay.”
Mrs. Cassidy chimed in, leaning over to give Nick a refill on his coffee. “Oh, are you a norm? Sorry, my dears, couldn’t help but overhear.”
I shrugged uncomfortably, flushing at the amused looks the others were sharing amongst themselves. “Yeah, I’m here with the Sunstrikers, but I’m not a Were.”
“Oh, lovely, lovely. So good to have you here. If you run into any trouble with any of our guests, you just tell me or Bruce, and we’ll set it to rights.”
I was starting to feel like I was surrounded by overprotective parents. I already had two; I didn’t need any more. “Thanks, Mrs. Cassidy. I’ll keep that in mind.”
We ordered breakfast and got to know each other. Sean was a waiter at some diner and was taking college classes through the Internet to get a business degree. Paula was an interior designer with aspirations to get a regular part on one of those home makeover shows. Nick was a tattoo artist, and Kimberly a massage therapist whose office was next to the gym where Chaz and I worked out. She had met him when she signed up for one of his cardio classes. I couldn’t recall having seen her around, but she wasn’t