my left ring finger. God. I didn’t even recognize my own hands. “I can do this,” I murmured to myself.
I didn’t have a choice.
A green road sign announced we were Entering Malibu. I smoothed the yellow baby doll dress over my knees. I had everything I needed to play the part.
Six coats of mascara? Check.
Bright red lipstick and matching strappy sandals? Check.
Model-worthy hair? I swear I used an entire bottle of Aqua Net.
We’d had only last night and today to prepare, but I’d been on tougher missions than this. I’d wrangled the truth from a bullheaded minotaur, I’d warned the pack about the Berserker Charge of 2010, and I’d scared the feathers off a flock of angry harpies.
Surely I could face a pack of trophy wives with names like Francine and Tia.
Lucien lounged comfortably opposite me, one arm stretched out over the seat back between us. He wore an Armani suit and seemed like a natural for this job and this neighborhood.
I didn’t know if that made me feel better or worse.
We had less than seventy-two hours to pull this off.
Just breathe.
Yeah, well maybe I could breathe if I didn’t have a girdle mashing my rib cage into my liver. I scrunched my shoulders and leaned forward, hoping for a measure of relief, but that only made me notice the reinforced toe of my panty hose peeking out from my red shoe. I’d tried to stuff the dark brown part under my toes, but it kept inching back.
Oh well, what kind of woman notices another woman’s shoes?
Lucien regarded me with a mixture of interest and distrust. From his piercing blue eyes to the blunt tips of his fingers, a cool power seemed to radiate from him. More than that, he was unapologetically male. A lick of desire slipped down my spine.
“Do you want to go over the plan again?” he asked.
“No.” We’d been over it a half dozen times. I knew my role. And I was willing to do anything, even wear panty hose, to do the job right. It was a matter of pride—for me and for the pack.
His smile was pure sin. “Then stop fidgeting.”
I shot him a dirty look. Oh please. “Let’s wrap you in a sausage casing and see how you fidget.”
The car bounced over a series of speed bumps at the entrance to Eternal Life Estates. We wound through streets lined with palm trees, past the kind of houses you saw on the cover of magazines at the grocery checkout. The landscaping was impeccable, the façades ornate, and the front lawns trimmed down to the last blade of grass.
At least the place looked deserted, except for, “What is that?” I thrust my head between the two front seats. A mass of shape shifters and vampires gathered in the road. As we neared, I could see that they had completely taken over a circle drive lit by torches in the ground.
Like an old-fashioned werewolf hunt.
I double-checked the twin knife holders I’d strapped to my thighs.
Lucien hissed. “I told them we did not want a welcome party on the first night.”
No kidding. “They might have figured out the truth about us.” I twisted around to face him. “Someone probably knows the Dukes.”
Lucien was oddly focused on my thighs.
“We’ll keep our cover.” His steely gaze met mine. “As long as you don’t blow it.”
“Thanks a lot. Nothing like a supportive partner to get the job done right.” This was why I liked working alone. “And stop staring at me like you want to bite me.”
Sure he looked like sex on wheels, but that didn’t mean I was going to serve myself up with a sprig of parsley between my teeth.
His lips parted. “I do want to bite you.”
“Do it and I stake you.”
Why hadn’t I brought a stake?
“Don’t worry, little werewolf,” he said, sending a shiver down my spine. “I’m always in control.” He held my gaze a second longer than he needed. “As for tonight, follow my lead. Remember, the less contact you have, the better.”
Maybe I could find a nice tree branch.
I nudged the hem of my dress to make sure I wasn’t giving any more free shows. “Anything else, your brood-i-ness?”
He cocked a grin. “You said you knew the plan.”
Oh sure. The plan: Keep quiet. Look pretty. I need you until I don’t need you.
I leveled a perfectly glossed fingernail at him. “Keep in mind that you picked me. I’m the best interrogator you have.”
He seemed amused at that. “Interrogator? Yes. Investigator? No.” His voice