Chapter One

Iris watched Mary get into her cab and head off into the night. It had been a very successful celebration. Mary's promotion had been well and truly honoured, and the rest of the ladies were on their way home in their own cabs. Iris was sober, and with the streets empty, she decided to walk home.

The party had been fun, the dancing had been great. The bar catered to betas, and it had been nice not to be on guard all the time. Their party had been all ladies, and they had spent most of their time on the dance floor, shaking whatever they could.

Iris slipped her heels off, put on her flat running shoes that she carried in her bag, and headed home. The night was warm, and it took two blocks before she realized that she was being stalked.

She kept her posture relaxed and got her bearings. Iris knew the playground was nearby; the open park beckoned, but she wasn't going to make a run for it. That was just going to spur the stalker into action.

It sucked that such a nice evening was going to end this way, but the footfalls behind her were steady. She checked out the street and smiled. If her memory was accurate, she just needed to take a leisurely stroll to the left, and she would be able to get to the safest place she knew.

* * * *

Brexel Smith heard the dogs go insane. The cameras showed the dogs racing to the back of the property near the fence. He saw a figure stagger onto the yard and fall. To his astonishment, Jupiter and Juno stood over the form and growled at the shadows.

Oren asked, "What is going on?"

"There is something going on in the back yard. Shall we look?"

His friend nodded, and they headed out back, where the sounds of teeth tearing fabric could be heard, as well as angry male voices.

Juno stayed over the small figure, but the scent of blood was unmistakable.

Brexel wandered over to where one bleeding man was halfway up the wall, and the other was trying to hold Jupiter at bay. Brexel and Oren removed their glamours, and each took a man. Oren had the one who had been savaged by Jupiter.

"What are you doing here?" Silver tendrils left Oren's forehead and linked to the man who was staring at him in terror.

Brexel held the other man by one hand up against the wall. "What is he saying?"

"He pissed himself. His brain is terrified." Oren grunted.

"Right. You. Why are you here? Who did you chase into the yard?"

The man's eyes were panicked white, but he gritted out, "We were hired to collect her. She's been sold."

"She?"

"Yes. Timmon shot her, so that is going to have an impact on her value, but she's been purchased by our boss to settle a debt." He babbled and reeked of fear and blood. Brexel examined his fist and saw blood that didn't belong to the man in his grip.

"So, you hit her?"

"She nearly made it up the wall before we caught her. She wouldn't stay down. That's when Timmon shot her."

Brexel's hand tightened. There was only one person he knew who would consider climbing the wall in an emergency. There were lower walls in the area.

The man started choking and kicking. Brexel flicked him up and over the wall, nodding to Oren to do the same. There were wet thuds on the other side of the wall, but with a flick of Brexel's fingers, the scent of blood was gone, as were the bodies.

He petted Jupiter's head and then had his hand gently bit as he was hauled to the still form on the ground. The canine reaction confirmed the likely identity of the woman on the ground. When they got close, Jupiter left him, and he nudged at the bloody head, eliciting a groan.

She started to move, and Juno watched him carefully as he turned her over. Her expression was dazed, and the groove of the head wound couldn't conceal her identity. "Iris. What the hell?"

Shakily, she looked up at him, and to his astonishment, she burst into tears. "Sorry, boss."

He gathered her up and walked into the house with Oren and the dogs behind him.

She whispered, "Are the boys home?"

"No, they are at a sleepover. Some kind of camp organized by the school."

She slumped. "Oh, good."

He stepped inside and nodded, setting her on the counter near the sink and the first aid pack that she had insisted on being in every common room in a household with two energetic boys.

He ran warm water and got a tea towel, carefully cleaning the wound.

Oren asked, "Why don't you just..."

"She's resistant."

She swayed as he cleaned the wound in her purple hair.

He tried to keep her awake. "You are colouring your hair now?"

She woke slightly. "Yes. No one minds. You have more teeth now?"

"Yeah. This is my evening look." He smiled. "I thought you had to present a dignified appearance as a therapist?"

"Oh, didn't get the job. I wasn't willing to fulfill all the requirements. I work in research now." She held still as he finished cleaning the wound. It was shallow but had bled like hell.

Oren stepped forward. He was back in his human appearance. "Step aside, Brexel. I am better with sutures."

Brexel muttered, "Wash your hands."

Oren chuckled.

Iris snorted. "I am gonna infect anyway, so don't hurt yourself. Oh, hey, Jupiter, where's the missus?"

Brexel looked down and saw the large head of the mastiff pushing against her knee. "Jupe. Back off."

Jupiter whined in concern.

Juno was standing behind her mate and huffing, shifting from foot to foot.

Iris reached out with a scuffed and filthy hand, and Jupiter's head was under it in seconds. "Who's my big baby?"

He huffed and made the peculiar croon that he had always saved for Iris.

Brexel shook his head. "You always had a way with them."

Oren was scrubbing his hands. "It looks like she still does. Brex, you didn't tell me you were hanging around betas."

"Iris was the boys' nanny for two years after their parents' accident. She left when she graduated and pursued her career." Brexel filled in the blanks.

"When was this?"

Iris muttered, "Four years ago. The boys were nine and in school by then."

Brexel nodded and watched Oren scrub his hands. "She waited until they were settled in their new school to leave."

"I didn't leave. It was the end of the contract." She frowned and winced.

"The boys missed you."

"I miss them, but life moves on, right?" She slowly looked up and met his gaze while Oren gloved up and began to tie neat knots in her flesh.

Life moves on. He had told her that when the contract span was over. She had been spending all her time with them and ignoring friends and family. She had stopped her life for them and been happy to do it.

He watched the sutures go in. Oren was good at it, but then, he was a vet.

Six years and six months ago, his business partner had passed away with her husband. Their twin boys had no one else to live with. No family, no other friends. Brexel remembered what that felt like and offered to take them in. He had no idea what he was doing, so he advertised for a nanny, and after five interviews, a set of dark green eyes had captured him, and she spoke softly to him about the kids and being uprooted, losing all the tethers in their lives. She had talked about how he could alter his behaviour to make the kids feel secure, and when she smiled and shook his hand, she told him that she could only spare two years, and by then, they would be ready for the world. She had been right. She helped them see that the world was spinning without them, that they were part of it, and the children learned it, too.

He watched the tears well, and needing something to do, he got a clean cloth and carefully washed her hand. "Now, Iris, who sold you?"

"What?" Shock and pain were in her expression.

Oren was moving as fast as he could, closing her scalp with neat stitches.

"Someone sold you. It was the reason for the capture attempt. Was it family?"

She blinked, and tears slowly moved down her cheeks. "Um, no. I don't know who it was. Can you do that? Just sell someone you know?"

Oren trimmed off the last stitch. "It happens. Usually, there is a connection. Lover, perhaps?"

"No. Definitely not." Iris twisted her lips. "That ship hasn't sailed; it's in drydock. My exes all have significant others."

Brexel sighed silently in relief. He had to ask, "Why did you come over my wall?"

"Because I needed to hide, and given the day and the likelihood of you being inside and relaxing while the dogs patrol, I knew I had backup if I just got over that wall, and I did."

Oren put gauze pads down, took a roll of gauze, and started wrapping her head with it. "Good girl for holding still."

She grimaced. "You are the vet, right?"

He chuckled. "You remember."

"Boss got the puppies from you."

"He did. Rescues from a fighting ring."

Jupiter was still whining with worry, pressed against Iris's leg. Juno was lying down nearby.

Iris smiled. "Yes, they are vicious when they have to be."

He carefully got dirt out of her knuckles. "They did a good job this evening. They get steak tomorrow."

She asked, "When do the boys come back?"

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"Ah. Juno, my purse is in the garden. Can you bring it?"

Juno sat up and bolted out through the large dog door, eager to be of service.

Oren smiled. "Can I get you training dogs at my clinic?"

"I already train service dogs in my spare time." Iris tried to touch the bandage, and Oren took her hand.

He got another cloth and set about cleaning her fingers.

* * * *

Iris's head was pounding, she wanted to cry for the millionth time, and two alphas were racing to see which of them could get the dirt out of her skin. She wasn't going to mention her knees. The mental image that would stir was staggering.

Her parkour days had ended when she was sixteen, but climbing the wall was what she needed to do, so she did it. Every creampuff and latte had been in her thoughts as she clawed her way up the stone. The dogs had been barking when she whistled, and as she dropped after being hauled down and shot in the head, she knew her only chance was over that wall. She didn't know why they wanted her, didn't understand the references to payment, she had to get away.

Thudding to the ground, the dogs had greeted her, and she had crawled into the yard to lie in full view of the window. That had concluded her energy. The men screaming and dogs growling confirmed that she had made the right choice.

"I am sorry that I dropped into your yard, boss." Iris kept her voice calm.

She deeply regretted doing that to him, but seeing him one more time was kind of nice. Her head throbbed, and she realized she might have a concussion.

"Thank you for this, but—oh, thank you, Juno." The dog brought her purse in, but Iris couldn't grab it.

She wiggled the fingers in Brexel's hand. "I need to grab my purse. I will reimburse you for the medical supplies and pay for an extra day for the gardener to get the blood out of the grass."

Oren snorted. "A solid rain will take care of that. Are you in a hurry to be somewhere?"

"I came here in a panic. There were limited options, and I guessed I could outrun them and get up the wall in time. Nearly made it." She really wanted to touch her head.

"Why did he shoot you?"

She winced. "I may have kicked him in the groin when he pulled me off the wall."

Brexel sighed. "I commend your bravery."

"Sheer panic. I have walked home from that club two dozen times. This is the first time anything has ever happened."

Brexel stared at her. "Are you mentally damaged?"

She felt her lower lip and started to cry again. "Today, yes."

Jupiter started whining again and butted his head against her hand. Brexel sighed. "In a moment, Jupe. I need to clean under her nails. When did you start wearing long nails?"

She blinked and looked down at her hands. "Uh, it's complicated."

At what point did she tell him that she had been blacklisted from the child development field of study. She wasn't in research; she was a cocktail waitress at a strip club. No one in her circle knew. The money was good, the tips were excellent, and while she didn't make as much as the dancers, she made her rent and had enough for savings.

The nails were part of her costume, and she had just left them on for tonight's party.

"Well, you are going to the first guestroom. We will check on you on the hour. I am sure that the Js will be close if you need them."

"I think I should really get to a hospital." Iris swallowed. "You have done more than enough."

Oren looked at her. "Your pupils are even. Speech is clear. Track my finger."

He moved his gloved hand back and forth. She flicked her eyes left and right.

"You probably have a helluva headache, but you are doing very well. The wound was superficial."

"It doesn't feel superficial." She reached up to touch it, but the boss grabbed her hands and held them.

"Three inches long with fourteen stitches. It is a nasty wound, and you will need to brush your hair carefully until it heals."

She blinked against the pain. "How long will that be?"

"Ten days to two weeks if you are careful."

Iris blinked. "Fuck me."

Oren chuckled. "Well, you aren't up for it now, but when you are feeling better, I will be interested."

The boss growled. "Shut it, Oren."

The vet laughed. "Well, she offered."

"Uh, if you two want to take a moment and discuss, I can just make my way out so I can rest."

The boss snorted and leaned in to pick her up. "Come on. Let's get you to bed. I think I still have a baby monitor I can use to keep track of you."

Iris froze as he carefully lifted her again and headed to the grand staircase, walking up calmly.

The dogs ran ahead with eager postures. Iris paused. "Where are you putting me?"

"The blue room. Oren is in the purple, and we will take turns checking on you."

Iris paled. "He's staying over?"

"He is now. My first aid is restricted to small cuts and scrapes."

"And setting broken bones. I remember when Denel fell out of that tree." Talking kept the throb of her head from taking over.

"How have you been doing?"

"Pretty well. Not working where I had hoped, but you can't have everything."

The boss walked into the blue room. "You can try."

He left her alone, and she went to try and clean herself up. It took a while.