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"I'd prefer you call me Leidolf"

"I'm Cassie Never h she didn't believe he would care for wolves Maybe even worried that he ht cause her trouble when she lectured

She climbed into his vehicle, took a deep breath, and her eyes widened again He swore if he hadn't blocked her in as he held the door ready to shut it for her, she would have escaped He heard her slight intake of breath and her heartbeat accelerate Her gaze swiftly swept over him as if he was suddenly someone of more importance She sed hard and s his eye, and then she pulled away from him as much as possible

She took another deep breath and aze "Wolves are wild and unpredictable But you're right They're also protective and loyal Thanks for coet me"

He s that she was a wolf advocate yet understood wolves well enough to realize how dangerous they could be, and felt a slight connection to her right away Before he could shut her door, she quickly added, "You are taking ht?"

"Yeah Millie Meekle said you needed a lift"

Cassie still looked a little alarmed when Leidolf climbed into the vehicle, and he supposed he could understand her wariness Millie should have called to let Cassie knoas coet her

"I never figured I'd have trouble out here" She snapped her seat belt in place and pressed herself against the passenger door, al to keep as far away from him as she could

For someone who studied wolves, she seemed a tad skittish Which made him wonder if she'd had trouble with nawed at him, no matter that he'd just met her

Leidolf glanced at her as he drove back to theplace "Why not lecture in Portland? You'd have had much more of a draw"

A long silence filled the air

"People need to be educated in places like this," she finally said

Leidolf didn't respond, but he was already bothered by where this was leading And he had a sneaking suspicion it was the very reason she had come here

She looked out theand didn't say anything further

He cleared his throat "Why in places like this?"

A prolonged silence filled the space between the her head in his direction, she gave hion Zoo, the people of Portland are unlikely to see any wolves running around their fair city"

"Out here?"

He felt her observing him while he concentrated on the road Like she studied wolves? Wouldn't she be surprised to learn he was one also, whenever he had the urge to shift

"They ht be out here, some day"

"You don't see about future events Have you seen a wolf in this area?" he asked, very much to the point He had to know Had she seen one of his packin his or her fur coat in the woods around here?

She looked back out the

Hell "Cassie, have you seen a wolf in these parts?"

"They've been spotted in several different locations all over Oregon People everywhere need to be educated That's what I do," she said evasively

Concerned about what she'd observed, Leidolf pulled into a parking space at the town hall Several vehicles now filled the lot He hoped that ood citizens of the area would behave themselves And if she'd seen what he suspected she had, he hoped the hell she didn't mention it in the lecture He suspected that she orried he ht want the wolf eliminated if she told him she'd actually witnessed it--because he was a rancher, despite saying he liked wolves

Before he could cliet her door, she hopped out, thanked him, and hurried up the brick walk "Sorry," she said, in a rush to get to the front door "I'm fifteen minutes late"

He thought she hurried to stay away from him for some other reason He couldn't fathoht her here safe and sound and would have one of his men fix her tires So ould she fear him?

The fact he was a rancher? Oraround wolves--the real kind--that she wasn't equipped to deal with the wolfish hu out of nothing Maybe she was just anxious because of being late to her own speaking engagement That was all

He stalked after her and opened the door before she reached it "It looks like ht on time"