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Chapter Two

Neal Byrne turned the bottle of water in his hands Even this early, the heat and humidity left a cloud of condensation on the cold surface, and he traced a pattern in it until he recognized the tattoo he was drawing and wiped it entirely out with his thumb

That wasn't his life anymore

He lifted his gaze and looked out over the green lawn and tropical foliage His life now seenoring him

“Aren't we a pair,” Neal told her

Nealan anchor of humanity and familiarity from which to start her path back to civilization

The gazelle had been ier than Neal had been there, and he had spent ten wretched years in that place Freedoazelle had not yet accli to her hu bipedal presence at all

Neal, by contrast, now refused his own ani had forced him to be a red-maned wolf in his zoo, for his entertain that re his wolf so deeply now that he couldn't even hear its voice

Mostly, he was ignored by the gazelle, his rusty conversation entirely one-sided, but he noticed that she ca the run of the island, so he continued to return, too

“Breakfast is out,” a cheerful voice announced The gazellein alarain

Breck, head waiter of the resort and a leopard shifter, ca a heaped plate of food froroundskeeper Although the staff was allowed free rein of the resort food, they were not per roo had beco place for a few of the staff, and somehow, despite his atte in their ned to hi survivors of Beehag's prison back to their lost families

Strangely, he could face helping the to his own life

Graha wordlessly in what Neal now recognized was a greeting

Breck filled any conversational space left by the surly landscaper and the

quiet refugee with practiced ease “Avoid Scarlet today,” he advised needlessly

Scarlet, the owner of the resort, had a short temper and a ferocious will Neal knew that he and the other rescued shifters were there by her generosity and was grateful for it, but kept out of her way as much as possible He didn't want a re herto be ready to leave the insulated island

Breck continued despite the stony silence “I guess there are soal inheritance issues with the island property now that our friend Beehag is out of the picture, and thereSands,” he said conversationally, eating a slice of quiche with a fork “We're over capacity in free guests, and under in paid” He paused, giving an eloquent shrug and nod at Neal “No one blaht want to keep out of her way, just the same”

Neal shrugged back, and Graham put an entire slice of the quiche in his mouth

“What needs done today?” Neal asked, snagging an extra slice of the egg pie froned protest

Neal hated any re hall whenever possible It hadn't escaped his notice that Breck's breakfast plate had doubled in size since they first startedat this table, but none of them actuallyBreck's food, Breck pretended he was bothered by it, and Grahanored it all

“There aren't enough guests to need any extra waitstaff,” Breck answered hietable out of his food with a fork and setting it aside

Neal was glad While he could feign goodhall any better than the waitstaff uniforms fit him

“Aleeds,” Graharowled “And the pool needs to be scraped”