Page 43 of Into the Lion's Den (Secrets of the Northland Shifters)

I listened again. Something was definitely moving outside the lodge, something big. My memory of the mountain lion made my skin tingle and my heart lodge in my throat.

At least this time, whatever animal was prowling the grounds would stay outside. I’d mind my business. It would mind its own. We could peacefully coexist, so long as neither one of us crossed our lines.

Remembering my quest for warm milk, I grabbed my robe off a hook in the bathroom, slid my arms through the silky sleeves, and cinched the waist.

Quietly, I opened my door and slipped out. I didn’t want to wake anybody, so I padded on the balls of my feet across the lobby to the staff cafeteria and the large industrial kitchen beyond it.

I didn’t bother turning on the lights. Everything was stainless steel and the counters and appliances—not to mention the pots hanging from hooks over the island—reflected the moonlight streaming through the windows.

I grabbed a mug off the shelf, then set it on top of the counter. When I opened the refrigerator door, it further lit up the room.

There was athunkthat came from outside,then some scuffing sounds. I turned toward the door that exited onto the parking lot just as Toby stepped through that door and entered the kitchen. He looked exhausted and rumpled, like he’d been wrestling in leaves.

“Sarah!” he exclaimed, looking as surprised as I felt. “What are you doing up?”

“Couldn’t sleep. Too excited.”

“About the booking you got? I heard. It sure came at the perfect time.”

“What are you doing up?” It seemed odd he should be outside in the middle of the night.

“Oh.” He glanced toward the door. “Reese asked me to check on something for him.”

“In the dark?”

“I didn’t have time to get to it earlier.”

“Well, I hope you were careful. I think there might be an animal wandering around out there. A big one.”

“Oh.” He fidgeted.

“Did you see it?”

“No.” He shook his head. “But this is the north woods. There’salwaysan animal out there. Lots of them.”

“Right. Well.” I got out the milk and poured some into my mug. “So long as we don’t bother them, they won’t bother us, right?”

He laughed a little at that. “I suppose not. Well, good night.”

“G’night, Toby.”

He strode past me and exited the kitchen, headed for his room.

I put my mug in the microwave and hit the buttons. But nothing happened. I tried a different approach. Still nothing.

I opened the microwave door, then closed it again to reset. Maybe I needed to hit the buttons in a different sequence.

“Hit theBeveragebutton,” said a rumbly voice to my left.

I practically jumped out of my skin and swallowed a scream. I whirled, halfway expecting to see one of DaBruzzi’s men. Instead I saw Reese standing ten feet away at the entrance to the kitchen.

He looked like he’d stepped right out of my dreams—bare-chested, sleepy-eyed, tousled hair…

“You have a really bad habit of sneaking up on me,” I said. “Did you know that?”

He shrugged and walked closer, stopping four feet away. “You have a really bad habit of sneaking off to places I don’t expect you to be.”

“It’s a kitchen,” I said.

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