Wheeler rubbed at his chest. “Some of the rich boys live in mansions and like their trusted employees nearby. Sometimes they move their staff into the house to either live or work, that way they can keep a close eye on them. When they find someone good, they don’t want another immortal to lure them away with a better offer. That’s too much control, and I don’t do business with men who don’t trust me. Anyhow, it wasn’t a big deal to the guys I worked for because I learned how to draw up contracts that made everyone happy.”
“So what happened?”
“Ben happened.” Wheeler tugged at the short hairs of his beard with his left hand. “He makes money playing tournaments, but he’s also got a gambling problem. He wins big, but he loses bigger. Ben was never able to make money the way I could, so he learned early on how to get it fast with little work. He’s always been competitive with me, and maybe it didn’t sit well with him that I’d finally found a career making more money than he did. We’re both good with numbers; he just went in a different direction. He was always betting when we were kids. Always getting us in trouble, always daring me to do things I shouldn’t have. Back then, our own parents couldn’t tell us apart. It didn’t make sense for both of us to take the punishment when he wouldn’t admit his guilt, so I stepped up and took his place.”
“And your other brothers?”
“I’m older than I look, kitty cat. Reno was a grown man back then and the others hadn’t been born.”
“Ah. I bet you two were a handful for your parents.”
He chuckled nostalgically. “Yeah. Things weren’t so bad back then. As the years went on, Ben kept getting in trouble, and I kept digging him out. Maybe it’s not all his fault. I had it coming because I conditioned him that way.”
My finger ran across the broken link again. “You had what coming?”
Another quiet moment passed. “Back then, we were identical. Even now, people can still tell we’re twins. The first time it happened, he lost his ass gambling. I ran into a couple of guys who had a serious issue with how I didn’t pay them after losing a game. When I told them my name, it didn’t stop them from beating me with a crowbar.”
“He impersonated you? Oh my God.”
“Yeah. Only what the fuck were my words. The worst part about it? After Ben found out I took a beating for him, he said thanks. Didn’t even apologize for the fact I was tortured for an hour.”
“When did all this happen?”
“Mmm…” He gave it a little thought. “Austin was in high school, or just leaving. We weren’t living here, so I don’t remember. We stuck around long enough to be there for Austin’s childhood, then would visit for extended stays. After that, we diverged and did our own thing. Well, everyone except Ben, who followed me around like a shadow.”
I swept my hair back and tucked the pillow beneath my head. Wheeler appeared uncomfortable, so he locked his fingers behind his head, which left me staring at his armpit. I wrinkled my nose when he glanced at me.
“Don’t like the view?” he asked with humor in his voice. He dropped his arm again and scooted away. “The pack is oblivious to his gambling addiction because he’s portrayed it as a career. To them, I’m the problem child.”
“But why?”
“Look at me, Naya. Do you really have to ask?”
“So that’s why you started changing your looks? You were mistaken for Ben, and were afraid he’d keep doing it.”
“The damage was done. He’d ruined my reputation with a few clients, and the bitch of it was, I couldn’t explain. Telling the truth would mean betraying my brother, and that’s not what a loyal wolf does. The tats put an end to his impersonation game.”
“And the chain?”
He scraped his bottom lip with his teeth. Wheeler had more definition in his face than Ben. There was a shadow along the contours of his jaw, his brows sloped at a different angle, and his body type seemed tougher. I grinned when I mentally compared them to spaghetti—one raw and stiff, while the other was cooked and soft.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“Nothing. I was just imagining you as a noodle.”
“You’re a strange woman.”
“So I’ve been told.”
A smile played on his lips and he wiped it away with his hand. “I doubt that.”
“Not everyone finds me attractive. Some don’t like my playful personality, but this is who I am. So what if I’m a little flirtatious? I enjoy life too much to sulk about it.”
“Sounds like you’ve had nothing but good times.”
I sat up on my elbow. “Just because I have a positive outlook doesn’t mean my life hasn’t been seasoned with tragedy. I had to watch my mother die in a human hospital.”
“Shit. I didn’t know. Sorry.”
“How could you?” I eased back down and shivered. “My papa died when I was just a little girl, and it was up to my mama to take care of me. She worked her tail off to support us, and she did it the right way. Three jobs—and none of them involved taking her clothes off. She left behind some money, but not enough. Her plan was to keep working that pace to give me a future. Mama always said I was too much for any one man, so I needed to make enough money to live on my own. It’s hard to find another panther. Most of our kind keep it a secret, although I’ve heard about some places in the country where they’ve congregated in large numbers.”
“No panther online-dating service?”